Syracuse football has started off the fall campaign on a rough note, but perhaps all of the indicators pointed to a sub-par 2020 stanza.
Coming into the 2020 season, one in which the Atlantic Coast Conference welcomed Notre Dame as a football member and the league put forth a slightly abbreviated 11-game slate amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Syracuse football didn’t receive much praise, if any, from national and Atlantic Coast Conference prognosticators.
Sure, some commentators said that the Orange could make a post-season bowl, even if the ‘Cuse posted a below .500 record, but by and large the experts felt that Syracuse football would fall in the No. 10 to No. 15 range within the 15-team conference.
Two contests into the fall term, the Orange is 0-2, and the boatload of pessimistic predictions that arrived for the ‘Cuse in the pre-season seem spot-on at this juncture, unfortunately.
And while the fan base, naturally, is concerned, disappointed and frustrated, my sense is that maybe all of us, myself included, should probably have expected what’s transpired to date for the Syracuse football squad.
Here’s why. First and foremost, the pandemic has created challenges for the Orange and every other college football crew out there. But for the ‘Cuse, a lack of spring practices and logistical hurdles surrounding summer work-outs and pre-season camp likely proved especially tough, given that the team has first-year offensive and defensive coordinators, as well as a new 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
Yes, every group across the country has had to deal with no spring ball and obstacles pertaining to practices prior to the official season getting underway. Some squads in various leagues aren’t even playing this fall.
Syracuse football has a lot of adversity to overcome as it tries to direct its 2020 stanza on a positive path.
However, for Syracuse football, attempting to gel on both sides of the ball, and display effective continuity, with not as much practice time as usual, and a pair of new coordinators, is undeniably tricky.
That’s not all. The offensive line, which really struggled in 2019, is facing injuries and other setbacks. The NCAA denied the waiver request by redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Chris Bleich for immediate eligibility.
In the presence of these depth issues, senior tight end/defensive tackle Chris Elmore is suiting up on the offensive line as a guard. Through a pair of ACC bouts, opponents have sacked the Orange’s quarterbacks on a whopping 14 occasions.
Speaking of QBs, the ‘Cuse signal-callers are not playing at a high level. The wide receivers have dropped some catchable passes. The offense has scored a total of 16 points and can’t find the end zone after the defense produces turnovers and short fields.
What’s more, the top-two returning running backs from 2019, Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard, have opted out of the current campaign. The Orange running attack is still attempting to find its footing.
The 3-3-5 defensive system is performing admirably, for the most part, but if Syracuse football can’t put points on the board, then the ‘Cuse won’t win many games, if any. It’s that simple.
The Orange’s next foe is Georgia Tech, which comes to the Hill this Saturday afternoon for the ‘Cuse home opener. The Yellow Jackets, 3-0 all-time against Syracuse football, didn’t prove highly regarded within the ACC pecking order in the pre-season, but Georgia Tech is still a betting favorite to best the Orange.
Already in this young season, the ‘Cuse has faced a lot of tough breaks, and the writing likely was on the wall from the get-go that Syracuse football would sputter in 2020. Then again, the Orange does have nine affairs left and an opportunity to turn things around.