Calvin Russell turned Syracuse’s night in Chapel Hill into something the Orange can finally build on.
With the game hanging in the balance in overtime, Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli went to Russell in the front corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion that sealed a 31-30 win over North Carolina at Kenan Stadium. The victory gave Syracuse its first ACC win in more than a year and snapped an 11-game conference losing streak.
Russell had already delivered once in overtime before the decisive play, catching a touchdown from Angeli to force North Carolina to answer. Then, after the Tar Heels scored to open the extra session, Syracuse needed another drive and another big throw from Angeli.
He got both. On third-and-11, with two pass-rushers bearing down on him, Angeli fired to Russell for a first down to the 10.
Two plays later, on fourth-and-goal from the 4, he found Russell again, this time with the game on the line.
Angeli finished 20-for-24 for 256 yards and two touchdowns in his first game back after being benched as the starter. It was the sort of poised, pressure-filled performance fans had been waiting to see from the fifth-year quarterback, whose career has been derailed by the Achilles tear he suffered last year and the injuries that followed. He had been wearing a protective boot on the sideline over the previous two weeks.
Russell ended up with eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, a strong follow-up to a week that had already put him in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after he drew attention with a personal foul for throwing a ball into the stands to his family following his first career touchdown in a loss to Louisville.
Syracuse also had to survive plenty of self-inflicted stress to get there. The Orange tied the game with 1:54 left in regulation on Ahmad Miller’s 3-yard run, but freshman kicker Shay Barker pushed the extra point wide, covering his head with his hands as the ball sailed away.
That miss sent the game to overtime. Earlier, Syracuse had also been hit with a personal foul on North Carolina’s final offensive drive of regulation.
Miller carried 30 times for 125 yards, giving Syracuse its best rushing output against an FBS opponent this season. The ground game got a boost from changes up front, with Kahlil Stewart moving in as the starting center and Joe Cruz shifting to guard in place of Oluwafunto Akinshilo.
Syracuse’s comeback was sparked by a 76-yard strike from Angeli to Umari Hatcher. Hatcher, who has been one of the country’s most productive receivers, had been quiet for much of the night before showing why he’s been so difficult to slow down in his final college season. He finished with four catches for 103 yards, his fourth straight 100-yard receiving game.
North Carolina’s first overtime possession came together on a pair of key third-down completions, a 4-yard catch by Demon June and a 21-yard grab by Jordan Shipp on 3rd-and-10, before the Tar Heels scored to set up Syracuse’s answer.
The win lifted Syracuse to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the ACC. North Carolina dropped to 4-3 and 2-2 in conference play.
Former Syracuse linebacker Derek McDonald entered the game leading the ACC with 9.3 tackles per game, and he finished with 16. North Carolina had 61 underclassmen on its roster, one more than Syracuse’s 60.
Syracuse is one of just three Power-Four programs to have used three starting quarterbacks this season, along with Pittsburgh and Oregon. Colorado has also started three quarterbacks this season, though one came in a two-quarterback personnel group to open a game.
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Syracuse Stunned UNC With A Comeback Fans Wont Forget
Syracuse left Kenan Stadium with a comeback that will linger in the memory of its fans, rallying past North Carolina in overtime after a game that swung back and forth late. The Orange had to absorb the sting of a missed extra point and then regroup after UNC forced a tie in the fourth quarter, but they kept finding answers when the pressure peaked.
Steve Angeli and Calvin Russell III were central to the finish, and both players made an impact after returning from Achilles injuries. The decisive moment came on a two-point try in overtime, when Angeli found Russell for the conversion, and the play stood after an official review to seal a win that felt every bit as dramatic as the setting. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Already Has A Point Guard Decision Fans Will Debate
Gerry McNamara has been sorting through his point guard options in exhibition play, and the early read gives Syracuse plenty to think about before the games start to count. Freshman Ryan Moesch has brought a noticeable spark, while senior Garwey Dual is still working his way back from injury and trying to find a steadier rhythm after an uneven start.
Duals case is built on more than just what he has shown in these exhibition minutes. Teammates and McNamara continue to point to his defense and his upside, and his role has grown gradually as he gets more time on the floor. Even so, the blend of Moeschs early impact and Duals experience gives Syracuse a real decision to sort through, one that figures to linger with fans well beyond the preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Finally Found Something At UNC That Could Change Everything
Syracuse walked out of Kenan Stadium with more than a 31-30 overtime win over North Carolina. The Orange snapped an 11-game skid in conference play, and they did it with a version of the offense they have been searching for, one that mixed a fifth-year quarterback back in the lineup with a run game that finally gave the attack some balance.
Steve Angeli, returning from injury, threw two touchdown passes and helped steady an offense that looked much more functional from start to finish. Syracuse also leaned on a defense that made key tackles and delivered a sack when the game tightened, then finished the job with a two-point conversion to freshman Calvin Russell III that gave the Orange a result that could mean more than just one win. [Read more 🡒]