This picture of Northwestern’s Coach Fitzgerald is a pretty good summation of how Orange fans feel right now. Instant reaction from Syracuse’s gut-wrenching 42-41 loss to Northwestern.
- Absolute abomination on the personal foul by Keon Lyn. That’s a complete joke. It sets up the Wildcats on a 1st-and-Goal, which ends in the GW touchdown on the following play. Lyn barely shoves the quarterback as his momentum is carrying him out of bounds anyway. How can you throw the flag there? Great job inserting yourself into the game, ref.
- I don’t know how LB Dyshawn Davis gets caught in coverage on WR Demetrius Fields on the GW score. That can’t be how you draw it up on the SU sidelines.
- Not enough can be said about Ryan Nassib despite the loss. He went 44-64 for 473 yards, 4 TDs, and made all the right throws in the second half comeback. Could anyone have seen that kind of breakout performance coming? He continually threw with confidence and accuracy. He took chances and was an emotional leader every step of the way. Where was this Nassib last season? We may have to start asking tough questions of the SU coaching staff. Did they neuter him last year? Have they finally allowed him to sling it? And if so, are we at the brink of a new day in Orange offense?
- Just to highlight how good Nassib was, look at the incomplete pass on SU’s final scoring drive. The play broke down, Nassib went through his progressions, he scrambled left and spotted Marcus Sales down the sideline. Nassib put it where it had to be, a perfect pass on the run, but Sales wasn’t aware of the sideline and couldn’t get his foot in. That’s a tremendous throw from Nassib in a critical spot.
- Syracuse once again helped out in beating itself. Giving up a punt return for a TD, a fumble recovery for six, missed field goal, 13 penalties and three turnovers. That pisses me off. How is this team still finding ways to play sloppy football?
- I mean, really Joey Galloway? The entire game you mispronounced Nassib’s last name as “Nas-EEB?” You only had the entire offseason, and a solid week of prep work to go over game notes. Your partner was calling him by the correct pronunciation the whole afternoon. How about a producer in Galloway’s ear?
- Galloway was pretty awful the entire day. I liked his creative verbiage on how the Syracuse offense needed to get “big chunks of grass” on the final drive. Have you ever heard that phrase used in football? And does he know this is artificial turf?
- I had this team at 6-6 this year, and winning today. Now the Orange need to find another win somewhere else in a coin flip game. Not going to be next week. Welcome to 0-2. Damn.
Posted: D.A.
290 responses to “Knee-Jerk Reaction: Syracuse Loses Heart-Breaker 42-41 to Northwestern”
DA,wasnt gonna respond,Im a lil down,but yeah I been sayin all summer Nassib is the best QB in BE at tha least!!Maybe one of top 5 prostyle in country,we’ll see him in NFL but he needs help!!3 OL out hurt too!!Keep ur heads up Fizz staff were gonna need ya!Good work guys!
from what i saw today, if we can get punt coverage then we are fine. 2 punts taken back deep, a pick that shouldn’t have been a pick, a fumble that should have been covered, and the late hit. This is a talented team that will lose there first to and win their next 5, from their we will see what we do at 5-2 just like last year
Russell,
After what I saw today, we are not pro-style at all. Hard to be top 5 pro-style in the country when you don’t take one snap under center. He is without a doubt the best QB in the big east.
I don’t understand having him in QB Read situations though. He’s not fast enough or agile enough to make it effective. 12 rushes for 30 yards? Why not put Broyld or Hunt back there if we are doing a QB read. Even though it’s obvious the option would be coming, at least the D then needs to worry about two players instead of just one after the ball is snapped.
Anyway, we outgained them by 250+ yards which is extremely promising. If we cut down on the dumb mistakes and Special Teams miscues we woud’ve won easily. Although we lost, we proved we could be very competitive in the BE
@Chad,I say pro style cause thats the way he’ll be listed in the draft,I realize Cuse use’s him in the way they think their personel allow’s!But he’s not really an option style qb by nature!”read ur own words”btw Chad,I hope u can understand my posts as I did’nt intend to be rude,just playful when the mood take’s hold!!We’ll be alright and make a bowl!first game kink’s needed to be shaken off!!
@CDL,1 other thing,I think HCDM should have had Nassib throw deep more often as NWs DBs could’nt cover the deep pass,they never turned to gage were the ball was in flight!!And one TD reception looked more like a punt after their db fell lol..Sales stood for a couple seconds waiting for the ball to come to earth.lol.
@Russell, I didn’t mean to be rude also. Now I get what you mean by pro-style, didnt know you were referring to the draft. I just think I poorly worded my response to you without looking it over. Sorry about any unintended connotation.
I predicted the score to be 43-13 Syracuse. If you take away the stupid mistakes Syracuse would have won 41-14.
Ryan Nassib completed 44-64 passes for 464 yards and 4 touchdowns. Syracuse out gained Northwestern by 250 yards. We scored a total of 41 points and lost the damn ballgame.
The first half of the ball game was to conservative. Ashton Broyld didn’t see action until the second half. No Ron Thompson at tight end at all during the game. Didn’t use the tight ends enough. Marcus Sales fumble incomplete pass or whatever was critical.
Coach Hackett you need to open the damn offense more. With the weapons that you have on the team you should be 10-2 at the end of the year. It isn’t to late to turn the season around, get your head out of your ass bud. This team has too many good players on it and not letting play the game that they know too play.
@Chad, No problem Chad were fine!!
Wales & J Smith’s fumbles….inexcusable! Im not excited about Nassibs 400+ game in a loss? His deep ball needs work…he was short on numerous streaking recievers. No moral victories….sending 5 targets out in the secondary every down should produce yardage. USC is coming east…400 + yds & another loss next week, I’m not looking forward to that, but I am looking forward…6 LOSSES IN A ROW….BARKLEY COMETH…
@Ron,we had some tough break’s Ron,at other times we looked very sharp!!I think we’ll be alright and get to a bowl!
Team I thought played way to sloppy. An the coachin was awful. Im sorry but the overall job by the staff today was shit. For one y isnt sonone screaming at the punter not to boom it to the guy that just housed 1? Smh! Stop running read option /w a qb that cant do it! Nassib has a gun but he hangs his deep ballz up to much. man if nassib can get some better wr this O could do somthings. I like gully(or tully?) he’s gonna be a 1000yrd runner.
@Ron- Thompson is injured and may not play this year so ease up on them not playing him. Broyld did OK when he was in but who do you take out to play him? He completely whiffed on his first blocking assignment that led to a forced throw away by Nassib. The receivers and backs played well wnough not to be replaced by him for sure. And the team scored 41 points!!!! Open up the offense!? That makes no sense at all. They can surely do things better, and I believe they will but come on they scored more and played a more exciting brand of football today than they have in a long time. And @dip yeah no teams fumble, give it up.
Am I happy they lost, absolutely not but there was a MUCH better product out there today than there has been in a long while. You know what wasn’t there????? Fans, Cuse fans suck! That game was a good game and the team played their tails off! They deserved the applause and cheering that the fans that were there gave them. If they would have made one less “error” and won everyone would have been talking crap about how awesome it was. The game was a good game with some mistakes, they almost over came those and played like a real CFB team for the first time in a long time. I am still optimistic. Hey how would you like to be a Pitt fan right now? Exactly!
@Carlton are you serious! You are making comments and you have no clue if it is Gulley or Tulley? Hahaha the kid is only a junior I think you have had enough time to catch his name. And yeah the staff did terrible, right! And Nassib picked up a few first downs and valuable yards with those option reads. And if you paid ANY attention to ANYTHING you know that the staff said they had to do those designed run plays with the QB so that they could keep the defense honest. But yeah your right just have him only hand off or throw the ball, because that is how the position is played in today’s game. You are so wrong it is baffling.
@Dip,hated to see all the guys disappointed today,including me,but I know being there its esp disappointing!Keep ur chin up!
Bright spot winners:
Offensive
1. Sales .. 10+ rec & 100 yd game, impressive(25% of ’10 production)
2. O-Line .. held up to produce record day
3 Nassib .. record setter, but the 20 incompletions will sting(int & fum)
4. WRs showed some swagger! Clark Kobena West stepped up
5. Rbs made some plays
Defense
1. When SU needed stops, “D” stepped up and got Nassib some chances.
2. Knocked out Colter, and changed game karma
3. Shamarko Brewster Vaughn Goggins did some good stuff
4. Young guys flew around, Eskridge Reddish Lynch
5. Competed as a unit, promising?
Blackeye spot winners:
1. JSmith fumble..Gulley should start? JS He kept saying feed me lol
2. Cameron Lynch dropped game sealing int., under 2 mins.
3. 60+ passes….Hawaii…Houston…Texas tech…OU…Yuck!
4. NW back up Qb was a “passing closer”, how did he carve us up?
5. missed fg..missed 2pt conver…punt returns
* BARKLEY COMETH…
Smith made some nice runs and one bad play. Yeah worthy of your laughing at him. No LBer ever drops an int. I am sure you were screaming for more passing last year, now you have it and you yuck. Their back up QB was a stud passer in HS and SU offered him, nothing to be ashamed of getting beat at times by him. I have nothing for the missed fgs and 2 pt conversion. Special teams coverage was better than last year. Kid returning was good.
@norma- smith didnt run well at all gulley was was way more explosive. The speical teams coverage was good? It was atrocious. That kid was alright but u need to know better then to kick it right at him and last time I checked marrone took over the special teams. BAD COACHING! Im so wrong its baffleing? bud u dont know a dam thing. I wasnt rippin nassib’s game u chode I simpley didnt like his deep ball. They hung up in the air way to long plain an simple. If u dont think so well then ur not very smart. An great I know y nassib ran the ball but hes no threat if the down and distance isnt 3yards and under. They will just key on the backs b/c of that. So in the end they arent keeping the D honest b/c nassib isnt a threat. I hope u enjoyed ur lesson.
Aside from the mental mistakes I thought it was a great, hard fought game of football.
Biggest surprise: The offensive line. My expectations were super low, especially with the injuries, but they gave Nassib good protection and they moved the defense off the ball pretty well.
Although we lost, I’m still very optimistic about this season given the talent that was on the sidelines today nursing injuries. Nassib did great without his main man, Lemon. Imagine having both Lemon and Sales as targets? If this team can find a little more discipline and not make so many stupid mistakes, we’ll be just fine.
Norma,take two spirin’s and 8hrs bedsrest!!
Norma.I did!!lol..
@Carlton,reasonable asessment u just got caught up in postgame,still jacked fanbase!see “Norma”lol…I mentioned one pass floated down like a punt while Sale’s waited..(db fell)…No dis Norma..
@bigdip;you’ve made some great observations about yesterdays game. Please let me make a couple of more.
I think that everyone in the building thought that Nassibs pass in the flat to Gulley was an incomplete pass instead of a lateral which was picked up and run back for a NW touchdown.
Syracuse inside the red zone on it’s first two possessions and comes away with 6 points instead of 10-14 points. With 4th and 2(Twice)why didn’t we try for a first down on those 2 occasions?
I thought the officiating crew out of the Big 10 was just plain awful.
Come on..I turned it off after the first half.. Here we go again! Two fumbles, an interception and a punt return…plus some stupid penalties. That’s just the first half!!!
That all spells bad coaching. I’m tired of all the “good things that are happening”.
Well coached teams don’t play like that! It was a bad game and watching poorly coached kids play badly is not exciting!
If you want to watch kids learning to play the right way.. Watch what good coaching is doing in Miami Fl.
That’s a coach! How long till Basketball…here we go again!
@Derek,I notice ur a solid,upbeat,excellent fan and we enjoy ur contribution’s to the Fizz site!Thanks for the positivity!!
@Carlton – You sound like someone who never played the game at all and are clueless. I played, so I know.
Last year people got mad because Nassib put too much on his throws and he had no touch. I’ll bet you were one of them.
Now you are mad cause he aired a few out to let receivers run under them.
Well…Which is it clown ?
The coaching was excellent and the play-calling was excellent. Mental mistakes in the form of penalties are on the players, not the coaches. Especially when we have 6 new starters on “O” along with many more underclass playing. 1st game of the year.
Only a goofball would expect a team to be in mid or late-season form in the first game.
What I saw was very encouraging. You will see this NW team in the upper half of the Big 10, mark my words.
Gag by admitting you turned the game off after the first half you lost all right to comment on the team you are supposedly a fan of. HCDM fixed the things we wanted fixed. Better offense with mroe points scored and a D that will be very very good after a few first week kinks are worked out. I myself am proud of HCDM for getting this team to play together so early in the year
I’ve been a season ticker holder for a long time and this loss stings. Reminds me of the Rutgers game last year where I thought we dominated but ended up with a big fat L. Very disappointed in the special teams punt coverage and a few mental mistakes. The peronsal foul occured right in front of me and that was a terrible call. The ref who was right there didnt make the call but one from the middle of the field threw the flag. How can you make that call from thirty yards away. Terrible call and to say it didnt cost the game, I totally disagree without it they are 4th and long and who knows what happens. Nassib looked very good and so did Sales and Kobena and West. I thought the defense did fine. The offense on turnovers were accountable for two scores and so was the special teams. Thats 28 pts. Morgan needs to start the opposite of Reddish, broyld need to be on the field more.
@Smitty,I know it was a tough way to lose Smitty but keep ur head up these type of losses will inspire the team and we’ll be OK!KEEP YELLIN!!go”Cuse”
@Gaga. What? Good coaching in Miami, FL? What? What are you talking about? The canes? The fins? I don’t get what you are trying to say. What coaching? Where? and who? You turned off a 21-13 game at halftime. You have no right to be commenting on anything pertaining to this game considering you missed the best and most important part of it. I’m just as pissed as every other Cuse fan with this loss, but you make it sound like we lost to Stony Brook by 20. The outcome would be entirely different if certain things go our way, including the horrific personal foul penalty.
Carlton, learn how to speak and spell before you start a discussion with grown men. I stopped reading your comment after I realized you were writing on a 3rd grade level. Open a book homey.
Thanks, Russ! …let me tell you, I couldn’t watch this team under GRob. It was way too hard to watch how he let a team with such a rich tradition to fall so far.
When Marrone came in, the way he talked about fundamentals and hard work, and what it would take to rebuild the program, I became cautiously optimistic. He won my loyalty in 2010. It was way too early to expect that kind of result, but he instilled discipline and belief in the guys and they went out and got us 8 wins.
Last year got away from us a bit with lack of depth at key positions. This team has that same sense of belief, discipline and now the depth and talent to do some real work this season. Tough schedule, but I think they’re up for it if they can cut down on the mental errors.
@4orty4our, Well i’m sorry i didnt spell words like you or your out. I didnt know this was a classroom? I’ve “opened” plenlty of books bud. Also I thought this was a fourm? I didnt know you had to “speak” your opinions? Can you please point out that feature? When I do make a post 95% of the time it’s from my phone an I might key a letter or two in wrong. Lastly if you dont care for my comments then skip over them. It’s rather simple no?
@CuseOnly- I have played the game. I’m sorry Sr. your wrong. I was not one of the people that said Nassib put too much on his throws. I did however scream for a wide-out who could challenge a defence vertically as well as create some separation. My critical comments of the coaching staff had to do with punting the football right at the kid that just took back the previous punt for a TD. I agree though bad turnovers and penaltys killed the `cuse yesterday, although ultimately that falls on the coaching staff to fix and correct an hopefully they do moving forward.
Did you catch the ND game? or how about the Bama or FSU game? They all looked to be in mid-seaseon form yesterday. The point is you had all offseason to get ready for NW and you have offensive lineman fasle starting every other play, running backs not falling on live balls an a punter that kicked 2x in a row to a kid that is dangerous in space. Did he fail to read his scouting report? or did the coaching staff overlook it? The offensive lineman might have been young but being whistled for that many fasle starts is just unacceptable. THE GAME WAS AT HOME! What you gonna try an tell me those 100 nw fans made so much noise they couldnt hear the QB?
Lastly NW will be lucky to win 6 or 7 games this season. Upper half of the big 10? Put the crack pipe down bud.
@norma, like to apologize for the rude comments last night. Hopefully we can move past it.
@Carlton,damn Carl u can’t make a few observations w/o being crusified here!!Im ashamed of some of my fellow “Cuse” fans as its an open forum and ur an old friend and loyal participant!Even tho ur basically a *hoops guy u still like to come home and interact w/ur homey’s!Ur friends in the Fizzfam know were ur coming from and u might accept a little static from them,but most of these clowns no little of what they speak!
@Carlton,Im watchin “Ville/Ky”!
*hoops guy pertaining to da “Cuse”!
@Carlton,”Lville’imressive esp Jerami Wilkes/Bridgewater dangerous!!
Mean’t Wright,Jerami!!!
C@Russ they look good. Always good to whip uk’s ass! Haha. The sayin goes ” we’re cards fans because we go to college. You’re cats fans because you went to wal-mart”
@Carlton u were originally saying Gulley was more explosive, we agreed! It wasnt a “laugher” because he fumble, Jerome Smith kept motioning to feed him, like give him more touches, and when the ball came, he QUIT on the play, that was a lofl moment, excuse me, a dome faux pas lol! By the way ..scouting report shoulda said qb2 was a passer..doh!
@Smitty&Ron agree about the refs, inconsistent?
@Russ “clowns” “crucified” “homeys” .. true original
@Norma saying “all teams fumble!”, lowers expectations dude? Woah..
RT: Lou looking very impressive, they’ll jump afew spots in the polls!
BARKLEY COMETH…
JWright is greasedhog!lol
A wild cardinal ? they iced him russ? Bridewater sitting in the 3rd, dont care if Stein is 3 yr team captain, its not a wise choice, game is still close.. if UK comes back,UL diserves a loss
* i forgot that dumb personal foul on the sideline against SU..good grief if we beat USC, I’ll make a “cant spell USC, without SU”
video and post it on youtube! Go SU..
..BARKLEY COMETH
@USC were gonna bring da PAIN!!
Gonna join Hoffa!!!
Dipper,ur an inspiration to me!!!
Well good evening fellas,as expected I knew the comments were going to come unglued about yesterdays game. I want to get this out of the way before anything else. After watching the referees work yesterday I came to the conclusion that they all suck the big elephant d**k and I’m sure they had something to do with advising the pedophile that’s in jail down in Pennsylvania.
@Norma,the point I was trying to make about scoring 41 points and please open the offense was. We dominated every aspect of that game, EVERY ASPECT OF THAT GAME PERIOD. We used the tight end maybe twice in the 1st half and then went away from it. I’ve been saying for maybe the last 5 years why not use them more in a game. In the 2nd half of the game the TE became a target and was used more and they helped move the ball on a more consistent basis,big improvement there.
NW’s picked up and shut down that little hand off and go right by Gulley. I believe that we used it a little too much and that’s why they started shutting it down.
I’m not knocking the team scoring the 41 points. It’s the most points that I’ve seen scored in a long time by a Syracuse team. Losing that game is what still hurts. I watched the 20 yard pass over the middle to Sales that the refs blew the call on. That was a completed pass, the ground caused the ball to come out of his hands and he recovered the fumble.
The ref on the other side of the field made the(roughing the passer)call with under a minute left in the game. I thought was the deciding factor in the game. The ref that was in position to make the call was silent. I question how in the world can a thing like that happen? HOW?
After watching some of the game yesterday on TV, I come to the conclusion Norma we got screwed big time. but it doesn’t change my mind that they need to start using the TE’s more. In my mind that’s opening the offense up.
Please believe me, I’m not knocking the team in any way shape or manner of scoring the 41 points. We could and should have scored more.
Good response Norma to my post,thank you for keeping me honest.
As much as this one hurts I’m still sticking with my prediction of a 9-3 season. How’s that?
Ron,I could’nt believe some of the “venom”that seemed to hit OUR board but mostly thankfully it alleviated when the “booze” (Lol) wore off!!Thank god our guys acted OK!!I did’nt enjoy seeing Carlton getting all that BS!!Ron,I would’nt b shocked if we threw USC a party saturday!!plant them w/Hoffa!
Ron,part 2 of your novel?HaHa..
After looking at the Big East scores for the week, this loss stings more because this league is ours for the taking. The only team that scares me in Lousiville. This team has the talent just needs to learn how to win and catch a few breaks. Time will heal this loss. Now we need to win one we are not supposed to. This team was more talented than Northwestern and faster and quicker. I also thing Gulley and Broyld and maybe Morris in the backfield over Smith.
I think we can do a WV on da “ville” but RU is gonna be out to throw us a going away party and Im worried…their more xpierienced than “ville” and outplayed L’ville on road last year…2 missed fg’s and dropped w/open pass kept RU from winning game and match(BE)”title”!!We’ll need ur cheer’s their badly as I xpect RU sellout!!Im gonna hate to lose this game and budding rivalry!!
Smitty II,yes we’re a better team than NW or Minny,but will we get cohesion?missing ingrediant in young teams,Nassib and Lemon are going to have too carry us till rest catch up!!