SU Football wins in a thriller comeback after a slow start
SU Football wins in a thriller comeback after a slow start
Orange come back from 18-point deficit to win in overtime and gain bowl eligibility for the third year in a row.
After another abysmal showing from the SU offense, the team won its first game at home since September 28th. Virginia Tech came to the JMA dome and walked away with a loss in overtime, 38-31
Kyle McCord and company continued to struggle after last week’s poor performance until the second half, repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot. Drops and turnovers were the story of the first half. On the opposite side of the field, with no Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten, the Hokie offense found ways to stay alive when it mattered.
McCord was 12-20 for 90 yards in the first half. “It was just stuff we were doing to ourselves that was slowing us down. We were taking one step forward and two steps back,” said McCord. Most of those yards came in the latter half of the second quarter. Nonetheless, there was nothing to show for it other than three points. On the bright side, Jackson Kennedy, the fourth field goal kicker of the year, hit a 44-yard field goal for the Orange.
The defense held up well for most of the half, allowing scores on back-to-back drives and giving up two big plays to Stephen Gosnell of 44 and 48 yards. At one point, Gosnell had 99 of the Hokies 117 receiving yards.
The Hokies scored quickly after both big plays—a reverse to Jaylin Lane for seven yards and a QB rush from Schlee for one yard. The last touchdown of the half came with 4:31 left in the first quarter.
At the end of the first half, the Orange marched down the field. After a 25-yard rush from Lequint Allen, Darrell Gill Jr. fumbled on the Hokie 21-yard line—another missed scoring opportunity to score where the Orange also got the ball back at the half.
The Hokies went into halftime with a 14-3 lead.
“I challenged our offense to be who we are. I feel like our offense has been our bell-cow since I’ve gotten here. And when I didn’t see that, I wanted to see that,” said coach Fran Brown.
To start the second half, the Orange went three and out. On the ensuing drive, the Hokies drove up the field 76 yards in 11 plays and capped it off with a pass from Collin Schlee to Ali Jennings for a 12-yard touchdown.
After the Hokie touchdown, the Orange found life. In their most significant play of the game, McCord hit Justin Simmons-Ross on a comeback route; Simmons shrugged off the defender and ran 55 yards to the house.
On the next offensive drive, McCord found Trebor Pena for 41 yards to get to the Hokies’ four-yard line. Two plays later, LeQuint Allen lept over the line of both teams for a one-yard touchdown.
Hokie’s Jeremiah Coney fumbled, forced by Duce Chestnut the next drive, and Marlowe Wax recovered to give the Orange possession in Hokie territory.
After four plays and driving 39 yards, the Orange took the lead on a quick slant pass in the endzone from McCord to Ross-Simmons. The ensuing field goal was blocked, making the score 24-21 in favor of Syracuse.
The Orange quickly gave up the lead to the Hokies on a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Malachi Thomas, making the score 28-24 Hokies. Syracuse could not find any offense on its next offensive possession, going three and out.
The Hokies found a small rhythm before the Orange made a big stop on third down, surrendering a field goal. The field goal pushed the Hokies’ lead to seven with 5:16 left to play.
On the ensuing drive, the Orange marched down the field, and Allen found paydirt for the second time. This only left 28 seconds on the clock.
The Hokies would let the clock run out and go to overtime.
In overtime, Allen found paydirt for the third time on a nine-yard rush to give Syracuse the 38-31 lead. The Hokies looked to use Schlee’s legs, as they had all game, to tie the game. On the Hokies’ final drive, Schlee fumbled the ball, and SU recovered to seal the game.
McCord finished the game 24-35 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
“In years prior, when the score was 21-3 maybe they’d start to quit, but I feel like there’s no quit. No sense of panic on the sidelines; we just kept swinging until the end,” said McCord.
Ross-Simmons caught four passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
“My hamstring process took longer than expected, but Coach Brown told me to stay focused and that my time would come. Today, my time came,” said Ross-Simmons.
Allen put the offense on his back with 21 carries, 121 yards, and three touchdowns.
“We had to get back to the basics, get back to who we are, and honestly give the best football player the football,” said Brown. “When we were able to give Lequint Allen the football, he was able to make plays and do different things.”
With their sixth win of the season, the Orange clinched a bowl game. Next week, the Orange travel to Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA, to take on Boston College on November 9th.
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