Syracuse finally dragged itself out of the ACC cellar last week, and now comes the kind of matchup that tells you whether that breakthrough meant anything at all. No. 19 SMU rolls into the JMA Wireless Dome on Halloween, bringing the kind of offense that can turn a decent night into a long one in a hurry.
The Mustangs have been one of the ACC’s most dangerous teams all season. They’re 6-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play, with 470.1 yards per game, good for third in the league, and 36.4 points per game, which ranks fourth.
Kevin Jennings is still the engine, and Syracuse head coach Fran Brown didn’t exactly downplay him Monday, calling the fifth-year quarterback a “Heisman contender.” Jennings has delivered through seven games, piling up 2,062 yards and 21 total touchdowns.
That’s the assignment facing an Orange team coming off a 31-30 overtime win over North Carolina, its first conference victory since September 2025. Syracuse is 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the ACC, and the beat writers who covered the game aren’t expecting the momentum to last long against a ranked opponent that has already shown it can bury teams fast.
Noah Nussbaum sees a step back to familiar ground, picking SMU 36, Syracuse 20. He pointed to the Mustangs’ 59-point outburst against Cal last week and contrasted that with Syracuse’s 18-point showing against the same opponent in September.
For Nussbaum, the Orange’s win over UNC came with the usual baggage - a missed kick, penalties and uneven defense - and that was against one of the conference’s weaker offenses. Against SMU, he wrote, the task is simple: “How is SU meant to compete with SMU, then?
It’s not. And it won’t.”
Nicholas Alumkal also leaned heavily toward the visitors, taking SMU 33, Syracuse 23. He framed the night as a Halloween scare for the Orange, noting that SMU is 26-8 since joining the ACC in 2024 and has been rolling this season.
Alumkal also highlighted the Mustangs’ money and growth as a program, including the start of a men’s lacrosse team in 2028 that aims to be an instant national championship contender and conference rival for Syracuse. On the field, he focused on SMU’s balance and its stingy pass defense, warning that Steve Angeli could be forced back into the kind of mistakes that haunted him earlier in the year.
Harris Pemberton gave Syracuse the most points of the three picks but still landed on SMU, 38-28. He called the North Carolina win overdue and deserved, while also noting that the Orange showed enough talent for Russell’s breakout and Angeli’s steadier return to matter. Still, he sees a matchup tilted toward the Mustangs, especially with SMU allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the ACC and forcing Syracuse into a cleaner, more precise offensive night than the Orange have consistently produced.
The common thread in all three picks is clear: Syracuse earned a reprieve in Chapel Hill, but SMU looks like a much harder wall to climb. The Orange may have found a pulse. The Mustangs look built to test whether it lasts.
In Other News...
Syracuse Heads Into Ranked SMU Test With Growing Injury Concern
Syracuse is heading into a tough road test against No. 19 SMU with its injury report starting to loom larger than usual. The Orange already know they will be without starting defensive back Jai Eugene Jr., a hit to a secondary that will be under pressure against a ranked opponent. Beyond that, the status of quarterback Steve Angeli and center Kahlil Stewart adds another layer of uncertainty to a game that already carries plenty of weight.
Matthew Hawn is doubtful as the backup center, which leaves Syracuse with even more to sort through up front before kickoff. SMU has its own question mark, with kicker Nick Reed listed as questionable, but the bigger concern for the Orange is how much their own availability issues could shape the way this matchup unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Angelis Return Leaves Syracuse With One Big Quarterback Question
Steve Angelis return gave Syracuse a lift at a time when the offense badly needed some stability. The quarterback had missed two weeks while dealing with retrocalcaneal bursitis near his surgically repaired Achilles tendon, a frustrating detour after he had received PRP and cortisone injections and spent time in a protective boot. When he got back on the field for Syracuses overtime win, Angeli said he felt like his old self, and Fran Brown made it clear the Orange had been leaning on him as their best option even while he was sidelined.
What lingers now is what happens next, because Angelis status had already become one of the seasons bigger storylines after an earlier benching put his role under the microscope. Brown has been outspoken about Angelis maturity and team-first approach, and the quarterbacks response since then has helped settle things in the short term. Still, Syracuse is left to sort out how much of its passing game can be built around a player who has already had to fight through both a health issue and a depth-chart test. [Read more 🡒]
Former Syracuse Transfers Are Taking Very Different Paths This Season
A year after leaving Syracuse, a handful of Orange transfers have landed in very different spots this fall, with some already carving out roles and others still waiting to make an impact. The group spans everything from players seeing the field in meaningful game action to others who are buried on depth charts, recovering from injuries or simply still awaiting their first chance with their new programs.
Ross has been one of the more visible names in the update, while Luke Carney and Derek McDonald are among the other former Orange players whose seasons have followed separate tracks since departing Central New York. For Syracuse fans, the tracker is a reminder of how much transfer movement can reshape a roster in a hurry, and how quickly the same exits can produce wildly different results depending on fit, health and opportunity. [Read more 🡒]