NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
After a disappointing loss the Syracuse Orange look to bounce back on Saturday vs the UConn Huskies. Syracuse won’t be let off the hook so easily as they’ll face more of the same in their deficiencies. Fourteen games into the new regime and we haven’t witnessed them staying down long. How do they bounce back against the Huskies?
Fix the Run Defense
The 2024 season spilled over into 2025 problems as Syracuse’s run defense struggled to make the big plays. At the forefront of their struggles was the inability to make solid tackles. If tackling is going to be a work in progress, then swarming the football is a must. You have to get 2, 3, 4 or more defenders out on the ball carrier. Extra yards ticked away at their success.
UConn had no trouble running the football against the Central Connecticut Blue Devils so hopefully the Orange are ready. Leading rusher Cam Edwards only touched the football six times in the run game for 115 yards and a touchdown, but broke one for 73 yards. SU can’t allow those types of gains. Their second best rusher, Mel Brown, had 9 carries for 83 yards with no TDs, but he too broke a 49 yard run. Four different running backs scored for the Huskies. Luckily for Syracuse, Joe Fagnano isn’t typically known as a rushing QB.
Close Encounters
The last matchup between these two, Syracuse barely edged out UConn on November 23, 2024. With the final score of 31-24 in the favor of the ‘Cuse, look for the Huskies to seek revenge and make a statement against a team that got some heavy fanfare in 2024.
In that same game, Syracuse held Fagnano to just 228 yards, but did allow two touchdowns. How did Cam Edwards, who was the lead rusher in that game do? 8 carries for 87 yards and a score, with the Huskies averaging 7.29 yards per carry. That game could’ve easily swung the other way and could this time around if Syracuse can’t clean it up.
Mental Fortitude Is Key
We’re hitting the rewind on this one as the Orange have to clean up their penalties. Penalties are like a free throw in basketball, you’re giving your opponent an easy opportunity to fix their mistakes or shortcomings. Syracuse might have kept the penalties light compared to Tennessee, committing 4 for 30 yards vs 7 for 65. However, if you’re going to make those mistakes, they can’t be drive killers, they can’t be against tough teams, and they can’t be consistent.
One thing is for sure, the Syracuse Orange are resilient. Each game they played last year proved they know how to bounce back. The same thing can be said this year. After being down 17-0 in the first quarter, Syracuse would go on for the next 3 quarters to match the Vols stride for stride in points. Their mental toughness is their, now it’s their mental focus on eliminating mistakes or big plays that needs to be on display.
As the Syracuse Orange take on the UConn Huskies with their first game in the JMA Wireless dome this weekend, fans need to bring the noise to the loud house. Kick off is scheduled for 12 pm. EST Saturday, September 6th for SU and there’s plenty of season to go. After a much needed season of excitement, fans should be showing up with their full support for a team that could be building something special.
