Syracuse football film review: How the Orange limited UNH to 3 points
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Syracuse scored 66 points in its season-opening win against New Hampshire Saturday. In a blowout like that, the offense is bound to get most of the praise.
But look on the other side for a second — SU allowed one measly field goal to the Wildcats. Of course, it’s a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, but the Orange surrendered 24 points to Colgate last year before posting one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s weakest defenses.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, the Orange compiled five sacks, nine tackles for loss, an interception and three forced fumbles — one of which SU returned for a scoop-and-score touchdown in the fourth quarter. SU’s special teams unit also blocked a punt for a safety.
Postgame, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown specifically pointed to his front seven as difference makers in the game. Keyshawn Johnson had two and a half sacks while Tunmise Adeleye had half a sack and ranked second on SU with six tackles.
“It’s just good to be able to do a good job up front,” Brown said. “The trenches (are) where these games are won on offense and defense. I’m so happy that those guys got to do it.
“Coach VK wants the defense to make sure that they’re violent, and we all run to the ball and we all try to hit,” he added.
Here’s a breakdown of the key plays that contributed to the Orange’s (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) lockdown defense Saturday:
2nd quarter, 8:18 — Johnson gets home for strip sack
After transferring in from UT-Martin this offseason, Johnson was a consistent threat on the edge for an SU team that lacked a consistent pass rush last year. The Orange finished tied for 14th in the ACC with 20 sacks.
Syracuse is already 25% of the way to that number in 2026. Johnson got SU’s first sack of the year in a big way. On third-and-10 from the Wildcats’ 25, Johnson lines up on the edge on the top of the screen as New Hampshire receiver Ryan Ricketti goes in motion. UNH quarterback Brooks Bentley fakes a handoff to running back Myles Thomason, then looks to his left for an open receiver.
At the same time, Johnson breezes past an initial chip from tight end Colby Ramshaw, then pulls off a nasty spin move around right tackle Ty Miles to give him a free lane to Bentley.
By the time Bentley looks for another read, Johnson gets in his face and knocks him to the ground. Simultaneously, Johnson forces the ball out by slamming down on it with his left hand.
SU defensive tackle Nissi Ogebebor coughs up the recovery, surrendering what would’ve been incredible field position, but Johnson’s efforts still forced New Hampshire to punt from its own end zone after the 19-yard loss.
2nd quarter, 5:00 — Perry’s big man INT
On New Hampshire’s next drive, though, the Orange forced a turnover. It came from 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle Rashard Perry.
On second-and-16 from their own 38, the Wildcats line up in a trips formation, with three receivers bunched together on the right and one on the left.
Bentley takes the snap, fakes right, then is immediately pressured by Johnson from his right and Perry up the middle. Perry is initially blocked by both center Luke Swaine and right guard Arvid Sillberg, but he easily maneuvers around Swaine, who eventually sheds off Perry and instead blocks his own teammate. On the edge, Johnson speeds past Miles and could’ve delivered another crushing blow to Bentley if he had one more second.
Instead, Bentley feels the pressure and tries dumping it off to Thomason over Perry’s head. But Perry gets a paw on it, tips it to himself and comes down with the ball for his first career interception. Bentley drags him down at the 21-yard-line. Perry is noticeably amped up, yelling and celebrating with Orange corner Braheem Long Jr. after the play.
“That’s really good for him because he barely would talk. He just goes hard,” Brown said of Perry’s development postgame. “Everything he do, he gives you his all. He risks his body every day. He’s inside at the nose. A lot of people don’t talk about how he clogs up holes. He takes on double teams. So when (he gets) a chance to do that, I’m really happy for him.”
4th quarter, 12:00 — Third time’s the charm
After three quarters of superb defensive play, the Orange were bound to have some luck go their way as well. They got some on this fourth-quarter play.
On a first-and-10 inside the Wildcats’ territory again, backup quarterback Tommy McLeish takes a snap and fakes a handoff to running back Denzell Gibson. There might’ve been a miscommunication between them, but regardless, the ball slips out of McLeish’s hands and spins to the ground. McLeish tries to recover it but pushes the pigskin directly in front of Syracuse linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard.
Moultrie-Goddard scoops it up easily — on SU’s third try after Ogebebor’s mishandle and Davien Kerr’s blocked punt that went through the back of the end zone — and sprints 26 yards home for the touchdown.
The senior is met in the corner by the rest of the defense to celebrate the unit’s first touchdown of the year, which pushed SU’s lead to 56-3.
4th quarter, 11:05 — Flounoy makes it two straight
Just two plays into New Hampshire’s next drive, the Orange defense strikes again with their third forced fumble of the game. This one resulted in an Amari Odom touchdown pass to Daunte Bacheyie, SU’s ninth end zone trip of the afternoon.
McLeish innocently hands the ball off to Gibson on a second-and-10 from UNH’s eight-yard line. Gibson hits the hole directly in front of him and tries to cut right, but the gap closes quickly.
Watch No. 98 in blue on this play, smack dab in the middle of Syracuse’s defensive line. That’s Jartavius Flounoy, who pushes New Hampshire tackle Luke Rogers back and swims past him in pursuit of Gibson. Flounoy, a Georgia State transfer, meets Gibson in the hole and expertly wraps him up, knocking the ball free in one move.
He punches the ball out with such force that it catapults out to the 15-yard line, where freshman linebacker Gemaus Sackie falls on top of it for another SU takeaway.
