5 Things to Know: 'Cuse vs. Tennessee
8/27/2025 12:49:00 PM | Football
Syracuse and No. 24 Tennessee open the 2025 football season on Saturday in Atlanta for the Aflac Kickoff Game. Here's five things to know about the matchup:
1. Opening Drive
The Syracuse football program has won 10 of its last 11 season openers, seven of which came inside the Loud House. Saturday's game will be the first neutral site game to start the season since 2013, when Syracuse and Penn State played in the NY College Classic at MetLife Stadium.
Head Coach Fran Brown is 1-0 in season openers, winning last year's starter against Ohio.
2. Be There!
Don't miss one of the most anticipated openers in program history. Visit Cuse.com/AflacKickoff today!
3. All-Orange
While different shades, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be Orange clad on Saturday, in a matchup of orange-colored squads.
This is the fourth-meeting all-time between the two schools, with the Volunteers leading the series 3-0. The teams last met in 2001 in Knoxville, a 33-9 Vols win. The other two matchups were one-possession decisions. In the 1998 season opener in the JMA Wireless Dome, Tennessee notched a 34-33 victory in a hotly contested battle that featured a 27-yard field goal as time expired to start the Vols' eventual national championship season.
The two squads also met in 1966 in the Gator Bowl, where Tennessee won 18-12.
4. Iron Sharpens Iron
Syracuse will be tested early and often this season, if prior results dictate this season's schedule difficulty. The Orange are one-of-two teams nationally that face four opponents that reached the College Football Playoff this season, beginning with Saturday's matchup vs. Tennessee. All-four games will come away from home, as 'Cuse has later trips to Clemson, SMU and Notre Dame.
Mississippi State also will face four CFP teams from last year, but all four of their contests will come in Starkville.
The Orange are also the only school in the ACC that will face five-or-more teams ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25.
5. Peanut Butter Angeli Time
Head coach Fran Brown has named Steve Angeli as Syracuse's starting quarterback. Angeli comes to Syracuse from Notre Dame, transferring to 'Cuse this summer. He appeared in 21 collegiate games for the Fighting Irish, including last year's College Football Playoff semifinal and championship game. Angeli most notably marched Notre Dame down the field against Penn State in the semifinal, where he completed 6-of-7 passes for 44 yards during a crucial scoring drive.
In his career, he has completed 58-of-80 passes (72.5 pct.) for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns, while throwing just one interception. He also has 17 carries for 36 yards.
Angeli inherits a Syracuse offense that led the nation in passing last season under Offensive Coordinator Jeff Nixon. Key returners Justus Ross-Simmons, Darrell Gill Jr., Umari Hatcher, Dan Villari, Yasin Willis and Will Nixon, among others, will provide playmaking options for the Orange, which also welcomed a bevvy of offensive line transfers and wide receiver Johntay Cook through the portal.
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1. Opening Drive
The Syracuse football program has won 10 of its last 11 season openers, seven of which came inside the Loud House. Saturday's game will be the first neutral site game to start the season since 2013, when Syracuse and Penn State played in the NY College Classic at MetLife Stadium.
Head Coach Fran Brown is 1-0 in season openers, winning last year's starter against Ohio.
2. Be There!
Don't miss one of the most anticipated openers in program history. Visit Cuse.com/AflacKickoff today!
3. All-Orange
While different shades, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be Orange clad on Saturday, in a matchup of orange-colored squads.
This is the fourth-meeting all-time between the two schools, with the Volunteers leading the series 3-0. The teams last met in 2001 in Knoxville, a 33-9 Vols win. The other two matchups were one-possession decisions. In the 1998 season opener in the JMA Wireless Dome, Tennessee notched a 34-33 victory in a hotly contested battle that featured a 27-yard field goal as time expired to start the Vols' eventual national championship season.
The two squads also met in 1966 in the Gator Bowl, where Tennessee won 18-12.
4. Iron Sharpens Iron
Syracuse will be tested early and often this season, if prior results dictate this season's schedule difficulty. The Orange are one-of-two teams nationally that face four opponents that reached the College Football Playoff this season, beginning with Saturday's matchup vs. Tennessee. All-four games will come away from home, as 'Cuse has later trips to Clemson, SMU and Notre Dame.
Mississippi State also will face four CFP teams from last year, but all four of their contests will come in Starkville.
The Orange are also the only school in the ACC that will face five-or-more teams ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25.
5. Peanut Butter Angeli Time
Head coach Fran Brown has named Steve Angeli as Syracuse's starting quarterback. Angeli comes to Syracuse from Notre Dame, transferring to 'Cuse this summer. He appeared in 21 collegiate games for the Fighting Irish, including last year's College Football Playoff semifinal and championship game. Angeli most notably marched Notre Dame down the field against Penn State in the semifinal, where he completed 6-of-7 passes for 44 yards during a crucial scoring drive.
In his career, he has completed 58-of-80 passes (72.5 pct.) for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns, while throwing just one interception. He also has 17 carries for 36 yards.
Angeli inherits a Syracuse offense that led the nation in passing last season under Offensive Coordinator Jeff Nixon. Key returners Justus Ross-Simmons, Darrell Gill Jr., Umari Hatcher, Dan Villari, Yasin Willis and Will Nixon, among others, will provide playmaking options for the Orange, which also welcomed a bevvy of offensive line transfers and wide receiver Johntay Cook through the portal.
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