Syracuse Executes Mistake-Laden Game Plan, Proving Costly vs. Rutgers

Opportunities. At the end of the season, if Syracuse ends up one game out of being bowl eligible, they can look back at this game against Rutgers. Horrific game management and costly turnovers were the main contributors. Time after time, Syracuse looked as if they wanted to hand the game away to Rutgers. Judging by Doug Marrone’s body language compared to Greg Schiano, momentum had all but swayed Rutgers direction at the end of regulation and in overtime.

Rutgers had a magnet detracting itself away from Syracuse’s miscues. Mistakes kept Rutgers a drive away from recovering all day. If you keep a team in the game, sooner or later, they will get something to fall their way. From 4-1 to 3-2 in the span of a poor finish in the fourth quarter. Yet another overtime (third of the year) ended with the ball coughed up on the turf.

The record is a 360 turn and puts the Orange at 0-1 in Big East play.

Any offense revolves around a solid ground game and a balanced passing attack to go with it. Syracuse could not establish either. Harping on Antwon Bailey, even though he had over 100 yards rushing, has to be done. He is a veteran on this team and coughed up the football twice. Maybe he had lost his legs by overtime due to 23 carries as he was not falling forward.

In the first overtime, he seemed to lose his legs on a 3rd-and-short inside the 5-yard line. Extra inches have to be fought for in those moments. That could have put the pressure on Rutgers to score seven. Instead, Syracuse elected to kick the chip shot field goal.

His fumble to end the game was a perfect punch out by the Rutgers defense right before his knee hit the ground.

You‘d think two fumbles would get a good percentage of the blame for a team's loss. Not this one. Ryan Nassib gets almost all of it on the meter tracker. All three of his interceptions looked like they were from an inexperienced quarterback, not one with Nassib’s track record. A poorly thrown lob screen was picked off by a defensive lineman. Another was a red-zone interception that could have been critical points for Syracuse, even if it was a field goal.

His worst throw of the day, though, should have cost Syracuse the game in regulation. To try and set Syracuse up for a last-second field goal, Nassib forced a ball that went right to a Rutgers defender. Luckily, Syracuse stopped the return from going the distance, and Rutgers missed a 44-yard field goal to end regulation.

Special teams was not much better for the Orange. Ross Krautman missed two field goals after only missing two his entire freshman year. The right side of the Syracuse special teams just could not hold up. Blocks are supposed to happen on occasion, not with regularity in one game.

Syracuse definitely let one slip away. The defense has to be disheartened with the effort they put forth. Clawing their way back and staying afloat in the Big East is going to be tougher than last year. Teams are much more balanced than the weakened football conference was a year ago.

Fortunately, Syracuse is 3-2, as they could easily be 1-4. Their opening game against Wake Forest they looked dead in the water, until an offensive explosion in the fourth quarter. We all know the happenings against Toledo to squeeze out a win.

It’s going to be a long week of re-emphasizing the basics in practice.