LeQuint Allen informed Syracuse coach Fran Brown during the first half that the pain in his lower left leg was an eight out of 10 but insisted he would stay in the game.
This turned out to be a great decision for the Orange, as Allen charged into the end zone from a yard away in overtime, leading Syracuse to a 44-41 win over No. 25 UNLV on Friday night. This victory came just four days after the Rebels made their debut in the AP Top 25 for the first time in their program’s history.
“Just putting it all on the line for my team,” Allen said. “At the end of the day, if I can run and I can jog, I still want to go out there for my team. Nobody’s bigger than ‘The S.’”
After Caden Chittenden kicked a 41-yard field goal to give the Rebels (4-1) a 41-38 lead in overtime, the Orange (4-1) took eight plays to finish the game with Allen’s fourth touchdown.
The 200-pound running back pulled UNLV’s 230-pound linebacker, Jackson Woodard, for about four seconds before he pushed into the end zone.
Allen carried the ball 19 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns, along with nine catches for 58 yards and two more scores.
“He’s been doing that, that’s just what he does — that’s LeQuint,” Brown said. “Never stops talking, never stops just wanting the football. He’s never not open. He’s a competitive guy.”
Kyle McCord, who transferred from Ohio State during the offseason, completed 40 of 63 passes for 355 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception for Syracuse. Oronde Gadsen II caught 10 passes for 142 yards, both career highs.
UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams was successful on 21 of 25 passes for 227 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
Ricky White III caught 10 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. He also forced Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse to abort a play and later blocked a punt, marking his second of the season.
“Looking at what this team did, we really didn’t start well and stayed in the fight,” said UNLV coach Barry Odom. “I hate it because we got a tough team, got great young men. We’re close, but this will get us closer. I have no doubt about that.”
With 31,329 fans in the stands — the third-highest attendance since UNLV began playing at Allegiant Stadium in 2020 — the game was a thrilling back-and-forth battle with four lead changes and three ties.
Syracuse was the first to score after quarterback Kyle McCord completed all seven of his passes during a nine-play drive, ending with a shovel pass to LeQuint Allen, who rushed in from 8 yards out to put the Orange ahead 7-0 midway through the first quarter. Allen soon scored again, extending the lead to 14-0.
UNLV had outscored its last four opponents 52-14 in the first quarter, leading in three of those games. However, the Rebels found their rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Syracuse 21-3 to take a 21-17 lead at halftime.
Syracuse came out strong in the third quarter, marching 75 yards in 12 plays on their opening drive, capped by McCord’s 6-yard pass to Allen, which gave the Orange a 24-21 lead.
After Syracuse safety Duce Chestnut intercepted Hajj-Malik Williams at the UNLV 20, running back Yasin Willis raced in for a 21-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 31-21.
UNLV managed to tie the game with a field goal from Caden Chittenden and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown — their second in as many weeks. They then took a 38-31 lead on Ricky White III’s 9-yard touchdown catch.
Trailing by seven with under three minutes left, Syracuse drove 75 yards in 11 plays to tie the game, with Jackson Meeks catching a 6-yard touchdown pass with just 23 seconds remaining.
The Rebels decided to kneel on their first play of the final drive in regulation, which sent UNLV to its first overtime game since 2021, when they lost to Eastern Washington in triple overtime.
