The Syracuse Orange are 0-1 and already some fans have tossed in the towel on the 2025 season. It’s a bit presumptuous to assume that this year is a lost cause, but after yesterday there is certainly reasons to fall on either side of the fandom spectrum.
It was a bad omen when no one from the Orange sideline retrieved the tee after the opening kick-off. Mistakes in the first quarter were costly-especially a penalty wiping out a key 3rd down conversion. Tennessee ran for 246 yards and converted 7-12
third downs against a Syracuse defense that did not look to be improved in the tackling department. The Vols were consistently in the backfield on Saturday with 7 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and some timely pressure on Steve Angeli. Syracuse started slow and and when they looked to be getting back into the game, they gave up big plays that let the Vols keep them at arms length.
On the flip side, Angeli showed he can make plays. The offense drove the ball on Tennessee’s starting defense and Yasin Willis showed he was ready to be the lead back. As much as the offensive line struggled on pass protection, they helped Syracuse to a 4-5 performance in the red zone. Special teams was solid throughout the afternoon, a step up from last season and even when faced with adversity, the Orange battled back which is a good sign for a team with a lot of new on-field leaders.
In terms of pre-season questions, a lot are still unanswered. We don’t know if the offensive line will just need more together or if young players just fell victim to the moment- national television in an NFL stadium against a SEC opponent. You can’t simply say that the Orange are building for 2026 because in today’s landscape no one knows what the off-season will bring. It’s why we might not have all the answers, but we also haven’t lost all hope.
We expected some painful moments this season. Syracuse lost a lot of talent and the schedule is looking pretty challenging. This is a long season, but we know what awaits the Orange. A game like this is good for the budget, but what will be the impact on the team? Can they take lessons from the areas they stumbled without letting the negative plays chip away at confidence? Does seeing what they did well against a top 25 team with CFP experience bolster Syracuse the rest of the way?
Next week UConn returns to the Dome knowing that last season they refused to go away against the Orange. Syracuse has to bounce back quick and take care of business against the Huskies and Colgate because we know who’s waiting after that.
