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Syracuse has had a near-flawless start in its first year under head coach Fran Brown. After defeating NC State last Saturday, the Orange are 2-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play and are receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Anchored by transfer quarterback Kyle McCord, SU has emerged as one of the best offenses in college football. Special teams blunders, though, have nearly cost the Orange in several games, while poor tackling has been their defense’s downfall.

Here are the key numbers defining Syracuse’s (5-1, 2-1 ACC) first half of 2024:

46.8 pass attempts per game

After ranking 125th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 23.2 pass attempts per game in 2023, Syracuse has more than doubled that figure in 2024 with 46.8 per game — the highest total among FBS teams. Last year, the Orange resorted to a run-heavy wildcat offense due to quarterback Garrett Shrader’s injury in November.

With McCord, SU’s biggest weakness has turned into its biggest strength. And Syracuse has consistently allowed McCord’s to sling it as much as possible. Since dropping back 39 times versus Ohio in Week 1, the Ohio State transfer has attempted 42 or more passes in each of the Orange’s last five games — including a career-high 63 against UNLV.

When asked about McCord’s volume, Brown and McCord have repeatedly said the quarterback’s attempts are inflated because of quick hitters and taking easy completions off run-pass options. This is seen in McCord’s average depth of target — aDOT — which indicates the amount of yards downfield a player was targeted on average. Among 197 FBS quarterbacks, McCord’s 9.0 aDOT ranks 151st.

Even while attempting numerous short passes, McCord has excelled in taking shots down the field. His 21 “big-time throws” — which Pro Football Focus defines as a high-value, high-difficulty pass — lead all FBS quarterbacks.

Michael Penix Jr., who led Washington to a national-title game appearance last season before becoming a first-round pick in the 2024 National Football League Draft, led FBS quarterbacks with 43 big-time throws across 15 games. This season, McCord is on pace for 45 big-time throws if he stays healthy for SU’s remaining six regular-season contests and its likely bowl game.

3 receivers over 70 yards per game

In his lone campaign as the Buckeyes’ starter, McCord threw for 3,170 yards. Of those, Marvin Harrison Jr. had 1,211 receiving yards, accumulating 38.2% of McCord’s yards. Thus far at Syracuse, McCord has done a much better job spreading the ball to his weapons.

SU’s three leading receivers, Jackson Meeks, Trebor Peña and Oronde Gadsden II, are the only trio on the same FBS team averaging 70 or more receiving yards per game. Meeks paces the team with 459 receiving yards, while Peña follows with 458 and Gadsden has 433.

Because of how frequently McCord throws, it gives room for all three targets to thrive. In SU’s most recent game against NC State, each player notched six or more receptions, totaling 265 receiving yards. While Peña and Gadsden succeeded early on and stayed consistent, Meeks’ breakout began in the Orange’s win over Holy Cross on Sept. 28.

But Syracuse’s options in the passing game advance beyond its three leading receivers. Zeed Haynes, who began the season as one of SU’s starters, has missed the last several weeks due to personal matters. Umari Hatcher, who caught a touchdown last week against NC State, and Darrell Gill Jr. have emerged as trusted options in the passing game while running back LeQuint Allen Jr. is on pace to tally over 60 receptions.

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61.3 Pro Football Focus special teams grade

Syracuse’s special teams have been a major cause for concern thus far. Per PFF, its 61.3 special teams grade ranks 120th among 134 FBS teams. The Orange’s Week 2 win over Georgia Tech kickstarted their problems.

SU had a field goal and a punt blocked in the first half alone, but still led 21-14 at halftime. Despite holding on for the win, its special teams miscues extended in the final 30 minutes when Brady Denaburg began the second half by kicking the ball out of bounds. Later in the half, Syracuse’s 17-point advantage slipped to just three after they failed to recover an onside kick.

While Syracuse bounced back in most facets in its ensuing game against Holy Cross, its field goal-kicking struggled. After Denaburg missed two field goals, Brown called upon then-backup Jadyn Oh in the fourth quarter. Yet the result didn’t change, clanking his lone attempt off the upright.

SU’s special teams woes were exacerbated against UNLV on Oct. 4. In the second quarter, Rebels wide receiver Ricky White III pressured punter Jack Stonehouse right as he received the snap, which caused Stonehouse to take a sack. UNLV scored a touchdown a couple of plays later. Then, in the third quarter, White blocked a Stonehouse punt that was scooped up in the end zone by Charles Correa to tie the game at 31-31. Additionally, Denaburg had another kickoff land out of bounds.

Last week versus the Wolfpack, Oh missed a 43-yard field goal while Devin Grant was penalized for lining up over the long snapper on a field goal attempt. After Grant’s penalty, NC State finished the drive with a touchdown.

52.5 Pro Football Focus tackling grade

Syracuse’s defense has played well for the most part, but its tackling has been a major weakness. According to PFF, SU’s 52.5 tackling grade ranks 117th among FBS teams.

In three (Ohio, UNLV and NC State) of its first six games, PFF has given Syracuse a tackling grade below 50 while also rating it at a 54.8 grade against Stanford. For comparison, the Orange’s tackling was graded under 50 just once (48.2 versus Georgia Tech) last year.

A key difference between this season and last has been star linebacker Marlowe Wax’s absence. The fifth-year senior sustained an injury in Syracuse’s season opener and hasn’t appeared in a game since. The linebacker seems likely to return to the lineup in SU’s next game versus Pitt.

Published on October 16, 2024 at 11:28 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon