I don’t know how it gets worse for the Orange. Last week the Rutgers fans told me, no, they can’t feel sorry for Syracuse. But maybe now?

Senior linebacker Derrell Smith is done for the season. He’s Syracuse’s leading tackler, he tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee and he’s the third guy to go down this week. Kick returner Mike Jones tore his left hip flexor Saturday at Louisville, long snapper Dalton Phillips suffered a concussion and their seasons are over also.

And that’s on top of the six starters Syracuse already lost for the season – to injury – before this week: TE Nick Provo, DE Jared Kimmel, SS Max Suter, TE Cody Catalina (someone had to replace Provo, right?), DE Arthur Jones and OT Jonathan Meldrum

Imagine if Doug Marrone had even half those guys right now. Or even one. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano takes his team up to Syracuse Saturday and he said of Jones earlier this week, ”That is a huge loss.”

He lumped Jones in with his own corner, and then said those two were playing the best football of any defensive players in the league. With Jones, Schiano said, “There weren’t many people that blocked him efficiently and consistently during the year. Double teams didn’t matter. He is a dominant player. I said it last year, I thought he would be a first-round pick if he came out last year. He is that good of a player.” 

Syracuse’s players in their fourth year haven’t ever beaten Pitt, West Virginia, South Florida or Cincinnati. With a medical chart like that, I don’t know how they don’t add Rutgers to the list Saturday evening.