NFL
The Syracuse Orange return to the Dome this Saturday to take on the Louisville Cardinals. How does Syracuse pull off a win against a tough Conference opponent?
Next, Next, Next Man Up?:
Steve Angeli, leg injury. Amari Odom, shoulder. Malachi Nelson, collarbone. It’s a tough year to be a Syracuse quarterback. If none of those three can go, the Orange will be down to their 4th quarterback against the Cardinals. Teams may roll deep, but not usually that deep. It’ll be interesting to see how Syracuse navigates these injuries in Brown’s third year as head coach. The team is 2-3 and hasn’t won a conference game in 2026. Just how much can they do to keep this offense chugging along with their third backup option? They’ll need clean and confident football with smart/low risk plays.
Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve:
They’re in them. Syracuse is playing winnable football; make no mistake. However, it’s the little things that need cleaning up that keep them from winning consistently. California, Virginia, and Pittsburgh are their three losses this season. They lost two of those games by a field goal; the other was a 14-point deficit to a rival, even though a win was within reach. We can talk all day about it, but those 3 games need to be on repeat in the facility. Three winnable games where they just needed a few more plays or a few fewer mistakes. It’s gotta hurt that the team is only 6 points from 4-1 and 20 from being undefeated, but that’s why they play. It’s the middle of the year, and they can’t give up. This is the part of the season to start to turn it around.
The Whole Playbook:
There’s no slapping some makeup on it to make it look pretty. Louisville is a good team, averaging 41 points per game. It’ll be a challenge on defense. Guys will need to stay in the right position consistently to make the big plays and stop the extra yards. The Orange might need every disguise play, every trick play, and every bit of their defensive bread and butter to slow them down, and they’ll need to do it with virtually no mistakes. Their defense has proven it can make plays, but at times it’s struggled with consistency. They’ll need their best on Saturday.
The Syracuse Orange take on the Louisville Cardinals Saturday at 7:30 EST at the JMA Wireless Dome for their first home game since their crushing September loss to Cal. Can the Orange turn this one around?
