Takeaways from Syracuse's loss to Miami include strong fight, promising underclassmen

All signs pointed to Syracuse's sixth straight loss, with then-No. 18 Miami being 28.5 point favorites, hosting the game, and simply having a more talented roster at just about every position. That came to fruition on Saturday, as the Hurricanes overcame a slow offensive start to score 38 and drop Syracuse to 3-7. As always, here are my takeaways from the game.

My key takeaways from Syracuse football's week-11 loss against Miami.

Syracuse is still fighting and competing

Many times when a team is on a long losing streak and having a disappointing season, they give up, and a lack of effort is apparent. That didn't happen on Saturday for Syracuse. The Orange opened the game by forcing Miami to four punts, and the Hurricanes didn't open the game up until the second half, aided by big plays and a tired Orange defense. It's obvious how big of a weakness Syracuse's play on the offensive and defensive lines is, especially with injuries, but the team is still tirelessly working to overcome that. That shows the level of respect the team has for Fran Brown, and adds confidence for him to turn things around in 2026.

Young talent is making plays for Syracuse

Two defensive players, CB Demetres Samuel Jr. and LB Antoine Deslauriers, have started every game for Syracuse. OL Byron Washington has seen his role increase as the year has gone on, while WR Darius Johnson has come back from a fall camp injury and played his third game in a row with a catch. Those four walked out for the coin toss as captains. That is signaling a growing youth movement with the Orange.

Outside of those four, HB Tylik Hill ran eight times for 44 yards. TE Daunte Bacheyie had a team-high 22 receiving yards on two receptions, as did his CBA teammate WR Darien Williams, who had 13 receiving yards. Redshirt freshman Elijah Washington-Baker had Syracuse's only touchdown of the game, catching a 17-yard pass from freshman Joseph Filardi in garbage time. In total, there were 18 true freshmen who played for the Orange. That is something to build upon and another sign of good things for the future.

Syracuse's second bye week comes at a great time

The Orange will have a week off to recover from Saturday's bashing before playing a second road game in a row - this time against Notre Dame, ranked No. 9 in the most recent AP poll. After that? A winnable home game against the only team that might be worse than Syracuse in the ACC in Boston College. The Eagles' only win came against FCS Fordham in week one, and their last one-possession loss came on September 27th against Cal.

It is highly, highly unlikely that Syracuse can beat Notre Dame. But a bye week to get healthy and give a second week to implement a game plan will only help. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a catalyst to see more freshmen playing in that game, and especially against Boston College. Syracuse is all about looking towards the future at this point, and this bye week will be important for that.