Syracuse football suffered another frustrating ACC defeat Saturday, surrendering a 10-point halftime advantage in a 28-25 loss to Virginia. The Orange dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play, extending their conference losing streak to 10 games.
Quarterback Malachi Nelson started for Syracuse following a week of uncertainty at the position and helped guide the Orange to a strong first half. After Virginia opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run by Zay Davis, Syracuse answered with a rushing touchdown from Ahmad Miller.
Nelson later connected with Umari Hatcher for a touchdown to put Syracuse ahead. The Orange added a field goal before halftime to take a 17-7 lead, but missed opportunities prevented them from building a more comfortable advantage.
Syracuse had chances to pull further ahead after the break, but two missed field goals from John Barker kept the Cavaliers within reach. Virginia capitalized in the third quarter when quarterback Chandler Morris Pribula found Da’Shawn Martin for a 37-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to three.
The Cavaliers took control in the fourth quarter. Jekail Middlebrook scored on a three-yard run to give Virginia a 21-17 lead, then added another touchdown after a Syracuse special teams mistake gave the Cavaliers favorable field position.
Nelson left the game with an injury, bringing fourth-string quarterback Danny Lauter into action. Lauter delivered a 46-yard touchdown pass to Daunte Bacheyie and completed a two-point conversion to Justus Ross-Simmons, bringing Syracuse within three points with less than three minutes remaining. However, the Orange could not get the ball back for another scoring opportunity.
Nelson finished 16-of-29 passing for 217 yards and a touchdown. Will Hill rushed for 118 yards on 23 carries, while Hatcher caught eight passes for 126 yards and a score.
GAME RECAP LINKS
– Syracuse collapses at Virginia 28-25 en route to 3rd ACC loss (dailyorange.com)
– Syracuse melts down in the 2nd half and falls 28-25 at Virginia (nunesmagician.com)
– Observations from Syracuse’s loss to UVA: Nelson starts, Cavs comeback (dailyorange.com)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
MEDIA
Syracuse outgained Virginia 430 to 288, controlled time of possession 35-25, did not turn it over, only allowed one sack and still lost. https://t.co/V4uoxHxij6
— Mike McAllister (@McAllisterMike1) October 11, 2026
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
