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Syracuse was a few plays away from beginning 0-2 for the first time since 2020. Following a 19-point loss to Tennessee in Week 1, SU hosted UConn for its home opener. The Orange tied or trailed the Huskies for the first 59 minutes of play but heroically came back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime.

SU then found a way to pick up a win before its final non-conference game until late November. Syracuse will take on Colgate from the Patriot League to climb over the .500 mark. The Raiders are 0-2 to begin their 2025 campaign.

The Orange trounced Colgate 65-0 in the 2023 season opener, but they’re yet to face the Raiders under head coach Fran Brown.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (1-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare against Colgate (0-2, 0-0 Patriot League):

Aiden Stepansky (2-0)
Get-right game
Syracuse 48, Colgate 15

This matchup is perfect timing for a get-right game — similar to Syracuse’s win over Holy Cross last season. The Orange have plenty to clean up. With Clemson on the horizon and a gauntlet ahead, this week could make or break SU’s season.

While Steve Angeli broke out in the final minutes and finished with over 400 passing yards against UConn, his shaky start was extremely worrisome. Through two weeks, his communication with the offensive line and identification of defensive schemes can be characterized as piss poor. It caused him to be nearly knocked out of the game several times by big hits.

Luckily for Angeli and the offensive line, the Raiders have tallied zero sacks and only two quarterback hits in their first 120 minutes of action. This should be an enjoyable tune-up ahead of facing Clemson’s ferocious front led by two future top 10 NFL Draft picks. As Angeli thrives, SU’s defensive line can find its groove too, as Colgate’s current rushing leader is quarterback Zach Osborne.

So yeah. This one shouldn’t be too hard. The Orange followed up their win over Holy Cross last year with marquee victories over then-No. 25 UNLV and NC State. I’m not saying they’ll do the same with Clemson. But it should be a step in the right direction.

Cooper Andrews (2-0)
On to Clemson
Syracuse 45, Colgate 13

This game is nothing more than a late preseason contest for the Orange. If they lose to Colgate, I will go on the Dome turf myself and join the team for postgame sprints. I don’t think Fran Brown wants to see a failed middle school lineman do that, so I’d strongly advise Syracuse to win this one.

On one hand, I do think Friday will be a closer contest than 2023’s 65-0 result. The Raiders are not bad through the air, led by receiver Treyvhon Saunders’ 360 yards through two games, and could gain a few chunk plays versus a relatively young SU cornerbacks unit.

But Colgate’s lack of a bell cow running back and struggles in its own secondary will ultimately doom it against a much more talented Syracuse team. The Raiders are allowing nearly 400 passing yards a game, and Angeli has averaged 345.5 air yards per game. I expect Angeli to pick Colgate’s secondary apart and use a litany of different receivers along the way, including Texas transfer Johntay Cook, who recorded just 27 yards against the Huskies.

No matter how you draw it up, the Orange boast a ridiculous advantage in every facet of the game. Their goal on Friday should be making sure they’re firing on all cylinders before traveling to face a surprisingly beatable Clemson team — which typically gives Syracuse fits.

Zak Wolf (2-0)
Looking ahead
Syracuse 50, Colgate 10

This is one of two guaranteed wins I have penciled in for Syracuse this season. The other one was UConn, which turned out to be a nail-biter. Colgate is not nearly as challenging. If this game is anything but a blowout, then SU fans should be extremely concerned. However, I don’t see any way the Orange fail to win comfortably.

Despite how nearly disastrous last week was, Angeli showed guts by surviving a couple of big hits. Once he found his rhythm, the quarterback looked elite. He won’t face the same tests this week, which is good news for Syracuse, as he’ll likely stay upright. The fewer blows Angeli takes, the better news for Syracuse.

Angeli will continue to spread the ball around the field to weapons like Cook, Darrell Gill Jr. and Justus Ross-Simmons. After a limited rushing attack against the Huskies, I think Yasin Willis will be more involved, and Angeli won’t have to throw the ball 40 times for a third straight week.

Syracuse will cruise past Colgate. Something I’ll be keeping my eye on is whether Syracuse rests some of its starters in the second half. Brown certainly doesn’t want to suffer any more injuries ahead of the ACC slate. That could mean a first look at Rickie Collins.

As Cooper and Aiden mentioned, this is a warm-up game. The true test lies next Saturday in Death Valley.

Published on September 10, 2025 at 9:40 pm