Fran Brown led the Syracuse football program to 10 wins in his first season, and he’s been trying to get back to that standard ever since. Brown has had a string of tough injuries that have hindered his ability to get things back on track, but his teams compete well, and he has done a good job of bringing in good talent to a place that is not easy to recruit.
It will be up in the air for which quarterback the Cards face this weekend as the Orange have been killed by injuries again at the position.
Steve Angeli was the opening day starter, but he has been ineffective on top of being hurt. Malachi Nelson was forced into action last weekend as the third-stringer. Amari Odom was who I initially thought would start, but it sounds like Angeli is back to practicing this week.
Angeli was a revelation last season for the Orange as he started the season with 10 touchdown passes and 329 yards per game before he was lost for the season in their fifth game. He returned as the starter this year, but he has not been the same player. Angeli has completed 49% of his passes with one touchdown and five picks against FBS competition. He was benched in favor of Odom, and I would argue that Malachi Nelson looked better in his limited time. But Fran Brown expects Angeli to play if he can practice this entire week.
Odom is an athletic pocket passer who starred at Kennesaw State last season. He got the start against UConn, finishing the game by completing 73% of his passes for over 300 yards. Odom is not a running quarterback, but he can beat you with his legs, and he can avoid sacks and pick up a first down on a scramble. I would not expect Syracuse to call designed runs for him. While Odom has looked poised in the limited time he’s had, I don’t know that he’s been in a situation against a defense with the athletes Louisville has.
If Angeli or Odom can’t go against Louisville, the Orange may have to start their fourth-string quarterback, Danny Lauter. The transfer from Georgetown was forced into the game last week against Virginia when Nelson was injured. He went 2-for-6 with a nice throw for a touchdown, though the pass probably should have been intercepted.
This offense wants to throw the ball around, but they do a good job of getting their running backs going in the running game as well. Tylik Hill and his 101 rushing yards per game lead this group of backs who share the workload. Hill is a back with solid speed, but his vision and ability to find seams on interior runs is very good. He has broken a handful of explosive runs this year, where he has shown patience to find a path through the defense to get himself into open space.
Ahmad Miller and Shavane Anderson are very capable backups. Miller is the short-yardage back, but he has also had a few chunk plays in the open field this year. Anderson is a true freshman who comes in as one of the best players in the history of New Jersey football. He is a solid balance of the other two backs, but it stands out to me that he runs very hard for a freshman. These three players have been good for the Orange, and the Cards will have to continue to play the run well this weekend.
The Orange have a handful of solid receivers, led by Umari Hatcher on the outside. The 6-3/190 veteran has been outstanding this season, as he leads the ACC in touchdowns. Hatcher is also ranked in the top five in just about every other receiver statistic. He is consistently putting up big games for the Orange, and it’s obvious that the offense is featuring him as each quarterback makes him the main target.
Justus Ross-Simmons is the second-leading receiver on the team, and he is another big receiver on the outside. The Orange don’t have a lot of speed at receiver, but Ross-Simmons is a solid deep threat. Daunte Bacheiye has also been a reliable deep threat for the team. He is listed as a tight end, but he’s played on the outside a lot this year. Five-star freshman Calvil Russell could also see his role expand as he comes back from an injury.
For the second straight week, the Cards’ edge rushers will have the chance to go up against an offensive tackle who has struggled this season. Kam Pringle is among the national leaders in pressures allowed, per PFF. The Cards were able to pressure the quarterback 8 times last weekend against Xavier Chaplan, who is the left tackle for FSU. As this defense adjusts to the more aggressive plan that we saw last weekend, we should see them taking advantage of these matchups. The Cuse line has given up too many pressures as a group, but Pringle’s performance has been particularly egregious.
