'Cuse Goes to 4-0 With Last Minute Win

Friday, September 23

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 PM

Syracuse University

4-0 , 2-0

Virginia

2-2 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Virginia

Syracuse

9/23/2022 10:35:00 PM | Football

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For the first time since 2018 and just the seventh time since WWII, Syracuse football is 4-0.

Behind a career-night from Andre Szmyt and his 5-for-5 field goal chances, including the game-winner from 31 yards with just 74 seconds left on the clock, Syracuse out-lasted visiting Virginia 22-20 in a white-knuckle finish while improving to 2-0 in the ACC. The win moves the Orange to 2-0 in league play for the first time since joining the conference.

Garrett Shrader hit 22 of his 33 passes for 277 yards while scoring with his legs to open the game. Sean Tucker led the Orange with 60 yards rushing while passing Ernie Davis for 12th all-time in Syracuse's career rushing list. Oronde Gadsden II reeled in seven catches for 107 yards, his second-straight game with at least 100 yards receiving.

The Orange defense stepped up on the final two Cavalier plays of the night as Anwar Sparrow and Eric Coley broke up back-to-back passes. Sparrow finished with two of the Orange's seven pass breakups. Syracuse finished with four sacks, including two from Caleb Okechukwu for 10 yards.

The Orange continued to roll on its first possession of the game as Shrader scrambled for 17 yards to pay dirt less than three minutes in. It was the third time in four games this year Syracuse has scored on the opening possession of the game.

WIth 60 seconds left in the opening quarter, Szmyt hit his first field goal of the night with a 26-yard chip shot. Just 13 seconds later Garrett Williams recovered the first fumble of his 'Cuse career, he also forced the fumble by driving his blocker into the ball carrier. That set up Szmyt for his second of the night from 32 yards out only 45 seconds into the second quarter.

The 'Cuse extended its lead to 16-0 at halftime as Szmyt hit another short field goal, this time from 28 yards away, helping Syracuse bleed an 11-play, 77 yard drive across five and a half minutes.

Virginia scored back-to-back touchdowns in a 20-second span, but Jatius Greer kept the score at 16-13 as he got in on the block, marking a second-straight game the Orange blocked a PAT. It is the first time under Dino Babers the Orange have blocked kicks in consecutive contests.

Szmyt hit his fourth field goal of the night to extend the 'Cuse lead to a touchdown, 19-13, with 24 seconds on the clock and from 40 yards away. That drive was over six minutes long over 14 plays and 58 yards.

The visitors took their first lead of the night by the slimmest of margins at 20-19 with 5:51 to play in the first. Virginia converted on 4th and goal as Brennan Armstrong found Lavel Davis Jr.

Syracuse executed an 11-play, 62 yard drive over the next 4:37 to set up Szmyt's fifth field goal of the night with 74 seconds left for the game-winning score and a 4-0 record.

Szmyt is the first Orange to hit five field goals since Don McAulay against Kent State in 1983. Shrader moved into the top 20 in ACC history for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback as his first-quarter score was the 18th of his Orange career.

Tucker raised his career rushing total to 2,436, surpassing Ernie Davis' 12th-place mark. Next up for Tucker is Damien Rhodes' mark of 2,461 career yards from 2002-05.

Shrader has now engineered five game-winning or game-tying drives in his 13 career starts with Syracuse. Syracuse went 5-for-5 in the red zone, improving to 16-for-16 on the season.

Friday's game was the first ACC meeting between schools in Central New York. Syracuse leveled the all-time series to 3-3 with the first home win for the Orange win 1977.

Syracuse returns to the JMA Wireless Dome next Saturday for a showdown against Wagner. Game time is set for 5 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.