Clutch Orange Offense Continues in Ranked Road Win
10/6/2024 1:42:00 PM | Football
The Syracuse football team has typically ended all its practices the same way all season – a late game/half scenario. The time remaining, score and each team's timeout numbers are set ahead of time.
Early returns so far this season are that the repetition of these moments are showing up on gameday. Through five games – or 10 halfs of regulation – the Orange offense has engineered a score inside the final two minutes of a half on five occasions, plus successfully running a late drive in the Georgia Tech game that prevented the Yellow Jackets from getting the ball back.
"We do those every day in practice," said head coach Fran Brown. "We do [2-minute drills] live and it counts. It's back and forth and then we go look at them as a staff, look at CAI (analytics) and find ways to get better. I do that all the time. When we get an opportunity to do these in a game, it's second nature, because we do them in practice all the time."
'Cuse showcased that work on Friday night in Las Vegas, a game where every point and second mattered, to score at the end of each half in a 44-41 overtime win over #25 UNLV. The Orange connected on a field-goal to decrease their deficit heading into halftime with seven second remaining. QB Kyle McCord then engineered a game-tying drive that sent the game to overtime in the second half. McCord found Jackson Meeks on an endzone fade route with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
McCord's touchdown the Meeks was the 17th of his five-game Syracuse career. A number that is already 10th on Syracuse's single-season record list and 15th on the 'Cuse career ledger. Four of his 17 touchdown passes have come with 28 seconds or fewer remaining on the clock heading into a half.
The Orange will look to continue its clutch play on Saturday, when the team heads to NC State for their first conference road matchup. Tickets for the three remaining home games on Syracuse's slate are available at Cuse.com/Tickets.
Early returns so far this season are that the repetition of these moments are showing up on gameday. Through five games – or 10 halfs of regulation – the Orange offense has engineered a score inside the final two minutes of a half on five occasions, plus successfully running a late drive in the Georgia Tech game that prevented the Yellow Jackets from getting the ball back.
"We do those every day in practice," said head coach Fran Brown. "We do [2-minute drills] live and it counts. It's back and forth and then we go look at them as a staff, look at CAI (analytics) and find ways to get better. I do that all the time. When we get an opportunity to do these in a game, it's second nature, because we do them in practice all the time."
'Cuse showcased that work on Friday night in Las Vegas, a game where every point and second mattered, to score at the end of each half in a 44-41 overtime win over #25 UNLV. The Orange connected on a field-goal to decrease their deficit heading into halftime with seven second remaining. QB Kyle McCord then engineered a game-tying drive that sent the game to overtime in the second half. McCord found Jackson Meeks on an endzone fade route with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
McCord's touchdown the Meeks was the 17th of his five-game Syracuse career. A number that is already 10th on Syracuse's single-season record list and 15th on the 'Cuse career ledger. Four of his 17 touchdown passes have come with 28 seconds or fewer remaining on the clock heading into a half.
The Orange will look to continue its clutch play on Saturday, when the team heads to NC State for their first conference road matchup. Tickets for the three remaining home games on Syracuse's slate are available at Cuse.com/Tickets.
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