Syracuse Orange

Syracuse Football: The team is bruised but not broken

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Syracuse football team got annihilated in the Carrier Dome Friday night. Despite the loss, the team isn’t losing hope for the rest of the season.

The Syracuse football team faced their first real test of the season Friday night in their second contest. Unfortunately Louisville was everything that Syracuse expected and some.

Lamar Jackson became one of the hottest Heisman candidates after his stunning performance. With that, Jackson shattered records in the process by eluding defenders and showcasing his athleticism.

After the game head coach Dino Babers spoke to the media and he didn’t seem discouraged from what he saw. In fact, Babers is taking this game on the chin and he believes his team will learn from this experience.

“Bruised but not broken” was the sentiment that Babers iterated during this presser. The Orange were outclassed from a talent perspective.

Babers said his players were in the correct position during parts of the game, but Jackson just defied the schematics. This was the first “skin” opportunity for the Orange and was projected to be the most winnable of the core-four this season.

While the Orange didn’t get this victory, they can take away some small moral victories. For instance they were in a fourth quarter game against a top-15 opponent.

As a result this team that Babers has essentially inherited competed against continuity. 17 starters returned to the Cardinals this season.

The game did inevitably get out of hand, as the Cardinals stuffed the stat sheets. Now looking ahead though, the Syracuse football team has some winnable games in front of them.

Which could build some momentum heading into that next “skin” game against Notre Dame. While it’s a tall-order to expect the Orange to take down a top-25 opponent, it isn’t impossible.