Historic Syracuse Football games to be broadcast on ACC YouTube
Three recent Syracuse football games will be aired on the ACC conference’s YouTube channel this May and June. Two of them include Orange wins.
Over the next few weeks, Syracuse football fans will get the chance to take a trip down memory lane. On May 19, the Orange’s historic upset win over No. 2 Clemson in 2017 will be played live. Then, on June 10, the 2018 matchup between the two foes will be played, in which Syracuse almost pulled it off again, this time in Death Valley. Finally, on June 15, Eric Dungey’s big 2018 performance against No. 22 NC State will be broadcast. All of these games will go live at 7 p.m. (ET).
The 2017 win over Clemson is arguably the best Syracuse football game of the 21st century. I was in the Carrier Dome that night – a few hours after the passing of my grandmother, a Syracuse fan herself – and let me tell you, God’s presence was with the Orange that night.
It was also a Friday the 13th night in October, and boy did the Orange spook the Tigers. Eric Dungey passed for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns, while running for another 61 yards that included a few big pickups late in the game. And of course everyone remembers the hit Christ Slayton delivered to Clemson QB Kelly Bryant, knocking him out of the game. It was a tight battle until the Tigers failed on a 4th down fake punt attempt, as Syracuse ultimately came out on top, 27-24.
Fast forward to 2018, and it was a game that didn’t look a whole lot different. This time it was Clemson that came out on top, but not before the Orange held a 23-13 lead in the fourth quarter. However, ten straight points to close it out sealed a 27-23 victory for Dabo Swinney and his bunch.
Notably, for the second straight year, a Syracuse defender knocked the Clemson quarterback out of the game, this time it being Trevor Lawrence. However, backup Chase Brice did more than fine, and Travis Etienne carried the ball and the game on his shoulders, scoring two touchdowns in the final 12 minutes to give Clemson the come from behind win.
Finally, as mentioned prior, on June 15, the ACC Conference will air the Orange’s big win over NC State in 2018.
This one was as high scoring as one can get, with the Orange taking it, 51-41. Eric Dungey had one of his best games in a Syraucse uniform, passing for over 400 yards with three touchdowns through the air and a completion percentage over 70. He also ran for a score on the ground. Sean Riley did most of the damage on the receiving end, catching ten passes for 164 yards, but Nykeim Johnson tallied seven receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown as well as Taj Harris and Jamal Custis each scoring once.
After NC State scored first, Syracuse football bolted off, taking a first quarter 24-7 lead. NC State kept it interesting, pulling within one possession four more times throughout the game, but the ‘Cuse never surrendered the lead.
Let’s hope the Orange will have many more games in the near future that can become classics like these!