College Football

Syracuse Football: 3 things we learned from their fourth loss of the season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Oct 8, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Chuck Wade (9) runs after a catch in the fourth quarter against the Syracuse Orange at BB&T Field. Wake defeated Syracuse 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Syracuse football team fell to (2-4) on the season after their 28-9 loss against Wake Forest. Here are the three things we learned from the game.

Disheartening. Embarrassing. Awful. Disgusting. Depressing. Suicidal Thought Provoking. #CUSEvsWAKE in a nut shell…

— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) October 9, 2016

So our tweet about the Syracuse football team basically wraps it up into a nice package. It’s frustrating when you lose a game that is winnable.

We’ve had the age-old argument before that it’s better to get your doors blown off than lose a close nail-biter. The team was unable to build any type of rhythm on offense and surprisingly their defense kept them in it till the bitter end.

Up next the Orange return home to the Carrier Dome to play a top-25 team in Virginia Tech. But before we get there, lets break down the top-three things we learned.

3. This isn’t a bowl team

While this is painfully obvious after their fourth loss of the season, it wasn’t before the game kicked off. We talked about how there were 4-5 winnable games on the schedule and that this game was the tipping point.

Well now the narrative is will the Orange even win one more game this season? Oh how times change in college football.

Well reality is brutal and the reality is this is not a very good football team. Despite all the hype that was built on this Dino Babers offense, we just aren’t there yet.

Now the Orange are fighting for respectability. Although with this loss Syracuse may be fighting to avoid last place in the ACC.

Oct 8, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Zack Mahoney (16) gets hit as he runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Wake defeated Syracuse 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

2. This offense has deficiencies

While there are the fans that gravitate towards stats. Stats aren’t everything. For example, on the surface the Orange had a rejuvenation in their backfield against the Demon Deacons.

Although a deeper look reveals that the 158 yards rushing isn’t what it seems. While 113 yards or rather 72 % of that came on just three attempts.

I get the passing game wasn’t going to be as prolific, especially considering the weather conditions. But regardless Eric Dungey was a huge disappointment.

And it wasn’t just the stats, where he had his worst game of the season. It was about him holding onto the ball too long and questionable decision making. The only rationalization that makes sense is that he was injured, because outside of that this was a very odd performance.

Oct 8, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Dino Babers looks on during the third quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Wake defeated Syracuse 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dino Babers has a long way to go

The honeymoon period is officially over in Central New York. Is that unfair? Probably. But it’s time to start questioning the head coach of the Orange.

Dino Babers made a lot of questionable decisions in this game and the main one is at the end of the half. It felt like perhaps Hurricane Matthew had shifted the time vortex and Scott Shafer was roaming the sidelines.

Because game management continues to be an issue. Syracuse called a timeout to preserve time at the end of the first. Then followed that up with a quarterback draw play. Which they decided to run off 30 more seconds off the clock. Of course on the very next play from scrimmage, Dontae Strickland would break off a 49 yard scamper.

But execution in crunch time situations was again jeopardized by a poor decision. This time by way of a terrible Dungey interception in the red zone that cost SU precious points. Babers has a long way to go before he’s ready to turn this program around.