‘Cuse gave Fran Brown a shot, and he has run with it through a strong start
There have been plenty of moments through the first half of the 2024 season that gave Syracuse Orange fans pause.
Kyle McCord’s first pass almost ended up in the hands of an Ohio defender, and a three-and-out sandwiched in between two strong Bobcat drives had hands on laps and voices silenced for 15 minutes.
Georgia Tech nearly snatched victory away from SU in the ACC opener with a furious fourth quarter comeback.
Stanford did pull off their own final drive after briefly relinquishing the lead to ’Cuse, leaving a stunned Dome crowd in their wake.
Even Holy Cross came out and played tough, forcing SU starters to stay in longer than ideal for an FCS game.
Yet in spite of those early bumps in the road, the campaign has been less of a prayer and more of a promise: to be a real contender in the ACC.
That slow start in Week 1 was quickly forgotten as McCord settled in to throw four touchdowns and over 300 yards. The same offense then got the final pair of first downs it needed to secure another win.
An early setback – during a special anniversary no less – could have been the catalyst to derail the entire season… but it didn’t.
In their first road test, LeQuint Allen matched the UNLV Rebels blow for blow in a career-defining performance, willing the Orange to an overtime win and second ranked victory… and sending around half of the crowd to their hotel rooms happy.
Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images
The next week, they Orange went into a truly hostile crowd in Raleigh, survived some stalled drives and another late rally, and triumphed in an environment that has not been kind to them the past decade. More of the same could be in store tonight at Pitt. And even if there’s not, it wouldn’t be some grand disappointment.
There was risk in hiring an unproven head coach – we all knew that. Proof can be found in the graveyards of first timers across the college landscape. But it was better than leaving the program in the limbo it has been stuck in for far too long… and that faith in Fran Brown has already been rewarded.
The offense has been the explosive unit dreamt of since the early days of “Orange is the New Fast.” McCord has already tied the program record for 300+ yard games in a single season – and he’s got just as many chances to get one more. Oronde Gadsden is far from the only strong option in the receiving game… and we haven’t even seen them all at the same time! Plus the pass-heavy focus hasn’t completely closed off Allen in the running lanes, with timely usage that has kept his legs fresh.
A defense that is, admittedly, a work in progress has managed to stay in the middle of the ACC pack, even without all their top talent leading the way. It won’t get easier with other injuries up front and tough competition still ahead, but they’ve adjusted well to this point and don’t need to carry the load as much as in recent memory. There won’t be any magic willing of field goals beyond the 35-40 range, but at least Fran knows what he’s working with there now.
For much of the 2000s, “it doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not” was more than just a Jon Bon Jovi lyric – it routinely became the unofficial Syracuse football motto once basketball season was underway. By that point, even the thought of a rare meaningful bowl game was out of reach.
Well when the Orange have a chance to clinch a bowl berth on the Panthers’ turf seven games in, that motto no longer applies. Another 5-1 stretch may or may not be in store, but regardless, the standard has changed for the better. Syracuse made the bold step to stop holding on to what they’ve got and instead strive for more.
Now the shot they take the next six weeks has a much better chance of finding its mark.