Syracuse fell into a big hole quickly, but roared past #6 Miami at the JMA Wireless Dome for a 42-38 upset to cap head coach Fran Brown’s first season. The Orange (9-3, 5-3 ACC) trailed 21-0 a couple minutes into the second quarter, but tied the game early in the third and took the lead for good with a little over nine minutes to play.
The two teams combined for just shy of 1,000 yards of offense, paced by 503 from the Hurricanes (10-2, 6-2). As he did so often this season, Kyle McCord did a lot of heavy lifting for SU, completing 26 of 36 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns.
Trebor Pena caught six of those passes for 128 yards and a touchdown while Jackson Meeks snagged seven for 100 yards and a pair of scores. LeQuint Allen also had six grabs, picking up 61 yards to go with 22 carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The Syracuse offense took a little while to get going, but Miami had no such problems, mixing the run and pass effectively for a touchdown drive to open the scoring. The Orange seemed to match the score, but a 40-yard touchdown catch by Pena was erased by a penalty and SU ended up giving up the ball after failing to convert on fourth down.
The Hurricanes took advantage, driving for another touchdown and a 14-0 lead with a little under four minutes left in the opening quarter, then added another touchdown a couple minutes into the second quarter to make it appear like the blowout was underway at 21-0.
That’s when the Syracuse offense responded, needing just seven plays to drive for a score. Allen cashed in the possession when he barreled into the end zone from eight yards out. Jackson Kennedy added the extra point to pull the Orange within 21-7 just over four minutes into the second quarter.
The SU defense aided the cause with a three-and-out and their offensive mates made it two scoring drives in a row by grinding out a 16-play, 67-yard touchdown drive. McCord finished it off by hooking up with Meeks on a nine-yard touchdown pass. Kennedy’s conversion was true and Syracuse trailed, 21-14, with under four minutes left in the first half.
Neither side could score again before the break, but the Orange barely wasted a second doing so when the game resumed. SU needed just three plays and Pena only two of them, a 50-yard catch and a 25-yard touchdown reception on back-to-back snaps. Kennedy’s kick knotted the score at 21 a side just 39 seconds into the second half.
The Hurricanes responded in kind, needing just over three minutes for a touchdown drive of their own to go back in front, 28-21. Once again, Syracuse responded, this time by overcoming a sack on the first play to drive for the tying score. McCord and Meeks connected on another nine-yard scoring pass and Kennedy’s kick made it 28-28 midway through the third.
The Orange defense forced a punt relatively quickly, but the offense returned the ball when Yasin Willis was stripped while fighting for extra yards near the Miami 20. Shortly after, the SU defense got both the ball back and the lead for the first time when Devin Grant punched the ball away from a Miami receiver, grabbed the ball, and returned the fumble 56 yards for a touchdown with 1:47 left in the third quarter. Kennedy connected on the extra point to give SU a 35-28 lead.
The ’Canes kept up the back-and-forth theme, driving for a tying touchdown to make it a 35-35 game with 13:02 on the clock. Syracuse once again rose to the challenge and drove for a go-ahead score. Allen slashed into the end zone off the right side from three yards out and Kennedy added the conversion to put the hosts on top once more at 42-35.
The Hurricanes drove down close, but a penalty set them back and forced them to settle for a field goal with 3:42 on the clock to get within 42-38. After the touchback, Allen chewed up two first downs on the ground and a Miami offsides gave the Orange a third. SU got the fourth and backbreaking first down on a jet sweep to Pena and only had to down the ball twice to run out the clock.
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