Syracuse found a way to finish off No. 19 SMU, pulling out a 30-27 win that marked the Orange’s third ranked home victory under Fran Brown. The Otto logo helmets got their moment too, but this one was won by pressure, ground control and a late push when the game started to tilt.
The Orange defense set the tone early and kept leaning on Kevin Jennings in the first half. Syracuse’s front got after the SMU quarterback throughout the opening 30 minutes, and Keyshawn Johnson delivered two of the biggest blows.
One came in the red zone, where he got to Jennings and forced a Mustangs field goal. Another sack late in the second quarter pushed SMU into a 3rd and 31.
Jennings still managed 184 passing yards in the first half, but Syracuse did a good job keeping the damage in front of it. Most of the production came after the catch rather than on deep shots down the field.
Demetres Samuel Jr. was all over the place in the opening half as well. He stacked up multiple open-field tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble that gave Syracuse the ball in the red zone, setting up the sequence that helped the Orange tie the game at 10.
On the other side, Syracuse’s offense was rolling on the ground. The Orange outgained SMU on the ground 115 to 26 in the first half and kept building on the run game it showed against North Carolina.
Tylik Hill accounted for 64% of the rushing yards on the first drive of the second quarter, a series that ended with a field goal. Ahmad Miller led Syracuse with 50 rushing yards in the first 30 minutes and capped the half with a touchdown on 4th and goal from the one to send the Orange into halftime up 10.
Kyle McCord showed his health early by getting Syracuse on the board with a 26-yard rushing touchdown. He also threw for 78 yards in the first half, connecting downfield with Calvin Russell and Daunte Bacheyie while avoiding mistakes with the ball.
The second half was a different story for a stretch. Syracuse leaned heavily on inside runs, managed just one first down in the third quarter and barely used the passing game.
McCord was credited with a safety during that lull. But the Orange found life again when it mattered most, scoring on their final two drives as the passing attack came back to life.
McCord leaned on Hatcher in the fourth quarter, while Bacheyie came up with a key 15-yard catch that moved Syracuse inside the 5. Noah Meyers then delivered the winning touchdown with 17 seconds left.
The defense kept answering, too. Keyshawn Johnson added another sack that knocked SMU behind the sticks and forced a punt.
Nissi Ogbebor got to Jennings for a sack in the final 10 seconds, and Tunmise Adeleye bear hugged Jennings to give Syracuse one last chance to go win it. Nazir Ward also broke up a pass in the second half to help get the defense off the field.
Jennings still put up big numbers, finishing with 351 passing yards and two touchdowns. But SMU’s penalties kept stacking up all game, and Syracuse dealt with its own issues in that area as well, especially on special teams.
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For a Syracuse team that had been trying to find some traction in the middle of the season, Saturdays 30-27 win over No. 19 SMU at the JMA Wireless Dome felt like more than just a good night. Steve Angelis late touchdown pass to Noah Meyers finished off a victory that had been hard to come by against ranked competition, and it gave the Orange a result they can point to as the kind of turning point a season sometimes needs.
It was Syracuses first win over a ranked opponent since November 2024, and it came at a time when the margin for error in the ACC had already started to shrink. At 4-4 overall and 2-4 in conference play, the Orange still have work to do, but this was the kind of performance that can change the tone around a team and keep the rest of the schedule from feeling like a long climb. [Read more 🡒]
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Instead, the second half turned into a grind, with SMU pushing back and forcing Syracuse to answer possession after possession. The Orange still found enough from its defense and rushing attack to stay in the fight, and when the moment arrived, Angeli delivered the throw that made the difference. For a team trying to steady its season, it was a much-needed win, even if it came with plenty of stress attached. [Read more 🡒]
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