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Syracuse entered its bye week winners of three straight games and was on the cusp of entering the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time under Fran Brown. A primetime matchup on the road versus then-No. 19 Pittsburgh loomed, setting the stage for the Orange’s biggest game of the season.

But instead of carrying its pre-bye-week momentum into Acrisure Stadium, SU came out flat. Kyle McCord’s three first-quarter interceptions set the tone for a 41-13 dismantling, the Orange’s worst defeat thus far in 2024.

Now, Syracuse is preparing for its first matchup in November — a month the program consistently struggled in under former head coach Dino Babers — versus Virginia Tech. The Orange need just one win versus the Hokies, Boston College, California, UConn or Miami to clinch bowl eligibility for the third straight season.

“I wasn’t here last November. So, I’m just focused on this November. And I wish that, if you say we struggled last November, I don’t want to struggle this November,” Brown said.

Here are some takeaways from Brown’s weekly press conference before Syracuse’s (5-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) matchup versus Virginia Tech (5-3, 3-1 ACC) Saturday:

Murphy’s Law

Brown repeatedly acknowledged the strange elements that SU’s offense faced against Pitt. From Brandon George corralling an interception while lying on his stomach to McCord having one of his passes picked off because the ball bounced off his receiver’s helmet, SU’s offense experienced plenty of flukiness.

When reflecting on the loss, Brown brought up Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

And for the Orange, in a season that mostly had been going right, the script flipped versus the Panthers. Looking ahead to VT, Brown said he’s looking forward to having his team play football and he doesn’t want the same chaos to ensue. To get over the blowout loss, Brown mentioned the team hung out Saturday night watching other college football games before flushing everything out of their system Sunday.

“I think our quarterback is really good, and it was just an off night,” Brown said. “(It) was an off night for our football program, for the entire team, starting with the head football coach.”

Marlowe Wax’s status

Following a five-game absence, SU star linebacker Marlowe Wax returned to action for the first time since Week 1. Leading up to the game, Brown noted it was likely the fifth-year senior year would return against the Hokies.

After seeing his linebacker’s mobility leading up to the Thursday night matchup, though, Wax was a surprise addition to the Orange’s defense. Wax recorded two tackles and a sack versus the Panthers.

Postgame, Brown said Wax wasn’t 100% leading into the game. When asked where he was percentage-wise going into Syracuse’s bout with VT, Brown wouldn’t put a specific figure on it, but said he was improving.

“I wouldn’t say he’s at 100% but he’s going to be better than he was last week,” Brown said of Wax.

Justin Barron’s role

When Wax went down with his injury, the Orange got creative in replacing him. In their Week 2 win over Georgia Tech, Fadil Diggs dropped back from defensive end to linebacker. Since then, SU has reverted him to the line and has seen Justin Barron drop down from safety to linebacker.

Under previous defensive coordinator Rocky Long, Barron played the “rover” position — a hybrid between linebacker and safety. Because of his familiarity in the middle of the field and Syracuse’s newfound depth, Barron began spending the bulk of his playing time at linebacker.

And that didn’t change against Pitt, even with Wax’s re-addition. Much of the time, Syracuse had Wax, Barron and Derek McDonald as linebackers together — similar to what it ran under Long. Brown believes it puts his team and Barron in the best spot to succeed.

“I think Justin is an NFL linebacker and I want to play him in a position where he’ll go and play and be able to make himself a bunch of money afterward,” Brown said. “I think we’re a better team with Justin being that linebacker and Marlowe and all the other guys.”

Challenging Emanuel Ross and Justus Ross-Simmons

Syracuse had a surprise leading receiver Thursday, as freshman Emanuel Ross paced the team with 78 yards and five catches — his first five Division I receptions. Brown said “the sky is the limit” for Ross on Monday.

Yet, he also noted the freshman needs to learn to fight through injuries going forward. Currently, Brown said Ross has done well fighting through both toe and Achilles injuries.

“I think both of the Rosses, we need them both to step up,” Brown said.

In addition to Ross, Brown was referencing Colorado State transfer Justus Ross-Simmons. Ross-Simmons has dealt with injuries, forcing him to miss the Orange’s first three games and Week 5 matchup versus UNLV, and has yet to haul in a reception when active.

In team meetings Sunday, Brown said he challenged both of the wide receivers to be who they’re supposed to be and that the pressure is on going forward.

Published on October 28, 2024 at 7:03 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon