Syracuse football looks to rebound against Connecticut amid questions at quarterback

A week away from game action gave Syracuse football (1-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) some time to search for answers. After back-to-back conference losses to California and Pittsburgh, SU returns from its bye with a chance to right its wrongs against Connecticut (2-2, 0-0 FBS Independent).

One of the biggest questions entering the week centered on who would start under center for the Orange. Quarterback Steve Angeli threw five interceptions across Syracuse's two losses, including two against Pitt in its eventual 27-13 loss.

Backup quarterback Amari Odom took the field late in the fourth quarter and completed all eight of his passes for 51 yards. Still, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown confirmed that Angeli will remain SU's starter against the Huskies.

"He's the quarterback," Brown said. "After two games of not playing the way you want to play, or he didn't play his best football, it's hard to be able to just turn away from someone like that."

But Angeli might not be the only quarterback UConn sees. Brown noted that Odom's performance against the Panthers sparked competition at the position.

"He's a good football player, and he understands the offense and is able to move down the field," Brown added. "There's a part of the game where we'll be able to put him in and get him on the football field, which will help us a lot."

Odom adds a different dimension to Syracuse's offense. The redshirt junior was named first-team All-Conference USA last season after throwing for 2,594 yards and 19 touchdowns at Kennesaw State while adding 347 yards on the ground and seven rushing touchdowns.

Former college quarterback Matthew Downing called all of the Owls' games last season and believes that mobility is what makes Odom particularly difficult to contain.

"The talent level is off the charts," Downing said. "Everyone can throw the football…where he's very dangerous and hurts defenses is when he's out of the pocket and running the football on his own."

But quarterback play is only one of several concerns Syracuse had to address on the bye.

The Orange have struggled to finish drives over their last two contests. SU reached the red zone nine times against Cal and Pitt but came away with just two touchdowns. Syracuse also turned the ball over five times during that stretch.

Discipline has added to those concerns. SU is the most penalized team in the nation, with 36 flags through three games. Its 329 penalty yards rank first among Power Four programs and trail only the University of Texas at San Antonio's 345 among all FBS teams.

"Protect the football, create takeaways, and minimize the penalties," Brown listed.

On the other end, UConn fell to 2-2 after surrendering an early 14-point advantage in a 24-21 loss to Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. Still, Huskies quarterback Kalieb Osborne presents another challenge for an Orange defense that has otherwise been the team's bright spot.

The sophomore has totaled 850 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions through four games while completing 61.4% of his attempts.

Osborne's mobility poses another threat. The Toledo transfer rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, contributing to a solid UConn offense that averages 422.8 yards and 34.8 points a game. Plus, the Huskies are perfect in the red zone this season, finding the end zone in all 10 scoring trips.

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This weekend's matchup brings Angeli back to the opponent against whom he produced one of his best performances last season. The gunslinger threw for a then-career-high 416 yards and two touchdowns in Syracuse's 27-20 overtime victory over UConn. But this time, the redshirt senior enters the matchup trying to steady a program after consecutive losses, with Odom waiting for his opportunity right behind him.

Kickoff against the Huskies is set for noon Saturday. WAER's coverage starts with the McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff at 11:30 a.m.