Fran Brown didn’t get the Labor Day barbecue he wanted, but he did get a full week to clean up Syracuse after a season-opening win over New Hampshire - and now the focus shifts hard to Saturday’s ACC opener against Cal.
The Orange (1-0) host the Bears at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network, with Cal making the cross-country trip after a 45-24 home loss to UCLA in its opener. It’s also a familiar opponent in Syracuse history: Cal played at Archbold Stadium in the 1967 season, and SU won that meeting 20-14.
Brown enters his 17th ACC game as a head coach with a few clear priorities. He wants to see Steve Angeli build on his first outing back in live action, expects more help at running back, and spent Monday making one distinction on the penalty issue that bothered just about everyone around the program.
For Angeli, the opener served as a needed step back into real football after nearly a year away. Against an FCS opponent, he took hits, got through the early live-action rust, and came out with a sharp line: 20-of-29 passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Brown gave him an 82 grade out of 100.
The hit that mattered most wasn’t the ugly late shot that sparked the testy first-quarter exchange near the Orange bench. It was the second-quarter play when Angeli went down holding his right leg and sent the Dome into silence before getting right back up.
“I think him being hit (by defenders) was something that needed to happen,” Brown said Monday. “It helped him build a little more confidence, so we're happy about that, because (also), Steve can actually run.”
Brown added, “I'm thankful that happened without causing him an injury,, Now he'll be able to get a little bit more rust off and go out there and be able to compete (harder).”
Syracuse should also have more options in the backfield this week. Brown said transfer running backs Ju’Juan Johnson, who came over from LSU, and Ahmad Miller, who transferred from Jackson State, will be ready and available against Cal. He also said receivers Calvin Russell III and Terrell Wilfong should return “sometime in the next several weeks,” with Justus Ross-Simmons expected back “soon.”
That adds another layer to a backfield that already saw production in Week 1 from Shavane Anderson and Tylik Hill. Anderson made his collegiate debut count with 102 tough yards and three touchdowns, while Hill added 90 yards and a score.
With more runners now in the mix, Brown made his philosophy clear when asked how the workload will be sorted out.
“Whatever it takes to win. I couldn't care less who it is,” Brown said in his most sincere strategy mode. “It doesn't really matter who is carrying the ball, if one is carrying the ball, he's carrying the ball for all of us.”
The penalty count, though, remains a major issue. Syracuse was flagged 12 times for 125 yards last week, a total topped only by Tulane’s 15 and North Dakota State’s 13 in Week 1. A couple of those flags came on special teams and wiped out strong punt returns from Demetres Samuel Jr., while another came after the late hit on Angeli.
Brown drew a line between different kinds of mistakes.
“I think we're disciplined, a lot of them (penalties) were aggressiveness, a few were laziness,” he said.
He continued, “The special teams we were aggressive, and I have got to teach better. There were a couple that were lazy, and that is what I am upset about. But as for discipline, we are not an undisciplined football team.”
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