Syracuse (3-4, 0-3 Atlantic Coast) fell, 27-20, to Pittsburgh (5-2, 2-1) in the Carrier Dome on Friday night. 

The Orange never led the Panthers, falling behind 3-0 before tying it at three later in the first quarter. Pitt then scored 21 unanswered points before halftime and SU never led after the break.

Pittsburgh dominated the first half by doing what it does best: Sacking the quarterback. The Panthers finished the first half with six quarterback takedowns, hamstringing Syracuse’s offense and steadily building its own lead. 

Steady stream of sacks

Syracuse became the second team since 2004 to allow eight or more sacks in three straight games versus Power 5 opponents, according to ESPN’s David Hale.

 

Cuse vs Clemson: 8 sacks allowed
Cuse vs NC State: 8 sacks allowed
Cuse vs Pitt in 1H: 6 sacks allowed

I went back to 2004 and only 2014 SMU has allowed 8 in 3 straight vs P5 opponents.

— THE™️ David Hale (@ADavidHaleJoint) October 19, 2019

After allowing six in the first half, the Orange’s offensive line and pass protectors stemmed the tide slightly in the second half. But at the end of the game, it was another ugly figure — nine — in the sack column for one of the worst pass-protecting teams in the country. 

Syracuse entered Friday night having given up 26 sacks, fourth-worst in the FBS; Pitt came to the Carrier Dome with 27 sacks as a team, third-best in the country. The outcome was inevitable. 

Tommy DeVito was repeatedly tattooed into the turf by defenders nearly twice his size, getting helped up over and over by those who were supposed to keep him upright. Eventually, to keep the defense off balance and establish the run game — and in a way protect DeVito — the Orange turned to Clayton Welch at quarterback. 

But even he took severe punishment. Though he took fewer sacks than DeVito, Welch stood in the pocket and delivered throws downfield only to get blown up the second the ball left his hand. 

He was on the business end of the fateful eighth sack, early in the fourth quarter. Though an unremarkable play, it backed SU into a long field goal in a two-score game that kicker Andre Szmyt missed.

SU’s secondary: A revolving door of injuries

Preseason All-American safety Andre Cisco played in his first game for Syracuse since suffering a lower-body injury against Clemson. And while Cisco’s reintegration into SU’s secondary was a welcome boost for the unit, it lost sophomore corner Trill Williams and senior multi-position player Antwan Cordy to injury during the contest. 

Williams appeared to hurt his left foot or ankle on a run play late in the second quarter. As Pittsburgh drove into SU’s redzone, Williams and safety Evan Foster combined on a tackle. Williams stayed down and trainers were seen looking at his left foot and ankle. Williams was then helped immediately to the locker room while putting no weight on his left leg.

Williams returned to the Syracuse sideline at some point in the second half in sweatpants and a walking boot. 

Cordy left the game early in the fourth quarter, hobbling off the field and appearing to favor his lower body on the sideline. He didn’t return to the game. 

The status of both Williams and Cordy was unclear as of the end of the game. 

As the injuries in the secondary piled up, sophomore cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu, who also hadn’t played since Clemson — along with Cisco — was also pressed back into action. Still, neither Melifonwu nor Cisco made a huge impact on Friday night. 

Clayton Welch: Lover of deep balls

With DeVito seeming to favor his right side after taking a hard hit on a scramble in the third quarter, he did not return to the game and instead SU rolled with backup Clayton Welch for the rest of the contest. 

Welch had already spelled DeVito as a running threat from the quarterback position earlier in the game. As the shots on DeVito piled up, head coach Dino Babers opted to keep Welch out there.

The junior-college transfer looked comfortable under pressure, if not as capable a passer as DeVito. Even so, Welch was unafraid to attack Pitt’s defensive backs downfield, drawing three defensive pass interference calls on one drive alone. 

His biggest highlight came on the Orange’s first touchdown. Wide receiver Taj Harris had streaked past his defender on the left sideline and Welch laid up a deep ball right into Harris’s arms in stride for a 94-yard catch and score — tied for second-longest in school history.

Welch’s final line in relief: 8 for 20, 176 passing yards and SU’s two touchdowns. He tacked on 10 rushes for 36 net yards. 

Published on October 18, 2019 at 10:49 pm

Contact Andrew: [email protected] | @A_E_Graham