Syracuse football’s ACC losing streak hits 11 in loss to Louisville

Syracuse football (2-4, 0-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) suffered a 34-26 Parents Weekend loss to Louisville (4-3, 3-2 ACC) Saturday night. The defeat marked SU’s 11th straight in ACC play, its second-longest streak in program history.

Despite picking up a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to Virginia, SU quarterback Malachi Nelson got his second straight start. The junior finished with 315 passing yards, the second most in his career, and two touchdowns. But Nelson also turned the ball over three times, all in the second half.

“We just gotta make better decisions, them as players and us as coaches,” SU head coach Fran Brown said. “I think it’s a mixture of everything. Let’s make sure we put each other in good positions. Just better decisions on both ends, not just as the player but as the caller.”

With quarterbacks Steve Angeli and Amari Odom out with injuries, Nelson got his evening off to a good start. In the Orange’s first two drives, the UTEP transfer threw for more than 100 yards and a touchdown. A 41-yard strike to SU wide receiver Umari Hatcher put the ‘Cuse ahead 10-0 early on.

Hatcher’s big night continued en route to a career-best stat line of 13 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown. That’s the wideout’s career high in both receptions and receiving yards. Hatcher boosted his season tally to nearly 800 receiving yards, third in the country.

“I’m proud of his effort, his work,” Brown said. “I’m happy for his performance and what he puts in day in and day out for our program. He’s doing a really good job.”

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Hatcher’s touchdown grab wasn’t the only first-half firework Saturday. Syracuse and Louisville combined for 51 points through the first two quarters. That’s the most combined points in an SU first half since the 2024 Holiday Bowl.

SU wideout Calvin Russell had his best game as a member of the Orange. The freshman caught six passes for 53 yards and a touchdown, all career highs. Russell’s 24-yard score put the ‘Cuse back on top 16-14 early in the second quarter.

Another skill-position player who produced his best game with Syracuse was running back Ahmad Miller. The Jackson State transfer paced SU on the ground with a season-high 123 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Even with its offensive success, Syracuse trailed 28-23 at the half. Through the first two quarters, Louisville gashed the SU defense to the tune of 367 yards of offense. The Cardinals registered six plays of more than 20 yards, including an 82-yard touchdown run by quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.

Both defenses responded after the break, leading to a scoreless third quarter. SU defensive back Davien Kerr snatched his second interception of the night on a deep throw from Kienholz. It’s Kerr’s first multi-interception game with the Orange. He added five tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.

After opening the fourth quarter with a 24-yard field goal from kicker Shay Barker, the Orange got the ball back trailing the Cardinals 28-26. But Louisville capitalized on Nelson’s second interception with a 5-yard touchdown run by running back Keyjuan Brown. Then, after back-to-back sacks and a turnover on downs on the next drive, Nelson left the game with an injury.

So, Syracuse turned to quarterback Danny Lauter with two minutes to play, down 34-26. The junior completed his first two passes but ultimately couldn’t lead the comeback. A tackle for loss by Louisville linebacker Stanquan Clark on fourth-and-1 ended SU’s hopes for a win.

“I mean if I’m a fan I want to win,” Brown said. “If you look at the game and the age of the team and where we are right now … Pitt beat us by two touchdowns but every other game was one score. And that could go either way, right? It’s like one or two plays away from it.”

With the loss, the Orange fell to 0-4 in the ACC for just the second time this decade. The only longer conference losing streak in program history took place from 2005 to 2006. SU’s last conference win came last September against Clemson.

Syracuse has an opportunity to get back on track next week, when it visits North Carolina (4-2, 2-1 ACC). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. WAER’s pregame coverage begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff at 7 p.m.