Syracuse football stuns No. 6 Miami as Fran Brown declares, 'Syracuse is back'

Things didn't look so hot for Syracuse football early on in its Atlantic Coast Conference clash with No. 6 Miami on Saturday afternoon from the JMA Wireless Dome in the 2024 regular-season finale.

The Orange spotted the Hurricanes, the highest-scoring team in the country entering week 14, a 21-0 lead, and many fans, myself included, were highly concerned that the 'Cuse defense wouldn't be able to stop Miami senior quarterback Cam Ward.

However, the 'Cuse, under the guidance of first-year head coach Fran Brown and his top-flight staff, didn't throw in the towel. Syracuse football scored 14 unanswered points to trim its deficit to a touchdown at halftime.

The second half was nuts. By and large, neither defense could stop the other squad's offense, although the Orange did get a huge takeaway when Miami fumbled and 'Cuse junior defensive back Devin Grant scooped up the ball and ran it 56 yards for a touchdown.

The final two quarters were a back-and-forth affair, and ultimately, Syracuse football would notch a monumental 42-38 upset of the Hurricanes (10-2, 6-2 in the ACC) before a boisterous home crowd.

An absolutely beautiful win for Syracuse football over top-10 Miami.

According to the ESPN broadcast crew, this outcome represented the largest comeback victory for the Orange in program history. The 'Cuse (9-3, 5-3 in the ACC), under Brown, now has a top-10 win and three top-25 triumphs during the 2024 campaign, as Syracuse football also beat Georgia Tech and UNLV when they were ranked.

I've been a 'Cuse sports fan since the 1980s. I attended Syracuse University from 1996 to 2000. Not to get too mushy here, but the Orange's conquering of Miami on Saturday is one of the greatest victories ever for Syracuse football.

Afterward, Brown appropriately declared, "Syracuse is back." Also, with this win, the 'Cuse knocked Miami out of the ACC championship game, which will feature SMU and Clemson. The Hurricanes will also likely reside on the bubble for the 12-team College Football Playoff.

I'm really proud of my alma mater. By and large, it's proven a widely successful first campaign for Brown leading this program, although with some bumps along the way. Following week 14, the Orange will reside in the College Football Playoff top-25 rankings, and the 'Cuse should land an invite to a high-quality bowl, the third straight year that Syracuse football is going bowling.

While the Syracuse football defense did allow more than 500 total yards to Miami, that key takeaway was massive, and the Orange did hold the Hurricanes to a field goal in the fourth quarter that proved huge.

Junior running back LeQuint Allen Jr. rushed for more than 80 yards and two scores on the ground. He also had several vital runs late in the game that helped propel the 'Cuse to a win over the Hurricanes.

Senior quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns, further rewriting the Syracuse football program record books on Saturday. As usual, he spread his passes around well to various receivers, such as redshirt junior Trebor Pena (128 yards, one TD) and senior Jackson Meeks (110 yards, two TDs).

One more tidbit here. The Orange, sometimes in the 2024 term plagued by untimely and silly penalties, only committed four penalties for 36 yards, while Miami committed nine penalties for 77 yards.

A huge congrats to Syracuse football. I can't wait to see the 'Cuse in the top-25 polls this week and learn where the Orange will head for its upcoming bowl game.