The Daily OrangePoor special teams play dooms Syracuse in loss
By Matt Ehalt
Posted: 11/15/09, 10:53 PM EST Section: Sports
To Doug Marrone, the numbers game finally caught up with the Syracuse football team. After losing so many players from the program this season, the lack of available bodies for the Orange made a difference in special teams and ended up being a turning point in Saturday's 10-9 loss to Louisville.
"I'm going to go back to the same point. We don't have a lot of players on this team," said Marrone, the Syracuse head coach. "That's not going to be a problem in the future. When you have depth issues, it's going to affect special teams before it affects anything else."
The failures the Syracuse special teams doomed the Orange Saturday in its loss to Louisville at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. SU could not convert on an extra point that made the difference in Louisville's one-point win, and the Orange's failure to contain Trent Guy on punts helped set-up Louisville's go-ahead score.
Syracuse took a 9-3 lead on Delone Carter's five-yard touchdown run with 12:58 left in the game, but couldn't add the extra point.
A few plays before, an injury removed long snapper Dalton Phillips from the game and forced in senior backup Max Leo. On the snap, which Marrone called "good," punter Rob Long couldn't grip the ball, and the Orange never got the kick off.
Though the extra point didn't seem to matter while Syracuse protected its six-point lead, when Louisville tied the game with 1:24 left, the extra point failure prevented the Orange from possibly playing for overtime.
"I think it's one of those things you don't take for granted," Marrone said. "I think we do in sports. When you kick the winning field goal, everyone gives credit to the kicker, but at the same time the snapper and the holder go through the same anxiety. It was just a missed play."
On the defensive side of the ball, the punt unit couldn't stop Louisville returner Trent Guy. He had a 94-yard touchdown called back earlier in the game, but the Orange chose to punt to him with less than four minutes remaining in the game. SU couldn't contain him, and his 44-yard return to the Syracuse 45-yard line with 3:14 left ignited Louisville's dormant offense. Four plays later, the Cardinals notched the winning tally.
"I'm going to go back to the same point. We don't have a lot of players on this team," said Marrone, the Syracuse head coach. "That's not going to be a problem in the future. When you have depth issues, it's going to affect special teams before it affects anything else."
The failures the Syracuse special teams doomed the Orange Saturday in its loss to Louisville at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. SU could not convert on an extra point that made the difference in Louisville's one-point win, and the Orange's failure to contain Trent Guy on punts helped set-up Louisville's go-ahead score.
Syracuse took a 9-3 lead on Delone Carter's five-yard touchdown run with 12:58 left in the game, but couldn't add the extra point.
A few plays before, an injury removed long snapper Dalton Phillips from the game and forced in senior backup Max Leo. On the snap, which Marrone called "good," punter Rob Long couldn't grip the ball, and the Orange never got the kick off.
Though the extra point didn't seem to matter while Syracuse protected its six-point lead, when Louisville tied the game with 1:24 left, the extra point failure prevented the Orange from possibly playing for overtime.
"I think it's one of those things you don't take for granted," Marrone said. "I think we do in sports. When you kick the winning field goal, everyone gives credit to the kicker, but at the same time the snapper and the holder go through the same anxiety. It was just a missed play."
On the defensive side of the ball, the punt unit couldn't stop Louisville returner Trent Guy. He had a 94-yard touchdown called back earlier in the game, but the Orange chose to punt to him with less than four minutes remaining in the game. SU couldn't contain him, and his 44-yard return to the Syracuse 45-yard line with 3:14 left ignited Louisville's dormant offense. Four plays later, the Cardinals notched the winning tally.
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