Syracuse committed a cardinal sin on their costly missed field goal at the end of their 17-14 loss to Clemson on Friday night.
The Orange fell behind 14-7 at halftime and trailed 17-7 early in the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. But they scored with just over seven minutes left to make it 17-14.
After forcing a punt, Syracuse got the ball back with just under five minutes left and a chance to tie or win the game. They did neither.
The Orange moved into Clemson territory and had a 4th-and-1 from the 30. They attempted a 48-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt, whose kick was short and wide to the left.
Andre Szmyt : Missed the potential game-tying 48-yard FG with 38 seconds left (2/2 on extra points) pic.twitter.com/DgmizFAB3w
— Lee Harvey (@AyeThatsLee) October 16, 2021
So what was the big mistake? Syracuse went all Ray Finkle on the kick and set it up with the laces in!
Laces weren’t out. Wasn’t the kickers fault!!! pic.twitter.com/E7uQTvDnMG
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 16, 2021
Well, of course Szmyt was going to shank the kick after that! You can’t leave the laces in for such a big kick!
Not only did Syracuse blow it on the field goal attempt, but their decisions late in the game left a lot to be desired.
