PITTSBURGH - Syracuse’s 27-13 loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday night came with the usual headline damage: Steve Angeli was benched, the penalties kept piling up and the Orange had to make a change at kicker. But there were a few other moments and themes worth noticing from Acrisure Stadium.
Start with Fran Brown, who is trying to get Syracuse’s penalty problem under control and then added one of his own. The Orange were flagged 10 times against Pitt, part of a season total that has already reached 36 through three games, and Brown drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after what he later said to the official.
“I just said, ‘What did he call? You’re the back judge.
How does he make that call? And you watching,” Brown said after the game, before continuing in more detail.
“I spoke out of a tone which I shouldn’t have said. I just stated that I feel like you’re effing cheating us.
So you guys are effing cheating and I shouldn’t have said that, should be able to hold my composure as being the face of our football program. Can’t say words like that to a referee.
So I shouldn’t have said that you guys are effing cheaters. That’s what I said.
I mean, of course I didn’t say effing. I said another word.
I mean, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Special teams also remained a sore spot. Syracuse has had multiple big kick returns erased by flags this season, and against Pitt a 54-yard field goal try by Shay Barker never even got off because a delay of game penalty pushed him out of range. Demetres Samuel Jr. said the fix comes down to cleaner execution.
“Just knowing to keep your hands on the guy and knowing when to block,” Demetres Samuel Jr. said. “I can make a couple people miss before I get going. If I have more returns, being able to show glimpses of it, but definitely just being able to know when to block and when not to.”
There was at least a small step forward in the run game. Syracuse used Shavane Anderson Jr., Tylik Hill, Ju’Juan Johnson and Ahmad Miller, and the Orange finished with 142 rushing yards. Miller led the way with 78 yards on 14 carries, a stronger showing after being bounced around a bit against Cal last week.
“I just thought he ran the ball well,” Brown said. “I think that Shavane at times ran the ball well and there were some times that Ju’Juan ran the ball well also.
So all three of those guys ran the football well. That’s a bright spot in offense being able to do that.”
The fourth quarter passing game also offered a clue about where things may be headed. All seven of Amari Odom’s completions in the final period went to either Ju’Juan Johnson or Darius “Boobie” Johnson, who finished with five catches for 42 yards. Umari Hatcher still looks like the top target for whoever ends up at quarterback, while Justus Ross-Simmons had a connection with Angeli but managed only one catch for 25 yards at Pitt.
The third wide receiver job is still unsettled, and transfer Cole Weaver has been mostly a non-factor so far. If Odom can take the starting job from Angeli, Darius Johnson may have moved up the target pecking order.
In Other News...
Syracuse Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem It Can't Ignore
Syracuses loss to Pittsburgh was more than just a second straight defeat. It exposed a quarterback situation that has become too shaky to brush aside, with Steve Angeli turning the ball over multiple times before being benched in the fourth quarter for Amari Odom. The offense never found much rhythm, and the Orange spent too much of the afternoon chasing the game after Pittsburgh began controlling the line of scrimmage.
The problems did not stop on offense. Syracuse also had trouble slowing Pittsburghs rushing attack and piled up 10 penalties, two issues that only made the quarterback miscues harder to overcome. With the losses mounting and the offense looking unsettled, the Orange now face a stretch where the answer at quarterback has to become clearer quickly, because this is no longer just a bad day. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Already Has An ACC Problem Fans Wont Ignore
Pittsburghs 27-13 win over Syracuse did more than hand the Orange a conference loss. It also underlined how quickly an early-season ACC game can tilt into an uphill climb, especially when a team is fighting through penalties and quarterback changes at the same time. The Panthers kept their foot on the gas, got rushing scores from Damon Ferguson Jr., LaVell Wright and Mason Heintschel, and walked out with a clean start in league play.
For Syracuse, the concern is less about one bad afternoon and more about what it suggested about the margin for error in the ACC. Games like this tend to expose whether a team can stay organized when things get messy, and the Orange never really found that rhythm. Pitts win also gave Pat Narduzzi his school-record 144th victory, but the bigger takeaway for Syracuse fans is simpler: this is the kind of result that can linger if the issues behind it dont get fixed quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Watched Syracuse Unravel In One Spot Nobody Expected
Special teams turned into an unexpected storyline in Syracuses game with Pitt, and not in the way the Orange would have wanted. Tripp Woodys missed field-goal try was rough enough to force a mid-game change at kicker, a shift that can rattle a sideline just as much as a big turnover or a blown coverage.
Freshman Shay Barker was the next man up and handled the moment cleanly, knocking through an extra point and then adding a 42-yard field goal before halftime. For Syracuse, it was a reminder that even in a game defined by the usual trenches and skill-position battles, one spot can suddenly become the center of everything. [Read more 🡒]