Brandon Walker’s kick falling underneath the right upright saved Syracuse from back-to-back 10-loss seasons, but the best Syracuse road win of all time propelled the Orange to perfection.
The year is 1959. Ben Schwartzwalder and the independent Syracuse football team are 10-0, and ranked number one in the country. All that stands between the Orange and a National Championship is a trip to Memorial Coliseum and a matchup with number 17 UCLA. The Bruins had gone through a rocky season but righted the ship down the stretch, winning their last four games, including a low-scoring affair with crosstown rivals USC.
Syracuse had issues before the game even started, struggling with snow on its practice fields before the flight out to UCLA. The game was also SU’s only nationally televised game, adding extra pressure to what was already a huge contest. But Schwartzwalder and his team would not be shaken by the expectations.
The Orange came into the Coliseum in front of a crowd of 46,000, and absolutely ran the Bruins out of their own stadium. The Orange took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter before the Bruins scored their only points. SU scored twice in the fourth to secure the 36-8 victory. Ger Schwedes ran for 99 yards and scored two touchdowns, upping his total to 14 TDs on the year and breaking Jim Brown’s single season touchdown record. Dick Easterly went a perfect five-for-five through the air, and scampered for 50 yards as well. Syracuse finished with 354 rushing yards and 106 passing yards. The Orange left Los Angeles with a win, an undefeated regular season, and a chance to play for a national championship against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
This concludes the Top 3 Syracuse Road Wins of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Syracuse-West Virginia 2010, Syracuse-Pitt 1991
Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed them.
