Syracuse’s week-three spotlight lands squarely on Steve Angeli, and for good reason. After a rough night in the Orange’s 21-18 loss to Cal, the quarterback heads into Thursday’s ACC matchup at Pitt looking for a clean reset.
Last week was a tough one to stomach for Syracuse. The Orange followed an opening-week blowout with a sloppy performance in their first ACC game, and some iffy-at-best calls from the officials only made the damage worse. Multiple scores were wiped out, and the frustration seemed to catch up to Angeli late, when he threw three interceptions, including the go-ahead pick six.
There is still plenty to like about what Angeli brings when he’s right. The redshirt senior, No. 9, is a confident passer with a reputation for leadership and elite accuracy.
Before this season, he had completed 72.5% of his passes, and he also has enough mobility to hurt defenses with his legs. The hope in Syracuse is simple: last week was the exception, not the standard.
Angeli’s background is already familiar to plenty of college football fans. A transfer from Notre Dame - with that revenge game at the end of the season worth keeping an eye on - he led the league in passing yards last year before suffering a season-ending injury against Clemson.
The source of his current stretch seems to be part physical, part mental, but the expectation is that his confidence keeps building with each game. Entering last week, he had thrown only three interceptions in his entire college career.
What teammates and coaches keep coming back to is the leadership. Cole Weaver talked this offseason about Angeli’s attention to detail in getting to know the people around him.
He took teammates out to dinner, worked out privately with them, and helped newer players get settled in the area. That kind of connection has helped him become someone Syracuse trusts both in the huddle and away from the field.
Even in the loss to Cal, Angeli was heavily involved. He was asked to throw 49 times and still finished with more than 300 passing yards.
The challenge now is bigger than volume. Syracuse needs cleaner decision-making, fewer turnovers, and a steadier hand if it wants to get back on track.
The Orange’s first road game of the season comes Thursday night at 7:30PM against the 2-0 Pittsburgh Panthers. Syracuse is still chasing its first ACC win, and a lot of that weight will fall on Angeli’s right arm as the Orange try to steady themselves in Pittsburgh.
In Other News...
Syracuse May Lose A Key Transfer Before He Ever Plays
Amarri Monroes Syracuse debut is suddenly tied up in a legal fight that could determine whether he gets to play a fifth college basketball season at all. A hearing was held over Monroes eligibility under the NCAAs new 5-in-5 rule, with State Supreme Court Justice Jean Marie Westlake pressing the NCAAs lawyer on how the policy should apply in his case while Monroes attorneys pushed for a preliminary injunction to keep him eligible as the matter moves forward.
For Syracuse, it is the kind of off-court uncertainty that can reshape roster plans before a player ever gets into a game. Monroe arrived with the expectation of helping next season, but the question now is whether the Orange will have him available when it matters. A written decision on his eligibility is expected soon, and until then the situation hangs over both Monroe and Syracuses plans for the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Pitts Breakout QB Carries A Personal Story Into Syracuse Matchup
Mason Heintschels rise has been one of the more striking storylines in college football this season, with the Clay High School product from Oregon, Ohio, stepping in as Pittsburghs starting quarterback and quickly turning into a national name. In 12 games, he has topped 3,000 passing yards and thrown 23 touchdowns, production that has helped put the Panthers in the spotlight while also cementing his place in the programs record book.
There is also a personal layer to his success that travels with him every week. Heintschel wears his middle school football number on his cleats in honor of his late friend Lukas Mason, who died in 2020, and that detail adds another reason Syracuse will be seeing a quarterback playing with more than just a hot hand when the teams meet. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads To Pitt With No Margin For Another Sloppy Night
The loss to Cal was the kind of night Syracuse cannot afford to repeat, a muddled 21-18 setback that mixed turnovers, missed chances and too many self-inflicted mistakes. Steve Angelis three interceptions and Tripp Woodys two missed field goals told part of the story, but the 15 penalties for 132 yards made the bigger point clear: the Orange spent too much of the game beating themselves.
Pitt is next, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving for a Syracuse team already trying to steady itself amid recent struggles and injuries. Recent matchups have gone Pitts way, and with the margin for error shrinking fast, Syracuse has to clean up the sloppiness before the trip turns into another night of frustration. [Read more 🡒]