Syracuse delivers worst-ever performance against nation’s best back (PFF grades, snap counts)

Syracuse, N. Y Syracuse football delivered a program-worst performance against Notre Dame’s run game on Saturday, surrendering 13. 7 yards per carry against the Fighting Irish and Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiyah Love. That’s the most yards per carry surrendered in any single game by Syracuse in its recorded history, topping the 11. 84 surrendered during a 59-3 loss against No. 2 Florida State in 2013. That was SU’s first season in the ACC. With an extra week of rest to prepare for Love and the Notre Dame running game, Syracuse was completely overmatched in a 70-7 loss to the No. 9 team in the country, surrendering 329 rushing yards on 24 carries. The Orange earned a season-low grade from Pro Football Focus for its run defense against the Fighting Irish. It was one of nine failing grades for the Orange across PFF’s 13 major categories. Love covered 171 yards on only eight carries, scoring three touchdowns and striking a Heisman pose as he burnished his campaign to win the most prestigious trophy in college football. “What made it difficult was he’s the best running back in the country,” Brown said. “I think it’s difficult for everyone to tackle him. Probably looked worse with us today.” ESPN’s most recent mock NFL Draft projected Love to be the first running back taken and the No. 13 pick overall. Syracuse was so dominated on its front line that Pro Football Focus credited Notre Dame’s run game with accumulating 114 rushing yards before its runners were even contacted by a Syracuse defender. The Fighting Irish piled up 225 yards after contact. The Orange missed five tackles and Love punished Syracuse for any mistakes. “It’s one gap, he makes a guy miss, and he’s able to take it,” Brown said of Love. “He has that breakaway speed that most people don’t have.” Syracuse’s season-long problems at safety continued with the worst three grades against the run belonging to safeties Duce Chestnut and Berry Buxton III, along with linebacker Jamie Tremble. Chestnut and Tremble were both tagged with a missed tackle. Chestnut, who was on crutches after Syracuse’s previous loss to Miami, played just 13 snaps. Devin Grant, who has been battling a high ankle sprain for much of the season, played just four. The pair was expected to lead the Syracuse defense this season. The Orange passing game also earned its worst grade of the year, with true freshman quarterback Joe Filardi throwing three interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. Filardi earned the lowest grade by a Syracuse quarterback this season. He was tagged by PFF with five plays that were likely to result in turnovers and passed for just 83 yards, completing 14 of 26 passes. According to PFF, Filardi attempted only three passes of more than 10 yards, completing one. He threw all three of his interceptions on short passes. The only major categories where the Orange earned passing grades from PFF were the running of its backs and quarterbacks, its pass rush and its pass coverage. Special teams grades were not available at publication time. One of the few positives for Syracuse was freshman running back Tylik Hill. One of SU’s highest-graded players for the game, Hill performed well both when he carried the ball and on six plays when he was asked to be a pass-blocker. He did not surrender a pressure. That will be important next season as Syracuse will likely to need a third-down back to complement Yasin Willis. Here’s a look at how PFF graded the Orange players individually against the Fighting Irish.
https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2025/11/syracuse-delivers-worst-ever-performance-against-nations-best-back-pff-grades-snap-counts.html