Calvin Russell III slated to return ‘in the next few weeks,’ Brown says
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Syracuse returned to the win column for the first time in 350 days, snapping an eight-game skid, to begin the 2026 season Saturday. The Orange pulverized New Hampshire 66-3 and largely shined across the board.
Quarterback Steve Angeli racked up 263 passing yards and three touchdowns in his first game back from an Achilles tear. Umari Hatcher dazzled at wide receiver, hauling in 147 yards and two touchdowns. SU ran for 238 yards, led by freshman Shavane Anderson Jr.’s 102 plus three touchdowns, while sophomore Tylik Hill tallied 90 and one score. In its first game under new defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, Syracuse’s defense limited the Wildcats to 159 yards.
Head coach Fran Brown assessed his team’s performance against UNH Monday at his weekly press conference. Brown also looked forward to Syracuse’s game with California, who fell 45-24 to UCLA last Saturday, to open Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday. He finally touched on injuries to key players, including five-star freshman receiver Calvin Russell III.
Here are some takeaways from Brown’s press conference Monday:
Orange’s inactives
Despite crushing The Granite State’s team Saturday, the Orange didn’t have their full complement of players. Transfer running backs Ahmad Miller (Jackson State) and Ju’Juan Johnson (LSU) didn’t play.
On Aug. 31, Brown said he expected Miller to play versus New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Syracuse’s head coach predicted Johnson wouldn’t see the field in the opener as he worked back from an injury.
Monday, Brown said both players “should be able to play” versus Cal Saturday. He didn’t offer insight into how they’d split reps with other running backs.
Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, who’s been the subject of vacillating eligibility as he seeks a fifth year, also didn’t play Saturday. Ross-Simmons was eligible after a Texas judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing eligibility rules against him and other athletes on Aug. 27. Brown emphasized Ross-Simmons had just returned to the team and wasn’t ready to see the field.
“He had just come back, and they had just said he could play then,” he said. “We were practicing during all that time. That wouldn’t be healthy for him to allow him to go in and play right away.”
Brown said “he was excited for the opportunity to play with” Ross-Simmons this week but didn’t elaborate on whether he’ll play against California.
Russell ran out with Syracuse onto the JMA Wireless Dome turf before Saturday’s game but didn’t play as he continued recovering from his Achilles tear. Brown said he’ll return “in the next few weeks” and expects the same timeline for first-year defensive back Tedarius Hughes.
Looking back at New Hampshire
After watching film of the UNH win, Brown graded Angeli’s performance an 82, lower than The Daily Orange’s grades. Brown added Angeli probably would give himself an even lower score.
“Being hit is something that needed to happen to him to understand (and) help him build a little bit more confidence,” Brown said of Angeli’s return. “So we’re happy about that, because Steve can actually run. So the fact that now he got hit, now I can go run and let me make sure I work on that. So I’m thankful that happened without costing him an injury. Now, he’ll be able to knock a little more rust off and go out there and compete.”
Postgame Saturday, Brown said he was “a little upset” about Syracuse’s third-quarter performance, where its lone score was a safety. After watching film, Brown directed the problem at his team’s youth.
“I just thought it was still young, as I keep saying over and over. Just young in a lot of positions. So just that experience. I just wish we could have got those points, but happy we can learn from it,” Brown said. “Going back and watching some tape, we were able to see some of the mistakes that, as coaching, I made first and foremost, and then some of the things that I should talk to players a little bit more, a little better for them to have an opportunity to get more points on the board.”
The Orange also totaled 12 penalties and 125 penalty yards Saturday. Three came on punt returns. Brown pushed back about questioning SU’s discipline but saw ways to prevent deleterious penalties.
“We’re disciplined,” Brown said. “A lot of them were aggressiveness. There were a few that were laziness.”
He added special team penalties on punt returns stemmed from aggressiveness, and he had to teach better. Braheem Long Jr. getting called for a late-hit personal foul on UNH quarterback Brooks Bentley exemplified where SU needs composure, Brown said.
Looking forward to Cal
After facing a Football Championship Subdivision team in its opener, Brown was excited to begin ACC play at the Dome and doesn’t take the visiting Golden Bears lightly.
“Nothing is better than the Dome,” Brown said. “We got (a) good opponent Cal coming in, Coach Tosh (Lupoi) and his team, good football team. We got a real good team coming.”
California’s led by first-year head coach Lupoi, who spent four seasons as Oregon’s defensive coordinator, going 48-8 with the Ducks and garnering plaudits for his recruiting prowess.
“They have a really good head coach,” Brown said of Lupoi. “He’s a seasoned coach. He’s coached at every level. Done a good job.”
Cal’s quarterback is former Oregon recruit Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who threw for 3,454 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his freshman 2025 season. Sagapolutele “is one of the better quarterbacks in the country,” Brown said Monday.
“He’s extremely talented,” he continued. “He can run, throw, throw on the run. With the drop of a dime, just let the ball go. So he’s extremely talented.”
The Golden Bears threw 291 yards in their opener — Sagapolutele logged two touchdowns and two interceptions — but they also allowed 277 rushing yards. Brown dismissed more Cal discussion, saying he’s focused on his team.
“Lock in on us, do our job, then get ready for the next day,” Brown said. “But we’ll see what happens on Saturday. That kid (Sagapolutele) is a gunslinger, though. At any moment, he could rip off four to five touchdowns in a row.”
