The summer heat may still be lingering in Central New York, but football is finally in the air. Syracuse football kicks off its new “era” on Saturday against the Ohio Bobcats, and head coach Fran Brown took to the podium for the first time this season. There was a lot to say, let’s dive right into it:
Praising Ohio
Fran Brown took no time showing his respect to this week’s opponent. The Bobcats from the Mid-American Conference are coming off back-to-back ten-win seasons, and are a program certainly on the rise. They are so much so that Brown went as far as to say that his team is inferior.
“I would never say we could underestimate them because they have two 10-win seasons and I don’t think we did,” Brown said. “So, in my eyes, they’re a better football team than we are when you go back to what’s been done.”
Brown also gave strong props to the Ohio coaching staff, noting the veteran leadership of head coach Tim Albin, who’s been coaching since 1989.
“I think we have a good team coming in the house,” Brown said of Ohio’s football program. “They’re known for taking out Power Four schools.”
Revolving Door At Receiver?
This roster for 2024 has had a lot of turnaround, especially at the wide receiver position. New names, including Zeed Haynes and Trebor Pena, have flooded the receiver room. One name that has stayed consistent in the rotation however is Umari Hatcher, who Brown had a lot of comments about.
“He talked about his ending goal in football was to play in the National Football League and be a good player there,” Brown said of Hatcher. “I asked, ‘Do you wanna go (to the NFL)? Because if you just wanna go to the NFL, you’re talented enough to do that. Do you wanna go and play and be a part of it?”
Another name that came to light at the presser is Colorado State transfer Justus Ross-Simmons, who was left off the Week One depth chart to many shocks.
“He’s had just a bum summer, just hasn’t been able to stay completely healthy,” Brown said. “We saw it before we started camp and then he had a bad hamstring pull. But he’s working to get back, he’s almost back completely.”
Kickoff for Fran Brown and the Orange can’t get here any sooner, as the SU faithful aim to pack the Dome with some expectations and excitement for the first time in a long time.
