Syracuse opened its second season under head coach Fran Brown with a 45-26 loss to No. 24 Tennessee in the Aflac Kickoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Volunteers (1-0) surged to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter before the Orange (0-1) finally answered in the second. The Orange pieced together an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by freshman Yasin Willis’ first career touchdown. Momentum was short-lived, as Joey Aguilar connected with Braylon Staley on a 73-yard strike to restore the Tennessee cushion at 24-7. Steve Angeli later found Johntay Cook for a three-yard score, but the Vols struck again before halftime to take a 31-14 advantage.
Tennessee widened the gap early in the third when a tipped pass led to an interception, setting up Aguilar’s third touchdown of the day for a 38-14 lead. Willis responded with two more rushing scores to cut the deficit to 38-26 early in the fourth quarter, but Syracuse couldn’t get the ball back when it mattered. Tennessee leaned on its ground game to close out a 45-26 victory.
Angeli finished 23-for-40 for 274 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Willis carried 23 times for 91 yards and three scores, while Cook caught six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Tennessee outgained Syracuse 493-376, including 246 rushing yards at 6.2 per carry, and sacked Angeli five times.
GAME RECAP LINKS
- Syracuse blown out by No. 24 Tennessee 45-26 in season opener (DailyOrange.com)
- Syracuse football: Orange overwhelmed by Tennessee (NunesMagician.com)
- #24 VOLS CLAIM AFLAC KICKOFF AGAINST ORANGE IN ATLANTA (Cuse.com)
- Observations from SU’s season-opening loss: O-line struggles, Angeli’s debut (DailyOrange.com)
- ESPN Commentators Call Out Tennessee and Syracuse for Faking Injuries (SI.com)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
FRAN BROWN’S POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].