Pittsburgh and Boston College are no ordinary opponents that appear on Syracuse‚Äôs schedule every season. They’re two old rivals from the Big East days, and one has to wonder if we’re in store for SU getting blown out in both.
The Orange’s 30-7 loss to the Panthers Saturday added to the team’s pitiful stretch of nine losses in the last ten games. With a loss in the finale at Chestnut Hill, Syracuse would be 3-9 with just one of the victories in ACC play (against atrocious Wake Forest). The other wins aren’t exactly ones to boast about (Villanova and Central Michigan).
How can Syracuse pull off an upset against the Eagles? Boston College is an 11-point favorite, to give you some sense of how little Vegas thinks of the Orange. A chance to end on a positive note is the only thing to play for, and Alumni Stadium should provide a lively atmosphere since BC is already bowl eligible. Hopefully it cheers up a glum¬†Scott Shafer, who sounds like he’s blaming injuries for the crater:
“Across the board we’re too young, too inexperienced, and you can’t win games like that in the ACC. The reality is we needed to stay healthy and play good football. But we didn’t. That’s the reality of it.‚Äù
After the loss Saturday, SU hasn’t won at Pitt since 2001 Рwhen the teams first played at Heinz Field. At least QB AJ Long is looking forward to the game in Boston as opposed to the offseason:
“What’s the point of hanging your head and feeling sorry for yourself when you have another opponent? You don’t want to go into a week and get blown out 59-3 or 59-nothing.
Boston College is a really good team. They almost beat Florida State, who we all know are National Champions. We can’t hang our heads or we’re going to get thrashed, and we’re going to look like a joke in the ACC.”
At least SU got James Conner out of its way. Shafer compared Pitt’s star RB to former BC bulldozer Andre Williams. No matter who’s coming out of the backfield for the Eagles, SU has to battle along the lines. That key remains the same. Having Ivan Foy and Nick Robinson makes it a heck of a lot easier.
Shafer loves to adhere to “fight,” and nowhere does a team need to do that more than with your front seven. Offensively,¬†this squad¬†hasn’t progressed¬†despite al the changes. Since 2000, Syracuse holds the advantage against BC head-to-head 4-3. Last year SU won a thriller as Terrel Hunt hit Josh Parris to send Syracuse to the Texas Bowl.
Will the Orange have anything emotionally left Saturday? After this past weekend Shafer said: “Tough loss, tough year.”
Which is inarguable. But it begs the question whether SU will be too beaten down to even make it close against BC. If not, the season will end on 9 losses in 10 games, and a 1-win ACC campaign. Enough to make you want to bury this season in the ground and never look at it again.
Posted: Brendan Glasheen
8 responses to “Syracuse Beaten Down Emotionally, Opens as 11-Point Underdog at BC”
Have the problems been fixed and can we return to some sort of normalcy?
First I want to thank DA and his staff for fixing the problems that’s kept us all from discussing all that is Syracuse Athletics over the last 1 1/2 months. I for one have really missed having discussions with the Fizz membership. So guys lets get it going again. Oh HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!!!! Wasn’t there a song written using those lyrics?
I want to wish everyone out there a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the football games on tv after the big meal. Give thanks for your family and friends. Give special thanks to all of the men and women who stands guard and makes it possible that we all cana peaceful day.
It’s really great to be back gentlemen,REALLY GREAT.
Brendan Glasheen; the startement on the accompaning picture to this article”Syracuse Beaten Down Emotionally” for mew says it all. I noticed the difference in the players early on in the season. In the first year of GROB’s tenure Syracuse went 0-12 and I made a startement that I felt the team was having difficulties(in house fighting) away from the field. I also came to the conclusion this year that the same was happening . I believe that there was a lot of distrust going on between the defensive and offensive units. The defense was playing hardnosed football and the offense just couldn’t live up to what was expected of them. I know injuries was a big problem with the team this year. But like I said earlier, a freshman QB that stands all of 5’9″ tall and goes 175 lbs on a good day just isn’t the answer to all that ails the Orangemen.
DA;
Sometimes the smallest/simplest things in life are sometimes the greatest and most important. I just want to thank you and your staff again for making it possible to communicate with people who I’ve come to respect and call friend.
WOW!!!
Back on the air………this is GREAT
Ron hello…and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours…
and to anyone else who comes along.
Alot of water went under the bridge since we were last able to discuss all matters ORANGE.
Sanity…normalcy……NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!
orangeinva; Thank you for the holiday greetings, been putting up the Christmas Lights and will finish them tomorrow I hope. I’m hoping that the people we had returns to the Fizz website. I really missed having discussions with everyone. At the beginning of the year I predicted a 9-3 overall record for the Orangemen,boy I guess my enthusiasm got the best of me again this year.
By what I’ve been reading Lester is going to install an offense that uses the TE’s. It was hard to understand why Syracuse ever went away from using them in the first place. It’s nice we got a 3* QB out of Oregon to commit for 2015. His commitment should make Spring Football really interesting with Alin Edouard coming in January. Probablty will see a couple of QB’s transfer to another school.
I’m hoping that everyone returns,and are just as spirited before all of the problems came up. Nice to see and read your post.
Yeah Ron…I had 8-4.
Remember Gross hyping the ND matchup with the Orange undefeated…just had to get by Maryland?
Hee hee ..how’d that work out?
We need one of the 2(Dungey/Edouard) incoming QBs to be exceptional if we are going anywhere in 2015.
Objectively speaking, the current crop of qbs are dreadful……..Hunt too many bad habits to break.
Long to small and weak armed, Wilson too slow and Kimble can’t throw…other than that we’re pretty well off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope Lester can turn things around…but I am doubtful right now.
I agree with all of your comments relating to our QB’s. I honestly thought Austin Wilson was the best out of this bunch,but he get’s hurt to easily. After watching AJ Long at Fan Fest and in the spring scrimmage game,my thoughts haven’t changed. At 5’9″ and 165 lbs he’s too small and can’t see over the OL . Maybe switching from QB to playing safety or cornerback might be the thing for him to do. Terrell Hunt has already graduated and should be gone after this season. I don’t know if Shafer will allow him another season and bring him back next year. I’m looking for either Wilson or Kimble ,or maybe both to transfer out due to the lack of playing time and not getting the respect/trust from the coaching staff that’s needed at the D1 level for them to succeed.