A walk-off field goal kick capped the Syracuse Orange football team’s first loss of the season, a game that certainly caused a lot of frustration at all positions. A comeback attempt put Syracuse in the lead for the first time with about three minutes left, but it was not enough as the Stanford Cardinal left the field as winners with a score of 26-24.

Aside from the fact that this is the Orange’s first loss of 2024, the grades will be much more interesting this time around. While many players had great performances, just as many didn’t perform at their best. What did the gradebook ultimately look like this week?

Here’s a look at the positional grades from Syracuse’s loss to Stanford on Friday night:

Quarterbacks: B

Two interceptions (one of which, though not his fault, resulted in a pick six for the Cardinal) unfortunately proved costly in hindsight, but it’s hard to blame Kyle McCord for that. He still finished the game with a 64% completion percentage, 339 yards, and two TDs. He overcame a bad day for the offensive line, a really bad day for Oronde Gadsden, and a really (really) bad performance running the ball. B feels fair, although I was briefly tempted to go with B+.

Running backs: C+

It’s hard to give anything more than a C+ when LeQuint Allen (8 carries, 25 yards, 3.1 YPC) and Yasin Willis (4 carries, 9 yards, 2.2 YPC) combined for just 34 rushing yards all game. How much of that is theirs versus the O-line? The blame is definitely on everyone. I’m giving it a C+ mainly because of Allen. First, that wonderful nine-yard run that set up Syracuse’s game-ending touchdown was his longest of the night and came at the perfect time. Second, he still caught four passes for 43 yards and proved he can be a threat when the running ball isn’t there at all.

Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images

Wide receiver: C+

This is probably the grade that is most up for debate. The tight ends were noticeably lacking against Stanford. Gadsden finished the game with two catches for 12 yards and had at least two very costly penalties, one of which negated a great catch by Umari Hatcher. Dan Villari’s error on his route led to the pick-six that put the Cardinal back up by 10 points. At the same time, I’d still choose C+ for the following reason: Despite all of that, and without a running game or consistent protection for McCord, this group of pass receivers is still very productive. Trebor Pena (10 catches, 101 yards) led the way again, but major credit goes to big plays by Hatcher (3 catches, 84 yards) and Darrell Gill Jr. (4 catches for 55 yards).

Attack line: D-

From the hardest note, we now come to the easiest note… and it’s not a good one. Costly holding penalties set the Orange back, especially in the first half. The running game was not a threat at all, especially given the tight ends up being tight up the middle. McCord had a good day, but was under pressure all night.

Defence line: D

When the defense as a whole is struggling, it’s hard to say who was “worse” on the entire unit. However, there was only one sack on this day and a few too many plays where Stanford’s Ashton Daniels had a lot of time in the pocket or was able to move. He only missed a few makeable throws. When Stanford’s run was stopped, it was mostly due to tackles by the defensive backs in front of the line of scrimmage. The only reason for a D+ was that the unit at least resulted in Stanford getting some false start penalties as well.

Linebacker: C-

This unit was mostly focused on missed tackles, but Derek McDonald had the team-leading tackles (six) and really played a lot better than his first two games. Stopping the run was a problem, but things looked somewhat better in the second half. You can go from D+ to C with this unit.

Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images

Defensive Backs: C

As with the receiver rating, there were a handful of players who shined and others not so much. Personally, I can’t score any lower than C because Clarence Lewis and Devin Grant each threw an interception to at least keep the comeback momentum going. It was lost because of the pick-six, but Stanford only managed two field goals in the second half. The first two quarters were rough, but aside from that one final play by Stanford (which was more of a coaching decision mistake than anything else), there really was an improvement in coverage.

Special teams: B

There is nothing in the Orange’s favor, but nothing against them either. Jack Stonehouse punted six times, averaging 49.8 yards per kick. Brady Denaburg scored his only field goal. Malachi James and Pena each returned the ball just once.

Now it’s your turn: How would you grade the Orange after their 26-24 loss to Stanford?