Syracuse came back to the JMA Wireless Dome needing something positive to carry out of a stretch that has gone badly in ACC play. Instead, the Orange got another shootout, another missed chance and another conference loss, falling to Louisville 34-26 on Saturday night.
It was the kind of game that flashed plenty of offense and very little relief for Syracuse. The Orange scored early, built a double-digit lead and still watched it slip away. By the end, Louisville had enough to finish the job and send Syracuse to its 11th straight ACC defeat.
For Syracuse, the opening minutes looked like the exact formula it needed. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Malachi Nelson hit Umari Hatcher for 65 yards to get the Orange deep into Louisville territory right away. Syracuse cashed in with a field goal, then went back on offense after a Damien Kerr interception and stretched the margin to 10-0 on a Hatcher touchdown.
Hatcher’s first few grabs set the tone for his night, and he kept stacking them up from there. The sixth-year receiver finished with 224 yards on 13 catches.
“It really doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, I got to make plays for each one of those guys. Whoever is in there to throw the ball, I just got to make sure I’m doing my best job to catch the ball and make them look good,” Hatcher said.
But the lead did not last. Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz helped the Cardinals answer with back-to-back touchdowns before the first quarter was over, and Syracuse never fully settled things down after that.
The teams kept trading blows the rest of the way, with both offenses scoring twice more before halftime. That left Louisville up 28-23 in a first half that produced 669 total yards, the most in a single half in the ACC since 2022.
Penalties once again hurt Syracuse at key moments, even though the Orange finished with eight overall, one of their better numbers this season. The one that stood out came after freshman Calvin Russell III scored his first collegiate touchdown to put Syracuse back in front 16-14 in the second quarter. Russell threw the ball into the crowd and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag, and Shay Barker missed the extra point.
“I think the point hurt him more than anything, the fact that the kid didn’t get to make the extra point after that hurt him a lot. That was something that was a lesson learned right away off of doing that,” Brown said.
There were more costly flags later, including unnecessary roughness calls, but the biggest one may have come in the closing minutes. Trailing by eight with under five minutes left, Syracuse had the ball at Louisville’s 21 before a holding penalty pushed it back to the 31 and turned the situation into 3rd & 15. The Orange then gave up back-to-back sacks and came away empty on downs.
“I don’t like (the penalties) at all, and we are addressing them and we are talking,” Brown said.
Defensively, Syracuse had a rough night overall, allowing more than 400 yards and 34 points. The one bright spot came from Davien Kerr, who turned in his strongest performance of the season. The junior picked off two passes and added a sack, even if the game still wasn’t clean from his side.
“You all call me a ball hawk. I have a great relationship with the ball.
I stay loyal to the ball. Whenever the ball comes my way I just make a play,” Kerr said.
Brown said after the game that he is “thankful” to have Kerr in the secondary.
“He’s maturing and constantly growing. Playing ball he studies, he learns. He’s doing a really good job,” Brown said.
In Other News...
Kiyan Anthony's Early Syracuse Role Just Became A Real Question
Kiyan Anthonys first preseason look for Syracuse didnt last long, but it did serve as an early reminder that the Orange are still in evaluation mode. Anthony logged just eight minutes in the teams opening exhibition, even as he and Sadiq White Jr. are viewed as core returning pieces with the kind of experience Syracuse wants to lean on this season.
For now, the staff appears intent on using the preseason to sort through the new faces and figure out how the rotation should take shape. Anthony will get another chance to push his case in the next preseason game against Niagara, and his role there may say plenty about how quickly Syracuse wants to ramp him back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Fans Have Two Big Reasons To Watch This Exhibition
Syracuses exhibition against Siena at MVP Arena offers an early look at how Gerry McNamaras team is taking shape, and it comes with a few added layers for Orange fans. Freshman Mark Morano is set to make his Syracuse debut, giving the program its first public glimpse of a newcomer who could factor into the rotation as the season gets underway.
The matchup also brings McNamara against his former school, with Siena now coached by Nevada Smith. Syracuse, meanwhile, will be without Aiden Tobiason because of injury, which slightly alters the mix for a game that is more about evaluation than the final score, but still carries enough storylines to make it worth following closely. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads Into UNC Week With A Quarterback Problem Again
Syracuse is heading into its North Carolina prep with the quarterback picture once again up in the air, a frustrating familiar spot for a team trying to steady itself late in the season. Fran Brown gave the latest health update on Malachi Nelson, Steve Angeli and Amari Odom, and the uncertainty at the most important position leaves the Orange trying to piece together a plan while the weeks work begins.
Brown also said wide receiver Elijah Moore is being moved to safety, another sign that Syracuse is searching for answers wherever it can find them. There was at least one encouraging note on the injury front, with linebacker Antoine Deslauriers expected to practice after missing the previous game, but the bigger question still hangs over the offense as the Orange get ready for a trip into ACC play without a confirmed starter under center. [Read more 🡒]