Syracuse Looks to Carry Momentum into ACC Play After Dominant Win Over Colgate
SYRACUSE, N.Y — Syracuse football lit up Friday night lights in the Dome, defeating the Colgate Raiders 66-24 in a long-standing Central New York rivalry.
The Raiders were led by first-year head coach, Curt Fitzpatrick, who came to Colgate after a decorated run at SUNY Cortland, where he won a national championship in 2023 and collected four straight Empire 8 titles. Syracuse has now won 18 straight matchups against Colgate including last season’s 65-0 shutout victory.
The Orange wasted no time setting the tone. On the opening drive, quarterback Steve Angeli connected with wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons on a 26-yard touchdown pass. The drive lasted just two minutes and 29 seconds and covered 65 yards. Yet that early highlight was also the last time Ross-Simmons appeared in the game.
Ross-Simmons remained on the sidelines with his helmet off until he went into the locker room. Coach Brown confirmed in his postgame press conference that he injured his finger but will return next week.
Colgate attempted to answer quickly. Quarterback Zach Osborne started moving the ball before Syracuse safety Braheem Long Jr. intercepted him to swing the momentum back to the Orange. Syracuse, however, gave the ball right back when Will Nixon fumbled, and the Raiders capitalized on the opportunity to score with a 40-yard field goal cutting the deficit to 7-3.
Pass after pass, Syracuse found their rhythm and Quarterback Steve Angeli set the tone for the rest of the first half. He continued to make completions and also tested his limits of being a mobile quarterback, making carries of his own. His connection with Darrell Gill Jr. became the story of the night. Their first being a 43-yard touchdown to extend the lead 14-3 late in the first quarter.
Following a quick three and out by Colgate, cornerback Davien Kerr returned the punt to the Raider’s 36-yard line. That field position helped Nixon bounce back from his earlier turnover, punching in his first rushing touchdown of the season to open the second quarter.
From there, the Orange offense kept rolling. Angeli continued to gain yards throughout the first half, but the Raiders defense was starting to get more comfortable. Gill continued to stretch the field, including another 43-yard reception.
The Angeli and Gill duo was unstoppable as the first half continued. A 35-yard touchdown was completed for Gill, his second for the evening so far, and third total for the Orange. Gill was the star of the half, leading Syracuse’s offense with 152 receiving yards and two TDs.
Freshman wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby also made his mark, securing his first career touchdown just before the half. And Colgate’s best scoring chance of the half, cornerback Demetres Samuel Jr. intercepted Osborne in the end zone.
There were plenty of ‘firsts’ for Samuel including this pick, his first catch on offense, and a punt return. He said those moments were possible because of his preparation.
“Really just taking it week by week,” Samuel said. “…It just felt comfortable in the moment because we’ve been getting these reps in practice, we just finally got to put it to use in a game.”
At the break, Syracuse led 38-3.
Syracuse picked up where they left off. Freshman receiver Darien Williams made his end zone debut with his first career TD bringing the score 45-3. But Colgate refused to go quietly. Wide receiver Reed Swanson broke through late in the third quarter, claiming their first touchdown of the game.
Moments later, Colgate defensive back Taytum Johnson intercepted Syracuse backup quarterback Rickie Collins, setting up another score. Swanson struck again, making his way back into the end zone to make the score 45-17.
Swanson, who finished with 7 receptions for 110 yards, impressed Syracuse head coach Fran Brown.
“He’s a good player. I think the sky’s the limit for that kid,” Brown said. “That’s a big deal for him to play at Colgate and getting a great education, but then to come out in the football game against Syracuse and be able to catch two touchdowns — he did a good job.”
Angeli returned to steady the offense and responded immediately with a touchdown himself, tying the all-time single game record for Syracuse with five touchdown passes and 1 rushing touchdown. He is now the first quarterback in program history with over 400 passing yards in back-to-back games.
“To me, it’s not really individual because some guys got to catch the football for me,” Angeli said. “…it’s really just a special group and I’m so thankful to be here.”
Even with Angeli’s heroics, the defense let up again as Colgate running back Cole Fulton broke free for a 44-yard rushing touchdown to make it 52-24. On the night, Fulton had 97 of the over 400 total yards the offense racked up, and Brown acknowledged the defensive struggles.
“I thought they did good in the end zone, but we had the two fades and the one long run,” Brown said. “Just the game, it’s the monotony of football. You’ve got to get the young guys to come in and still have the same mentality as the older guys were.”
He said they’ll keep getting better. Brown wants them to have opportunities to get reps in practice so they can be ready for game time.
With about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, Brown gave Collins another chance, and he proved himself. Collins, seeking redemption, rushed for 15-yards, and the next play found receiver Gabe Daniels for a touchdown bringing the score 59-24.
A bad snap and turnover for the Raiders was not what they were expecting, resulting in a three-play 13-yard drive for the Orange. Freshman quarterback Luke Carney made his debut and topped it off with a 9-yard rush into the end zone.
The Orange came out on top, walking away with a strong victory and improving to 2-1 on the season. Fitzpatrick and the Raiders will leave the dome still searching for their first win.
Syracuse now turns its attention back to ACC play, traveling to face No. 12 Clemson on September 20. The Tigers will also be looking to rebound after falling 24-21 to Georgia Tech earlier in the day.