Syracuse walked out of its 21-18 loss to Cal with plenty to regret, but not everything from that afternoon was bleak. The offense handed away too much, the result was painful, and the kind of game the Orange could not afford in a season built on slim margins slipped away. Still, the defense gave Syracuse something to hold onto.
That side of the ball did enough to keep the Orange in the game against a Cal team that entered with questions of its own. Syracuse allowed just 21 points, and only one of Cal’s touchdowns came on what could be called a real drive.
One score followed a 29-yard possession after a Steve Angeli interception, and another came on a pick-six by Angeli. Strip away those turnovers, and the Orange may have held Cal to 10 points or fewer.
The bigger picture from that performance is hard to ignore: Syracuse surrendered only 249 total yards. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is described as a proven ACC quarterback, and with him directing the Cal offense, that number stands out even more. Whatever concerns remain about Cal’s attack, the Orange clearly showed it can limit an ACC opponent.
There are reasons to think this defense can keep carrying that load. The secondary looks deep with Demetres Samuel Jr. and Chris Peal, while Nazir Ward adds to the mix. At linebacker, Antoine Deslauriers, Chris D’Appolonia and Gary Bryant III give Syracuse multiple playmakers across the field.
D'Appolonia was the standout against Cal, finishing with 11 tackles, 2 TFL and a sack, and he was named @progressive Player of the Game for the Orange.
Up front, the biggest preseason questions centered on the defensive line and the pass rush. Syracuse did not record a sack against Cal, so that issue is still there.
But the line has made a positive impact through the first two games, and the Orange have not looked like a team that will be pushed around in the trenches. That matters, because it gives the linebackers and defensive backs room to make plays.
The schedule ahead suggests Syracuse may keep finding offenses it can handle. Pitt scored only 12 points in a win over Central Florida, and UConn put up just 14 against Maryland before meeting the Orange in Week 5 after a bye.
Later on, Clemson has been well below expectations offensively, NC State struggled in its first ACC game, and Boston College’s win over Rutgers did not settle much. North Carolina has also produced modest offensive numbers despite starting 2-0.
Even the bigger names left on the slate - SMU, Louisville and Notre Dame - will face Syracuse at home, where the defense can be at its best.
None of that changes the obvious truth: Syracuse cannot keep turning the ball over three times and piling up 132 yards in penalties and expect the defense to save it. Steve Angeli and the offense have to answer after the Cal loss. If they do not, there is a limit to how far the defense can drag the team.
But the season is not over, and the Cal game was not a dead end. Syracuse’s defense played well enough to win, and if it keeps delivering that kind of effort, the Orange will have a shot in every game on the schedule.
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Even in a game that did not go Syracuses way, the visit gave those recruits a chance to see how the Orange present themselves in front of a crowd and how the community around the program feels on a live football weekend. For a staff trying to sell more than wins and losses, that kind of exposure matters, especially when visitors leave with positive memories of the experience itself. The final score may have been disappointing, but the buzz in the stands suggested Syracuse still made a strong case to the players it had in town. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Wasted Too Much In A Loss Orange Fans Will Hate
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For Syracuse fans, though, the memory that lingers is Cals win over the Orange in the ACC opener. It stood out in a weekend otherwise defined by league-wide momentum, and it left Syracuse in the less comfortable position of having squandered too much in a game that could have changed the tone around its early-season start. [Read more 🡒]