5 Things I Think I Think: A Look Back At Saturday’s Loss To Notre Dame

Oh, Syracuse. Finally the opportunity to become relevant, and well… things didn’t go as planned.

A 31-15 loss to the eighth-ranked team in the country, in a game in which the media gave them no shot doesn’t sound horrible, but time and time again, when the Orange were given a chance to put up points and make big plays, they didn’t.

“God I hate losing, but son of a gun, there are lessons to be learned and these kids are going to be stronger from it in the long run,” Scott Shafer said. “It’s going to be a sour ride home.”

It should be sour for the Orange, who have their work cut out for them in preparation for their matchup against Louisville this upcoming Saturday. This is what needs to be done:

Sep 27, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Terrel Hunt (10) drops back to pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Syracuse 31-15. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

1. Run game, where art thou? 

Talk about Terrel-who? Terrel Hunt, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country was limited to seven carries for 26 yards behind an inconsistent offensive line. Prince-Tyson Gulley had a carry of 15 yards, but beyond that – nothing much. For a team that put up 27 and 40 points, respectively, in their first two games, it was obvious that something was holding them back. And in this case, it was a shaky offensive line not permitting a volatile running game from reaching their full potential.

More from Syracuse Football

• Syracuse Football: Cuse boils Purdue, turns attention to Army on Saturday
• Syracuse football only team in country with top-5 scoring offense, defense
• Syracuse Orange: Looking at On3 NIL Valuations of top-five ‘Cuse players
• Syracuse Football: Alumnus Noah Eagle to call Purdue game, that’s dope
• Syracuse Orange: Head of Orange United ready to ‘vie for championships’

2. The play-calling? Mediocre, at best 

When things go wrong, those in charge are clearly blamed, whether for good reason or not. Orange offensive coordinator George McDonald should most certainly be subjected to wrath of the public on his porous play-calling that repeatedly fails to translate into effective results. Nunes Magician, an SB Nation blog, does a regular study of the abysmal play-calling, and has determined that it is, well… abysmal to say the least. Too much emphasis on the passing game and a slow-paced offense headline some disappointing coaching that needs to change in order for the ‘Cuse to improve on their 2-2 record.

Sep 27, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Scott Shafer reacts to a call during the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at MetLife Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Syracuse 31-15. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

3. Once again, penalties remain prominent 

“Really, just penalties,” Hunt said on SU’s inability to finish drives.  “It’s just being anxious, but you have to take a step back, take a breather and just relax and realize we’re in the red zone and we have to score there.” 10 penalties for 85 yards pushed the Orange out of the red zone in key moments, and reflected the team’s anxiety-riddled mindset going into this highly anticipated matchup.

4. And we thought we were clutch

A reccuring theme during the loss to the Irish was not capitalizing on mistakes. The Orange forced an ample amount of turnovers in the first half yet couldn’t capitalize. Also, what happened to the Orange’s third down efficiency? 3-15? Something is wrong in New York, and fixing this issue is crucial.

Sep 27, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Syracuse Orange running back Adonis Ameen-Moore (34) lands on his head after being tackled against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Syracuse 31-15. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

5. Take us back to the Carrier Dome

“The toughest place, period, throughout my entire coaching career, was Syracuse,” Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell stated Friday. San Diego Chargers linebacker Dwight Freeney said “that was the loudest game I’ve ever played in. That was a special game. Unfortunately we didn’t get the win. I was playing really well that game. It was humming,” in reference to ‘Cuse’s loss to Virginia Tech in the Dome during the Michael Vick era. I don’t have to present research on this matter as many websites have already covered this previously, but crowd noise is quite effective. MetLife Stadium, with an estimated crowd ratio of 70-30 in favor of Notre Dame? Simply can’t compare with the advantage the Orange have at the Carrier Dome.