Syracuse QB Steve Angeli Still Has Carney's Trust Despite Cal Loss

The former Orange captain preaches patience with quarterback Steve Angeli, evaluates 15 penalties, and reacts to freshman Jimmy Gregg's wild fake-punt jump pass.

Sep 5, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9) passes the ball during the first half against the New Hampshire Wildcats at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Syracuse dropped a disappointing game to Cal in its ACC opener on Saturday, losing 21-18. The Orange had led for most of the game, but a series of blunders in the fourth quarter, including two backbreaking intereceptions from quarterback Steve Angeli handed the Orange their first loss of the season.

Carney expresses confidence in Angeli

Angeli completed just 24 of 49 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown against three interceptions. The last pick was on the Orange's final drive, which sealed the win for the Golden Bears. Despite the frustrating game, former Syracuse football captain Brendan Carney still has plenty of confidence in him, he said on the latest episode of the Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by Bleav and On SI.

"When he wasn't under pressure, he was performing," Carney said. "When he was under pressure, that's where all the mistakes were happening... As he continues to play with this offense, I think he'll get more comfortable, he'll get more consistent. I'm still optimistic about him. I don't think we need to pull him just yet, but I think he just needs to get a few things cleaned up and he'll be all right."

Penalties cost SU

Of course, Angeli wasn't the only issue with Syracuse. The Orange struggled with their discipline, getting flagged 15 times for 132 yards. Several of them were pre-snap penalties, which drew the ire of the Syracuse crowd.

"Fifteen penalties, that's really an absurd number of penalties to have in a game we otherwise controlled statistically," Carney said. "It really comes down to the execution and discipline, and we all know that those are fixable things."

Carney has enjoyed watching Gregg

Carney is most known for being an All-Big East punter at Syracuse, where he left as Syracuse's second leading all-time punter in terms of average (42.6). He also set the SU record for most punting yards in a career and a season. He was also named a team captain in 2006.

As a result, Carney has enjoyed watching freshman Jimmy Gregg play. The nation's top rated punter had a highlight reel play in the first half when Syracuse called a fake punt, and he threw a jump pass for a 12-yard gain and a first down.

"I fully admit the coaches that I played for probably would have never trusted me to do a play like that, but I thought it was great," Carney said. "Reminded me of that Tim Tebow play that he did when he was playing college football."

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