Orange Comeback Falls Short at Wake Forest

Saturday, November 19

Winston-Salem, NC

8 PM

Syracuse University

6-5 , 3-4

Wake Forest

7-4 , 3-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Syracuse

Wake Forest

11/19/2022 11:57:00 PM | Football

Box Score Highlights Dino Babers Press Conference Garrett Shrader Press Conference Marlowe Wax Press Conference Photo Gallery

Syracuse posted its best offensive performance in recent weeks, but its comeback bid fell short, ultimately losing to Wake Forest, 45-35, on Saturday night.

Running backs Sean Tucker and LeQuint Allen were each responsible for two touchdowns in the contest. Tucker scored both of his on the ground, while LeQuint Allen threw a touchdown to Devaughn Cooper on a halfback pass, before later reeling in a 41-yard touchdown from Garrett Shrader for a score of his own.

The Orange (6-5, 3-4) gathered 479 yards of offense, including 122 yards on the ground. Tucker accounted for 106 of those yards, surpassing the 3,000-yard mark for his career - the fourth back in 'Cuse history to reach the milestone. He also moved into sole possession of second for most career 100-yard games (16). Shrader tallied a career-best 324 passing yards, completing 17 of his 31 attempts.

The Orange had first possession at Truist Field, using the first drive of the game to chew nearly five minutes of clock before Tucker punched in a nine-yard run, taking a direct snap and capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive for a 7-0 lead.

Four minutes later, Syracuse's defense held firm in the red zone as the Demon Deacons hit a 33-yard field goal, trimming the Orange lead to 7-3 with 6:03 to play in the first.

The teams traded possessions without scores for the remainder of the first quarter, including a boot by Max Von Marburg, which stopped at the Wake Forest 1-yard line, a 44-yard kick. Two more punts between the sides ended the first quarter with a 7-3 'Cuse lead.

Early in the second quarter, Sam Hartman threw a 12-yard touchdown to A.T. Perry to put Wake Forest up 10-7. Syracuse answered quickly with a two-minute drive across 75 yards on just five plays, capped by Tucker's second score of the day. The two-yard touchdown gave Syracuse a 14-10 lead with 13:41 to go in the half.

Midway through the second, Syracuse included some trickeration from the playbook as Cooper pulled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Allen to put the Orange up 21-10. The play finished another fast scoring drive for the Orange, taking less than two minutes to cover 94 yards.

Wake Forest scored twice more in the second quarter to take a 24-21 lead into halftime. Hartman connected with Perry twice in a five minute span for the two scores.

On their second possession of the half, Hartman hit Ke'Shawn Williams for a 17-yard touchdown. The lone score of the third quarter sent Wake to the fourth with a 31-21 lead. The Demon Deacons then scored twice in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, once on a four-yard rushing touchdown from Quinton Cooley and then a pick-six by Brendon Harris on the ensuing possession that put Wake Forest up 45-21.

The Orange fought back to make it a two-score game as Allen pulled down a 41-yard pass-and-catch from Shrader, as the former tip-toed the sideline to find the end zone. With 5:13 to go, Shrader made it a 45-35 game with an 8-yard rushing touchdown as the Orange used just 1:06 off the clock.

Syracuse's defense forced a punt with 51 seconds left down to the Orange 17-yard line. Trebor Pena returned the kick to the Wake Forest 40-yard line. Syracuse got within striking distance but a field goal try that would have made it a one-touchdown game sailed left of the upright.

The Orange conclude the regular season next Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Boston College. Saturday's ACC finale will be carried on ACC RSN (YES locally).