SU's defense forces four turnovers, but the offense fails to reach the end zone in a 10-point defeat.
Few people expected Syracuse to handle the pressure of a big-time road game, especially not the team’s first trip to “Death Valley” against the No. 21 Clemson Tigers.
Surrounded by fireworks, balloons and 80,031 screaming Tigers fans, the Orange walked into an electric Memorial Stadium. It was the largest crowd to witness a Syracuse football game since 2009, when the Orange played at Penn State (106,387).
But after a hard-fought 16-6 loss to the Tigers, the mood in the Orange locker room was extremely somber.
The Orange defense did not give up a touchdown for the second straight week in hard-fought 20-3 victory.
On its first possession Saturday against Maryland, Syracuse marched down the field, burning nearly eight minutes off the clock. Running back Jerome Smith capped off the 16-play, 80-yard drive by plowing into the end zone for the game’s first score.
Though neither team scored in the first half, the Orange capitalized on some Wake Forest turnovers to win 13-0.
It was a tale of two halves for Syracuse (4-4, 2-2 ACC), as the offense did nothing in the first half but put together two touchdown drives in the third quarter for the 13-0 victory over Wake Forest (4-5, 2-4 ACC).
“We had a lot of time to think during the bye week after getting our rumps kicked,” head coach Scott Shafer said. “I was really proud of out kids. They went to work after that tough loss. They’ve become tighter when we’ve had tough situations.”
Terrel Hunt took over for Drew Allen early in SU's 54-0 victory over Wagner and immediately breathed life into a hapless Syracuse offense.
Three possessions, no first downs. The Syracuse offense started its home-opener much like it has all season: without much momentum or rhythm. But with the substitution of Terrel Hunt at the quarterback position, that all changed. Hunt’s first five possessions all resulted in touchdowns, as Syracuse routed Wagner 54-0 in Scott Shafer’s first career victory.
Syracuse finished with 597 yards, while only allowing 87, in a dominant win that was never truly in question.
The combination of Terrel Hunt and Jarrod West proved to be a potent combination, leading to a 27-10 victory for the Orange team.
If the comparison of inter-squad spring football games were a valuable piece of information, this year's Syracuse Orange team is either a team more offensive, or much worse defensively than last year's team. With the offensive firepower of Terrel Hunt and Jarrod West, the Orange team dominated the Blue team, 27-10 during Saturday’s game.
Linebacker Marquis Spruill and wide receiver Jarrod West fill the leadship void on defense and offense.
As the Syracuse Orange took to the Carrier Dome for spring practice on Sunday, the question surrounding the team is which player will elevate his performance as a new era of Syracuse football begins.
In the meantime, head coach Scott Shafer was busy observing his defense handle the offense in stride during the course of the two-hour practice.
The return of seniors Christopher Clark and Jarrod West, as well as some young talent, give SU some depth at the receiver position.
The philosophy of Orange head football coach Scott Shafer has always been centered on the idea that a hard-nosed defense will trump a talented offense on any occasion. If you need proof, just look at Syracuse’s 2012 Pinstripe Bowl victory over West Virginia. His defensive unit held the ninth-best offensive team in the country to only fourteen points in a dominant triumph over the Mountaineers.