Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown was hired away from being Georgia’s defensive backs coach Nov. 28, 2023.

The Orange finished 6-6 in the regular season and fired coach Dino Babers. A short-handed Syracuse squad limped into the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl and got blasted 45-0 by South Florida on Dec. 21, 2023.

Ten months later, Brown and Syracuse have a 4-1 record and play against NC State (3-3, 0-2 ACC) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.