Saturday afternoon, Syracuse scored on their opening drive and never looked back, picking up a road win at California, 33-25. The Orange (7-3, 4-3 ACC) scored on their first five possessions to go up by 20 points late in the second quarter and the Golden Bears (5-5, 1-5) did not get the margin to single digits until there was a minute left on the clock.
The SU offense was efficient, converting 4-of-4 fourth down attempts to offset a less-than-ideal 7-of-18 conversion rate on third down. As a result, Syracuse moved the sticks 26 times in the game, piling up 471 yards along the way.
The Orange defense contributed to those five early scores by ending the first two Cal drives with interceptions. They also tied a season high by adding four sacks and forced a fumble along the way, providing a boost of big plays on that side of the ball.
Jackson Kennedy capped the initial Syracuse drive with a 24-yard field goal from the right hash for a 3-0 lead with just over six minutes off the clock. Marlowe Wax Jr. blunted Cal’s opening possession with an interception and returned it to the Bears’ 40. The Orange could not do a whole lot from there, but Kennedy connected again from the right hash, this time from 42 yards for a 6-0 lead with 4:19 left in the first quarter.
Even faster than on the first California drive, SU got a change of possession, this time when Davien Kerr made a leaping interception on the sideline at the Syracuse 31. This drive was more successful, reaching the end zone when LeQuint Allen split a seam and went for a 30-yard touchdown. Kennedy tacked on the extra point for a 13-0 Orange lead less than 90 seconds into the second quarter.
The lead didn’t last long, as Jaivian Thomas blasted through the SU defense for a 75-yard touchdown. The extra point pulled the Golden Bears within 13-7. The Syracuse offense reinstated that double-digit lead with Allen capping a drive by scoring from a yard out on a nifty cutback on a pitch enabled him to split a pair of Bears and reach the end zone. The conversion made it 20-7 just over five minutes into the second.
Less than six minutes later, Kyle McCord made it five straight scoring drives for the Orange when he hit Jackson Meeks, who spun into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. Kennedy’s extra point made it 27-7 with just over four minutes until halftime.
California used that remaining time to get a 47-yard field goal attempt, but the kick missed to the right and sent the teams to their locker rooms with SU’s 20-point lead intact.
The Golden Bears took a bite out of that margin on their first drive after the break, using just over six minutes to march for a touchdown drive that brought them within 27-14. Kennedy answered with his third field goal of the game just under four minutes later, booting through a 43-yarder for a 30-14 lead.
After each team punted, Cal closed the gap to 30-17 just over two minutes into the fourth quarter with a field goal. The Orange could not do much with their following possession, but Fadil Diggs ended the next Golden Bear drive with a strip-sack. The hosts recovered, but had to punt.
SU all but ended the game with their next possession, grinding out six-and-a-half minutes by marching down the field and getting Kennedy another field goal. This one, which covered 32 yards, made it a 33-17 score in favor of Syracuse with a little over three minutes to play.
California squeezed out a touchdown drive, reaching the end zone with 1:01 to play. The hosts went for a two-point conversion, which succeeded and cut the Orange lead to 33-25.
The ensuing onside kick, however, fell into the arms of Trebor Pena, leaving just two McCord kneeldowns to end the game.
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