Tag: Orange

WR Calvin Russell III signs, gives Syracuse highest-ranked class ever

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell III signed his letter of intent to play at Syracuse.

He held a signing party Thursday night, a day after he said he needed a bit more time to put pen to paper. Committed to the Orange since July, Russell faced a late push from Miami and Michigan.

Russell’s signing gives Syracuse its highest-rated recruiting class in the modern era of rankings. Syracuse’s class is No. 31 overall, and Russell is the highest-ranked player to sign with the Orange in 25 years, according to 247Sports.

247Sports lists the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Russell as the No. 2 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 23 overall player.

On Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period, Russell’s high school teammate Tedarius Hughes signed with head coach Fran Brown and the Orange. He is a top-50 cornerback.

The two played at Miami Northwestern, which is developing a pipeline to Syracuse. The Orange had three freshmen on their 2025 roster from the school.

–Field Level Media

Boston College, Syracuse seeking happy finish to dismal seasons

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Familiar foes with second-year head coaches will try to conclude disappointing seasons on a winning note as Boston College and host Syracuse clash on Saturday.

One team’s long skid will be broken in the season finale. Boston College (1-10, 0-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) has lost 10 straight and looks to avoid finishing winless against FBS competition, while Syracuse (3-8, 1-6) is out to break a seven-game slide.

“This is a big game for us, a big game for them,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “It’s a much-needed game for both organizations going into the offseason.”

The Orange took a 70-7 loss at then-No. 9 Notre Dame last Saturday, allowing three defensive and special-teams touchdowns while falling behind 35-0 in the first quarter. It was one of six games Syracuse played this season against six teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Brown tabbed freshman walk-on quarterback Joseph Filardi for just his second career start against the Fighting Irish. He threw for 83 yards and three interceptions and also rushed for 33 yards, including the only Orange touchdown.

“We just told Joe to go out here and still play, a little competition, and I think there’s one other guy (true freshman Rich Belin) that’s healthy enough to get an opportunity,” said Brown, who has played four signal-callers and 22 first-time starters overall this season.

Boston College has been idle since a 36-34 home loss to then-No. 16 Georgia Tech on Nov. 15. Coach Bill O’Brien’s team racked up 537 yards and held a fourth-quarter lead before falling just short.

In one final game, the Eagles will look to show the fight they have shown all season.

“That’s been the one thing about this team that I’ll never forget,” O’Brien said. “Nobody wants to be where they are record-wise, but at the end of the day, these guys have fought very hard in every single game.”

Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan started at quarterback against the Yellow Jackets and will again this Saturday.

Against Georgia Tech, Lonergan passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns. Reed Harris and Lewis Bond — the latter who is the program’s new single-season and career receptions leader — became the first pair of 100-yard receivers in the same game for Boston College since 1993.

“He made a lot of great throws, he anticipated well, he took off a couple times which helped us a lot,” O’Brien said of Lonergan. “We just tried to keep getting better every single day. He works very hard.”

–Field Level Media

Jeremiyah Love (3 TDs), No. 9 Notre Dame demolish Syracuse

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Jeremiyah Love rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns and No. 9 Notre Dame stormed to a 70-7 win over Syracuse on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

Jadarian Price finished with 70 rushing yards and a touchdown for Notre Dame (9-2), which won its ninth in a row. Kenny Minchey and Aneyas Williams each rushed for a touchdown as the Fighting Irish racked up 329 rushing yards.

Joseph Filardi completed 14 of 26 passes for 83 yards but threw three interceptions for Syracuse (3-8), which has lost seven straight. Luke Carney completed three of four passes for 12 yards in backup duty.

The Fighting Irish scored 70 points for the first time since 1932, when they beat Haskell 73-0.

Notre Dame wasted no time in asserting its dominance. The Fighting Irish scored five touchdowns in the first quarter and jumped to a 49-0 lead by the half.

Defense and special teams accounted for Notre Dame’s first three touchdowns.

On Syracuse’s opening drive, Jalen Stroman picked off Filardi and returned the interception 44 yards for a touchdown.

Less than two minutes later, Notre Dame’s Luke Talich scooped up a blocked punt and returned it 22 yards down the left sideline for a score.

Next came the Fighting Irish’s second pick-six of the first quarter. Leonard Moore intercepted a Filardi pass and returned it 46 yards for a score to make it 21-0.

Love and Price added one long rushing touchdown apiece to boost the score to 35-0 before the end of the first quarter. Love scored on a 45-yard run with 6:32 left and Price scored on a 58-yard sprint with 4:01 to go.

CJ Carr tossed his only touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter. He connected with Will Pauling for a 6-yard score to make it 42-0.

Love added a 14-yard rushing score to give Notre Dame a 49-0 lead going into the half.

In the third quarter, Love added to his big day with a 68-yard touchdown run.

Williams and Minchey scored one rushing touchdown apiece in the fourth quarter to give Notre Dame a 70-0 lead.

Syracuse ended the shutout with seven seconds to go on Filardi’s 6-yard rushing score.

–Field Level Media

Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jaylen McGill (27) carries the ball against the Syracuse Orange in the second quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

UNC shuts down Syracuse’s offense, earns first ACC win

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Gio Lopez threw for two touchdowns and North Carolina scored TDs on its first three possessions of the second half to collect the first Atlantic Coast Conference victory under first-year coach Bill Belichick, defeating host Syracuse 27-10 on Friday night.

North Carolina (3-5, 1-3 ACC) was dominant on defense, limiting the Orange (3-6, 1-5) to 147 yards of total offense and putting a halt to a four-game losing streak. It marked the Tar Heels’ first victory of the season against an opponent from a power conference.

North Carolina’s Demon June rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and he added two catches for 81 yards and a score. Lopez completed 15 of 19 throws for 216 yards and wasn’t intercepted or sacked.

Syracuse, which lost its fifth game in a row, benched quarterback Rickie Collins in favor of freshman Joseph Filardi, who made the start but never got untracked. Filardi wound up 4-for-18 for 39 yards. The Orange’s only touchdown came courtesy of their defense on a fumble recovery.

The Tar Heels, who lost in overtime to nationally ranked Virginia last weekend, had a chance to score on all four second-half possessions, but they chose to take a knee after reaching the Syracuse 3-yard line at the two-minute mark.

North Carolina needed one play for to produce its first touchdown drive. Lopez’s 72-yard pass to June on the Tar Heels’ initial snap of the third quarter gave the visitors a 13-7 lead.

The Tar Heels increased the gap to 20-10 on June’s 5-yard run with eight seconds left in the third quarter.

After recovering a fumble, the Tar Heels needed just three plays to cover 21 yards. Lopez connected with Jordan Shipp for a 21-yard touchdown and a 27-10 lead.

Syracuse, despite a 1-for-11 passing performance and 71 total yards, led 10-6 at halftime.

North Carolina opened the scoring on Rece Verhoff’s 24-yard field goal, but Syracuse went ahead later in the first half when Shamar Easter fumbled and Anwar Sparrow returned the recovery 51 yards for a touchdown.

The Orange extended their lead on Tripp Woody’s 31-yard field goal to conclude a 13-play drive that produced 50 yards. Verhoff’s 43-yard field goal with 36 seconds left in the half closed the gap to 10-6.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) celebrates his touchdown run with wide receiver Kenny Johnson (2) against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Pitt leans on special teams, defense in win over Syracuse

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Kenny Johnson returned a punt for a touchdown to spark visiting Pitt to a 30-13 win over Syracuse in ACC action on Saturday.

Pitt’s Mason Heintschel was 13-of-24 for 143 yards with an interception and a rushing score. Trey Butkowski kicked three field goals for the Panthers (5-2, 3-1 ACC), who have won three straight games.

Rickie Collins threw a pair of touchdown passes for Syracuse (3-4, 1-3), but he also was intercepted three times. He finished 16-of-32 for 126 yards — 66 of which went to Johntay Cook II (seven receptions) — and added a team-high 37 yards on the ground.

On the third play of the game, Collins overthrew Cook on a ball that was intercepted by Tamon Lynum. Shortly thereafter, Heintschel scrambled up the middle for a 36-yard touchdown.

Later in the first quarter, Heintschel’s deep ball was intercepted by Davien Kerr and returned 34 yards to the Pitt 12. Two plays later, Collins found Darrell Gill Jr. for an 11-yard touchdown.

The Panthers kicked a field goal early in the second quarter to go ahead 10-7, but the highlight of the period came in the waning seconds. With the clock ticking down, Syracuse’s Jack Stonehouse unleashed a 43-yard punt that Johnson fielded in a crowd before bursting up the field for a 66-yard score.

Pitt’s first drive of the third quarter ended with Butkowski’s 42-yard field goal, but the rest of the quarter featured five punts. At one point in that stretch, the Orange benched Collins in favor of Luke Carney, who went 2-for-3 for 10 yards and ran three times for nine yards.

Collins returned and promptly threw another interception — this one on a deflected ball — as Kavir Bains-Marquez’s pick set up Butkowski’s 32-yard field goal. That kick put the Panthers up 23-7 with about 11 minutes left.

On the ensuing possession, Collins connected with Justus Ross-Simmons for a 12-yard touchdown. The Orange failed on the ensuing two-point conversion, but they executed a surprise onsides kick to give themselves another chance at points.

However, that drive was ruined by penalties as the hosts turned it over on downs. Juelz Goff sealed the win for the visitors with a 1-yard TD run with just under two minutes left.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Syracuse Orange wide receiver Johnny Cook (2) runs near Clemson Tigers cornerback Ashton Hampton (23) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard/GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Syracuse downs Clemson but loses QB Steve Angeli to leg injury

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Steve Angeli threw two touchdowns before leaving with a leg injury as visiting Syracuse knocked off Clemson 34-21 on Saturday in a game that was delayed by lightning for more than 90 minutes.

Angeli suffered a non-contact injury in the third quarter and later was seen on the sideline on crutches, unable to put any weight on his left leg. The Orange quarterback, who entered the game leading the nation in passing yards, finished 18 of 31 for 244 yards.

Syracuse led 24-14 at halftime.

Rickie Collins, who replaced Angeli, threw a third-quarter touchdown pass to help Syracuse (3-1, 1-0 ACC) pull away. Johntay Cook II led the Orange with six catches for 113 yards, while Justus Ross-Simmons caught five passes for 53 yards and two scores.

Clemson’s Cade Klubnik went 37 of 60 for 363 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Adam Randall ran for 130 yards and added 44 receiving yards and a score for the Tigers (1-3, 0-2), who lost their second game in a row.

Bryant Wesco Jr. caught a pair of touchdown passes for Clemson.

Syracuse drove down the field to begin the game, scoring on Angeli’s 12-yard TD pass to Ross-Simmons with 11:01 left in the first quarter. The Orange then recovered a surprise onside kick and capitalized on Tripp Woody’s 23-yard field goal for a 10-0 cushion.

Klubnik responded with a 38-yard TD pass to Wesco, but the Orange tacked on two touchdowns early in the second quarter. First, Will Nixon scored on a 9-yard run to make it 17-7, and then Angeli found Darrell Gill Jr. for a 22-yard scoring strike to put the visitors ahead by 17 points.

Klubnik and Randall teamed a 6-yard TD pass late in the first half to bring the hosts within 24-14.

After the lightning delay, the Orange scored the only 10 points of the third quarter. Woody’s 49-yard kick made it 27-14, and Collins’ 18-yard touchdown pass to Ross-Simmons ballooned the lead to 34-14 with 2:12 left in the period.

Klubnik and Wesco connected for a 9-yard TD play with nine minutes left in the game, but Syracuse got a pair of fourth-down stops down the stretch.

–Field Level Media

Sep 12, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. (15) tries to avoid a tackle by Colgate Raiders defensive back Tymir Wynn (6) in the first quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Steve Angeli tosses 5 TDs as Syracuse thrashes Colgate

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Steve Angeli threw five touchdown passes and ran for another as Syracuse trounced visiting Colgate 66-24 on Friday evening.

Following last week’s overtime win against UConn, Orange coach Fran Brown made his team run postgame sprints on the field as a sign of his displeasure with his players’ effort during the contest. Syracuse (2-1) put forth a much crisper effort in this one, scoring 38 first-half points and finishing with 620 yards of total offense.

Darrell Gill Jr. racked up six catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns for the Orange, while Will Nixon contributed 66 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Angeli finished 24 of 32 for 417 yards for Syracuse.

Zach Osborne was 13 of 28 for 135 yards with two interceptions before Jake Stearney came on and went 14-for-20 for 148 yards and two scores. Reed Swanson was a popular target for the Raiders (0-3), totaling 110 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions.

Syracuse scored on its first possession as Angeli found Justus Ross-Simmons for a 26-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Colgate responded with a field goal before the Orange found the end zone again on Gill’s leaping catch near the goal line — a 43-yard score that made it 14-3.

Early in the second quarter, Syracuse jumped ahead 21-3 on Nixon’s 2-yard TD plunge.

Angeli threw a pair of touchdowns later in the quarter. He hooked up with Gill for a 35-yard score and then found Jaylan Hornsby for a 25-yard TD to make it 38-3 with less than two minutes until intermission.

On Colgate’s first possession of the second half, Syracuse held firm on fourth down at the Raiders’ 41. Three plays later, Angeli and Darrell Williams connected on a 26-yard TD catch.

Stearney and Swanson hooked up for two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the third quarter to make the score more respectable. However, the hosts tacked on three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win going away.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons (12) runs after a catch and scores a touchdown against the UConn Huskies during the second half at JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Syracuse hopes to avoid postgame sprints against Colgate

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Fran Brown knows that success and culture don’t automatically transfer from one season to the next.

The Syracuse coach hopes to see his team take another step forward Friday when the Orange host FCS foe Colgate in nonconference action.

After absorbing a 45-26 loss at the hands of No. 24 Tennessee in its season opener, Syracuse (1-1) appeared destined for another defeat Saturday against UConn. However, the Orange scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes of regulation and another one in overtime to escape with a 27-20 victory.

Following the win, Brown had his players run sprints on the field in front of the home fans. He later noted his displeasure with his team’s effort during the contest.

“This year, we don’t have all the same people,” said Brown, whose squad is coming off a 10-3 campaign in 2024. “There’s a lot of people coming in and playing for the first time. We’ve got a lot of freshmen. We’ve got a lot of sophomores. The culture is getting stronger daily — I am demanding that — and I am seeing it grow.”

Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli threw for 417 yards and two touchdowns — both to Justus Ross-Simmons — while Yasin Willis ran for 48 yards and a score.

“We had too many mistakes and got lucky and beat a good football team with a lot of missed assignments,” Brown said.

Colgate (0-2) hung tough in its first two games despite falling to Monmouth (42-39) and Villanova (24-17). Zach Osborne threw for 239 yards against the Wildcats on Saturday while Treyvhon Sanders finished with 10 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.

“This will sting, but we’ll get back to work,” said first-year Colgate coach Curt Fitzpatrick. “That’s the only choice we have.”

Syracuse is 22-0 against FCS opponents since the divisions split in 1978. The Orange lead the all-time series with the Raiders 32-31-5, which includes 17 consecutive wins heading into Friday’s matchup.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 31, 2025.

No. 24 Tennessee, Syracuse look to carry 2024 momentum into season-opening clash

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When No. 24 Tennessee faces Syracuse in Atlanta this weekend, the similarities will run much deeper than the colors in the stands.

Fresh off productive campaigns, the two orange-clad foes introduce new quarterbacks as they open their respective seasons against each other Saturday.

Tennessee went 10-3 a season ago in Josh Heupel’s fourth year on the sidelines. The team has won 30 games over the past three seasons and made it to the College Football Playoff in 2024, although eventual champion Ohio State clobbered the Volunteers, 42-17, in the first round of the inaugural 12-team event.

After appearing in 25 games at Appalachian State, Joey Aguilar takes over at quarterback for Tennessee. He threw 56 touchdowns (but also 24 interceptions) during his time with the Mountaineers.

“I was super excited (to win the starting quarterback job),” said Aguilar, who actually transferred to UCLA before switching gears and heading to Knoxville. “Coming out here and being the starting quarterback of this program is nothing but excitement. And that’s all I can say. I’m just super excited.”

Tennessee ranked in the top 20 nationally last season in both total offense and scoring. So not only will Aguilar have big shoes to fill, with former Tennessee starter Nico Iamaleava essentially taking Aguilar’s place at UCLA. But the team will have a new look at running back with Peyton Lewis and company attempting to replace Dylan Sampson.

Integrating four new starters on the offensive line doesn’t exactly help matters. Still, Heupel remains confident in his team – and eager to see how the squad looks in Week 1.

“I like who they are, how they compete, how they’ve grown,” Heupel said. “…Game 1s, there’s a lot of unknowns as far as what you’re seeing from the other side of the ball, their personnel, all of those things. You’ve got to be able to communicate and adjust quickly and well during the course of a football game, but I like this team that we have.”

Meanwhile, Syracuse won 10 games a season ago – its first double-digit victory campaign since 2018. Coach Fran Brown turned around the program with a blend of masterful recruiting, strong leadership and outstanding motivational tactics.

That said, the team lost quarterback Kyle McCord – one of the top signal-callers in college football a season ago – and will also have to replace running back LeQuint Allen Jr. Despite those losses, the Orange offense should once again be effective (and complex) with Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli under center.

“All their shifts, trades, motions, the communication is going to be important (against Syracuse),” said Heupel.

Among the players that Angeli will need to keep a close eye on defensively is linebacker Arion Carter, who led the team with 68 tackles last season.

“That linebacker, (number) seven, Arion, he’s a beast,” said Brown. “He just can play football. He’s really good. Does a really good job.”

This is the fourth all-time meeting between Syracuse and Tennessee but the first since 2001. The Volunteers have won each of the previous three matchups.

“Everybody (in the stands) is going to have on orange. Orange is orange,” Heupel said. “My guys are just going to be happy to play in a packed stadium. We’re ready to go.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (31) breaks up a pass intended for Syracuse Orange running back LeQuint Allen (1) during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

No. 6 Miami loses out on ACC title berth, falls at Syracuse

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Kyle McCord passed for 380 yards and three touchdowns as the host Syracuse Orange rallied to upset the sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes 42-38 in an ACC game on Saturday.

Syracuse trailed 21-0 but took its first lead, 35-28, in the third quarter on a 56-yard fumble recovery by Devin Grant. The Orange never trailed again.

A win would’ve put Miami in the ACC title game next Saturday against SMU. Instead, Miami (10-2, 6-2) ended its regular season with two upset losses in its final three games.

Syracuse (9-3, 5-3) got two touchdown receptions from Jackson Meeks (seven catches, 110 yards). Teammate Trebor Pena caught six passes for 128 yards and one TD.

Cam Ward led Miami, passing for 349 yards and two TDs. He leads the nation with 36 TD passes, and he also went over 4,000 passing yards for the season.

McCord, who leads the nation in passing yards, also went over 4,000 yards for the season.

Hurricanes wide receiver Xavier Restrepo caught nine passes for 148 yards and one touchdown. He went over 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season, but his fumble led to Grant’s TD.

After Miami’s 21-0 lead, Syracuse rallied to cut its deficit to 21-14 by halftime.

On those two Orange TDs, LeQuint Allen ran eight yards, and Meeks won a 9-yard jump-ball battle against cornerback Daryl Porter Jr., who ended up on the turf.

Syracuse took the second-half kickoff and scored in three plays. McCord hit Pena with a 50-yarder and then a 25-yard touchdown, tying the score, 21-21.

Miami responded with a 75-yard TD march, capped by Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 2-yard run.

Syracuse tied the score on another 9-yard TD pass to Meeks — this time on a slant — and the Orange were driving again when Miami’s Bobby Pruitt forced and recovered a fumble. Yasin Willis was the Syracuse running back who got stripped at the Miami 17.

But Restrepo fumbled, and Grant’s return changed momentum.

Miami tied the score on Damien Martinez’s 2-yard run with 13:02 left. That was set up by a 40-yard completion to Restrepo.

Syracuse went back on top, 42-35, on Allen’s 3-yard run with 9:16 left.

With less than four minutes remaining, Miami faced a fourth-and-goal at the 10. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal — instead of going for the touchdown — opted for a field goal. Miami closed its deficit to 42-38 on Andres Borregales’ 27-yard field goal, but the Hurricanes never got the ball back.

–Field Level Media