Syracuse had chances to open ACC play with a win, but instead the Orange wasted a fourth-quarter lead and fell to California, 18-14, in a game defined by self-inflicted mistakes.
The Orange entered the game at 1-1 and went into the fourth quarter up 18-14, but they never finished the job. Syracuse's final four possessions of the game ended in a missed field goal, an interception, another missed field goal and another interception. That sequence, combined with 15 penalties for 132 yards, gave Cal far too many extra chances in a game Syracuse still should have won.
Angeli's rough night
Steve Angeli went 24-for-49 and threw three interceptions, a stat line that reflects how difficult the game became for Syracuse's offense. The turnovers were especially costly because the Orange did not need a perfect finish to win, just a cleaner one. Instead, the offense could not sustain enough drives in the closing stretch.
Syracuse's defense did its part for much of the night. The unit held Cal to 249 total yards, which should have been enough support for a win if the offense and special teams had done their jobs. That is what makes the result feel so avoidable: Syracuse was not overwhelmed, but it was undone by mistakes in key moments.
What it means next
It is still early in the season, so one loss does not define Syracuse's year. But the opener showed how quickly a winnable game can slip away when penalties pile up and late-game execution breaks down. For the Orange, the challenge now is turning good defensive work into a complete performance before another ACC game gets away.
