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ATLANTA — It wasn’t the play Steve Angeli wanted to make. But it’s something he mastered in high school.

The Syracuse quarterback lined up in a singleback shotgun formation with four receivers split left and right. It was early in the second quarter Saturday against No. 24 Tennessee, and the Orange faced a daunting fourth-and-16 at the Volunteers’ 36-yard line. Trailing 24-7, SU appeared to already be in touchdown-only mode.

Instead, Angeli took the snap, dropped the ball, reared back his right leg and booted it into the air. A pooch punt. He said he learned the technique while playing at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey. As untraditional as it was, it worked. Angeli’s punt rolled 34 yards, stopped in its tracks and got downed by Yasin Willis at the Tennessee two-yard line.

Angeli didn’t elaborate much on his surprise punt, probably because that play would only occur on a stalled offensive drive. Still, it flashed Angeli’s poise, one of the qualities that SU head coach Fran Brown thinks stands out about the signal caller’s game.

Though Angeli’s Orange debut was marred by suffering five sacks in Syracuse’s (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) 45-26 loss to No. 24 Tennessee (1-0, 0-0 Southeastern), he provided glimpses into how he can help SU win in the future. Angeli completed 23-of-40 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown and one interception — not eye-catching numbers by any means. But his ability to keep Syracuse within striking distance in the second half prevented Saturday’s season-opener from turning into a bloodbath.

“I’m really thankful for him, I think he’s gonna be a really good quarterback here for us,” Brown said of Angeli postgame. “I’m really happy that he’s at the helm for us.”

Angeli isn’t used to losing football games. The Notre Dame transfer entered Saturday boasting one of the most absurd runs you’ll ever hear — as a starting quarterback, Angeli had only lost one game since fifth grade.

But facing a program like Tennessee makes it tough to maintain that streak. And considering the constant pressure in Angeli’s face, which led to a Volunteers scoop-and-score by cornerback Colton Hood and his sole interception of the day, it’s a miracle he led the Orange to 12 unanswered points amid the third and fourth quarters.

“I have a lot of confidence in my guys in front of me,” Angeli said of leading SU’s offense. “They played their absolute butts off today. Running backs, receivers, blocking, they played their butts off, so I’m proud of them.”

After Syracuse fell behind 38-14 to start the third quarter, Angeli led the Orange to touchdown drives on two of their next three possessions to make it a 12-point game late (SU failed both two-point conversions).

He looked calm in the pocket, getting the ball out quicker as the contest progressed. He found sweet spots over the middle to targets like receiver Johntay Cook and tight end Dan Villari, who combined for 11 catches and 113 yards, and tossed multiple gains of 20-plus yards to wideout Justus Ross-Simmons — both of which led to the Orange’s first scoring drive of the second half.

On Syracuse’s final touchdown drive of the day, Angeli made one of his best plays on a fourth-and-1 situation, breaking away from two free Tennessee rushers to prevent a sack before tossing an eight-yard strike to tight end David Clement. It promptly led to a Willis touchdown rush, one of the sophomore’s three on the afternoon.

All of Willis’ touchdowns came from close range, a testament to Angeli steering the Orange throughout most of their possessions despite falling behind 17-0 after 15 minutes.

“Turning the page on the first quarter, I felt like we responded well and continued to play hard,” Angeli said. “We’ve got to get back to work tomorrow.”

When naming Angeli as SU’s Week 1 starter over LSU transfer Rickie Collins, Brown mentioned Angeli’s knack of developing strong relationships in the locker room with every teammate. Angeli elicits the respect of a seasoned veteran. Why wouldn’t he? A highly-touted high school quarterback prospect who excelled during a brief cameo in the College Football Playoff last winter is bound to earn his counterparts’ respect.

Brown knows for Syracuse to be successful, the buck must stop at the quarterback. In 2024, Kyle McCord ran the show for the Orange once they hit the field. He blamed himself for losses and praised others for wins, all while letting his ACC single-season record-breaking passing campaign do the talking for what he brought to the table.

Now, with SU having to respond from the second-largest loss of Brown’s tenure, Angeli is tasked to right the ship. He showed flashes of the player he can become this year on Saturday in Atlanta. Now, he must grow into the ultra-commanding presence that everyone around him says he exhibits.

“I believe we have the strongest culture in the country,” Angeli said of Syracuse. “When things get tough, we just get closer.”

Published on August 31, 2025 at 9:33 am
Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews