The uprights went down; Sesame Street characters and students in all sorts of costumes flooded the field at the JMA Wireless Dome. That was the scene of Syracuse’s first win over a ranked opponent since its historic 42-38 victory over No. 6 Miami on Nov. 30, 2024.
There were no tricks, only treats as Syracuse football started Halloween with a 31-30 upset victory over No. 19 SMU. After snapping an 11-game conference losing streak against North Carolina last week, the Orange returned to .500 (4-4, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference).
It was a similar formula for SU to start the game. The Orange jumped out to a 7-0 lead on their opening drive and led by 10 at halftime. Syracuse relied heavily on the run in the first 30 minutes, totaling 115 rushing yards compared with just 26 for SMU.
To start the second half, SMU shut down quarterback Steve Angeli and SU’s offense. The Mustangs outscored the Orange 10-0 in the third quarter and 17-10 in the second half.
However, like last week, SU persevered in the fourth quarter and never wavered. For the second straight week, Angeli led the way when SU needed him most late in the fourth quarter. The defense made the necessary stops against Heisman Trophy hopeful Kevin Jennings. Here are three main takeaways from Syracuse’s stunning upset.
Steve Angeli’s Resilience
Angeli’s season has been a roller coaster. The fifth-year quarterback returned to the field less than a year after tearing his Achilles tendon and dominated in his first game against New Hampshire. From there, Angeli struggled against better ACC competition and threw five interceptions in two losses to Cal and Pitt.
Angeli was benched against Pitt late in the fourth quarter and missed the next three games after soreness in his left Achilles tendon. In his return against UNC, Angeli led the game-winning drive in overtime.
On Saturday, the fifth-year quarterback put to rest doubts about whether he was back to 100%. Angeli showed no hesitation in his mobility throughout the game and took it himself for a 26-yard rush for SU’s first touchdown.
Angeli truly shined late in the fourth quarter. With 3:36 remaining and SU down 27-23, Angeli led an 11-play drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass to Noah Meyers with just 17 seconds left. During the final possession, Angeli looked poised in the pocket, made good decisions, and connected with his two main targets, Umari Hatcher and Calvin Russell.
With questions about his health and whether he could be the true starter after struggling early this season, Angeli is now in a position to lead SU back to a bowl game under center. Against the conference’s top-ranked pass defense, Angeli finished the day completing 21 of 34 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
Syracuse Defensive Line Shines
Kevin Jennings had success through the air. He threw for more than 350 yards and two touchdowns. Still, the Syracuse defensive line made his life difficult.
SU recorded four sacks, its most in a game since recording five against New Hampshire in Week 1, and they came in meaningful moments throughout the contest.
After Syracuse opened the scoring, SMU drove to Syracuse’s 1-yard line, but back-to-back sacks from Chris D’Appolonia and Keyshawn Johnson pushed SMU back to the 30-yard line. The Mustangs settled for a field goal to make it 7-3. Johnson was involved in three of the four sacks, which cost SMU 52 yards.
SU’s offense was lethargic in the third quarter, and Johnson came up again with a sack to try to spark the offense. The senior sacked Jennings for a 12-yard loss late in the quarter.
Dentures Samuel forced a fumble in the second quarter, which Davien Kerr recovered, but the Orange could only settle for three points.
Overcoming the Second-Half Woes
It felt all too similar to past losses. Syracuse’s offense looked promising in the first half, then faltered in the second. The writing was on the wall as Angeli and the offense punted on three straight drives in the third quarter.
The fears worsened in the fourth quarter with the Orange pinned inside their own 5-yard line. Angeli surrendered a safety for intentional grounding. SMU then scored a touchdown and converted a 2-point conversion to take a seven-point lead.
Still, Syracuse seemed destined to crumble. Some questionable conservative calls were made, with the Orange electing to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter instead of going for it on fourth down.
Despite all the talk surrounding head coach Fran Brown, the decision paid off: The defense forced a punt, and Angeli led a clutch drive to win the game. The daunting second half arrived in Chapel Hill, and the Orange met the challenge. Against a much tougher opponent, Syracuse never faltered.
What could have been another trick of promise turned into the best of treats for Orange fans Saturday. Syracuse aims for its third straight win next week against Clemson.
