Syracuse Upsets No. 19 SMU 30-27 on a Touchdown Pass With 17 Seconds Left
SMU led 27-20 in the fourth quarter in Syracuse. Steve Angeli drove the Orange 68 yards in the final minutes and found Noah Meyers from 2 yards out with 17 seconds to go, handing the Mustangs their second loss.
SMU's hold on the ACC race loosened in the last 17 seconds on Saturday. Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli hit little-used tight end Noah Meyers on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining, and the Orange beat No. 19 SMU 30-27 at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse's first win over a ranked team since November 30, 2024.
The finish was the last swing in a game with six ties or lead changes. Syracuse led 20-10 at halftime. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, who finished 29 of 36 for 351 yards and two touchdowns, pulled the Mustangs back within 20-17, and Kendrick Raphael's touchdown run and two-point conversion put SMU ahead 27-20 with 9:04 to play.
Tripp Woody's third field goal of the game brought Syracuse within 27-23 with 5:26 left, and after a stop the Orange took over at their own 32 with 3:36 remaining. Angeli, playing his second game back after missing three, went 7 for 8 on the 11-play drive, including consecutive 15-yard completions that moved Syracuse to the 2, where Meyers got a step on his defender for his first Syracuse touchdown. The Orange sealed it by forcing a fumble on SMU's final possession.
SMU falls to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC, becoming the sixth team in the conference with at least two league losses, and could fall out of the AP Top 25. Syracuse improves to 4-4 and 2-4. SMU totaled 421 yards but was held nine points below its scoring average, and Jennings was sacked four times.
