By every assessment, Syracuse's season has not gone according to plan. Fran Brown's seat is warming a bit, even after snapping an 11-game losing streak in conference play. But for all of the shortcomings of this team, it is very clear that Brown is learning on the job and committed to not making the same mistakes twice.
The Orange got off to a promising start in 2025 only for an injury to Steve Angeli to completely derail the entire campaign. Syracuse spent the remainder of the season cycling through quarterbacks that it turns out had no business starting for the team. With eight straight losses, the season wound up being a resounding dud.
This is where Brown deserves credit. Even with Angeli expected to be ready to start Week 1, he still went out and added three different quarterbacks with previous starting experience in the transfer portal. Brown wanted to be sure that he would not be forced to play with one of his hands tied behind his back because of an injury to one player again.
No one expected to see all three of those transfers and Angeli feature in the first seven games of the season. It's been necessary though. Angeli lacked sharpness in his return. The fourth year quarterback started the first three games, but then Brown surprised everyone when Amari Odom started against UConn rather than the former Notre Dame transfer. However, he was available against the Huskies. He received a PRP shot in his leg and missed the next several weeks.
Odom's tenure as the starter was short-lived. The Kennesaw State transfer injured his shoulder in the win. He was listed as questionable the past few weeks, but recently underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Malachi Nelson stepped in and looked more then capable in competitive losses to Virginia and Louisville. However, the UTEP transfer also struggled to stay healthy, which pulled Danny Lauter into action in both contests.
The quarterback carousel appears to have come full circle with Angeli now back at the helm facing UNC. He engineered a fourth-quarter comeback and ultimately led the Orange to a much-needed win over the Tar Heels.
Even though Syracuse has struggled to stack up wins this season, particularly in ACC play, the improved depth in the quarterback room has paid immediate dividends. Three of their four conference losses have been by one possession. Fans don't want moral victories, but this is a massive improvement compared to what happened when Angeli suffered an injury a year ago. The Orange's average margin of defeat on their eight-game losing streak last year was 27.5 points per game.
That has to matter for Brown's job security. Playing without your starting quarterback is difficult. It's no excuse to lose by 22 to Boston College though. 'Cuse finished at the very bottom of the ACC standings. It hasn't been perfect so far and, yes, technically, the Orange are still at the bottom of the ACC standings, but their average margin of defeat in their four conference losses is just seven this year.
Hopefully, the UNC result is a sign of things to come. 'Cuse faces a tough SMU squad on Saturday, but a three-game stretch of home vs. Clemson, at NC State and at Boston College offers plenty of opportunities for Brown's squad to pick up a few wins. If they somehow win all three, the Orange will be going bowling.
It hasn't been the season fans envisioned, but it could have been so much worse if Brown had not addressed a major need in the offseason. Hopefully, this offseason he will learn again and bring in a few reliable kickers in the portal,
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/syracuse as Fran Brown Learning From Past Mistake Has Kept Syracuse's Season Afloat .
