Syracuse’s 42-41 overtime win over UConn did more than get the Orange back to .500. It also put a pair of offensive standouts in the ACC spotlight.
The league handed out weekly honors after Saturday’s thriller in East Hartford, and Syracuse swept two of the awards. Wide receiver Umari Hatcher was named Wide Receiver of the Week, while running back Tylik Hill earned Offensive Running Back of the Week.
Hatcher put together the kind of night that swings a game. The sixth-year receiver finished with 12 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns, and his three scoring grabs are the most by any Syracuse player since 2016. His biggest moment came in overtime, when he hauled in a 4th-and-goal touchdown to keep Syracuse alive and set up Amari Odom’s two-point conversion for the win.
Hill delivered his best workload of the season, carrying 28 times for 140 yards. Both numbers were career highs for the Asbury Park, N.J. native, who missed Week 3’s loss to Pitt after getting hurt in Week 2.
Odom’s first start of the season powered the offense overall. He threw for more than 300 yards and accounted for six total touchdowns, with five coming through the air, in one of Syracuse’s strongest offensive showings of the year.
Hatcher entered the season with momentum after being named the team’s Spring Offensive MVP during the spring football game. He was expected to have a major role, and now the challenge gets bigger as opposing defenses focus on him more heavily. Syracuse may be hoping Calvin Russell III can settle in enough to draw some of that attention away.
Hill’s place in the backfield remains part of a season-long rotation. Fran Brown has used a running back by committee approach, with Shavane Anderson Jr. leading the way in Week 1, Ju’Juan Johnson getting the most carries in Week 2, Ahmed Miller handling Week 3, and Hill taking the lead in Week 5.
Now Syracuse turns to its third straight road game in less than a month. The Orange travel to Charlottesville, Va. to face Virginia on Saturday, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
ET. Syracuse is listed as a 9 1/2-point underdog by Draftkings.
In Other News...
Syracuse Fans Have A Real Reason To Watch The ACC Split
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For Syracuse fans, the real intrigue is in the unease around conference realignment. Phillips said four of the leagues 18 school presidents have concerns about portions of the bill tied to that issue, even as the ACC continues to point to rising TV ratings and a healthier financial picture, with revenue distributions expected to approach $1 billion for the first time. For a league long under pressure to prove its stability, those competing forces make the next stretch worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Gets A Huge Amarri Monroe Boost As Eligibility Fight Continues
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Syracuse Faces A Growing Debate After That UConn Escape
Syracuses escape against UConn did more than preserve a win in the moment. It also set off the usual ripple effect that follows a shaky result this early in the season, with the Orange moving through several college football ranking systems as ESPNs SP+, CBS Sports, The Athletic and College Football News all adjusted their views of the team after a game that was far closer than it had any business being.
There was at least some good news to offset the uneasiness, with Tylik Hill and Umari Hatcher both picking up ACC weekly honors. Even so, the broader conversation around Syracuse now feels less about the scoreboard from that night and more about what it says moving forward, especially with a full slate of ACC results around the league and Week 6 already on deck. [Read more 🡒]