From within the 10-yard line, Adonis Ameen-Moore had space in front of him. But the big running back was tripped up and fell short of the goal line.

It was one of several opportunities Syracuse struck out on near the goal line on Friday, and one that stuck with head coach Scott Shafer during the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches’ teleconference on Wednesday.

“If it had been a touchdown, I would be feeling great about things,”Shafer said.

Ameen-Moore did score from 2 yards out in the third quarter in Syracuse’s (1-0) 27-26 win over Villanova on Friday, and Prince-Tyson Gulley accounted for another touchdown on a 65-yard dash up the middle in the first. But the Orange’s offensive line didn’t get much push otherwise in the double-overtime victory.

With guards Nick Robinson and Omari Palmer unavailable, the makeshift offensive line featured tackle Michael Lasker at right guard, a position that required more movement.

In the first overtime, Ameen-Moore was stuffed twice for a loss from inside the 3-yard line and SU had to settle for a field goal when a touchdown would’ve won the game.

In the second overtime period, the Orange handed off to the senior tailback three consecutive times from within the 3, and his inability to score left the game in punter Riley Dixon’s hands for a touchdown pass on a fake field goal on fourth down.

“Maintaining and sustaining blocks. Playing cleaner through our double teams,” Shafer said when asked what SU has to improve on in the trenches. “(Lasker)’s got some things to work on in those situations and there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll improve in those situations.”

Published on September 3, 2014 at 2:51 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb