Leonard Fournette started what could have been the theme of a blowout Syracuse loss. Ron Thompson had wrapped up LSU quarterback Brandon Harris, who pitched it to Fournette moments before his knee hit the turf.

The 230-pound running back barreled past midfield and down to the 15-yard line, a 50-yard run that just moments before looked like at least a 5-yard loss. Until that point, SU’s defense had done a good job of gang-tackling the Heisman Trophy candidate to the tune of 17 yards on four plays.

Fournette got up and pounded his chest. His biggest play seemed destined to be the breakout play. The start of the inevitable.

Instead Syracuse’s defense continued to rise to the occasion. LSU had only seven first-half first downs. Whenever a big play seemed to turn the tide, a flag would bring it back. But against LSU, even SU’s best effort wasn’t enough, as the Orange could only punch back so many times in a 34-24 loss to LSU on Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

The Tigers opened up the second half with 10 straight points. The last seven of them were on a 69-yard punt return from the booming foot of Riley Dixon. The kick went so deep that Tre’Davious  White was able to find space in the return coverage.

But quarterback Zack Mahoney and Syracuse came back with their most fluid drive of the afternoon. A 15-yard penalty on LSU got the move started. Two plays later, Brisly Estime had the ball drop into his hands at the tail end of a 40-yard touchdown.

But Fournette, who had more than 200 yards for the second straight game, once again squandered SU’s chances. He burst through the defense for 62 yards. Two SU defenders trailed just yards behind him as he sped into the end zone, slowing up only as he took his final step to make the spread 14 again.

In total Fournette ran for 244 yards on 26 carries, reaching the end zone twice.

Mahoney continued his second-half resurgence into the fourth quarter when the Orange once again sliced the lead in half to 24-17. But on a third-and-9 on the ensuing LSU possession, with Fournette on the sideline, Harris hit Travin Dural — who had left SU cornerback Julian Whigham steps behind him — for a 51-yard reception. Whigham was left flat-footed on the next play too, as Malachi Dupre hauled in a touchdown in the right corner of the end zone.

Syracuse had been impossible to put away all day. In a game when it could have happened quickly and painfully, the Orange found ways to make it close. But the final blow was too big to come back from, and Syracuse lost its first game of the season.   

Published on September 26, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3