Syracuse defeated Ohio, 38-22, in the 2024 season opener at the JMA Wireless Dome. Here are the key takeaways from the win.

While Oronde Gadsden II’s return to health is the headline-grabber, Trebor Pena being healthy provided a new dimension to the Orange offense. Pena caught a half dozen passes for 78 yards and two scores and carried the ball three more times for nine yards, including a third score. Pena has shown his speed more in the return game than the passing game while at SU, but the new offensive scheme is deploying it in a new way.

The new Syracuse staff has Pena operating horizontally on offense, getting him free on crossers and drag routes over the middle of the field, as well as in motion for jet sweeps. The offense performed well with him as a featured player, as of his nine offensive touches came on the six Orange scoring drives.

Nine was a bad number for the SU defense. On their five scoring drives, Ohio had 16 plays that gained at least nine yards. Prior to their last two drives when Syracuse played deep zone coverage designed to burn clock and prevent the home run, the Bobcats had four scoreless possessions with zero gains of at least nine yards. Eight of those plays where Ohio gained at least nine yards were rushes by Anthony Tyus III, which does not bode well for next week when they face Georgia Tech, whose running backs averaged almost 6.5 yards per carry in their season-opening upset of Florida State.

An Ohio timeout late in the first quarter seemed to flip the switch for the Orange into the “on” position. Backed up to their own six and in a 3-0 hole, the SU defense notched three straight tackles for loss and forced another field goal.

When the Syracuse offense took possession afterward, they ran one more offensive play to make their first quarter totals nine yards on four plays. The second quarter was an absolute reversal as they ran 31 plays for 220 yards. Kyle McCord was dominant in that stanza, completing 17-of-21 passes for 205 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

McCord’s big night could have been even bigger. The play before McCord was picked off on a deep pass, he had completed a 45-yard deep shot to Gadsden down to the Bobcat one-yard-line that was erased by a penalty. While his 354 passing yards are a personal best, without that flag, McCord could have possibly reached the 400-yard plateau.

Once the Orange air attack started to click, things opened up for LeQuint Allen. After carrying just five times for 19 yards with a long gain of six in the opening half, Allen had three rushes for double-digit yards in the third quarter alone (27, 10, and 15 yards), then added a 14-yard burst in the fourth quarter.

Marlowe Wax left the game with 6:31 left in the third quarter with a right lower leg injury. The linebacker pressured the Ohio quarterback on the previous play, but his leg collided with defensive lineman Rashard Perry, who was going the opposite direction while fighting through a block.

Wax tried leaving the field, but could not put much weight on his injured leg and eventually needed crutches to get to the locker room, where his leg was placed in a boot.

Duce Chestnut looked like the same playaker SU fans knew him to be before his year at LSU. Early in the second quarter, Chestnut spun his body around while running full speed in coverage to make what could have been an interception, but was ruled out of bounds.

Justin Barron committed a foolish penalty just after the Orange extended their lead to 10-6 late in the second quarter. The senior shoved Ohio’s Anthony Tyus after he was out of bounds following his 44-yard run, tacking on an extra 15 yards and giving the Bobcats the ball at the SU 16. Just a foolish play and certainly not one a senior leader should make.

For at least one game, Dan Villari was an afterthought in the SU offense. The tight end was not targeted for a pass, mostly functioning as a blocker while on the field.

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