It's Game Week for 'Cuse Football!

Year two of the Coach Fran era officially kicks off on Saturday, when Syracuse takes on No. 24 Tennessee in the Aflac Kickoff Game on ABC at Noon.

Tickets for Saturday's game are still available at Cuse.com/AflacKickoff. Fans can also find ample information on the contest on that page, including lodging options, activities in Atlanta and more! Don't wait to get your tickets to the Orange's home slate either, which are available at Cuse.com/FootballTickets.

Excitement around the program is at an all-time high after the Orange posted a 10-3 record last season, which included a win in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl. The 2025 Orange will get an early test, as they face the first of four opponents that played in last year's College Football Playoff. Syracuse will also take on Clemson, SMU and Notre Dame this season, all on the road. It's tied for the most 2024 College Football Playoff opponents on any team's schedule this season. Mississippi State will also face four CFP teams from a year ago, but all four will be played at home. Brown is excited for the challenge that awaits his team starting this weekend in Atlanta.

"We get the opportunity to play against one of the blue bloods of college football. I've looked up to this team for a long time," Brown said. "I think Coach Heupel has stepped in and done an amazing job, just from when he started there, his coaching career, his playing career as a football player and then now as a coach, it's always second to none. He does an amazing job."

Both squads enter Saturday's game with new signal callers after quarterback battles in preseason camp. Steve Angeli won the starting job for Syracuse, while Joey Aguilar has been named the starter for Tennessee. Angeli transferred to 'Cuse from Notre Dame where he played in 11 games last season, including both the national semifinals and championship game of the College Football Playoff. Overall, Angeli has 21 appearances, including one start, and has thrown for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns. Aguilar is a former Appalachian State standout. He has played in 41 games in college, including 24 starts at App State. He has passed for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns.

Angeli missed spring practice with the Orange as he transferred in May, but that has not stopped him from building rapport and chemistry with his teammates.

"I just push for us all to be close," Brown said. "We're not allowed to walk past anybody in the building and not speak to them. We're not allowed to not to know everybody on the team's name. That's important that you do that because your name is the most powerful word in the world to you. For us, everyone needs to build. I think Steve just had that naturally in him. That's his natural leadership ability, to be able to connect and relate to different people and do those things. I think it has helped a lot. Since he's been named the starter, I think his game has gotten even better, like he is playing better football than he was. And you know what's crazy, Rickie (Collins) is playing even better also. So, both of those guys are playing well. But since we've named (Steve) the starter, he has taken it to another level – accepted it, is thankful for it, and is working his butt off."

Angeli is one of many new faces on the Syracuse roster this season. The Orange return just six starters on offense and eight on defense. The principles that Brown instills in his players will be key to the squad building on the momentum of a record-breaking 2024 season.

Syracuse University Athletics

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