Amari Odom’s name popped up on the Syracuse football (2-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) injury report Thursday ahead of a Saturday night matchup with Virginia (3-2, 1-1 ACC). SU coach Fran Brown said on his radio show that the quarterback was dealing with soreness in his throwing arm and shoulder, but that he had participated in practice with some limitations.
Odom’s first Syracuse start came as a surprise to many. The initial starter, Steve Angeli, threw five interceptions in SU’s losses to California and Pittsburgh, including four in the fourth quarter. But against a struggling Connecticut team, many expected Angeli to at least start the game.
The Kennesaw State transfer forced Brown’s hand with a late drive in SU’s loss at Pittsburgh. Odom completed all eight of his attempts, and the Orange got a field goal out of it. As a result, the quarterback competition that brought Odom to Syracuse was alive during the bye week.
“Opportunity and competition is ultimately why I decided to become a Syracuse Orange,” Odom said. “I just knew throughout what I’ve been through in the past, work is always going to show.”
But the senior’s performance in his first SU start was an even bigger surprise. By the time the Orange left East Hartford after a 42-41 overtime win, Odom had thrown for nearly 350 yards and five touchdowns. Naturally, he added a touchdown and the game-winning two-point conversion with his legs.
To cap off a stellar starting debut for @CuseFootball today, quarterback Amari Odom crossed the goal line.@alex_burstein was on the mic for the Orange's game-winning 2-point conversion.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) October 3, 2026
📻@waer883, https://t.co/3fsNlc1fG9 pic.twitter.com/Pv2tD44HmB
But UConn isn’t on Virginia’s level. For one, the Cavaliers have a win over a Power Four opponent; the Huskies do not. Also, if Odom is good to go, he’ll likely need to rely on his legs as much as his arm, and not just because of shoulder pain.
Across five games, Virginia has held every quarterback it has faced to fewer than 200 yards, and opposing quarterbacks have just two passing touchdowns and seven interceptions against the Cavaliers.
But in Virginia’s two losses, opposing signal-callers have used their legs to carve through the defense. First, West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-27 win for the Mountaineers on Sept. 19. Then last week, Florida State’s Ashton Daniels racked up 136 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 38-7 demolition of the Cavaliers.
Ashton Daniels has been RIPPING Virginia’s defense on the ground today.
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) October 3, 2026
14 carries, 131 yards, 4 TDs.
His 4 rushing touchdowns are the most by an FSU QB in a single game in program history. pic.twitter.com/d6kaWBlMAd
Even if Odom isn’t fully healthy, Brown noted that his mobility went into the decision to start him over Angeli in the first place.
“His legs and what he can do were a little bit better than what Steve can do with legs right now,” Brown said. “Steve’s healthy … but [Odom] can run a little bit more.”
If Odom gets a chance to test the air against the Cavaliers, he’ll likely be looking for his new favorite target. In the win against UConn, the quarterback and wideout Umari Hatcher connected on 12 passes for more than 150 yards and three touchdowns.
“Because of the quarterback battle, I was getting a lot of reps with him,” Hatcher said. “The connection was always there, we just got in the game and got to showcase it.”
After dominant quarterback play defined SU’s 2024 season and an injury derailed its 2025 campaign, the 2026 season has already had its ups and downs. But with the bye week behind the Orange, eight straight ACC matchups lie ahead. It could be Odom, Angeli or someone else under center as SU’s search for its first conference win of the year heads down to Charlottesville.
Kickoff against the Cavaliers is set for 7:30 p.m. WAER’s coverage begins with the “McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff” at 7 p.m.
