Syracuse Football: Where Does Loss To Louisville Rank?

College Football is in its third week, and the Syracuse Football team is 1-1. This is what we expected though.

First, Syracuse got an easy win over an over-matched Colgate team. Next, a disappointing loss in front of a large crowd to a ranked Louisville Cardinals team led by Heisman candidate Lamar Jackson. Inside the Loud House Paul Esden Jr. earlier this week  said that this Orange team may be bruised, but it is not broken.

Up to this point we’ve seen that to be the truth. Syracuse Head Coach Dino Baber’s offense is full of lots of potential, but we’ve also seen the defense is in for a long season if it doesn’t improve. The run game is a mess and the secondary seems lost out there (but for good reason).

Against Louisville on Friday the Cardinals gave up 62 points in their home building. When was the last time a team beat Louisville by that large a margin in the Carrier Dome? Here’s a look at the archives.

Syracuse Orange

A Look at the History Books

The Carrier Dome – affectionately known as “The Loud House” – opened in 1980. That’s where the search for historic losses begins. According to Syracuse University and Syracuse Newspapers’ archives, along with ESPN Syracuse Football Schedule/Results, the worst loss in the Dome for the Orange was versus West Virginia in a 43-0 loss on October 30th, 1993. That’s a 43 point margin. Just to put that in perspective, I was a year old at the time of that loss 23 years ago. Marvin Graves was Syracuse’s starting quarterback throwing to then sophomore Marvin Harrison.

Against Louisville last Friday night, the Orange lost by 34 points, 62-28. That ranks as the 7th worst loss at the Carrier Dome. Take a look at this chart of some of the other high-margin Syracuse Football losses since 1980:

Syracuse Football: Worst Losses at Carrier Dome

Why these Losses Almost feel Personal

I’ve been around 24 years, and since 2004 my dad and I have tried to attend at least one Syracuse football game each season. I am a diehard fan and hate to see the Orange lose, let alone in historic fashion. Unfortunately though we were in attendance for not just one of these historic losses, but several.

In 2007, I was on hand the day 13th-Ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, led by Pat White rolled all over us 55-14. That game was the 4th-worst loss at the Carrier Dome. Since my Dad was a Penn State Graduate we decided to attend the Penn State-Syracuse game at the Dome in ’08, which coincidentally turned out to be the 2nd-worst loss at that venue; a game we lost 55-13.

A couple of years later, we attended the 6th-worst loss at the Dome when the 3rd ranked Clemson Tigers came roaring into the Dome to the tune of 49-14. That game the Orange gave up 21 straight points before getting their first touchdown of the game. For the fans that remember, that season was actually a decent one. It was one in which Terrel Hunt actually stayed healthy and led us to a win in the Texas Bowl 21-17 over Minnesota.

Getting Better Every Day

I know these losses aren’t personal. I know I am not at fault for each loss by just being there. Additionally, I knew going into each game that Syracuse was facing ranked teams and would probably lose, but I still was hoping for a good result (or at least a close game). Instead, in each game we lost in historic fashion, and sometimes that’s just how it goes.

I’m not saying all this to depress Syracuse Football fans or for them to pity me, I’m just saying how historically low Syracuse came last Friday Night. The good news though is that once you hit a low point, one can only get better from there.

Next: Syracuse Football: Dino Babers plays to win the game

You use that low point as a frame of reference so it doesn’t happen again, and I think this team will do just that. More so, we have to get better because being at the Dome when we lose this bad is never fun. Take it from someone who knows. Our Orange will be and are better than we’ve seen, we just have to believe and hope a little longer.