Syracuse football clashes with No. 24 Tennessee in Atlanta to begin its season

Syracuse football’s first season under head coach Fran Brown injected life into its fanbase and program, going 10-3, with three ranked wins and a victory in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl. But all the reminiscing on last season comes to an end, and a new campaign begins this Saturday, as Syracuse (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) plays No. 24 Tennessee (0-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

For SU head coach Fran Brown, this week’s opener is a measuring stick against a formidable program.

“Big people beat little people up, and we’re about to go against a real big football team…so it’s a good test for us to go out and have a chance to see if we’re able to compete,” Brown remarked.

Perhaps the most eye-catching matchup on Saturday is at quarterback, as both the Orange and the Volunteers will trot out a transfer signal caller. SU’s Steve Angeli spent his first three seasons at Notre Dame, backing up the likes of both Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard. After figuring to be on the outside-looking-in for the Fighting Irish starting job, the New Jersey native was snagged by Fran Brown in the transfer portal in April.

This kickstarted a quarterback competition between Angeli and LSU transfer Rickie Collins, who had previously been announced the starter by Brown before Angeli’s arrival. However, it was Angeli who came in and took the starting role away. His selection as the starter is not something he takes lightly.

“It’s everything. It’s one of the greatest honors of my life to be named the starting quarterback at Syracuse…It’s a standard I’ve continued to hold myself and my teammates to,” Angeli said.

The new commander of the Orange offense may not provide as much mobility as Collins, but Angeli is hailed as a cerebral pocket passer who can throw on time and on target. He has experience playing on the big stage, leading a drive in last year’s College Football Playoff Semifinal in place of an injured Riley Leonard. In that lone drive, Angeli went six-for-seven, throwing for 44 yards, and leading the Irish to a field goal.

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Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has had a similar winding path. After spending two seasons as Appalachian State’s starting man, the Californian transferred to UCLA in December. That was until former Tennessee star quarterback Nico Iamaleava surprisingly left the team over an NIL dispute and joined the Bruins. Aguilar, figuring to be the backup, transferred to Knoxville in what was essentially a quarterback swap between Tennessee and UCLA.

The senior won the job at UT, giving him the reins to head coach Josh Heupel’s offense. Aguilar boasts a strong arm, throwing for over 3,000 yards at Appalachian State last fall, as well as 23 touchdown passes. However, he did throw 14 interceptions, so his ability to keep the ball out of harm's way will be something to monitor.

Aguilar will face an SU defense that lost a heap of talent, including its front seven. Edge rusher Fadil Diggs and linebacker Marlowe Wax are now in the NFL, while budding star and former four-star defensive tackle Maraad Watson transferred to Texas this offseason.

However, the secondary does not have as many questions coming into the year. Redshirt junior Duce Chestnut had a career-high 61 tackles after making the switch to safety last year, while junior Devin Grant had 51 tackles in 2024. When discussing the outlook of the secondary, and the team as a whole, Grant feels as though his squad has hit the ground running.

“I feel like this team is coming along very well, you know, we’re a very connected team, a strong, dominant team. We’re gonna fight hard. You can tell that we’re getting into our culture of ‘D.A.R.T,’” the safety said.

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Saturday’s game features two programs that are trying to keep the ball rolling after strong 2024 campaigns, but both SU and UT have legitimate question marks offensively. A low-scoring game out of the gate could be in the cards, but the vertical passing ability of Aguilar could allow Tennessee to have a big day if Syracuse is not up to the task.

Tune in this Saturday for Syracuse and Tennessee’s season opener in Atlanta. Kickoff is at noon, with a special hour-long Countdown to Kickoff beginning at 11 a.m.