Syracuse 44, #25 UNLV 41: Orange survive costly mistakes

A nail-biter from start to finish somehow leads to Syracuse winning a late-night jackpot.

Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images

In a rollercoaster of a game which saw momentum swinging all of Friday night, the Syracuse Orange (4-1, 1-0) overcame several costly mistakes and a fourth quarter deficit to storm back and beat the #25 UNLV Rebels (4-1, 1-0) 44-41 in overtime.

Syracuse went up 14-0, gave up 21 straight points, came right back to take a 10-point lead, saw that go completely away, and yet, capitalize down the stretch. LeQuint Allen (19 carries, 71 yards) scored the game-winning touchdown as the Orange come away with their first road win of the year and second AP top-25 victory of the season.

In a wild day that saw both teams combine for 846 yards of total offense, Kyle McCord went 40/63 with 355 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Oronde Gadsden (10 catches for 142 yards), Jackson Meeks (8 catches for 67 yards) and Trebor Pena (8 catches for 67 yards) led the way on the receiving front. Both teams also combined for 16 penalties for 164 yards.

Syracuse’s defense came out on the right note, forcing UNLV to go three-and-out in the game’s first minute. The Orange’s first drive saw McCord throw two quick passes to Allen and Gadsden to get one first down, then hit Pena for a 31-yard catch into Rebels territory. A nine-yard shovel pass from McCord set up Allen for an easy touchdown, capping off an efficient nine-play, 75-yard drive.

UNLV responded initially on its second drive, getting all the way to the Syracuse 28-yard line. However, an unsportsmanlike conduct by Rebels WR Casey Cain plus a botched snap on the very next play eventually led to a Syracuse stop on third and long.

On their next drive, the Orange’s offense continue to produce without much issue. A 39-yard reception by Gadsden put Syracuse in UNLV territory. Several plays later, Allen capped off the first quarter with a three-yard touchdown run to seal the deal on another impressive drive, this time 87 yards on nine plays, and put Syracuse up 14-0 early.

After two stalled drives out of the gate, the Rebels finally found their groove on offense. UNLV began the second quarter with a 42-yard run from Jai’Den Thomas, which eventually set up a six-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Kaleo Ballungay.

Momentum came back to the Rebels in a flash during the second quarter. Syracuse’s next drive ended after just six plays, then Williams hit Ricky White III on a 53-yard catch-and-run slant route to put UNLV at first and goal. One player later, Williams ran in to tie the game up at 14-14.

Self-inflicted mistakes soon became Syracuse’s worst enemy. Two penalties put the Orange at third and 25, then UNLV didn’t let Jack Stonehouse even get a punt attempt off. Two plays later, it was Cain’s turn to get a touchdown grab. Just like that, UNLV secured its third consecutive touchdown in the quarter.

Syracuse ended the first half on a better note, two big catches by Gadsden plus a 14-yard run by Allen converted a six-minute, 16-play drive into a chip-shot field goal for Jadyn Oh. UNLV led Syracuse 21-17 at halftime.

Just when things were going south, Syracuse’s Vegas luck turned around in the third quarter.

In a critical drive to start the second half, a 26-yard run by Yasin Willis began another well developed sequence of plays for the Orange. Facing third and goal, Allen caught a pass near the sideline and walked it into the end zone — his third score of the game — to cap off another long drive (12 plays, 75 yards) and put Syracuse back in front 24-21.

On UNLV’s next drive, pressure from Justin Barron led to an errant pass by Williams that was tipped and intercepted by Deuce Chestnut — the first turnover of the game on either side of the ball. One play later, Willis took off for 21 yards to get his first career touchdown. Just like that, Syracuse was back up 10 points after notching two TDs in 58 seconds.

UNLV responded on its next drive and got all the way down the goal line, but the Orange were able to hold the Rebels to a short field goal. Unfortunately, a promising drive not only ended, but led to UNLV blocking the punt all the way to the end zone. Heading into the fourth quarter, both teams were now tied at 31.

Beginning at their own 31-yard line, the Orange were able to initially able to churn out a 13-play drive all the way to the red zone. Facing third and eight, Jackson Woodard made a big-time interception to give UNLV the ball back with eight minutes to go.

The Rebels capitalized on the mistake. UNLV’s offense down 94 yards down the field in five minutes, setting up another touchdown pass from Williams to White and putting the Orange down 38-31 with three minutes left.

Starting at their own 25, catches by Gadsden and Jackson Meeks got the Orange down to the UNLV 24. Facing fourth and one, Allen broke a tackle in the backfield, got the first down and drew a personal foul penalty. On third and goal with 27 seconds left, Meeks caught an impressive sideline catch in the end zone to tie the game at 38-38 and send it to overtime.

With UNLV getting the ball first, Syracuse forced a three-and-out which led to the Rebels to kick a 41-yard field goal. Now it was the Orange’s turn on offense, and things turned even more wild. Syracuse got down inside the 10, but a holding penalty pushed the Orange back. On the next play, A UNLV defender was called for roughing the passer which set up the Orange with another first down.

Several plays later, a power run by Allen on the outside over Woodard gave the Orange the win.

Some way and somehow, Syracuse comes out with a victory in Vegas. The Orange’s October road trip will resume next Saturday on the road versus the NC State Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1).