Syracuse Football News: 3 star players honored, 'Cuse moves up in CBS Sports rankings

Following its three-point, overtime win last Friday night in Las Vegas over then-No. 25 UNLV, Syracuse football looks to build upon that stellar non-conference victory when the Orange heads to fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school N.C. State this Saturday night.

Following the team's week-six triumph against the previously undefeated Rebels, several players for Syracuse football (4-1) have been honored for their performances in that contest and also for the 2024 season as a whole to date.

When the ACC announced its players of the week, two Orange stars were deservingly included. They are junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and senior edge Fadil Diggs, who transferred to the 'Cuse this off-season from Texas A&M.

Allen went full beast mode against UNLV. He tallied a combined 129 rushing and receiving yards while scoring four times, including a short touchdown run in overtime that resulted in a 44-41 win for Syracuse football.

Although the Orange defense allowed 41 points to the Rebels, there were several instances throughout the encounter when the 'Cuse made some critical stops on the defensive side. To that end, Diggs registered six total tackles, including four solo ones, and two sacks. One of those sacks occurred in overtime, helping to force UNLV to settle for a field goal.

Other Syracuse football news to review.

Kyle McCord is lauded
The Orange's senior quarterback, against UNLV, connected on 40-of-63 throws for 355 passing yards, with three touchdown passes and an interception. In this affair and others during the current campaign, McCord is doing an effective job at spreading the ball around to his talented tight ends and wide receivers. On the year, he's thrown for 300-plus yards in five straight games, which is a program record.

In 2024, McCord is completing 64.2 percent of his pass attempts for 1,814 yards with 17 touchdowns against six picks. I noted in another recent column that McCord is among the national leaders in various statistical categories.

The ACC said in a press release this week that McCord is one of six QBs in the league to be on the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award top 25 watch list. This annual award recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with his class.

Also this week, per SU Athletics, McCord was named to the Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 for week six. The Great 8 is a weekly selection of the eight top-performing signal-callers by the Davey O'Brien Award, which every year honors the nation's best quarterback.

Syracuse football climbs in CBS Sports' rankings
Every week, media outlet CBS Sports publishes its national ratings for all 134 FBS college football squads. After the Orange upset UNLV, CBS Sports moved the 'Cuse up 14 spots, to No. 33 overall. Appropriately, the team that Syracuse football just beat, the Rebels, arrived at No. 34 nationally.

In the latest Associated Press and Coaches top-25 polls, the Orange landed at least one vote in each major ballot.