Syracuse’s backfield got a breakout performance from an unexpected source, and the Atlantic Coast Conference took notice.
Shavane Anderson Jr. was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Tuesday after the freshman running back piled up 102 yards and three touchdowns in Syracuse’s 66-3 win over New Hampshire on Sept. 5. The York, Pennsylvania, native needed only 10 carries to do it, flashing the kind of burst that can change a game in a hurry.
Anderson made a little conference history along the way. He became the first ACC freshman running back in more than 20 years to open his career with 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also became Syracuse’s first running back to win Rookie of the Week since Ike Daniels in Week 1 of 2023.
With projected starters Ju’Juan Johnson and Ahmad Miller sidelined by minor injuries, Anderson was thrust into a bigger role than expected in his first collegiate game. He split the workload with Tylik Hill, and the two combined for 192 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the day.
“It’s just the next man up,” Anderson said postgame. “I got the opportunity from all the older people going down. So once I got up there, I just had to step up.”
His first touch came on Syracuse’s third drive, and he made it count. Anderson ripped off a 37-yard run straight through the middle of the New Hampshire defense, then finished the possession two plays later with a two-yard touchdown for his first college score.
He kept rolling in the second quarter, cutting back across the field for a 15-yard touchdown. Before halftime, he found another lane, sprinted 22 yards, and capped the drive with a second two-yard score to complete the hat trick.
Anderson was quiet after the break, getting only two carries in the second half, but the damage had already been done. He finished with four runs of more than 10 yards and averaged 10.2 yards per carry.
“This is what he does in practice,” Hill said of Anderson postgame. “He makes us all better in the room. So I wasn’t surprised seeing him do this today.”
The workload in the Syracuse backfield may shrink soon. Head coach Fran Brown said Monday that Johnson and Miller should be back for Saturday’s game against California. Even so, Anderson’s debut gave Syracuse a clear glimpse of what he can do when his number gets called.
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