Halloween in the JMA Wireless Dome gave Syracuse its loudest jolt of the season, a 30-27 upset of No. 19 SMU that sent fans over the rails and players into a celebration that felt like pure release. But Fran Brown isn’t interested in letting that moment become the standard.
The Orange sit at 4-4, and the numbers behind that record tell a strange story. Syracuse has outgained opponents by more than 700 total yards, averages 33 minutes of possession per game and owns a 50-first-down edge. Even with that kind of control, the games keep coming down to the wire.
Brown addressed that disconnect Monday, and he didn’t dress it up.
"It’s just college football. It’s a game of momentum, it’s the monotony of football, and we just have to continue to make plays," Brown said.
"If we have that many yards more than other guys, it’s just being able to finish... When you’re playing ACC football... everything is going to be close.
There is not going to be any blowouts."
That message carried straight into Sunday night, when Brown met privately with 26 young players and made it clear he wanted more. The Orange have leaned heavily on underclassmen on both sides of the ball, but Brown said the expectation is still higher than simply showing up and surviving.
"I met with about 26 kids last night that I need to see more from," Brown revealed. "I want to see them compete, because they’re good enough to do that. We’ve just got to keep getting better."
Brown pointed to several young players who are already taking on major roles. Among the names he highlighted were Jayden Mann, Khalil Stewart, Nissi Ogbebor, Antoine Deslauriers, Demetres Samuel and Calvin Russell.
"Jayden [Mann] has been doing a really good job on the line," Brown said when asked which underclassmen are breaking through week after week. "Khalil Stewart did a good job on the line.
On the defensive side of the ball, Nissi [Ogbebor] has been playing and doing a good job on the line... Antoine [Deslauriers] starts, but he’s only a sophomore.
Demetres [Samuel] is only a sophomore. Calvin Russell, he’s out there playing... a lot of those guys are still young and they’re out there playing and doing well."
For Brown, youth is not a shield. It’s a test.
"Sometimes you got to get called out as a coach, as a player," Brown said. "You have to get called out within the family to get us to be in a position that we want to be in...
This is a business, and those guys are maturing and understanding that it’s a business. But they’re also young men that are consistently growing."
Steve Angeli is a big part of that growth, and Brown believes the quarterback is settling in as he moves further from injury rehab. Angeli helped close out the SMU win with a clean two-minute drive, and Brown said the comfort level is showing up in his play.
"He’s just getting more and more comfortable understanding and knowing that he can do it," Brown said of Angeli. "He understands and knows that he can do it, and he feels like himself again... He’s just playing the same game he’s been playing since he was a little boy."
Brown also said Angeli is expected to return next season after a medical redshirt. Syracuse may get another boost behind him soon, too, with backup Malachi Nelson spotted without a walking boot on Saturday. Brown said Nelson could be back in live practice within the next week or two.
The next challenge arrives fast: Clemson on Saturday at noon on ESPN2. Brown called Dabo Swinney a two-time national champion and a coaching mentor, but the message for Syracuse stays the same. The Orange cannot keep turning strong statistical performances into tense finishes.
"Whether you win, whether you lose, you have to follow that process every week," Brown said. "It gives you a better chance of being able to finish the mission."
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