As of Tuesday morning, at least, the starting quarterback spot for the Orange's game Saturday night in the Dome (7:30 p.m. ET ACC Network) against a Louisville squad (3-3, 2-2) still finding its own footing after six games, remains firmly to be determined.
Based on Fran Brown's responses to a litany of questions about his top three depth-chart quarterbacks and their respective injuries at his Monday afternoon media session, nothing will be determined internally until at least the end of the week, with likely ACC injury report declarations the proof.
Syracuse (2-4, 0-3) is incredibly in the same exact spot in the standings this week as it was at the end of last season, the ACC cellar, trying to find a way to end an 11-game conference winless streak. The evening Dome crowd will consist of die-hards and several thousands of others represented somewhere in the mix of Orange Nation.
"I didn't think in game five, we'd be playing with the fourth-string quarterback."
Call it bad luck, but injuries and football go together, and every roster has to be re-stocked and every player knows he has to have the "next man up" mentality, no matter how a particular week of practice turns out.
Already down Steve Angeli and Amari Odom, Malachi Nelson warmed up under Angeli's watchful eye last Saturday night pregame before facing UVA. Angeli himself had a boot on his left foot after receiving further treatment for his torn Achilles injury, and yet is expected to practice this week potentially putting him in play, to play, versus the Cardinals.
Nelson hurt his chest and rib area after taking multiple hits against the Cavaliers, with Danny Lauter, off his first SU touchdown pass, and perhaps freshman Zaid Lott, also in the picture to play Saturday with only daily practice results medical treatment, and coaches meetings into the weekday evenings eventually determining Saturday's starter.
"I have to put them in a position to finish out games," Brown said Monday alluding to the fact the his offense has bogged down in the second half of each of its conference defeats, and also struggled mightily against UConn before bailed out by Odom in OT.
"We have to score more, we have to score more in the fourth quarter and red (zone)," Brown added lamenting the fact that the Orange under all QBs have only one fourth quarter TD in the last two games.
"We need to double or triple that (output), he said. "Then we'll take care of the rest."
A rare mention of DART as it applies to the offensive line
When winning as in the 2024 season, it's a message than can repeated from the head coach to the media on a more sustained basis, but when a long losing streak concludes the next season and a sub .500 record looms in md-October, the mantra of Detailed, Accountable, Relentless, Tough, is a hard sell.
We discussed the absence of hearing the coach's base program philosophy term so far this season with other media members who also noticed the trend both at the Virginia game and at ACC Tipoff.
On Monday, Brown uttered the term in reference to the many changes he's made with the offensive line so far through five games, in fact, nine different O-Linemen alternated in-and-out at UVA last week. The reason, he wants a combination that is 'Detailed' in its execution of blocking schemes.
"We've been able to run the ball a little bit better these past few weeks from playing different guys," Brown said. "We're going to do the same thing on the defensive side of the ball. We have to continue to build depth, bring other guys on (the field), and it brings out the best in the players to be detailed, execute, and finish."
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