SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Future opponents of Syracuse football might want to take seriously a message delivered from first-year coach Fran Brown.
Don’t give him any bulletin board material because it may bite you.
Kyle McCord passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns, two each to Trebor Pena and Oronde Gadsden II, and Syracuse held on to knock off newly ranked No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28 on Saturday.
Kyle McCord throws a pass in the second quarter of Syracuse’s 31-28 win over No. 23 Georgia Tech on Sept. 7, 2024. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Earlier in the week, Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said his team’s matchup against the Orange “wasn’t about Xs and Os” but rather being physical against Syracuse. Brown took that as a swipe at his program being soft.
“I took it personal when he said it wasn’t about Xs and Os,” Brown said. “It was about coming up here and being physical and tough for four hours. We’re from the Northeast. What you mean by that? Like we’re not physical and tough? … Syracuse has been physical forever. I want to make sure that will never be said about us. We’re not soft. That bothered me.
“I’ve coached with (Georgia coach) Kirby Smart and (former Georgia co-defensive coordinator) Will Muschamp. That’s what they do. Why would we not be a tough physical football team?,” Brown added. “I want to make sure everyone understands that. When you play us, just be quiet. Don’t give no ammo to me. You give ammo to me, I’m coming at you full tilt.”
The Yellow Jackets (2-1, 1-1 ACC), ranked in the AP Top 25 last week for the first time since 2015, cut the lead to three with 2:31 to go on a 15-yard scoring run by Jamal Haynes.
The Orange made sure Georgia Tech never got the ball back, running out the clock for their first win against a ranked opponent since October 2022 against North Carolina State.
“We knew they were a physical team and (thought) we could control that. At times today it showed that we were really not, and that came down to physicality,” Key said.
Receiver Trebor Pena dives into the end zone for a touchdown despite defensive back Ahmari Harvey’s tackle during Syracuse’s win. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
McCord was 32-of-46 passing, with career highs in attempts and completions.
Gadsden had six catches for 93 yards. Pena has five touchdowns on the young season.
Syracuse (2-0, 1-0 ACC) accumulated 515 yards in total offense.
Not known for his running ability, McCord scrambled for 16 yards on a third-and-3, the longest run of his career, and his emotions took over after that play.
Quarterback Haynes King runs from defensive lineman Kevin Jobity Jr. during the first quarter of Georgia Tech’s loss to Syracuse. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
“That was a big point of the game. The spike? I probably need to reel the emotions in a bit,” he said.
Haynes King was 28-of-38 for 259 yards for Georgia Tech. He passed for one score and ran for two.
King escaped the grasp of linebacker Derek McDonald and scrambled 21 yards for his first score.
He faked a pitch and scored from 26 yards out to get Georgia Tech to 21-14 with 4:39 to go in the first half.
Head coach Fran Brown celebrates with his Syracuse team after their win over No. 23 Georgia Tech. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
The Orange defense held Haynes, the Yellow Jackets’ leading rusher, to just 35 yards on 11 carries.
He had averaged 5.7 yards a carry entering the game.
“He (Brown) just kept playing that clip (Key clip) over and over and over and over at practice, throughout the week,” Syracuse edge rusher Fadil Diggs said. “He just wanted to get it through our head and it looked like we were the more physical team.”
The Takeaway
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets need to have their running game rolling to give the dual-threat King more help. The Orange clamped down on that.
Syracuse: Brown said his team needed to get more physical after their season-opening win against Ohio. His players must have heard him, holding the Yellow Jackets to 112 yards rushing.
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Good win for syracuse University football orange. The team played good. A bye week is up next hopefully the defense and the ream.can fix some leaks. There are some strong teams on the put of town list. Any way good game
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