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Syracuse, NY – Another game is being played for Syracuse football and another loss for the Orange at a critical juncture.
Wake Forest defeats Syracuse, 40-37 in overtime.
Here are some snapshot observations on the crushing loss to Orange.
Dino’s decisions
Syracuse coach Dino Babers has a word with Syracuse Orange kicker James Williams (98). The Orange of Syracuse faces off against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest at the Carrier Dome on October 9, 2021. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
What the hell was Dino Babers thinking?
Syracuse fans have said it on too many occasions during the loss to Wake Forest.
* On a 4th and 2 with 7:13 to go, Babers decided to hit a 45-yard basket instead of using his power running play with Sean Tucker and Garrett Shrader to push a solid practice forward.
Andre Szmyt missed the kick.
Wake Forest then scored on a 10-yard touchdown by Christian Beal-Smith and converted the two-point conversion to take a 34-27 lead, rendering that field goal useless if SU had even converted it.
* Just before half-time, Babers refused a detention penalty on Wake Forest, which would have forced a 51-yard field goal attempt.
Nick Sciba might be one of the best field goaltenders in the country, but you have to make him win that. Whether Sciba succeeds or misses that kick, Syracuse gets the ball back with enough time to score a score and has the ball to start the second half.
Of course, Wake Forest converted the 3rd and 23rd pass attempts, SU only rushing to three defenders and ultimately scored a touchdown.
* Syracuse failed to attempt a two-point conversion on time with 0:21 remaining, taking a late-game penalty instead, adding to a series of brutal clock-management decisions by the head coach of Orange.
There might have been a bit of strategy in that one, although I wouldn’t give anyone the benefit of the doubt there.
Syracuse instead tied the game at 34.
Syracuse also had to request a timeout on his first offensive possession in overtime because he couldn’t get the play call. Shrader was sacked on the 3rd and 8th after the stoppage.
It was professional misconduct on Babers’ part to give Wake Forest these opportunities and willfully kill the momentum.
His clock management is poor.
Peak hour
Garrett Shrader continues to take the starting quarterback position.
Shrader looked confident and made quick decisions executing Orange’s offense with a good mix of runs, RPO, game action and deployments. Babers and offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert gave him more work and put him in an earlier rhythm.
Shrader led the Orange on a 94-yard run to tie the score at 34 with 0:21 to go, taking several big hits from the Wake Forest defense along the way.
Shrader finished with 160 passing yards. He had 111 rushing yards at halftime and had a number of tough first downs for Syracuse.
He is Syracuse’s third quarterback to play in consecutive 100-yard rushing games since 1979 (Bill Hurley and Eric Dungey).
Tucker likely has the hot tub appointment again after this game, but he joined Shrader in the 100-yard club for the second straight week with 153 yards and two touchdowns. Tucker is Syracuse’s first running back since Jerome Smith in 2012 to run 100 yards in four straight games.
Syracuse’s identity may be old-fashioned, but it’s clearly their best strategy at this point.
The Orange finished with 354 rushing yards against the Demon Deacons.
U pointer?
Syracuse Orange puts kicker James Williams (98) in the pre-game warm-ups. The Orange of Syracuse takes on the demon deacons of Wake Forest at the Carrier Dome on October 9, 2021. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Syracuse officially has a betting problem.
After not traveling with the team to Florida State, James Williams returned to action but battled the Demon Deacons.
In the first half, Williams hit a punt for less than 10 yards and failed to catch another that connected just 30 yards from the end zone, putting Wake Forest in position of choice in the field too often.
We were spoiled here with Rob Long, Riley Dixon and Sterling Hofrichter punting for the Orange.
Williams has a lot of work to do to get “Punter U” back on track.
Contact Brent Ax: Email | Twitter
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