Syracuse’s season has already taken enough hits to leave the Orange at 1-2 and 0-2, but there are still a few clear places where the team can claw back some momentum. The catch is simple: the margin for error is gone, and the Orange have to clean up the details fast if they want the rest of the year to look different.
The biggest opening comes in the red zone. If you strip out the New Hampshire game and focus only on the losses to Cal and Pitt, Syracuse has reached the red zone nine times and come away with just two touchdowns and four field goals.
That’s 24 points out of a possible 54. That kind of production leaves a lot on the table, and in those two losses alone, turning a few of those drives into touchdowns would have changed the picture entirely.
Some of that falls on play-calling, penalties and turnovers. But there’s also reason to think the offense could get a lift from personnel changes.
Amari Odom and Calvin Russell could help there. Russell may not have his usual burst off the line, but at 6’5” he gives Syracuse a bigger target who can win contested catches.
Odom’s running ability can also keep defenses honest when plays break down. On top of that, Shay Barker could be part of the solution if he takes over kicking duties, especially after Tripp Woody’s misses against Cal proved decisive in that game.
Another area where Syracuse can tighten things up is on third down defense. In the two losses, the Orange allowed opponents to convert 8 of 22 chances.
Pitt went 5 for 10, though three of those conversions came because Syracuse committed penalties. That matters, because if the Orange clean up those mistakes, their secondary has enough ability to make life difficult on third-and-long.
Better tackling on early downs would help, too. If Syracuse can stop giving up easy yardage before third down even arrives, it should have a better shot at forcing punts. Chris Peal and Demetres Samuel both picked up third-down penalties against Pitt, and both corners are expected to be cleaner moving forward.
Then there’s the broader issue of turnovers and penalties, which has been the biggest drag on the season so far. Syracuse is minus-4 in turnover margin in its two losses, and that’s a major reason the team is under .500 coming out of the break. It doesn’t matter who starts at quarterback - the ball has to be protected better, especially at the moments when turnovers hurt most.
The penalty count has been ugly, too. Syracuse has been flagged 24 times over the last two games, while Cal and Pitt combined for 17.
That normally would give the Orange an edge, but they gave it back by being so careless themselves. At the same time, those numbers also suggest Syracuse may not be getting overwhelmed physically the way it has in past seasons.
Opponents are being forced into mistakes because the Orange can still create problems with size and speed.
Still, that only matters if Syracuse stops creating its own damage. Against Pitt, penalties handed over three first downs. Against Cal, they wiped out big returns and cost the Orange 10 points.
So no, this is not a team in a comfortable spot. It isn’t.
The urgency has to be there every week from here on out. But even after this start, the season may not be as hopeless as it looks if Syracuse can finally start executing at a higher level.
In Other News...
Former Orange Playmaker Finally Broke Through In A Busy NFL Week
Week 3 brought a familiar kind of NFL snapshot for Syracuse fans, with a cluster of former Orange players showing up across the league and making their presence felt. Zaire Franklin led the way defensively for the Packers with 10 tackles, Matthew Bergeron helped steady the Falcons ground game, and Andre Szmyt stayed perfect for the Browns on field goals and extra points. Even beyond the headline names, Tommy DeVito, LeQuint Allen and Jackson Meeks all got on the field and chipped in during their games, a reminder of how many Syracuse products are now carving out roles on Sundays.
For Orange fans, though, the most interesting part of the week may have been watching a former playmaker finally break through after a long wait. In a league where chances can be scarce and momentum even scarcer, those first real signs of traction matter, especially for a player trying to turn brief appearances into something bigger. With so many Syracuse alumni in action, the broader theme was encouraging enough, but one of the weeks quiet breakthroughs felt like the one worth tracking a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Former Syracuse Standouts Just Landed A Real NBA Shot
Former Syracuse standouts William Kyle III and Cole Swider have both landed with the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of training camp, giving each a real shot to turn a summer opportunity into something more. For Orange fans, it is a familiar sort of NBA story: two players who took different paths through college, then found themselves in the same place with a chance to impress an organization that is always sorting through young talent and looking for useful depth.
Kyle brings a reputation built on defense after appearing in 131 college games, while Swider arrived in Syracuse as a scoring threat and averaged 13.9 points per game in his lone season there. Both are trying to earn a place on the Lakers roster, though the G-League is also part of the picture, and the next few weeks will determine whether this turns into a camp storyline or something a little more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Just Put Itself In Position For An Early QB Recruiting Win
Syracuse is trying to get ahead of the curve in the quarterback market, and its first offer in this cycle went to Philadelphia Belmont Charter signal-caller Nafis Watkins after he visited for Franchise Camp. The Orange gave Watkins a reason to remember the stop, and the young passer came away appreciative of the coaching staff and the program as he continues to build his profile.
Watkins already has the kind of early experience that tends to grab attention, having started as a freshman for a Belmont Charter team that finished 10-2 in 2025. For Syracuse, the pitch is simple: identify talent early, make the relationship count, and see whether the Orange can turn a camp visit into a head start in the recruiting race. [Read more 🡒]