Finishing 10-3 overall in just the first season for Fran Brown was no fluke. It was a concentrated effort of the D.A.R.T. (Detailed, Accountable, Relentless, Tough) culture that Brown has emphasized at the Orange. At the back of these heroics were Syracuse’s offensive architects, Trebor Pena, Jackson Meeks, and Oronde Gadsen II, led by quarterback Kyle McCord. The head coach no longer has their services. How does that affect the proceedings for Mack Brown going into Syracuse’s Week 1 clash against Tennessee?

One can argue that the Vols are facing a similar conundrum. Nico Iamaleave was supposed to be the leader, but his head turned. Nico asked for more money, Heupel denied, and off he went! However, that absence hasn’t been reflected in how the oddsmakers are seeing the game. Josh Heupel is a heavy favorite to win the matchup (+440, FanDuel). The main factor in giving Tennessee the edge is its run game, which, according to Greg McElroy, can pose major problems for Fran Brown.

McElroy, in his 28th August podcast episode, highlighted how Tennessee will turn the game into a “track meet” and “ramp it up.” “They want to utilize tempo. They want to make sure they’re able to create good looks in the run game to take some of the pressure off Joey Aguilar. I think Syracuse’s best path to victory might be to kind of slow things down, turn this into a bit of a methodical, grind-it-out, keep-away style of attack,” declared McElroy. The solution, according to McElroy, might not be too easy for Syracuse either.

Syracuse last year was a pass-heavy offense led by Kyle McCord and their 3 stalwart receivers. The team ranked 10th in the ACC in the rushing offense (139.2 yards per game). Rising from that position won’t be easy, though Fran Brown has LeQuint Allen, who rushed for 805 yards, and sophomore Yasin Willis, who saw limited action last year. Moreover, the team, having lost three starters from the O-line, depends on transfers TJ Ferguson, Austin Collins, and Zach Rice, missing a veteran presence in the trenches. In contrast, Tennessee’s run defense is world-class.

“If you look at Tennessee’s defensive front led by Joshua Josephs and Bryson Eason, I think they could potentially dominate the line of scrimmage, which would lead to Syracuse becoming a little one-dimensional and potentially ineffective,” said McElroy. Moreover, despite the program losing some of that “run defense” production, McElroy touted Tennessee to still dominate Syracuse. “This group still should be very, very solid across the board. They’re very talented.” And the ESPN analyst isn’t wrong.

When it comes to their run game, the Vols averaged a whopping 184.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 4th in the SEC. Moreover, players like Dylan Sampson, who rushed for 1,491 yards, bolstered the run game, earning the SEC offensive player of the year. Though this year, the player has departed for the NFL, still, DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis, and Star Thomas are being considered to potentially match that production. Add to that, their new QB, Joey Aguilar, is a dual-threat maestro (376 rushing yards in 2024), having vast experience compared to the inexperienced Steve Angeli. And the team also can’t rely on their passing game, either.

The passing game isn’t an option either for Syracuse against Tennessee

Remember Syracuse’s upset against Miami from last year? Trebor Pena received for 128 yards at an average of 21.3 yards per reception, while Jackson Meeks scored two touchdowns for 110 yards. It was a dominant offensive showing as Kyle McCord passed for 380 yards, finishing off the regular season in style. But now, in 2025, Steve Angeli is the QB1, who has Darrell Gill Jr., Ross Simmons, and Johntay Cook to throw to. And according to ESPN’s Greg McElroy, concerns remain for Syracuse’s playmakers.

McElroy touted the playmakers to take the step up, but remained cautious about declaring them to perform against Tennessee. “They lost their top three pass catchers, Oronde Gadsden, Trebor Pena, and Jackson Meeks. They’re all gone. And the new primary weapons are going to be Darrell Gill and Justus Ross-Simmons. And then they also have Johntay Cook, who is a really talented transfer from Texas. He could very well become the number one guy as the season goes along,” said McElroy. The verdict?

Darrell Gill received 570 yards last season and will surely reach the 800+ mark this season. Justus Ross-Simmons also had a good showing, receiving 202 yards for Syracuse last season, and he will take a step up. Lastly, Johntay Cook’s talent, coming from Texas, might not have been prominent on the field, with 137 yards to his name last year. But, considering the talent he has, we could also see him exploding in the ACC.

Still, all of these concerns combined, along with Steve Angeli’s inexperience, point towards a loss for Syracuse against Tennessee. But if we had seen one thing from Syracuse last year, then it’s defiance, considering their games against Georgia Tech (31-28), Virginia Tech (38-31), and most importantly, defeating Miami 42-38. So, this year, too, it would be a fool’s errand to write them off this early.