The Terrapins football team turned in an ugly performance in Saturday’s 20-3 defeat to Syracuse and have now lost three straight games while sitting one win shy of bowl eligibility Let’s take a look at some takeaways.

1) LACKLUSTER OFFENSE

On the Terps’ first two offensive plays from scrimmage, Brandon Ross rushed twice for 21 yards. Then the Terps combined to lose 17 yards on the next three plays and punted.

It was that kind of day for the Terps, who struggled to sustain drives failed to find success through the air or on the ground.

Ross finished with 54 yards on 15 carries and quarterback C.J. Brown went 21-of-40 for 211 yards with a pair of picks. The Terps accumulated just 292 yards, and their only score came on a drive in which the Orange committed three penalties.

The Terps scored at least 30 points in each game during their 4-0 start to the season but haven’t topped that total since. It’s a troubling trend, and the offensive deficiencies are continuously squandering relatively impressive defensive outings.

2) TURNOVERS

The Terps’ offensive struggles were compounded by four giveaways on Saturday afternoon.

Three of them came on consecutive possessions in the second quarter, two of which were interceptions after Brown made ill-advised throws. Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo also fumbled in the second quarter, and then Brown fumbled on the first possession of the third quarter.

Luckily for the Terps, Syracuse only scored six points off of those turnovers, but the giveaways kept the team from finding a rhythm.

3) GUT PUNCH, GUTSY RESPONSE

Syracuse opened the game with a 16-play, 80-yard drive that could have been deflating to a injury-riddled Terps’ defense. The Orange converted on two fourth downs on the drive and it ended with running back Jerome Smith plowing into the end zone from one yard out after taking 7:54 off the clock.

But the Terps’ defense responded, and Syracuse wouldn’t score another touchdown until the fourth quarter despite the four Terps’ turnovers. Safety Sean Davis led the Terps with 11 total tackles and freshman inside linebacker Abner Logan had his hand in 10 stops.

The defense even made plays, forcing a pair of turnovers. Cornerback Will Likely made a diving interception, and defensive lineman Andre Monroe forced a fumble that outside linebacker Alex Twine scooped up.

While the Terps have struggled mightily for the past month and a half, their potent defensive effort gives the team a glimmer of hope. The unit just needs some support.

4) DOWNWARD SPIRAL

The Terps still have the makings of a promising season. They’ve already posted their highest win total in the Randy Edsall era, are one win away from gaining bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010 and may welcome back some key players from injury in coming weeks.

But their recent play has been putrid and suggests that the Terps may have trouble tallying their sixth win. They’ve lost four of their past five games, and the lone win in the stretch came in a one-point thanks to Virginia missing a field goal. Conversely, each of the Terps’ loses have come by at least 13 points.

Despite their overwhelmingly discouraging results, the Terps’ season isn’t a wash. They just need to figure out how to find some offensive product — despite injuries — and put together a complete performance.

Pretty clearly, the Terps didn’t begin uncovering any answers Saturday afternoon.