SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse football destroyed New Hampshire 66-3 in its season opener on Saturday. The Orange jumped out to a 41-point halftime lead and cruised towards victory. SU put a mark in the win column for the first time since last September ahead of next week’s ACC opener against California.
In his first game in 350 days, Steve Angeli took a sack on his first straight dropback of the game, but found his rhythm immediately on the second drive. Syracuse used a few quick passes to get him rolling,
and he didn’t look back. Angeli was 20 for 29 for 263 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.
His first score came at the end of a 77-yard drive. Angeli fired a 19-yard strike slightly behind Umari Hatcher up the seam, but Hatcher adjusted and made the catch to put the Orange on the board. From there, Syracuse put on the hurt. Its next five drives to close out the first half all ended with touchdowns, and it didn’t have to go 77 yards on any of them.
Aided by a fair share of New Hampshire penalties, Syracuse’s defense didn’t allow the Wildcats to cross midfield until the final minute of the first half. The Orange forced punts on each of the first four New Hampshire drives, setting up strong field position. Syracuse started its six first-half touchdown drives on average at its own 46, and it could’ve been even better. Punt returner Demetres Samuel Jr. had three returns called back due to holding, including two that would’ve put the Orange well into UNH territory.
On the ground, Syracuse’s duo of Tylik Hill and Shavane Anderson Jr. punished the Wildcats. Hill got touches on each of the first five plays of the season and was the lone featured running back on each of the first two drives. He moved the Orange into UNH territory on the first drive before Angeli’s sack killed the momentum, and then set up a goal-to-go opportunity on the second drive. He carried the ball seven times for 46 yards on the first two drives.
Then, it was Anderson’s time to shine. He burst through the line and broke toward the Syracuse sideline for a 37-yard carry to the five-yard line on his first attempt as a collegiate player. Two plays later, the freshman was in the end zone for the first time.
Hill found the end zone himself in the second quarter from two yards out, and the rout was on.
The biggest crowd pop of the game came for Angeli on Syracuse’s fifth drive. He took a hit and stayed on the ground for a moment, forcing every Orange fan to hold their breath. He got up and showed the crowd he was okay by sprinting across the field. He still had to sit out a snap, but when he came back, he provided the key block for Anderson’s second touchdown run.
Anderson reversed field and found his way to the corner on second effort, putting the Orange ahead 27-0. He’d add a third touchdown before the end of the half, and Angeli would add a second passing touchdown, hitting tight end David Clement for a 27-yard teardrop over the top of the defense. Anderson and Hill combined for 192 yards and four touchdowns on just 25 carries.
Defensive tackle Rashard Perry set up Anderson’s third score by intercepting Brooks Bentley’s screen pass after tipping it to himself, and returning the takeaway all the way down to the 16-yard line. The Orange’s defense dominated the trenches, especially on the ground, where UNH’s running backs averaged just over two yards per attempt in the opening 30. UT Martin transfer edge rusher Keyshawn Johnson found his way into the backfield for 2.5 sacks, and SU had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss as a team.
SU took a 41-0 lead into halftime, and many fans had seen enough to happily move on with their weekends, heading for the exits.
Davien Kerr blocked New Hampshire’s punt on the first drive of the second half, and the Orange followed it into the end zone for a safety. Samuel set Syracuse up in New Hampshire territory on a rare unpenalized free kick return, but a penalty did come back to bite the Orange on that drive. Hill’s 38-yard score was called back on a hold by Kam Pringle, and SU punted.
Neither team was in midseason form discipline-wise. Syracuse committed 12 penalties for 130 yards, and New Hampshire committed nine of its own for 67 yards. Preseason All-ACC cornerback Chris Peal was ejected due to a targeting penalty in the third quarter, but thanks to rule changes, he will not be suspended for the first half of next week’s game. New Hampshire added a field goal on that drive to get on the scoreboard.
Angeli’s day ended with his point proven and feet under him after one final touchdown drive at the beginning of the fourth quarter. He took a hit and delivered a ball down the sideline to Hatcher for 35 yards, then took another hit and found Hatcher up the middle for 13. Angeli went back to Hatcher in the corner of the end zone on the next play for an 18-yard score. Hatcher finished the day with 8 catches for 147 yards and two scores.
Backup QB Amari Odom entered the game, but not before a scoop-and-score from Zyian Moultrie-Goddard. Odom played 1.5 drives, completing one pass for a seven-yard touchdown to Daunte Bacheyie, well after the game was decided. After the two-minute timeout, Malachi Nelson entered the game at quarterback and threw two incomplete passes.
For as many sloppy moments as there were – even beyond the penalties, there were a few early drops and two missed PATs— Syracuse answered its most pressing question about as emphatically as the opponent would allow. Angeli looked sharp, both running backs were impactful and efficient, and the defense made plays. Syracuse has a strong foundation to build off of, but many things to correct ahead of Cal next week.
