Syracuse plays QB roulette in 27-10 loss to North Carolina
Joe Filardi looks downfield to pass. Filardi struggled in his first career start, completing just four passes in his 27-10 loss to North Carolina Friday. Lars Jendruschewitz | Senior Staff Photographer
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Fran Brown took a gamble. He played the last card he had in his quarterback deck. Without confidence in Rickie Collins — who started Syracuse’s last four defeats — Brown turned to Joe Filardi, the only quarterback on SU’s roster without a scholarship.
Filardi started fall training camp as SU’s sixth-string quarterback. Initially a four-star lacrosse commit — per Inside Lacrosse — Filardi walked onto the football team last spring.
Him ever appearing in a game, let alone starting one for Syracuse, seemed improbable, even to himself. But with Collins struggling in the wake of Steve Angeli’s injury and other inexperienced options behind him, Fran Brown got desperate.
The decision didn’t pay off. It only left Syracuse (3-6, 1-5 Atlantic Coast) with more questions, as it fell 27-10 to North Carolina (3-5, 1-3 ACC). Brown didn’t stick with Filardi, pulling the quarterback after he completed just 15% of his passes for 33 yards. In came Luke Carney — who didn’t attempt a pass — for a couple drives before Filardi returned, finishing 4-of-18.
It was a quarterback roulette, signaling a coach that’s run out of ideas. Neither could produce anything of note, as the Orange finished with 39 passing yards, their lowest total since Nov. 11, 2023. The four completions are the lowest total from the Orange since 2002.
“(I was) just trying to get something new to happen, just something to keep going on and being able to move,” Brown said postgame of his decision to start Filardi. “It was a month straight of football, and we got other kids on the football team also just trying to get a new spark or something different to be able to move, hoping that would give our team a little bit of momentum.”
Brown hinted at a change during an interview with ESPN Syracuse on Wednesday. He didn’t specify a starter, but said “things will change.” What did that mean? Nobody knew.
Would Luke Carney get his chance? Could Rich Belin earn a shot? How about former four-star recruit Jakhari Williams?
None of the above. Filardi was the wild card, someone who Brown said was running routes with receivers at certain points during spring practices.
“It’s definitely surreal, just to think about it,” Filardi said of starting. “I’ve been preparing every week as if I would play, so that’s kind of what you have to do. Because you really never know what’s going to happen.”
Brown’s reasoning for starting Filardi was simple: he practiced better than Carney and Collins. The head coach said SU felt Filardi could keep the game manageable, and made the decision on Thursday to start the freshman.
However, facing Bill Belichick — arguably the greatest defensive mind in football history — was always going to be a challenge. That was clear from the jump.
Filardi misfired on his first eight passes. His first completion came on a flea flicker to Darius “Boobie” Johnson 25 yards downfield with six minutes remaining in the first half. That was Syracuse’s only first down through the air all game.
“Quarterback’s definitely a tough position, and just football in general,” Filardi said. “I mean, a lot of things kind of got to be put together to have a successful offense. I just think we just got to get better as a unit.”
Still, Syracuse somehow led 10-3, despite being outgained 136-95. Trailing 3-0, the Orange nabbed a lead via Anwar Sparrow’s 51-yard scoop. UNC quarterback Gio Lopez hit Shamar Easter over the middle before Devin Grant jarred the ball loose with a punishing blow, leading to Sparrow’s touchdown.
The following drive, Syracuse kept the ball on the ground. Filardi had a 14-yard rush, while Yasin Willis and Will Nixon helped march the ball up the field. Though SU stalled in the red zone, its ensuing field goal gave itself its largest lead since its win over Clemson.
UNC cut it to four with a field goal before halftime. Filardi finished the first half 1-for-11 with 25 passing yards, after Collins recorded 33 in the first half of last week’s loss to then-No. 7 Georgia Tech.
“It was a little fast out there, it was a little bit different some of the time, but he’ll keep getting better,” Brown said.
The Orange only crossed midfield on two of their drives after that point. Eventually, Filardi’s shortcomings were punished. The freshman misfired a short pass to Johntay Cook, causing a three-and-out. The Tar Heels pounced, as Demon June took a screen 72 yards for a touchdown, breaking multiple Syracuse arm tackles in the process.
That prompted Brown to insert Carney into the lineup. Like with Filardi, SU’s pass offense was non-existent. It ran the ball eight straight times on Carney’s first drive, which got the Orange close to field goal range. But when Carney dropped back for the first time, he was dumped for a sack, knocking them out of it.
Soon, Syracuse was spiraling. Its defense went from holding strong to letting North Carolina carve through it. June — who terrorized Syracuse with 182 total scrimmage yards on 15 touches — converted a fourth-and-1 in the red zone and punched in a score with a five-yard rush.
Trailing 20-10, Brown continued to flip-flop quarterbacks, inserting Filardi back into the lineup. Nothing changed. Filardi fumbled on a broken play, and UNC took over at SU’s 34.
“I don’t think it affected me. I just think whatever’s best for the team, I’m good with,” Filardi said of being replaced by Carney.
Following the fumble, left tackle Trevion Mack walked to the sideline, angrily slamming his helmet on the ground. He furiously walked around the sidelines, while an SU assistant coach tried calming him down.
The sense of frustration was clear as day. It’s been the same story since Angeli went down. A putrid offense that can’t pass the ball. Brown still feels his quarterbacks aren’t at fault.
“See, a lot of times, you guys just blame the quarterback, but there’s a lot, like 10 other people out there,” Brown said. “I think everybody got to be on the same page, and being able to do those things and move the right way and not just push it off to the quarterback.”
Despite Brown’s argument, it’s hard to take it at face value. Angeli had Syracuse trending toward being a dark horse in the ACC. Now, the Orange are the conference’s bottom feeder.
As for who will start the final four games? It’s anyone’s guess. Filardi arguably performed much worse than Collins, while Carney never attempted a pass. Brown pointed to Filardi’s zero interceptions, but in the same breath said “he didn’t throw the ball much to us either.”
Brown said he thought about putting Collins in, but not until the game was out of reach. With trips to No. 10 Miami and No. 12 Notre Dame on the horizon, things don’t get any easier for Syracuse.
There’s not much Brown — or any quarterback — can do to salvage SU’s season. The second-year head coach usually keeps his cards close to his chest. Now, he’s running out of ones to play as Syracuse’s season dwindles down.
