Syracuse Football Secures Victory Over Georgia Tech

The Syracuse Orange football team improved its record to 2-0 with a narrow 31-28 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during an intense game at the JMA Dome.

Syracuse controlled the game for the majority of the match, until the final eight minutes when Georgia Tech surged back with two touchdowns, raising tensions among the home crowd.

A crucial third down completion from quarterback Kyle McCord to receiver Oronde Gadsden both relieved the Orange fans and prevented a dramatic late-game collapse.

The Orange offense started strong, with Trebor Pena scoring his fourth touchdown of the season on an 11-yard pass from McCord on the opening drive.

Georgia Tech quickly equalized when quarterback Haynes King evaded a defender, running 21 yards for a touchdown. Following a stalled drive for Syracuse and a blocked field goal attempt by Brady Denaburg, the first quarter ended in a 7-7 tie.

McCord and Pena connected again for a touchdown early in the second quarter, giving Syracuse a seven-point lead. A defensive stop led to another touchdown pass from McCord to Gadsden, increasing the lead to 14 points. However, King answered with his second rushing touchdown, slicing the deficit, and the first half concluded with Syracuse ahead 21-14.

After halftime, Syracuse extended its lead with a field goal, and despite some missed opportunities, they maintained momentum into the fourth quarter.

Key defensive plays by Fadil Diggs allowed Syracuse to regain possession, leading to another touchdown pass from McCord, putting the Orange up by 17 points.

Georgia Tech, however, found their rhythm and scored again, making it 31-21 with just over five minutes left. Syracuse’s failure to recover an onside kick allowed Tech to score another touchdown, narrowing the margin to just three points.

In the closing moments of the game, McCord’s passing skills shone as he completed critical conversions that helped secure the victory for Syracuse. McCord finished the day with 380 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Gadsden and Pena each recorded two touchdowns.

Following this match, Syracuse will enjoy a week off before hosting Stanford on September 20th at the JMA Dome.