Local Receivers Debut, Orange Roll Past Raiders

The Syracuse Orange and Colgate Raiders have met 68 times coming into this season.

Surprising to some, Syracuse only have one more win historically than Colgate, leading the all-time series 32-31-5, with Colgate not having recorded a win since 1950.

The Raiders were the first to receive, with their drive ending on true freshman cornerback Demetres Samuel, Jr., getting his hands in to stop a reception on 3rd-&-7.

On the first Orange possession of the night, quarterback Steve Angeli aired out on first down and the ball fell way short of his target Darrell Gill, Jr.

Angeli responded by sending the ball out right to wide receiver Johntay Cook II on 2nd-&-10 for a 24-yard pass-play for a first down, switching fields to the Raiders' 41-yard line.

Five plays later, Angeli would find wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons on the left side and he would turn on his jets to get away from his defender en route for a 26-yard score giving Syracuse the first lead of the match, ahead 7-0 at the 10:30 mark of the first half; this was Ross-Simmons' third touchdown of the 2025 season after scoring two at home in a 27-20 overtime win over the UConn Huskies, which included the game-winning score.

With this score, Ross-Simmons already had more touchdowns than he did all last season (2).

On the second drive by the Raiders, Orange defensive back Braheem Long, Jr., turned to face the ball and caught it while leaning back in the air for his first career collegiate interception, giving the Orange the ball on their own 34-yard line.

However, Syracuse would give the ball right back when running back Will Nixon fumbled on first down of their second drive.

Colgate would capitalize on this Syracuse turnover when kicker Luke Vogeler connected from 39 yards out to bring the score to 7-3 Syracuse at the 5:48 mark.

Angeli would go 5-for-6 on the next drive of the game for the Orange, including the last completion coming thanks to wide receiver Darrell Gill, Jr., who took the ball out of the air, over his defender, and into the end zone for a 43-yard score to make it 14-3 Orange with 2:12 left in the opening quarter.

The Raiders' fourth drive would end shortly after when Jamie Tremble, who is listed as a tight end, came in at linebacker and recorded his first career collegiate sack, an eight-yard loss that brought the punt team out with 1:23 left on the first-quarter clock.

Taking this fourth drive of the night into the second quarter, Syracuse would score on a quick pitch from Angeli to Nixon for a two-yard touchdown exactly one minute into the second quarter (14:00), giving the Orange a 21-3 advantage. This served as Nixon's first-ever touchdown as a member of the Syracuse Orange. All three of his other collegiate touchdowns came on the ground as a member of the Washington Huskies.

Colgate's fifth drive of the contest would end on a 4th-&-4 pass attempt that was tipped by Syracuse defensive tackle Dion "Tank" Wilson, Jr., to force a turnover on downs, giving the Orange the ball on their own 47.

A touchdown attempt on Syracuse's fifth drive of the game would hit the hands of Cook and fall incomplete, and the Orange would bring on kicker Tripp Woody who connected from 22 yards out to roll the Orange ahead to a 24-3 lead with 10:06 before halftime.

The Raiders' would punt away their sixth possession on a drive that went three-and-out.

Syracuse would balance their sixth drive, running the ball three times (one a keeper by Angeli) and passing the ball three times, with Angeli going 3-for-3, the last was Angeli airing out to Gill on the left side of the end zone for a 35-yard score to bring the score to 31-3 Orange at the 6:50 mark.

On their seventh drive of the night, Syracuse changed fields from their own 35 to Colgate's 37 thanks to a 28-yard run by Nixon.

This drive would conclude on Angeli airing out to wide receiver Jaylan Hornsby who got off contact, caught the ball, and went into the end zone for a 25-yard pass-play, giving the Orange a 38-3 lead with 1:43 before half. This was the first collegiate touchdown scored by Hornsby.

With under 20 seconds to go in the first half, Samuel intercepted Colgate quarterback Zach Osborne in the end zone to prevent a score by the Raiders before the end of the half; this was the first collegiate interception by Samuel.

Angeli would take a knee, sending Syracuse into the locker room ahead 38-3.

At the break, Angeli was 17-for-21 (81%) for 285 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Gill had half of those touchdowns and had six catches for 152 yards total in the first half.

Including Gill, nine players caught at least one pass from Angeli in the first 30 minutes of play.

Nixon led the Orange backfield with 11 carries for 66 yards (six yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown off of the aforementioned pitch by Angeli.

Syracuse received the ball after the half and, on 3rd-&-9, Angeli would send the ball to wide receiver Tyshawn Russell who would have the ball come in but he did not hold on, leading to the Orange punting for the first time in the game.

A turnover on downs by the Raiders gave the Orange the ball back just outside the Raiders' redzone, on the 26-yard line.

After two incomplete passes, Angeli would find true freshman wide receiver Darien Williams who grabbed the ball as he went into the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown, the first of his collegiate career, which brought the score to 45-3 Syracuse at the 9:17 mark of the third quarter. Williams is a local recruit from Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), just minutes down the road from where Syracuse practices.

He caught the New York State Title game-winning pass in the Dome for the CBA Brothers at the end of last season.

Williams' first collegiate catch came before his 25-yard score on an 11-yard gain that came inside 13:30 left in the third quarter.

Jake Stearney, the backup quarterback that came in at halftime for the Raiders, would find wide receiver Reed Swanson on the right side of the end zone at the 4:36 mark to give Colgate their first touchdown of the game, bringing the score to 45-10 Syracuse.

With under five minutes left in the third quarter, backup quarterback Rickie Collins, Jr., made his debut in Orange, completing his first pass attempt on his first play under center, connecting with Hornsby for seven yards.

But the drive would end with Collins' first collegiate interception when he threw right to Raiders' cornerback Taytum Johnson.

Colgate would score off of this takeaway when Stearney found Swanson once again, this time on the left side of the end zone, for a 23-yard pass-play that brought the third quarter to a close with Syracuse ahead 45-17.

Angeli would come back in for the Orange for their next drive, early on in the fourth quarter.

He would lead Syracuse down the field for another scoring drive, concluding on a one-yard quarterback keeper by Angeli after the reception by Hornsby was ruled a yard short despite reaching out for the pylon, due to his left foot being out-of-bounds before he reached the ball out.

This score made it 52-17 Orange with 11:03 to go.

Running back Cole Fulton would take a carry to the outside and outrun the Syracuse defense for a 44-yard touchdown that made it 52-24 Syracuse with 9:27 remaining.

Collins returned under center for the next Orange drive and on first down, he sent the ball out left to Darien Williams who went off the right side of a block for a 35-yard gain.

The very next play would be the first collegiate career reception for Williams' high school teammate and fellow wide receiver Daunte Bacheyie, an 11-yard gain, giving Williams and Bacheyie back-to-back first downs for Syracuse.

This drive would conclude with Collins sending the ball to wide receiver Gabe Daniels on the right side of the end zone for a 12-yard score, Daniels' first collegiate touchdown, which brought the Orange lead to 59-24 with 6:31 to play.

Collins' helmet would come off on the next Syracuse drive, so true freshman quarterback Luke Carney came in and on that one play he kept the ball himself, going into the end zone untouched for a nine-yard rushing touchdown, his first collegiate score, making it 66-24 Orange at the 4:54 mark.

With under a minute to play, Vogeler would miss a 49-yard attempt and Syracuse would take over on downs, ending the game at 66-24 to improve to 2-1 on the season, with both victories coming at home.

Colgate moved to 0-3 on the season.

The Orange had Angeli, Collins, and Carney all score for them at the quarterback position.

Local recruits from CBA Syracuse, Bacheyie and Williams each recorded their first collegiate catch and Williams his first collegiate touchdown.

Angeli finished 24-for-32 (75%) for 417 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions, marking his second consecutive game with at least 400 yards passing.

Gill ended atop all receivers with the 152 yards attained in the first half.

Nixon's 66 yards rushing for the first half kept him as the leader for the game in the Orange backfield.

Samuel led the Syracuse defense with five total tackles, all solo.

Osborne finished 13-for-28 (46.4%) for 135 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. Stearney went 14-for-20 (70%) for 148 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Swanson and fellow wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders each attained 100 receiving yards in this game, Swanson with 110 and Saunders with 105.

Fulton had 72 yards rushing to lead the Raiders, this coming on seven carries, one the aforementioned 44-yard score.

Linebacker Eli Hamilton led all defensive players on both teams with 12 total tackles, and 11 solo.