Steve Angeli hit little-used tight end Noah Meyers on a 2-yard scoring strike with 17 seconds to go and Syracuse defeated No. 19 SMU 30-27 Saturday.
asserted
Syracuse → hit → SMU
The Orange (4-4, 2-4 ACC) got the ball on their own 32-yard line with 3:36 remaining while trailing 27-23.
asserted
Orange → get → 3:36
Angeli led Syracuse on an 11-play drive capped by Meyers’ second career touchdown for the Orange.
asserted
Angeli → lead → Orange
Meyers, a transfer from Western Kentucky, had six receptions for 73 yards entering the game.
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Meyers → have → game
“It’s absolutely awesome,” Angeli said of the winning drive.
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Angeli → ’ → drive
“We talked about it before the game.
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We → talk → game
Let’s have our receivers go out there and make touchdown blocks.
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receivers → let → blocks
Have our tight ends also go out there and dominate.
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ends → have → ?
I think that’s what those guys did.”
asserted
guys → think → what
Angeli said the winning march didn’t come as a surprise.
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march → say → surprise
“It’s all about preparation throughout the week.
asserted
It → ’ → week
We practice these scenarios, honestly, every day in practice,” Angeli said.
asserted
Angeli → practice → practice
“We were able to operate and go out and win the football game.”
asserted
We → operate → game
Angeli was 21 of 34 and 200 yards and opened the scoring with a 26-yard run early in the first quarter.
asserted
Angeli → open → quarter
Umari Hatcher had six catches for 65 yards.
asserted
Hatcher → have → yards
“He’s a pretty good quarterback,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said.
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Brown → ’ → ?
“He sees things the right way.
asserted
He → see → things
He’s the leader of our football team.”
asserted
He → ’ → team
Brown said preaching patience in his young team is starting to pay off.
asserted
preaching → say → team
“You’re putting the players in position to understand what it takes to win,” he said.
asserted
he → put → what
“And I just feel now our playmakers are making a few more plays.”
asserted
playmakers → feel → plays
Kevin Jennings threw for two scores and Kendrick Raphael ran 14 yards for what appeared to be a game-winner for SMU (6-2, 4-2) with nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
asserted
what → throw → quarter
His score gave the Mustangs a 27-20 lead, but Tripp Woody’s third field goal of the game brought Syracuse to 27-23 with 5:26 remaining.
asserted
goal → give → 5:26
Knight had six receptions for 80 yards.
asserted
Knight → have → yards
Raphael had five receptions for 33 yards and 51 more on the ground.
asserted
Raphael → have → ground
SMU’s defense, which entered the game allowing opponents to convert on third down only 27.3% of the time, the fourth lowest in the country, held the Orange to 4 of 17 on third down.
asserted
opponents → enter → down
Syracuse did go 3 for 3 on fourth down, including a 1-yard run by Ahmad Miller.
asserted
Syracuse → go → Miller
Syracuse was leading 20-17 when Angeli was penalized for intentional grounding from the end zone, awarding SMU a safety with 12 minutes to go in the game.
asserted
Angeli → lead → game
Raphael’s score and a two-point conversion gave SMU a 27-20 lead.
asserted
score → give → lead
“We just weren’t able to get that final stop, but we shouldn’t have been in that position,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said.
asserted
Lashlee → get → position
“Offensively, we were not able to run the ball effectively.
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we → run → ball
We had the fumble, we had the turnover, they didn’t.
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they → have → turnover
We had the penalties that were all pretty critical, particularly on special teams and a couple holds on offense, and we took more sacks than we’d taken all year.”
asserted
we → have → sacks
The Orange held SMU nine points below their average.
asserted
Orange → hold → average
The Mustangs totaled 421 yards on offense, well below their average of 470, and they just couldn’t punch it in when they needed to.
asserted
they → total → it
SMU could fall out of the AP Top 25.
uncertain
SMU → fall → Top
The Orange are picking up some mojo — two straight wins and a very winnable home game against Clemson coming up.
asserted
Orange → pick → Clemson
A bowl game, which seemed out of reach, is now a distinct possibility.
asserted
which → seem → reach
Up next
SMU: Home against Virginia Tech on Friday.
Syracuse: Hosts Clemson on Nov. 7.
asserted
Syracuse → host → Nov.
The Aporia
