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Following an undisclosed injury to Garrett Shrader, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson started his first game since last year’s loss at Pittsburgh on Nov. 5.

Offensive coordinator Jason Beck moved to the sidelines for the first time this season to have better communication with the backup quarterback. Babers praised Del Rio-Wilson after the game and said he threw deeper balls than Shrader has been able to make this year.

But in the end, Del Rio-Wilson turned in one of the worst performances an SU quarterback has had in recent memory, going 7-for-17 for 37 yards and four interceptions.

“I just feel bad for him,” Babers said Monday, adding not to judge a player off of one outing.

Here’s what led to each of the turnovers that led the Orange (4-5, 0-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) to their fifth-straight loss:

Tunnel vision leads to 1st pick

Spurred by a healthy dose of option runs, quarterback keepers and run-pass option plays, the Orange reached midfield when Del Rio-Wilson dropped back and surveyed his three receivers. Boston College did a good job clamping down Damien Alford on a wheel route on the outside. But Umari Hatcher blew past his man and called for the ball on the far sideline.

Instead, Del Rio-Wilson hardly went through his progressions. He stared down Isaiah Jones on an eight-yard post route across the middle of the field. Hatcher’s route cut through Boston College’s zone defense — coincidentally right where Del Rio-Wilson ended up throwing the ball.

He was basically throwing into double coverage with the Eagles’ mike linebacker on Jones man-to-man while CJ Clinkscales sat in coverage just in front of the first down marker.

Once Del Rio-Wilson wound up to gun it into an already collapsed window to Jones, all Clinkscales needed to do was take one step forward and make the straightforward catch.

From the second Del Rio-Wilson received the snap, he watched Jones run his route and didn’t break his gaze for another receiver. If he looked further down the field, he would have realized Hatcher was outside to his right for a wide open shot that would have netted a first down. On the other flank, Alford was about to break away from his man down the sideline.

The deep ball prayer isn’t answered

Up 7-3 midway through the second quarter, Syracuse found itself in Boston College’s half of the field. But after a low, off-target pass intended for Hatcher and a stuffed LeQuint Allen Jr. rush, the Orange found themselves in a third-and-10 situation out of field goal range. Then, Beck essentially dialed up a passing play that had three receivers on streak routes and Allen on a flat route as the checkdown option.

All three receivers were in tight coverage, leading Del Rio-Wilson to look at Allen Jr. for a second — even pump-faking to him — despite two BC defenders standing in the way. Eventually, the signal-caller fired the ball 47 yards toward the end zone, where Donovan Brown tussled with his man.

Brown actually had a step on Elijah Jones, and if Del Rio-Wilson had thrown it a few yards further, the pass likely would have been caught for the longest touchdown pass of his career. Instead, he underthrew Brown, allowing Jones to readjust and intercept it in the end zone.

Too short (again)

Tied 10-10 toward the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Orange sat on a first-and-10 from the Boston College 26-yard line. It was the perfect opportunity to retake the lead and let the defense clamp down on the Eagles for a possible win to snap the four-game losing streak.

Del Rio-Wilson dropped back and began a play action pass that looked like it was designed to be a quick throw. Dan Villari sat off to the quarterback’s right side, spinning around for a five-yard curl route while Hatcher took a man in tight coverage on a slant. It’s possible that Del Rio-Wilson could have looked off of Hatcher and checked a pass down to Villari for a short gain, but BC defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku easily blew past right tackle Mark Petry with one touch. With contact incoming, Del Rio-Wilson zipped over a pass to Hatcher.

It wasn’t completely behind Hatcher. The sophomore receiver caught the ball in his backside shoulder and tried to rip it away from Jones. But the Boston College defensive back, already with an interception on the night, snatched it out of Hatcher’s grasp for the interception.

A throw in front of Hatcher would have led to a first down and the Orange in the red zone. Instead, the Eagles capitalized off the interception. Two possessions later, they delivered the finishing blow off an 11-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to seal the win.

Maybe he wasn’t good to go

Del Rio-Wilson was banged up so fourth-string quarterback Luke MacPhail began tossing on the sideline. The situation looked dire for the Orange, but when Del Rio-Wilson was cleared to go out for the final drive, there was some hope that a game-saving touchdown could come.

“Carlos felt that he could go. We gave him the opportunity to go,” Babers said after the loss.

J’Onre Reed snapped the ball for the first play of the drive and Del Rio-Wilson stood in the pocket. He didn’t even drop back, hardly putting any pressure on his left leg that was now adorned with an orange brace.

Del Rio-Wilson’s pass was meant for Hatcher across the middle of the field. It didn’t have a chance. Jones, who’d already picked off two of Del Rio-Wilson’s throws, was hanging off of Hatcher while another Boston College linebacker ran a step behind the receiver.

There wasn’t anything Del Rio-Wilson could do about the ball fluttering off the shoulderpads of Jones and into the arms of Cole Batson. The throw was so high, and so behind Hatcher, that the receiver didn’t have a chance to get a hand on it.

A bird’s eye angle of the play from inside the JMA Wireless Dome shows that as Del Rio-Wilson shifts his feet and begins to wind up for the deep interception, a hole on the left side of the line opens up. He could have slid up in the pocket and created more time for his receivers to open up or dart up field for a chance at the first down or — at the very least — to set up a fourth-and-short.

Published on November 8, 2023 at 12:46 am

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt