This stinks. I hate writing this column, but I have to do it. Those who know me know that I love my alma mater, Syracuse University, like it's nobody's business. And I support 'Cuse sports teams no matter what.
That being said, Syracuse football's 2025 season has turned from promising to disastrous. There, I said it. The Orange started 3-1. It knocked off Clemson on the road. Redshirt junior quarterback Steve Angeli, the Notre Dame transfer, was leading the country in total passing yards. The defense was inconsistent, but made big plays when it needed to.
Then Angeli suffered a season-ending injury in the win over the Tigers. Since then, the 'Cuse has lost five in a row. The team hasn't scored more than 18 points in any of those setbacks. Quarterback play, simply put, has been atrocious. But it's not all on the QBs.
The defense hasn't been consistent at all. Poor tackling. Sub-par pass coverage. Getting barreled over by foes' rushing attacks. The Orange's offensive and defensive lines are struggling. The squad's run game isn't good. But, hey, at least we've got an excellent punter in Jack Stonehouse.
To reiterate, the point of penning this article isn't to trash my alma mater. I love Syracuse football and its head coach, Fran Brown. However, I fear that the 'Cuse may not win another game all season long.
Syracuse football hit rock bottom on Friday night.
The Orange's latest debacle is tough to stomach. North Carolina came to the JMA Wireless Dome on Friday evening, as many Syracuse football commits and recruiting targets watched in person, and the Tar Heels beat up the 'Cuse, 27-10.
That result gave the Tar Heels, led by first-year head coach and NFL legend Bill Belichick, their FIRST win in Atlantic Coast Conference competition, and their FIRST victory over a power-conference opponent of the ENTIRE 2025 campaign.
Let that sink in for a minute. UNC entered week 10 having an okay defense but a less-than-stellar offense. On Friday night at the Dome, North Carolina had 425 total yards, as compared to 147 for the Orange.
Walk-on freshman quarterback Joseph Filardi started in place of redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins, the LSU transfer. Filardi, understandably, had some nerves in this affair. He completed just 4-of-18 pass attempts for 39 yards.
Injuries are a part of sports, and I'm hopeful that Angeli comes back fully healthy in 2026. But the drop-off from him to the other quarterbacks on the Syracuse football roster who have played thus far in 2025 is massive.
I figured with that 3-1 start and Angeli at the helm, the Orange was looking at seven or eight regular-season wins. In its next two games, the 'Cuse (3-6 overall, 1-5 in the ACC) travels to top-15 teams Miami and Notre Dame. Those will be losses, unless something crazy transpires.
Then, in the 2025 regular-season finale, the Orange will host Boston College, which, entering Saturday's action, was 1-7 overall and 0-5 in the ACC. My fingers are crossed that Syracuse football can beat the Eagles to get to 4-8. I'm not confident at all. That makes me sad.
This season began so promising for my alma mater, and it has gone in the complete opposite direction during the Orange's five-game losing streak.