Syracuse heads to Charlottesville on Saturday night with a new quarterback, more lineup questions, and a kicking game that has turned into a weekly headache.
The Orange meet Virginia in an ACC matchup on Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network, with the game streaming free on fuboTV.
Syracuse is coming off a wild 42-41 overtime win over UConn, and the biggest reason for that escape was Amari Odom. In his first start, the Kennesaw State transfer piled up six touchdowns, throwing for 335 yards, five scores and two interceptions while adding another touchdown on the ground.
That performance has changed the conversation around Syracuse’s quarterback room fast. The job is now Odom’s to lose, and Virginia is a much tougher measuring stick than UConn. Saturday will be his first real shot at ACC competition this season, and the Orange are clearly leaning into what he brings that Steve Angeli does not: a running threat.
Angeli has been available, but he hasn’t looked fully healthy, and his play has slipped from what Syracuse got out of him in 2025. This season he has thrown four touchdowns and five interceptions, and in ACC play that ratio sits at 1-to-5. By comparison, he posted 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in four games last season.
Quarterback isn’t the only area under the microscope, either. After the UConn game, Brown said more changes are coming to Syracuse’s rotation and made it plain that “no one is safe.” That leaves plenty of uncertainty across the roster as the Orange try to find some stability.
Special teams have also become a major issue. Syracuse has missed more field goals than any team in the country, a problem that keeps putting pressure on the offense and forces tougher decisions whenever drives reach scoring range. Missed kicks have already cost the Orange points and changed how Brown has handled game situations.
For fans looking to watch, fuboTV is the streaming option highlighted here. The service offers a free trial, carries ACC Network, and is presented as a legal way to watch college football without relying on Streameast, which was shut down in 2025. Other free trials are available through DIRECTV and Hulu + Live TV, though DIRECTV requires a more expensive package and Hulu’s trial lasts three days.
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 🡒]