After Syracuse football’s 26-24 loss to Stanford this past Friday, some have started to doubt SU. It’s only the third game of the Fran Brown era, and Syracuse still has nine matchups left this season. That’s a lot of time to turn things around. Despite the loss to the Cardinal, there were still plenty of bright spots in the game for the Orange.
After the defeat on Friday, quarterback Kyle McCord was disappointed in his performance. The New Jersey native finished with two passing touchdowns, one rushing TD, two interceptions, and over 300 passing yards. While it might’ve been McCord’s worst game for Syracuse by the numbers, it’s hard to say the loss is his fault. For a three touchdown game with over 300 yards to be considered not a stellar game is preposterous. McCord has been the most consistent player on the field, throwing for over 300 yards in every contest this season. If the senior can throw for 300+ yards against Holy Cross on Saturday, he will set the program record for most consecutive games surpassing 300 yards. On top of that, he has 10 touchdowns through three games. That’s why it’s way too early to start panicking.
The numbers show that not only McCord has been performing at a high level. Wideout Trebor Pena has taken an immense stride from his 2022 season.
Two years ago, the redshirt junior played in 11 games with 22 receptions good for 203 yards. In just three games this season, Pena has 22 receptions for 267 yards and five touchdowns. The wideout only had 25 career catches coming into this season. He now leads the ACC with 7.3 receptions per contest.
Defensively, Syracuse has struggled stopping the run in its last two games, giving up 285 yards. But, that’s not to say there still haven’t been players standing out on defense. Defensive backs Clarence Lewis and Devin Grant both recorded interceptions against the Cardinal on Friday. Along with that, defensive lineman Fadil Diggs already has two sacks on the year.
Overall, there are still lots of positives to take away from this SU side just about a month into the season. The Orange can still be ranked this year, and for a high quality bowl game. One loss on the season does not mean it’s time to panic.
Syracuse has a prime opportunity to rebound against FCS side Holy Cross this Saturday. If SU can come out on top, it could be a sign of good things to come before the Orange face UNLV in Las Vegas.
