Syracuse Falls To Louisville, 28-6, To Drop To 2-3

Can’t sum it up any better.

Following a 39-yard bomb to Jarrod West in the closing seconds of the first half, taking the Orange to the Louisville two-yard line, Terrel Hunt and Co. seemed poised to cash in, cutting the deficit to 12-10 heading into halftime.

Instead, the intermittent undiscipline that has haunted Syracuse repeatedly in the first five games of the season struck again, as Hunt ignored the longstanding rule stating that a spike in the final three seconds of the play clock is illegal, ending the Syracuse drive at the doorstep of the end zone without anything to show for it.

Oct 3, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange wide receiver Jarrod West (88) breaks a tackle by Louisville Cardinals linebacker James Burgess (13) during the first quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Missed opportunities have halted the Orange’s progress on a consistent basis over the course of this three-game losing streak, and they proved paramount in tonight’s dismal 28-6 defeat at the hands of the 5-1 Louisville Cardinals at the Carrier Dome.

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What was supposed to be an Orange Out morphed into a sea of aluminum by the mid-way point of the fourth quarter, as the Cardinals achieved revenge for their 2012 loss at the Loud House behind 139 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns from running back Brandon Radcliff, 174 yards and a touchdown from true freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon, and a horrific 2 interception performance from Hunt, who was aided off the field with an apparent left ankle injury in the fourth.

The Cardinals outgained the Syracuse running game, something the 2-3 Orange normally pride themselves on, at an astounding clip of 178 yards to a harrowing 49 from SU, recording 3.7 yards per rush compared to a miserable average of 1.9 per carry for the Orange. The story through the air wasn’t much prettier, as Orange averaged just 5.2 yards per pass compared to Louisville’s 7.9.

Oct 3, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals safety Gerod Holliman (8) tackles Syracuse Orange running back Adonis Ameen-Moore (34) in the end zone for a safety during the second quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The collection of missed chances began early in the first quarter, as, following a Justin Whigham interception, the Orange reached a 1st-and-goal at the Louisville five-yard line after a 22-yard reception by Steve Ishmael. Continuing last week’s trend, however, the offense stalled, gaining just a single yard on three goal line attempts, forced to settle for a 21-yarder by freshman Cole Murphy.

The Cardinals then set the tone for the rest of the contest on the ensuing possession, going for 65 yards on 10 plays on a drive which ended on Radcliff’s first score of the night, a run from four yards out to give the ‘Ville a 7-3 lead.

Poor play-calling then harmed the ‘Cuse on their first possession of the second quarter, as their insistence on snapping it from the shotgun formation from their own one lead to Adonis Ameen-Moore being stopped behind the line for a safety on second down. Louisville then rounded out the first-half scoring with a 51-yard boot from John Wallace with 3:42 remaining in the half, preceding the Orange’s aforementioned goal line failure to end the half.

The Orange started off the second stanza on an incredibly high note, moving the ball with rapid precision thanks to a 48-yard connection from Hunt to Ben Lewis which brought the ‘Cuse to the Louisville 1. Once again, however, the Orange were unable to capitalize on this red zone opportunity, as two consecutive penalties moved the offense back 18 yards before a blind drop by Lewis off a Jarrod West pass forced Murphy out onto the field once again, drilling a 24-yarder to cut the deficit to 12-6.

Oct 3, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange running back Prince-Tyson Gulley (23) runs through a hole as Louisville Cardinals safety Gerod Holliman (8) and linebacker Keith Kelsey (55) attempt to tackle him during the second quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Orange forced a three-and-out on the Cardinals next possession, they were unable to make use of the opportunity they were presented, punting after a three-and-out of their own on the ensuing drive. Predictably, Louisville made the ‘Cuse pay for their inability to capitalize, as Bonnafon hit wide receiver Matt Milton for a gain of 45 on second down, and Radcliff scampered in from 14 yards out to push their advantage to 19-6.

Another example of the Orange’s offensive woes came late in the third, as, following, a fumble recovery by Wayne Williams, setting the Orange up with extremely favorable field position at the Louisville 43, Hunt immediately turned it over on the first play of the series, throwing a pick into the hands of Gerod Holliman, the cornerback’s seventh of the season.

Another stalled drive by the Orange then set up a 8-play, 73-yard Louisville touchdown march to put the game out of reach, as Bonnafon hit Gerald Christian from four yards out with 7:45 to play, giving the Cardinals an insurmountable 26-6 lead.

To make matters worse, a Deiontrez Mount sack on the next possession resulted in an injured left ankle for Hunt, and, following another hit, he was assisted off the field and into the locker room, making way for backup quarterback Austin Davis’ backwards pass which ended up in the back of the end zone, giving Louisville their final advantage of 28-6.