Data dive: Syracuse’s defining numbers halfway through 2025 season
Syracuse has had both high and lows through its first six games, including strong play from tight end Dan Villari and struggles from quarterback Rickie Collins. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse football’s 2025 campaign has already seen it lose as many games as last year. The Orange followed up their historic 10-win 2024 by going 3-3 across their first six games of this season. Though SU appeared to be a sneaky contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference following its Week 4 win over Clemson, quarterback Steve Angeli’s season-ending torn Achilles has resulted in it dropping two straight games for the first time under head coach Fran Brown.
At the midway point of the season, the Orange have a timely bye week on their schedule. How they perform in their next two games against beatable opponents in Pitt (Oct. 18) and UNC (Oct. 31) could determine if they qualify for a bowl game. But for now, SU’s season has been a mixed bag that has it trending toward getting the entire month of December off.
Here’s a dive into some key statistics defining Syracuse’s (3-3, 1-2 ACC) 2025 campaign so far:
SU’s 65.6 pass-rush grade
For the second straight year under second-year defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, the Orange are struggling to sack the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, SU’s pass-rush grade sits at a measly 65.6 — the third-worst mark in the ACC and 36th-worst in the nation.
The only Syracuse players with 2.0 sacks are cornerback Braheem Long Jr. and Jamie Tremble, who was recruited as a tight end before becoming SU’s starting SAM linebacker in 2025. Both of them are sophomores, too. Other than that duo’s 4.0 combined sacks, the Orange only have 4.0 other sacks to their name, including just 1.5 by their top-two edge rushers: Denis Jaquez Jr. (1.0) and David Reese (0.5).
After losing Fadil Diggs to the NFL Draft and interior defensive lineman Maraad Watson via the transfer portal, Syracuse’s pass rush has become a shell of itself. No one has stepped up as a premier pass-rushing threat this year. Until somebody does, the Orange’s front seven will continue giving quarterbacks tons of time to pick it apart — SU is averaging the sixth-most passing yards allowed in the country at 291.2 per game.
Villari’s 311 receiving yards
Graduate tight end Dan Villari is far and away one of Syracuse’s most undervalued players. He’s put together a dominant 2025 campaign thus far, ranking fourth among all tight ends in the FBS with 311 receiving yards in six contests. It’s already a career high for the former Michigan quarterback commit.
Considering how many outside weapons the Orange have — Johntay Cook, Justus Ross-Simmons, Darrell Gill Jr., Jaylan Hornsby, etc. — Villari’s received heaps of free space across the middle this season. Oftentimes, opposing safety duos are forced to help toward the sidelines, which usually draws Villari open in intermediate passing range. And he’s taken advantage by ranking second on SU with 27 receptions.
With Angeli done for the year and Syracuse’s offense currently sputtering, offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon may scheme Villari open with increased regularity; he can help out his inexperienced quarterback, Rickie Collins, by acting as a safety valve.
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Collins’ 5.2% interception rate
Collins, a redshirt sophomore who transferred from LSU this offseason, took over under center in place of the ailing Angeli beginning in Week 5 versus Duke. However, Collins has left a rough first impression so far.
His 5.2% interception rate is among the worst of any FBS quarterback with more than 50 pass attempts, tossing five picks in 96 pass attempts so far this season.
Look, before you start calling for now-backup quarterback Luke Carney to replace Collins as SU’s starter, even someone as excellent as Kyle McCord had an interception problem. He threw 12 picks last year, averaging just less than one per contest. McCord infamously tossed five interceptions in a single game against Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, 2024. At the end of the day, interceptions are bound to happen in Nixon’s air-raid offense.
But thus far, Collins hasn’t made up for his turnovers with points of his own. He’s tallied three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, currently totaling more giveaways than touchdowns scored. In each of the two games he started — double-digit losses to Duke and SMU — the Orange failed to score a touchdown by halftime and Collins tossed a first-quarter pick in both of them, too.
Cook’s 90.8 grade on deep balls
Cook, a Texas transfer wideout, leads all Syracuse receivers with 31 receptions and 390 yards. But where he’s displayed his greatest strength is his ability to torch opposing secondaries on routes of 20 yards or more.
On deep passes (20-plus yards) intended for Cook this season, he currently boasts a PFF receiving grade of 90.8. That’s as close as it gets to perfect, folks.
Cook’s top moments this season didn’t occur in any of Syracuse’s wins. He hauled in his first touchdown at SU in its season-opening loss to then-No. 24 Tennessee. Cook’s second score came last week against SMU on a play where he completed an acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone off a throw from Collins, who was blanketed by two Mustang defenders.
Rumors about Cook being unhappy were inadvertently spread around social media Saturday night after someone called into ESPN Syracuse radio’s football postgame show, who claimed to be Cook’s uncle, David Cook. David made wild accusations about Collins’ performance ruining Cook’s chances at being drafted into the NFL. He also said he obtained Syracuse’s fall practice tape of Collins, and said SU’s quarterback “is not ready for a No. 1 spot.”
Whether the drama is real or not, it’s clear the Orange can use Cook as a prime deep-ball threat going forward to potentially spark an offensive turnaround.
Angeli’s 329.25 passing yards per game
Don’t get too nostalgic, Syracuse fans. Angeli will be back in uniform at some point next season. But for now, you can still reminisce about what he displayed this year — and what he can build off of in the future.
Angeli averaged an absurd total of 329.5 passing yards per game, which ranked first in the nation at the time of his injury and still ranks second in the country behind Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson (343 yards per contest).
Angeli’s accomplishments in four games included tying Syracuse’s record for single-game touchdowns with six (five passing, one rushing).
Compared to McCord’s 367.62 yards per game — which helped him set the ACC single-season passing yards record (4,779 yards) — Angeli was only about 40 yards off. The Notre Dame transfer will likely obtain a medical redshirt for the 2025 season, giving him two more years of eligibility to potentially continue his Syracuse career.
