Greg Robinson insists there is no emotional toll.

The SU head coach reasoned that and the eight bye-less weeks serve only as excuses for Syracuse’s three-game losing streak to Pittsburgh and top-10 opponents West Virginia and Louisville.

Aside from the obvious talent superiority among those three, there may not be a ‘woe-is-me’ mantra among the SU football team, but there is clear frustration.

Similar to the press conference after the Iowa game, Robinson displayed mixed optimism and agitation after Syracuse’s 28-13 loss to Louisville on Saturday.

And with good reason.

Throughout the season, particularly in its losses, the Orange created countless opportunities but failed to deliver on them.

SU should feel inspired that it has taken the right (although small) steps into making those opportunities. But at the same time, the Orange should feel discouraged that no matter what it does to put itself in a position to capitalize, it fails.

‘We’ll be fine,’ Robinson said. ‘You build on it. We did some things better. They were No. 6 in the country and doggone it, we truly had a chance to possibly go to overtime right there at the end. We have to build on that.’

Though Syracuse is rebuilding, it’s startling that the same SU mistakes have been present throughout the season.

Senior cornerback Tanard Jackson forced a fumble on the SU drive following Delone Carter’s failed flip in the end zone. Senior linebacker Kelvin Smith recovered the ball at the 8-yard line, but Syracuse could only find a way on the scoreboard by settling for a Patrick Shadle 35-yard field goal.

Three points with two red zone drives actually fared better than SU’s seven failed goal line plays at the red zone.

In the season opener against Wake Forest, Jackson intercepted a pass at WF’s 30-yard line in the third quarter of a tie game, producing similar results to the missed opportunities against Louisville. In the opener, quarterback Perry Patterson fumbled on a poor snap from center Marvin McCall on the ensuing play.

Syracuse’s impressive first-half performance against Louisville – the Orange held the Cardinals to seven points and 143 yards – resembled the West Virginia game last week.

In both games, SU entered halftime in contention. In both games, SU struggled in the second half. On Saturday, the Orange’s defense allowed 283 second-half yards, including 170 on rushing.

Louisville running back Kolby Smith ran a 31-yard, game-sealing touchdown untouched. Robinson said Sunday the Orange let Smith score to get the ball back, but either way, the long runs drew flashbacks to Pittsburgh’s LaRod Stephens-Howling and West Virginia’s Pat White and Steve Slaton.

In all three games, the Orange seemed to play well except for a few big plays.

‘The game was right there,’ said freshman wide receiver Mike Williams, who led the team with five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. ‘We fight and fight. But then in the second half we always lose it. We need to know how to finish the game. When we’re up, we have to stay up.’

Williams and offensive coordinator Brian White saw the penalties as huge momentum deflators. In the past three games, Syracuse has been guilty of illegal procedure and holding penalties, amounting to 25 penalties for 170 yards, including nine penalties for 65 yards on Saturday.

Syracuse was called for a holding penalty on the first play after Smith’s fumble recovery. SU originally had the ball at the Louisville 12-yard line with a 1st-and-10, but the penalty brought the Orange back to the 22-yard line.

While White acknowledged penalties are a discipline issue, he also thought it was rooted in the team’s inexperience at the line. Robinson said that can be the case, particularly for holding calls, but discipline is more important.

‘My opinion with this group I’m coaching is they’re so anxious and so eager,’ White said. ‘That’s my opinion. We have to find a way to settle them down.’

Point taken: the problem falls on the players more than coaching. Smart ball control and careless mistakes can be minimized and instilled in practice. But it’s hard to micromanage that aspect of the game when it all has to do with player execution.

‘Those guys are in position to make plays, but it’s a matter of making them,’ Jackson said. ‘You saw missed tackles on that last drive. That’s not a scheme. The guys are in position to make plays.’

What’s more disturbing is players offered no solution for prevailing on these missed opportunities. They talk about how they’ll go back and work harder in practice for the following week and performing more repetitions to ensure perfections. But the results have been far from perfect, especially with the opportunities right in front of SU to reach.

‘We’ve been playing hard for too long,’ senior cornerback Terrell Lemon said. ‘Something has to click.’