Orange grades: Quarterbacks, D-line flunk in loss to No. 9 Notre Dame
Syracuse's defense struggled mightily in its historic 70-7 loss to Notre Dame Saturday, allowing 329 rushing yards and seven offensive TDs. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Syracuse’s losing streak since the season-ending injury to Steve Angeli has featured the lowest of lows. Yet against No. 9 Notre Dame Saturday, SU’s troubles reached an even lower point.
The Orange fell behind 35-0 in the first quarter and lost to the Fighting Irish 70-7, their worst defeat since the 19th century.
Here are position-group grades from SU’s crushing loss to Notre Dame:
Quarterback: F
Once again, it’s hard to blame a walk-on true freshman. Yet Fran Brown and Syracuse sent out Joe Filardi as its starting quarterback on the road against one of the best defenses in the country. As a result, Filardi expectedly struggled. The quarterback finished 14-of-26 for 83 yards, but his two pick-sixes and three overall interceptions put SU into a hole it couldn’t climb out of.
Luke Carney entered and completed 3-of-4 passes to “slow things down a little bit” for Filardi. Filardi did add some movement with his legs, rushing for 33 yards. A touchdown in the final seconds broke the shutout and made the performance slightly less embarrassing. But throwing the ball up to a team as good as the Fighting Irish is a recipe for disaster.
Running back: D-
The absence of Yasin Willis would obviously add a wrinkle to Syracuse’s plans. Without Willis, the Orange never got the run going with Will Nixon as the lead back. Outside of Filardi’s rushing yards, SU tallied 79 yards on 36 attempts (2.19 yards per carry).
Will Nixon produced just 33 rushing yards, but freshman Tylik Hill again impressed. He posted a 12-yard rush and 25 yards on six carries. Malachi Coleman, Jaden Hart and Davion Kerr all tallied at least three carries, infusing a youth movement. Yet it wasn’t even close to enough for anyone in the running back room to replace Willis.
Receiver/Tight End: D
If the quarterback is failing, the wide receivers and tight ends likely didn’t perform well either. Tight end Dan Villari led the Orange with five receptions and said postgame he expects to play at the next level. Darrell Gill Jr. tallied three catches, and Johntay Cook II posted one.
Freshmen Darius “Boobie” Johnson and Darien Williams each had two receptions. That was about it for SU, as no one brought in a reception for more than 20 yards. There’s not much more to expect from this group. What once was a star-studded room producing highlights for ESPN has turned into a track team doing cardio for 60 minutes.
Offensive line: D
The return of Austin Collins after missing multiple games due to injury was supposed to give the Orange an added cushion up front. Instead, ND’s ferocious defensive line recorded five sacks and forced Filardi into multiple turnovers.
Per Pro Football Focus, Byron Washington played a game-high 84 snaps at right guard, and Syracuse brought in 10 different players on the offensive line. No matter the combination, they had their hands full and often lost their battles.
Defensive line: F
In their limited time on the field, Syracuse’s defensive line was bullied. ND is known for its offensive line pedigree, and its size in the trenches made easy lanes for running back Jeremiyah Love to glide through. When it was all said and done, the Fighting Irish finished with 329 rushing yards.
David Reese recorded a sack on quarterback CJ Carr, but that was just about all the Orange had in store. SU needs a serious infusion of talent on the defensive line as it attacks the transfer portal come January.
Linebackers: D-
Even through Syracuse’s losing streak, its linebackers have at least tackled. Gary Bryant III and Antoine Deslauriers are tied with 50 tackles each for the team lead. Someone has to bring the opponent down eventually. But against Notre Dame, the duo didn’t show up.
Both recorded just one tackle each, while Anwar Sparrow also tallied one. ND’s offense was on the field for just over 18 minutes yet was extremely effective, averaging over 10 yards per play. The linebackers’ struggles were a large part of the problem for SU.
Secondary: C-
Syracuse’s secondary was rarely tested. The Fighting Irish attempted only 15 passes, with one reception for over 10 yards. Carr still completed an easy touchdown in the second quarter, and the secondary’s poor tackling aided Love running wild.
Cornerback Chris Peal recorded a team-high four tackles, and Berry Buxton III had three. Though watching back the film, it was Duce Chestnut’s missed tackle and Buxton’s poor angle on Love’s touchdown that broke the game open even more than it already was.
Special teams: D+
The Orange often haven’t had a chance to flourish on special teams with all of their other struggles taking center stage. Yet Syracuse’s third group also had trouble. A Jack Stonehouse punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown while kicker Tripp Woody missed his 48-yard attempt.
Coaching: F
Facing Marcus Freeman in South Bend might have been Brown’s best test yet. Freeman is at the height of his game after helping ND to the national title game last year. Brown failed dramatically in helping restore SU’s national standing, instead embarrassing the program.
While starting Filardi instead of Collins to make things less competitive, he also inserted Carney, which limits the freshman’s ability to play next week without burning his redshirt. In all aspects, Notre Dame was better than Syracuse. In the end, it falls on the coaches.
