Battle of Syracuse’s Rookie Quarterback and Belichick’s Defense Falls Flat
In what many expected to be a lopsided match, Syracuse’s rookie quarterback, Joseph Filardi, faced off against NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick, resulting in a disappointing game for Syracuse with a 27-10 loss in North Carolina.
Filardi struggled significantly, completing only 4 of 18 passes for a mere 39 yards—no touchdowns to his name.
“His first play, certainly not all the passes went as we planned,” noted Syracuse coach Fran Brown following his team’s fifth straight loss. “He was likely trying to protect the ball and also run the game. It’s easy to put all the blame on the quarterback, but there are ten other guys on the field, plus input from the coordinators.” He emphasized the need for collective alignment rather than solely focusing on Filardi’s performance.
Syracuse, a school that produced iconic athletes like Jim Brown, had high hopes for Filardi, who demonstrated prowess in football and lacrosse at Half Hollow Hills West High School in Long Island. He was, in fact, recognized as the No. 52 recruit in the 2025 lacrosse freshman class.
His Syracuse football credentials include holding the Long Island record for passing touchdowns in a season—44—and being named New York State Player of the Year in 2024.
Initially committing to the lacrosse team, Filardi expressed his desire to play both sports. “I visited for football in March and chatted with the lacrosse coaches about juggling both,” he shared in a podcast, explaining how he got approval from both teams to pursue football alongside lacrosse.
After starting quarterback Steve Agnelli left due to an Achilles injury, Filardi stepped in at center for the team.
In the midst of Syracuse’s losing streak, Rickey Collins, a transfer from LSU, had previously been part of the offense, managing a total of 40 points over four games. Coach Brown indicated that Filardi had outperformed Collins in practice, stating that they were seeking a new approach to stimulate the team.
“We’re just trying to shake things up a bit,” Brown remarked. The current season record is 3-6, and they’ve gone 1-5 in the ACC. “We hope this change brings some momentum.” However, Filardi struggled early, with eight incompletions before finally completing a pass with just over six minutes left in the first half, finishing that half with only 1-of-11 passes for 25 yards.
Syracuse concluded the game with only 12 first downs and 147 total yards, averaging a mere 2.2 yards per pass.
“Being a quarterback is tough, and in football, everything needs to come together for success,” Filardi acknowledged. “We definitely need to improve and be more productive as a unit, myself included.”
