Garrett Shrader hit Damien Alford for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining to give Syracuse a 41-36 win over Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference game on Saturday at Blacksburg, Va.
Syracuse trailed 36-27 late in the game, but cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 36-34 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Shrader to Courtney Jackson with 2:28 remaining.
After forcing a Virginia Tech punt, Syracuse (4-4, 1-3) got the ball back, converted a fourth-and-4 from its own 36-yard-line, and then won the game on Shrader’s pass to Alford.
Shrader accounted for five touchdowns in the game, going 16-of-34 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.
Malachi Thomas rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries in defeat for Virginia Tech (3-4, 1-2).
Syracuse took a 27-26 lead with 13:35 remaining on a 3-yard touchdown run by Shrader, but Virginia Tech regained the lead at 29-27 with 10:54 left on a 33-yard field goal by John Parker Romo.
The Hokies then extended their lead to 36-27 with 5:36 left on a 47-yard touchdown run by Thomas.
Trailing 19-13 in the third quarter, Syracuse took a 20-19 lead on a 21-yard touchdown run by Shrader with 11:13 remaining in the third.
The Hokies responded, taking a 26-20 lead with 6:52 left in the third on a 2-yard touchdown run by Thomas.
Virginia Tech went up 14-7 on a 4-yard touchdown run by Thomas with 14:02 to go in the second quarter.
Toward the end of the second, Syracuse closed within 14-13 on a 9-yard touchdown run by Shrader with 1:54 left in the second quarter, which capped off an 11-play, 98-yard drive.
But Virginia Tech’s Chamarri Conner blocked the extra point, which was returned all the way for two points by Dorian Strong to make it 16-13 Hokies.
–Field Level Media
