Orange Take Down #25 UNLV in OT

Junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. caught two touchdown passes and ran for two more, including the game winner, and Syracuse (4-1) defeated #25 UNLV (4-1), 44-41, in overtime on Friday night.

Allen ran 19 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns and caught nine passes for 58 yards and two scores. Senior quarterback Kyle McCord, who passed for more than 300 yards in the fifth consecutive game, completed a career-high 40-of-63 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt junior tight end Oronde Gadsden II finished with a career-high 10 receptions and 142 yards.

The Orange, In Overtime

UNLV had the ball first in the extra session. Syracuse’s defense made one of its stronger stands of the high scoring affair by halting the Rebels and forcing a field goal try. Cadden Chittenden converted from 41 yards and UNLV led, 44-41.

Five straight running plays positioned Syracuse on the UNLV nine but a 15-yard penalty on the last run pushed the Orange back to the Rebel 24. McCord misfired on pass and on the subsequent play, UNLV was flagged for roughing the passer. It provided Syracuse with a first-and-10 on the Rebel 12. McCord passed two yards to junior receiver Trebor Pena and nine yards to Gadsden to set up first-and-goal and the one. Allen took the handoff and ran left, absorbed a hit and kept moving until reaching the end zone for the game-winner.

McCord Keys Fast Start

McCord showcased his accuracy from the first Syracuse snap, completing his first 11 throws. He drove the Orange 75 yards in nine plays on an opening drive capped by McCord’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Allen Jr. Syracuse put together a second consecutive nine-play scoring march on its next possession. Keyed by a 39-yard pass play from McCord to redshirt junior tight end Oronde Gadsden II, the Orange covered 87 yards with Allen finishing things with a three-yard plunge. Syracuse 

Rebels Flip The Script

UNLV responded to its early two-touchdown deficit by producing 21 unanswered points. A 42-yard run by JaiDen Thomas, enhanced by a face-mask penalty on the Orange, gave the Rebels first-and-goal on five-yard line. Two plays later, senior quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams teamed with junior tight end Kaleo Ballungay on a five-yard touchdown pass to get UNLV on the board.

Williams evened the score quickly the next time the Rebels went on offense. He connected with Ricky White III for 53 yards and ran the final three yards on the two-play sequence. The Rebel defense forced the Orange into punt formation for the third straight possession and the UNLV special teams pressure forced Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse to scramble. The result was a 13-yard loss and gave the hosts the ball on the Syracuse nine. Williams found Casey Cain in the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown play and in a matter of nine minutes the Rebels went from trailing 14-0 to leading 21-14.

Orange, Oh, Answer

Syracuse engineered a 16-play, 72-yard march that ended in a 21-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Jayden Oh, his first three-pointer at Syracuse. McCord’s 15-yard pass to Gadsden and a 14-yard gainer to Allen were the big gains on the drive and Syracuse went into the intermission trailing, 21-17.

Back On Track

The third quarter starter in a similar manner to the opening period with the Orange retaking the lead with back-to-back touchdowns. Syracuse drove 75 yards in 12 plays and McCord thread the needle on a sideline pass that Allen Jr. carried into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. Freshman running back Yasin Willis helped set up the score with a 26-yard run that put the Orange at first-and-goal.

The defense set up the next score. Redshirt junior defensive back Duce Chesnut picked off a deflected UNLV screen pass deep in Rebel territory. On the next play, Willis ran 21 yards for his first collegiate touchdown. Oh’s extra point put the Orange ahead, 31-21, with 8:39 remaining in the third quarter.

Rebel Special Teams Strike Again

Caden Chittenden narrowed the score to 31-24 with a 20-yard field goal and the UNLV punt coverage unit helped even things up. Facing fourth down at the UNLV 49, Syracuse had its punt blocked by White III blocked and Charles Correa recovered the ball in the end zone. Chittenden’s extra point had things tied up at 31-31.

A Fabulous Fourth

Syracuse put itself in position to take the lead on its next possession. The Orange moved 68 yards on 13 plays while taking 7:19 off the clock. Facing third-and-eight at the UNLV 16, McCord had his throw intercepted by Jackson Woodard at the five-yard line.

Taking over at its own six-yard-line with 8:05 left in regulation, UNLV took 10 plays to move in front again. Williams teamed with White III on a nine-yard touchdown pass and the Rebels led, 38-31, with 2:58 remaining.

The Orange weren’t finished. Syracuse raced 75 yards in 11 plays and Jackson Meeks hauled in McCord’s six-yard pass in the end zone with 23 ticks left on the clock. McCord had a 17-yard completion to Gadsden II and 18 yards to Meeks on the drive. Oh’s point after created the third tie of the night, 38-38, and resulted in the game going into overtime.

Notable Numbers

• Syracuse outgained UNLV 492-354.
• The Orange had a commanding advantage in time of possession, 39:38-20:22.
• Gadsden II set Syracuse standards for career receptions by a tight end (94) and career receiving yards by a tight end (1,395). The previous marks were held by Nick Provo (92, 2008-11) Chris Gedney (1,334, 1989-92), respectively.
• McCord fell just shy of the school record for game passing attempts, 66, set by Ryan Nassib against Northwestern in 2012.
• McCord’s 42 completions represented the third-best total in Orange history, trailing only Nassib (45 vs. Northwestern, 2012) and Zack Mahoney (43 at Pittsburgh 2016).
• Allen Jr. moved into sixth on Syracuse’s career yards receiving by a running back ledger. He has 553, just ahead of Walter Reyes (550, 2016-19).
• Redshirt sophomore Jayden Bellamy, a cornerback, finished with a squad-best seven tackles.
• Redshirt senior defensive end Fadil Diggs had six tackles, including two quarterback sacks.
• The Orange recorded a victory over a non-conference foe for the seventh consecutive contest.
• Syracuse has won eight of its last 13 Friday night games.
• Chesnut’s third-quarter interception was the sixth of his Syracuse tenure.

Next Game
The Orange continue a stretch of three consecutive road games with a matchup at NC State on Saturday, Oct. 12.