Syracuse just pulled off a HUGE 30-27 upset against #19 SMU, picking up their third ranked win at home under Fran Brown in a game that had everything. The Orange, rocking those sick Otto logo helmets, clinched it with an absolute nail-biter, a game-winning touchdown from Noah Meyers with only 17 seconds left on the clock. What a finish!
Defense Stood Tall, Ground Game Grinded in the First Half
Honestly, the defense was a brick wall through the first 30 minutes. Our d-line was putting serious pressure on SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings all game long. Keyshawn Johnson was an absolute menace, getting to Jennings in the red zone to force a Mustangs field goal early, and then coming up with a monstrous sack that left SMU looking at 3rd and 31 late in the second quarter. Jennings ended up with 184 passing yards in the first half, but Syracuse was locking down the deep ball, making sure most of those yards came after the catch. And can we talk about Demetres Samuel Jr.? He had a first half as big as anyone, making multiple open field tackles, breaking up a pass, and forcing a fumble that put the Orange in prime red zone position to help tie the game at 10.
Meanwhile, the offense was just humming on the ground, picking up right where they left off against North Carolina. The Orange out-rushed SMU a dominant 115 to 26! Tylik Hill was a beast on the first drive of the second quarter, accounting for 64% of the ground yards that led to a field goal. Ahmad Miller led the charge with 50 rushing yards in the first half and punched in a touchdown on 4th and goal from the one, putting Cuse up 10 at the half. Angeli showed off his wheels early too, scoring the first points of the game with a 26-yard rushing touchdown. He threw for 78 yards in the first half, finding Calvin Russell and Daunte Bacheyie downfield, and kept the ball safe, not putting it in harm’s way. That’s smart football right there.
Clutch Plays and a Last-Minute Hero
The second half started a bit rough, not gonna lie. The Orange offense felt almost “obsolete” with multiple inside runs and only one first down in the third quarter. Angeli didn’t throw the ball much and was even credited for a safety. But when it mattered most, they flipped the switch. The Orange ended up scoring on their final two drives, and the passing game got back to that “humming” rhythm. Angeli found Hatcher for most of his production in the fourth quarter, and Bacheyie made a clutch 15-yard catch that put the Orange inside the 5-yard line. Then, the moment we’ll all remember: Noah Meyers with the game-winning touchdown with just 17 seconds left! Unreal!
The defense, to their credit, absolutely refused to let SMU breathe. Keyshawn Johnson came up with *another* sack, forcing SMU way behind the sticks and leading to a crucial punt. Nissi Ogbebor got in on the action with a sack in the last 10 seconds, and Tunmise Adeleye literally bear-hugged Jennings to give the Orange one last chance to go down and win. Nazir Ward even had a huge pass breakup in the second half to get the defense off the field. Even though Jennings finished with 351 passing yards and two touchdowns, the defense kept making those game-changing plays when it counted. And honestly, SMU just kept shooting themselves in the foot with penalties all game long, it was a similar story to their last matchup. What a statement win this is for the Orange, showing they can hang with and beat ranked teams when the pressure is on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply