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ATLANTA — The last time Syracuse visited Bobby Dodd Stadium, an era concluded for the program. Amid a 1-5 stretch under Dino Babers and playing without a true quarterback (literally), the Orange fell 31-22. It was ultimately Babers’ last game in charge of Syracuse.

John Wildhack subsequently hired Fran Brown, who’s since brought a new energy to the program. A 10-win debut season and a 3-1 start in 2025 provided promise. However, Steve Angeli’s Achilles tear has completely derailed Syracuse’s season. With Rickie Collins under center, the Orange have been outscored by an average of 21.6 points.

Saturday, Collins faced his biggest test: Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets entered as the only undefeated team left in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while being on pace to clinch their first-ever College Football Playoff Berth.

The differences between the two programs were obvious. Syracuse took a brief 3-0 lead, but a subsequent 24-point run allowed Georgia Tech to completely take control of the game.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (3-5, 1-4 ACC) 41-16 blowout loss to No. 7 Georgia Tech (8-0, 5-0 ACC) on Saturday:

Can’t punch it home

When Chris Peal stripped Isiah Canion on Georgia Tech’s second play from scrimmage, it gave Syracuse a prime scoring chance on its opening possession. Its odds got even higher once Yasin Willis busted a 41-yard run up the middle to set the Orange up at the goal line 80 seconds into the contest.

However, SU couldn’t take advantage. Dan Villari was called for a false start. Willis was stuffed for no gain on first down. Collins was dumped behind the line of scrimmage on second down, and a second false start pushed the Orange back to the 15-yard line. They played it safe on third down, with a draw to Will Nixon before Tripp Woody knocked through a 27-yard field goal. The score gave Syracuse its first lead since it beat Clemson over a month ago.

A touchdown could’ve given Syracuse a boost, as its offense has desperately needed a spark since Collins took over. The Orange were a yard away from doing so. Instead, they shot themselves in the foot.

Turnovers are one way for Syracuse to get its offense going. Giving Collins a short field helps, as it showed last week. Against Pitt, Davien Kerr’s second-quarter interception set SU up in the red zone before Collins hit Darrell Gill Jr. for a touchdown. But against the Yellow Jackets, the Orange couldn’t take advantage of even better field position.

Collins still limited

Collins has struggled mightily during Syracuse’s three-game skid. Just five touchdowns to eight interceptions. A 53.5% completion percentage. A 46.1 passing grade by Pro Football Focus. And Collins didn’t do anything to help his case on Saturday. Yes, Collins finished with 17-for-29 with 229 yards and no interceptions, but most of that production came with the game already out of reach for Syracuse.

The quarterback’s first two passes dropped woefully incomplete. Collins fired an out-route for Justus Ross-Simmons, but the timing was off. On third and long, Collins heaved a prayer for Emanuel Ross along the sideline, which was broken up.

Collins never looked comfortable when he dropped back to pass. His only completion in the first quarter was a simple five-yard pass to Gill. He completed a season-low three passes in the first half, accruing a meager 24 yards.

It took just two plays for Collins to triple his production in the second half. A 41-yard play to Johntay Cook set up a 34-yard catch-and-run score from Gill, cutting SU’s deficit to 10. Collins has shown flashes throughout games this season, though his problem has been consistency. He played solid in the second half, but Syracuse was already down three possessions.

On the flip side, Haynes King completely dominated Syracuse. He tossed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, adding 91 yards on the ground with two scores.

Defense can’t handle the RPO

Georgia Tech’s offensive setup makes it a difficult team to defend. The Yellow Jackets’ boast a potent rushing attack, led by King and a running back duo of Jamal Haynes and Malachi Hosley — both of whom entered Saturday with over 400 rushing yards. As a team, GT came in averaging 228 yards per game, the second-highest mark in the ACC.

When the Yellow Jackets’ rushing attack is going, the pass becomes even harder to defend. King is an expert in the run-pass option. The RPO gives the quarterback the chance to either hand the ball off to his running back, keep it for himself or hit a receiver downfield. Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key trusts King to make the right read, and he shredded SU’s defense with this tactic Saturday.

King nearly tossed a touchdown on GT’s first drive. It marched down the field and King kept the ball, hitting a wide-open Josh Beetham, but the tight end dropped a walk-in touchdown. Beetham — who had just three catches on the season — made up for it in the second quarter.

A.J. Hoffler came in motion, and King faked the give before firing to Beetham on a crossing route. Syracuse safety Duce Chestnut didn’t follow him, leaving the tight end open with an easy score. Later in the quarter, Beetham came in motion as King faked a handoff to Haynes. Beetham was wide open in the flat, and King connected with him in the end zone for a second time on the day.

Usually RPO’s are contingent with how the defense reacts to the run. If the linebackers step to the line of scrimmage, King could pull it out for a pass. If they didn’t, he handed it off. The deadly combo led to 322 yards in the first half.

Improved rushing attack

If there was a bright spot for Syracuse against Georgia Tech, it’s that the Orange’s rushing attack was improved. Their 106 rushing yards per game are the third-worst mark in the ACC. The Orange totalled 157 in Atlanta, their most against a Power Four team this season.

Facing the Yellow Jackets, the Orange used a number of rushers. Willis was the most effective with 76 yards, while Collins was the most frequent weapon with 14 carries. Collins had more designed runs and read options for him, but was also forced to scramble regularly due to pressure from Georgia Tech’s defensive line.

Tylik Hill was Syracuse’s most efficient runner, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on four touches. At 5-foot-9, the true freshman was a sparkplug with his speed, often bursting to the edge for solid gains. Meanwhile, Will Nixon was the lone Syracuse rusher to get on the board, punching in a score from a yard out in the fourth quarter.

Georgia Tech does have the worst rushing defense in the ACC, so if Syracuse wasn’t successful this time around, it’d never be. But getting the ground game going is important, especially with Syracuse having a struggling quarterback.

Published on October 25, 2025 at 3:58 pm
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