NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
What a difference a week makes. Even though they played a second time in just six days, the Syracuse Orange dominated the Colgate Raiders on Friday night. It wasn’t without a few hiccups along the way, but this team showed up when they needed a rebound game. Mission accomplished.
Early Start
Syracuse started hot, and QB Steve Angeli was dealing early on. His success early on seemed to be a follow-up to his second-half success against UConn. You can start to see Angeli’s confidence come alive. The Orange got out to a 14-3 lead and never looked back. The highlight was the 2nd quarter where they scored 24 unanswered points to go up 38-3 before halftime..
Respect To Colgate
No one on the Colgate team should hang their head. Give credit where it is due. They played really well and kept fighting; they were just outmatched. Quarterback Zach Osbourne was very aggressive with the football, often throwing into tight windows. The problem is, the defenders were blanketing his receivers. Sometimes it worked out in his favor, and the Raiders came up with a big play; other times the pass fell to the turf. The plays were there, but getting down by so much early on will cause you to abandon your normal game plan.
On defense, Colgate had pressure on the QB, but Syracuse was a faster and more physical team. At times, it seemed as if their only play was to stop the bleeding and not allow the big play.
There’s Always One
Syracuse did it again. Despite a game where they played much better on defense, it wasn’t a game free of the big play that got loose in the run game. In the 4th quarter, SU would allow running back Cole Fulton to get loose and run for a 44-yard scamper that would result in a touchdown. The number 44 is a big symbol of Syracuse football, but not when it comes from the opposing team. At least once per game, the Orange allows a play such as this. Big plays happen, and while it doesn’t matter in a blowout, playing 60 minutes without the big gains will be key as they get to conference play.
Buckled Down
Syracuse looked like they were starting the game with the same mistakes. There were some big plays on the outside of the tackles, too many open men in the flats, and a few big gains. However, this time the Orange adjusted. This defense played a much better version of “bend, don’t break” and swarmed the football much more often. It looks like the post-game sprints made their point.
Stand Outs
Steve Angeli (9) – 24/32 passing (75%), 417 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs. Finding His Confidence.
Darrell Gill Jr. (15)- 6 receptions, 152 yards, 2 TDs (35 yards, 43 yards). Clutch Performance.
Darien Williams (7)- 3 receptions, 72 yards, First Orange TD. Great energy out of the Syracuse native.
This was a much better game from the Syracuse Orange. They dominated on both sides of the football and, despite the few miscues, looked like a more complete football team. Syracuse faces their toughest test of the season next week as it plays the (12) Clemson Tigers at 12 pm Saturday at Clemson Memorial Stadium.
