Stunner in the Dome — Syracuse Shock No. 19 SMU 30–27

Syracuse does not do boring anymore. A week after walking off North Carolina in overtime, the Orange blew a 10-point halftime lead, gave up a safety on an intentional-grounding call in their own end zone, fell behind No. 19 SMU with nine minutes to play — and then scored 10 points in the final six minutes to win 30–27 at the JMA Wireless Dome, Steve Angeli hitting Noah Meyers for the winning touchdown with 17 seconds left.

It was Syracuse's first win over SMU in three meetings dating back to 1932, and it wrecked a four-game winning streak and a charmed path through the ACC for the Mustangs (6–2), who arrived as 10.5-point favorites. The Orange (4–4) were supposed to be the Halloween appetizer. Instead the Dome got a classic.

Angeli set the tone early, capping a 55-yard opening drive — set up by Demetres Samuel's 27-yard punt return — with a 26-yard touchdown run. SMU answered with 10 straight, but Syracuse owned the second quarter 13–0: two Tripp Woody field goals, then Ahmad Miller punching it in from a yard out on fourth-and-goal with 22 seconds left in the half for a 20–10 lead.

The third quarter nearly buried them. Syracuse punted on all three possessions while Kevin Jennings — 29-of-36 for 351 yards — drove SMU 85 yards and found Yamir Knight to cut it to 20–17. Early in the fourth, the game tilted hard: a long Calvin Russell screen that broke deep into SMU territory was wiped out by a holding call, and on the next snap Angeli, throwing it away with nobody open, was flagged for intentional grounding in his own end zone. Safety. 20–19. SMU took the ensuing possession and scored — Kendrick Raphael's short touchdown run plus a two-point conversion — and with 9:04 left the Mustangs led 27–20 and the Dome went quiet.

Then Angeli took the game over. A 10-play, 67-yard drive produced a Woody field goal to make it 27–23. The defense forced a three-and-out. And with the season's second straight walk-off hanging on one drive, Angeli went 7-of-8 for 68 yards: Daunte Bacheyie down to the 2 with 33 seconds left, then Meyers, two yards, touchdown, pandemonium — 30–27 with 17 seconds to play. SMU's last gasp ended the way the day had gone for them: Jennings found Randy Pittman Jr., and Chase Geter forced the fumble and recovered it. Ballgame.

SMU outgained Syracuse 421–338 and lost anyway, because the Orange won the turnover battle 2–0 and made every red-zone trip count. Two weeks, two walk-offs, one very loud house. Fran Brown's team is .500, bowl hopes are alive, and nobody in the ACC wants to come to the Dome in late October.