Louisville, Ky. — Syracuse football is 5-5 after a 41-3 loss at Louisville on Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Stadium.
This week’s stock watch takes a look at the players and themes rising and falling heading into the next opponent, North Carolina State.
Stock down: A lot of close games, but this was another clunker
Amid a year of fourth-quarter battles, Syracuse was out of it by halftime on Saturday.
The Orange faced its largest deficit of the season by the end of the first quarter, and it never threatened to mount a comeback.
The loss dropped Babers’ record at Syracuse to 29-41, with more than half of those losses coming by at least 17 points.
Seventeen of the losses have come by 21 or more points. Ten have come by at least 30 points.
But this was one different, perhaps the worst loss since the Orange’s 63-20 defeat at Maryland in the second game of the 2019 season. That was one in which SU had few answers defensively and never countered a quick start by the opposition. The subjective read was it cost the school a chance to host ESPN’s “College GameDay” the following week against Clemson.
There have been worse defeats over the years, but they can usually be chalked up to the other team having generational quarterbacks or SU playing with a limited, banged up roster.
The Orange played without two starters along its offensive line and its fullback, but it managed to overcome all that late in a fourth-quarter comeback at Virginia Tech just last month.
“You can break it up to defense, offense and special teams. I thought we got beat in all three phases,” Babers said. “That comes down to kids being fresh, kids being motivated and coaching.
“You can pick your choice.”
That said it all.
Stock up: There’s a clear position group that needs an upgrade
Courtney Jackson is Syracuse’s leading receiver with 29 catches for 297 yards. That’s by far the lowest output for the top receiver in a Babers-led offense.
It’s on pace to be the lowest total since 2008, when Donte Davis led the Orange with 29 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns in Greg Robinson’s swan song.
SU’s receiving unit took a hit when Taj Harris left the team in the middle of the season, getting by with a group that has had to embrace the blocking aspect of the position to allow the run game to flourish.
Explosive plays in the pass game have been atypical for this offense, and it represents a clear area for improvement heading into the offseason, especially after Taj Harris left the team midseason.
Devaughn Cooper joined the club this year as a transfer from the University of Texas at El Paso, and the sense is Babers and the staff is going to have to mine the transfer market to try to bring in an impact receiver.
Jackson returns next season. A trio of freshman receivers in Oronde Gadsden II, Umari Hatcher and Kendall Long join Alford as young, promising prospects that need to develop. Ja’Vontae Williams was expected to be lumped in with those guys but has been unavailable to suit up this season.
With many pieces of the ACC’s top rushing attack able to return next season, the focus has to be to continue to make the offense more explosive on the perimeter and over the top.
Stock down: Sean Tucker taking nation’s rushing title
Tucker slipped further behind Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III on Saturday in the race for the nation’s rushing crown.
While Louisville limited SU’s explosive plays in the run game, Michigan State had its way with Maryland.
Walker rushed for 143 yards and two scores on 30 carries in No. 7 Michigan State’s 40-21 victory on Saturday. That puts him 111 yards ahead of Tucker with two weeks to go in the regular season.
Michigan State travels to No. 4 Ohio State and hosts Penn State to close the season.
Syracuse travels to No. 16 North Carolina State and hosts No. 21 Pittsburgh, the top two rushing defenses in the ACC.
Contact Nate Mink anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-430-8253
MORE ORANGE FOOTBALL
Cardinal Crush: Syracuse football loses to Louisville 41-3 (Axe recap)
Dino Babers on Mikel Jones targeting call: Like losing Garrett Shrader
Syracuse football stumbles to worst loss of season at Louisville (Brent Axe’s quick takes)
Best and worst from Syracuse football’s 41-3 loss to Louisville
‘Embarrassing’: What they’re saying about Syracuse’s loss to Louisville
Syracuse football wanted to celebrate in Louisville. It got blown out, 41-3
You Grade the Orange: Rate Syracuse football performance at Louisville
Syracuse football box score at Louisville
ORANGE FOOTBALL FANS
Sideline gear | Season schedule | Stream games on fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV
Ad Choices