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Marlowe Wax said Syracuse’s defensive performance last week against Boston College left a nasty taste in its mouth.

The Orange allowed a season-worst 313 rushing yards en route to their 37-31 defeat. However, they had an opportunity midway through the fourth quarter to notch a game-altering stand on fourth-and-1. Instead, BC quarterback Grayson James connected with tight end Jeremiah Franklin for an all-but game-sealing score.

So, Wax said head coach Fran Brown challenged SU’s defense all week. It responded with one of its best performances of the season.

In its wire-to-wire 33-25 win over Cal (4-5, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), Syracuse (7-3, 4-3 ACC) was propelled by its first-quarter defense. Wax and freshman defensive back Davien Kerr each corralled interceptions, leading to 10 offensive points. Meanwhile, SU’s early lead forced the Golden Bears away from running the ball. Cal’s 166 rushing yards are the least Syracuse has allowed in a game this month.

After not scoring in the first quarter in its last three games, Kyle McCord led SU down the field to start the game, resulting in a field goal. While the Orange couldn’t snap their over two-month-long stretch without a first-quarter touchdown, Wax helped them extend their lead with his defensive effort.

Cal’s offense quickly moved past midfield due to an out-of-bounds SU kickoff and a 13-yard Jadyn Ott reception. However, it was faced with second-and-19 following a one-yard Ott rush before offensive lineman Will McDonald was flagged for holding on the ensuing play.

In an obvious passing-down situation, the Orange dropped into a zone. Before the snap, Wax was lined up closer to the left side of the line of scrimmage. However, because of Ott’s motion out wide to the right from the backfield, Wax adjusted his positioning to be closer to the line of scrimmage’s right side.

With Ott no longer in the backfield, Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was alone in the shotgun with five receivers out wide — three to his right and two to his left. Upon receiving the snap, Mendoza initially looked left but neither receiver was open. As the pocket collapsed, he forced a throw to his third read — Mikey Matthews on a post route 15 yards down the field.

While Matthews created separation from safety Duce Chestnut, Mendoza didn’t account for Wax. Reading the quarterback’s eyes in the middle of the field, Wax shifted to his left before the ball was thrown. As the pass was zipped in his direction, all the linebacker needed to do was make an uncontested catch. After hauling in his second career interception, Wax returned it 21 yards to Cal’s 40-yard line.

“It was just me playing inside the scheme,” Wax said of the interception postgame. “The D-Line got a good rush, I just dropped into my zone and doing what I’m told to do. I just read the quarterback’s eyes, and he threw it right to me.”

Though the Orange were forced to settle for a field goal, their 6-0 first-quarter advantage at the 4:23 mark was their largest opening-quarter lead since leading UNLV 14-0 on Oct. 4. Two plays later, Syracuse got another opportunity to extend its lead.

Ott began the Golden Bears’ drive with a 10-yard rush. Cal opted with a play action on the next play, as Mendoza pulled the ball out of Ott’s arms before taking a downfield shot to Tobias Merriweather down the left sideline.

Merriweather was lined up one-on-one versus Kerr, a freshman making his first collegiate start. With injuries to Marcellus Barnes Jr. and Jayden Bellamy, SU’s cornerback depth has taken a drastic hit over the last couple of weeks. Postgame, Brown admitted there were three players he was going to start ahead of Kerr.

However, because of disciplinary issues and Kerr’s hard work in practice, Brown started Kerr. Thus, Mendoza attacked him early. The quarterback heaved a 50-50 ball 25 yards down the field. On an island with Kerr, the ball was dotted toward Merriweather’s helmet. Yet it was slightly underthrown, and Kerr jumped up and corralled it for the Orange’s second interception.

“Coaches and players put their trust in me, so I had to get the job done,” Kerr said.

“Davien came in, and all of a sudden he’s gonna be a superstar,” Brown said.

Kerr’s pick set up a 12-play, 69-yard drive, resulting in LeQuint Allen Jr.’s first of two touchdowns, giving the Orange a 13-0 lead a minute and a half into the second quarter. Though Cal instantly responded with a 75-yard touchdown run, SU answered right back with another Allen Jr. touchdown.

Trailing by two possessions, this forced the Golden Bears to throw. But they instantly went three-and-out, leading to the Orange taking a 27-7 lead into the half. Syracuse held on in the second half following its most complete half of the season, helping it secure its third season with four conference victories since joining the ACC in 2013.

Published on November 16, 2024 at 9:43 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon