It wasn’t pretty, but Syracuse pulled out a tight 38-31 win in overtime to top Virginia Tech on Sunday.
The Orange offense struggled in the first half and went into halftime down 14-3, but it rode running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and a strong performance from the defense to earn its sixth win of the season, meaning the team is now bowl-eligible for the third straight season.
Heading into this game, Syracuse needed Allen to exploit a weak Hokies run defense, and he delivered. The junior finished with three rushing touchdowns, all coming in the second half and overtime, where he put the Orange ahead for good with a spin move into the end zone. He racked up 121 rushing yards on just 21 attempts, (5.8 yards per carry) with his longest run of the day going for 25 yards.
Through the air, the running back had 5 catches for 37 yards, tying for second on the team in catches. He became the all-time receptions leader among Syracuse running backs with 93, passing Antwon Bailey.
Allen’s bounce-back performance came after a quiet day in the loss against No. 19 Pitt, where he only had 32 yards on the ground. Syracuse will hope for more performances like the one against Virginia Tech, as the Orange’s next opponent Boston College is also susceptible to the run.
Along with Allen, linebacker Marlowe Wax was everywhere on defense in his first game back in the Dome since Week 1. He racked up 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and forced the game-sealing fumble. Syracuse put plenty of pressure on Hokies backup quarterback Collin Schlee, filling in for starter Kyron Drones, as it collected 3 sacks and forced 4 fumbles. Much of that pressure was thanks to Wax, and he’ll look to continue his high-level play after returning from injury.
Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, who transferred in from Colorado State this season, has also dealt with injury this season, as he played in just his second game for the Orange due to his hamstring. He exploded for two touchdowns on 4 catches for 88 yards, finally logging his first catch and displaying the type of deep-threat option for quarterback Kyle McCord that many expected when he came over from the Rams.
While it was a strong game for Ross-Simmons, tight end Oronde Gadsden had another quiet game and ended with just 2 catches for 18 yards. It was the fourth time this season that Gadsden has been held to under 50 receiving yards, and the third time he’s been held to under 20. He hasn’t caught a touchdown since collecting two against Georgia Tech in Week 2, which is cause for concern.
The Orange will be happy to come out with the win, and there were plenty of positives, but Gadsden’s struggles show there’s still plenty of work to be done if it wants to end the season in the AP poll.
