Five Takeaways: Syracuse 28 Pittsburgh 13
Syracuse snapped its five game losing streak with a 28-13 win over Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Here are five takeaways from the victory.
1. Garrett Shrader
Shrader returned and started for the Orange, but was clearly not 100%. In fact, he could barely throw the ball. That was obvious on the opening drive touchdown, when his pass to a wide open Max Mang was underthrown and he immediately clutched his shoulder after the play. He only threw one more pass the rest of the game as Dan Villari led the team in pass attempts. Shrader was very good as a runner with 96 yards and a touchdown, and even threw a few blocks. Credit to Shrader for gutting it out and doing what he could for his team.
2. Dan Villari
Quarterback turned tight end turned quarterback/running back. What Dan Villari did on Saturday, rushing for 154 yards and a touchdown, was not easy and he deserves a ton of credit. Completely changing how you play, your role and taking on such a large responsibility shows the type of athlete he is. He had some ball security issues early, but was flat out dominant the rest of the way. Pittsburgh could not tackle him. He was the best player on the field all game. Villari should be a major weapon in the last two games and next season.
3. Offensive Line
Pittsburgh is generally a physical team with a talented front seven. The Syracuse offensive line flat out dominated them, opening huge holes in the ground game and racking up over 380 rushing yards. It was as physical as this line has been all season. An incredible performance. The line and offensive line coach Steve Farmer deserve a ton of credit.
4. Defense
The defense was, once again, outstanding. Syracuse held Pitt to 269 yards of total offense, 60 rushing yards at less than three yards per carry, and forced four turnovers. This time, the Orange took advantage of those turnover opportunities recovering all three Panther fumbles and not dropping any interceptions. The defense even scored with Jayden Bellamy returning the game's only interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. Syracuse will likely need that type of effort in the final two games to become bowl eligible.
5. Much Needed
Everyone has their opinions on head coach Dino Babers and the direction of the program. That aside, everyone needed this. From the coaches to the players to the fans. We will see how the final two games play out but one thing is clear. The coaching staff has not lost the locker room. It would have been easy to do after losing five straight with all of the negativity and chatter about the team. Still, that did not happen. The team played hard, the coaching staff installed a completely new approach in a week and the team got a win to bring some much needed positivity.
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