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After three mediocre seasons to end Dino Babers’ eight-year tenure, Syracuse hired Fran Brown as its 31st head coach. A year later, Brown has led the Orange to a nine-win regular season and generated national attention around the program.

Following SU’s win over then-No. 8 Miami to conclude the regular season, it was ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25 Poll — the program’s first ranking since 2022. With a bowl game upcoming, SU has a chance to win 10 games for the third time this century.

As Syracuse wraps up its best campaign since 2018, here are the top five moments from its 2024 regular season:

Week 2: Kyle McCord’s ball spike

While Kyle McCord thrived in his Syracuse debut against Ohio, passing for 354 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 38-22 win, it wasn’t until Week 2 that he made a statement to the country. The Orange welcomed then-No. 23 Georgia Tech to the JMA Wireless Dome, looking to notch the program’s first win against an AP Top 25 since 2022.

McCord and Co. started the game with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, as Trebor Peña corralled a receiving score to cap it off. Following the touchdown, McCord went viral for showing his emotion on the sideline. It was one of the first moments in an SU uniform where he showed he was playing free, unlike at Ohio State.

McCord — who threw for a then-career-high 382 yards and four touchdowns — continued to exude a new confidence throughout Syracuse’s upset win. During preseason training camp and the beginning of the season, Brown emphasized he wanted to see more of “Little League Kyle.”

The head coach began watching the quarterback play when he was in middle school. He wanted to see a Pennsauken Middle School version of McCord at Syracuse, where he’d use his legs more and play free. With SU leading 24-14 and three minutes left in the third quarter on third-and-3, “Little League Kyle” was on display.

With left tackle Da’Metrius Weatherspoon shielding off defensive end Romello Height around the edge, McCord had nothing but open field to his left. Seeing this, he rolled out and sprinted along the sidelines for a 15-yard first-down conversion. As he stepped out of bounds at the 31-yard line, the fired-up quarterback spiked the ball before screaming excitedly.

While the first down pickup didn’t lead to points on the drive, it further signified McCord was a new quarterback. He was no longer the timid Buckeye being evaluated under a microscope. McCord was the quarterback who would lead the nation in passing yards and break every Syracuse single-season program record.

Kyle McCord celebrates picking up a first down after spiking the ball in the second quarter against Georgia Tech. Joe Zhao | Video Editor

Week 6: LeQuint Allen Jr.’s Las Vegas heroics

Since Brown became SU’s head coach, he has preached his foundation of D.A.R.T. The “T” stands for toughness, and Brown has continuously mentioned running back LeQuint Allen Jr. as the team’s toughest player. There was no better example of this than the Orange’s overtime road win over then-No. 25 UNLV.

Despite dealing with a nagging injury, which Allen Jr. measured as an 8-of-10 on the pain scale postgame, he recorded 129 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. With three minutes to go, Syracuse trailed 38-31.

As it drove down the field, SU faced a fourth-and-1 from UNLV’s 24-yard line with 1:11 remaining. The Orange initially lined Allen Jr. out wide but motioned pre-snap before receiving a jet sweep. Though UNLV’s Jalen Catalon met him behind the line of scrimmage, Allen Jr. evaded the tackle and notched an 11-yard conversion to extend the game. This set up McCord’s game-tying touchdown to Jackson Meeks.

The Rebels began overtime with a field goal, meaning SU would win the game with a touchdown. After a roughing the passer penalty put the Orange on the one-yard line, they handed the ball off to Allen Jr. He was met in the backfield by Jackson Woodard, yet the running back plowed through the tackle attempt and walked the game off with a touchdown.

This marked the Orange’s second win against an AP Top-25 team and was Brown’s first road win in his head coaching career. It showed Syracuse could compete with any team in the country on any given day, something it lacked since 2018.

LeQuint Allen Jr. scored four touchdowns and notched 129 scrimmage yards in Syracuse’s win over then-No. 25 UNLV. Photo courtesy of N. Scott Trimble | Syracuse.com

Week 10: Marlowe Wax, Fadil Diggs secure another OT win

Following a crushing blowout loss to Pittsburgh, Syracuse waited nine days before hosting Virginia Tech on Nov. 2. Under Babers, the Orange had an abysmal 7-22 record in November. It’s a key reason Babers was fired and something Brown needed to reverse early in his tenure.

It looked like SU’s November woes would continue early on against the Hokies, as it trailed 14-3 at halftime and saw its deficit slip to 21-3 in the third quarter. However, propelled by an Allen Jr.-led offensive explosion — who had 158 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns — SU forced overtime by tying the game at 31-31.

Allen Jr.’s heroics carried over from the UNLV game, as he scored on overtime’s first possession. All SU needed was a defensive stand to win. Virginia Tech, however, quickly picked up a first-and-goal from the 10-yard line. On a trick play, quarterback Collin Schlee missed his target in the end zone. The Hokies were then pushed back to the 20-yard line following a holding penalty on second down.

Trying to set up a closer third down play, Virginia Tech ran a read option that Schlee kept. He juked linebacker David Omopariola behind the line of scrimmage before maneuvering left. After picking up five yards, Schlee was tackled by Chase Simmons and Jayden Bellamy. Though before he was down, Marlowe Wax swooped in and punched the ball free. The ball trickled four yards down the field, where Fadil Diggs successfully fell on it to secure SU’s win.

It was fitting Wax and Diggs combined to make the game-ending play. Because of Diggs’ close relationship with Brown and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, he transferred from Texas A&M to SU. Meanwhile, Wax, the Orange’s star linebacker, likely wouldn’t have returned for his fifth season if not for Brown bringing a new culture and added talent to the program.

Wax’s forced fumble and Diggs’ recovery mixed the old and the new to change the perception of Syracuse’s November struggles. Though SU fell the following week to Boston College, it finished the season on a three-game winning streak. The last time the Orange won four November games was in 1997.

Fadil Diggs secures the football to secure Syracuse’s win against Virginia Tech. Lars Jendruschewitz | Photo Editor

Week 12: “Winners get washed”

"Enjoy your shower, alright, baby?" – Treavor Scales

"I'm about to get washed. WINNERS GET WASHED!" – Fran Brown https://t.co/vnQ7dICHhN pic.twitter.com/JxyeZHvd7H

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 16, 2024

Following Syracuse’s loss to Boston College, it traveled across the country to face California. At his weekly press conference ahead of the game, Brown revealed he didn’t shower following SU’s loss to the Eagles.

“You gotta earn the right to do certain things. So, winners get washed. I’m a loser. I just gotta wait a little bit,” Brown said.

The bit went viral on social media and received mixed reactions. As 10.5-point underdogs versus the Golden Bears, Syracuse won in wire-to-wire fashion. Two first-quarter interceptions helped the Orange get out to a quick start while their rushing attack and short-yardage passing game led to a 33-25 win.

Though what happened afterward outshined everything on the field. After wrapping up his postgame interview, The CW’s Treavor Scales told Brown to enjoy his shower. Brown then ended his postgame interview by saying “winners get washed” while sticking out his tongue in front of the camera.

In the locker room postgame, SU presented Brown with a bottle of Old Spice. Both moments again went viral. Finally, Brown revealed a “winners get washed” shirt.

Brown’s goal since becoming the Orange’s head coach has been to make the program a national contender. While Syracuse still isn’t at that level, Brown attracted national attention the program hasn’t experienced throughout this century.

Fran Brown wears a winners get washed shirt at his weekly press conference following Syracuse’s win against Cal. Brycen Pace | Assistant Photo Editor

Week 14: Miami Field Storming

Coming off back-to-back wins over Cal and UConn, Syracuse concluded its regular season hosting Miami. It was one of SU’s most anticipated games in recent memory. The Hurricanes only needed a win to reach the ACC Championship, while the matchup featured arguably the two best quarterbacks in the country in Cam Ward and McCord.

However, it quickly looked like Miami would rout the Orange as it took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. Syracuse had never come back to win a game trailing by that many points. But it also never had McCord as its quarterback.

McCord’s 380 yards and three touchdowns helped him outduel Ward and allowed SU to shock the country in a 42-38 win. After the game, fans stormed the field for the first time since the Orange defeated then-No. 15 NC State on Oct. 15, 2022.

A feeling of pandemonium spread throughout the Dome. It was the end to a brilliant first regular season under Brown. The Orange clinched a spot in the AP Poll and proved the program is back.

Syracuse players celebrate as fans storm the field following its upset win over then-No. 8 Miami. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer

Published on December 3, 2024 at 12:04 am

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon