Steve Angeli found an open Noah Meyers in the left side of the end zone with 17 seconds left as host Syracuse outlasted No. 19 SMU for a 30-27 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Playing in his second game back after missing three games, Angeli completed 21-of-34 passes for 200 yards to help Syracuse (4-4, 2-4 ACC) win its second straight dramatic finish after beating North Carolina in overtime last week.
Angeli was 7-for-8 on the game-winning drive, including consecutive 15-yard passes to Calvin Russell III and Daunte Bacheyie that moved Syracuse to the 2-yard line.
After Ju’Juan Johnson rushed for no gain, Syracuse used a timeout before Angeli faked a handoff to Ahmad Miller. He rolled out and Meyers got a step on SMU linebacker Alexander Kilgore to easily haul in the pass for a 29-27 lead.
After Tripp Woody made the extra point, the Orange clinched the win by forcing a fumble from SMU’s Randy Pittman Jr.
Syracuse earned the win after losing a 20-10 halftime lead and Angeli was helped by his defense sacking SMU (6-2, 4-2) star quarterback Kevin Jennings four times for a combined loss of 52 yards.
Syracuse’s defense also aided Angeli right before the final drive when it forced Jennings into an incompletion to Theo Melin Ohrstrom with 3:47 left on third-and-16.
Angeli also opened the scoring with a 26-yard TD run less than five minutes in. He also led a TD drive that culminated in Miller’s 1-yard score with 22 seconds left in the first half.
Woody kicked three goals after struggling most of the season. He made a 29-yarder and a 25-yarder in the first half before his 26-yard field goal moved the Orange within 27-23 with 5:26 left.
Jennings completed 29-of-36 passes for 351 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns. He threw a nine-yard TD to Jalen Hale with 12 seconds left in the first and a 14-yard TD to Yamir Knight with 8:52 left in the third that pulled the Mustangs within 20-17
Jennings also led a scoring drive that resulted in Kendrick Raphael’s 13-yard run and subsequent 2-point conversion to give the Mustangs a 27-20 lead with 9:04 left that occurred after three minutes after SMU pressured Angeli into a safety.