Noah Meyers catches the winner with 17 seconds left as Syracuse stuns No. 19 SMU

Steve Angeli threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Noah Meyers with 17 seconds left, and Syracuse beat No. 19 SMU 30-27 on Saturday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome. Students in Halloween costumes stormed the field after the Orange's first win over a ranked opponent since they beat No. 6 Miami on Nov. 30, 2024, according to The Daily Orange.

Syracuse looked in control at halftime. Angeli scored the game's first touchdown on a 26-yard run, Tripp Woody kicked two field goals and Ahmad Miller ran in from a yard out with 22 seconds left in the half for a 20-10 lead.

Then SMU scored 17 straight points. Kevin Jennings hit Yamir Knight for a 14-yard touchdown in the third quarter, the Mustangs sacked Angeli for a safety early in the fourth, and Kendrick Raphael ran 13 yards for a score. Jennings found Derrick McFall for the two-point conversion, and SMU led 27-20 with 9:04 to play.

Woody's 26-yard field goal cut it to 27-23 with 5:26 left. Syracuse's defense got the ball back, and the final drive covered 68 yards in 11 plays. Angeli converted a fourth-and-1 with a play-action throw to tight end David Clement, then hit Calvin Russell III and Daunte Bacheyie for 15 yards apiece to reach the SMU 2. On second down he faked to Miller, rolled left and found Meyers alone in the flat.

Angeli finished 21 of 34 for 200 yards and a touchdown, the second week in a row he has thrown a game-winning pass, according to Syracuse.com. Umari Hatcher caught six passes for 65 yards. Miller ran for 56 yards and Tylik Hill added 54.

Jennings was terrific in the loss, completing 29 of 36 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Yannick Smith caught five passes for 95 yards and Knight had six for 80. But SMU ran for only 70 yards, and Syracuse sacked Jennings four times. Keyshawn Johnson was in on three of them, and the Orange recovered two fumbles, the second one to seal it. Syracuse did not turn the ball over.

Syracuse is 4-4 (2-4 ACC) with two straight conference wins, and Fran Brown is now 3-0 against ranked teams in the Dome, per Syracuse.com. SMU falls to 6-2, and the loss is a real dent in its hopes for the ACC title game.

What's next: Syracuse hosts Clemson next Saturday at noon.