Syracuse Blown Out by Virginia Tech For Fourth Straight Loss

The Orange was dominated for the fourth game in a row.

Syracuse football put together its worst performance of the season at Virginia Tech on its way to a fourth straight loss. That is saying something considering the Orange lost 81-10 the previous two games combined. The Hokies controlled things right from the start with a 38-10 dismantling of the Orange. With the loss, Syracuse falls to 4-4 (0-4) on the season. Next up is a Friday night home game against Boston College on November 3rd. 

The first offensive possession was emblematic of the game, and frankly the last four, for Syracuse. The first play was intentional grounding after the pocket collapsed on Garrett Shrader and he waited too long to throw it away. Then there was a holding call on the next play and before you know it Syracuse had third and 28 deep in its own territory. The offense would never get into rhythm, going three and out on its first three possessions. 

The defense held up a little bit, forcing field goals on three of Virginia Tech's first four possessions rather than touchdowns. However, the Hokies scored each time the offense touched the ball in the first half, cruising to a 30-3 edge going into the locker room. 

The game was all but over at that point. Syracuse had one solid drive in the second half that resulted in a touchdown pass from Shrader to tight end Dan Villari. But the offense was unable to move the ball for nearly the entire game. The offensive line struggled in pass protection, allowing eight sacks. The rushing attack was not any better as Syracuse ran for zero yards on the night. 

A Virginia Tech team that averaged less than four yards per carry coming into the game was picking up nearly seven yards per tote against the Orange in a dominant first half. Combine that with a couple of big pass plays and Syracuse was outmatched all over the field. 

That leaves major questions for this team with four straight losses, all in blowout fashion, following four straight wins to start the season. The lack of competitiveness in the last three games specifically is especially disconcerting. 

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