Dino Babers says his team is fighting through a “flu bug”-like epidemic of injuries, and no doubt SU fans are feeling a little queasy themselves after watching the Orange fall under .500 last Friday.

Already with more losses it had all of last season, this Syracuse team is at a crossroads. Gone are the rosy preseason projections of another 10-win season and potential run to the College Football Playoff, and in their place lie the possibilities of a losing season and a run to the ACC cellar. 

Now the question is, can the Orange find some answers and salvage at least six wins and a postseason berth or will the downward spiral continue?

Babers talked last week about his excitement at seeing how his team would respond after muddling through a mediocre first half of the season. If you only watched the first half of Friday’s loss to Pittsburgh, the response couldn’t have been encouraging. 

The Orange was booed off the field at halftime trailing 24-6, and an assistant strength coach was seen engaging in a shouting match with some fans in the stands.  It seemed things were close to unraveling, especially when early in the third quarter starting QB Tommy DeVito left the game after getting crushed on a scramble. 

But then a funny thing happened, and Clayton Welch etched his name in the SU record book.

Welch’s 94-yard touchdown connection with Taj Harris tied for the second-longest in program history, and it changed the vibe of the entire game and potentially the rest of the season.  It sparked a furious rally by the Orange, who outscored Pitt 14-3 in the second half and nearly forced a late turnover that would’ve earned them a chance to tie. That showed a resilience that’s been a hallmark of these Babers-coached squads and it could be a sign of what’s to come.

But there’s also a question of just how much adversity can one team overcome?

The offensive line is a train wreck and there is no indication things will get much better.  On the plus side, center Sam Heckel is listed as a potential starter this week for the first time since the season opener. 

But it’s hard to imagine one person helping right a ship that’s been taking on water at a rapid rate, giving up a tidal wave of 17 sacks in the last two games. 

Syracuse has now allowed a staggering 35 sacks in 7 games this season after giving up 37 in 13 games last year.  According to Babers, the line is “not growing fast enough for me”. 

With DeVito already playing “banged up” going into last week, will his latest injury hamper him even more or possibly keep him out a game or two?  Babers said Monday if Tommy is healthy, he’ll play because “he’s our best guy”. 

There is no doubting DeVito’s toughness, but his durability especially behind that leaky offensive line has to be a huge concern going forward. 

And at what point does Dino take him off the field to preserve his health not only for other games this season but for the next two seasons as well?

Babers told us Monday he doesn’t think his guys have quit, nor does he think this team is going to fall apart. He says the Orange need a break and they don’t know when it’s going to happen, but they have faith it’s going to happen. 

Obviously he and the entire Orange Empire are hoping it happens this Saturday in Tallahassee.