NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
After last year’s disappointing season, the Syracuse Orange needed to bounce back in their first home game. Quarterback Steve Angeli needed to go out and have a game. Fans needed to be reminded of what they were supposed to be excited for last year. At the end of the day, the Orange delivered. With that being said, it’s hard to judge just how much fans should be excited, as a blowout victory in the first game of the year doesn’t give a good indication of dominance.
For the home team, it looks good in the win column. However, you have to take a step back and zoom out on the bigger picture. Did your opponents have a bad game? Taking nothing away from the victory, it’s just a small sample size of what the team will look like this season. So far, here’s where SU excelled:
Triumphant Return
One of the biggest questions for fans coming into this game had to be if Steve Angeli would be ready to go or need to shake off a little in-game rust. Angeli looked near-flawless in this one, going 20-for-29 for 263 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions. The most impressive part: all 3 TDs were 18+ yards, showing the Orange could attack every part of the field.
Running Away With It
The Orange had no problem running the football against the Wildcats on Saturday. Led by freshman Shavane Anderson Jr, the run game amassed 237 yards. Anderson Jr. had just 10 attempts but gained 108 yards, also scoring 3 TDs. Tylik Hill was the other half of the SU one-two punch, rushing for 90 yards on 15 attempts. Between a steady run game and consistent passing, the Orange’s offense was the right amount of balanced in this victory.
Dominant Defense
It’s a good day at the office when your defense can hold opponents to just 6 points. It’s even better when those 6 points don’t come until the second half. Unfortunately for New Hampshire, they were going against an Orange team that needed to make a statement and did. Pride was on the line after the Orange went 10-3 under Fran Brown in their first season, then 3-9 in their second. This SU defense needed to show that their effort was still there, and they took it out on the Wildcats, holding their opponents under 100 yards passing and just 60 rushing yards. Sometimes you’re outmatched.
The Syracuse Orange will be riding high going into their second home game in just as many weeks. The Orange take on the California Golden Bears next Saturday at 3:30 pm at the JMA Wireless Dome.
