Syracuse Football: Key takeaways from the Orange's dramatic week-two win over UConn

I don't think very many people expected a defensive battle for three and a half quarters between Syracuse football and UConn. Even fewer expected Syracuse to put it together and find a way to win in the end. Yet here we are, with the Orange coming back from a 17-6 fourth-quarter deficit to win 27-20 in overtime. There's a lot to unpack here in what might be the most interesting game Syracuse (1-1) plays all year.

My key takeaways from Syracuse football's week-two win against UConn.

Steve Angeli is Fran Brown's quarterback

Steve Angeli did not play his finest game through three and a half quarters against the Huskies (1-1), and there's no arguing that. He hadn't led Syracuse on a touchdown drive, threw an interception and fumbled, and had issues with overthrows. By game's end, he was a 400-yard passer and had a multi-touchdown passing game. His resilience and composure were phenomenal, shutting up a lot of people who thought he should be benched and leading a comeback victory.

Now, where does Fran Brown play in this? Brown is a coach who doesn't give up on this team. We saw multiple comebacks last year, and he still hasn't lost back-to-back games as the Syracuse head coach. Brown will support and uplift his players - particularly the quarterback - and this is the second year where his words helped keep his starter composed and help him pull off a comeback win. The two fit very well together, and I trust Brown to get the most out of Angeli. That New Jersey connection helps, too.

Play calling was questionable for the 'Cuse

I love Jeff Nixon and what he's done with the Syracuse offense. However, he's called better games than what he did today. Seeing Yasin Willis only touch the ball 11 times feels like a crime - that's a guy you want to get 20 carries a guy for, especially considering Willis was pretty efficient in his touches with 48 yards and a touchdown. I would have liked to get Johntay Cook more involved, too; he's too talented to only get four targets.

Some situational play calls were also not amazing. What most sticks out to me is on the first drive of the game. Syracuse got into the UConn red zone on a fourth and two. TE Dan Villari motioned under center for a quarterback sneak and got stuffed after about half a yard. On the day, Syracuse really struggled in the red zone and on third downs (5-15), and better playcalling could have led to keeping those drives alive longer and capping them off with points.

Antoine Deslauriers bounced back in a huge way

I wasn't the happiest with freshman linebacker Antoine Deslauriers after his performance in the opening against Tennessee. He bounced back against the Huskies, saving his biggest plays when they mattered most. On third and three, in overtime, with the Orange up by a touchdown, Deslauriers made two huge plays. First, he batted the ball to an incompletion at the line of scrimmage while blitzing, and did it again in coverage on fourth and goal.

Overall, Deslauriers looked more comfortable and decisive today. He has a very high ceiling still, and he looks to build on that and become a difference-maker for the Orange defense.