Syracuse Football: Key takeaways from the Orange's week-six loss to SMU on the road

Syracuse's victory chances were slim heading into the game with SMU and the oddsmakers were again correct. SMU was the better team most of the game and rolled to 31-18 victory. That final score feels a little disingenuous too, as the Mustangs were up 31-3 in the fourth quarter before two late touchdowns and a safety. Here are my takeaways on the game.

My key takeaways from Syracuse football's week-six loss against SMU.

Syracuse's defense made enough plays to win

If Syracuse were to win this game, I would have expected a shootout. SMU, like Syracuse, relies on their offense to win games, and while the Mustangs are 2-2, it's not the fault of Kevin Jennings and the offense. In the game, SMU started on offense, and went three and out. Syracuse forced another punt on the following drive before the Mustangs finally scored a field goal on a short field after an interception. SMU was given a short field on a touchdown drive in the second quarter and in the fourth quarter, the Orange forced an interception and scored a safety.

Given where Syracuse has been on defense this year (not good), you have to be pleased with how they largely limited the explosive Mustangs offense. It's not their fault that Syracuse struggled on fourth down and put them on the field without much rest. On the day, SMU had season-lows of 76 rushing yards and 370 yards. The Orange defense recorded eight tackles for loss, led by two from DE David Omopariola, and Jamie Tremble recorded his second sack of the year.

Rickie Collins is the best option Syracuse has at quarterback

In his second start, Rickie Collins had another bad performance. He struggled to look off defenders and threw the ball in double coverage a lot. Collins threw three interceptions, completing 22-45 passes for 279 yards with a touchdown. The LSU transfer was also the Orange's leading rusher, running 10 times for 57 yards and a score, nearly always on scrambles. I would be lying if I said Collins had a good game; he was part of the reason why this game wasn't closer. However, I don't think Syracuse has a better option at the position.

Collins' first backup is Luke Carney, a true freshman who has appeared in just one game against Colgate. He ran the ball once for a touchdown, but didn't throw a pass in the blowout win. I'm pretty optimistic on Carney long-term, but if he was ready, we would have seen him by now. Most three-star recruits take time to get on the field - Carney looks to be no different. In the offseason, Carney got little to no first-team reps behind Steve Angeli and Collins, and I doubt he's gotten many these past two weeks. For better or for worse, Syracuse is going to have to ride with Collins and hope he can improve.

Syracuse should be utilizing Dan Villari more in short-yardage situations

In the first half, Syracuse really struggled converting third and fourth-and-short plays. The one exception came from TE Dan Villari, who took a snap at wildcat QB, ran left, and comfortably moved the sticks. That drive ended with a goal-line stand for the Mustangs, including stuffing Yasin Willis and Rickie Collins at the one-yard line. A couple of drives later, Willis was stuffed on third and fourth and one, again out of heavy personnel. The worst fourth-down stop comes on a fourth and two in the red zone, where Collins missed a wide-open Willis in the flat that could have turned into a touchdown.

Villari is a bruising 6'4", 245-pound tight end who seems to always fall forward and is a handful to bring down. He's a converted quarterback too, so defenses can't load the box and completely sell out for the run. Syracuse's short-yardage conversions have been a weakness for a few weeks now, most notably against UConn, so a playcalling or personnel change needs to be made. I think the solution is more Dan Villari.