Syracuse Football: The Orange's slow starts under Fran Brown must stop

There is a lot that Syracuse football fans can say about the early part of the Fran Brown era. But one trend that’s been easy to overlook amidst Brown’s 10-4 record is Syracuse’s propensity to get off to slow starts. Granted, this led to some amazing comebacks and entertaining games in 2024. But given the brutal schedule the Orange faces in 2025, this is a trend that has to stop.

A Little History

Even with a 10-3 record in 2024, Syracuse was frequently falling behind early in games and getting off to sluggish starts last season. We saw it in Brown’s coaching debut, as Syracuse trailed Ohio 6-0 after the first quarter of last year’s season opener before seizing control of the game. While that was no big deal, several games followed a similar pattern.

Against Stanford, the Orange dug a 10-0 hole for itself. Syracuse played from behind all game, eventually taking a one-point lead late. However, after the effort required Syracuse to come from behind, the Syracuse defense couldn’t hold its slim lead in a loss that still haunts the 2024 Orange.

In their November loss to Boston College, the Orange started slowly again, trailing 14-0 midway through the second quarter. Of course, Syracuse would eventually take the lead, only to fall behind again. Despite outscoring the Eagles 31-23 after that 14-0 deficit, the Orange lost a game it should have won.

Even in victories, the Orange played with fire throughout 2024. Syracuse trailed Virginia Tech 14-3 at halftime, ultimately falling behind 21-3 before making an epic comeback. It was a similar story in Syracuse’s historic victory over Miami, which began with the Orange spotting the Hurricanes 21 points early in the game.

New Year, Same Story

Unfortunately, Syracuse’s slow starts from 2024 appear to have transferred over to the 2025 team. The Orange fell behind Tennessee 17-0 in the first quarter of its season opener. The Syracuse defense failed to find its footing against the Vols early in the game. Meanwhile, the Syracuse offense got in its own way with penalties that set them back before giving away seven points on a fumble returned for a touchdown.

If you take away the first quarter, Syracuse played Tennessee even the rest of the game outside of a pair of missed two-point conversions that would have been unnecessary if not for the 17-0 deficit. Over three quarters, the Orange played an even game with a top-25 team that hopes to make some noise in the SEC this season. But a lackluster first quarter cost them a realistic chance at pulling off the upset, similar to Syracuse’s two gut-wrenching losses to Stanford and Boston College last season.

Get It Fixed

Much was made of Syracuse’s tackling problems following the loss to Tennessee. While that’s certainly a concern to monitor moving forward, Syracuse’s propensity for slow starts under Brown could be a bigger concern. This was an issue for both sides of the ball in 2024, and it continued to be an issue for the Orange in the loss to Tennessee.

Syracuse was fortunate to overcome those slow starts against Virginia Tech and Miami. The Orange showed great heart and determination to come back in those games. But that’s not something that Syracuse will want to test this season; the Orange’s schedule is far too daunting.

Keep in mind that the come-from-behind wins over Virginia Tech and Miami, as well as the close call against Stanford, all came at home. Road games against Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Notre Dame will not be conducive to Syracuse overcoming an early deficit. Even home games against the likes of UConn, Duke, Pitt, and Boston College are not games that the Orange can afford to fall behind early by multiple scores.

It would be a mistake to think that Syracuse can continue to overcome slow starts in games the way the Orange did in 2024. That was playing with fire against a far less challenging schedule and with a far more experienced roster, especially at the quarterback position. While the tackling issues got the headlines against Tennessee, Syracuse’s propensity for slow starts to games might be the more pressing issue for the 2025 Orange to solve.