Tag: Syracuse

Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom looks on during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

No. 25 UNLV begins tough stretch by hosting Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Every team faces challenges over the course of a long season, but No. 25 UNLV absorbed a major dose of adversity last week.

The Rebels passed their first test following the departure of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka and will look to ace another challenge Friday when Syracuse visits Las Vegas for an intriguing nonconference matchup.

UNLV (4-0) is ranked for the first time in program history, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Rebels.

They won their first three games behind Sluka, who racked up six passing touchdowns while running for a team-high 253 yards. However, Sluka left the team last Tuesday after a disagreement over unfulfilled NIL promises.

The sudden departure left UNLV coach Barry Odom scrambling to get Hajj-Malik Williams ready to start against Fresno State, although that contest turned into a one-sided affair with the Rebels prevailing 59-14. Williams, a transfer from Campbell, threw three touchdowns and ran for a score. He finished 13-of-16 for 182 yards and added 12 carries for 119 yards.

“It’s tough any time you’re playing against someone like Hajj who can run and throw,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “It’s a nightmare for the defensive coordinator and the head coach. You think about it all week.”

Odom, meanwhile, does not want his team to be satisfied with sitting at the end of the rankings. After Friday’s contest, the Rebels play three of their next four games on the road with the only home date being a matchup against No. 21 Boise State.

So UNLV has little margin for error with the tough stretch looming.

“I think it is exactly where UNLV football should be,” Odom said, referring generally to the national rankings. “That’s our goal — one of our goals — is to be in the top 25 and continue to climb and have a position where every single week, on the national stage, we have a place (in the rankings).”

Ricky White has been up and down through UNLV’s first four contests. In Weeks 1 and 3 against Houston and Kansas, respectively, he totaled five catches for 15 yards without a score. In the other two games vs. Utah Tech and Fresno State, he racked up 15 catches for 238 yards and five touchdowns.

White certainly will be part of the focus as Syracuse (3-1) develops its game plan defensively. The Orange limited Holy Cross to 203 total yards and 2-of-14 third-down conversions in last week’s 42-14 romp.

Still, Brown — like his UNLV counterpart — isn’t close to satisfied.

“I don’t think we’re nowhere near where we can be,” Brown said postgame. “We’ve just got to keep growing.”

Kyle McCord has been picked off twice in each of the last two games, but he has generally been impressive in his first season with Syracuse. The Ohio State transfer had 1,459 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through four contests, throwing for at least 339 yards in every game.

Trebor Pena leads the team in catches (26), receiving yards (316) and touchdown grabs (five), although various Syracuse receivers have taken turns shining offensively over the last month.

Jackson Meeks was in the spotlight against Holy Cross, registering 10 grabs for 161 yards and a score.

“My mentality is always the same — attack, attack, attack,” Meeks said.

This is the first ever meeting between the teams.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) passes against the Stanford Cardinal during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Kyle McCord, Syracuse pass way past Holy Cross

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyle McCord passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns as Syracuse beat Holy Cross 42-14 on Saturday in Syracuse, N.Y.

It’s the fourth straight 300-yard passing game to open the season for McCord, who was 28 of 50 and also threw two interceptions. Jackson Meeks had 10 catches for a career-high 161 yards and a touchdown.

KingJoseph Edwards recorded three sacks for the Orange.

Joe Pesansky was 12-for-22 passing for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Holy Cross. Max Mosey made five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Peterson added 48 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The Orange (3-1) have won 14 straight games against Holy Cross (1-4) for a 25-5 series record and are 22-0 all-time against FCS teams.

Holy Cross went three-and-out on its first three drives, while Syracuse scored touchdowns on its first three.

On its opening drive, Syracuse scored when McCord scrambled to his left and found a sliding Umari Hatcher in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown catch and a 7-0 Syracuse lead.

McCord, an Ohio State transfer, hit Darrell Gill Jr. for a 23-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead on the second Syracuse drive. And a 38-yard pass from McCord to Meeks gave Syracuse a 21-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

Holy Cross then rallied to score on consecutive possessions. Pesansky found Mosey wide open out of the slot for a 63-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-7. After the Crusaders’ defense forced a three-and-out, Holy Cross reached into its bag of trick plays to make the score 21-14 in the second quarter.

Pesansky tossed the ball backward to running back Sam Slade, who drew in the Syracuse defense. Before he crossed the line of scrimmage, Slade threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Peterson with 6:45 left in the second quarter.

After Syracuse forced Holy Cross to punt from its end zone, the Orange covered 54 yards in six plays and scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass from McCord to Trebor Pena for a 28-14 lead with 32 seconds left in the first half.

LeQuint Allen added a 1-yard touchdown run as time expired in the third quarter to give the Orange a 35-14 lead.

Syracuse took its largest lead of the day in the fourth quarter when defensive back Jayden Bellamy intercepted a Pesansky pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown and a 42-14 lead.

After four straight home games to open the season, the Orange will be away from the JMA Dome for the entire month of October and play three road games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) runs as Syracuse Orange defensive back Clarence Lewis (3) defends during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Stanford tops Syracuse on last-second field goal to earn first ACC win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Emmet Kenney kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder as time expired, to send visiting Stanford to a 26-24 win over Syracuse on Friday night.

Playing in their first Atlantic Coast Conference game following a long run in the Pac-12, the Cardinal (2-1, 1-0 ACC) never trailed until the waning minutes. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord found receiver Darrell Gill Jr. for 24 yards on third-and-17 then hooked up with Jackson Meeks for a 13-yard TD with 3:13 remaining as the hosts jumped ahead 24-23.

However, the Orange (2-1, 1-1) were unable to stop Stanford on the final possession. Ashton Daniels’ 27-yard back-shoulder throw to Elic Ayomanor on fourth-and-9 set up the Cardinal at the 18-yard line, allowing Kenney to drill the winning kick in the final seconds.

McCord finished 27 of 42 for 339 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus a rushing score. Daniels went 23 of 38 for 178 yards with one TD and two picks.

McCord accounted for two touchdowns — one for each team — in the latter portions of the third quarter. With a little more than four minutes left, he was intercepted by Mitch Leigber, who returned it 71 yards to put Stanford ahead 20-10 following the extra point. However, McCord got the points right back for the Orange, scoring on a 19-yard run in which he jumped over a defender on his leap into the end zone.

McCord’s second interception of the game — this one nabbed by Jay Green — set up the Cardinal around midfield less than a minute into the fourth quarter. The visitors drove into the red zone before settling for Kenney’s 35-yard field goal that made it 23-17 with 9:19 to play.

After the teams exchanged punts to begin the contest, Stanford drove 78 yards — capped by Ayomanor’s one-handed TD grab — to open the scoring. Another punt by the Orange set up Kenney’s 38-yard field goal to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter.

The Cardinal still held a 10-point advantage, 13-3, after Kenney’s 51-yard field goal with 1:35 remaining in the half. Yet, that left Syracuse enough time to cash in on McCord’s last-minute 67-yard TD pass to Umari Hatcher, whose defender fell down on the play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Kyle McCord, Syracuse welcome Stanford to ACC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a long run in the Pac-12 Conference, Stanford makes its Atlantic Coast Conference debut Friday night when it visits Syracuse and its impressive quarterback, Kyle McCord.

The Cardinal (1-1, 0-0 ACC) are now part of a 17-team league that features a recognizable face in Cal, another newcomer in SMU and the 14 returning teams from a season ago. The Orange (2-0, 1-0) are included in that latter group and are coming off a big victory against another veteran ACC foe, Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets, then ranked No. 23, visited the Orange two weekends ago and left with a 31-28 loss. McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdown passes for Syracuse, giving him 735 yards and eight TD strikes through the first two games of the season.

“I’m very thankful, of course, and the team is thankful to have him as our quarterback,” Orange coach Fran Brown said of the Ohio State transfer.

Meanwhile, Stanford trounced FCS foe Cal Poly its last time out, posting a 41-7 victory as Ashton Daniels and Elijah Brown combined to complete 26 of 30 passes for 318 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“So much of a quarterback is just experience and knowing what to expect,” Cardinal coach Troy Taylor said of Daniels, “and he just continues to grow in that area. He’s a dynamic runner, he’s a physical runner and he gives us a chance (to win). … I’m sure glad he stuck around to stay with us.”

Special teams could be key in determining the winner of this one. Stanford returned a punt for a touchdown, blocked a field goal and converted a fake punt in its last game, while Syracuse had a punt blocked, had a field goal blocked and failed to recover a Georgia Tech onside kick in its most recent contest.

“Those things are momentum changers,” said Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright, who recorded an interception in the Week 2 win.

This is the first ever meeting between the teams.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Kyle McCord leads Syracuse past No. 23 Georgia Tech

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyle McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns as host Syracuse defeated No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28 on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference action.

McCord, a highly regarded transfer from Ohio State, finished 32 of 46 without a turnover, while finding Oronde Gadsden II and Trebor Pena for two scores apiece. Gadsden racked up six catches for 93 yards for the Orange (2-0, 1-0 ACC), while Pena finished with six receptions for 88 yards.

Playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2015, the Yellow Jackets (2-1, 1-1) were led by dynamic quarterback Haynes King, who threw for 259 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 67 yards and two scores.

Georgia Tech made a furious push in the final minutes but was unable to stop the Orange on their final possession.

Syracuse was in rhythm from the start, scoring a touchdown on three of its first four drives. The only missed opportunity during that stretch came on a 13-play drive that ended in a blocked field goal.

McCord opened the scoring with a nicely thrown back-shoulder pass to Pena, who slipped into the end zone just 2 1/2 minutes into the game. King then drew the visitors even when he kept his balance on a backfield tackle attempt and ran in for a 21-yard score.

Early in the second quarter, McCord and Pena hooked up for their second 11-yard TD strike of the day. After the Orange defense forced a four-and-out, the offense cashed in on McCord’s 20-yard TD pass to Gadsden.

Things were looking great for Syracuse when it stuffed Georgia Tech on fourth down early in the fourth quarter and then went ahead 31-14 on McCord’s well-thrown 17-yard TD pass to Gadsden.

However, the Yellow Jackets scored two touchdowns down the stretch. First, they found the end zone on a 4-yard pass from King to Chase Lane. Then, following a successful onside kick, Georgia Tech’s Jamal Haynes scampered in from 15 yards out to make it 31-28 with 2:31 to play.

Georgia Tech opted to kick it deep and never got the ball back. McCord’s 13-yard pass to Gadsden on third-and-10 essentially sealed the outcome.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) runs after a catch against Georgia State Panthers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 23 Georgia Tech aims to continue strong start vs. Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia Tech is ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 2015, but the 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets are likely destined for a short stay in the polls if they cannot win Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference game at Syracuse.

The Yellow Jackets (2-0, 1-0 ACC) geared up for the clash by trouncing Georgia State 35-12 last weekend after defeating then-No. 10. Florida State 24-21 in Dublin.

Georgia Tech is one of five ACC teams in the Top 25, headlined by No. 12 Miami. Louisville, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and Clemson occupy the final four spots in the poll.

Still, despite the early-season success, Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key remains guarded against his team’s mindset during the infancy of a long season.

“If you want to play 15 games in a season, you better not be peaking at Week 1 or 2,” Key said. “No one really cares what you do in September. People care what you do as the season goes on. You’ve got to continue to build and get stronger as a football team.”

The Orange (1-0, 0-0) will certainly be focused on stopping the running game, which has been a major weapon for the Yellow Jackets through the first two contests. Georgia Tech is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, led by Jamal Haynes (159 yards, three TDs).

“We better stop it, or they’re going to keep running,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “That’s just what Coach Key does too – he runs the football. He’s an offensive line coach at heart, so he’s going to try to run the ball.”

Key was on the offensive staff at Western Carolina in 2004 when Brown was a player on the Catamounts’ defense. Brown now finds himself in his first season as coach of the Orange, who topped Ohio 38-22 last weekend.

Kyle McCord, a highly regarded transfer from Ohio State, went 27 of 39 for 354 yards with four touchdowns and an interception in the opener for the Orange.

“Kyle’s a good football player,” Brown said. “You’ve seen it right there. I should send (Ohio State coach) Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for allowing us to get him.”

McCord found eight different receivers against Ohio, including Oronde Gadsden II (seven catches, 108 yards, TD) and Trebor Pena (six catches, 78 yards, two TDs).

“He’s a tremendous quarterback,” Key said, adding that McCord presents “a big challenge for us.”

Key also used the word “tremendous” to describe Syracuse running back LeQuint Allen, who contributed 122 total yards (98 rushing, 24 receiving) and a score in the season opener.

On the other side of the ball, the Orange will be without top linebacker Marlowe Wax for roughly six weeks after their leading tackler from a season ago suffered a leg injury last weekend.

Wax’s absence is certainly a concern as Syracuse faces talented quarterback Haynes King, who was efficient (24 of 29) against Georgia State while throwing for 275 yards and two touchdowns, plus an additional score on the ground.

Malik Rutherford was his favorite target, accumulating seven catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s like one of my favorite people in the world,” raved Key. “He’s a huge asset for us and a huge piece of what we do on offense.”

Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 3-1, including a 31-22 home victory last season.

–Field Level Media

Dec 21, 2023; Boca Raton, FL, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) drops back to pass against the Syracuse Orange in the first quarter during the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

South Florida throttles Syracuse in Boca Raton Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Byrum Brown threw three touchdown passes and two South Florida players scored on long fumble returns as the Bulls trounced Syracuse 45-0 on Thursday night in the Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Fla.

Brown twice found Sean Atkins for a touchdown as part of a 19-of-26 passing performance in which he threw for 214 yards without an interception. Atkins finished with six catches for 93 yards, while Brown also registered a team-high 64 rushing yards for the Bulls (7-6).

The Orange (6-7) played without their top two quarterbacks due to injuries. Freshman Braden Davis made his first college start and finished 6 of 13 for 84 yards. The team also ran much of their offense out of a wildcat formation that featured running back LeQuint Allen (20 carries for 2 yards) and tight end Dan Villari (11 rushes for 37 yards and 4-of-11 passing for 55 yards).

Syracuse went 1 for 17 on third downs and had four turnovers in losing its bowl game for the second straight season.

After the teams exchanged punts to begin the contest, South Florida marched 64 yards on 10 plays, capped by Brown’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Atkins in the back of the end zone.

The Bulls doubled their lead late in the first quarter on Aamaris Brown’s 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Orange were attempting a field goal, but they botched the hold, leading to the fumble.

Early in the second quarter, Byrum Brown found Khafre Brown deep over the middle for a 31-yard score, making it 21-0. John Cannon added a 40-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the period.

The cherry on top of the first-half uprising was Tramel Logan’s 61-yard fumble return with nine seconds left. Daquan Evans sacked Davis on the play, and Logan made the recovery.

Byrum Brown’s 35-yard pass to a wide-open Atkins made it 38-0 early in the third quarter. Nay’Quan Wright’s 2-yard touchdown run accounted for the only points of the fourth quarter as South Florida rolled to its first bowl win since 2017.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange running back LeQuint Allen (1) runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse runs into USF, Boca Raton Bowl thinking ground game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Without the coach and quarterback who helped the Orange reach the postseason, Syracuse stomps forward to face South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl on Thursday.

The Orange (6-6) fired coach Dino Babers last month near the end of his eighth season at Syracuse. His temporary replacement was Nunzio Campanile, who defeated Wake Forest in the regular-season finale to make the Orange bowl-eligible, before the program hired Fran Brown as its next head coach earlier this month.

It’ll be Campanile who will be guiding Syracuse in Thursday’s clash in Boca Raton, Fla. He will have to defeat the Bulls without quarterback Garrett Shrader, who underwent shoulder surgery after passing for three touchdowns and running for another in the win over Wake Forest.

“It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game,” the senior quarterback said. “I would have (gotten surgery) earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game.”

In Shrader’s absence, the Orange could opt for backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who threw three touchdowns and six interceptions in limited action this season. Or the team could revisit its creative wildcat offense that it used while Shrader was injured late in the regular season.

In either event, the Orange are looking forward to playing in a bowl game for the second straight season. Previously, they had not played in back-to-back bowl games since 2012 and 2013.

“You have two teams that are trending in the right direction,” Campanile said, “and I just think it’s a really exciting opportunity. … It should be a really fun, entertaining game.”

The Bulls (6-6) showed drastic improvement this season under first-year coach Alex Golesh. The team had won a total of four games in the previous three seasons combined and now will play in their first bowl game since 2018.

“To get here in year one and to continue to lay a foundation for what we’re building in Tampa, it’s absolutely huge for us,” said Golesh, whose squad also became bowl-eligible by winning its regular-season finale. USF trounced Charlotte 48-14 in that contest behind four passing touchdowns and a rushing score from Byrum Brown.

The Bulls’ defense was among the worst in the nation in points allowed per game (34.9) and yards allowed per game (455.3). So, they’ll be banking on their dynamic offense and hope that their defense can contain Orange running back LeQuint Allen, who ran for 1,062 yards (including 100-plus yards in five of the last six games).

Also, USF will be relying on its expected home-field advantage.

“For us to be in our home state, playing against a really good football team, I would hope there’s a bunch of green and gold in the stands,” Golesh said. “It’ll feel like a home game in that regard.”

The teams have met 10 times previously, all between 2005 and 2016. South Florida won eight of those matchups with all eight of those victories coming by at least 14 points.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Syracuse QB out for bowl game after shoulder surgery

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader is out for the Boca Raton Bowl following shoulder surgery, ending his six-year college career.

Shrader said he would’ve had the surgery earlier in the season but opted to play through a “tear” for two months, he said Monday. He threw three touchdown passes to lead Syracuse past Wake Forest, 35-31, in the regular-season finale to cement bowl eligibility for the Orange.

Syracuse faces USF in the Boca Raton Bowl.

“It was important for me to get our team to a bowl game,” Shrader said in a statement posted to X and released by Syracuse communications. “I would have done it earlier in the season, but I wanted to wait until we got bowl-eligible. This team has too much talent and works too hard not to play a 13th game.”

Syracuse signed his apparent replacement in the transfer portal last week when Ohio State’s Kyle McCord committed to the team.

Shrader finished with 21 touchdowns in 2023, including eight rushing scores.

Syracuse used a Wildcat-based offense with tight end Dan Villari lined up at quarterback at times while Shrader was limited.

A transfer from Mississippi State, Shrader was a two-time team captain. He arrived for spring practice in 2021 and became the starter four games into that season.

–Field Level Media

Nov. 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Mi., USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord (6) warms up before Saturday s NCAA Division I football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium.

Report: Ex-Ohio State QB Kyle McCord to transfer to Syracuse

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord is expected to commit to play at Syracuse.

Syracuse.com reported that McCord’s commitment could come as early as Sunday, though the quarterback told 247Sports that he likely wouldn’t have an announcement for a few more days.

He visited Syracuse and new coach Fran Brown this weekend.

“It was good, it was good,” McCord told 247Sports. “I like Fran a lot and have known him for a while. The comfort level is definitely there.”

McCord, from Philadelphia, spent three seasons in Columbus and started in 2023 after C.J. Stroud entered the NFL draft. McCord completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games this season.

McCord guided the No. 7 Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) to a bid to the Cotton Bowl, which will be played Dec. 29 against No. 9 Missouri with Devin Brown starting for Ohio State.

McCord’s only loss came at rival Michigan on Nov. 25 as he threw two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 30-24 defeat.

Since entering the transfer portal on Dec. 4, McCord also took a visit to Nebraska.

–Field Level Media