The Syracuse University football team wrapped up its 2025 campaign in painful fashion on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 34-12 contest against previously one-win Boston College. You can read about that here.

After the game, head coach Fran Brown talked about the state of his coaching staff and shoddy quarterback play, while some of his players took to social media.

In the case of defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr., that message was hopeful.

Cuse fans… my apologies about the year , it won’t happen again

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A lone bright spot

A true freshman out of Florida, Samuel was one of the only bright spots out of this campaign for the Orange. He made 33 solo tackles, had nine pass deflections and an interception. He's already said that he's coming back next season, which is never a given considering the state of the transfer portal and NIL.

How does this get better?

If you're an Orange fan looking to match Samuel's optimism, you have to hope that quarterback Steve Angeli comes back at full strength after a torn Achilles cost him most of the season. The Orange were 3-1 with him at the helm, with him throwing 10 touchdowns vs. two interceptions. They lost eight straight in his absence.

The Notre Dame transfer is clearly the engine that drives the offense, and there should be confidence that they can look better with him healthy.

Beyond that? The Orange will have to do their best to retain all their talent from this year's roster, while also bringing in additional pieces through recruiting and the portal.

How the Orange finished in the ACC

Syracuse finished last in the 16-team Atlantic Coast Conference, dropping behind Boston College because of tiebreakers as both teams finished 1-7 in the league. 

Virginia won the regular season title at 10-2 overall (7-1 in league play), with SMU, Miami, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Duke all going 6-2.

Virginia and Duke are playing for the ACC Championship next weekend.

Bill Belichick's North Carolina team finished 13th at 4-8 overall and 2-6 in league play. They defeated the Orange on Halloween night.

Also on campus

After three consecutive losses, the Orange men's basketball team returns home on Tuesday night (Dec. 2) to take on Tennessee in the ACC-SEC challenge. The Volunteers were ranked No. 17 in the latest Top 25 poll but were beaten by Kansas in the third-place game of the Players Era Championship.

The Orange women's basketball team is 5-1 this season. They'll play Howard at home on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Related Syracuse Stories

'CUSE ENDS SEASON ON LOSS: The Orange were beaten 34-12 by Boston College on Saturday. Here's how it happened. CLICK HERE: 

NEW NO. 44 EXHIBIT: There's a new display at the JMA Wireless Dome, showing off the No. 44 legacy. CLICK HERE: 

IS AUTRY CRITICISM FAIR? The Orange are 4-3 on the season after three losses in Las Vegas. Is the heat on Adrian Autry warranted? CLICK HERE: 

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