Game was played Dec. 3, 2011

With three minutes remaining, Syracuse had the ball and a chance to win the game. The Orange had five wins on the season and only needed a touchdown to clinch bowl eligibility.

What it got was a turnover.

The Syracuse drive started from its own 6 yard line. A 12-yard catch by wide receiver Alec Lemon got the Orange drive started. On the next play, quarterback Ryan Nassib rolled out to his left, but didn’t see Pittsburgh linebacker Brandon Lindsey closing in on him as he got ready to throw.

Lindsey knocked the ball away from Nassib, sending it into the awaiting hands of Pittsburgh cornerback Antwuan Reed. He returned it 20 yards for the touchdown, officially putting the game out of reach.

The 40,058 fans at Heinz Field watched as their Panthers clinched postseason eligibility with a 33-20 victory. Meanwhile, the Orange completed its season with a five-game losing streak after starting the year 5-2. The monumental late-season collapse sent Syracuse from being a Big East-title contender to missing out on a bowl game.

Syracuse (5-7, 1-6 Big East) committed six turnovers in the game that led to 20 points for Pittsburgh (6-6, 4-3 Big East).

“We had an opportunity to get some things done this season,” SU head coach Doug Marrone said after the game. “It’s a shame that we weren’t able to accomplish that.”

Pittsburgh entered the game ranked last in the Big East with a minus-5 turnover margin. SU’s six turnovers were the most forced by Pittsburgh since its 2002 season opener.

The game didn’t start much better than it ended for the Orange.

Pittsburgh pooched the opening kickoff and Dorian Graham couldn’t cover the football, allowing the Panthers to recover. Pittsburgh scored on the next play to take a 7-0 lead only 10 seconds into the game.

SU’s next possession ended in an interception after there was miscommunication between Nassib and wide receiver Van Chew. Pittsburgh kicked a field goal and took a 10-0 lead. All that before Syracuse had run three plays on offense.

“When you’re sitting there and you fall behind 10-0, there’s a little bit of, ‘OK, what’s going to happen?’” Marrone said. “And they haven’t quit. But you start thinking, ‘Here we go. This is going to be a good test right here.’”

On Syracuse’s next possession, running back Antwon Bailey scored on a 26-yard catch-and-run on a screen pass to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 10-7. By halftime, the Panthers were ahead 20-10.

SU gained some momentum in the third quarter when defensive end Chandler Jones picked off a swing pass and returned it into Pittsburgh territory. Running back Jerome Smith then scored from 10 yards out to cut the lead to 20-17.

But things went downhill from there for Syracuse.

After another Pittsburgh field goal, Nassib fumbled, leading to another Pittsburgh field goal to put the Panthers up 26-17. SU was driving in Pittsburgh territory on its next possession, but wide receiver Jarrod West lost the ball while trying to pick up extra yardage.

Despite all the turnovers, SU had an opportunity on its next possession to win the game and make a bowl game. But the five-game losing streak was cemented when Nassib was stripped of the ball.

“It’s just crazy,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said after the game. “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. There were just some unfortunate incidences when the ball was on the ground.”

Syracuse’s season was over.

—Compiled by Jon Harris, asst. sports editor, jdharr04@syr.edu

Published on October 5, 2012 at 2:56 am