Syracuse Football Has an Execution Problem, and Fran Brown Must Fix It Now

Three interceptions, including a pick-six. 15 penalties for 132 yards. Two missed field goals. Yup, it was the kind of day where absolutely everything went wrong for Syracuse, resulting in a 21-18 loss to Cal.

Beyond being wildly frustrating to watch, it was a disappointing litmus test for an Orange squad hoping to bounce back after a hellish end to the previous season. Cal is in the same weight class as ‘Cuse. In the end, it was a game Fran Brown’s team absolutely should have won and could very well wind up being the difference between being bowl-eligible and missing out on the postseason.

The mistakes piled up

‘Cuse started strong, taking a 12-0 lead, but the mistakes started piling up and the impact compounded throughout the game. Instead of a 4th and 1 in the second quarter, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Orange a 4th-and-goal at the 16, eliminating the possibility of going for it. Just before the half, an illegal block in the back wiped out a 75-yard punt return, robbing ‘Cuse of a makeable field-goal try.

Early in the third quarter, Steve Angeli lofted a beautiful pass to Justus Ross-Simmons, who dropped it at the goal line. Two plays later, Angeli threw a pick that was returned 59 yards and set up Cal’s touchdown drive. Syracuse answered with a touchdown and would have extended the lead further on a punt return touchdown from Demetrus Samuel. Tripp Woody then sandwiched two missed field goals around a pick-six thrown by Angeli. Angeli threw one last interception to seal the Orange’s fate.

Costly mistakes have been a trend

The sloppy play and frequent mistakes are a worrying trend for the Orange. There were plenty of warning signs in the win over New Hampshire. Penalties and sloppy play were chalked up to it being Week 1, and the repercussions weren’t felt because ‘Cuse was facing an overmatched FCS team.

Cal made Syracuse pay. Brown’s squad has been penalized 27 times so far this season. The Orange only averaged 6.2 infractions per game last year. This is a massive uptick, one that Brown is going to need to straighten out immediately.

SU must fix things now

This Syracuse team is not playing well enough to make up for this sheer volume of miscues. It’s a massive contrast to what occurred a year ago. After a promising start to the 2025 campaign, the wheels fell off when Angeli tore his Achilles against Clemson. The Orange lost eight straight games after that, all by double digits. Angeli’s return was supposed to be the stabilizing factor. Instead, he was one of the biggest reasons ‘Cuse is 1-1 instead of 2-0.

If you are looking for a silver lining, Syracuse only lost by a field goal despite all the mistakes. The Orange moved the ball easily, outgaining the Golden Bears 436 to 249. The defense looked strong throughout the contest, holding Cal to 3/12 on third down and only allowing 14 points, as the other 7 came on Angeli’s pick-six. The special teams are clearly capable of making big plays. They had 77 return yards that actually counted. That number would have been 246 if not for the penalties.

The line between a dominant win and a devastating loss is thin. ‘Cuse is close to being the team that they showed they were capable of being with Angeli at the helm in the first four games of last season. Now, it is on Brown to instill some discipline and accountability across the program. The schedule only gets harder from here. If Syracuse plays like this against Pittsburgh, the margin of defeat will be much wider.

SUPPORT THE JUICE ONLINE

Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on IG @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.

Add us as a preferred source on Google