Luke Carney’s brief stint fails to provide spark in Syracuse’s loss to Pitt
Syracuse swapped in backup quarterback Luke Carney to open the second half against Pitt Saturday, but he played just 11 snaps, making the change uneffective. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer
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Luke Carney has entered for Rickie Collins before. On Sept. 12, Syracuse led Colgate by 35 points with under five minutes to go with Collins — then Steve Angeli’s backup — in the game. Collins’ helmet popped off after a first-down rush, prompting Carney to enter the game for one play. He took a read option into the end zone on his only snap.
This time, Carney’s opportunity came in vastly different circumstances.
For 11 plays Saturday, the true freshman was handed the keys to the kingdom. Carney completed 2-of-3 passes and rushed for nine yards on three rushes. The quarterback change, though dramatic, didn’t prove to be a winning formula as Syracuse (3-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) still fell to Pitt (5-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) 30-13 Saturday. He didn’t provide the spark that head coach Fran Brown hoped for. But Carney received his best opportunity yet since entering college.
“It was fun to get out there. That’s what you put all the work in for,” Carney said postgame. “But we gotta move the ball more efficiently at the end of the day, got to execute better.”
How could Syracuse’s offense have been much worse? As Carney stood on the sidelines in the first half, Collins threw an interception on his first passing attempt. Collins hit his stride and found the end zone at the end of the first quarter, but another interception late in the half shifted all momentum in the Panthers’ favor.
This wasn’t just a one off. Collins’ first two starts were blowout losses. Carney, a three-star recruit from Mesquite, Texas, began the season thought to be the fourth string behind Steve Angeli, Collins and Jakhari Williams. Though when Angeli went down with a season-ending injury, SU head coach Fran Brown revealed that Carney had leapfrogged Williams on the depth chart, making him the backup behind Collins.
Collins’ struggles resulted in many fans calling for Carney to replace him. Brown stayed loyal to Collins, who transferred in from LSU in December. But eventually, time had run its course, and Carney received his time to shine.
A noticeable cheer filled the JMA Wireless Dome when Carney walked into the huddle to begin the second half. Syracuse trailed 20-7. The Orange shifted to a run-heavy offense, beginning the drive with a one-yard loss from running back Yasin Willis. Carney then made things happen with his legs, faking a pitch to Willis and barreling through the middle of the field for six yards. On third-and-5, Will Nixon ran through the middle for three yards. Syracuse then punted on a fourth-and-2, not even allowing its new signal caller to get off a pass attempt.
The dynamic between quarterbacks fighting over the same position can be tumultuous. In most cases, only one can be the guy. Just as Collins had with Angeli during a preseason quarterback battle, he revealed no animosity with Carney. He called the freshman the smartest guy both in the quarterback room and on the team. As Carney came off the field after his first drive, Collins gave him a high-five and went over film on the iPad together like normal.
“We’re in the same room with each other every single day so we have each other’s backs,” Carney said. “We want to see success. I want to see him succeed. He wants to see me succeed.”
SU’s defense forced a punt and gave Carney the ball back at its own 20-yard line. He dropped back to pass, rolling to his right and firing to Darrell Gill Jr. for a five-yard gain. Offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon then went back to Carney’s legs, calling a designed quarterback draw for a few yards before he moved the chains on a five-yard pass to Will Nixon on the sidelines, rolling to his right again.
The Orange then stalled. Will rushed for a few yards before Carney rolled to his right for the third time but kept the ball for two yards. A botched snap on third down caused a throw away, again forcing a punt.
Pitt punted it right back, and Carney handed the ball off twice to Willis. Those were the final snaps of his night.
On a third-and-9, Brown and SU reinserted Collins. Syracuse’s protection broke down and Collins took a 12-yard loss. It was a puzzling move taking out a quarterback for a specific third down play. Postgame, Brown revealed his reasoning.
“Just felt as though (Collins) ran that play a little bit more. It was a couple of plays on the call sheet that was set for (Carney) when he went in. Then there was some other plays that was set for (Collins), and it was just the call sheet that we had for (Carney) wasn’t really meant for third-and-9 and things of that nature at the moment.”
Brown then bluntly responded “not much” when asked how much of the offense Carney can run at this point in his career.
Carney’s day was done at the end of the third quarter. Collins attempted to bring the Orange back within reach with a touchdown pass to Emanuel Ross, though they fell well short.
To say Carney, as a true freshman, would enter a relatively close game for the Orange amid ACC play would’ve been preposterous just two months ago. The circumstances brought Carney to the forefront Saturday against Pitt. As his redshirt eligibility continues to dwindle, it’s likely not the last we’ll see him.
