Syracuse 30, No. 19 SMU 27: The Orange finished an 11-play, 68-yard drive with 17 seconds remaining Saturday, when quarterback Steve Angeli connected with tight end Noah Meyers on a 2-yard touchdown pass for the winning points.
Syracuse, which trailed 27-23 when it took possession at its own 32-yard line with 3:36 left, improved to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the ACC. The victory was the Orange’s first against a ranked opponent since Nov. 30, 2024.
SMU had taken a 27-20 lead with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Running back Kendrick Raphael scored on a 14-yard run, giving the Mustangs their first lead of the game at that point. Syracuse answered with Tripp Woody’s third field goal, cutting the margin to 27-23 with 5:26 to play.
Angeli then directed the decisive possession, converting the late opportunity with the touchdown pass to Meyers. The quarterback completed 21 of 34 passes for 200 yards and also opened the scoring with a 26-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. Meyers entered the game with six receptions for 73 yards and scored the second touchdown of his Syracuse career.
“It’s absolutely awesome. We talked about it before the game. Let’s have our receivers go out there and make touchdown blocks. Have our tight ends also go out there and dominate. I think that’s what those guys did,” Angeli said.
Angeli said Syracuse had practiced similar late-game situations throughout the week. Syracuse coach Fran Brown described Angeli as the team’s leader and said the quarterback “sees things the right way.” Brown also credited the team’s playmakers for making more of the plays needed to win.
Umari Hatcher led Syracuse with six catches for 65 yards. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 29 of 36 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns, with scoring passes to Jalen Hale and Yamir Knight. Knight finished with six receptions for 80 yards, while Raphael added five catches for 33 yards and ran for 51 yards.
- Final: Syracuse 30, No. 19 SMU 27
- Syracuse record: 4-4 overall, 2-4 ACC
- Decisive play: Angeli’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Meyers with 17 seconds left
SMU fell to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. Its defense entered the game allowing opponents to convert on third down at a 27.3% rate, the fourth-lowest figure in the country, but Syracuse finished the game with the late drive that secured the upset.
