The Syracuse Orange came into the Dome in an interesting position at this the end of their regular season: Win and become bowl-eligible, and also, this is the first time Dino Babers has not been on the sideline in almost a full eight years.
Babers was let go by Syracuse University following the team's road loss a week ago at Georgia Tech against the Yellow Jackets.
Syracuse University Director of Athletics John Wildhack shared that he gave Babers the option of coaching this game, the home- and regular-season finale, but Babers declined.
As a result, Wildhack elevated tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile to interim head coach for this match-up with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
This game featured the two worst records in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with both Syracuse and Wake Forest at 1-6.
The Orange came in at 5-6 overall, which meant that a victory in this game would give them an opportunity at a 13th game, while the Demon Deacons came in at 4-7, meaning their season was over after this game, no matter what.
Syracuse got on the board first when senior quarterback Garrett Shrader found junior wide receiver Damien Alford for a 35-yard pass play to make it 7-0 Orange with 7:08 remaining in the first quarter.
Redshirt-junior quarterback Michael Kern would respond with a passing touchdown of his ownwhen he connected with sophomore wide receiver Wesley Grimes for a 16-yard touchdown to tie the gameat 7-7 less than two minutes later, at the 5:29 mark.
Shrader would keep it for a one-yard rush up the middle to retake the lead at the 10:59 mark of the second quarter, ahead 14-7.
Wake Forest freshman specialist Tyler Black would shrink the Syracuse lead to four, 14-10, with 5:30 left in the first half.
Orange sophomore kicker Brady Denaburg would get a deep try at a field goal, but the Demon Deacons would give the Orange new life due to a leaping penalty.
Shrader would go on to complete the ball over the middle to Alford to what was originally called Alford's second touchdown of the day.
After further review, the call was overturned when Alford was ruled down at the one-yard line.
Shrader would roll out and complete a pass to sophomore running back LeQuint Allen, Jr., who was hit low by redshirt-freshman cornerback Jamare Glasker, stopping Allen at the Wake Forest 1.
Syracuse did not get the ball back to the line, running out of time on the first-half game clock, going from two almost touchdowns to no points on the drive, keeping the score at 14-10 at the break.
On the opening drive of the second half, tt took just four plays for the Orange to find their way back into the end zone, with redshirt-sophomore tight end Dan Villari (who transferred in as a quarterback from the Michigan Wolverines) finding Alford for a 47-yard pass play that led to Alford's second touchdown of the day, elevating the Orange to a 21-10 lead just over two minutes into the third quarter (12:57 mark).
The Demon Deacons would respond with a 12-play drive, on their first opportunity in the second half, that finished in the Orange end zone on a two-yard carry by junior running back Justice Ellison to minimize the Orange lead to four once again, 21-17, with 7:32 left in the third quarter.
Just a few plays in the next Syracuse drive, Shrader's pass would be tipped and intercepted by sophomore nickelback Nick Anderson, placing Wake Forest on the Syracuse 33-yard line.
However, the Orange would keep the Demon Deacons out of the end zone and a 38-yard field-goal attempt by Black would fall outside the uprights, resulting in the Demon Deacons coming away with no points following their takeaway from the Orange.
Syracuse would get the ball on their own 20 and take it all the way down to the Wake Forest 13-yard line beofre the end of the third quarter, with a 12-yard rush by Shrader placing them inside the Wake Forest redzone to begin the final quarter.
Continuing this drive, two plays into the fourth quarter, Shrader dropped back and took little to no time to send the ball to Villari in single-coverage, who caught his third touchdown of the season and Shrader got his 12th passing touchdown on this play that rolled the Orange forward 28-17 with 14:23 to play.
The Demon Deacons took just two plays to respond with a touchdown of their own, with Kern sending the ball down the middle of the field to redshirt-junior wide receiver Morin Taylor for a 59-yard gain and then junior wide receiver Jahmal Banks who had no trouble turning around and reeling the ball in in single-coverage for a 16-yard score.
Kern would move diagonal, going backward and to the right side of the field, but no one got to him. He set his feet, looked to the end zone, and found Grimes waiting at the middle of the end zone for a successful two-point conversion that makde it 28-25 Syracuse with 13:38 to go.
After six-straight carries, the Orange would head to the air, with Shrader tossing his third touchdown of the day on a ball that redshirt-junior wide receiver Umari Hatcher came back to get in single-coverage, heading into the end zone after catching the ball around the five-yard line, for a 37-yard pass play that advanced the Orange back to a double-digit lead, 35-25, with 10:24 on the game clock.
However, just like what happened following their last score, Syracuse's defense allowed Wake Forest back into their end zone, this time on a seven-play drive that resulted with Kern to Grimce once again. A two-point conversion, though, would be thwarted this time around, and the Orange held a four-point lead, 35-31, with 7:20 remaining.
Syracuse's offense sputtered on the next drive, going three-&-out, punting the ball away with under six minutes to play.
On 3rd-&-4, Orange redshirt-senior cornerback Isaiah Johnson was flagged for pass interference, moving the ball from the SU 25 to the SU 10 with a new set of downs.
Syracuse's defense locked in and did not allow a touchdown or another first down to Wake Forest, with senior free safety Jason Simmons, Jr., intercepting Kern on fourth down, starting the new Syracuse drive at their own one-yard line.
The Orange would run three-straight times, gain a first down, and then let that clock roll to the coveted sixth win. moving to 6-6 overall and 2-6 in the ACC, while the Demon Deacons end 2023 at 4-8 and last in the ACC, at 1-7.
Syracuse, for the second-straight season, is bowl-eligible, getting to 6-6 with a 35-31 victory over Wake Forest.
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