The next day: Incohesive play calling is a serious problem for Sean Tucker

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PITTSBURGH, Pa. — In a postgame press conference filled with questions about Carlos Del Rio-Wilson’s first start with Syracuse, one reported simply asked what went wrong in the run game. It was the same question asked after the loss to then-No. 5 Clemson.

Since the early stretch of games to start the season when Sean Tucker stood as the focal point of an offense transitioning toward a more pass-heavy approach, the preseason All-American has slowly faded from the spotlight. The question seemed to catch Babers off guard.

Tucker collected just 10 rushes in the loss, netting 24 yards out of the backfield. The Orange’s prolific rusher that caused Syracuse Athletics to launched a #PLEASED campaign to help drum up support for his Heisman Trophy bid was merely an afterthought in a middling 19-9 loss to Pittsburgh.

Babers has been asked numerous times throughout the season why he didn’t use Tucker, why Garrett Shrader threw the ball more than Tucker ran it. The head coach has admitted the Orange need to run the ball more, which he said was addressed internally. But against the Panthers, in the midst of an unproductive offensive performance, Tucker went out wide or didn’t get the ball. Incohesive offensive play calling led to Syracuse netting just 145 total yards, just 25 on the ground.

“We couldn’t get enough push on (Pittsburgh’s) big guy. They got the NFL guy inside,” Babers said. “We couldn’t get to (SirVocea Dennis) … because he was protected by the three in one technique.”

The Orange have strayed too far away from the running game, and it’s not only hurting their chances of winning, but it’s putting too much pressure on SU’s quarterbacks. Over the last three games — all losses for a once undefeated SU team — Tucker is averaging just 10.3 rushes per game as opposed to 20.7 attempts through the first six games.

Tucker gets enough yards when Syracuse gives him the ball, though 1.9 yards per carry against Pitt and 3.8 yards against Notre Dame aren’t Tucker’s usual levels. But he’s not getting the ball on a consistent enough basis to get anything going. Robert Anae’s motion-heavy and bunch-set approach to getting receivers open leaves Tucker without extra blockers or flushed out of the pocket as a heavily covered receiving option.

On SU’s first of three scoring drives on Saturday, Tucker got the ball six times, one time on a wheel route. But four of those targets or runs came in the first seven plays of the drive. Then the Orange didn’t go to Tucker at all until they were at the goal line, and both rushes — one being a pitch to the left on 3rd and goal — netted no gain. The next scoring drive, Syracuse only went to Tucker once, a run on first down for a short gain. The same thing happened on Syracuse’s final scoring drive.

Anae was brought to Syracuse to revolutionize a lackluster passing game, and for the first few games of the season, it looked like one of the best decisions Babers has ever made with the Orange. Throughout training camp, Tucker said that he was excited to be used in space more, even if it was as a receiving threat. But Oronde Gadsden II came out of nowhere as a terrific option down the field, and Damien Alford — when targeted — became the best deep-ball threat the Orange have had since Taj Harris. Adding in Devaughn Cooper out of the slot and Courtney Jackson when he could get open, Syracuse looked to be a pass-first offense.

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Babers brushed off Tucker’s lack of usage against NC State by saying that the Wolfpack had him covered, which led to Shrader getting the ball more on read-option plays. Tucker kept opposing linebackers honest, which complimented SU’s passing game. Then it was unavoidable after Tucker got the ball just 10 total times in a loss against Clemson.

There are reasons to point toward this week, as there have been each time Tucker doesn’t get the ball, as to why the All-American is finishing with stat lines unseen since his freshman year. Babers pointed out that SU’s starting left guard Kalan Ellis wasn’t active today and having Del Rio-Wilson under center instead of Shrader disrupted the flow of the game.

“The score made it difficult and turned us into too much of a passing team and not enough of a balanced football team,” Babers said.

The score, Babers said, dictated the playcalling. Tucker only got the ball nine times in the first half as either a rusher or receiver. Whether it’s Anae getting too cute with the play calling or Tucker not creating enough plays like he used to, whatever the case is, Tucker underperforming and getting underutilized is directly correlated to Syracuse’s recent slide from national prominence.

The game was won when…

Syracuse’s offense was lackluster all day, but maybe it had one miraculous drive in them, albeit starting from the one-yard line with 1:40 to go and no timeouts. A touchdown wouldn’t have won the game, and the Orange would have likely had to stop Pitt once again in overtime, but it could be a last gasp at turning the tides on an otherwise poor game for the Orange.

Instead, Del Rio-Wilson dropped back from his own one-yard line and settled with just a few blades of grass between him and the back of the end zone. Three receivers went into their routes, and Tucker leaked out into the flat on a relayed route. Alexandre blew up Steve Mahar Jr., brought in as an extra blocker, and sealed the game for the Panthers with a sack in the end zone. Del Rio-Wilson likely had time to get rid of the ball.

Quote of the night: Marlowe Wax

“I feel like something does gotta change,” Wax said. “People are trying to really run the ball on us … just scheme-wise, I feel like that’s the only thing people feel like they can do.”

Syracuse’s defense has now allowed at least 160 rushing yards per game in its last three losses, a mark no team hit during its six-game winning streak. Even without Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh’s second and third string running back totaled a combined 161 yards on the ground, including a career-high 124 rushing yards for Rodney Hammond, who didn’t play for a month and a half earlier this season.

Wax added that he feels like the aggression is there from the defensive line. But the Orange have been without Stefon Thompson and Terry Lockett for the majority of the season, and Jatius Geer went down with an injury against the Panthers. The defensive line is inexperienced and undersized aside from Caleb Okechukwu, whom Babers called their “elder statesman.”

Stat to know: 2

Despite the loss, Syracuse had two interceptions against senior Kedon Slovis, including one from Isaiah Johnson, who made his first career start in place of Garrett Williams. It marked the third straight game that the defense has had an interception and brought the interception total to 10 on the season. Last year, Syracuse’s secondary only garnered three interceptions, but the Orange have exploded this season against opposing quarterbacks.

The first interception — Ja’Had Carter’s third straight game with one — came when two rushers hurried Slovis into lofting an ill-advised pass into double coverage. The Panthers were driving, but the lofted ball to the corner of the end zone which ended up in Carter’s hands halted that drive.

Then in the second half, Pitt ran a double-pass trick play. Slovis passed it to his left to Jared Wayne, who was looking for Hammond across the other side of the field. The pop fly Wayne threw allowed Johnson to bolt toward Hammond and pick off the wide receiver.

Neither turnover, however, ended in points for the Orange.

Game ball: Marlowe Wax

Wax was everywhere for the Orange on Saturday, leading all players with 13 tackles, including six on his own. Though he’s listed as a linebacker, Wax has taken over Thompson’s role as a hybrid between a pass rusher and linebacker. Wax brings experience and more size to a line that lacks both. Saturday was also the third time this season Wax has finished with double-digit tackles, the previous two times coming in conference wins against NC State and Louisville.

“If a team is going to run the ball that much, something is going to give, yards are going to happen,” Wax said. “But we just try to minimize that as much as we can.”

The next closest defensive lineman in terms of total tackles was Okechukwu with eight. Mikel Jones, who’s led the team in tackles for the last two games, had seven tackles despite getting attacked with runs up the middle throughout the game.

Three final points

Unable to capitalize on field position

It wasn’t just Pittsburgh’s two-yard punt to kick off the fourth quarter that set up the Orange at their own 27-yard line. Throughout the game, special teams mistakes and solid kick or punt returns from Trebor Pena placed Syracuse in much better spots to begin drives. They just weren’t able to turn those possessions into points. Success on those possessions — even a made field goal after the horrid punt — would have put SU in a better position and opened up the playbook more down the stretch.

Instead, the Panthers thumped Del Rio-Wilson and the offense en route to three-and-outs and just a total of eight first downs throughout the game. Babers said the score, specifically Syracuse kicking field goals while Pitt scored touchdowns, led to a more pass-heavy offense. But converting on third down (the Orange were 3-of-14) severely hindered any chance at taking the lead aside from the initial 3-0 bump to start off the afternoon.

Where was Oronde?

The sophomore has emerged out of nowhere as the top receiving threat for Syracuse, bubbling to the top of a crowded group of undersized receivers that didn’t contain a true No. 1. Though he was targeted a few times by Del Rio-Wilson, namely early in the fourth quarter when he was wide open on a post route near the goal line, Gadsden didn’t record a reception. It was the first time since November of last year against NC State that Gadsden didn’t record a reception.

Both Del Rio-Wilson and Alford mentioned that there was still some room for improvement in terms of chemistry between receivers and the backup quarterback. But Alford said that while he didn’t find out who the starter would be until Thursday night, Del Rio-Wilson has built up a rapport with the group throughout the season.

The former ACC Player of the Week, who boasted eight receptions for 141 yards against the Wolfpack, never heard his name called on Saturday. Like last year, the Orange didn’t utilize their tight end.

Trebor Pena does the best so far

Pena has struggled recently as SU’s kick and punt returner, prompting at times Bob Ligashesky to turn to D’Marcus Adams or Alford. He’s broken off some explosive runs behind an improved kick receiving unit, specifically a season-long 57-yard return against Virginia. But nothing looked potentially more promising than the opening kickoff return against Pittsburgh. He caught the kick around the 10-yard line and bolted up the right seam. With good blocking, Pena cut back across the middle.

For a second, it looked like he had enough daylight to burst through and get to the end zone. Pena clearly thought so too, because when he was tripped up by a shoe-string tackle at the 35-yard line, he slammed the ball down on the ground. Punt returning was good too, setting up Syracuse in a reasonable position to start drives.

Next up: Florida State

The Semionles have had a streaky season through nine games. They started off on a four-game winning streak with wins over Louisville and LSU. Then FSU lost against three straight ranked opponents, including a close 19-17 loss to then-No. 14 NC State.

Florida State has pummeled through its last two opponents though, scoring at least 40 points in the previous two weeks. It will be Syracuse’s final home game of the season before it hits the road to face Wake Forest and Boston College.