PISCATAWAY, N.J. — He was once a freshman All-American. Now he is a liability.

Ross Krautman, Syracuse’s junior kicker, missed two more field goals on Saturday in a 23-15 loss to Rutgers that dropped his season percentage to below 50 percent. He is tied for 89th in the country in field goals per game, tied for 93rd in total field goals made and ranks 131st in field goal percentage.

He has connected on only four of nine kicks this season, after going 18 for 19 and 15 for 19 in his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively.

On Saturday, Krautman attempted a 50-yard field goal in the second quarter, which would have improved on his career long by two yards. But his kick was low, left and never had a chance.

He then saw his 32-yard kick on SU’s first possession of the second half blocked and returned for 75 yards for a touchdown that changed the entire complexion of the game. Justin Pugh, an offensive tackle and arguably Syracuse’s best player, was flattened on the right side of the line by Rutgers linebacker Jamal Merrell, who extended his right hand to block the kick.

“That was definitely one of the biggest plays of the game,” Pugh said. “He came in on my side, so that’s my fault. I just have to play better.”

Head coach Doug Marrone said his team made changes to its field goal protection unit during the week to key in on Rutgers defensive back Ryan Logan, who is crucial to Rutgers’ kick blocking formation.

As a result, Marrone said he didn’t get a good assessment on the height of Krautman’s kick, but it appeared to come out low on the replays.

With Saturday’s misses, Krautman has made just one of his last five attempts this season. His longest make of 2012 is a mere 37 yards, meaning the Orange offense carries an extra burden due to his inability to connect from long range.

Stevens posts career game

Arguably the only bright spot for the Syracuse offense on Saturday, a day in which quarterback Ryan Nassib threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, was backup tight end David Stevens.

Stevens, who entered the game against Rutgers with 5 receiving yards on the season, caught five passes for 60 yards and gave Nassib a reliable target. He set career highs in both yards and receptions.

“He just did a good job of getting open inside, and he caught some big balls over the middle and took some shots,” Nassib said.

In the second quarter, Stevens came open across the middle and Nassib found him for a 21-yard reception that was the offense’s best play of the game to that point. And in the third quarter, Stevens caught a pass along the right sideline and barreled forward for a first down and a gain of 17 yards.

He finished second on the team in receiving yards on Saturday behind Marcus Sales’ 100.

“He’s a tough kid and a sure-handed player,” Nassib said. “I’m glad to see him doing well.”

Thomas plays 1 week after brutal hit

One week after a vicious collision with a Pittsburgh tight end, Syracuse strong safety Shamarko Thomas returned to the field and showed no signs of an injury.

Thomas was one of four SU captains on Saturday, and he finished the game with six tackles.

It’s clear that Thomas is the leader of the secondary and arguably the heart and soul of the defense. His tremendous grit and toughness rub off on his teammates, and SU struggles to make up for his absence as it did a season ago when he missed time due to a partially torn hamstring.

There were several times on Saturday when Thomas’ ability to come up out of the secondary and make a play saved the SU defense. He cut down Rutgers tailback Jawan Jamison on a third-and-11 screen play that was set up nicely, and later he stuck Jamison on a running play after he had advanced to the second level.

After the game, Thomas said he felt fine even though he missed a series in the fourth quarter.

“I feel good, man,” Thomas said. “I feel healthy. Just ready to win.”

Published on October 14, 2012 at 11:36 pm

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