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Garrett Shrader dropped back with enough time this time at the start of the fourth quarter. The JMA Wireless Dome had almost emptied of Syracuse fans, instead filled with the sound of Florida State’s war chant, but the Orange’s starting offense was still out there. 

Shrader stared at Tucker during the entire play, watching him maneuver out of the backfield and start bolting down the right sideline. Tucker looked back, still sprinting forwards, but the ball had already gone over his head. It was in the hands of Greedy Vance for Shrader’s fifth interception of the season. 

“It was just a lapse every single time,” Shrader said. “We just had one guy, whether it was me making the wrong read or someone getting the wrong queue and doesn’t know the route. It was just the little things that kept showing up over and over again.”

Shrader said his return after six quarters of not playing was not pretty and definitely not fun to be a part of. In Syracuse’s (6-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast) 38-3 loss to Florida State (7-3, 5-3 ACC), the Orange’s offense finished with less total yards than Florida State running back Trey Benson recorded on the ground. They couldn’t capitalize on big defensive stops and didn’t find the end zone for the second straight week. 

“I take full responsibility for that performance,” head coach Dino Babers said. “Regardless of who’s out there and who’s not out there, we’re better than that. We can’t continue to act like that’s okay. It’s not okay.”

Babers said Shrader had been taking reps with the first team throughout the week, and he would play once he felt like he was ready. Oronde Gadsden II said he found out about Shrader starting right before gametime. Shrader said he didn’t feel 100% on Saturday, but he was “more than capable of doing the stuff.” He said his injury was just him being “banged up.”

Shrader was given a standing ovation from the Syracuse crowd when his name was announced prior to Syracuse’s first drive. After an unspecified injury, most likely against Clemson, left the Orange with Carlos Del Rio-Wilson at the helm of their offense for the second half against Notre Dame and all of last week’s loss to Pittsburgh, Shrader’s status was still unknown until the first drive.

Shrader returned to somewhat regular form, taking off whenever his first or second read wasn’t open. But he couldn’t make as many plays with legs as usual, often taken down in the backfield when he opted to run.

On Syracuse’s first drive, Shrader pump faked to Tucker on a dump off route, looking for Gadsden on the inside. But the ball was batted away and after Tucker alluded a few tackles, Syracuse was left with a 3rd-and-4. Shrader dropped back, but the offensive line hadn’t picked up a blitz from Kalen Deloach, who smacked Shrader to the ground with help from Tatum Bethune. The Orange finished 1-for-11 on third downs.

“Anytime when the numbers are that screwed, you need to look at the coaches,” Shrader said.

Babers added that the adjustments were there to be made throughout the game, but the plays just didn’t happen. Tucker said that penalties were the biggest issue for Syracuse’s offense, erasing a handful of plays.

Tucker was absent for most of the game again after another opposing defense figured out how to stop him. The Seminoles didn’t let Tucker get any free sprints down the sideline throughout the night, forcing him to move laterally rather than forward if he ever cut outside.

After Malik McClain scored for FSU to make it 14-0, Tucker bolted up the gut of FSU’s defense for 16 yards on 1st-and-10. But on the next play, he had nowhere to go, left to fled sideways toward the right sideline. He made another big pickup later in the second quarter, but a holding penalty was called on Matthew Bergeron. Tucker finished with 52 rushing yards, his third-worst performance this season.

Syracuse’s defense struggled to stop the Seminoles’ rushing attack, but they gave the offense some opportunities as well by providing optimal field position. It changed things up, keeping a four-man front at the line but having more movement from its secondary and linebackers to help stop the run.

Linebacker Derek McDonald came up to the line early in the second quarter and took down Jordan Travis from behind, popping the ball out. The play gave the Orange the ball at the FSU 23-yard line, but the same offensive issues appeared again.

Shrader once again hit Tucker on a screen route, but he was taken down a yard behind the line of scrimmage. Joshua Farmer was then left unblocked, leaving Tucker helpless in the backfield. On 3rd-and-16, Shrader was swarmed by two defenders before Andre Szmyt missed a 53-yard field goal. The Orange fell back 12 yards on four plays.

Shrader also had a miscommunication with Gadsden, which almost resulted in an interception, before his turnover in the fourth quarter. On Syracuse’s first drive of the second half, Shrader overthrew Damien Alford, who was streaking down the left side of the field.

Babers opted to keep Shrader in until midway through the fourth quarter because of what he’s seen the quarterback do in tough situations. After his interception, Tucker went on the same route again, this time down the left side. On the re-do, Shrader and Tucker were on the same page. But the ball was slightly ahead of Tucker, who lunged and stumbled to try and get to the ball. It landed in the turf, resulting in another empty possession for SU.

Shrader finally came out and Del Rio-Wilson came back onto the field for the Orange. Babers said he just wanted the team to run the ball, as it struggled to produce on the ground until the end of the third quarter. LeQuint Allen was in for Tucker, rushing for 38 yards on the drive. Allen appeared to be in the end zone on his last rush, but the referees convened, determining that the clock had already expired.

“We better find a way to get in when there’s a whole lot of time and a whole bunch of quarters left in the game,” Babers said. 

Published on November 13, 2022 at 1:47 am

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu