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After losing to Notre Dame, its second straight defeat, No. 22 Syracuse slipped six spots in the updated AP Top 25 poll. The Orange were ranked No. 16 before facing the Fighting Irish.

Despite losing twice in a row, Syracuse remained in the top 25 for the fifth consecutive week.The last time the Orange hit that mark was in the 2018 season, when they finished 10-3 and ranked No. 15.

SU lost 41-24 on Saturday, allowing its most points of the season while dropping its first game at home this year. Starting quarterback Garrett Shrader exited the game at halftime with an unspecified injury, and backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson replaced him, finishing 11-of-22 passing for 190 yards with a touchdown and interception. It was the first time the Florida transfer has received significant snaps over his two-year college career.

Syracuse struggled particularly with its run defense in both losses against the Tigers and Fighting Irish, allowing over 240 rushing yards each time. Notre Dame used a three-headed rushing attack to move the ball, led by Audric Estime, who finished with 20 carries, 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Orange were overpowered at the line of scrimmage, dwarfed by a starting ND offensive line that averaged over 315 pounds.

“I’m really disappointed about the loss, but I still feel good about this football team,” head coach Dino Babers said postgame. “We’re 6-2, the two opponents that we just played were extremely, extremely physical.”

SU’s four-game slate to end the season will begin next Saturday at Pitt, where the Orange haven’t won since 2001. The Panthers dropped to 4-4 after losing by 18 points to North Carolina and are unranked after starting the season at No. 17. Syracuse fell to Pitt in its season finale 31-14 last November.

Published on October 30, 2022 at 2:48 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_