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 wasn’t coming out of the game.
Good thing for the Orange, as Allen powered into the end zone from a yard out in overtime to give Syracuse a 44-41 victory 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.
“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 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 walked it off with Allen’s fourth touchdown of the game, as the 200-pound running back dragged UNLV’s 230-pound linebacker Jackson Woodard for roughly four seconds before plunging 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’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 in from Ohio State during the offseason, was 40 of 63 for 355 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception for Syracuse. Oronde Gadsen II hauled in 10 passes for 142 yards for the Orange — both career highs.