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Last week, Syracuse remained undefeated in a last-second 32-29 win over Purdue. This week against Virginia, the Orange initially dominated both sides of the ball. Garrett Shrader connected with Oronde Gadsden II seven times, consistently putting SU in scoring position. The defense, which allowed 20 points in the fourth quarter against the Boilermakers, shut the Cavaliers out in the first two quarters. The defensive line consistently disrupted quarterback Brennan Armstrong.

But UVA scored two touchdowns in less than a minute in the third quarter and capitalized in the fourth quarter, taking the lead on another long drive from Armstrong. But the Orange responded with a clutch drive of their own, and Andre Szmyt’s fifth field goal of the night gave them the lead back. And after SU stopped UVA on its final drive, it secured its first 4-0 start since 2018.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (4-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast) 22-20 win against Virginia (2-2, 0-1 ACC): 

One disastrous minute in the third quarter

Armstrong was 9-of-17 heading into the second half as the SU defensive line consistently pressured him. In Virginia’s first drive of the second half, Armstrong resorted to more checkdowns and dump offs to running backs. He also used the quarterback draw to pick up yards, despite Mikel Jones serving as a quarterback spy. Eventually, the Cavaliers moved their way down to the goal line where receiver Keytaon Thompson got a run on the left side, finding his way to the end zone. 

On the kickoff, SU returner Trebor Pena took it out of the endzone instead of calling a fair catch. After leaping over one of his own teammates, Pena got hit and lost control of the ball, giving UVA possession at the 13-yard line. Two plays later, Perris Jones rushed to the left side, cut back toward the endzone and scored to make it 16-13 after a blocked extra point by Jatius Geer. 

Shrader and the offense struggled to get back into scoring position, as reliable options like Sean Tucker and Gadsden were covered well by the Cavaliers throughout the half. 

Variety on third down coverage

Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell picked apart Syracuse’s zone defense during third-and-short situations, consistently targeting tight end Payne Durham. The Orange adjusted to man-to-man on those same scenarios later in the second half, limiting the Boilermakers’ chances to pick up incremental yards. Purdue went 10-of-17 on third downs by the end of the game. 

Syracuse limited Virginia, the ACC’s second-worst scoring offense, to only two third-down conversions in the first half. The Orange relied on man coverage much more early on in the game. On Virginia’s second drive, Armstrong faked the handoff and looked for an open receiver. But SU ran a tight cover 1, and Marlowe Wax broke into the pocket and sacked Armstrong. 

The Orange continued into the second quarter with man coverage on third down. Duce Chestnut challenged Virginia’s deep threat receiver, Dontayvion Wicks, throughout the game, forcing an overthrow from Armstrong midway through the second quarter.

As Syracuse’s lead dwindled, the defense again made third down stops to limit Armstrong and his receivers. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Leon Lowery dropped into coverage and broke up an Armstrong pass to backup running back Mike Hollins. On the ensuing third down, Armstrong tried to thread the needle to Ethan Davies, but the Syracuse pressure forced a low, short throw from the senior quarterback. The Cavaliers ended the game 3-of-12 on third downs. 

Shrader’s go-to

Against Purdue, Gadsden finished with a season-high eight targets and six receptions, the last being the game-winning 25-yard touchdown. While Gadsden usually was the second or third target on Shrader’s reads, the tight end finished with 112 receiving yards. And against Virginia, Gadsden already had over 100 yards in the first half. 

On the opening kickoff, Pena shed through tackles at the 20 and broke free with some blocking down the left side, eventually being brought down at the UVA 41-yard line. Garrett Shrader quickly found Gadsden in the slot twice, picking up 29 yards in two plays. Four plays later, Shrader took advantage of an open hole and scrambled in for a 17-yard rushing touchdown to give SU an early lead.

On the Orange’s third drive, Shrader found Gadsden again for six yards in order to make up for a false start penalty. On the next play, Shrader stood calmly in the pocket and darted a pass to Gadsden again at the left hash, gaining 29 yards to put Syracuse into field goal range, where Andre Szymt made his first of four field goals on the night. 

But Gadsden’s lack of a presence in the second half became emblematic of the Orange’s struggle to score. Shrader continued to look for him throughout the half, but Virginia locked down on the slot receiver, making him virtually a non-factor and forcing Shrader to find other receivers. 

Another Tucker injury scare

In Syracuse’s opening game against Louisville, Sean Tucker rolled his ankle and got awkwardly tackled, creating an early injury scare for the NFL draft hopeful. Midway through the second quarter, Tucker received another pass in the flat. But after picking up three yards, Tucker got tackled and went down hard. He remained face down for over a minute.

Tucker eventually got up and ran off the field and into the medical tent. But on Syracuse’s next drive, the running back returned to the field. As the Orange progressed into Cavalier territory, Tucker seemed healthy again. From the Virginia 37-yard line, Shrader threw to Tucker on another flat route. The running back rushed twice and caught one pass for seven total yards on the drive, setting up Szymt for his third field goal of the night to make the score 16-0 at halftime. 

But after this injury, Tucker’s impact in the second half was limited. At the start of the third quarter, Tucker only picked up two yards on two attempts. While Tucker was continuously leaned on as Syracuse’s passing options dwindled, the Orange’s premier back finished with 60 rushing yards.

Published on September 23, 2022 at 11:05 pm

Contact Henry: henrywobrien1123@gmail.com