Syracuse Loss to Notre Dame Mirrors 2005

A tough five minute stretch costs the Orange a chance at an upset.

One could say that the Syracuse football program took a time machine and traveled back to 2005 Saturday night when they took on Notre Dame for senior night in South Bend. Much like that fateful day on November 19,2005 Syracuse, was looking to avoid an eight-game loosing streak and going 1-10-It’s longest loosing streak since the final game of 1972 and the eight that followed in 1973.

But this isn’t 2005, the time is 2020 and instead of Brady Quinn at the helm for the Irishmen, it was Ian Book. And instead of losing 10-34, they lost 21-45, the same point differential (24) it was in 2005.

Yet, one can’t help but draw parallels from that game to this one. The Orange offense still looked error prone and at times ineffective. It didn’t start that way, in the first quarter the Orange converted on 50 percent of their third downs and managed to keep the Irish at bay with just three pointswhen Jonathan Doerer hit the field goal from 25 yards out in the first series.

They continued that momentum and actually lead the No. 2 team on their first drive of the second quarter. After a 3-and-out by the Irish, Rex Culpepper worked the Orange into their own 3 and 1 situation on the 20 in Notre Dame territory. Sean Tucker picked up the first down with a two yard extension giving Culpepper another chance. Culpepper connected with Anthony Queeley in the end zone, giving Syracuse its first lead of the game with 9:55 left in the second quarter. 

For a moment, the Syracuse football program emitted hope, that a possible upset was in its future.They leaned on their defense to make the plays that their offense couldn’t, keeping Notre Dame out of the end zone in its first four drives.

The defense was going for five when Kingsley Jonathan was given a roughing the quarterback penalty when his arm grazed Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book's face mask. Instead of another three and out with Syracuse having all of the momentum, Notre Dame capitalized. 

Ian Book started to do what he does best, the newly dubbed winningest quarterback in Notre Dame history, worked his way down the field and coasted into the end zone on a 28-yard run. It all unraveled from there for the Orange. 

With just under 2 minutes remaining before halftime, Notre Dame’s Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa punched the ball out of Rex Culpepper’s arm just as his right knee hit the turf. The play was under review, but ultimately the officials could not conclusively overturn the call of a fumble on the field. The Irish took over on Syracuse’s 21-yard line and Book soon after the snap found wide-out Javon McKinley in the end zone. After a Syracuse punt, Book found McKinley again extending the Irish’s lead into halftime 24-7.

Syracuse led 7-3 with 4:27 left in the half when Jonathan's penalty occurred. They trailed 24-7 entering halftime as the Irish scored three touchdowns in the final 3:18 of the second quarter. 

Two minutes into the third quarter, Syracuse’s Sean Tucker took took a handoff from Culpepper at ND’s 40 and ran it straight in for a touchdown, putting the Orange within 10 of the undefeated Irish. And putting Tucker at the first player to rush for over 100-yards against the Irish’s defense this season. Despite the start to the quarter, all hope of a possible upset was quickly abandoned when the next set resulted in back to back turnovers.

The fourth quarter almost mirrored the third. Except this time, it was Cooper Lutz who ran for an 80-yard touchdown. Lutz became the second player this year to rush for over 100-yards.

At the final 5 minute mark, Ian Book tossed the pigskin off to his back-up, finishing his career at Notre Dame Stadium going 24-37 for 285 yards, 3 TD’s plus two rushing TD’s a similar look to what Quinn was able to accomplish 15 years ago against the Orange, 21-37 for 270 yards.

There’s something poetic in a loss such as this one. Especially when it mirrors its brother from so long ago. 2006 wasn’t better, but it wasn’t as bad as 2005.

2021 will be better. It has to be.