After Crazy Start, Syracuse Falls Flat In Loss to Notre Dame

By Matt Reil

East Rutherford, NJ — Once again the SU defense was decimated by big plays.

Once again the Orange’s offense got off to a fast start and then stalled.

Once again Syracuse lost. This time to Notre Dame by a score of 50-33, dropping them to 2-3 on the year.

It all started with one of the most bizarre stretches of football you’ll ever see that saw five touchdowns in five minutes. On the very first play of the game Notre Dame star quarterback DeShone Kizer found Equanimeous St. Brown for a 79-yard touchdown. It took just 18 seconds and that was just the beginning.

Over the next four minutes and 42 seconds we would see an Eric Dungey rushing touchdown, a blocked extra point returned for two, another long Equanimeous St. Brown touchdown, a 72-yard catch and score by Amba Etta-Tawo, and a 93-yard kick-off return touchdown.

When the dust settled it was Notre Dame that led 23-13.

The action slowed down a bit after that sequence and the Irish took a 33-27 lead into halftime. Syracuse was right there at the midway point, just like it has been in every game all year, even against the Louisville Cardinals.

However, when the second half showed up, so did the same old Orange. The offense couldn’t find its groove and didn’t score until midway through the fourth quarter.

“We are still making too many mistakes,” said Dino Babers, Syracuse head coach, when asked about his offense stalling in games.

The defense got shredded in the third quarter for two more touchdowns over 50 yards.

Notre Dame racked up 654 total yards and SU allowed over 44 points for the third time this season. DeShone Kizer had 471 passing yards. The most of the sophomore’s young career.

“That is a very, very young defense with a lot of young players on it and they are going against 21 and 22 year old guys,” said Babers on his team’s defensive struggles. “You have to give them time to grow up.”

Time is one thing Syracuse is running out of if want any chance of making a bowl game this year.

The defenses next chance to grow up? Next Saturday at 7 P.M. against Wake Forest.

Featured Image Credit: Julio Cortez, AP Images