Through the first four games of the season, Syracuse Football was on a tear. In their 3-1 start, the Orange ranked 25th in points per game, led the nation in total passing offense, and took down the Clemson Tigers on the road. Then, Steve Angeli tore his Achilles.
During its two-game losing streak following Angeli’s injury, the Cuse’ have found the endzone only twice and average over 120 fewer passing yards per game. Simply put, this offense is far off from what we saw during earlier in the Fran Brown era.
So what can Syracuse do to get things right before they take on Pittsburgh without making a significant change at quarterback?
1) Get Yasin Willis more involved
It’s no stretch to say Yasin Willis is one of the most dynamic weapons on this offense. The sophomore running back flashed his potential in Syracuse’s 45-26 loss versus Tennessee, totaling 91 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns against a top-25 team. But that remains the only game this season where Willis eclipsed 20 carries. As a matter of fact, he’s only seen 26 touches in consecutive losses. With the passing attack sputtering under Rickie Collins, it would behoove Fran Brown and his staff to put an emphasis on the run game and feed Willis more often.
2) Spread the ball around more
In both of Rickie Collins’ starts, Johntay Cook has been his go-to target. The Texas transfer has hauled in 13 catches for 156 yards over two games. However, beyond Cook, the rest of the passing offense has gone dead silent. Receivers Darryl Gill Jr. and Justus-Ross Simmons have combined for just seven grabs. Tight end Dan Villari, who had fifteen catches for just under 200 yards with Angeli, has just seven receptions with Collins. Syracuse’s star pass catchers need more plays drawn up specifically for them in the gameplan.
3) Limit the turnovers
In their first four games, the ‘Cuse turned the ball over six times. They’ve matched that total in just their last two. It’s become a problem for the Orange that’s only exacerbated issues for an already struggling defense. Limiting turnovers has to be a key to the game for Syracuse when Pittsburgh comes to town.
It’s nearly certain that this offense won’t look the same without Steve Angeli. But Syracuse can still find ways to move the ball again. That should start with Fran Brown and his staff putting Rickie Collins in a better position to succeed.
