CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, the last time Syracuse lost by such a wide margin was misstated. It last occurred in 2001, when SU lost 59-0 to Miami. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

ATLANTA — Zero. That’s the number of passing yards Georgia Tech had in the first half.

Still, the Yellow Jackets led by 28.

Georgia Tech’s run game — fueled by its mind-bogglingly effective triple option — made Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) look silly on Saturday in a 56-0 shellacking at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta in front of 45,704. The Yellow Jackets (4-3, 3-2) held a 28-0 advantage at halftime and never looked back.

The only suspense in the fourth quarter was whether Georgia Tech’s run game would crack the 400-yard plateau. It failed to do so, but finished with an incredible 394.

“We went into it, thought we had a good plan,” Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer said, “but really we got our butts kicked today.”

The butt-kicking started in the first quarter.

Georgia Tech scored its first touchdown on a 4-yard pitch from quarterback Vad Lee to running back Synjyn Days, who made his first career start. Lee was inches away from getting tackled, but he pump-faked and then lateraled the ball to Days, who waltzed his way into the end zone.

The touchdown capped a four-play drive that started at the Syracuse 24 after a blocked punt.

That was just the beginning, as a seemingly even matchup quickly transformed into the Yellow Jackets’ largest margin of victory ever in ACC play: 17 points.

Jay Bromley said the Syracuse defense wasn’t confused by the triple option. He felt prepared. But as Georgia Tech kept running the ball, Bromley was unable to get to the quarterback, as he’s done so masterfully this season.

Practicing against the triple option helped, but the ball swirling around the SU defense at full speed was a whole different monster.

“It’s just one of those hard, physical games you’ve got to nut up and just continue to fight,” Bromley said.

But no matter what Syracuse did, it wasn’t enough. Not even close.

Shafer said earlier this week that the team started preparing for Georgia Tech’s option in August. On Saturday, though, Shafer said GT’s run-first mentality lulled the Orange to sleep.

“That’s part of their philosophy,” Shafer said. “To test your discipline. And their discipline was better than our discipline today.”

Lee became the puppeteer, the Syracuse defense his obedient puppet.

When Lee scurried one direction, so did the Syracuse defense. Then Lee would lateral. If the defense didn’t bite, Lee would keep going and juke his way forward. He finished with 72 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

It was a simple formula for GT, one it has crafted through the years and was at its absolute finest on Saturday.

When asked why he called plays to throw the ball so infrequently, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson responded truthfully.

“The way they were playing, there was really no use,” Johnson said.

The Yellow Jackets threw the ball only five times compared to 29 for Syracuse. They also threw for 45 fewer yards than the Orange.

But when they finally did throw, it was as though the offense called a Backyard Football trick play that sent the Syracuse defense into a stupor. The Orange was so caught off guard that the completion led to an effortless touchdown.

Lee lofted a pass to Darren Waller, who brushed off a helpless Brandon Reddish and glided into the end zone for a 46-yard score. That made the score 35-0 nearly two minutes into the third quarter.

The Yellow Jackets scored three more times in the half. Zach Laskey finished with three touchdowns on his own.

Back-up quarterback Justin Thomas even weaved his way through the Syracuse defense for a 50-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.

The last time Syracuse lost by such a lopsided margin was in 2001, when it lost 59-0 to Miami. This year, the SU defense was manhandled more than it was against Penn State and Northwestern on Saturday, and even more than it was against Clemson.

Shafer attributed much of the Yellow Jackets’ success to blocking. The GT offense forced Syracuse to make one-on-one tackles. That’s what an effective option team does, Shafer said, and SU failed to complete those tackles all game.

“Sometimes you get your rumps kicked,” Shafer said. “We got our rumps kicked today.”

Published on October 19, 2013 at 3:37 pm

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass