Syracuse’s breakthrough against North Carolina wasn’t just a gut-check overtime win. It also produced a slate of strong individual performances when PFF released its grades from the game.
The Orange, now 3-4, beat the Tar Heels 31-30 and picked up their first ACC victory of the season. It also ended a conference losing streak that had stretched more than a year. Several Syracuse players stood out in the metrics, but freshman offensive lineman Jayden Mann came out on top.
Mann posted Syracuse’s highest grade of the night at 85.7. That number put him eighth among ACC offensive linemen for the week and 44th among all FBS offensive linemen. On a night when Syracuse leaned on the run, Mann helped set the tone at the line of scrimmage.
That ground game was one of the Orange’s biggest stories. Syracuse finished with 199 rushing yards on 49 carries, good for 4.1 yards per attempt, and the production helped create a more even offensive approach. The Orange also won the time-of-possession battle by three minutes.
Junior running back Ahmad Miller was a major part of that push. He turned in his best game of the season, carrying the ball 30 times for 125 yards and a touchdown while averaging 4.2 yards per rush. His 84.4 PFF grade ranked third among ACC running backs last week and 17th among FBS running backs.
Since coming back from an early-season injury, Miller has become one of Syracuse’s most productive offensive players. He is on pace for more than 800 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. With quarterback changes piling up this season, his emergence could matter even more as Syracuse moves through the back half of the schedule.
Calvin Russell III also made a big jump in a game that opened the door for another weapon. With North Carolina keying on Umari Hatcher, the true freshman wideout found space and delivered the best outing of his young career. Russell caught eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, then hauled in the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime.
His 84.3 PFF grade ranked fourth among ACC receivers last week and 17th among FBS receivers. Russell has now played in only three games since returning from an offseason Achilles injury, but his role has grown each time out. If that trend keeps going, defenses will have one more Syracuse receiver to worry about alongside Hatcher.
On the defensive side, junior linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard added his name to the list of Orange standouts. He recorded eight tackles and a pass breakup, and he also generated pressure that made life harder for North Carolina’s quarterback. His 83.3 PFF grade ranked fifth among ACC linebackers last week and 42nd among FBS linebackers.
Syracuse has gotten production from a range of defenders this season, and Moultrie-Goddard’s performance fit right into that pattern. If the Orange are going to turn one conference breakthrough into something bigger, they’ll need more of the same from a rotating cast of contributors.
Against North Carolina, that formula worked. Mann helped anchor the line, Miller powered the run game, Russell gave the passing attack another edge, and Moultrie-Goddard delivered on defense. Now the challenge is turning that one ACC win into a run of them.
In Other News...
Syracuse Just Added A Center Who Could Change Its Identity Inside
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For a roster looking to define its interior identity, Wilson arrives with a skill set that stands out immediately. He is expected to compete for the starting center job, and his defensive profile is already established after leading the Sun Belt in blocks last season. If that edge carries over, Syracuse may have found a player who changes the way opponents attack the paint. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Gets A Real ACC Test With Momentum Finally Back
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Kevin Jennings has been the centerpiece of SMUs climb, piling up the kind of production that has made him the most prolific passer in Mustangs history and helped position his team near the top of the ACC standings. SMU is tied for second and chasing a fifth straight win, which makes this a far sturdier measuring stick for Syracuse than the one it just passed, with the Orange trying to prove last week was a turning point rather than a one-off. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses Reshaped Run Game Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
Syracuses offense has found a steadier rhythm as the season has gone on, and the reshaped run game has been a big part of that. The Orange rank fifth in the ACC in total offense against FBS opponents at 440 yards per game, leaning into ball control and time of possession while the offensive line has settled in and started to grade better as a run-blocking unit.
Ahmad Miller has been the clearest beneficiary of that progress, emerging as the lead back and forcing a team-leading 24 missed tackles. The next challenge is a tougher one, though, with SMU bringing a defense that keeps opponents under 4 yards per carry, a matchup that will say plenty about how far Syracuses ground game has really come. [Read more 🡒]