Previewing Syracuse’s home opener against UConn
Entering UConn head coach Jim Mora’s fourth year, the Huskies return a majority of their offensive weapons that Syracuse faced in 2024. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
For the first time in five seasons, Syracuse enters Week 2 0-1. The Orange has won 10 of its last 11 season openers entering 2025, with the lone exception being a 31-6 defeat to North Carolina in 2020. Facing then-No. 24 Tennessee last weekend, SU’s first Southeastern Conference opponent in eight seasons, posted a devastating challenge the Orange couldn’t survive.
Syracuse fell behind early due to poor offensive line play and the Volunteers targeting 17-year-old freshman Demetres Samuel Jr. Steve Angeli and Co. eventually found their footing, but it was too late as UT dropped 31 points in the first half and rolled to a win.
“We’re 0-1 and that’s not a good deal,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said. “We want to get on the winning side of the column so we can continue to try to go face the things we need to face.”
To reach the win column and return to the .500 mark, the Orange must face off against former Big East foe UConn. The Huskies crushed Central Connecticut by 46 points in their 2025 opener, building off a 9-4 mark capped by a Fenway Bowl victory a year ago.
Here’s everything you need to know before Syracuse’s (0-1, 0-0 ACC) home opener against UConn (1-0, Independent) Saturday:
All time series
Syracuse leads UConn 7-6.
Last time they played …
Fresh off a victory on the West Coast versus Cal, Syracuse returned home on Nov. 23, 2024, for its penultimate regular-season game. The Orange quickly asserted their dominance against UConn as Kyle McCord uncorked a 53-yard bomb to Darrell Gill Jr. on the first play of the game. SU scored on the next play and never trailed en route to a 31-24 victory.
McCord passed Ryan Nassib for the program’s single-season passing yards record with a career-best 470 passing yards on an absurd 37-of-47 mark. Gill reset his personal highs too, as he tallied nine receptions for 185 yards — the most for a Syracuse receiver since Steve Ishmael in 2017. The Orange then rode the momentum of the win to upset then-No. 8 Miami the following week.
Former Syracuse wide receiver Jackson Meeks races down the sideline as former UConn defensive lineman Langston Hardy follows closely behind. Meeks recorded 110 receiving yards in the Orange’s 31-24 win. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
The Huskies report
After meeting for the first time as opposing coaches in 2024, Brown said he and UConn head coach Jim Mora have become friends. Brown and the former Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons head coach text, he said Monday.
The Huskies, now in their fourth season under Mora, have shown significant improvement. When Mora took over the program from former SU assistant Randy Edsall in 2022, UConn was coming off five seasons in a row with three or fewer wins. Fast forward to 2024, and the Huskies secured nine victories, their most since 2007.
Entering Mora’s fourth year, UConn returns a majority of its offensive weapons that the Orange faced previously. Quarterback Joe Fagnano enters his seventh college season and third with the Huskies. He threw for 1,631 passing yards last year and attempted 48 passes in the Huskies’ loss to Syracuse. Alongside Fagnano, UConn also mixes in junior Nick Evers as a rushing threat.
Fagnano’s top target is senior Skyler Bell. He tallied 860 receiving yards in 2024 and began 2025 with a bang, scoring two touchdowns on four receptions and 135 yards. The Huskies also lean on wide receivers Chris Parker and Jackson Harper, as well as tight end Javonte Vereen, who transferred from NC State.
Running back Cam Edwards leads the way with Mel Brown as another key contributor, but UConn completely revamped its offensive line. It lost both offensive tackles to the NFL and returns only left guard Kyle Juergens and former Syracuse lineman Wes Hoeh Jr. at center. The offense overall was unstoppable in the season opener, reaching a program record 638 total yards.
Defensively, after leading tackler Jayden McDonald graduated, Temple transfer Tyquan King has taken on a top role. He recorded a team-high eight tackles versus Central Connecticut. Top pass rusher Tui Faumuina-Brown also graduated, as did interception leader Malik Dixon-Williams.
Oumar Diomande has stepped into a more prominent linebacker role and Washington transfer Bryun Parham takes on the pass-rushing work. In the back end, Grand Valley State transfer Devin Pringle and sophomore Cam Chadwick are the starting cornerbacks. Senior safety D’Mon Brinson was the highest graded player on the defense per Pro Football Focus at 80.5.
The Huskies’ best attribute per PFF last year was their coverage, which graded at a 90.0 and the 10th-best mark in the country. Through Week 1, their pass coverage is 63rd among all FBS schools at 70.4.
How Syracuse beats UConn
The Orange have the best chance to capture their first victory of 2025 by giving Angeli time to operate on offense and mitigating UConn’s rushing attack. Tennessee’s five-sack performance was described by Brown as “unacceptable.”
Luckily for SU, the Huskies recorded just one sack against Central Connecticut and don’t seem to pose as much of a threat. Brown hopes to mix in some depth versus UConn, he said Monday, rather than utilize the same five starters for the entire game. With this strategy, Angeli can settle in and find his connection with Johntay Cook while getting Gill more involved.
Additionally, the Orange’s run defense looked pitiful against the Volunteers, and they need to stop the Huskies in their tracks. By limiting Edwards, Syracuse could force Fagnano into a few poor decisions and give Syracuse chances for marquee turnovers.
Stat to know: 5-of-14
Despite going 3-for-4 on fourth-down attempts against Tennessee, Syracuse’s offense converted just five third downs on 14 attempts. The 35.7% mark is far below the Orange’s impressive 49.0% efficiency from a season ago, with 94 conversions on 192 attempts ranking only behind Miami in the ACC.
UConn held its Week 1 opponent, Central Connecticut, to a similar tally at 5-for-16. The Huskies’ offense, however, was masterful, with an efficient 12-for-16. If Syracuse can move the chains, it’ll be in prime territory to surpass its 26-point total from the season opener.
Player to watch: Cam Edwards, running back, No. 0
The redshirt junior running back has shouldered an increased workload in each season for the Huskies thus far. To kick off 2025, Edwards recorded 115 rushing yards on six attempts for an absurd 19.2 yards per carry. For reference, Syracuse tallied 2.3 YPC on 44 rushes versus the Volunteers.
The Norwalk, Connecticut, native appeared in all 13 games last season and notched a team-leading 146 attempts and 830 rushing yards. His longest run came against the Orange, a 71-yard burst for a touchdown. Slowing Edwards means slowing a substantial portion of the Huskies’ rushing attack.
