Fran Brown spent Syracuse’s bye week looking hard at what the Orange have been getting - and not getting - from a few key spots.
The Syracuse coach said the staff used the week off after the loss to Pittsburgh for self-scouting, and while he made clear Steve Angeli will stay the starting quarterback Saturday at UConn, he also left the door open for other changes.
“You’ll see some different things in certain positions,” Brown said. “I made sure we competed. You’ll see how things go.”
That doesn’t guarantee a shakeup, but it sure sounds like one is on the table. Brown also said the offensive line has not met expectations, and there are a handful of spots where Syracuse could look for a spark.
At center, Joe Cruz has not settled in after moving inside from guard, even though the idea was to get the Orange’s best five linemen on the field. Cruz’s snapping issues have been part of the problem around Angeli, and the numbers have been rough: he has the lowest Pro Football Focus grade among the 19 ACC centers with at least 100 snaps. After posting a 55.8 grade at guard last season, he’s at 47 at center, and only one ACC center has allowed more quarterback pressures than his four.
The most straightforward answer would be a switch with starting guard Oluwafunto Akinshilo, a UCLA transfer who played 12 snaps at center last season and has been one of Syracuse’s better starters. If that isn’t the move, the Orange would likely need to turn to another second-year lineman. Kahlil Stewart has allowed two pressures in 31 snaps, and former CBA player Matthew Hawn has logged 16 snaps; both have some center experience.
Right tackle is another spot Brown basically called out. He said the offensive line has been talked up all preseason, but three games in, it has become a liability.
“From an offensive line perspective ... they haven’t played up to their potential yet,” Brown said. “We’re working on that and making sure that works itself out.”
Kam Pringle’s season has been especially bumpy. According to Pro Football Focus, only two ACC tackles have given up more pressures than Pringle’s 12, and his grade ranks 37th out of 39 ACC tackles who have played at least 100 snaps.
Syracuse could lean more on Naquil Betrand, the Alabama transfer who has started games at left tackle before yielding to Trevion Mack. Betrand hasn’t allowed a pressure in 21 pass snaps and has SU’s second-best PFF grade among offensive linemen behind only Travis Brown-Miller, though he struggled last season.
The backfield may also be in line for more touches for Ahmad Miller. Syracuse doesn’t really have a clear-cut lead back, but Miller has played fewer snaps than the other three candidates after missing the opener with an injury and seeing limited action in Week 2 following a rough pass-protection moment against California. He bounced back against Pittsburgh, though, and Brown sounded encouraged by what he saw.
“You do well when you go out, you get to earn a bigger role,” Brown said. “He done a good job the last four days of practice that we had on the bye week. ...
We got a host of running backs that go together. I’m excited about that, especially him.”
Quarterback remains the one spot Brown is not ready to touch. Angeli will start against UConn, despite five interceptions and a rough two-game stretch. Brown appears to believe the better offensive line could help him settle in.
Backup Amari Odom is in the picture, too. He led Kennesaw State to a Conference USA championship last year and completed all seven of his passes two weeks ago against Pittsburgh. But the article also notes that production doesn’t always carry cleanly from one level to another, pointing to former Syracuse quarterback Rickie Collins, whose 67.5% completion rate is currently better than Odom’s 64.7% mark from last season.
On defense, linebacker is another area where the grades haven’t matched the production Syracuse wants. Both starters rank in the bottom quarter of ACC linebackers with at least 100 snaps. Toledo transfer Chris D’Appolonia sits 38th, and second-year linebacker Antoine Deslauriers is 31st.
There are reasons to think both could improve. Deslauriers is still early in his college career and learning Vince Kehres’ system for the first time, while D’Appolonia is adjusting to the ACC.
They’ve also been on the field a lot, maybe too much. D’Appolonia has come off for only five defensive snaps over the last two games combined, and Deslauriers has missed just 16.
That raises the possibility that Syracuse’s depth at the position is part of the issue. Veteran Gary Bryant III could handle more reserve work, and rookie Geamus Sackie, who was the team’s defensive MVP in the spring, has played just seven snaps against New Hampshire.
Free safety BJ Long is another player who has hardly come off the field. He was one of Syracuse’s camp standouts, but he has missed at least one tackle in every game and is graded 43rd out of 47 ACC safeties with at least 100 snaps. Long also leads Syracuse defenders with 167 snaps, one more than D’Appolonia.
If Brown wants to lighten Long’s load, the Orange could use more three-safety looks, though that would require nickel corner Nazir Ward to tackle better or force one of the top corners, Chris Peal or Demetres Samuel Jr., to spend time at safety. Amare Snowden played a season-high 14 snaps against Pittsburgh and could help there as well. Tedarius Hughes, one of Syracuse’s most promising freshmen, is viewed as the future at one of the safety spots.
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