Syracuse football earns a 33-25 road win over California thanks to fast start

Syracuse football must have been weary of hearing about the sluggish start narrative after failing to score in the first quarter for the previous three games. Maybe all they needed was a trip to the West Coast, where they scored 27 first-half points. The most since Week 4 against Holy Cross.

That helped SU cap off its final road game of the season with a 33-25 win over California. The Orange (7-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) built an early lead and never looked back, despite a late surge from the Golden Bears (5-5, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). The victory also gave the ‘Cuse its most road wins (3) in a single season in six years.

“If I set the standard of excellence, then we can be great. I want to win right now, I want to build the program the right way,” head coach Fran Brown said.

From the opening whistle, SU took control, scoring on each of its first six possessions. Plus, the defense set the tone early with two interceptions on Cal’s first two drives from senior Marlowe Wax and freshman Davien Kerr.

"I didn't play DB my entire life, I played receiver," Kerr explained. He added that the sideline yelled "ball" during his interception, prompting him to turn around.

Running back LeQuint Allen Jr. was also a major contributor, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns. The junior became the first SU player to rush for seven TDs in a three-game span since Garrett Shrader in 2021.

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His performance helped balance a passing game that was led by senior Kyle McCord, who threw for 323 yards. The Ohio State transfer completed 29 passes, which set a new single-season record at Syracuse, surpassing Ryan Nassib’s campaign in 2012.

“Kyle McCord is a top 5 quarterback in the country,” Brown added.

McCord's go-to target was tight end Oronde Gadsden II, who notched 109 yards on eight catches. Wide receiver Trebor Pena also played a key role, pulling in a career-high 11 receptions for 97 yards. Wideout Jackson Meeks contributed with a six-yard touchdown catch, his fifth of the season.

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Syracuse set the tone early, opening the game with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that culminated in a 42-yard field goal by kicker Jackson Kennedy. Wax's interception on Cal's first play quickly put the Orange back on offense, resulting in a second Kennedy field goal. After another interception, this time by Kerr, Syracuse marched 69 yards in 12 plays, capped by Allen's 30-yard rushing touchdown to make it 13-0.

The Golden Bears trimmed the score to 13-6 with a 75-yard rushing touchdown, but the Orange quickly responded. Allen capped a 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and McCord connected with Meeks on a six-yard passing touchdown to make the score 27-7 at halftime.

The Golden Bears came out strong in the second half, scoring on a 93-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard rushing touchdown, cutting the deficit to 27-14.

Kennedy's third field goal of the day extended the advantage back to 30-14 entering the fourth quarter. California added another field goal early in the fourth quarter, closing the gap to 30-17.

SU then went on a long 15-play, 64-yard drive that took over six minutes, resulting in Kennedy's fourth field goal to make the score 33-17. Andre Szmyt was the last SU kicker to nail four field goals in a game, which came against Virginia in 2022.

Cal responded with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to pull within eight, but Syracuse recovered an onside kick attempt to seal the victory.

Syracuse returns home to face UConn (7-3, 0-0 FBS Independents) next Saturday. Gametime is set for 12 p.m. with Countdown to Kickoff at 11:30 a.m.