Despite winning their season opener, Syracuse’s head coach wasn’t entirely pleased with his team’s performance. Quarterback Steve Angeli’s touchdown pass in overtime secured a 27-20 victory over UConn, but Coach Fran Brown voiced frustration about how his team conducted themselves after the game.
Speaking after the match, Brown referred to the attitude displayed by the players as “upsetting.” Following the game, rather than celebrating, he had the entire team sprint on the field.
“The guys weren’t running together. They weren’t hustling to the ball,” Brown explained to reporters at the JMA Wireless Dome. “I want to share in the joy of a win, but I’m really frustrated right now.”
He went on to reflect on lessons learned from previous coaching experiences. Syracuse managed to stay just six points behind until the fourth quarter, where they briefly took a 20-17 lead late in the game. However, UConn tied it up with a 41-yard field goal, pushing the match into overtime.
Angeli’s six-yard pass to Justslos Symons and the Syracuse defense’s performance clinched the win. For the game, Angeli completed 33 of 53 passes for 417 yards, contributing two touchdowns alongside one interception.
Afterward, he mentioned he would stick to the approach he had promised to bring to the team. “When I committed to this, I intended for it to look a certain way, and I didn’t see that for about 50 minutes of football,” Brown stated. “I just want to deliver on my promises.”
Syracuse will be facing Colgate this Friday night at 7 PM.
