Syracuse heads into Scott Stadium on Saturday night with the same problem that has shadowed much of its season: quarterback uncertainty.
The Orange are trying to shake loose from a 10-game losing streak against Power-4 opponents, a skid that stretches back to last year’s win over Clemson on Sept. 20, 2025.
Nine of those losses have come against ACC teams. Virginia, meanwhile, enters at 3-2 and 1-1, still trying to keep its season pointed toward the conference race after last year’s surprise run to the championship game.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on the ACC Network.
Syracuse is 2-2 and 0-2 in the ACC, and the Orange are hoping this trip helps them climb out of the conference basement and show progress in Fran Brown’s third year. But the quarterback situation has gone right back to the front of the conversation.
Malachi Nelson is expected to start for Syracuse. Amari Odom was listed as a game-time decision with a sore shoulder and went through warm-ups using his weak arm.
Steve Angeli, the likely backup, was ruled out and was wearing a new brace on his foot during warm-ups. On the team’s availability report this week, Odom is doubtful and Angeli is out.
Nelson brings some real intrigue to the assignment. He is a third-string quarterback, but not a typical one: he has starting experience, and he arrived with a strong recruiting reputation. He opened last season as the starter at UTEP before being demoted, and he was ranked the No. 5 quarterback in the Class of 2023 in the 247Sports composite rankings.
Syracuse’s final ACC availability report brought a few bright spots elsewhere. Linebacker Antoine Deslauriers and defensive back Nazir Ward were removed from the report.
The one new absence is Tripp Woody, who had been handling kickoffs and is now out. That means freshman Shay Barker will take over all of the kicking duties rather than focusing only on field goals.
That kicking setup matters because field goals have been a mess for both teams this season, with Syracuse missing more than any team in the country.
On the field, the matchup could come down to how each offense handles the quarterback run game. Virginia has struggled against mobile quarterbacks, and in its two losses this season, opposing quarterbacks with mobility have averaged 129.5 rushing yards against the Cavaliers. That makes Odom’s absence especially significant, though Nelson can move as well.
Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula should create a similar kind of stress for Syracuse. The Orange defense has given up an average of 213 rushing yards over its past two games.
That makes the first score feel especially important. Syracuse will likely lean conservative with a new starter and try to do as much damage on the ground as possible, especially with a quarterback who was turnover-prone last season. Virginia, for its part, wants to grind teams down with a strong offensive line and has five players averaging at least five carries per game.
If Syracuse can get Virginia playing from behind, the Cavaliers’ passing game may become a problem for them. Virginia has the worst success rate in passing situations of any team in the ACC.
In Other News...
Syracuse Faces A New Quarterback Test Fran Brown Couldn't Avoid
Fran Brown had little choice but to reshuffle the quarterback picture this week, with Syracuse set to turn to Malachi Nelson against Virginia after injuries knocked Amari Odom and Steve Angeli out of the mix. Odom is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury, while Angeli is already out, leaving the Orange to pivot to a passer with plenty of pedigree but still a lot to prove in this setting.
Nelson arrives with the kind of rsum that keeps coaches intrigued, a former top recruit who has already moved through multiple schools before landing at Syracuse. Now the Orange need him to stabilize a position that has suddenly become fragile, and the timing makes this more than just another lineup change. For Brown, it is a quarterback decision he could not dodge, and for Nelson it is another chance to show he can handle a stage that has been waiting for him. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Faces A Sudden QB Twist Ahead Of Virginia
Syracuses quarterback picture took a sudden turn heading into Virginia, with Amari Odom downgraded to doubtful and Steve Angeli ruled out. That leaves Malachi Nelson expected to take the first snaps for the Orange, a significant shift at a position that had already been under the spotlight as the team prepared for a key ACC matchup.
The changes do not stop there. Running back Shavane Anderson Jr. has been ruled out, while linebacker Antoine Deslauriers and defensive back Nazir Ward are both listed as questionable, adding more uncertainty on both sides of the ball. For a Syracuse team trying to steady itself before kickoff, the injury report has turned into a major part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads Into Virginia With A New Question At Quarterback
A week that already carried plenty of uncertainty around Syracuses offense now seems set to put Malachi Nelson back in the spotlight. With Amari Odom listed as doubtful and Steve Angeli ruled out on the latest injury report, the Orange are expected to turn to Nelson at quarterback when they visit Virginia, giving the former top high school recruit another chance to steer the attack.
It will be Nelsons seventh collegiate start, a reminder of how much experience he has picked up even as the search for stability continues at the position. Syracuse has been navigating injuries at quarterback all week, and the trip to Virginia now brings a fresh layer of pressure, with the Orange needing Nelson to settle in quickly and give the offense a workable rhythm. [Read more 🡒]