IN THE HUDDLE
SYRACUSE VS. UVA Page 3
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born to compete
‘ready to fly’
Amari Odom has waited to start at every step of his football career. After three games on Syracuse’s bench, it’s his time to shine.
Calvin Russell III, SU’s best recruit since 2001, tore his Achilles in the spring. He’s since recovered and is ready to make an impact.
2 IN THE HUDDLE
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Syracuse football’s first four games have been a whirlwind. The Orange are 2-2, most recently topping UConn 42-41 in an overtime thriller. Fran Brown made a risky move by replacing quarterback Steve Angeli with Amari Odom against the Huskies. Odom validated the decision, totaling six touchdowns and over 300 passing yards to lead the Orange to victory. Calvin Russell III also made his long-awaited debut, logging a few catches after tearing his Achilles in the spring. Next up is SU’s Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia. The Cavaliers are led by quarterback Beau Pribula, who started his career at Penn State before moving to Missouri and now UVA. In five games, Pribula has thrown just one interception, suggesting he may have settled down in Charlottesville. The Daily Orange has everything you need to know before Syracuse hits the road to face Virginia. Thanks for reading,
Additional photos courtesy of UVA ATHLETICS WOODS DOWDY
Jordan Kimball
Graphics by ADELAIDE GUAN
sports editor
The D.O. is published weekly during the Syracuse University academic year by The Daily Orange Corp., 230 Euclid Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210. All contents Copyright 2026 by The Daily Orange Corp. and may not be reprinted without the expressed written permission of the editor-in-chief. The Daily Orange is in no way a subsidy or associated with Syracuse University. All contents © 2026 The Daily Orange Corporation
OPPONENT PREVIEW
What to know before Syracuse meets Virginia for 1st time since 2022 By Nicholas Alumkal senior staff writer
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fter scraping past UConn thanks to some overtime heroics, Syracuse returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play, trying to snap its nine-game conference losing streak. The Orange travel to Charlottesville to meet Virginia Saturday. While SU endured a 27-0 UConn run, found a spark under center with quarterback Amari Odom’s first start and needed late dramatics to snap a two-game skid, UVA was soundly beaten over the weekend. The Cavaliers were trounced 38-7 at Florida State. Both teams will be looking to return to the win column in conference play when they clash under the lights at Scott Stadium Saturday. Before the game, here’s everything you need to know about UVA (3-2, 1-1 ACC) before it meets Syracuse (2-2, 0-2 ACC):
All-time series
The series is tied 3-3.
Last time they played
Syracuse and Virginia were in a very different place when they last played — a 22-20 SU win on Sept. 23, 2022. The Orange, helmed by former head coach Dino Babers, compiled their fourth straight victory to open that campaign, part of a 6-0 start. The Cavaliers, in head coach Tony Elliott’s first year, were en route to a 1-6 ACC record. In that early-season clash in the JMA Wireless Dome, SU quarterback Garrett Shrader tossed 277 passing yards, while tight end Oronde Gadsden II hauled in seven receptions for 107 yards. The Orange saw a 16-0 lead turn into a 20-19 deficit, but kicker Andre Szmyt’s 31-yard
field goal with 1:14 left in the game — part of a 5-for-5 kicking day — handed SU the win.
The Cavaliers report
Since taking over, Elliott has boosted UVA into the upper echelon of the ACC. In 2025, while Syracuse finished last in the conference standings, Virginia ended first with a 7-1 record before losing to Duke in the ACC Championship. UVA quarterback Chandler Morris compiled 3,000 passing yards — sixth-most in the ACC. After he graduated, UVA picked up former Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula in the transfer portal, coming off a 1,941-yard, 11-touchdown, nineinterception season. Another key loss for Virginia was leading running back J’Mari Taylor, who’s now a Jacksonville Jaguar. The Hoos didn’t skip a beat to start the season, demolishing NC State 34-8, with Pribula throwing for 155 yards and running for 110. But things went awry in a 38-27 loss against West Virginia in Charlotte, where the Cavaliers allowed 437 total yards and 247 yards on the ground. Those weaknesses were further exposed Saturday when the Seminoles racked up 464 total yards and 281 yards on the ground. Amid the two recent defeats, Virginia has struggled to protect Pribula, allowing an ACC-high 19 sacks in five games. However, on the other end of the ball, UVA is tied for the conference lead with seven interceptions.
How Syracuse beats Virginia
In his first start with the Orange, Odom logged six touchdowns and 335 passing yards. Virginia allows the fewest opponent passing yards per game in the ACC (140.8), giving him a tougher test. If he can adapt his form, his connection with receiver Umari Hatcher and his elusiveness in the pocket, SU could earn its first conference win of the season. Penalties and missed field goals have been a trend in Syracuse’s first four games. The Orange still lead the country with 10.7 flags per game; in narrow ACC contests, you can’t have self-inflicted wounds. This season, SU has shuffled through two kickers — Tripp Woody and Shay Barker — and neither has been reliable. After surviving UConn, leaving points on the board could come back to bite the Orange in Charlottesville.
SU’s defense was uncharacteristically vulnerable versus the Huskies — part of why UConn scored 27 unanswered. Defensive coordinator Vince Kehres will aim to prove that was a blip given his history with UConn head coach Jason Candle, who is intimately familiar with Kehres’ play from their time at Toledo, and that Syracuse returns a stifling defense.
Stat to know: 9-of-10
Virginia has turned Scott Stadium into a fortress in the last two seasons. The Cavaliers have won nine of their last 10 games at home — and their sole loss came when starting quarterback Morris was out last year. The pinnacle of the Hoos’ home cooking was a 46-38 double-overtime upset of then-No. 8 Florida State on Sept. 26, 2025. Under the lights, the second the stunning triumph was secured, UVA fans stormed the field from the unblocked hill behind the north end zone. It was
pandemonium, but also perilous for the players on the field. Syracuse will pay a visit to UVA’s fortress Saturday night.
Player to watch: Kam Robinson, linebacker, No. 5
Robinson was in fine form in 2025 — becoming the only FBS player in the last 20 years with a blocked punt, interception return for touchdown and a fumble recovery in the same season — before suffering a season-ending injury in UVA’s eighth game. Before the 2026 season, he was named to the Butkus Award Preseason Watchlist for the best linebacker in college football, the Nagurski Trophy Watchlist for the best defensive player and the Preseason All-ACC First Team. In four games this campaign, Robinson has 18 tackles, setting him up for a strong senior season. njalumka@syr.edu @nalumkal
IN THE HUDDLE 3
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BORN TO COMPETE
Amari Odom always had to wait his turn. At Syracuse, his time is now.
By Harris Pemberton asst. sports editor
E
AST HARTFORD, Conn. — The colors are beginning to change in the grove of trees beyond Rentschler Field, and today, Syracuse is turning a new leaf, too. At about 11:20 a.m. last Saturday, Amari Odom stands at the 25-yard line, his orange helmet topping his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. He takes some practice snaps, drops three steps and zips short passes to his receivers. At this point, most of the stadium doesn’t know it, but Odom does. In 40 minutes, he’ll lead Syracuse’s opening possession. He runs toward the tunnel at 11:30 a.m., and about 10 minutes later, the secret’s out. Head coach Fran Brown publicly says Odom will start against UConn, despite voicing his faith in Steve Angeli days earlier. At 11:58 a.m., Odom kneels at the front pylon, saying a pregame prayer. It’s the last step of his routine, a hint of consistency before he does something he’s never done before. He’ll start a Power Four football game for the first time in his life today, jumping off the bench to revitalize the Orange. But it’s not a particularly strange feeling for Odom. He’s been in this situation before. Odom’s waited his turn every step of his career. As a youth player, he waited years to play quarterback, starting at running back. At Wofford, he redshirted after once thinking he’d be the Day 1 starter. He began the 2025 season on Kennesaw State’s bench before helping the Owls to 10 wins under center. And now, after three games on Syracuse’s bench, he’ll do it again. Brown told Odom he’d start on Oct. 1, later saying he thought Odom’s mobility and health were in better places than Angeli’s. In his first start, Odom threw for 335 yards and totaled six touchdowns to lead SU to a 42-41 overtime win over the Huskies. Brown said he’ll start his second game Saturday against Virginia. “I’m just ready to take advantage of the opportunity,” Odom said. He has the reins at a consequential time for Brown and Syracuse. Uncertainty swirls around the program after nine straight Atlantic Coast Conference losses dating back to last season. Entering an October gauntlet with four ACC opponents, the Orange desperately need a spark. But Odom believes the team’s goals are still achievable. His mother, Trisha Stafford-Odom, said he chose Syracuse over LSU, Michigan, Missouri and Auburn because he thought the starting job and the ACC were both winnable. Brown told Odom he could immediately compete
odom has won 15 games as a starter in college 1 5
Syracuse
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Wofford
Kennesaw State
for the top spot, and after Angeli threw five interceptions in his first two conference games, it’s Odom’s to lose. “He was raised the right way to compete. If you want something, you gotta go take it,” Brown said of Odom. “He’s done an outstanding job.” Opportunities like these never come easy, though. Odom learned the hard way. Trisha played in the WNBA, and Odom’s father, DeWayne Odom, spent time in the NFL. Basketball and football were in his blood, and Trisha said Odom always thought he’d play both at the next level. Basketball was his first love. His parents said he played football because all the other kids did. Odom always wanted to play quarterback but didn’t get the opportunity immediately. Trisha said Odom’s time with the Durham Firebirds Pop Warner squad in North Carolina was the first time he had to prove he was the best quarterback on the field. DeWayne was an assistant coach, but Odom didn’t want any favoritism. He worked his way up and eventually appeared under center as he grew older. “He was always having to work a little bit harder and had to prove himself,” DeWayne said. “Nothing was ever given to him. He’s always rose to the challenge, as far as — ‘Once I get the opportunity, I’m good to go.’” Odom continued developing as the family bounced between California and North Carolina because Trisha was a college basketball coach. At one point in North Carolina, when Odom was 10-12 years old, DeWayne estimates, he quit football for basketball. He’d still watch his younger brother, Trajen Odom — now a defensive lineman at Arkansas — and his youth team practice, and when he got bored, he’d head to the gym to shoot around. One day after watching Trajen’s team, Trisha recalls, Odom bluntly declared he was better than their quarterback. So he returned to football and won that job, too. By Odom’s final few years of middle school, he was a household name in the area, doing things most preteens couldn’t. DeWayne remembers one youth coach being perplexed when Odom called an audible at the line of scrimmage during
ODOM’S STATS VS UCONN
27/37 335 6 completion rate
a game. As he grew older, Trisha said Odom consistently changed every program he played for. Panther Creek High School was one of them. Odom started at C. E. Jordan High School in Durham but transferred to Panther Creek for his sophomore season. When Odom made that decision, Panther Creek head coach Sean Crocker got a phone call from a former coach at Jordan. Crocker still remembers one line from that conversation: “He’s the first kid I’ve ever coached that I think could be a Power Four quarterback.” It didn’t take long for Crocker to see why. Panther Creek began practicing in the winter, and since Odom was also on the basketball team, he had limited time to practice football. Crocker remembers one of Odom’s first full practices, when he’d hardly taken quarterback reps. On one of the first plays Crocker called, a defender jumped Odom’s first read. Odom slid up in the pocket and launched a perfect ball to a backside receiver on a crossing route. “I don’t think anybody had gone to the second read like that in the 10, 11 years I’d been at the school,” Crocker said. His talent became unmistakable at recruiting camps. Odom picked up his first Division I offer from UNLV in September 2021, and a few more rolled in during his sophomore and junior seasons. Yet, as Odom geared up for his senior football season, he was told his knee “looked loose” on the field. Further testing revealed he tore his ACL and meniscus during basketball season. He’d played the state championship game through both injuries. Odom missed his entire senior football season after getting surgery. So a lot of Football Bowl Subdivision programs backed off. As Trisha recalls, local Football Championship Subdivision schools Wofford and Furman both consistently saw through it. Odom liked Wofford’s staff, and Crocker said the Terriers were transitioning to a more pass-heavy offense that would allow him to show off his arm. So Odom committed in January 2023. Late in his first fall camp with the Terriers, he was slated as a starter. Instead, he redshirted. His only action came in a stunning 19-13 upset over FCS No. 2 Furman. As a sophomore, Odom got his chance, helping Wofford to four wins and throwing for 1,565 yards. Yet Odom knew he needed a step up. He loved Wofford, but, as Trisha put it, “in the bigger scope of his aspirations, there’s a potential that he would have to answer the question of “What level did you have your success on?” Kennesaw State was a new challenge. The Owls won two games the year before Odom arrived, and he began 2025 as their backup. It
passing yards
touchdowns
took him one game to win the starting job, and he never looked back. “It’s almost like Amari approaches it as another checked box,” Trisha said. “There’s no hesitation to approach a situation that people would run from. He’s confident like that.” Odom quarterbacked Kennesaw State to nine wins, completing the school’s first 10-win season at the FBS level. He threw for over 2,500 yards and totaled 26 touchdowns, earning First Team All-Conference USA honors. But again, he desired a new challenge. He had Southeastern Conference and Big Ten interest. Trisha said some situations looked more promising than others, but every school told Odom he could compete for the starting job. Knowing Syracuse’s quarterback situation last year — with Angeli’s injury and the roulette that followed — he felt he could step in and elevate the program. But Trisha insists his primary goal was to win the ACC, not become the starter.
There’s no hesitation to approach a situation that people would run from. He’s confident like that. Trisha Stafford-Odom odom ’s mother
Now he’ll have the chance to do both. Odom saw his first action against New Hampshire but started making noise against Pitt after Angeli threw two second-half interceptions. On Odom’s lone drive in the fourth quarter, he went 8-of-8 for 51 yards, leading the Orange into field goal range. Watching from home, Odom’s parents weren’t surprised. At this point, it’s second nature to him. He knows he’ll have to wait his turn most places he goes. DeWayne still remembers talking to a 7 or 8-year-old Odom when they lived in California. Odom was playing for the Tustin Cobras Pop Warner team, which had most positions filled by players who’d spent several seasons with the program. Having just moved to the area, Odom was placed at running back instead of quarterback. DeWayne told his son, “Go out there and be you, and they’ll recognize the talent.” Odom’s done that every step of the way. Now it’s time to do it at Syracuse. harrispemberton@gmail.com @HarrisPemb6
4 IN THE HUDDLE
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russell was a 5-star recruit out of high school
‘READY TO FLY’ Calvin Russell III ready to be SU’s ‘difference maker’ after Achilles tear
By Nicholas Alumkal senior staff writer
I
n his first week of spring football practice, Calvin Russell III looked exactly like the player Syracuse thought it recruited. He’d concluded his basketball season, having played for the Orange since early January. He arrived at SU as a five-star recruit, the thirdbest receiving prospect in the 2026 class and Syracuse’s highest-ranked signee since 2001. He was already hitting his stride on the football field in the spring, his agent Justin Giangrande said. Russell had even “Mossed” some people, Giangrande added, referring to a receiver outjumping a defender to make a catch. SU general manager Tommy Caporale called Giangrande. “He’s ridiculous,” Caporale said. The next day, March 30, Russell tore his Achilles tendon. After undergoing surgery the following day in New York City, Russell began the grueling recovery process. A combination of natural ability and an unrelenting work ethic helped him return to Syracuse Saturday at UConn, just over six months after tearing his Achilles. It was difficult for Russell to wait that long. He wanted to return immediately. But rushing the recovery could’ve increased the risk of another injury. Now, Russell is back — and ready to give the Orange offense a much-needed jolt as conference play continues. “I hope the fans know he came to Syracuse to be a difference maker,” Giangrande said of Russell. “He’s not scared of competition, he wants to be the leader of the culture, and he believes in (SU head coach) Fran (Brown).” The morning after the injury, Giangrande and Russell’s family flew from Miami to Syracuse, picked up Russell and took a sprinter van to New York City. “I definitely thought he was gonna miss the season,” Giangrande admitted. “I thought there was a flicker of a chance he could come back if they had a playoff run in them. But to think he’s back where he is. No, I could not have thought that.” In New York City, Dr. Martin O’Malley performed Russell’s surgery less than 24 hours after the injury. The quick turnaround may have decreased Russell’s recovery time. A Swedish study found that patients with Achilles surgery within 48 hours of a rupture recovered faster than those who waited longer. Giangrande remembers Russell — normally energetic and social — suddenly quiet in wake of the injury. “There were some obvious emotional moments, but I think he was more in shock,” Giangrande said. “I don’t remember him being his gregarious self. He was just more quiet. I think he was trying to believe he could come back.” Suddenly, the player who birthed excitement for a fanbase and team coming off a 3-9 season was forced to wait.
And wait. And wait. “The first two weeks (after the injury), I was just sad and like, ‘Why did this happen to me?’” Russell told Syracuse.com Saturday. “I just had to trust God. God gave me a different energy, a different spirit. Ever since then, I’ve just been on go.” Russell was confined to a scooter and a cast on his leg, but he could still catch. So, just over a week after his surgery, he caught passes at Syracuse’s spring practice. From the outset, Brown insisted Russell would play during the 2026 season. He defended any pushback for rushing Russell’s return. “I’m responsible for his mental,” Brown said. “I’m responsible for him to stay happy. I’m responsible for him to feel appreciated and wanted. And I think there’s no better time. Why would I just let him sit on the sideline? There’s nothing wrong with his hands. He can actually catch really well.” Brown said Russell did practically everything everyone else did. He continued working. He spent hours in rehabilitation, sometimes multiple sessions a day. Giangrande said Russell treated rehab like his job, approaching it with the same no-excuses mentality that defined him before he arrived at Syracuse. “He’s gonna get it done one way or the other,” Giangrande said. That mentality mattered because the hardest part wasn’t always physical. Brown said his main job was “to show (Russell) what mental toughness is.” Former 12-year NFL veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater coached Russell to the 2024 Florida state championship at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High School. During his own football career, Bridgewater said an Achilles tear usually meant a player was out for the season.
Calvin’s Superman. When he gets ready to fly, he’ll put his cape on. He’ll be back. Fran Brown syracuse head coach
Bridgewater dealt with significant injuries in his career, including a torn ACL. He shared his experience with Russell. “The hardest part is the mental and physical battle,” Bridgewater told The Daily Orange. “Some days, you might feel like you’re getting better mentally. But physically, your body’s just stuck. And then someday you might also feel like I dominated therapy today. I know I got better. And you didn’t make any progress. So it’s a tough battle.” Bridgewater added there are “dark clouds” and “dark places” you can fall into. Climbing out can be a challenge. “Even if you feel like you’re not getting better, if your mindset is in the right place, trust me, you’re getting better,” Bridgewater said.
That’s what he told Russell. He wanted college football to see the same player he coached at Miami Northwestern. The 6-foot-5 Russell’s catch radius, like he’s crashing the boards in basketball. The field vision pulled from playing point guard on the hardwood. And, yes, the seamless transition from Bridgewater’s playbook to SU’s, both running some of the same plays. “The way he was able to bend, everyone was like, ‘Wow, this guy’s sneaky athletic.’ A lot of people don’t know this, but he was always smart as well,” Bridgewater said. Wide receiver Darius “Boobie” Johnson served as an older brother to Russell, Bridgewater said, and Russell followed Johnson from Miami Northwestern to SU. Johnson highlighted Russell’s shiftiness and craftiness as his best traits. Russell’s energy also stands out. Bridgewater got on Russell early in the 2024 season because he was exuding too much energy pregame. He was sometimes tired by the fourth quarter and needed an IV. The injury repressed Russell from taking that energy out on the football field. So he aimed it at his recovery. But wanting to return and being ready to return were two different things. “He’s a ball of energy, a social butterfly. He’s a guy when you walk into the building in the morning, you hear him, you know he’s in there,” Brown said of Russell on Aug. 5, the first day of fall camp. “I think it was important for him to be around people and be around us as a team, being a younger guy going through that a little further from home. He’s family to us, we’re family to him, so we got his back no matter what.” Johnson said Russell was walking about a month after the surgery. Giangrande said he was running by July, and his progress was advancing faster than expected. By Aug. 31, Brown was already teasing Russell’s return. “Calvin’s Superman,” he said. “When he gets ready to fly, he’ll put his cape on. He’ll be back.” Dr. Nicola Maffulli, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon, said there’s traditionally a six-month return timeline from an Achilles rupture, but everyone’s body is different, and some individuals recover faster. Russell first showed signs of an imminent return just over five months after his tear. He wore pads in Syracuse’s season opener against New Hampshire on Sept. 5. Brown said on Sept. 7 that Russell had a strength deficit — the strength difference between the injured and the non-injured leg, Maffulli said — of between 10 and 12%. The mark was at 20% two weeks earlier in mid-August. Brown said the Orange were waiting for an 8% strength deficit to play Russell, though
Maffulli said many athletes return to sports around 15%. SU’s doctors played it safe. If an athlete returns to a sport too fast, there’s a higher rate of re-rupture, a “major problem,” Maffulli said. But the added strength deficit isn’t the sole factor in assessing a recovery. Explosive speed and change of direction are also important, especially in football. A regimen for an athlete like Russell often features multiple sessions per day and could’ve allowed him to rebuild muscle strength faster, Maffulli said. “There’s a difference between a weekend warrior tearing his Achilles tendon and an athlete,” Maffulli added. “The weekend warrior isn’t going to be operated on as fast, and we probably do one session of physiotherapy on alternative days.” After the New Hampshire opener, Russell was “really anxious” to return, Giangrande said. He participated in full warmups in the Orange’s second game of the season against Cal, but he didn’t play. Same for SU’s third game on a shortened week at Pitt. “The past couple weeks, he wants to help his team,” Giangrande said. “So, he thinks he’s a difference maker. And in his mind, he wanted, of course, to come back (for) Game 2.” However, Giangrande credits Brown and Syracuse’s staff for giving Russell more time to recover and waiting until after the bye week for his debut. Entering the matchup with the Huskies, Brown said he planned to use Russell “as much as possible.” Russell envisioned three touchdowns — to get in the “chicken box,” as he told Giangrande. Although he only totaled two receptions for 14 yards, Russell was back. He said he cried as the bus pulled into Rentschler Field. “I was grateful for all these people to be supportive of me and happy to watch me play,” Russell told Syracuse.com. He played a college football game Saturday. There are more on the way. Brown didn’t want to rush him back to full pelt. “He wants to monitor me. It’s gonna be good when he let me off that leash,” Russell said. Once he’s unleashed, Russell can show Syracuse the player who looked “ridiculous” in front of coaches during the first week of spring practice can be just as good in front of fans at games. “Just go ahead and do it for Miami, where we come from,” Johnson said of teaming up with Russell again. “Do it for everybody that’s coming up. Show them how it’s possible no matter what you’re going through.” njalumka@syr.edu @nalumkal
IN THE HUDDLE 5
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SEASON-DEFINING By Noah Nussbaum
UVA BY THE NUMBERS
managing editor
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cross his Syracuse tenure, Fran Brown has adopted one consistent moniker: “D.A.R.T.” It stands for “detailed, accountable, relentless, tough” — four pillars Brown wants his team to always emulate. The saying is on merchandise that SU’s coaches and players wear and often becomes a talking point in press conferences. Most recently, after the Orange’s loss to Pitt two weeks ago. Brown was asked which pillar he felt his team lacked after two straight sloppy defeats. He said reporters in the room might choose “detailed” if asked, due to SU’s exorbitant amount of penalties versus Cal and Pitt. Brown remained adamant his team meets all four keys. “For those guys to be able to know those plays, running out there, communicating with each other, that takes detail,” he said. “They hold each other accountable, they counting on each other, and I think they’re relentless. It just might not be where you want it to be.” “D.A.R.T.” is a consistent throughline between Syracuse’s three seasons with Brown. In 2024, it was a hot commodity among Orange fans during their resurgent 10-3 season. In 2025, as they faltered to 3-9, it largely disappeared. In 2026, “D.A.R.T.” has resurfaced, more as a formality than a constant talking point, as SU tries to avoid another disappointing campaign. Syracuse (2-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) has eight games to turn its season around. Its next two — against Virginia and Louisville — are critical in doing so as ranked matchups loom. Those two games will prove whether the 2024 or 2025 version of SU best reflects the program’s direction.
Nussbaum: Syracuse’s next 2 games will determine whether 2024 was a fluke
3-2 38-27 38-7 record
loss to West Virginia
But why these two games? Neither team is a pushover. While Virginia and Louisville might not be the Orange’s easiest opponents, they’ve both recently become unranked. They each recently suffered unranked losses, with the Cavaliers falling to West Virginia and Florida State and the Cardinals to Wake Forest and NC State. When tougher games versus No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 24 SMU sit in the back half of the schedule, Syracuse would much rather take its chances against Virginia and Louisville. Even more importantly, SU plays them first. If the Orange fall to 2-4, yes, they’re still theoretically alive for a bowl game. But that kills any momentum from Saturday’s win over UConn and gives little optimism for improvement down the stretch. You can basically kiss SU’s season — and any national recognition — goodbye at that point. Two years ago, these were games Syracuse was winning. Beyond three ranked wins, it came back to beat Virginia Tech in overtime and beat NC State on the road while staying competitive in all but one matchup.
loss to Florida State
Victories wouldn’t just turn SU’s season around. They’d change the program’s direction. When Brown arrived at Syracuse, it looked like he did that. He brought life and energy SU hadn’t seen in years through mottos like “D.A.R.T.” and “Winners get washed.” He introduced a pregame Quad Walk. Quarterback Kyle McCord went viral for rapping Lud Foe’s “In & Out” in the locker room. The Orange were winning games you couldn’t fathom years ago. Led by McCord’s record-breaking year, they beat No. 23 Georgia Tech, survived an overtime shootout with No. 25 UNLV and shocked No. 8 Miami to cap a nine-win regular season. That became 10 victories with a dominant Holiday Bowl win over Washington State. SU finished ranked in the AP Poll — at No. 20 — for the first time since 2018. The success made Brown’s quirkiness passable. He could stand on the JMA Wireless Dome’s turf after upsetting the Hurricanes and declare, “Dabo Swinney, congrats, I got you in, baby,” and his confidence was warranted. It’s crazy to think a program like Clemson would rely on the Orange, but that’s how monumental Brown’s debut campaign was. The 2025 season was about maintaining that momentum. It was halted like a head-on highway collision once Steve Angeli’s Achilles injury left the Orange without a competent backup quarterback. SU dipped from 10-3 to 3-9, but there was reason to believe the lows wouldn’t hold. It was easy to blame Angeli’s injury for SU’s eight-game season-ending losing streak. After all, he had Syracuse looking like it would produce another successful season after starting 3-1. Brown said before this campaign he’d never be able to ignore last year’s disaster, but “new blood” gave him hope. It was a season that would define the program’s direction — either show it was a true contender like 2024 or fade into irrelevance like 2025. “(We’re) never gonna really flush what happened,” Brown said. “You understand, and you
realize, and you can’t wait to get that last loss out your mouth.” Syracuse has started trending toward last year’s version. SU has started 2026 at 2-2, but it’s looked abysmal since a Week 1 win over New Hampshire, even while beating UConn Saturday. All of SU’s last three games have been ugly. Whether it’s consistent missed kicks, penalties or poor quarterback play, something different hinders the Orange every matchup. When one thing simmers down, something else always flares up — like Amari Odom tossing five touchdowns versus UConn in place of Angeli, only for the defense to collapse. Syracuse allowed 27 unanswered points in the second half and overtime, turning a surefire win into one that forced SU into a do-or-die fourth down in overtime. There are always a few things out of whack, even when SU wins. “Both teams would tell you we’ve got a lot to clean up,” Brown said postgame. “It’s football, that’s the nature of the business.” There’s still time to change. That needs to be now. I do think Odom — who Brown said would still compete for the starting job versus UVA but “for the most part” has it locked down — showed plenty of promise versus UConn. The first half was some of Syracuse’s best football all year. The second half wasn’t pretty, but Odom’s overall performance still looked better than Angeli’s past two. “Just coming out of the second half, we’ve got to come with more energy,” Odom said. “That starts with me. If I’m gonna be the guy out there taking snaps, I gotta come with more energy.” As I wrote after the Orange’s loss to the Panthers, Syracuse still has some very winnable matchups on its schedule, like North Carolina and Boston College. But that isn’t enough to turn the season around. It needs more. Forget the six wins needed to make a bowl game; if the Orange want to spark some real change in this program, that shouldn’t be their end goal. Losses to the Cavaliers and Cardinals would prove SU has officially strayed from the path it paved in 2024. The excuse of Angeli’s injury would vanish. Syracuse has a chance to show the college football world it doesn’t deserve the ACC bottom-dweller reputation it’s assumed since joining the conference. Brown set the course for that destination. SU is off track, and it must change directions now. Noah Nussbaum is the Managing Editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at njnussba@syr.edu or on X @Noahnuss99.
6 IN THE HUDDLE
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SETTLED IN
After whirlwind portal ordeal, Beau Pribula finds home in Charlottesville
By Mauricio Palmar development editor
T
hings have changed for Gerry Yonchiuk. Years ago, in York, Pennsylvania, his Central York High School football team had plenty of Pribula under center. First came Cade Pribula, the 6-foot-1 gunslinger who played in college at Delaware and Sacred Heart. Then came the younger one, Beau Pribula, who’s one inch taller and a great deal faster than his brother. Here’s how much things have changed for Gerry Yonchiuk. At one point, the Central York head coach remembers his old players in college reaching out for help finding schools when they entered the transfer portal, but that’s a relic of a bygone era. “We’re out of the loop,” Yonchiuk said. Kids have agents now. But when Beau hit the portal last December, Yonchiuk still got some calls. A lot of them, in fact. There were Power Five schools, Big 10 schools, Atlantic Coast Conference schools — all looking for a man who, admittedly, was “out of the loop” by then.
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Beau Pribula’s total touchdowns in 2026 Imagine what it was like for Beau. “The whole thing was a mess,” Yonchiuk said. Mess is apt. After entering the transfer portal on Dec. 18, 2025, Beau went on six dizzying crosscountry visits across eight days in January. This August, ESPN writer Max Olson chronicled the former Missouri quarterback’s search for a new home, a quest that began with his heart dead set on Virginia Tech and ended with him playing for one of its fiercest rivals. Beau’s in Charlottesville now, starting for a Virginia squad (3-2, 1-1 ACC) that prepares to host Syracuse (2-2, 0-0 ACC) Saturday. And now, with 1,024 total yards and 13 total touchdowns across five games this season, he’s proven he’s right where he needs to be. “The way it worked out, honestly, I was thrilled,” Yonchiuk said. “Because I thought Virginia was a really, really good fit.” It took Beau about a week to realize it. According to ESPN, he had one official visit set up when the transfer portal opened: Blacksburg, Virginia. Coming out of Central York, Beau was a threestar recruit at Penn State, playing sparingly behind starters Sean Clifford and Drew Allar.
After redshirting as a freshman in 2022, he showed flashes, tossing nine touchdowns to one interception and rushing for 10 additional scores over the next two seasons. He transferred after the 2024 season when Allar announced his return to Happy Valley, but it wasn’t out of any animosity. He just wanted to start, and Missouri gave him that opportunity. During those early Penn State years, James Franklin was his coach. He’d always thought highly of Beau. Once, in Beau’s senior year at Central York, Franklin came to watch him. Yonchiuk doesn’t remember who they played, but he took Beau out after a half. “I know he wanted to go in the second half,” Yonchiuk says. Franklin texted Yonchiuk after, remarking on the recruit’s composure. Usually, he told him, kids get uptight when he visits. They start overthinking things. Why wouldn’t they? Their future head coach is sitting in the stands, waiting for them to wow him. The moment’s as big as ever, and some can’t rise to it. Beau left the game going 12-for-12 with five touchdown passes. “In the biggest moments, he’s gonna step up and really play well,” Yonchiuk said. That relationship blossomed from there. So, when Franklin took Virginia Tech’s job after getting fired by Penn State in November 2025, Beau was set on following his old coach there. ESPN reported that the Hokies sent a car service to get Beau from York to Blacksburg, beginning his Virginia Tech visit on Jan. 4. But a few hours into the visit, ESPN reported, Beau’s agent — Joe Gazza — received a call from a staffer at another school. He informed Gazza that the Hokies had just landed Ethan Grunkemeyer, a former Penn State passer, out of the portal. “I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? We’re here,’” Gazza told ESPN. Beau and Gazza go way back. A source close to Beau told The Daily Orange he met Gazza in his freshman year of high school. He was a receiver, and Gazza was one of his coaches. Gazza initially had a closer relationship with Cade, but the two stayed close. Before his sophomore year at Penn State, Beau sought out an agent. Gazza was the man for the job. So, when Grunkemeyer committed midway through Beau’s visit to Virginia Tech, he was the one on the phone trying to line up a Plan B. Plan B was Nebraska — which landed former UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea midway through Beau’s visit, per ESPN. Then, ESPN reported, Beau briefly pivoted to Washington, just for Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to reverse course and enter the transfer portal.
PRIBULA VISITED 6 SCHOOLS IN 8 DAYS WHILE IN THE PORTAL
Washington Nebraska
Tennessee
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
ESPN reported that Beau went to Georgia Tech, which ultimately opted to sign Indiana backup passer Alberto Mendoza. Afterward, he went to Knoxville, Tennessee, just for the Volunteers to sign Colorado backup quarterback Ryan Staub to compete with five-star incoming freshman Faizon Brandon. It was a game of musical chairs. Beau was nearly left standing when the music cut off. “The clock was ticking,” Pribula told ESPN. “I didn’t want to rush anything. But I understood time was not something that was a luxury.” Finally, he found himself in Charlottesville on Jan. 11, a week after his initial visit to Virginia Tech. ESPN reported that he was only on campus for six hours — a “meat and potatoes visit,” as it was put. The next day, he went to York to rest and mull it over. By 8:30 p.m. that night, he was a Cavalier. “It’s really, really cutthroat when it comes time to, if you and I need a quarterback, we gotta go out and get one,” Yonchiuk said. “We’re gonna do whatever we can to get them legally, but they’re not gonna wait at all.” Virginia did wait, at least for a little, and Yonchiuk couldn’t be happier. He wasn’t in the locker room, so he couldn’t know for certain, but
Virginia
he always felt there was a disconnect for Beau at Missouri. “Everything didn’t seem to line up well,” Yonchiuk said. Beau had a solid season before dislocating his ankle in October 2025, beginning the year with 11 touchdown passes and 1,685 passing yards in his first eight starts. But Yonchiuk remembers how it was at Penn State. He remembers how Beau would lift with the defense, spotting linebackers such as his lifting partner, Abdul Carter. He remembers how strong the Nittany Lions’ camaraderie was, and how they loved each other. “I didn’t see that at all (at Missouri),” Yonchiuk said. “Because he didn’t have that opportunity to earn that and become that at Missouri.” One day this spring, Yonchiuk drove up to Charlottesville to watch his old quarterback practice. Beau celebrated his birthday the day before he arrived. The job wasn’t his yet — he was competing with Pitt transfer Eli Holstein — but it didn’t matter. Watching from afar, Yonchiuk saw Beau’s new teammates rally around him, just months removed from his arrival. “It felt like I was at Penn State again,” Yonchiuk said. mjpalmar@syr.edu @PointPalmar
IN THE HUDDLE 7
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BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS Beat writers predict Syracuse drops 10th consecutive ACC game vs. Virginia
S
yracuse avoided calamity Saturday. The Orange looked destined to coast to a comfortable win at UConn. But the Huskies didn’t go away lightly, scoring 27 unanswered points to go ahead 41-34 in overtime and sound SU klaxons. However, Syracuse steadied itself and avoided a full-blown collapse. After squeaking by an Independent in UConn, SU returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday. Good news for the Orange? Their opponent, Virginia, was destroyed 38-7 at Florida State Saturday. The Cavaliers punted the ball seven times and only mustered 37 rushing yards in their defeat at the Seminoles. Despite Syracuse’s victory, its porous defense leaked yards like a sieve, a deluge of penalties proved to be chronic selfsabotage and its errant kicking game fired like a loose cannon. Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (2-2, 0-2 ACC) will fare against Virginia (3-2, 1-1 ACC):
SYRACUSE’S 2025 SEASON
0 3 8 -177 NO
ranked wins
wins
point differential
straight losses
national ranking
NOAH NUSSBAUM (3-1)
NICHOLAS ALUMKAL (3-1)
HARRIS PEMBERTON (3-1)
CAVALIER CRISIS VIRGINIA 31, SYRACUSE 20
CAN’T BE CAVALIER VIRGINIA 24, SYRACUSE 21
CAV-ING IN VIRGINIA 33, SYRACUSE 27
Syracuse has a real opportunity to capitalize on Virginia’s recent struggles in this game. Don’t get me wrong, the Cavaliers are a good team — they made the ACC Championship last year and won the ACC regular-season title — but the Orange need wins, and this suddenly looks like it may be a “winnable” game after UVA’s losses to unranked West Virginia and Florida State. A victory over Virginia could be exactly what SU needs to turn its season around and at least make a bowl game. A loss would just prolong what could be a long season. That would provide zero confidence heading into matchups against teams of the same or better caliber. With that being said, I still don’t see Syracuse winning. If the Orange can barely beat UConn, I don’t think winning at Virginia will be any easier. Syracuse’s defense looked atrocious in the second half, and Amari Odom cosplayed for Steve Angeli with two second-half picks that sped up UConn’s eventual comeback. Odom did show me plenty to be excited about, though, namely his six total touchdowns and the rushing element he adds to SU’s offense, something Angeli couldn’t even provide before his injury. But with Saturday’s defensive breakdown and Odom’s inconsistency against the Huskies, I think UVA will still pull this one out.
Yes, Syracuse beat UConn and is 2-2. But the way it stumbled across the finish line — seeing its lead slip away and needing a near-miraculous fourth-down touchdown in overtime — raised more concerns than answers. It was the same worrying trends (shoddy kicking, unruly penalties and feckless defense) that popped up again for the Orange, and it was a mediocre UConn doing the damage. SU can’t be so cavalier against the Cavaliers. I know Virginia was blitzed in Tallahassee, and it may not be as good as its 34-8 seasonopening win over NC State would suggest, but I expect UVA to be intent on correcting course, and they will at home against a flawed SU team. Beau Pribula, who had a quarterback rating of 13.8 Saturday, won’t play as poorly. The Orange, for their part, may have found their answer under center. Odom took advantage of his surprise start with six total touchdowns. His mobility will be an asset against a Virginia defense that allowed FSU’s Ashton Daniels to run roughshod with 136 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. But the Hoos’ defense will be tighter than UConn’s. Yes, Umari Hatcher was brilliant Saturday, but he’ll be contained more Saturday. What I see undermining the Orange are their mistakes. Drives stalled because of penalties. Drives going unrequited with shanked field goals. It’s happened before. There are now four games of evidence. It’ll happen again in the crisp autumnal evening air in Charlottesville. SU will remain winless in conference play. Cavaliers beat cavalier any day of the week.
Through four games now, the three of us haven’t disagreed on a prediction. And I’m sorry to say that I won’t be bold enough to change that this week. Part of me wants to pick Syracuse, given the change at quarterback and the life that Odom gave the Orange in the first half against UConn. It also helps SU’s chances that Virginia looked horrible against Florida State. But let’s address the elephant in the room for a moment. Syracuse gave up 27 unanswered points to the Huskies and continuously made some of the same mistakes that continuously hurt it in its first two ACC games. There were still all kinds of costly penalties; SU missed two kicks, the pass defense looked the worst it’s looked all season and the Orange couldn’t find any momentum after they let some of it slip. And yes, this offense looked different with Odom in the backfield. He showed some electrifying stuff, but also made a few rough throws, including a costly interception in the red zone in the fourth quarter. I think he certainly elevates Syracuse’s ceiling, but this UVA matchup will be a litmus test of the Odom-led offense. Either way, it’s hard to say Odom’s spark alone will be enough given the consistent issues that kept UConn in the game. As Brown said postgame on Saturday, no football team is going to be perfect. There’s always going to be things to clean up. And if there’s ever a time to show that Syracuse has grown, it’s a road ACC game under the lights. But I said it in my Pitt prediction, and I’ll say it again. Until Syracuse can show me it won’t consistently succumb to the same mistakes, I have trouble picking it to win on the road.
9
Virginia’s wins in its last 10 home games
8 IN THE HUDDLE
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