It was not ensured until under a minute to go, but Syracuse ground out a 35-31 victory over Wake Forest to become bowl eligible for the second straight season in the finale for both teams. The Orange (6-6, 2-6 ACC) mixed in a touch more downfield passing than they had shown with their revamped power offense and it gave them enough to get past the Demon Deacons (4-8, 1-7).
The SU offense was effective throughout the game, sustaining six drives of at least 74 yards, five of them going for touchdowns. Garrett Shrader threw for three scores and ran for another for Syracuse and every one was needed, as Wake had a response every time in a game that evolved into a shootout.
The Orange took an early lead after forcing a punt on the first Wake Forest drive. Garrett Shrader threw a short pass that Damien Alford turned into a 35-yard touchdown for a 7-0 SU lead before the game was eight minutes old.
The visitors responded with a touchdown, but Syracuse put together another 75-yard scoring drive, this time hitting paydirt on a one-yard run by Shrader. Wake responded with a field goal to slice the lead down to 14-10, but the Orange missed their own chance when Brady Denaburg missed from 53 yards. A Demon Deacon penalty gave SU a second life, but the second quarter clock ran out with them a yard shy of the end zone.
Syracuse got the ball to start the third quarter and drove 75 yards for a score once more. Dan Villari was given an opportunity to throw the deep ball and put it right on the money to Alford for a 47-yard score. The Orange led, 21-10, just over two minutes after halftime wrapped.
A Wake touchdown bit into the lead, leaving SU in front, 21-17. Shrader was picked off on a deflected pass on the flowing Syracuse drive, but this time, the Deacons missed a field goal, keeping the Orange lead intact.
This time, SU had a similar response, only they drove 80 yards for the score. Shrader connected with Villari from 13 yards out this time and the lead grew to 28-17. Once again, the guests had a response, needing just two pass plays for a touchdown, only this time they tacked on a two-point conversion to their score, drawing within 28-25.
Shrader was undeterred, leading another 75-yard scoring drive, this time connecting with Umari Hatcher for a 37-yard score to extend the lead to 35-25. The Demon Deacons responded with another touchdown, but the Syracuse pass rush thwarted the two-point try, leaving the score at 35-31 in favor of the hosts.
Wake Forest got a stop and forced a punt, which they returned into Orange territory. The SU defense made an even bigger stop, though, getting a diving interception from Jason Simmons Jr. to thwart them a yard from the end zone.
LeQuint Allen, who ran 32 times for 144 yards on the day, picked up nine yards on two carries, then Shrader snuck for two more for a crucial first down, enabling Syracuse to down out the clock. Alford also cracked the century mark, turning four receptions into 126 yards and a pair of scores.
----
Chat about this story and all things Syracuse and Syracuse recruiting on our premium message board, Cuse Classified!
Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.
Tips/questions/concerns? E-mail Recruiting Analyst Charles Kang here.
Not a subscriber to The Juice Online? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community.
