SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Orange rallied from an early 21-0 deficit to defeat the Miami Hurricanes 42-38 Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Canes concluded the regular season with a 10-2 overall record and a 6-2 ACC mark. The Orange improved to 9-3 overall and 5-3 in ACC play.
The two teams combined for 982 total yards as the matchup of the nation’s top passing yards leaders lived up to its billing. Syracuse’s Kyle McCord threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Cam Ward threw for 349 yards and two scores, tying Case Keenum for the most career NCAA Division I passing touchdowns (155).
Syracuse took its first lead on a 56-yard fumble return by safety Devin Grant late in the third quarter. Miami tied it on a two-yard touchdown run by running back Mark Fletcher, Jr., but the Orange countered with a three-yard scoring run and held on late for the victory.
Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo caught nine passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, while Jacolby George had six receptions for 121 yards. Running back Damien Martinez rushed for 84 yards and a score and Fletcher had 46 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Linebacker Cam Pruitt had three tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Allen rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns for the Orange, while wide receivers Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena combined to catch 13 passes for 238 yards and three scores.
Miami got the ball to open the game and three snaps in Ward picked up a key third down with a 19-yard completion to George to the Orange 38. Six plays later, Restrepo drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone, setting the Canes up with first and goal from the two-yard line. Fletcher bulldozed in for the score and Miami had a 7-0 lead.
The Orange appeared to respond quickly when McCord hit wide receiver Darrell Gill, Jr. on a 40-yard catch-and-run to the end zone. But Syracuse was flagged for an illegal formation and four plays later linebacker Wesley Bissainthe broke up a fourth-down pass and Miami took over on its 37. Ward went back to work, finding Restrepo for 10 yards before connecting with George for 25 yards to the Syracuse 28.
Ward moved the chains on a three-yard keeper and two plays later zipped a 15-yard pass to Restrepo, who hit the pylon diving towards the end zone and gave Miami a two-touchdown lead. The Canes forced a three-and-out, but on the punt the Orange backed them up to their seven-yard line. Two plays later Ward fired a laser down the middle to George for 40 yards to midfield. After another 19-yard reception by George, Martinez broke off a 21-yard run to set first and goal at the six-yard line. Three plays later Ward found tight end Elijah Arroyo wide open in the end zone and Miami’s lead was 21 points.
McCord hit wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons for 23 yards to kickstart the Orange’s next drive and five plays later Allen pinballed his way into the end zone from eight yards out to put SU on the scoreboard. The Orange then forced Miami’s first punt and McCord marched them down the field again, capping a 15-play, 67-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Meeks. It was a one-score game with 3:41 left in the first half.
Ward responded with a 25-yard pass to Restrepo to move the ball to midfield. Three plays later, safety Duce Chestnut broke up a third-down throw and the Orange took over at their own 15. SU got one first down but punted back to the Canes, who ran out the remaining time and headed to the locker room with a 21-14 lead.
On the second play of the second half, McCord looked deep for Pena, who hauled in a 50-yard pass all the way to the Miami 25. McCord then hit Pena again in the right corner of the end zone and the game was tied at 21. The dome was deafening.
But Ward calmly connected with Restrepo for 20 yards and then scrambled 17 yards to the SU 35. Two plays later he found Arroyo wide open down the middle of the field to set up first and goal at the six-yard line. On 3rd and goal, Fletcher notched his second two-yard touchdown run of the day and Miami was back on top by seven.
After defensive end Tyler Baron sacked McCord, the quarterback completed a 33-yard pass to Meeks to midfield. Five plays later, McCord hit Meeks on a slant for a nine-yard touchdown and the game was tied again. On the ensuing drive, Martinez burst up the middle for a 55-yard gain, but it was nullified by a holding penalty. Defensive end Fadil Diggs sacked Ward on the next play and the Canes were eventually forced to punt. Syracuse took over at its own 45.
On 3rd and 8, McCord found tight end Oronde Gadsden for 25 yards to the Canes 22. But on the next play running back Yasin Willis fumbled and Pruitt recovered. Martinez rumbled for 29 yards before Miami faced a 3rd and 4 at the SU 48. Ward completed a quick pass to Restrepo, but Grant punched the ball out as Restrepo was heading up field. Grant snagged the loose ball out of the air and raced 56 yards for a touchdown. The Orange had their first lead of the game with 1:47 left in the third quarter.
After the Canes moved the ball past midfield, Ward went back to Restrepo, hitting him in stride for a 40-yard gain down to the two-yard line. Martinez rushed into the end zone on the next snap and the game was knotted for a third time.
McCord and Meeks went back to work, connecting on a 29-yard pass before drawing a pass interference call that gave SU first and goal at the five-yard line. Two plays later, Allen scored on a three-yard rush and the Orange had a 42-35 lead.
The Canes responded by marching to Syracuse’s eight-yard line, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the ball back to the 23. Miami settled for a 28-yard field goal by Andy Borregales to trim the lead to 42-38 with 3:42 remaining.
The Canes never got the ball back as the Orange gained three first downs and ran out the clock.
Miami Offensive Starters
QB #1 Cam Ward, RB #6 Damien Martinez, RB #4 Mark Fletcher, Jr., WR #7 Xavier Restrepo, WR #3 Jacolby George, TE #8 Elijah Arroyo, LT #64 Jalen Rivers, LG #78 Matt McCoy, C #50 Zach Carpenter, RG #73 Anez Cooper, RT #61 Francis Mauigoa
Miami Defensive Starters
DL #4 Rueben Bain, DL #5 CJ Clark, DL #99 Ahmad Moten, Sr., DL #3 Akheem Mesidor, LB #31 Wesley Bissainthe, LB #1 Francisco Mauigoa, DB #2 Daryl Porter, Jr., DB #0 Meesh Powell, DB #29 OJ Frederique, DB #7 Jaden Harris, DB #15 Markeith Williams
