'We Shot Ourselves in the Foot': Dino Babers Recaps Syracuse Loss to UNC
SYRACUSE, NY — Week one is in the books, but the win column is still bare. It was an offseason rife with obstacles and distraction. New coordinators on offense and defense began to operate with the understanding that it’s going to take some time for their philosophies to take hold. Denied transfers and opt-outs further constricted an already lean roster. Opening such a season on the road against a twenty-one point favorite would brace any fan-base for convincing defeat. But three quarters in, this was anybody’s game.
Through three quarters against eighteenth-ranked North Carolina, three-touchdown underdog Syracuse trailed 10-6. Orange defenders held Tar Heel QB and Heisman hopefully Sam Howell to 222-yards passing and a single touchdown. They picked him off twice, sacked him twice, and forced four turnovers overall. All Syracuse needed was one-big play on offense or special teams to turn the tables in their direction. One touchdown to take the lead and hush the artificial crowd noise. That touchdown never came. Syracuse head coach Dino Babers knows the opportunities were there, but the Orange just couldn’t get out of their own way.
“A lot of times, we shot ourselves in the foot,” Babers said during his virtual press availability Monday. “We knew we had to really do things right to win down there in that situation. We just left too much meat on the bone, not only offensively, but the one touchdown that we gave back on special teams.”
Orange return man Nykiem Johnson had what looked to be the spark needed to fuel an upset, taking a Carolina punt the distance. Instead, a flagged blindside block stifled the surge and muted any semblance of momentum.
That wasn’t the only scoring chance, though. Interceptions by Mikel Jones and Andre Cisco set-up a pair of red zone trips for QB Tommy DeVito and company. A muffed punt recovery set up the third. In three visits inside the twenty-yard-line, Syracuse attempted three field goals and missed one. While it truly was a close game through three quarters of action, Babers knew six points wasn’t going to be enough to make it a game in the fourth.
“Well, the first thing is to make sure that you've got enough points that there's going to be a fourth quarter,” Babers said. “You know, I just thought that the defense was out there too long. They were playing extremely well. Let's give them something to play for. Let's get some points on our side and make sure that it's a contest.”
That four-point deficit ballooned to 25 before the game was over. North Carolina’s running back tandem of Javonte Williams and Michael Carter combined for 135-yards rushing in the game, with Williams personally delivering three coffin nails in the form of fourth quarter touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 proved it could go toe-to-toe with some of the best offenses in the ACC through three frames. Eventually, they ran out of gas. But they never got any help either.
Third and long situations, sacks, and a non-existent run game severely limited what Syracuse could do on offense. UNC’s dismantling of the rushing attack left DeVito with no recourse other than to scramble or chuck it deep. On obvious passing downs, he might as well have had a target on his chest. Front-line protection was the biggest question mark on this team throughout the offseason. Through one week, few doubts were satisfied.
“We got to win the battle on the line of scrimmage,” Babers said flatly. “There was too much penetration. There were some holes out there. Sometimes we hit them, sometimes we didn't. But the main thing is, those guys up front, we've got to win our side of the line of scrimmage.”
Syracuse blockers opened holes wide enough on Saturday for 68-yards rushing total. DeVito led all Orange rushers with 30. When the run game couldn’t muster much on first and second down, DeVito would drop back on third-and-long. On seven of those drop backs, DeVito was sacked.
On the day, DeVito completed 13 of his 31 passing attempts for 112-yards. No touchdowns. No turnovers. Babers said multiples times on Monday that it was hard to get a good feel for where players were because they’re only one week into the season. This may apply to DeVito more than anyone.
“We need to make sure that everybody knows what's going on,” Babers said when asked to evaluate his quarterback. “I know we dropped the ball in the end zone. We had some drops out there. You need to throw the ball, you need the o-line on-point, you need the quarterback on-point, you need the receivers on-point. You can't have one thing being good and the other two being bad. So you've got to find a way to get them all together.”
The Orange will have until Saturday to get everyone on the same page as they’ll hit the road once again to take on Pitt (1-0). Pitt stomped Austin Peay 55-0 in their home opener over the weekend. Kickoff is slated for noon in Pittsburgh.
