NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Syracuse Orange open their 2026 season at home against the New Hampshire Wildcats at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday. Syracuse will look to bounce back to their 2024 form after a shaky 2025. Will the influx of new talent help the Orange get off to a fast enough start? Here’s what we’ll need to see against the Wildcats.
Start Fast, Finish Strong
The Orange aren’t looking to make a name for themselves in game one this year. As a matter of fact, it’ll be a few games before anyone on the national stage takes notice. That doesn’t mean that they don’t need to come in and make a statement. Maybe not their opponents or the rest of the NCAA, but to fans. Syracuse fans have seen this movie far too many times to repeat it word-for-word. New head coach comes in, sparks excitement in his first season, falls off in his second, loses fans by the end of the third.
The Orange showed what they were capable of under Fran Brown in year 1; now it’s time to prove that year wasn’t a fluke, and that last season was. No one is saying run up the score, but it would be nice for fans to see the shiny new toys brought in and what they’re capable of.
Contain, Contain, Contain
While the Oranges struggled in 2025, they won’t be given a free pass in 2026 either, especially by the Wildcats. Out of 13 matchups last season, UNH was held to under 20 points just 3 times. More often than not, they win games while scoring 30+ to end the season. Despite a loss in their season finale, the Wildcats were developing a rhythm. This can’t be a back-and-forth for Syracuse, not this early in the season. Expectations will be high for the Orange, and while they don’t need to blow their opponents out, they need to establish themselves as a threat by not allowing points in bunches.
Establish Playmakers
It seems obvious that you need guys to make plays to be successful, but there’s more to it than that. Who is going to make those plays consistently? Who’s going to step up and be a team leader? Is there anyone willing to step in and put the team on his back? The Orange don’t need flash in 2026; they need consistency. It’s not just about making the highlight reel; who is going to be the guy on the field doing every little thing they need to help the team win? In both technique and poise, who is going to be the guy who sets the example for the rest of the team? With that being said, it can’t be left to one man alone. Both sides of the football need multiple guys who can take control of the game.
It’s time to leave last season in the past for the Syracuse Orange. 2026 is a whole new year. It’s up to every player to decide whether they return to being as good as the 2024 team or continue to struggle as they did in 2025. They’ve got the talent; they need to perform.
