Syracuse didn’t just beat New Hampshire on Saturday. It came out of Week 1 with answers.
The Orange rolled to a 66-victory in the JMA Wireless Dome, and the biggest takeaway was simple: Steve Angeli looked like himself again. In his return to live action after 350 days, the fifth-year quarterback showed the mobility, arm strength and touch that made him such an important piece of Syracuse’s offseason conversation. He finished 20 of 29 for 263 yards and three touchdowns, and the performance did plenty to calm the nerves that had lingered around his health.
Angeli also handled the moment well when the game briefly tightened around him. In the second quarter, he took a late hit and stayed down long enough to make the building hold its breath.
He got up, ran off the field, then came right back two plays later and helped lead the way on Shavane Anderson Jr.’s second rushing touchdown of the day. That kind of response only added to the sense that the Orange quarterback still brings plenty more than just production.
He was sharp in the red zone, too. Angeli found tight end David Clement wide open for a 27-yard touchdown, his second scoring pass of the afternoon.
Then he closed things out with a 19-yard touchdown connection to Umari Hatcher, going 5 of 7 for 62 yards on that final drive. It was a clean finish to a strong return, and Syracuse will need more of the same when ACC play opens next week against Cal.
If Angeli was the headline, Shavane Anderson Jr. was the surprise that turned into a story of its own. With Ju’Juan Johnson and Ahmad Miller sidelined, the freshman got a real chance to show what he could do, and he made the most of it.
Anderson split work with sophomore Tylik Hill, but by halftime he had already piled up more than 100 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with 102 yards and three scores on 10 carries, and in the process set the Orange record for most rushing touchdowns in a debut.
The freshman didn’t just score; he ran with force. Between the tackles, he was hard to stop.
In space, he made defenders miss. For a first college game, it was the kind of debut that gets noticed fast.
Syracuse also got a strong look at what this new defense can become under Fran Brown and coordinator Vince Kehres. The unit generated four sacks, three takeaways and a touchdown, highlighted by Zyian Moulton-Goddard’s 26-yard scoop-and-score. The defensive line was everywhere, finishing with 11 tackles for loss, while the first unit kept New Hampshire under 100 yards of total offense and limited the Wildcats to a field goal.
The numbers from Week 1 were eye-catching, but the way the Orange got there mattered just as much. The defense looked fast, disruptive and aggressive in the “vertical alignment” Brown talked about earlier in the week. Next up is a tougher test, with Cal and quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagopolutele coming to town.
There was another defender who stood out in a big way: transfer edge rusher Keyshawn Johnson. He opened his season with three sacks and a forced fumble, using power and finesse to beat blockers and make plays in the backfield. One of his best moments came with a cross chop move that helped him get to his second sack of the game.
So yes, Syracuse opened the season with a lopsided win. But the real value of Saturday was what it revealed.
Angeli is back. Anderson Jr. is already making noise.
And the defense showed flashes that could travel.
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Syracuse Showed One Encouraging Sign Fans Should Not Overlook
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