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All coaches prefer a certain element of secrecy. They aren’t going to give their game plan away through press conferences leading up to a matchup. For SU head coach Fran Brown Monday, this rang true. He wasn’t thrilled about questions regarding his players’ health status.

“What if I don’t want to tell the people who’s playing and who’s not?” Brown quipped. “To get those questions early on, it kind of sucks.”

Nevertheless, Brown still bluntly delivered injury updates. Wide receiver Trebor Peña, safety Alijah Clark, cornerback Jayden Bellamy and center J’Onre Reed were all deemed “fine” by Brown, while receiver Umari Hatcher was ruled out for Saturday’s game against No. 8 Miami.

Ahead of arguably Syracuse’s biggest game of the Brown era to date, the desire to keep things in-house is justifiable. The Orange take on the No. 1 offense in the country in the Hurricanes, who are led by quarterback and likely Heisman finalist Cam Ward. An upset victory would clinch SU’s third nine-win season of the millennium.

Here are some takeaways from Brown’s weekly press conference as Syracuse (8-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) prepares to host No. 8 Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC):

‘Best decision I’ve ever made’

After breaking Syracuse’s single-season passing yards record, quarterback Kyle McCord said coming to SU was the “best decision” he’s ever made. McCord has become the focal point of the Orange’s program since he transferred from Ohio State on Dec. 17, 2023, and he’s followed through on his expectations. He currently leads the country with 3,946 passing yards, revolutionizing Syracuse into a highly potent air-raid offense.

On Monday, Brown echoed McCord’s emotional comments.

“I think we’ve both made the best decisions of our lives outside of me being married and having children,” Brown said.

The head coach has used McCord’s perspective as a springboard for how to address the team. He said after SU’s win over UConn last Saturday that he talks one-on-one with McCord every Tuesday, going over all aspects of football and life. He even revealed that he called McCord Sunday night, gaining input from the quarterback for how Syracuse should prepare for Miami.

“He’s been right by my side the entire time,” Brown said of McCord. “Whatever he feels, I go with him because I feel I’m (indebted) to him.”

Hyping Saturday’s matchup

McCord will square off against Ward Saturday in a matchup featuring the top-two passing yards leaders in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Outside of a top-10 team coming to the JMA Wireless Dome, Brown hyped up SU’s contest with Miami by comparing the two quarterbacks.

“They’re both intelligent … Both have good arms. They understand their identity and understand what’s going on. They can (identify) the (defensive) front. I just think that both teams are playing with a coach on the field,” Brown said of McCord and Ward. “I’m excited about this one.”

Brown had “challenged” ESPN’s College GameDay crew to come to Syracuse for Saturday’s game, with the quarterback duo among the reasons why. GameDay may be heading to Texas A&M this week, but the Orange and Hurricanes are still primed for a solid battle.

Miami averages the most yards per game in the country and contains a slew of NFL talent, such as Ward, wide receiver Xavier Restrepo and cornerback Mishael Powell — who’s tied for third in the nation with five interceptions.

“They’re good on all fronts,” Brown said of Miami. “I mean, it’s Miami. They’re getting back. Miami’s coming back to who they were, which is a good deal.”

Brown’s admiration for Cristobal

Brown didn’t need to proclaim himself that the “U” of old is back in full force. Under head coach Mario Cristobal, the Hurricanes have emerged in the upper echelon of the ACC, ranking in the top 10 nearly the entire year. A Miami victory Saturday would seal its spot in the ACC title game and potentially in the College Football Playoff.

Speaking about Cristobal, Brown had nothing but positive things to say. He lauded the head coach’s turnaround of the program after he came over from Oregon, helming the Hurricanes to just five and seven-win seasons from 2022-23 before this year’s already 10-win campaign.

“He’s dominated everywhere he’s been coaching,” Brown said of Cristobal.

Cristobal spent time at Rutgers from 2001-03, where he served as an offensive line coach and tight ends coach under head coach Greg Schiano. Brown, who also worked under Schiano from 2020-21 as a defensive backs coach, noted the two’s connection to Schiano, saying that he and Cristobal’s values spur from their respective tenures at Rutgers.

“There’s a lot of similarities and references to just wanting to be detailed and wanting to do things right that I know I learned from Greg (Schiano), and I’m pretty sure (Cristobal) learned a lot of the same things,” Brown said.

Attendance pitch

It’s Thanksgiving week. Therefore, the strong majority of SU’s student body is out of town. Attendance for Saturday’s game could be lower than it typically would be for a ranked matchup in the Dome.

Brown knows this, but made his pitch for why locals and students should flock to campus to witness Syracuse face Miami.

“What else are you going to do?” Brown lightheartedly asked. “Thanksgiving’s Thursday, right? Black Friday is Friday? Well Saturday is when Syracuse and Miami play football. And we play at 3:30, so no matter if you’re not on Friday night, you still gotta get up at about 11, get dressed, do whatever it is you need to do. Guys, go get a haircut. Women, get your makeup on and all your stuff done. And I think you should be at the game.”

Brown, catering to SU’s partying culture, said Saturday’s atmosphere will be like a club in the daytime — as long as fans show up.

“It’s a day party,” Brown said. “Come to the day party and watch Syracuse play Miami.”

Published on November 25, 2024 at 4:23 pm

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews