The Fran Brown era at Syracuse is off to a winning start after the Orange beat Ohio, 38-22, on Saturday.
Three storylines emerged from the win.
Syracuse started slow, but ended well against the Bobcats
Fans hoping Syracuse would start firing on all cylinders might have been disappointed. Ohio was in control for a sizeable chunk of the first half, as the Bobcat offense drove down the field three times, mainly with the help of star running back Anthony Tyus III.
Still, while the Orange defense consistently bended, they refused to let Ohio hit pay dirt. They forced Ohio to kick three field goals in the first half, not letting up a single touchdown.
The offense also had a slow start. Transfer quarterback Kyle McCord almost threw an interception on his first pass attempt, and the Orange went 3-and-out after a shaky first drive.
But McCord quickly regained his composure, and led SU on a touchdown drive on the ensuing possession, one of three consecutive scoring drives in the first half. The final score was perhaps the most impressive, as McCord marched SU down the field with only 40 seconds left before halftime. That resulted in a 20-yard Trebor Pena touchdown.
McCord and the offense continued that momentum into the second half, scoring 21 points in just 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the defense also followed suit.
After letting up a quick score early in the third quarter, Ohio only scored once the rest of the way. In other second half possessions, they had two punts, an interception and a turnover on downs.
The Syracuse defense racked up six tackles for a loss and four total sacks.
A dynamic trio emerges on offense
Trebor Peña, and Oronde Gadsden have battled injuries throughout their Syracuse careers, but both were healthy and at full speed on Saturday.
With McCord now under center, the three played some part in all five SU touchdowns on Saturday.
McCord ended the game 27 for 39 with four touchdowns and one interception. He also threw for 354 yards.
Peña was a weapon in both the pass and the run game. He caught six passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing touchdown.
Gadsden, meanwhile, paced the SU offense, catching seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
If this trio continues to produce, the Syracuse offense will be hard to stop.
Run defense proves to be a concern
After picking up his first win as a collegiate head coach, Fran Brown was asked what SU needed to improve.
"We better stop the run," he said.
A simple, but truthful assessment.
Ohio ran wild against the Orange defense, ending up with 255 yards and three scores on the ground.
SU will next face a Georgia Tech team that loves to pound the rock, as well. In their upset win over Florida State, junior running back Jamal Haynes rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns.
Georgia Tech had 190 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Syracuse defense will see if they are up to the task next week as they will host Georgia Tech on Sept. 7 at 12:00 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome.
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