Syracuse’s Joseph Filardi Struggles in Loss to UNC’s Bill Belichick

Chapel Hill, North Carolina — Syracuse University’s walk-on quarterback, Joseph Filardi, faced a tough challenge Friday night against North Carolina’s head coach Bill Belichick. Filardi, who is primarily known for his lacrosse skills, struggled in his first start, completing just 4 of 18 passes for a mere 39 yards in a 27-10 loss.

Syracuse coach Fran Brown acknowledged the difficulties Filardi encountered. “His first time playing, of course, it wasn’t all passing things you want,” Brown said post-game. “I thought he tried to protect the football, running the football.” Syracuse has now lost five consecutive games, prompting Brown to seek a new strategy.

Filardi, a standout from Half Hollow Hills West High School in Long Island, had a solid high school career, holding the Long Island single-season passing touchdowns record with 44. He committed to Syracuse’s lacrosse program in 2023, but showed ambition to play both sports.

“I talked to the lacrosse coaches to see if they would be okay with me playing football,” Filardi explained. “The football coaches didn’t know I was committed to lacrosse.” His start was a result of injuries sidelining starting quarterback Steve Agneli.

Despite Filardi’s effort, the Orange’s offense was ineffective, achieving only 12 first downs and 147 total yards. He began the game with eight incompletions and completed just 1 of 11 passes for 25 yards in the first half.

“We got to get better as a unit and be more productive, me included,” Filardi commented after the game.

For North Carolina, this win marked their first ACC victory in their season. Quarterback Gio Lopez threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, helping his team secure a much-needed victory. This performance also ended the Tar Heels’ four-game losing streak. “It was great to finally get a win and show our improvement as a team,” Lopez said.

With Syracuse’s ongoing struggles and the loss of their starting quarterback, it remains to be seen how they will adjust moving forward.