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Syracuse Football: Six Takeaways From Disappointing Loss to Virginia
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- Syracuse Football: Six Takeaways From Disappointing Loss to Virginia
The Syracuse Orange football team fell again on Saturday night, losing 28-25 on the road at the Virginia Cavaliers.
One week after a thrilling win against the UConn Huskies , the Orange fell back under .500 at 2-3. They are now 0-3 inside ACC play and haven't won a conference game in more than a calendar year.
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The Cavaliers are now 4-2 and 2-1 inside the league.
Here's what you need to know.
Nelson plays well early, but struggles late
Malachi Nelson, the third-string quarterback for the Orange, started this game in relief of Amari Odom and Steve Angeli.
He played well in the first half, staking Syracuse out to a 17-7 lead, but the offense stagnated in the second half as SU scored just eight points.
Nelson finished 16-of-29 for 217 yards and a touchdown.
Nelson gets hurt too
Nelson got hurt in the fourth quarter and gave way to Danny Lauter, a transfer from Georgetown. The big QB was 1-of-4 for 46 yards and a touchdown, but he was unable to engineer a game-tying or game-winning drive in the final moments.
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It's unclear what exactly was wrong with Nelson, but he appeared to injure himself on a scramble in the final stanza.
Syracuse Orange quarterback Malachi Nelson (16) passes the ball against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Scott Stadium. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Running game piles up yards early
As they've been prone to do, the Orange ran the ball in bulk, securing 47 carries for 163 yards (3.5 yards per carry). Tylik Hill had 118 yards on 23 carries, but the Orange couldn't run much of the fourth quarter as they were playing from behind.
Defense cracks late
The Orange led 17-7 at halftime, but allowed 21 points after the break to lose 28-25. The Cavaliers moved the ball at will in the second half, finishing with 171 yards rushing and 119 yards passing.
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Another big day for Hatcher
Umari Hatcher continued his pursuit of an All-ACC spot, catching eight balls for 126 yards and a touchdown. Beyond him, Daunte Bacheyie had four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Kicking game struggles... again
Shay Barker, already the second kicker for this team, missed two field goals. Syracuse has now missed seven field goals and four extra-points this season.
Up next
Things won't get any easier for the Orange as they take on Louisville, one of the best teams in the ACC, next Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. That game will be held at the JMA Wireless Dome, marking the first home game for the Orange since Sept. 12. It's unclear who will start at quarterback for the Orange in that game, as they'll have to work to get at least one of their top three QB's healthy.
