Syracuse Football: Sean Tucker in striking distance for national rushing title

Syracuse football running back Sean Tucker is going to win the Atlantic Coast Conference rushing title for the 2021 season, and he’s got a shot at leading the country in rushing yards.

But it won’t prove easy for the sophomore. In the regular-season finale for the Orange (5-6, 2-5), Tucker and the ‘Cuse potent rushing offense will battle No. 20 Pittsburgh, which has the conference’s No. 1 rushing defense, only allowing 98.1 yards per game on the ground, according to ACC statistics.

Last weekend, the Panthers (9-2, 6-1) held off Virginia, 48-38, to win the ACC’s Coastal division and earn a trip to the league’s title game, which will take place on December 4 in Charlotte, N.C.

Before that, Pittsburgh will travel to Central New York this coming Saturday night as the regular stanza wraps up. And the Panthers defense will look to contain Tucker, which is not an easy task.

Syracuse football RB Sean Tucker is close to the national rushing lead.

This past Saturday on the road, Tucker carried 13 times for 105 yards, although the Orange fell to top-25 N.C. State, 41-17. That output gave him 1,467 rushing yards for the season, breaking the previous ‘Cuse single-term record of 1,372 yards set by the legendary Joe Morris in 1979.

In the ACC, with one game remaining, Tucker is ahead of Duke’s Mataeo Durant by nearly 300 yards. Nationally, according to the NCAA’s Web site, Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols III is No. 1 with 1,516 yards, Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III is No. 2 at 1,498 yards, and Tucker is No. 3.

So for now, Tucker is about 50 yards behind the national leader, which I would imagine means that he’ll have to put forth a massive performance versus Pitt.

Naturally, I hope that Tucker ends up in the 2021 campaign as the top rusher across the country. I also hope that somehow, someway Syracuse football stuns the Panthers to grab that sixth win for post-season bowl eligibility.

If Tucker comes up short, however, that doesn’t take away from the special season that he’s generated. Not in the least. Because assuming that he rushes for at least 33 yards against Pittsburgh, he’ll have a minimum of 1,500 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.

That, my friends, is exceptional. It’s no wonder that Tucker recently said he’s focused on his creating his own legacy for the Orange.