Syracuse found a way to finish Saturday, and it came at the expense of a ranked opponent.
The Orange stunned No. 19 SMU 30-27 at the JMA Wireless Dome, a result that moved Syracuse to 4-4 and kept its postseason hopes alive. It was Syracuse’s first upset of a ranked team since the 2024 season.
The game turned in the final seconds. Trailing 27-23 with 17 seconds left, Steve Angeli rolled out on a bootleg and hit Noah Meyers for a two-yard touchdown that put Syracuse in front for good.
That finish capped a game that had already swung hard in both directions. Syracuse opened with a 20-10 halftime lead, then watched SMU seize control with 16 straight points. The Mustangs pushed ahead 27-20 with 9:04 remaining when Kendrick Raphael scored from 13 yards out.
But the Orange stayed composed, just as they did last week against UNC. Angeli guided Syracuse on a field goal drive to cut the margin to 27-23, then helped engineer the decisive 11-play, 68-yard march that ended with the winning score.
A few of Syracuse’s season-long issues also looked less damaging on this day. The Orange, who had been the most penalized team in the country, were flagged seven times for 50 yards. SMU drew nine penalties for 90 yards.
Special teams, another trouble spot, held up too. Tripp Woody reclaimed the starting kicker job and delivered a clean afternoon, going 3-for-3 on field goals and making all three extra points. That steadiness mattered after Syracuse had already missed five PATs this season.
Angeli, making his second straight start after missing time with a lower body injury, completed 21 of 34 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown. He also showed he was fully healthy with a 26-yard scoring run in the first half.
On defense, Tunmise Adeleye finished with six tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Demetres Samuel Jr. tied for the team lead with 10 tackles. Syracuse also forced and recovered a pair of fumbles, taking the ball away from Jalen Hale and Randy Pittman Jr. and winning the turnover battle 2-0.
The schedule now opens up a bit for Syracuse, with three of its next games against teams that are .500 or below in conference play, including Clemson (2-2) and NC State and Boston College, both 2-3.
The Orange will host Clemson on Nov. 7 at 12 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome. TV: ESPN2.
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Syracuse Just Gave Fran Browns Season New Life
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 🡒]
Syracuse Just Delivered Another Ranked Win Fans Wont Forget
Syracuse keeps finding ways to make November feel bigger than the calendar says it should. Under Fran Brown, the Orange knocked off 19th-ranked SMU 30-27 at home, leaning on a defense that never let Kevin Jennings get comfortable even as the Mustangs quarterback still managed 351 yards and two touchdowns. The pressure came from all over, with Keyshawn Johnson and others getting to Jennings and Demetres Samuel Jr. helping swing the game with a forced fumble.
Noah Meyers then delivered the kind of finish that turns a good win into a memorable one, scoring the game-winning touchdown and sending the home crowd into the kind of celebration Syracuse has been chasing in ranked matchups. For a program trying to build real staying power under Brown, this was the sort of result that matters beyond one Saturday, because it showed the Orange can win a tight game against a ranked opponent by making the decisive plays late. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Finally Got The Ranked Win Fans Needed But Not Easily
Syracuse finally got the kind of ranked win its fans have been waiting for, but it took every bit of 60 minutes to get there. The Orange knocked off No. 19 SMU 30-27 on a late touchdown pass from Steve Angeli to Noah Meyers, a result that not only snapped their drought against ranked opponents but also pulled them back to .500 at 4-4. It was the sort of game Syracuse had to have, and for a while it looked like the Orange might control it with a strong first half.
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 🡒]