Syracuse survived one of the wildest finishes of its season Saturday, edging UConn 42-41 in overtime in East Hartford, Conn., to get back to .500 at 2-2.
The Orange had control for long stretches and still nearly let it all slip away. Syracuse built a 27-7 first-half lead and later pushed the margin to 34-14, only to watch UConn storm back and force overtime tied at 34-34. The Huskies then struck first in the extra period, going ahead 41-34 before Syracuse answered with a score and then finished the job with a game-winning two-point conversion.
The victory also moved Syracuse to 9-6 all-time against UConn and gave the Orange their first win over an FBS opponent in more than a calendar year.
The biggest surprise of the afternoon came at quarterback. Syracuse had been told earlier in the week that Steve Angeli would start, but about an hour before kickoff, Amari Odom got the nod instead.
Odom turned that late change into a huge day, completing 27 of 37 passes for 335 yards and five touchdowns. His final touchdown came on a 4th-and-goal from nearly the 20-yard line in overtime.
He also ran for a score and delivered the game-winning conversion, though he did throw two interceptions along the way.
Umari Hatcher was the clear headliner at receiver. With plenty of attention on the debut of five-star freshman Calvin Russell III, it was Hatcher who took over, hauling in 12 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns. That included the 4th-down touchdown grab from Odom in overtime.
Syracuse also leaned on the ground game to keep churning through the afternoon. The Orange averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, but they still ran it 48 times for 174 yards. Tylik Hill, back after missing the Week 3 loss against Pitt, handled 28 carries for 140 yards and seemed to grow stronger as the game wore on.
The defense had its moments, too, even if the second half got messy. Syracuse finished with three sacks, two fumble recoveries and multiple quarterback hurries. Tunmise Adeleye was active in the backfield in the first half.
Still, the familiar issues kept showing up. Syracuse entered the game as a bottom-10 team nationally in penalties taken and penalty yards despite having played one fewer game than most teams, and that trend continued with eight penalties for 84 yards.
Special teams nearly cost the Orange the game. Shay Barker made all four of his extra points, but he missed both field goal attempts, including a potential winner at the end of regulation. Syracuse is already on its second kicker of the season after demoting Tripp Woody for similar struggles, and the kicking situation remains a major problem for a team trying to survive close games.
In Other News...
Syracuse Escaped UConn But Fran Brown Just Sparked A Bigger Debate
Syracuse needed every bit of its composure, and then some, to leave UConn with a 42-41 overtime win after watching a 20-point lead evaporate. The late quarterback switch to Amari Odom gave the Orange a different spark, and he ended up factoring heavily in the comeback, including on the game-winning two-point conversion. It was the kind of chaotic road result that can feel like a turning point, even if it came with a long list of reminders about how thin the margin was.
Fran Brown still has plenty to sort through, because the win did not cover up Syracuses discipline issues or the defensive lapses that turned a game the Orange should have controlled into a one-score fight for survival. There was enough fight to escape, but also enough sloppiness to leave open a bigger question about whether this team can clean itself up before the schedule gets less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown's Blunt Syracuse Warning Overshadowed A Win Over UConn
Syracuse got the result it needed against UConn, but the path to the finish line was anything but clean. The Orange built an early lead, then watched the game tilt badly in the second half as the defense gave up 27 straight points, a collapse that turned a manageable afternoon into a far more uneasy one for a team still trying to settle into its identity.
Fran Brown did not try to soften any of it afterward. The defensive backs coach took responsibility for what happened, pointed to poor play in the secondary and a rush defense that also failed to hold up, and even made an in-game adjustment by shifting Chris Peal from cornerback to safety. For Syracuse, the win matters, but the warning sign may matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Got Pulled Into The ACCs Most Uncomfortable Week
The first weekend of October turned into a brutal sorting exercise across the ACC, with six league matchups suddenly clarifying who is rising, who is wobbling and who is simply trying to survive the month. Pittsburgh edged Virginia Tech but paid a steep price with starting quarterback Mason Heintschel going down with a season-ending ACL injury, while Miami made the loudest statement of the slate by rolling past Clemson. Wake Forest also looked sharp in a dominant win over Stanford, adding to a weekend that left Louisville and Virginia licking their wounds and Florida State looking far more convincing against Virginia.
For Syracuse, the larger lesson is less about any one final score than the way the conference is beginning to separate into uncomfortable tiers. SMU handled Boston College but still looked short of the expectations that came with the programs entry into the league, and three ACC teams ventured into non-conference play with mixed outcomes, adding even more noise to a week already crowded with consequences. In a conference this volatile, every result starts to matter faster than anyone would like, and Syracuse is now watching a race that feels like it could shift again by next Saturday. [Read more 🡒]