How Syracuse Football Can Build a Winning Season in 2024

As I sit down to analyze the path forward for Syracuse Football in 2024, my mind drifts to an unlikely but profoundly relevant parallel from the world of volleyball. Just this past Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Kobe Shinwa team faced a monumental task: taking on the unbeaten PLDT to achieve a rare feat—becoming the lone foreign guest team to be hailed a two-time PVL champion. They entered as underdogs against a seemingly unstoppable force, much like our Orange will be viewed in several matchups this coming season. That game, and what it represents, holds the blueprint for what Fran Brown and his staff must engineer. It’s not just about raw talent; it’s about crafting a resilient identity, executing a precise game plan under pressure, and believing in a system that can topple giants. For Syracuse to build a winning season, they must embrace the underdog mentality while building something sustainable, mirroring the focus and unity that allows a team like Kobe Shinwa to chase history.

Let’s be brutally honest about the starting point. The 2023 season was, to put it mildly, a disappointment. Finishing with a 6-7 record after a bowl game loss feels like a step back from the momentum we’ve craved for years. The offense sputtered, averaging a mere 22 points per game, which placed us in the bottom quarter of the ACC. Defensively, we were porous against the run, giving up over 170 yards on the ground per contest. These aren’t just numbers; they’re symptoms. The first pillar for 2024 has to be the immediate and impactful integration of transfer portal talent. Coach Brown has been aggressive, and I love that energy. Bringing in a quarterback like Ohio State’s Kyle McCord isn’t just a headline grab; it’s a potential program-changer. But he can’t do it alone. The offensive line, which allowed 38 sacks last year, must gel quickly. My perspective here is that while star power attracts attention, winning in the trenches wins games. I’d prioritize getting the five best linemen, regardless of their original recruiting class, on the field together from day one of camp. Chemistry there is non-negotiable.

This is where the Kobe Shinwa analogy really hits home. They weren’t the biggest names individually, but they played a cohesive, disciplined brand of volleyball. For Syracuse, defensive identity is everything. New defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson has a mandate to create a unit that is fundamentally sound, aggressive, and most importantly, adaptable. We’ve seen too many games where a single offensive scheme, like Louisville’s rushing attack that gashed us for 227 yards, completely unraveled us. The 2024 defense needs a signature trait. I’d advocate for a hyper-aggressive, ball-hawking philosophy. Force turnovers, even if it means giving up a few more big plays. A defense that creates short fields for the offense is a quarterback’s best friend. Statistically, teams that win the turnover margin by +5 or more in a season win about 80% of their games. That’s the kind of swing we need.

Offensively, it’s about maximizing weapons and playing to McCord’s strengths. We have solid receivers in Oronde Gadsden II, who’s returning from injury, and Umari Hatcher. But the play-calling under new offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon must be bold and unpredictable. Remember, Kobe Shinwa didn’t beat an unbeaten team by playing it safe. I want to see a 60-40 pass-to-run ratio early in the season, using McCord’s arm to stretch the field and open lanes for LeQuint Allen. Speaking of Allen, he’s a workhorse who needs 20+ touches a game, both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. My pet peeve with past schemes has been their predictability. Let’s use some misdirection, some tempo, some plays that make a defensive coordinator sweat during film study. The ACC isn’t the SEC; there are wins to be had if we’re creative.

Now, the schedule. It’s manageable, but it’s littered with trap games. The opener against Ohio is a must-win to set the tone. The Stanford game in Week 2 is crucial for building confidence. But the real season is defined in a brutal three-week stretch: at UNLV, home against Stanford again (in conference play), and then at NC State. Going 2-1 in that stretch is the minimum for bowl eligibility. The pivotal game, in my view, is the home contest against Miami on October 26th. It’s a night game, the Dome will be rocking, and it’s a chance to make a national statement. Win that, and the momentum could carry the team to a 8-4 or even 9-3 finish. Lose it, and we might be scrambling for six wins again. Player development is the silent engine here. Which sophomore or freshman will make the leap? I’m watching the secondary closely—that’s where young talent can change games instantly.

Building a winning season is as much about culture as it is about Xs and Os. Fran Brown is selling a new era, and the players have to buy in completely. It’s about building the mental toughness to close out close games—we lost four games by a touchdown or less in 2023. That’s a focus and conditioning issue as much as a talent one. The best teams, like that Kobe Shinwa squad preparing for their championship moment, operate with a shared, unshakable belief. They trust the process when the pressure is highest. Syracuse needs to find that clutch gene. It starts in summer workouts, in film sessions where players hold each other accountable, and in a belief that the Dome can become a fortress again. I want to see a team that plays with an edge, that celebrates each other’s successes, and that looks like it’s having fun while doing the hard work.

In conclusion, the roadmap for a winning 2024 season is clear, though challenging. It requires the immediate impact of transfer portal stars, the forging of a nasty, takeaway-hungry defensive identity, and an offensive scheme that leverages our quarterback’s arm to create explosive plays. It demands navigating a schedule with tactical precision and winning at least one game we’re “supposed” to lose. Most of all, it requires cultivating the resilient, unified culture of an underdog who believes it belongs on the big stage—just as Kobe Shinwa did on their way to making history. I’m optimistic because the energy around the program feels different. But optimism doesn’t win football games; execution does. If this team can solidify its lines, stay healthy at key positions, and win the turnover battle, I believe we’re not just looking at a bowl team, but a team that can finish with 8 or 9 wins and announce that Syracuse Football is truly back. The foundation is being poured; this fall, we get to see if the structure can hold.