Orange Storm Past No. 8 Hurricanes

Saturday, November 30

Syracuse, N.Y.

3:30 PM

Syracuse University

9-3 , 5-3

Miami

10-2 , 6-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Miami (FL)

Syracuse

11/30/2024 7:18:00 PM | Football

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Down three touchdowns early in the first half, the Syracuse football team stormed past No. 8 Miami 42-38 for the program's first top 10 win since 2017 Saturday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome between two of the country's top offensive units. The 21-0 deficit was the largest comeback in program history. It was also the third-ranked win of the season for the Orange - the first time since 1998 the team recorded three ranked wins in the same season.

Syracuse (9-3, 5-3 ACC) continued its high octane offense with 479 total yards, including 380 through the air from Kyle McCord, who completed 26 of his 36 passing attempts to seven different receivers. Jackson Meeks caught two of those passes for his first career two-touchdown game across 110 yards. Trebor Pena caught the third touchdown while LeQuint Allen Jr. ran for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Miami (10-2) covered 503 yards with Cam Ward going for 349 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The Hurricanes ran for another 154 yards.

With the regular season in the books, Syracuse, which has now won nine games for the first time since 2018, awaits Bowl Selection for a third-straight year.

The Hurricanes, making their first trip to the Dome since 2002, scored on their first three possessions of the game for a 21-0 with two minutes gone by in the second quarter. Conversely, Syracuse turned the ball over on downs and punted on its first two possessions. Jack Stonehouse pinned Miami deep at the Hurricanes' own seven yard line with a booming 63-yard punt.

Roles reversed later in the second quarter as Syracuse scored on its next two drives, covering 75 yards in seven plays for its first points of the day before a drive of nearly six minutes across 15 plays and 67 yards. Meeks caught a pass from McCord for the second Syracuse touchdown, moving McCord into sole possession of the program's single-season touchdown mark at 27.

Syracuse got the ball to start the second half and made quick work of the Miami defense, scoring on three plays in just 39 seconds to tie the game 21-21. The Hurricanes regained a one-touchdown lead on an eight-play drive.

The Orange tied the game again at 28-28 as McCord found Meeks again with another nine-yard touchdown pass to wrap up another 75-yard drive. After the 'Cuse touchdown, the defense turned up the pressure on Miami, eventually forcing the Hurricanes to punt on 4th-and-25 from deep in their own end zone. A holding penalty and a Fadil Diggs sack for an eight-yard loss backed the Hurricanes up. Syracuse's special teams nearly got to the Miami punter after a low snap but Dylan Joyce got the punt off to the Syracuse 45-yard line.

With 1:47 to go in the third quarter, Syracuse took its first lead of the game as Devin Grant punched the ball free from Xavier Restrepo, collecting the loose ball and ran it back 56 yards for a scoop-and-score to put the Orange on top 35-28.

Miami tied the game for a third time at 35-35 with two minutes burned in the fourth quarter. Ward and Restrepo connected again for a long play of 40 yards down the left side on a catch and run. One play later Martinez scored from two yards out.

Syracuse regained a lead at 42-35 thanks to a nine-play drive across a 3:46 stretch. McCord completed three passes for a combined 50 yards, including a 29-yard connection to Meeks down to the Miami 31. Allen punched it in from three yards out for his second rushing touchdown of the day.

Once again the Syracuse defense went to work and held Miami to the game's first field goal with 3:42 to play in the fourth, cutting the Orange lead down to 42-38. The Hurricanes reached the Syracuse red zone, but a costly penalty moved the Hurricanes back and forced the field goal attempt.

Protecting the lead, Syracuse leaned on Allen down the stretch, running the ball on five straight plays to reach Miami territory. Pena iced the game with an 11-yard run to set up the victory formation as the Orange took down No. 8 Miami 42-38.

Head coach Fran Brown is now just the second head coach in the modern era (Post WWII) to record nine regular season wins in his first year at the helm, joining Paul Pasqualoni's mark in 1991.