Syracuse, N.Y. —The Cardinals brought their stingy west coast defense to JMA Wireless Dome Friday night and gave the Orange abdominal pain all night long.
Cardinal placekicker Emmet Kenney nailed a 39-yard field goal as time expired, securing a dramatic 26-24 win for Stanford over Syracuse on Friday night. This victory marked the Cardinal’s first triumph in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Kenney also hit fields goals of 38, 51, and 35 yards for the night.
“I felt incredibly confident because I have the best snapper, holder, and blocking unit in the nation,” Kenney remarked after the game. “They executed perfectly all night, which allowed me to do my part. Seeing the ball sail through the uprights was like a dream come true.”
Syracuse (2-1, 1-1 ACC) briefly took the lead with 3:13 left in the contest when quarterback Kyle McCord connected with Jackson Meeks for a 13-yard touchdown score, making it 24-23. However, Stanford’s quarterback, Ashton Daniels, led the Cardinal (2-1, 1-0 ACC) on a decisive final drive. A pivotal moment came when Daniels completed a 27-yard pass to Elic Ayomanor on fourth-and-9, keeping the drive alive and setting up Kenney’s game-winning climatic kick.
“This win was something truly special,” said Daniels. “It was our first ACC game, and it’s history for us. The last two seasons have been tough, but tonight we showed what we’re capable of. The trust I have in Elic is immense—I knew in that crucial moment, he was the one I had to go to.”
Kenney had an outstanding night, also hitting field goals from 38, 51, and 35 yards.
A key defensive highlight came in the third quarter when Stanford safety Mitch Leigber intercepted a pass from McCord, intended for Dan Villari, and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown. The pick-6 gave Stanford a 20-10 lead with 4:16 left in the third quarter—its first interception return for a touchdown since September 2021. Syracuse responded with McCord running 19 yards to set up a 1-yard dive into the end zone, cutting the deficit to 20-17.
Daniels finished the game with 23 completions on 38 attempts for 178 yards, including a touchdown pass to Ayomanor, who hauled in seven catches for 87 yards.
McCord, though impressive with 339 passing yards on 27-of-42 attempts, was intercepted twice, both turnovers leading to Stanford scores. He was also sacked four times, with David Bailey recording two of those sacks. Trebor Pena led Syracuse receivers with 10 catches for 101 yards.
Reflecting on his turnovers, McCord said, “The first pick was a result of miscommunication, but it’s on me because I shouldn’t throw if Dan hasn’t turned around. The second one? Just a dumb mistake.”
Despite the costly errors, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown defended his quarterback. “McCord led us on a great drive that put us in position to win. That’s all you can ask for,” Brown said. “Yes, he threw interceptions, but that’s part of football. You can’t expect to pass for 500 yards every game.”
Stanford’s defense was dominant against the run, holding Syracuse’s top rusher, LeQuint Allen, to just 25 yards on the ground with eight carries. The Orange managed only 26 rushing yards as a team, a stark contrast to the Cardinal’s defensive performance in their previous victory, where they limited Cal Poly to 25 yards on the ground.
“The defense has been much more aggressive these past two weeks,” Stanford head coach Troy Taylor noted.
Stanford’s victory not only gave them their first ACC win but also highlighted their resilience and ability to perform under pressure.
UP NEXT:
Stanford: The Cardinal play their second straight road game — against Clemson on Sept. 28.
Syracuse: The Orange will play Holy Cross on Sept. 28.
