Déjà Vu for Steve Angeli as Syracuse Football Falls 27-13 to Pittsburgh

It was déjà vu for Syracuse football (1-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) quarterback Steve Angeli in SU's 27-13 loss to Pittsburgh (3-0, 1-0 ACC) at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday. The fifth-year completed 13 of his 25 passes, threw for 161 yards and tossed two interceptions.

The performance comes after Angeli struggled in the game prior against California. The signal caller went 24-for-50 for 307 yards, tallied a touchdown and three picks. It was the first time No. 9 had thrown multiple interceptions in a game.

After Angeli threw his second interception early in the fourth quarter, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown made a change under center. Orange backup Amari Odom took the field. The Kennesaw State transfer led Conference USA in passing yards and touchdowns last year. On his one drive that resulted in a field goal, Odom was 7-for-7 for 44 yards. Coach Brown emphasized that the quarterback position is still up for grabs.

"It's been a quarterback competition from the beginning. There was competition all week. We just have to do what's best for us to be able to have the opportunity to go out to win the next game. I like to go and watch the tape. We got time to self-scout to see what would be best for our football team," he said.

Penalties once again plagued Syracuse. The Orange tallied 10 calls for 94 yards. Coming into the game, SU led the nation with 26 penalties for over 230 yards. However, coach Brown isn't too concerned with the laundry in the loss.

"I don't control those calls. There's a lot of judgment calls, but if we jump [offsides], that's a call. You have to be able to hold your water. When it comes to the other calls, there's things that I feel and think about. That's just part of the game, but it's all judgement," he said.

Despite the continued struggles in the passing attack and with penalties, Syracuse's rushing offense showed promise. Orange halfback Ahmad Miller led the way with 14 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown on 5.6 yards per carry. As a team, the 'Cuse scampered for 142 yards on 3.7 yards a carry, eclipsing 100 yards for the third straight game.

However, SU's rushing success has come by committee. Orange freshman Shavane Anderson led the way against New Hampshire while sophomore Tylik Hill spearheaded the attack against California. Along with Miller, Syracuse also utilized receiver Umari Hatcher and halfback Ju'Juan Johnson on Thursday.

The rushing success came with an asterisk. SU had trouble punching the ball in the end zone. The 'Cuse scored just one touchdown on its four red zone drives. Coach Brown knows his team has to convert when given the opportunity.

"We got to score in the red area. We got to get touchdowns in the red area. We get to the red area and we can't score, and that's important that we score touchdowns down there. If we do kick a field goal, we need to make them," he said.

Another change was seen on special teams. After Orange kicker Tripp Woody missed a 29-yard field goal wide left in the second quarter, freshman Shay Barker was called upon. The backup went 2-for-2 from distance, hitting a 30-yard and 42-yard field goal.

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Luckily for SU, the Orange have 15 days off before their next game. Syracuse gets a bye week before it travels to East Hartford, Conn., to take on UConn (1-1) on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Orange took down the Huskies 27-20 in overtime last season. Angeli threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Kickoff is at noon. Our coverage on WAER begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff at 11:30 a.m.