Syracuse’s backfield has already taken three different shapes in three games, and that leaves a pretty clear question hanging over the Orange as they head into the bye: what exactly is the running game supposed to look like when they return on Oct. 3 against UConn?
The pattern has been all over the map. In the season opener against New Hampshire, Shavane Anderson Jr. was the most productive back after Tylik Hill went out early in the 66-3 win. Anderson made the most of it, scoring three touchdowns and earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors.
A week later, the workload shifted. Hill was hurt on the second play against Cal, and Ju'Juan Johnson became the primary option.
That raised the first round of questions about why Anderson, after his Week 1 success, saw fewer chances. He finished with nine carries, while Johnson handled 15.
Week 3 only deepened the mystery. Johnson’s role shrank to six carries, Anderson got 11, and Ahmad Miller led the group with 14. Miller was the only one who found real traction, rushing for 78 yards at 5.6 yards per carry.
So now the conversation is less about what happened in any one game and more about what Syracuse wants this room to be. The Orange have already rotated through three different leads in the backfield, and the bye gives them time to decide whether that settles into one clear plan or stays fluid from week to week.
There’s also another layer to this. Steve Angeli was benched in the fourth quarter Thursday in favor of Amari Odom, and there’s a real chance Odom could start against UConn. If that happens, his legs become part of the run game too.
That changes the equation. Syracuse would have to decide how much to build around Odom as a runner, whether that pulls attention away from the backs, and whether the threat of his mobility opens up the passing game enough to help the traditional rushing attack behind it.
The Orange enter the bye at 1-2 overall and 0-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play after finishing 3-9 last season.
In Other News...
Syracuse Has A Discipline Problem It Cant Ignore Anymore
The early-season record is already ugly enough for Syracuse, but the bigger issue through three games has been the sloppiness that keeps putting the Orange behind the chains and making every drive harder than it needs to be. In losses that dropped them to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play after the Pitt game, Syracuse has been flagged for 12, 14 and 10 penalties, a pattern that has become impossible to brush aside as a one-off.
With a bye week before the Oct. 3 meeting with UConn, Syracuse has a brief window to clean up the mistakes that have undercut its start. The break arrives at a useful time for a team that needs more than a reset in the standings - it needs a sharper, more disciplined version of itself before the seasons next stretch begins. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Is Pushing Early For A Fast-Rising New York Forward
Syracuses recruiting staff is already doing the kind of broad, early work that can shape a class years down the line, and Damian Mojica has quickly become part of that picture. The Orange are centered on the 2027 cycle, but they have also extended offers to more than a dozen players in 2028, including the 6-foot-8 power forward from New York, who picked up an offer after taking an unofficial visit.
Mojicas stock is rising quickly enough to draw interest from multiple schools, and Syracuse appears intent on staying involved as his profile grows. He recently played for the PSA Cardinals AAU team, and more contact with the Orange coaching staff is expected, which makes him one of the more intriguing names to watch as Syracuse keeps laying groundwork well ahead of the main recruiting push. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Made An Early Impression In A Recruitment Battle Fans Know Too Well
Dontaye Day-Thompsons trip to Syracuse came at a time when the Orange needed every bit of momentum they could get on the recruiting trail, and the visit seems to have done exactly what the staff hoped. The Atlantic City product was on campus for the football game against Cal, spent time with head coach Fran Brown and the rest of the coaching staff, and came away talking positively about the atmosphere around the program and the fan support inside the stadium.
For Syracuse, the interest matters because Day-Thompson is not just another name in the class. The three-star athlete works on both sides of the ball as a defensive back and wide receiver, and he already has offers from Alabama and Penn State along with Syracuse. That kind of competition means the Orange have work to do, but in a battle fans know well, making a strong first impression can be the part that keeps a recruit engaged as the process moves forward. [Read more 🡒]