Given that the game was played in Las Vegas, it made complete sense that Syracuse and #25 UNLV played a wild game of hot and cold streaks that went to overtime. LeQuint Allen was the ace in the hole for the Orange (4-1), though, scoring four touchdowns, including the game winner, in a 44-41 victory over the Rebels (4-1).
Allen, who had 71 yards on 19 carries, took the handoff left, fought through one tackle behind the line of scrimmage when it looked like he was stopped for a loss, then pushed through another defender for the winning one-yard score. It was his second rushing score of the game to go with two more on receptions, as he finished with nine catches for 58 yards.
Allen was just one of SU’s stars, as Kyle McCord amassed 355 yards and three scores on 40-of-63 passing. Oronde Gadsden II had a massive night with ten catches for 142 yards while Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena put up matching lines of eight receptions for 67 yards with Meeks adding a score.
McCord was sizzling out of the gate, completing all seven of his pass attempts on the first SU possession for 73 yards and a score on a shovel pass to LeQuint Allen from seven yards out. Jayden Oh added the extra point for a 7-0 Syracuse lead just over six minutes into the action.
The Orange offense was just as effective on their next drive, only they covered 87 yards and Allen’s touchdown came on the ground. The junior running back’s three-yard score and Oh’s conversion doubled the lead to 14-0 with under a minute remaining in the first quarter.
Everything went wrong for SU immediately after that. The offense sputtered, the defense was gashed for big plays both on the ground and through the air, and special teams gaffes popped up on the kickoff return, punt coverage, and punt blocking units. In under ten minutes, the Rebels scored three touchdowns, the last set up by a near blocked punt that ended with Jack Stonehouse getting dropped for a 13-yard loss, to take a 21-14 lead with less than six minutes until halftime.
Syracuse regained their composure and put together an effective drive that marched down the field while eating up almost all of the clock. Unfortunately, the offense could not reach the end zone and settled for a 21-yard field goal from Oh to trim the deficit to 21-17 with :07 left in the first half.
The Orange made it back-to-back scores again by breaking through to open the third quarter. SU used a dozen plays to move 75 yards and cashed in with Allen’s second touchdown catch of the night, this one from six yards out, and Oh tacked on the extra point for a 24-21 lead less than six minutes out of the break.
Two plays later, Duce Chestnut picked off a bobbled pass and set up the Syracuse offense with a short field. Yasin Willis immediately took advantage, bouncing outside with a handoff and taking off down the sideline for 21-yard touchdown. The extra point extended the margin to 31-21, Orange.
The Rebels knotted the score before the end of the third, however, with a field goal, then blocking a punt that bounced all the way into the end zone for an easy recovery for a touchdown. SU’s next drive marched deep into UNLV territory, but an interception pulled the brakes on the drive inside the ten. The Rebels would convert the turnover into a touchdown and held a 38-31 lead with just under three minutes to play.
Syracuse responded with a drive where they survived three near-interceptions and a fourth down before eventually scoring on a fade from McCord to Jackson Meeks from six yards out with 23 seconds remaining. Oh’s kick was true, knotting the score at 38.
Fadil Diggs stepped up on defense, notching a sack to end the Rebels’ drive in the overtime possession. UNLV, however, did salvage the possession with a 41-yard field goal to grab the lead.
The Orange looked to exploit a tired Rebel defense, grinding out yards on the ground to start their possession, but a chop block penalty moved them back to the UNLV 24. A penalty gave SU new life on the following play, though, as a roughing the passer call against the hosts set up SU with a first down.
Three plays later, Allen fought through a couple defenders into the end zone for the winning score.
Duce Chestnut (interception) and Fadil Diggs (two sacks) provided impact plays for the Orange defense. Jayden Bellamy led the defense with seven tackles.
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