Observations from Syracuse’s loss to No. 18 Miami: Rickie’s return, youth movement
Syracuse's defense prevented Miami from scoring until there were two minutes left in the second quarter, but its second-half collapse led to SU's 38-10 loss. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
MIAMI — Syracuse’s 2025 season required a nail in the coffin. Following a 3-1 start, the injury to quarterback Steve Angeli led to a five-game losing streak. Within the 49 days since SU last captured a win — a victory over Clemson on Sept. 20 — the Orange have continually faced turmoil.
Last week against Bill Belichick and North Carolina, head coach Fran Brown elected to start true-freshman walk-on Joe Filardi in place of LSU transfer Rickie Collins. Filardi’s 4-for-18 day opened the competition up yet again, thrusting Collins back into action against Miami.
Despite experimenting with some coaching changes, the Orange continued their spiral. Syracuse was eliminated from bowl contention for the first time since 2021 on Saturday. SU produced just 10 points, as a slugfest early devolved into an all-out massacre.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (3-7, 1-6 Atlantic Coast) 38-10 loss to No. 18 Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC) Saturday:
What do you say, Rick?
Collins was exiled. There’s no other way to put it. After a month straight of losing, Brown benched Collins in place of two true freshmen, telling the quarterback he was “moving on” from him. A week later, Collins earned his spot back.
Early on, the Orange found a rhythm through the running game, but stalled out near midfield. Collins was put on his heels often as the Hurricanes ferocious defensive line got to work against SU’s new-look offensive line. Likely first round NFL Draft pick Rueben Bain Jr. exited the game with an injury on SU’s first drive, but returned soon after. He quickly got in Collins’ face, forcing him into a quick incompletion.
Collins attempted to use his legs to get the Orange’s offense moving. It worked on an 11-yard scramble early in the second quarter. Another time on a third-and-18, he scrambled left for 10 yards. But the same issues that got Collins benched persisted: The passing game has zero movement. He completed just four of his first 10 passes for 21 yards, leading to punts on SU’s first three possessions.
While not producing many yards, Collins limited any fatal turnovers. That changed after the two-minute timeout. With more defenders in his face, Collins threw directly at defensive back Keionte Scott, without a single SU receiver in the area. Scott returned the interception for a touchdown, and Collins received an earful from Brown as he maneuvered to the sidelines.
His second half began with three straight completions, and the Orange put up three points with a field goal. Collins ended the day 12-for-25 with 85 yards, getting sacked six times. Just another day at the office.
Bankrupting “The Mortgage Man”
When Brown crossed over with Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck at Georgia, he gave the signal caller a nickname: “The Mortgage Man.” Whether he’s selling real estate after his football career or not, Beck has excelled with Miami.
Through eight games with the Hurricanes, Beck led the ACC with a 72.2% completion percentage. But he wasn’t able to recapture that success early on against SU. Despite starting 3-for-5, Beck missed an open receiver in the middle of the field and the Hurricanes punted the ball on the opening drive. It seemed that SU picked off Beck with a sideline snag from Chris Peal, but the interception was reversed after Peal was called for holding.
Miami’s offense still was forced to punt as Syracuse got home again, this time from Anwar Sparrow. Beck ended the first quarter 7-for-9, but for only 45 yards and five yards per attempt. The next drive was much of the same. Beck certainly wasn’t putting the ball in harm’s way, but SU’s defense came to play. While containing Beck, the Elijah Robinson-led defense allowed just 28 rushing yards in the first half.
Through the 2025 season, the latest the Orange allowed an opponent to score was five seconds into the second quarter against UConn. Miami didn’t score until 2:13 remained in the second quarter, when Beck caught a touchdown pass from star wide receiver Malachi Toney.
Though Beck began to deliver in the second half. He found Keelan Marion for a deep touchdown as part of a streak of seven-straight completions. The former Georgia quarterback finished the day with a 75% completion mark.
Repeated mistakes
Usually, a “bend don’t break” mentality refers to a defense holding its ground and not allowing a big play. For Syracuse, the term can also refer to its offense. Bend by staying in games, even when it’s not producing. Break when all hell breaks loose.
For about the first 28 minutes of the contest, SU didn’t get much going on offense. The rushing game moved the sticks a couple of times, and Collins connected on a few short passes. But the unit didn’t break. That was until Collins made his first pivotal mistake. The quarterback’s pass went to the wrong set of orange jerseys, and gifted the Hurricanes a touchdown.
Syracuse’s running game gave it some momentum, but also it cost it a scoring chance. Yasin Willis fumbled the ball with under 30 seconds to play in the first half, and the Orange left three points on the board heading into the break.
Just as SU’s offense found some second-half momentum, the Orange allowed their first big play on defense. A 61-yard pass from Beck to Marion ballooned the Hurricanes’ lead to 18. Marion was left wide open in the middle of the field on a blown coverage, putting the game well out of reach for an offense with little going for it. For good measure, Collins added an interception on a tipped pass and didn’t finish the game, with Joe Filardi entering on the final drive.
The young guns
Brown set the tone for Syracuse’s final stretch by sending out a freshmen quartet as his captains Saturday. The group included Demetres Samuel Jr., Antoine Deslauriers, Byron Washington and Darius “Boobie” Johnson. An added influx of young talent ruled the day.
There were the typical ones, like Samuel Jr. and Deslauriers, who both started the game. Samuel Jr. also matched up a few times with Miami’s star freshman, Toney, and delivered a big hit on him in the fourth quarter. Kaylib Singleton, a Florida native, jumped in on the outside at cornerback.
On the offensive line, Christian Brothers Academy graduate Matthew Hawn started at right guard before Byron Washington slotted into the position for the rest of the game. Kam Pringle also notched his first start of the season at the right tackle spot.
But SU’s biggest influx of young talent might come in the wide receivers room. The Orange inserted freshmen like Johnson, Gabe Daniels and Darien Williams to add to their attack. Sophomore Jaylan Hornsby also had plenty of playing time. Of the core, Johnson caught two passes for 11 yards, while Williams caught two for 13 yards. Davion Kerr, who recently switched from cornerback to running back, also received a touch.
The future is now for Syracuse. On Saturday, its seventh loss only solidified it further.
