Syracuse football players, on offense and defense, who were big in win over Holy Cross

Syracuse football moved to 3-1 overall so far in the 2024 season when the Orange defeated non-conference foe Holy Cross, 42-14, on Saturday afternoon at the JMA Wireless Dome.

The 'Cuse was far from perfect in this triumph. The offense looked great in the first half but stalled after halftime. The defense gave up two long scoring drives in the second quarter, but in the second half, it shined.

Special teams struggled, as Syracuse football kickers missed all three of their field goal attempts.

Still, the Orange got the job done before a sell-out crowd on the Hill. And numerous players, in all three phases of the game, put forth excellent performances. Let's have a look.

Syracuse football players who stepped up big-time in the victory against Holy Cross.

Jackson Meeks
The senior wide receiver, who transferred to the 'Cuse from Georgia, was awesome. He hauled in 10 passes for 161 yards and one receiving score. Meeks also made several spectacular catches.

LeQuint Allen Jr.
The junior running back did not fare well when Syracuse football lost at home to Stanford a week ago. Against Holy Cross, Allen excelled. On the ground, he rushed 16 times for 81 yards, or 5.1 yards per carry, and produced a rushing touchdown. Through the air, Allen caught seven passes for 54 yards.

Kyle McCord
The senior quarterback completed 28-of-50 passes for a career-high 385 yards with four touchdowns (to four different receivers) and two interceptions. He did throw two picks for the second game in a row. However, to date in the 2024 campaign, he's thrown for a minimum of 339 yards in every affair. Not too shabby.

Other Syracuse football wide receivers
Redshirt junior Umari Hatcher, sophomore Darrell Gill Jr. and redshirt junior Trebor Pena all boasted a touchdown and at least 45 receiving yards. McCord did a nice job of spreading his throws around versus Holy Cross.

Jayden Bellamy
The redshirt sophomore defensive back was the star of this contest for the Orange on defense. He led the 'Cuse with five total tackles and tallied one pass break up. Additionally, Bellamy had an interception that he returned 33 yards for a touchdown.

Devin Grant
The junior defense back, a transfer from Buffalo, recorded four total tackles (all solo) and two tackles for a loss. Grant also collected two pass break ups.

KingJoseph Edwards
The freshman edge, who was rated a four-star, top-300 national prospect in the 2024 class, made his presence known, especially in the second half. Edwards had three sacks that resulted in a total loss of 22 yards. I'm really high on this young man and think he's going to be a star in Central New York.

Return game
While Orange fans were understandably frustrated with how 'Cuse kickers performed on Saturday afternoon, Syracuse football returners did some positive things. Freshman Yasin Willis, a four-star running back and a top-250 national prospect in the 2024 cycle, rushed four times for 27 yards. But he also had two kick-off returns for 51 yards. Freshman defensive back Davien Kerr had a stellar punt return for 46 yards.