Syracuse fell below .500 on Saturday, dropping a 31-22 game to Georgia Tech. The Orange is now 5-6 overall and 1-6 in ACC play.

Here are the key takeaways from the loss.

On the game’s opening drive, Syracuse had a Yellow Jackets’ quick screen hemmed in for what appeared to be a five-yard loss.

Instead, Jamal Haynes reversed direction, made a cut upfield, and exploded through the Orange defense for a 15-yard touchdown and an ominous start to the night.

Setting the tone for another game where he shouldered a lot of the offensive load for the Orange, LeQuint Allen carried the ball on first six offensive plays for 26 yards.

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Freshman quarterback Braden Davis got extensive playing time at wide receiver in the first half, catching a pair of passes.

Those receptions were no doubt in part to set up a double pass he attempted in the second half where he could not connect with Allen in the end zone.

The play was wiped of the books by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty against guard Chris Bleich.

Davis’ incompletion-that-was-not was one of two incompletions for the very risk-averse Orange passing attack as the team went into the books with 15 completions on 16 attempts (their failed two-point attempt is simply that, not an incompletion).

The only official was an interception thrown by Luke MacPhail to start the last SU drive of the night.

Georgia Tech entered the game 130th in the nation in rushing yards allowed per attempt at 5.3 yards per carry. In the second quarter, they held Syracuse to 1.9 yards per attempt on seven carries and outscored them, 10-0, while giving up a single first down. The Orange averaged just over 5.5 yards per rush in the other three quarters.

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King entered the game tied for the nation’s lead in interceptions with 14. Isaiah Johnson got him less than four minutes into the second quarter, setting up a field goal attempt for the Orange.

Brady Denaburg, however, missed that attempt from 50 yards (he had made a 44-yard field goal to cap the first SU drive of the game). Denaburg, whom Dino Babers has mentioned has a strong leg, is just 3-of-8 on attempts of 38 yards or longer this season with a long of 46.

Darrell Gill Jr. appeared to give Syracuse a new dimension on kickoff returns, picking up 98 yards on three first half returns. Unfortunately, he was stripped after returning the kickoff to open the second half after a 26-yard return.

The Jackets scored on a 31-yard run on the next play, taking a 24-3 stranglehold on the game.

While the defense played well much of the night, there still were penalties and blown plays. In the middle of the second quarter, Anwar Sparrow jumped offside on a fourth-and-one that gave Georgia Tech a first down. Two plays later, Dominick Blaylock got behind everyone for a 53-yard touchdown catch and a 14-3 Georgia Tech lead.

Dan Villari, who fumbled twice last week, put the ball on the ground again on the Orange’s next offensive play, but LeQuint Allen covered the loose ball.

Syracuse (5-6, 1-6 ACC) returns home for their season finale against Wake Forest with bowl eligibility still on the line. The Demon Deacons (4-7, 1-6) have lost seven of eight games and had their postseason dreams ended on Saturday by Notre Dame, 45-7. Wake has scored 21 points just twice in that eight-game span and is averaging 14 points a game in that stretch.

Backup quarterback Michael Kern has been thrust into the starting role for the Deacs due to injury and is completing 57.3 percent of his passes on the season with a touchdown and an interception.

Kickoff will be at 2:00pm Eastern and the game will be televised on the CW network.

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