August 31st at 3:30 marks a brand new chapter in the “315”. Syracuse football kicks off its regular season against Ohio to begin the most anticipated campaign since 2019.
Last season, the Orange started off the year strong and won their first four games before a cold stretch derailed the promising fall. SU proceeded to lose five straight and seven of its last nine, most notably a 31-22 loss to Georgia Tech, which resulted in the firing of head coach Dino Babers the following day. Under the tutelage of interim head coach Nunzio Campanile, Syracuse fell in the Boca Raton Bowl to South Florida 45-0.
After eight seasons and three bowl game appearances under the leadership of Babers, SU moved in a different direction in the off-season; bringing in former Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown to be the sideline boss.
In his first month with the program, Brown completely revamped the coaching staff. The first-time head coach brought in former Texas A&M defensive line coach Elijah Robinson to be the Orange defensive coordinator, as well as Jeff Nixon, the former New York Giants running back coach as the OC.
It’s not just the coaching staff with a brand new look this season, it’s the roster as a whole. Syracuse brought in 18 new transfers from across the country this season, most notably former Ohio State Quarterback Kyle McCord, and former A&M Edge Rusher Fadil Diggs. For McCord, all he’s wanted is a chance to get on the field and play.
“It’s definitely the day that I’ve had circled on my calendar since the day I decided to come here,” he said. “It’s been a lot of hard work, early mornings, late nights to get to this point. So now it’s just excitement more than anything. I get an opportunity to go out there and play.”
Aside from the transfers, SU brings back the big guns for this season. Veteran starters in tight end Oronde Gadsden, safety Justin Barron and linebacker Marlowe Wax headline the returners for the ‘Cuse. Getting Gadsden back was going to be a tall task for Brown, but the addition of McCord made the decision significantly easier for the tight end.
“The best call was OG just told me, ‘If you get a quarterback I’m here. If you don’t, I’m out,’ ” he said. “It was straight-forward. If you get a good quarterback I’m here. If you don’t, I’m out.”
It’s one thing to be hyped up on paper based on the rosters and new shiny coaching staff, but it’s different with all the Orangemen getting headlined on preseason award watch lists.
Maxwell Award (Player of the Year): QB Kyle McCord, RB LeQuint Allen
Paul Hornung Award (Most Versatile Player): WR Trebor Pena
Walter Camp Award (Most Outstanding Player): QB Kyle McCord
Doak Walker Award (Best Running Back): RB LeQuint Allen
Davey O’Brien Award (Best Quarterback): QB Kyle McCord
Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year): LB Marlowe Wax
Butkus Award (Best Linebacker): LB Marlowe Wax
With four different Syracuse players up for six different awards, the expectations are high for the Orange this fall. Athletic Director John Wildhack was impressed with what he saw during camp, and is excited for this season.
“It was physical, competitive. I liked the energy of the practices, I liked the tempo,” he said. “They’re efficient and I think we’ve got good leadership.”
For the Bobcats, head coach Tim Albin is back for his fourth season, but he’s got some new help to go along with him. Two new coordinators in Brian Smith (Offensive) and John Hauser (Defensive) round out the top of the staff under Albin’s control.
Ohio is coming off a 10-3 season, going 6-2 in the MAC. The Bobcats won the Myrtle Beach Bowl vs. Georgia Southern 41-21. The last time these two programs met was in the 2021 season opener. The Orange scored in every quarter, and dominated 29-9.
This time around, Syracuse and Ohio kick off at 3:30 inside the JMA Wireless Dome. A special one-hour Countdown to Kickoff pregame show begins at 2:30 on 88.3 FM and waer.org