Syracuse Football: Injuries and opt-outs aside, Louisville loss is horrendous

Syracuse football, barring a miracle, will notch just one win in the 2020 term.

In 2018, Syracuse football captured 10 successes, a bowl-game victory and a No. 15 final ranking in both major polls. Yes, that occurred two years ago, but it may well have transpired 100 years ago.

I want to respect the fact that everyone associated with the Orange team – its players, coaches, staff members, etc. – are doing the best possible amid extremely challenging times during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Furthermore, the injuries and opt-outs affecting the ‘Cuse roster are clearly damaging at so many vital positions. It’s a most unfortunate circumstance for our beloved Orange.

All of that being said, Syracuse football went on prime-time national television on Friday evening, playing at a Louisville squad that had owned two wins as compared to the Orange’s one victory to date in the fall campaign.

While I didn’t necessarily expect a conquest for the ‘Cuse, I felt that maybe the Orange could hang tight with the Cardinals, particularly after Syracuse football “enjoyed” a bye week and, in its most recent outing, fell by only three points to Boston College inside the Carrier Dome on Nov. 7.

I guess that was wishful thinking on my part, as the ‘Cuse looked dreadfully anemic in a 30-0 drubbing by Louisville (3-6). Syracuse football (1-8) now has two Atlantic Coast Conference contests left on its 2020 docket, as the Orange will host N.C. State next Saturday, Nov. 28, and then head to highly rated Notre Dame on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Syracuse football put forth a fairly pathetic showing in a shut-out loss at Louisville.

There are a couple of telling – and awful – statistics that I want to pass along as it relates to the ‘Cuse performance versus the Cardinals.

Per ESPN, Syracuse football compiled a whopping 137 yards of total offense. I will always bleed Orange, but that is truly sad. The ‘Cuse had seven first downs, it was 1-of-10 on third down and 0-of-2 on fourth down, and the team held the ball on offense for only about 18 minutes of a 60-minute game.

The last occasion where the Orange offense proved this lackluster in terms of total yardage came back in 2014, according to this tweet. And, per this separate tweet, the last instance where the ‘Cuse produced zero points arrived in 2016.

Surely, head coach Dino Babers is disappointed and frustrated with his offense. And, understandably, a large contingent of the Syracuse football fan base is just about fed up with the state of the program.

As we’ve noted in several columns of late, it’s highly unlikely that Babers is let go prior to the 2021 campaign. Orange athletics director John Wildhack has expressed his support of Babers, and it’s undeniable that the ‘Cuse has gotten dealt a tough hand in the current stanza.

However, with the 2021 recruiting class that Babers has scheduled to come in, if the team doesn’t markedly improve in a year’s time, things could get dicey on the Hill.