Syracuse Stuns No. 19 SMU 30-27 With Go-Ahead Touchdown 17 Seconds From Time
Syracuse produced a Halloween-night shock in US college football on Saturday, beating the nationally ranked No. 19 SMU Mustangs 30-27 at home.
SMU had travelled to central New York carrying real hopes of reaching the playoffs. But the home side, the Orange, kept them under pressure throughout and snatched the win at the end.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings played superbly, throwing for 351 yards and two touchdowns.
His problem, however, was protection. The Syracuse defence sacked him six times, including once in the final seconds as SMU tried to move into field-goal range.
Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli threw for 200 yards and also ran in a touchdown himself.
The game was decided with just 17 seconds left, when Angeli found tight end Noah Meyers for the go-ahead touchdown that put Syracuse 30-27 in front.
SMU still had a chance to level the scores, but an incomplete pass, a sixth sack of the day and a fumble on the final play ended their hopes.
After the win, fans in Halloween costumes poured onto the field, with supporters dressed as Big Bird and the Ninja Turtles seen celebrating.
It was SMU's second loss of the season; their first came against Louisville in the third game of the season. A 6-2 record is solid, but losing to an unranked team that came in below .500 has weakened their standing.
The defeat is a serious blow to SMU's hopes of reaching the ACC Championship Game and has also cast doubt on their chances of a College Football Playoff place.
