Fran Brown didn't hold back on the Syracuse Orange's blowout loss to the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday evening.
Syracuse had a 3-7 record going into the matchup, being one of the worst performing teams in the ACC. Despite having wins over UConn and Clemson, they have been unable to ignite a big win streak to have a chance at bowl eligibility.
And the loss to Notre Dame put their weaknesses on full display. They couldn't keep up with the Fighting Irish attack while being quiet on offense themselves throughout the contest. Brown reflected on the loss after the game, per reporter Ashley Wenskoski. He described it as a tough affair but saw it as a valuable lesson while the team nears the end of the regular season.
“Tough event out there today…humbling experience. A learning experience,” Brown said.
“I know this may sound crazy, but the opportunity of getting the chance to learn from that, and watch that football game…and learn from that the entire offseason…there's a lot of good I see from that football team that I want my football team to look like.”
Fran Brown following Syracuse's 70-7 loss to Notre Dame:
“Tough event out there today…humbling experience. A learning experience.”
“I know this may sound crazy, but the opportunity of getting the chance to learn from that, and watch that football game…and learn from that… pic.twitter.com/fMVH6tFhe4
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) November 23, 2025
How Fran Brown, Syracuse performed against Notre Dame
Fran Brown and Syracuse were already ineligible for bowl eligibility, but giving up 70 to Notre Dame will still be a tough pill to swallow.
The Fighting Irish dominated the Orange from start to finish, dealing most of their damage in the first quarter. They scored 35 points in the opening 15 minutes and never looked back, putting up 35 more in the last three periods.
Joseph Filardi had a night to forget as Notre Dame's defense shut him down all game. He completed 14 passes out of 26 attempts for 83 yards and three interceptions. He also added 14 rushes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Will Nixon had limited production in the run game, making 14 carries for 33 yards. Only three players earned 20 or more receiving yards. Dan Villari led the way with five receptions for 30 yards, Darrell Gill Jr. had three catches for 29 yards, while Darien Williams caught two passes for 20 yards.
Syracuse fell to a 3-8 record on the season, including a 1-6 display in ACC Play. They hold the 16th spot of the conference standings, being above the Boston College Eagles while trailing the Florida State Seminoles and Stanford Cardinal.
The Orange will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being at home for their regular-season finale. They host the Eagles on Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. ET.
