Syracuse’s quarterback picture is still foggy heading into Saturday’s home ACC game against Louisville, and the Orange may be down to their last layers of depth at the position.
The latest twist came last Saturday night at Virginia, when fifth-year transfer Danny Lauter had to finish out the three-point loss. Lauter was in the spot because Syracuse’s other options were already in flux, and he ended up throwing a touchdown pass in relief. Now the question is whether the Orange will have enough healthy bodies to avoid another scramble under center.
Head coach Brown said Monday that Lauter handled the moment well.
"He did a really good job of just staying focused on the playbook," Brown said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "It takes a lot of heart for a young man to all of a sudden being on prep teams early in the week and then getting called up and being able to go in."
Brown also made it clear that the next two days could decide a lot. If fifth-year player Angeli, senior Amari Odom and senior Malachi Nelson all remain out, Syracuse would likely turn to Lauter or true freshman Zaid Lott against the Cardinals.
“There’s a lot that’s going to happen within these next 48 hours. You’ve got to go through these next 48 hours first and then we’ll continue to move on and take it from there. Getting them as many reps as possible.”
On Syracuse’s projected depth chart for Louisville, Odom, Angeli, Nelson and Lauter are all listed at quarterback. Brown did not eliminate any of them from consideration Monday, and the school will submit availability reports to the ACC later this week.
The injuries have stacked up quickly. Angeli is still working through the effects of the Achilles tendon he tore last September, but Brown said he should be cleared to practice Tuesday or Wednesday. Odom, who took over for Angeli in the Orange’s overtime win at UConn, is dealing with a shoulder injury and is scheduled for further evaluation this week to determine whether he can play Saturday.
Nelson started against Virginia and helped Syracuse jump to a 10-point halftime lead before leaving with an upper-body injury. Brown said X-rays showed Nelson did not break any bones, and the hope is that he can get back on the practice field this week.
For now, Syracuse’s answer at quarterback remains unresolved. The Orange host Louisville at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday night.
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