The Orange stun the Bulls

What Happened: Syracuse overcame a 20-point halftime deficit and edged South Florida 37-36 with a one-yard touchdown pass caught by Alec Lemon with just three seconds left in the game. Lemon’s touchdown capped the final drive where the Orange marched 75 yards in under two minutes. SU outscored USF 34-13 in the second half as Nassib connected on four touchdown passes. 

How It Happened: Whatever Doug Marrone said in the locker room worked. At the half, the Orange was down 23-3 and looked depleted. The second half was a completely different story. SU came out with energy in the third quarter and scored three touchdowns in seven minutes to put itself back in the game. 

What It Means: Syracuse is now firmly in contention to win the Big East this season with an impressive 3-1 conference record. After a 2-4 start, many wrote off Marrone and the Orange, but SU has played impressive football in the last two weeks. 

My Take: Finally, I’m seeing a team that believes in itself. This was an emotional game for Syracuse. That one-yard touchdown from Nassib to Lemon could have a momentous impact on the remainder of the season. Coming back from 20 points is never easy, let alone on the road in conference. The Orange have work to do, but if Syracuse makes a bowl, we’ll look back at this game as the pivotal point of the season.