Syracuse Overcomes 21-0 Deficit, Stuns No. 6 Miami
SYRACUSE, N.Y. –– The Syracuse football team stormed back after trailing 21-0 early in the second quarter to capture its first victory over a top-10-ranked opponent since 2017, upsetting No. 6 University of Miami 42-38 on Saturday, Nov. 30, at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The regular season finale was the first meeting between the Orange and the Hurricanes in Syracuse since Nov. 30, 2002. Syracuse earned their first win against Miami since 1998, snapping a five-game losing streak, and won nine games for the first time since 2018.
In the first quarter, Miami’s high-powered offense had 11 first downs, 189 total yards of offense, and was 2 for 2 on third down. They scored two touchdowns on their first two drives, taking a 14-0 lead over Syracuse. Miami’s senior quarterback Cam Ward threw for 150 yards and a touchdown to senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo.
Heisman Trophy candidate Ward connected on his second touchdown pass to junior tight end Elijah Arroyo early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 21-0.
The Orange showed they could light up the scoreboard with the best, responding with two touchdowns in the second quarter to make it a one-score game at the half. They were 5 for 6 on third down.
Junior running back LeQuint Allen scored his 13th rushing touchdown of the season. Senior quarterback Kyle McCord threw his 27th touchdown pass of the season to senior wide receiver Jackson Meeks. With his first touchdown of the game, McCord became the all-time Syracuse leader for passing touchdowns in a season.
Syracuse received the ball to start the second half and drove 75 yards on three plays in 39 seconds to tie the game at 21. Both teams scored three more times in the half.
Late in the third quarter, Syracuse junior defensive back Devin Grant forced a fumble, recovered it, and returned it 56 yards to the house to give the Orange their first lead, 35-28. The Orange outscored the Hurricanes 21-7 in the third quarter.
With under 10 minutes to go, Allen scored his second touchdown to make it 42-35 Syracuse. Then, the Hurricanes chose to kick a field goal with 3:42 to play on a fourth and goal from the Syracuse 10-yard line.
The Orange ran out the clock and won 42-38. Syracuse, down 21-0, completed its biggest comeback in program history. The win was only their third against a top-10-ranked team since 2002.
Syracuse earned four wins in November for the first time since 1997 and beat three-ranked opponents in a season for the first time since 1998.
McCord threw for 380 passing yards and three touchdowns. He became the first Syracuse quarterback in program history with 4,000 passing yards in a season. He said he wanted to be the one to bring Syracuse back to what it was.
“I couldn’t have done it obviously without the offensive line, receivers, running backs, all that, so to be a part of that team that turned things around and got things going in the right direction, I think that’s going to last forever,” McCord said
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said he is proud of McCord.
“He will forever have a place in my heart, you know, will forever just be a part of my family. I’m very thankful for him,” Brown said.
McCord reflected on having Brown as his coach this year.
“He’s genuine, and if he said something, he’s going to do everything he can to prove that, you know, his word is true. I look back on it, and I think everything that he said came true,” McCord said.
The Orange finished 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. Next week, the team will learn its bowl game location and opponent.
Syracuse vs Boston College Football Gallery
The Eagles Run All Over The Orange, SU Falls to Boston College
On Saturday afternoon, Syracuse left Chestnut Hill with a 37-31 loss. For the second
week in a row, the Orange found themselves in an early hole after BC jumped out to a quick 14-0
lead. A 17-yard Oronde Gadsden II touchdown catch and a 3-yard rushing score from LeQuint
Allen brought the ‘Cuse back to tie the game at halftime.
For Boston College, the key to victory stayed the same all day long: the run game.
Eagles’ running backs Kyle Robichaux and Jordan McDonald rushed for 198 and 133 yards
respectively on a combined 43 attempts.
Syracuse had no solution for the BC rushing attack— a point that SU head coach Fran
Brown took responsibility for postgame. “I just messed up on stuff… everything that happened
out there was mainly my fault. They do a good job of running the ball.”
It wasn’t all negative for the ‘Cuse. Pass-catchers Jackson Meeks and Oronde Gadsden II
both hauled in over 100 receiving yards. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord was 31/48 and
threw for 392 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Orange QB now has 8 games this season with 300+
passing yards.
McCord fumbled for a BC safety while the game was tied in the third quarter. The Eagles
then followed up with a touchdown on the next drive to put them ahead by 2 scores. A failed SU
onside kick ensured that Boston College maintained the lead until the clock read zeros.
Syracuse is back in action on Saturday the 16th as they travel to the West Coast to take on Cal for the first time since 1968. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
LeQuint Allen, SU Offense, Bounce Back in Second Half to Beat Virginia Tech
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse comes back to beat Virginia Tech.
The Orange trailed 14-3, going into half-time, but came back to win 38-31 in overtime.
LeQuint Allen had his highest rushing total of the season. Coach Brown said the team had to get back to what they do best.
“We had to get back to the basics, get back to who we are, and honestly, get the best player (Allen) the ball,” Brown said.
Allen had two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
The first came after a 41-yard reception by Trebor Peña, which set up a short touchdown run by Allen.
The second came with 29 seconds remaining in regulation. On this drive, Allen carried the ball six times for 33 yards. The final carry was a short run that brought the Orange within an extra point of a tie game.
Jackson Kennedy’s kick effectively sent the game to overtime.
“I trust our defense, and I trust our offensive line and as you see in overtime, that’s LeQuint time,” said Brown.
It took Allen two plays to find the end zone in overtime. The first was a 16-yard reception. Then, he bounced off several tackles, before spinning into the endzone to give the Orange the lead.
The defense forced a fumble on Virginia Tech’s overtime drive to end the game.
“I was just looking to go out there and put it all on the line for my teammates, and for the Syracuse community,” said Allen about the win.
Kyle McCord Shines in Syracuse’s 42-14 Bounce-Back Victory Over Holy Cross
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)– Kyle McCord’s career game against Holy Cross led the Orange to a 42-14 win on Saturday. It’s a big win for the Orange after suffering a home loss to Stanford last week.
McCord’s 385 passing yards set a new single-game career high, surpassing his 381-yard performance in Week 2 against No. 23 Georgia Tech. The senior threw for four touchdowns and found nine different Syracuse pass catchers.
“They (Holy Cross) left us some one-on-one opportunities on the outside,” McCord said. “And all the guys feel like 50-50 balls are in favor of us. I feel like it’s really 90-10.”
Senior wide receiver Jackson Meeks had 10 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown. Meeks transferred to Syracuse from Georgia in December, following new Orange head coach Fran Brown.
“Everybody did their job right, so I was able to do mine,” Meeks said.
The Orange defense held Holy Cross to just nine rushing yards on 25 attempts. The Crusaders had 157 total yards of offense in the second quarter, but were held to just 46 total yards of offense in the other three quarters combined.
Syracuse is back in action on Friday in Las Vegas to take on the UNLV Rebels. This is the first matchup between the Orange and the Rebels in program history. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET.
McCord, Offense Struggles as Syracuse Falls to Stanford on Late Field Goal 26-24, on the 44th Anniversary of the JMA Dome
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCCNEWS)- Syracuse may have racked up 365 total yards of offense by the end of the game, but the offensive performance was far from pretty.
For much of the first half, the Orange struggled to get anything going as they were outgained at one point 100-27.
The rushing attack was nonexistent as Stanford held ‘Cuse to just 26 yards on the ground on 17 attempts.
Head coach Fran Brown wasn’t pleased with the physicality in the trenches. “We have to be able to run the ball. If you can run the ball then you can protect Kyle,” said Brown. “You can’t be on one-dimensional.”
Kyle McCord was sacked four times as he was pressured all night by the Cardinals. He also had a fumble and threw two interceptions as adversity met the Syracuse offense for the first time this season.
Those turnovers led to 10 Stanford points, with one of the interceptions being a pick-six.
“We were stopping ourselves just with you know dumb mistakes,” Said McCord. “When you’re misfiring and you’re not necessarily on the same page as the receivers. Or protection isn’t great like whatever it is, we’re obviously going have to get it fixed because we’re not good enough.”
Syracuse falls to 2-1 and 1-1 in ACC play. The Orange will take on Holy Cross at noon next Saturday at the JMA Dome for their fourth straight home game.
Syracuse Triumphs Over No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28, behind Kyle McCord Career Performance
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse’s Kyle McCord dazzled, and Fran Brown picked up his first ACC win as the Syracuse Orange beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 31-28 on Saturday.
The Orange had a specific motivation for Saturday’s game following an early-week press conference with Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key. When referring to Syracuse, Key’s comments implied that the Orange lacked physicality.
“I took it personal when he talked about (it), it wasn’t about x’s and o’s, it’s about coming up here and being physical,” Coach Brown said. “I took it personal because of what the S means, you know it’s Syracuse, we’ve been physical forever.”
Syracuse legendary pass rusher Dwight Freeney was in the house Saturday as Syracuse Football retired his iconic number 54. Freeney embodied physicality, and during halftime, had a conversation with senior defensive lineman Fadil Diggs.
Diggs said the NFL Hall of Famer “was just giving me some knowledge as a pass rusher… I learned a lot from him in the span of 10 minutes.” In his second start in the JMA Dome, Diggs recorded seven tackles, including a pair of tackles for a loss.
The Orange defense held an impressive ground-and-pound Georgia Tech’s offense to just 112 yards on the ground. In their first two games, Georgia Tech averaged 200 yards rushing.
Quarterback Kyle McCord shined against Georgia Tech, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns while hitting eight different pass catchers.
“It makes my job a lot easier. When you look across the field and there’s mismatches everywhere,” McCord said.
Syracuse has a bye week before returning to the JMA Dome against Stanford on Friday, September 20th with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
KYLE McCORD, SYRACUSE DEFENSE DOMINATE OHIO, 38-22
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The Syracuse Orange started their season on a high note Saturday, defending their home turf against the Ohio Bobcats, 38-22.
In his first game with the Orange, senior quarterback Kyle McCord completed 27 of his 39 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns. The former Ohio State Buckeyes starter not only earned impressive numbers but made difficult throws look easy time and again.
First-year Syracuse head coach Fran Brown joked after the game about his gratitude to the Buckeyes for sending McCord to the Orange.
“Kyle’s a good football player,” Brown said. “I should send [Ohio State head coach] Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for allowing us to get him.”
McCord’s arm was not the only reason the Orange came out on top. Syracuse’s defense was tremendous, from the front four back to the safeties.
The Orange recorded four sacks, three pass breakups, and an interception against the Bobcats. Ohio’s offense was on the field for almost 14 minutes in the first quarter but managed just six points on two field goals after Syracuse held firm.
Brown said he wants to continue the pattern his team set of both sides of the ball working toward a win.
“If we put it all together, we’ll be playing really good complementary football,” Brown said.
Syracuse is back at the JMA Wireless Dome next weekend, hosting the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at noon on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Syracuse Fan’s First Look at the Fran Brown Era
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Sports Media Center) – Syracuse fans got their first chance to experience the Fran Brown era of Cuse football.
With a chance to see new and exciting transfers as well as familiar faces the Spring Game kicked off and the JMA Wireless Dome was filled with a record breaking 16,579 fans.
The game featured two guest coaches. The Orange team led by class of 1982, offensive guard John E. Lally, and the Blue team led by class of 2018 and star linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts Zaire Frankline.
The Orange team walked away victorious with a 31-10 win over the Blue team. Though newly Orange quarterback Kyle McCord only saw action in the first half he still managed to pass for 242 yards and a touchdown, completing 18-of-28 passes.
But McCord wasn’t the only quarterback in the Spring Game, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Braden Davis also had an opportunity to showcase their ability in front of fans. Del Rio-Wilson threw for 101 yards for the Blue squad.
“I feel that he (Carlos Del Rio-Wilson) was just a little more consistent. I thought he hit stuff a little better,” said coach Brown.
Syracuse fans had the opportunity to see Davis at quarterback, and they also had the chance to see him play a little at wide receiver.
“He’s an intelligent kid, he’s really smart, already transferred from another school, he has the ability to be on the football field. So, when you’re intelligent like that, you do all the things the right way, I think that as a football coach you have to find a place for him to make sure he plays,” said coach Brown.
For coach Brown this is only the beginning of the potential he sees for this team. “We are about a five. We are like a five on a scale of 1 to 10. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said coach Brown.
Many alumni attended this Spring Game, showing their support for this new Fran Brown era. The alumni may span back decades, but they all have one thing in common, they all once wore the orange jersey.
“I think to really have a good future, you got to know and understand the past. A lot of people don’t know the past and their like, ‘Oh we’re just going to win.’ Like how? Like who’s around? Like what was the past like? What was their culture like? Once you start to find out some of those things you can start to take some of it,” coach Brown.
The next time Syracuse fans will have the opportunity to see this Orange squad is in the regular season when Cuse kicks off in the JMA Dome on August 31 against Ohio. Season tickets can be purchased at cuse.com/tickets.
A Tough Ending to 2023 but a Bright Future Ahead for Syracuse Football
By Sydney Supple
Boca Raton, F.L. — Syracuse football had felt untouchable these last two weeks since the hiring of Head Coach Fran Brown. As the transfers and recruits filtered in the past few weeks, the football program started to make headlines nationally. However, with Syracuse still having one game left to play in the season it became blatantly clear, there is still a lot more change and growth that needs to happen.
Syracuse came into this bowl matchup against South Florida University with similar offensive and defensive statistics, so the spread was projected to be a close final score. However, the score ended up being anything but close as South Florida defeated Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl 45 to 0.
South Florida’s offense was one of the quickest in the nation as they were the only college football team to average over 80 plays per game, which they also did against Syracuse contributing to the lop-sided score. The other factor is that South Florida’s defense has holes when covering pass-heavy offenses but with a run-heavy offense like Syracuse that only fed into their strength and eliminated players like LeQuint Allen, who is the engine that drives Syracuse’s offense.
Another factor that played into this game was red-shirt freshman and South Carolina transfer Braden Davis made his first start in orange. Despite being shut out offensively for the first time in Syracuse bowl history, he did have a few promising moments that interim head coach Campanile recognized and stated this game would pay dividends towards his future.
While Campanile, Marlowe Wax and Dan Villari spoke post-game about the obvious disappointment of the game’s outcome, Fran Brown picked up the team in the locker room after saying they were done losing after this and the guys full-heartedly believe him. Until the work can start Brown encouraged each played to go home and spend the needed time with families and loved ones so when it was time to come back to campus and work, they’d be ready to set a new foundation down on the program.
“What you can expect to see next year is the same players but with a refined attitude as they mold under Fran’s D.A.R.T (detail, accountable, relentless and tough),” said Campanile who praised Brown on being the exact type of man he expects his players to be.
As the 2023 season closes on a somber note, there is hope on the horizon as the football program looks to begin a new chapter.
GALLERY: Syracuse Football Stunned Against USF in Boca Raton Bowl
Fran Brown Officially Introduced as New Football Coach
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse University Chancellor, Kent Syverud and Director of Athletics, John Wildhack officially introduced Fran Brown as the 31st head coach in Syracuse football on Monday where he vowed to be here for life.
The Camden, New Jersey, native is well aware of how important Syracuse football is to the fans, going back to the 1990s during the days of Donovan McNabb and Donovan Darius. With that in mind, he made a promise to Orange Nation.
“Guys, I come from welfare, baby,” said Brown. “I’m good. I don’t need got to have that family first car no more, I’m here for life. I promise you that.”
Brown has been in Syracuse for just a few days, and he is already making his impact felt on the program. Within minutes, Brown expressed that he’s always going to be genuine with the Syracuse community and do everything he can to be successful.
“I always speak from my heart, and it just comes out real… guys, I’m going to bust my butt, y’all,” said Brown. “I’m going to bust my butt daily, and I promise you that.”
Brown introduced the concept of “DART” at his press conference: Detail, accountable, relentless, and tough. These four words are going to set the tone of the culture for Syracuse football for years to come as the “DNA traits” of the program.
Photo Credits: Syracuse Football
When answering questions, Brown highlighted that interim head coach Nunzio Camapnile will remain on the staff, and confirmed that Elijah Robinson will be joining from Texas A&M as his defensive coordinator.
“We just got the best coordinator in the country,” said Brown. “Elijah Robinson’s coming here already… We went all in [for him].”
Brown added that NIL will play a part in the future of Syracuse football, more so for players in the portal who have two or more years of eligibility left, but he stressed the importance of recruiting players and keeping local guys home.
“We’re going to take care of our backyard from Canada all the way down,” said Brown. “In the past, that’s how they won. They [Pasqualoni and DeLeone] won in Connecticut and New Jersey, they went to the DMV and got some good players. They spot recruited Florida as well as Philadelphia, so I’m going to follow that same blueprint because it worked.”
With the press conference lasting for a little over an hour, Brown provided the fans with some insight on what exactly “Fran Brown football” is going to look like here at Syracuse.
“I’m ready to have fun, we are going to the run the ball, we are going to play good defense, we are going to stop the run, we’re going to hit and actually everybody going to ask what offense you running,” said Brown. “Whatever they can’t stop.”
Brown will not be coaching in the Boca Raton Bowl later this month, but he will be in charge for the annual spring game. One thing is certain, Syracuse football is in great hands.
Syracuse Football Secures Bowl Berth, Takes Down Wake Forest 35-31
Syracuse Football is sticking around just a bit longer.
The Orange finished off their regular season with a win over Wake Forest, defeating the Demon Deacons 35-31. The sixth win of the season guaranteed Syracuse a bowl game later this winter. It was also Senior Day, so the seniors capped off their Syracuse careers with a win at home.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader did not hide his emotions after playing his final game in the Dome. He teared up as he spoke about the team’s resilience this year.
“Nobody on this team ever for a second gave up,” he said. “It’s just fighting and clawing to find something that can work, and it’s just awesome to see it come to full completion this week and get that sixth win. I’m proud of how these guys fought.”
It was a historic day for running back LeQuint Allen Jr., who eclipsed 1000 rushing yards this season during the game. He rushed a career high 144 yards. Wide receiver Damien Alford found success on the field as well, with 126 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his day ended earlier than expected after getting hit hard in the fourth quarter.
Wake Forest put up a fight, with quarterback Michael Kern throwing 261 passing yards. Nearly every time Syracuse scored, the Demon Deacons responded immediately and quickly rushed down the field to even it up. However, Syracuse never trailed and kept up their momentum. Syracuse defensive back Jason Simmons Jr. thwarted a last-minute scoring drive for the Demon Deacons by intercepting the ball at the 1-yard line, sealing the deal for the Orange.
With the loss, Wake Forest fell to a 4-8 record and ended their season at the bottom of ACC rankings. Syracuse’s win kept them out of that last place spot.
For Syracuse, Saturday’s matchup was the first game in eight years without coach Dino Babers at the helm. Syracuse fired Babers this past week after losing to Georgia Tech. Interim head coach Nunzio Campanile says it was a tough week for the squad, but they never lost focus on the end goal.
“I think these guys did an excellent job of managing those emotions and putting them aside when it’s time to go out and play football,” he said. “But I totally encourage them to address it, communicate it and talk to the assistant coaches about it.”
The game leaves Syracuse in limbo in many ways. There’s no word yet on where or who they’re meeting for the bowl game, and rumors swirl about their next head coach’s identity. Either way, it was an emotional send off to a tumultuous regular season.
GALLERY: Syracuse Football Earns Win Over Pitt; Snaps Losing Streak at Yankee Stadium
Syracuse Football Notches First ACC Win of ’23
BRONX, N.Y. – Syracuse earned their first conference win of the season in a 28-13 victory over Pitt at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. From a five-game losing streak to one win closer to bowl eligibility, the Syracuse Orange in their 79th matchup against Pittsburgh demonstrated just why head coach Dino Babers said not to count his team out just yet, especially his leaders.
“I think when you look inside Garrett Shrader’s chest and you pull out his heart … and Dan Villari … and LeQuint Allen, you get those three hearts and you put them together, you have a heck of a beat,” said Babers. “I just feel like those guys, the way they play the game and the way they inspire others in the way they play the game. If you just give it to them enough, even if you’re denied the opportunity to win, if you’re gonna go down you’re gonna go down because you just want those types of people out there.”
The team ran a new run heavy offense they had just implemented in practice last week. This offense included Garrett Shrader, LeQuint Allen and Dan Villari all taking snaps at the quarterback position.
Villari had a standout game, leading the team in both passing yards with 12 and rushing yards with 154 out of the Orange’s 382. Villari scored a rushing touchdown to top it all off and earned the conference honor of ACC Running Back of the Week.
For Villari, he said this was essentially a game played at home for him as friends and family came out to support him, which he said meant a lot.
“I’m very satisfied with this game. I had about 75 people, my family and friends in one section, so it was nice to put on a show for them,” said Vallari. “They’ve been there for me through hard times when I was still a quarterback not playing so I think it was really special.”
Quarterback Garrett Shrader who had to hit the ground running Saturday afternoon had 109 rushing yards and a touchdown. But he said he couldn’t have gotten through this game and this new offense without the help of his teammates.
“A bunch of guys like LeQuint and Dan stepped up and some other guys role-playing and really playing their tails off,” said Shrader. “ It was awesome. It’s definitely a team win and the defense plays deadly so combine all those things we’re just happy to flip the script and get a win this week.”
The win at Yankee Stadium brought the team to 5-5 on the season. One win away from a trip to a bowl game. When asked his thoughts, Coach Babers said he would continue to believe.
The Orange will head down to Atlanta, on Saturday November, 18th to take on Georgia Tech, one of their last two games of the regular season. Kickoff is set for 8 PM on the ACC Network.
Orange Football Cannot Contain Eagles
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse football returned home Friday to the JMA Wireless Dome for the first time in over a month.
Despite its biggest crowd of the season, penalties and interceptions doomed the Orange, as Boston College defeated Syracuse 17-10.
After beating Boston College last season to snap a five-game losing streak, Syracuse has now lost its fifth consecutive game, while the Eagles have won five in a row.
The Orange remain winless against the ACC following four non-conference victories to begin the year.
Syracuse starting quarterback Garrett Shrader missed his first game of the season, as he suffered an undisclosed injury against Virginia Tech. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson made his second career start, and although the Orange ran for over 200 yards, the pass offense struggled.
On the first drive of the game for the Orange, the redshirt sophomore threw his first interception, which resulted in an Eagles opening field goal.
Near the end of the first quarter, LeQuint Allen broke a huge run for 32 yards, which set up a 27-yard rushing touchdown for Del Rio-Wilson.
To end the first half, Boston College would embark on a near eight minute drive that resulted in a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Thomas Castellanos to Owen McGowan.
During halftime, Syracuse alum Dwight Freeney was honored for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Syracuse Athletics announced that Dwight Freeney’s number 54 jersey will be retired next season.
Only down three points, the Orange relied on LeQuint Allen and he delivered. Allen exploded for a 56-yard run, which led to the game-tying field goal for Syracuse in the fourth quarter.
The sophomore had a career-day, rushing for 142 yards on 18 carries, which helped the Orange offense stay afloat.
“The offensive line…they did a hell of a job today,” Allen said. “We came up short, but I feel for those guys. They played their hearts out today, and I was just following behind them.” With the game tied, Syracuse linebacker Justin Barron forced Boston College’s second fumble, after laying a big hit on Eagles running Kye Robichaux.
However, the Orange couldn’t take advantage as Del Rio-Wilson threw his third interception after Elijah Jones snatched the ball away from Umari Hatcher.
Boston College would then take the lead for good, as Castellanos ran for a seven-yard touchdown late in the fourth.
Although Del Rio-Wilson only completed seven passes and threw for 37 yards with four interceptions, Syracuse had opportunities to win the game.
“Carlos did a good job,” head coach Dino Babers said. “I know there were a lot of interceptions, but when you’re playing with your backup quarterback the other guys have to find a way to win the game, and LeQuint almost found a way to do it.”
To make its second consecutive bowl appearance, the Orange will need to win two of its last three games.
Syracuse will play Pitt at Yankee Stadium next week to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first college football contest between these two teams. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
Syracuse Football Falls to Virginia Tech in Thursday Night ACC Matchup
BLACKSBURG, V.A. – Syracuse Football fell to Virginia Tech 38-10 in Thursday night’s matchup at Lane Stadium. This is the Oranges fourth consecutive ACC loss.
After a tough stretch in their schedule, the Orange were looking to pick up a road win but they didn’t get the outcome they wanted.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader threw for only 138 passing yards with one touchdown completion to tight end Dan Villari. Wide receiver Damien Alford contributed four catches for 70 yards.
Linebacker Marlow Wax led the team with 14 tackles for a new career best. Wax’s performance was also the most by a Syracuse player so far this season.
Photo by Madison Palumbo
Virginia Tech had 528 total yards. Quarterback Kyron Drones had 210 passing yards. The Hokies came out strong as they picked up points on their first six possessions.
Head Coach Dino Babers said they started flat and he isn’t satisfied with that.
“We are going to go back and we will do and I will do whatever we can to make sure that we have an opportunity to find a way to start faster,” said Babers.
Shrader said there is a lot of football left and the team is looking to turn things around.
“We have to stay together, we have a great group of guys,” Shrader said. “Hopefully we can flip the script this week.”
For the first time in a month, the Orange return home for their next matchup against Boston College Friday Nov. 3 for a 7:30 p.m kickoff.
Seminoles Dominate Syracuse in Thrilling Matchup
TALLAHASSEE, FL- The sun was high in the sky and the excitement was even higher as fans gathered at the iconic Doak S. Campell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida for a riveting college football showdown. On this sunny Saturday afternoon, the fourth ranked Florida State Seminoles played host to the Syracuse Orange in a game that had all the components for an intense showdown.
Since the early morning, the stadium and parking lots were filled with buzz and anticipation. Doak Campell Stadium was sold out and the atmosphere was electrifying. Fans from both sides poured in dressed in their team colors ready to cheer for their beloved Orange and Seminoles in victory. The game kicked off with the Syracuse Orange and the Florida State Seminoles battling it out in the field. Fans were in for a treat.
Syracuse began their first drive at their own 25-yard line and faced a 1st and 10 on the FSU 25. Their drive was cut short when FSU’s punter, Jack Stonehouse, sent the ball 29 yards out of bounds resulting in a touchback. On their first offensive series, Syracuse quarterback, Garrett Shrader, was in the shotgun but faced a 3rd and 6. His pass to Isaiah Jones unfortunately was broken by Florida State’s Patrick Payton.
Florida State was favored in the beginning of the game, dominating 39-17 victory against Virginia Tech. FSU’s running back, Trey Benon set high expectations after his performance against Virgina Tech and was the star of the game as he rushed for an astonishing 200 yards and slammed in two touchdowns on just 11 carries. His 85-yard rush left opponents and fans amazed. Florida State quarterback, Jordan Travis also heavily contributed with two major touchdowns.
On the other hand, the Syracuse Orange found themselves in a tough situation early in the game. They were still recovering from a brutal loss to North Carolina last weekend with a 40-7 loss. That struggle continued against Florida State this weekend. The quarterback play was a significant point of concern with the Orange struggling to make progress through the air.
The Florida State Seminole’s defense proved to be a force to be reckoned with for Syracuse consistently pressuring the quarterback and interrupting the rhythm of the offensive. Despite a determined effort to bounce back, the Orange could not generate the points needed to make a comeback, being defeated 41-3.
Florida State’s victory marked their fifth consecutive home win this season, elevating their overall record to 6-0. The proficiency of the offense was the driving force behind their victory, averaging an impressive 42.4 points per game. Syracuse has stumbled for the third time now holding a 4-3 season record.
As the final whistle was blown, the Seminoles celebrated another victory in front of their passionate Seminole fans. It was a tough game that demonstrated determination and grit of these collegiate athletes. The college football season is full of defining moments and in this game, Florida State and Syracuse added to the exhilaration of the sport.
Syracuse’s First Conference Game Ends in Defeat
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A once undefeated team walks away defeated.
Clemson defeated Syracuse 31-14 making this Clemson’s first ACC win of the season, and Syracuse’s first ACC loss of the season. The rivalry continues as Clemson remains undefeated against Syracuse since 2017.
Clemson came in with a 2-2 record, two of those losses against conference teams. Today that did not matter as Clemson proved to be a standout team against the Orange. The Clemson team was strong on both sides of the ball. With an unbreakable offensive line, and a standout defense. Clemson matching their stats from last year with five sacks against Garrett Shrader for the second season in a row.
Between dropped passes by the offense and missed interceptions by the defense, the Orange had many missed opportunities. What made the Syracuse team fall short?
Nerves were one of the biggest struggles Syracuse faced, according to coach Dino Babers. Much of the team is still young, “I thought that some of the younger guys were nervous. They didn’t handle the stage, and you don’t expect that to happen,” Babers said.
Penalties were also a big issue for Syracuse, with nine penalties costing the team 92 yards, “Some of those penalties really shaped the game, but penalties are a part of the game. They understand they are not going to get every call” Babers said, “You have to learn to deal with that, that’s just part of the adversity of the game.”
Syracuse faced adversity today against Clemson in many ways, but Shrader feels the Syracuse team has no one to blame but themselves. “We beat ourselves more than they beat us today,” Shrader said.
Syracuse will be on the road next week as they face North Carolina for their second ACC game of the season.
Pasch Fits in Newhouse Visit Prior to Syracuse Football Broadcast
SYRACUSE, N.Y- Dave Pasch came back to visit his alma mater Wednesday night before his first Syracuse Football broadcast inside the JMA Wireless Dome since 2001. The 1994 Newhouse grad found out earlier this week that his weekly play-by-play assignment with ESPN would be for the Orange against Clemson on Saturday. Pasch has done other Cuse games on the road over the years, but knows it’ll be a special feeling returning to the “Loud House.”
“I’ve done some Syracuse Basketball games since I started at ESPN, but not as many football. They’ve all been on the road, and funny enough I actually did a Cuse game against Clemson back in 2016… Saturday will be pretty cool for me,” Pasch said.
On top of his college football duties, Pasch also calls NBA and college basketball games for ESPN. While somehow balancing those other duties, he also is the longtime radio voice of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
The Madison, Wisconsin native has come a long way from his humble beginnings at Newhouse. During his undergrad, Pasch wrote for The Daily Orange newspaper and made regular appearances on WAER to gain on-air radio reps. Following graduation, Pasch decided to take his first job in Morgantown, West Virginia because of a “pipeline” of WAER kids going to that market. Even though he was only there for 10 months, Pasch proclaimed it to be the most important job he’s ever had (maybe meeting his wife Hallie there also had a role in that feeling).
“During my time in Morgantown, it was important for me to get out of my Syracuse bubble where I was comfortable. My mindset was I needed to be willing to do anything and everything for that first job. I covered city council meetings and did high school play-by-play gigs for $25 a game. I even went up to Pittsburgh to run the Pirates scoreboard in the press box,” Pasch said.
Pasch moved to Detroit in 1995 for his first job in a large market when sports talk radio was all the rave in the industry. Two years later, Pasch landed in Chicago and spent the majority of his time covering Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during their “Last Dance” season. When a coveted job opened up to return to Syracuse, it was just too good for Pasch to pass up.
“In 1999 when the radio job opened up here, I knew that if I got the chance I would come back. Getting the job as a 26-year-old and having to fill the shoes of a legendary figure like Doug Logan was a little daunting. Early on some of my broadcast partners were alums like Mike Tricio, Marv Albert, and Bob Costas because I had to earn the trust of my bosses being so young,” Pasch said.
On top of his duties with the Orange Football and Men’s Basketball teams, Pasch also did preseason TV broadcasts for the Buffalo Bills in 2001. Former General Manager John Bulter and Executive Russ Brandon formulated a plan that Pasch would slide into the full-time radio spot after a few seasons. That all changed during the Spring of 2002 when the NFL had three teams with radio jobs open. Pasch was offered the job with the Arizona Cardinals, and he’s been with the organization ever since.
“It was a difficult decision leaving my job at Syracuse because I really loved it and knowing that I could’ve stayed and also been with the Bills. I just couldn’t wait only longer when I had an opportunity like that on the table,” Pasch said.
Pasch has been full-time with ESPN since 2003 after doing regional Big East basketball games to get his foot in the door. Since then, he’s risen the ranks of the Worldwide Leader and worked alongside some of the most notable analysts in the business. Some of his partners have included Bill Walton, Hubie Brown, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Jay Bilas, and Doris Burke. Pasch believes the main reason he’s able to have a great rapport with everyone he works with is by building genuine relationships with them.
“It may not win you an award, but it matters so much to put your analyst in the best place to succeed. You have to get to know them on a personal level, not just during those few hours together in the booth. I know when I’m doing a game with Bill [Walton] he will want the game to be more focused on storytelling, instead of with Hubie [Brown] there’s more emphasis on numbers and stats,” Pasch said.
It took time for Pasch to get accustomed to his hectic lifestyle. Most weeks for a Saturday game he travels into the cities on Thursday and immediately leaves to go wherever the Cardinals are playing. His traditional plans went by the wayside this week because of Hubie Brown’s 90th birthday celebration on Tuesday, giving him time to come to Newhouse. Pasch related this dynamic to a golf swing that living this way is just second nature at this point.
“It just took a little bit to get used to it, getting into that mode of I’m doing a TV game today, but radio tomorrow. Like this week I’ll call the Syracuse game and immediately go to the airport to fly to San Francisco because that’s where the Cardinals are playing Sunday. I think it’s much more common now for play-by-play guys to have more than one job in comparison to when I first started doing this. It’s just something that takes time,” Pasch said.
Make sure to listen to Pasch’s first broadcast back with Syracuse Football on ABC Saturday at Noon. Follow @DavePasch on X, to see where his next broadcast is for ESPN. Also, be on the lookout for other alumni guest speakers throughout the academic year by following the Newhouse Sports Media Center on social media.