SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Matthew Visser can only imagine the excitement that brewed on Syracuse University’s campus when Kyle McCord and the unranked Orange stunned then-No. 6 Miami in the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 30, 2024. As a high school senior, the victory made the now-SU sophomore believe Syracuse football was trending in the right direction.
Two seasons later, Visser couldn’t have been more wrong. Syracuse is currently 2-4 and 0-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Orange haven’t won an ACC game in their last 11 tries dating back to a September tussle with Duke last season.
The JMA Wireless Dome was packed on Saturday, when SU hosted Louisville. The Orange brought in around 20 recruits, and with the university hosting its annual Family Weekend, 39,293 of the 42,774 seats were filled. If there was a time to get back on track, it was then. But the nightmare continued.
“Between the coaches, between the players, it just seems like a complete disaster,” Hugo Traverso, an SU freshman, said regarding Syracuse football’s current state. “To put it in the lowest of terms, it’s just a disaster.”
As SU set up for a fourth-and-1 with 45 seconds left in the loss to the Cardinals, the Dome crowd rose to their feet. They were hopeful, a rare feeling.
Then, Ahmad Miller was stuffed in the backfield for a one-yard loss. Back to reality. The crowd deflated. Most people turned for the exits. An energized Cardinals defense celebrated sealing a 34-26 victory over an Atlantic Coast Conference foe. Meanwhile, the Orange offense, led by fourth-string quarterback Danny Lauter, waded to the sideline.
“I don’t really love watching them lose,” said Frankie Cardinal, another Syracuse student. “It looks to me like they’re not trying that hard. I don’t see a lot of work ethic during the games.”
After a dismal 3-9 2025 season, there was no chance things would repeat in 2026, right? Last year, Steve Angeli, who led the nation in passing yards while healthy, suffered a torn Achilles in late September against Clemson. For the next eight games, the Orange used a quarterback carousel, slotting in Rickie Collins, Luke Carney and Joe Filardi to replace Angeli’s production. They simply couldn’t.
SU stumbled in its last eight games and placed last in the ACC. It felt like a fluke, though. Head coach Fran Brown attacked the transfer portal and acquired three former Division I starting quarterbacks.
Through six weeks this year, all three have played, and Angeli’s status remains unclear. Brown also announced Thursday that Amari Odom, one of those quarterbacks, will be out for the season with an injury, and Malachi Nelson, another one and a former five-star recruit, underwent ankle surgery.
“I know Fran Brown’s trying to do what he can, but it’s just the penalties,” Visser said.
Oh yeah, that too. The Orange are one of the nation’s worst teams in penalties and have been plagued in losses to Cal and Pitt.
“These past few games, there’s penalties after a dead ball, a push in the back, unnecessary roughness. It’s just stuff that’s like a coaching error,” Visser said. “There’s gotta be some sort of discipline in the program.”
If there were games for Syracuse to win, they’ve already passed. Cal and Pitt were two of the Orange’s easier ACC opponents, and they competed yet fell short. Against Louisville, they showed promise but suffered the same result. Now, Syracuse hits the road to take on North Carolina, which hasn’t particularly impressed recently, but the Orange surely haven’t either.
“It’s disappointing in all things,” Traverso said. “We could finish a 7-5, 8-4 team in the ACC, but it’s just injuries, it’s problems with play calling, it’s problems inside the locker room.”
Jonah Shelton, an SU freshman, said he’s been a fan of bad football teams his whole life. The California native says this while sporting an Oakland Athletics hat, a team that has since relocated to Las Vegas because of ownership turmoil and a lack of success and support.
Syracuse gave Shelton a chance to escape that. To finally cheer for a team that can win. Like Visser, Shelton wasn’t on campus when Syracuse upset Miami. But everyone remembers that victory. Syracuse has three more seasons to give Shelton another one. But for the freshman, that seems less likely by the week.
“It’s a rough watch going in every Saturday and not really expecting much,” Shelton said.