Fran Brown exceeded all expectations in his first year with Syracuse, but with one of the toughest schedules in the country this season, it was always going to be difficult to replicate that success.
The strength of Syracuse’s opponents this year was on full display in its season-opening 45-26 loss to No. 24 Tennessee, the first of five ranked opponents the Orange will play this year. It’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but from what Syracuse showed today, some clear issues will need to be addressed moving forward if the Orange are going to earn bowl eligibility.
You could point to quarterback Steve Angeli’s two fumbles and interception in his Syracuse debut as a problem, or the lack of involvement for presumed top target Darrell Gill in the passing game, but the biggest weakness Syracuse had against Tennessee was its defense.
The defensive line gave up multiple chunk plays that kept Syracuse’s offense off the field, allowing Tennessee to extend drives that should have been stopped.
Vols running backs Star Thomas and DeSean Bishop carved up Syracuse’s defensive front with a combined 174 rushing yards on 23 carries for an average of 7.56 yards per carry, which is just unacceptable.
A backbreaking 25-yard run from quarterback Joey Aguilar and a rushing touchdown from Peyton Lewis on Tennessee’s second drive were also among the worst mistakes from Syracuse’s defensive front, and that’s not even including a missed tackle that led to a 47-yard run for Bishop.
When it was all said and done, the Orange allowed 246 rushing yards and 247 passing yards to Tennessee’s offense.
Letting any team put up 500 yards on your defense puts a ton of pressure on the offense to make up the difference, and while Angeli had his moments, he isn’t the type of Kyle McCord-level quarterback that can single-handedly propel you to 35 points a game.
The secondary also struggled, with 17-year-old freshman defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr. having an up-and-down game as he was tested from the very beginning. Samuel’s worst moment came in the second quarter when he allowed a 73-yard touchdown on a pass play that could have been broken up earlier, giving Tennessee a 24-7 lead right when Syracuse was starting to build momentum.
It feels like overreacting to be this nitpicky after one game against one of the best teams in the country, but these are the same problems that plagued the Orange last year. Syracuse allowed 150 rushing yards per game to its opponents in 2024, with an average of 5 yards per carry.
That being said, this is still a Fran Brown-coached team. The poor defensive performance will likely be a point of emphasis for the Orange heading into its Week 2 matchup against UConn, and the only place Syracuse’s defense can go from here is up.
The offense, and Syracuse as a whole, may not be the same juggernaut that was one of the best teams in the country last year, but this is still a team that can compete and win games if its defense improves.
