Pregame Prep: Things to Know Before the Game
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET (Saturday)
TV / Radio: ACC Network / 93.9 The Ville
Last Time These Two Met:
In the 2022 season opener, Syracuse jumped to an early 10-0 lead over Louisville and never looked back. Louisville’s Tiyon Evans cut the Orange lead to 10-7 on a 36-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but that would be Louisville’s only points of the game. Syracuse would go on to score 21 unanswered points, with Sean Tucker logging 184 total yards (100 rushing and 84 receiving) and two total touchdowns (one rushing and receiving apiece), as the Orange took a 31-7 blowout victory over the Cardinals.
Notable Numbers:
- Louisville leads the all-time series 13-8. The Cardinals have won seven out of the last nine since 2014, when Louisville joined the ACC. However, Syracuse’s last four wins in the series have come at home against Louisville.
- Louisville running back Isaac Brown rushed for a career-high 235 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Florida State, the seventh-most in single-game program history. His 97-yard touchdown run is also the longest play from scrimmage in program history.
- Additionally, Louisville rushed for 397 rushing yards against FSU, the most for the Cardinals since 2017.
- After logging just three sacks in the first three games, Louisville’s defensive line has had nine in the last three.
First Down: Meet the 2026 Syracuse Orange
Dino Babers, who was the head coach at Syracuse in 2022, would lead the Orange for another season before being fired near the end of the 2023 regular season. Syracuse hired Fran Brown as head coach in 2024, who was Georgia’s secondary coach before taking the position.
Brown led Syracuse to a surprising 10-win season in his first season, which included ranked wins over Georgia Tech, UNLV, and Miami, keeping the latter out of the ACC Championship Game in the process. 2025, however, would be a different story; after starting the season 3-1 and beating Clemson on the road, Syracuse lost their final eight games to finish the season at 3-9.
Syracuse enters Saturday’s game with a 2-3 record, dropping a 28-25 loss at Virginia last weekend. The Orange have lost their last ten games against conference opponents heading into Saturday.
Second Down: Syracuse Orange Offense
Syracuse led the ACC in passing yards per game in 2024, averaging a staggering 370 passing yards per game with 34 touchdowns. Since last season, however, the Orange have struggled with their passing game, mostly due to injuries. Quarterback Steve Angeli had a hot start last season (1,317 passing yards and ten touchdowns) before suffering an Achilles tendon injury against Clemson. That led to Syracuse rotating multiple quarterbacks throughout last season, resulting in the Orange averaging 217 passing yards last year (15th in the ACC).
So far this season, Syracuse has dealt with injuries again. Angeli missed last week’s game against Virginia due to a platelet-rich plasma injection for his Achilles, and Amari Odom is listed as out for Saturday’s game as well. Former five-star prospect Malachi Nelson is also listed as questionable, along with Angeli. If Angeli nor Nelson play on Saturday, Syracuse could end up with Georgetown transfer Danny Lauter or Joseph Filardi at quarterback.
Since returning from his injury, Angeli has struggled, completing just 55% of his passes and has only one passing touchdown versus five interceptions (including a three-interception, sub-50% completion percentage outing in a loss to Cal). He can hit throws in tight windows, but the lack of ball security could be an issue that Louisville can take advantage of. Malachi Nelson is a veteran that is on his fourth school in as many seasons, playing at USC, Boise State, and UTEP before arriving at Syracuse; he’s coming off his first start of the season last week, completing 16-of-29 passes for 217 yards and one passing touchdown.
Whoever starts at quarterback, they will have a reliable target in Umari Hatcher, who leads the team in receiving by a wide margin. Hatcher has 20 receptions for 278 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games, and he’s able to make plays on screens or stretch the field vertically. Tight end Daunte Bacheyie (11 receptions, 217 yards, four touchdowns) has scored in all but one game this season, and is coming off his best performance of the year (four receptions, 97 yards, TD against UVA). Justys Ross-Simmons (11 rec., 165 yards) is a big receiver at 6’3″, he’s been a reliable target when Steve Angeli plays (he had a pair of two-touchdown games last season while Angeli started, and had six receptions for 105 yards against California with him at quarterback).
Syracuse has had a consistent running game in the last two weeks, coinciding with the emergence of Tylik Hill as their lead back. Hill enters this week with back-to-back 100-yard outings against UConn and Virginia, including 140 against the Huskies. Ahmad Miller (30 carries, 114 yards, two TDs) and Shavane Anderson Jr. (30 carries, 146 yards, three TDs) split reps as the backup running back behind Hill.
Players to Watch:
- WR Umari Hatcher (37 receptions, 560 yards, six TDs)
- RB Tylik Hill (69 carries, 405 yards, TD)
Third Down: Syracuse Orange Defense
Syracuse hired Vince Kehres as their new defensive coordinator this past offseason, after Elijah Robinson left to take the same position at Texas A&M. So far, their defense has been solid, ranking fifth in the ACC in total defense (311.4 YPG).
The Syracuse defense has had struggles stopping the run in their last three games, allowing 595 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per carry in that stretch (including a season-high 245 from Pittsburgh). Linebacker Keyshawn Johnson leads the team in sacks and TFLs (four) and has been an impact player off the edge. Antoine Deslauriers (four TFLs, 25 tackles, forced fumble) is another solid linebacker that can shoot through gaps and get stops in the run game. Rashard Perry (19 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, INT) is a veteran that’s emerged on Syracuse’s three-man front. These three guys will be key to stopping a Louisville rushing attack that is coming off back-to-back 200+ yard outings.
Syracuse has just one interception from their secondary, but their pass defense has been excellent in the first half of the season. They don’t allow a ton of big plays vertically (5.8 yards per attempt, T-2nd best in the ACC) and they managed to hold their own against guys like California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Pitt’s Mason Heintschel (though UConn was able to pass for over 300 yards and average eight yards per attempt). Davien Kerr (19 tackles, four PBUs, INT) is their top playmaker in the secondary and could be the guy to get a takeaway, if Syracuse is able to pull off the upset.
Players to Watch
- LB Keyshawn Johnson (four sacks, PBU, FF)
- DL Rashawn Perry (19 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, INT)
Fourth Down: Keys to the Game
Louisville will have to find ways to contain Umari Hatcher
Louisville’s woes with containing big plays in the passing game have been well-documented this season, but they’re coming off a solid performance against Florida State. The Cardinals were able to keep Duce Robinson to just two receptions for 14 yards, and after allowing 190 yards on their first three drives, they kept FSU to 90 yards through the second and third quarters. They were flying to the ball and kept the pressure on FSU’s quarterback to make plays, leading to them logging a season-high in both sacks (four) and TFLs (eight).
Syracuse’s passing game will present a different challenge because they have big bodies (Umari Hatcher and Justys Ross-Simmons both listed at 6’3″), and they’ll look to get Hatcher the ball in a variety of ways. Louisville will have to identify Hatcher in pre-snap and account for him on every play to prevent him from making plays repeatedly.
Syracuse has had issues with their kicking game
One area to keep an eye on in Saturday’s game is the kicking game for Syracuse, which has struggled immensely this season. The Orange are hitting under 50% of their field goal attempts (6-for-13), and their 82% completion rate on PATs is the lowest in the ACC.
Louisville’s run game should look to build their momentum
We highlighted it earlier in this article, but Louisville’s run game has been tremendous in the last two games. Isaac Brown is averaging 13+ yards per carry in his last two games, and he’s had a touchdown run of 25+ in three of his last four. If Keyjuan Brown is able to return (currently listed as questionable in Wednesday’s injury report) after missing last week’s game, that will add to Louisville’s potency for their ground game.
I do think, though, that this is a game where Lincoln Kienholz could present more of an impact than in previous weeks. Syracuse has allowed plays against quarterbacks with proven mobility, and Virginia’s Beau Pribula was able to make some plays with his feet last week. Louisville should lean on their run game once again as their calling card on Saturday, and if all goes, it could be another huge outing for them on the ground.
