LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeQuint Allen told Syracuse coach Fran Brown in the first half that the pain in his lower left leg was an eight out of 10. He also said he didn’t get out of the game.

Good thing for the Orange, when Allen drove into the end zone from a yard out in overtime to give Syracuse a 44-41 win over No. 25 UNLV on Friday night, four days after the Rebels broke into the AP Top 25 for the first time. in program history.

“I’m putting everything on the line for my team,” Allen said. “At the end of the day, if I can run and jog, I still want to go out there for my team. No one is bigger than ‘The S.’”

After Caden Chittenden made a 41-yard field goal to give the Rebels (4-1) a 41-38 lead in overtime, the Orange (4-1) used eight plays and gave it away with Allen’s fourth touchdown of the game , as the 200-pound running back dragged UNLV’s 230-pound linebacker Jackson Woodard for about four seconds before crashing into the end zone.

Allen rushed 19 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns, and had nine catches for 58 yards and two more scores.

“He did that, that’s just what he does — that’s LeQuint,” Brown said. “Never stops talking, never stops wanting just football. It’s never open. He’s a competitive guy.”

Kyle McCord, who transferred from Ohio State in the offseason, was 40 of 63 for 355 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for Syracuse. Oronde Gadsen II completed 10 passes for 142 yards for the Dutch team – both career highs.

UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams completed 21 of 25 passes for 227 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Ricky White III had 10 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. The receiving star also forced Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse to break down and later blocked a punt, his second of the season.

“Looking at what this team did, we really didn’t start well and stayed in contention,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “I hate it because we have a strong team, great young men. We’re close, but this will bring us closer. I have no doubt about that.”

With 31,329 in attendance – the third-highest since UNLV began play at Allegiant Stadium in 2020 – the back-and-forth marathon featured four lead changes and three ties.

Syracuse struck first after McCord completed all seven attempts during a nine-play drive capped by a kick pass Allen, who fired in from 8 yards out to give the Orange a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The Dutch pushed the lead to 14-0 after Allen’s second touchdown of the game.

UNLV had outscored its previous four opponents by a combined score of 52-14 in the first quarter and led in three of the games after the first. But the Rebels found their groove in the second quarter, outscoring Syracuse 21-3 to take a 21-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Syracuse got right to work in the third quarter, as it took the opening drive of the second half and drove 75 yards in 12 plays, capped by McCord’s 6-yard strike to Allen, as the Orange regained the lead, 24-21.

One play after Syracuse safety Duce Chestnut picked off Williams at the UNLV 20, it was the Orange running back Yasin Willis who raced 21 yards unchecked to extend the lead to 10, at 31-21.

UNLV would tie the score thanks to Chittenden’s field goal and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown – its second in two weeks – then took a 38-31 lead on White’s 9-yard touchdown reception.

Trailing by seven with less than three minutes left, the Orange drove 75 yards in 11 plays to tie the score, with Jackson Meeks catching a 6-yard TD pass with 23 seconds left.

The Rebels opted to kneel on their first play of the final drive in regulation, sending UNLV to its first overtime game since 2021, a three-way overtime loss to Eastern Washington.

The takeaway

White came into the season heralded as an All-America candidate at wide receiver but continues to play on special teams. He is the first Rebel to block two kicks in a season since Ronnie Smith had two in 2006.

Survey implications

UNLV will likely lose its spot in the rankings after its first loss of the season.

Next

Syracuse: At NC State on Oct. 12

UNLV: At Utah State on October 11.

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