Steve Angeli excels in return as Syracuse routs New Hampshire
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There was a moment Saturday afternoon when it all came rushing back. Steve Angeli sat on the turf with athletic trainers surrounding him. They were looking at his leg.
It’s the same image that’s burned into the mind of every fan who witnessed Syracuse’s disastrous 2025 season. Angeli tore his Achilles on Sept. 20, 2025, beginning the spiral that saw the Orange lose eight straight games to close the year. When he sat around the 50-yard line in the second quarter of SU’s season opener against New Hampshire, it was the worst possible kind of deja vu.
“I started talking to God before I went to him,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said. “I might have caught COVID if he was out.”
After about a minute on the turf, Angeli rose to his feet with some assistance. He began a slow walk back to his sideline. Then Brown, standing to his right, muttered something to his senior starter:
“Race me.”
Angeli’s tender walk became a sprint. He hauled off to the sideline, Brown jogging by his side, as the JMA Wireless Dome crowd erupted into a cheer. Angeli returned one play later.
Then, he reminded Orange fans what a luxury it is to have him. In his first game since his season-ending Achilles injury last September, Angeli totaled 263 passing yards and three touchdowns, pacing an SU offense that tore New Hampshire apart all afternoon. Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) beat the Wildcats (0-2, 0-1 Coastal Athletic) 66-3 in its season opener. The Angeli-led offense totaled over 440 yards and 42 points on the afternoon.
“I was just excited to get out there with my guys again,” Angeli said. “I think there’s some things we left out there, but (I’m) really happy for some guys, getting the ball, getting touchdowns and putting up the points we did.”
It was a long, long time coming. The Orange didn’t win a game after Angeli was injured last fall and cycled through three different quarterbacks. His recovery was one of the main pioneers of optimism across the program all offseason.
“Last year’s behind me,” Angeli said. “This is 2026. I’m here to play football this year and continue what I’m doing.”
Yet questions still loomed. Lots of them. Angeli insisted throughout the offseason that he was back to 100%. But everyone wondered whether that was the honest truth. Saturday was his chance to prove it.
Angeli said he took a second to take it all in when he walked out of the tunnel pregame. He said he turned to wide receiver Umari Hatcher — who also missed last season with an injury — and remarked on how far they’d each come since last September. Then it was time to show it.
“As soon as the ball hits the foot, I’m ready to go,” Angeli said. “I got a job to do.”
He didn’t completely look the part on SU’s first drive, as the Orange punted, but Angeli settled in right after. He tossed a quick pass to Cole Weaver on an out-breaking route for his third completion of the game, then hit Hatcher on a bubble screen.
Angeli found a groove with Hatcher and Weaver, going back to Weaver for another 10 yards before Hatcher hauled in his second catch of the drive for 12 yards. Angeli missed Hatcher on a fade route on his first pass in the red zone but ripped a ball through the seam to him two plays later, putting the Orange on the board with a 19-yard touchdown.
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SU’s rushing attack did most of the heavy lifting in the first half, though, as Tylik Hill and Shavane Anderson Jr. rumbled for four combined touchdowns before halftime. Angeli showed poise in the pocket and took a few hits, the first being a late shot near the sideline in the first quarter that drew two personal fouls.
Then came the injury scare. Angeli’s ankle was rolled up on in SU’s backfield, prompting trainers to rush and the Dome crowd to hush. Brown walked out to meet him and asked him to move his legs. When the quarterback rose, Brown challenged him to the race.
“I wanted to make sure he was straight,” Brown said. “It meant a lot that he was able to do it.”
“I thought we were actually gonna race it out, and that’s why I started running like that, but I guess not,” Angeli said before a brief pause. “Or I won, whatever you want to look at it as.”
Angeli exited for one play, as per NCAA protocol after an injury timeout. Amari Odom threw one pass, which drew an interference call, before Angeli made his triumphant return.
On the next play, Anderson received a handoff and cut back toward the far sideline. Angeli paved the way with a big block, allowing the freshman to find the front pylon.
“Steve is willing to do anything for the team,” Anderson said. “I wasn’t expecting Steve to run down there and hit him. It was impressive.”
Syracuse didn’t need to pass often, but Angeli found his groove. One drive after exiting the game, Angeli hit David Clement down the middle for a 27-yard touchdown that put the Orange up 34-0. Then he hit Hatcher for a 28-yarder the next drive.
Angeli and Hatcher kept that connection going in the fourth, as Brown left Angeli in the game. On SU’s first drive of the quarter, Angeli hit Hatcher three straight times, including a 35-yarder on a go ball down the sideline and an 18-yard touchdown. The quarterback exited with 11 minutes left.
Brown said it was SU’s plan for Angeli to play as long as he did, even in a blowout. Even though he’s Syracuse’s clear-cut starter, Brown said Angeli “hasn’t had a lot of reps to be able to play with the (offensive) line” and “the best way to (get experience) was to continue to play.”
Brown estimated Angeli was only at about 75% intensity throughout the afternoon. But if 20-of-29 for 263 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions are his numbers at 75%, the Orange are in good hands when he’s at 100%.
That’s why Brown’s optimistic about this season. It’s also why he needs to pray when his starter goes down. Because he knows he has something special at quarterback. Last season proved Angeli’s value.
With him back, the Orange are off to the races.
