Steve Angeli injury update: Fran Brown gives terrible news on Syracuse QB

Syracuse stunned Clemson to hand the Tigers their third loss of the season, but the win came with a cost. Starting quarterback Steve Angeli was lost in the contest after stumbling awkwardly on a quarterback keeper.

Now we know Angeli will be “out for a long time,” per head coach Fran Brown. Brown told Matt Park that on the postgame radio show.

Steve Angeli had previously been knocked out of the game once, but he was able to return. Unlike the first hit which knocked him out of the game briefly, he stumbled awkwardly on the quarterback keeper and went down without being touched late in the third quarter.

On Clemson‘s ensuing possession, Angeli was seen on the sidelines on crutches. He was then walked to the locker room. He did not return to the contest.

Just one play after Angeli exited the game, backup quarterback Rickie Collins threw an 18-yard touchdown to receiver Justus Ross-Simmons to give the Orange a whopping 34-14 lead over the Tigers in Death Valley. Syracuse would go on to win 34-21.

Prior to his second exit of the game, Angeli completed 18/31 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. His contributions helped Syracuse knock off Clemson for the first time since 2017.

No bounce-back for Clemson

This game was projected to be a bounce back game for the Clemson football program, which started the season 1-3 for just the second time in the Dabo Swinney era (2014). That however could not have been farther from the truth. Syracuse immediately took a 10-0 lead thanks to a 12-yard passing score from Angeli and a 23-yard field goal from kicker Tripp Woody.

Clemson bounced back with a beautiful 38-yard passing touchdown from Cade Klubnik to receiver Bryant Wesco near the end of the first quarter, but the Orange immediately poured on 14 more points to jump ahead 24-14 prior to a lengthy weather delay.

Coming out of the delay, Syracuse did not let up the scoring. Following another Woody field goal, backup quarterback Rickie Collins found Ross-Simmons for the 18-yard score to make it 34-14.

Through three games this season, Angeli had completed 80/125 passes for 1,072 yards, eight touchdowns and just two interceptions. His absence could be massive for Syracuse, which improved to 3-1 on the season, with the lone loss to a very good Tennessee team.

The Orange will be back in action next Saturday at home against Duke. Unfortunately, it’ll be back in action without Steve Angeli.

On3’s Daniel Hager also contributed to this report.