Syracuse walked out of East Hartford with an overtime win, and the biggest takeaway wasn’t just Amari Odom stepping in for Steve Angeli. It was that the Orange finally tried something different up front - and got enough of a payoff to survive.
The reshuffled offensive line gave Syracuse a better answer to its pass-blocking issues than it has had most of the season. Kahlil Stewart and Jayden Mann stepped in at center and right guard, and both held up well in protection. Stewart earned a pass-blocking grade of 76.9 from Pro Football Focus, while Mann checked in at 77.
Mann, in particular, looked like a real solution. He played 85 snaps.
Byron Washington, the man he replaced, was on the field for just seven snaps and posted a pass-blocking grade of zero. Stewart started, but his night was shorter in terms of workload; he played only 11 snaps because Joe Cruz handled most of the game after missing practice time earlier in the week following the death of his grandfather.
Cruz logged 78 snaps and finished with a pass-blocking grade of 47.7.
There were still soft spots elsewhere. Right tackle Kam Pringle entered the game having already allowed 13 pressures, and he gave up three more on Saturday.
His pass-blocking grade came in at 52.7. Guard Oluwafunto Akinshilo finished with a 48.7 pass-blocking grade.
Even so, Syracuse’s new-look front didn’t get blamed for any of the three sacks Odom took. PFF credited the Orange offensive line with eight pressures allowed overall, and Brown made it clear afterward that the unit still has work to do.
“We’ve got to keep getting better,” Brown said following Saturday’s 42-41 win. “I’m thankful and happy that they did a good job and they fought until the end. But the goal is we’re supposed to keep getting better every week so we can accomplish the next mission.”
What helped Syracuse most was the full protection picture, not just the line. Tight end David Clement and running back Tylik Hill were both strong in blitz pickup, with pass-blocking grades of 72.7 and 74.4, respectively.
That support mattered because when Odom had time, he was excellent. He threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, and he completed 84.6% of his passes when kept clean.
Hill also turned in the kind of day that changes how a game feels. He ran for a career-high 140 yards on 5 yards per carry, including 7 yards per carry when running behind Akinshilo and 7.3 yards per carry when running between Cruz and Mann. For the season, Hill is now averaging 95.7 yards per game on 6.2 yards per carry, which ranks in the Top 30 of the FBS.
The Orange also made a defensive backfield adjustment, moving Chris Peal to safety so Nazir Ward could start at outside cornerback. That switch didn’t exactly solve everything. Ward gave up four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown on five targets.
Peal was steadier, though not spectacular. He posted a coverage grade of 56.7 and allowed a 26-yard catch that nearly cost Syracuse the game.
Still, he graded better than B.J. Long and Cornell Perry, who were Syracuse’s lowest-graded defensive backs against UConn.
Long and Perry allowed two touchdowns and missed three tackles. If that doesn’t improve, Ziyyon Bredell and Tedarius Hughes could force their way into the picture.
Syracuse also still has a wide receiver problem beyond Umari Hatcher. Hatcher was the clear star there, finishing with 12 catches on 16 targets for 152 yards and three touchdowns.
The rest of the Orange receivers combined for 120 yards. Darius Johnson continued to trend up, catching all four of his targets for 47 yards and showing that his connection with Odom was not just a byproduct of Pittsburgh’s prevent defense.
Even so, Syracuse still hasn’t found a reliable third option in the passing game.
For one night, though, the line shuffle worked well enough to keep the Orange afloat. Mann looked ready, Hill looked like a true every-down back, and Odom had the space to make the offense go.
In Other News...
Syracuse Escaped UConn But Fran Brown Just Sparked A Bigger Debate
Syracuse needed every bit of its composure, and then some, to leave UConn with a 42-41 overtime win after watching a 20-point lead evaporate. The late quarterback switch to Amari Odom gave the Orange a different spark, and he ended up factoring heavily in the comeback, including on the game-winning two-point conversion. It was the kind of chaotic road result that can feel like a turning point, even if it came with a long list of reminders about how thin the margin was.
Fran Brown still has plenty to sort through, because the win did not cover up Syracuses discipline issues or the defensive lapses that turned a game the Orange should have controlled into a one-score fight for survival. There was enough fight to escape, but also enough sloppiness to leave open a bigger question about whether this team can clean itself up before the schedule gets less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Fran Brown's Blunt Syracuse Warning Overshadowed A Win Over UConn
Syracuse got the result it needed against UConn, but the path to the finish line was anything but clean. The Orange built an early lead, then watched the game tilt badly in the second half as the defense gave up 27 straight points, a collapse that turned a manageable afternoon into a far more uneasy one for a team still trying to settle into its identity.
Fran Brown did not try to soften any of it afterward. The defensive backs coach took responsibility for what happened, pointed to poor play in the secondary and a rush defense that also failed to hold up, and even made an in-game adjustment by shifting Chris Peal from cornerback to safety. For Syracuse, the win matters, but the warning sign may matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Got Pulled Into The ACCs Most Uncomfortable Week
The first weekend of October turned into a brutal sorting exercise across the ACC, with six league matchups suddenly clarifying who is rising, who is wobbling and who is simply trying to survive the month. Pittsburgh edged Virginia Tech but paid a steep price with starting quarterback Mason Heintschel going down with a season-ending ACL injury, while Miami made the loudest statement of the slate by rolling past Clemson. Wake Forest also looked sharp in a dominant win over Stanford, adding to a weekend that left Louisville and Virginia licking their wounds and Florida State looking far more convincing against Virginia.
For Syracuse, the larger lesson is less about any one final score than the way the conference is beginning to separate into uncomfortable tiers. SMU handled Boston College but still looked short of the expectations that came with the programs entry into the league, and three ACC teams ventured into non-conference play with mixed outcomes, adding even more noise to a week already crowded with consequences. In a conference this volatile, every result starts to matter faster than anyone would like, and Syracuse is now watching a race that feels like it could shift again by next Saturday. [Read more 🡒]