Sunday Sidebar: Sweet Send-Off

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A tight game with ACC rival Wake Forest was decided on a play made by a true sophomore. However, Trill Williams' 94-yard fumble return for a touchdown in overtime was made possible by a host clutch performances by Syracuse's group of 23 seniors, playing in their last college football game.

"To have a situation where we could send those young men out as winners, and to have the rest of the team have something to play for when everyone else thought they had nothing to play for, it just shows how close those guys are. It shows how we are a family, La Familia and 'Ohana," said head coach Dino Babers after the game.

The victory gave the Orange a final overall record of 5-7 and provided the program positive momentum heading into the offseason.

Williams' strip of Demon Deacon receiver Kendall Hinton and subsequent touchdown was one of five takeaways produced by the Orange defense. In the process, Williams kept a promise he made to senior defensive end Kendall Coleman in preseason camp.

"I walked up to him and spoke to him about making sure that he was putting in the right work and doing the right things to take the next step forward in his development as a player," Coleman said. "And he responded by saying 'Don't worry. We won't let you go out the wrong way.' And that play happened and the first thought that came to my mind was that he held true to his word."

For his part, Coleman closed his 44-game Syracuse career with a personal-best nine tackles against the Demon Deacons. Classmates Alton Robinson and Christopher Fredrick also posted career-best tackle totals with 10 stops each. Robinson added a sack and Fredrick had one of the Orange's three interceptions in the game.

On the offensive side of the ball, senior quarterback Clayton Welch got the win in first career start. Welch was under center in place of Tommy DeVito and the Chico, California native delivered. Welch completed 21 of his 36 passes for 234 yards and two scores. He fired a 12-yard pass to Trishton Jackson for the Orange's first touchdown and connected with a streaking Luke Benson for a 29-yard score later in the game.

"I wouldn't have written it any other way. Kendall [Coleman] and I had some moments on the sideline just talking about it and it was a great game to go out on," Welch said. "We battled and battled. It was amazing to see my teammates fight for me. We'd be in the huddle and they would say 'Clay, I got you.' There's nothing cooler than having 10 people just fighting for you."

Running back Moe Neal, who ended his career No. 9 on Syracuse's all-time rushing list, ran for 98 yards on 20 carries, including a 13-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Classmate Lakiem Williams paced the Orange with 11 tackles. Williams also forced a fumble.

All of those contributions and others put Williams in position to make his game-clinching play.

"We have an outstanding culture," said Babers. "I think that we are doing a better job, and we are going to get even better. We are going to get to a situation where we can turn this thing around and be a winner consistently and not occasionally."

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Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Luke Benson

Kendall Coleman

Tommy DeVito

Christopher Fredrick

Trishton Jackson

Moe Neal

Alton Robinson

Clayton Welch

Lakiem Williams

Trill Williams

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