Three takeaways from Syracuse football’s 66-3 season opening victory over New Hampshire

The Orange celebrated a victory on the football field for the first time in almost a year, dominating the FCS member Wildcats.

Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown takes questions from the media following his team's 66-3 victory over New Hampshire Saturday. | Matthew Gray - Syracuse on SI

For the first time in 350 days, Syracuse football finally tasted victory again as it crushed New Hampshire 66-3 Saturday in its home opener at the JMA Wireless Dome. 

After both sides opened the contest with punts, SU’s offense took control by finding the end zone on each of its next six drives and built up a 41-0 lead by the half. The game remained just as one-sided from there, as the Orange continued to pour it on out of the break for the final 63-point margin of victory.

Here are three takeaways from Syracuse’s first game and win of the 2026 campaign:

Steve Angeli, Umari Hatcher shine in return to action

Saturday’s matchup was a big deal for Steve Angeli and Umari Hatcher. It wasn’t just because it marked the start of a fresh new season, but it also marked a return to the field for both players after missing significant time due to injury. They each enjoyed solid performances against New Hampshire.

Less than five minutes in, the duo connected for the Orange’s first touchdown of 2026, as Hatcher reached back to haul in the ball as he crossed into the end zone. The score marked the first of what ultimately became three touchdown passes for Angeli. SU’s quarterback briefly went down late in the second quarter, but only missed one play as a result before reentering the game.

Angeli finished with a final line of 20/29 through the air for 263 total passing yards.

“There was no pressure. I just came out and did my job. I was just more excited to get out there for my guys again and play for Coach Fran, play for the “S”, and do my job. I was happy for Hatch to get that touchdown and our o-line did a great job. Really a collective win today, and it makes me extremely happy for everybody,” Angeli said.

Throughout the offseason, Syracuse’s coaching staff indicated that Hatcher would be one of its top targets in 2026 after the departure of multiple receivers over the offseason. He embraced that role Saturday, racking up 147 yards through the air and 11 on the ground to go with two touchdown catches.

“I think he’ll keep getting better, his confidence is building… He’s on a mission and he’s one of our leaders that we’re following on this football team,” Brown said of Hatcher.

Shavane Anderson Jr. makes strong first impression

Similar to its air attack, Syracuse’s rushing game also entered 2026 without some familar faces from last year. Out were Yasin Willis and Will Nixon, and in came freshmen Shavane Anderson Jr. and Matthew Outten. While Outten came in when he was needed, it was Anderson who stole the show.

The Pennsylvania product played a key role in offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon’s gameplan against the Wildcats, as he alone rushed for three touchdowns and racked up 102 yards on 10 carries. 

“To be a freshman in your first college football game, three touchdowns is pretty legit. I’m happy for that kid to get the opportunity to do that. Two guys were out (Ju'Juan Johnson and Ahmad Miller) and he was able to step up,” Brown said.

A concerning number of yellow flags on the field

As expected, the Orange put on a dominant performance against an inferior opponent. However, the contest could’ve been even more one-sided if it weren’t for the amount of sloppy penalties SU fell into both offensively and defensively.

The Orange were called for 12 total penalties for 125 yards, while the Wildcats were the more disciplined team with nine penalties for 67 yards despite having a lot more to be frustrated about on the receiving end of a blowout loss.

SU also lost defensive back Chris Peal in the third quarter when he was called for targeting. Still, Brown didn’t seem too concerned about the Orange having any more issues with keeping things clean going forward.

“If I’m on the offensive line and I get reached, and I just grab someone and I’m being lazy, those are little different. We had a couple of those I didn’t like. The punt return (penalties) were all aggressive plays. We just got to coach them up,” Brown said.

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