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Syracuse loves to throw the football. Its 47.8 pass attempts per game pace all Football Bowl Subdivision teams and quarterback Kyle McCord’s 362.8 passing yards per game is the second-most in the country.

The Orange stuck with their game plan against UNLV. McCord finished with a career-high 63 attempts while throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns.

But even with how much SU threw the ball, it ran for a season-high 137 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs LeQuint Allen Jr. and Yasin Willis combined for 191 total yards — 133 off rushes — and five touchdowns.

Here’s a breakdown of how Allen Jr. and Willis lifted Syracuse to a 44-41 upset win over then-No. 25 UNLV:

4th quarter, 1:11 — Allen Jr. extends the game

After McCord threw a red zone interception midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied 31-31, UNLV scored a go-ahead touchdown with just under three minutes remaining. The Orange continued leaning on McCord, who led them just outside the red zone with 1:11 remaining after completing a nine-yard pass to Oronde Gadsden II.

However, it brought up fourth-and-1. Before the play, Syracuse used the first of its three timeouts, meaning it wouldn’t get the ball back if it couldn’t convert on fourth down. SU used a jumbo set with the game on the line, having tight ends Gadsden, Dan Villari and Max Mang positioned at the line of scrimmage.

The Orange originally had Allen Jr. and Willis in the backfield, with Allen Jr. lined up as a fullback and Willis as the halfback. Though Allen Jr. soon motioned out to McCord’s right and lined up about a yard behind right tackle Savion Washington. With 18 seconds on the play clock, McCord motioned to Allen Jr. and he darted toward the left sideline. A second later, he received the ball on a jet sweep.

As Allen Jr. sprinted toward the left sideline, left tackle Da’Metrius Weatherspoon sealed off UNLV linebacker Mani Powell. Mang lined up directly on Weatherspoon’s left, while Villari was the closest blocker to the sideline. As Weatherspoon successfully fended off Powell, the tight ends each blocked cornerback Johnathan Baldwin. This allowed Jalen Catalon, who was originally lined up in the middle of the field at the 17-yard line, to get a free run at Allen Jr.

Mang tried chipping his block and beating Catalon to the edge, but the defender took a perfect angle and met Allen Jr. behind the line of scrimmage. While Allen Jr. tried turning the corner, Catalon delivered a low hit to his knees forcing him to stumble backward. Though the hit wasn’t enough to make the running back fall, as he stayed on his feet and gained 11 yards along the sideline to extend the game.

3rd quarter, 10:45 — Willis breaks off SU’s longest run

After scoring two touchdowns in the first half, Syracuse gave Allen Jr. two quick touches to begin the second half. His first was a three-yard run and the second was a swing pass for no gain. However, he took a shot to his knee after making the reception, visibly looking in pain after taking the hit.

So, the Orange, who were missing backup running back Will Nixon, turned to Willis in the backfield. While SU marched down to UNLV’s 38-yard line, the true freshman picked up 12 yards on his first three carries of the game. His fourth carry was then SU’s longest of the day.

Following a five-yard gain on a run up the middle on first-and-10, Syracuse put the ball in Willis’ hands for the second play in a row. With McCord lined up in the shotgun, Willis stood to the quarterback’s right as Trebor Peña and Jackson Meeks were split out to the right and Darrell Gill Jr. was the lone receiver on the left. Gadsden was lined up outside of Weatherspoon on the line of scrimmage.

On what appeared to be a run-pass-option, McCord handed the ball off to Willis and he immediately ran to the left. Weatherspoon dominated his rep versus Antonio Doyle Jr., left guard Jakob Bradford sandwiched Jackson Woodard and Gadsden — who broke toward the center of the field — picked up Jalen Dixon on the right side, giving Willis a massive hole.

Willis only had to contend one-on-one with Catalon, who took a poor angle in the open field. As Willis crossed the first down marker at the 28-yard line, he burst down the left sidelines before getting pushed out of bounds at the seven by Catalon. Three plays later, Allen Jr. scored his second receiving touchdown, giving Syracuse a 24-21 lead.

3rd quarter, 8:42 — Willis’ first touchdown

Two plays after Allen Jr.’s touchdown, the Orange got the ball back on UNLV’s 21-yard line after a Duce Chestnut interception. Similar to Willis’ 26-yard pickup, McCord was in shotgun and the true freshman stood to his right. SU again had three receivers out wide. Additionally, Gadsden was lined up next to Washington at the line of scrimmage instead of Weatherspoon.

On an RPO, McCord again handed off to Willis, who ran left. Because Doyle initially dropped into coverage, Weatherspoon and Bradford pancaked Alexander Whitmore. The right and center parts of the line all shifted left, but they got significantly less push than Weatherspoon and Bradford on the far left.

Willis initially ran behind right guard Mark Petry, but he stayed patient and bounced out to the left with the hole that was created. With the edge sealed, Willis broke toward the sideline. Doyle tried making a play on the running back, but Weatherspoon got just enough of a block on the defensive end to prevent him from getting a grasp on Willis.

After Willis broke free from Doyle two yards beyond the line of scrimmage, Catalon was the last UNLV defender who could make a play. Instead, he missed his tackle and Willis tiptoed down the sideline for his first-career touchdown.

Overtime — Allen Jr. calls game

After forcing the Rebels to kick a field goal in overtime’s opening drive, Syracuse allowed itself to pull off an upset with a touchdown. Once SU got forced into a third-and-20, though, it seemed unlikely that would happen. Yet, because of a roughing the passer call, the Orange’s drive was extended and they soon got down to the one-yard line following back-to-back completions to Peña and Gadsden.

On first-and-goal from the one, McCord lined up in the shotgun with Allen Jr. to his right. Peña and Meeks were lined up out wide to the right, while Villari and Mang lined up on the left side of the line of scrimmage. On a halfback dive, a crease opened up to the left as Villari sealed off Tony Grimes.

Because Mang — who was lined up furthest to the left — motioned toward the middle of the field as the ball was snapped, Catalon was unaccounted for off the edge. Still, Allen Jr. cut to shed himself free, but Woodard came bulldozing down onto him. But like he had on his game-extending jet sweep, Allen Jr. powered his way across the goal line to score the walk-off touchdown.

Published on October 8, 2024 at 10:19 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon