Syracuse football: third down offense and defense vs Colgate

Game one for the Syracuse Orange was a breeze and a great sign of things to come. Let’s dive a little deeper into how SU tacked on 65 big ones, precisely their third-down efficiency.

Overall, the Orange offense moved the ball at will, going 9-for-16 on third downs. The defense also looked sharp in Rocky Long’s debut, holding Colgate to an ugly 3-for-17 in its tries. Below is the complete breakdown of SU’s third-down success rate from various downs and distances.

Offensive success

3rd and 1-3 yards: 2/5

Surprisingly, this was the distance the Orange struggled with the most, especially in the red zone. Faced with a third-and-1 on the Colgate five-yard line in the first quarter, Shrader kept the…