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WATCH: Stanford Provides Plenty of Highlights in ACC Win Over Syracuse

Jason Burke

Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal place kicker Emmet Kenney (13) is carried by teammates following his game winning field goal against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Stanford Cardinal place kicker Emmet Kenney (13) is carried by teammates following his game winning field goal against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
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There has been a lot of chatter over how Stanford will handle being in the ACC, which comes with a lot of extra travel baked into their schedules across sports. In their first game on the football field on the road, the Cardinal showed that they're up to the task.

Traveling to Syracuse for their first conference game as a member of the ACC, Stanford was in control of the contest throughout most of the game. They took a 7-0 lead on a 17-yard pass from QB Ashton Daniels to WR Elic Ayomanor, which is in discussion for catch of the year.

The ACC "X" page even compared it to one of the best catches in recent memory in the NFL.

That is how the game started, and Stanford would add a 38-yard field goal from Emmet Kenney to go up by ten. Syracuse and Stanford traded field goals in the second quarter, making it 13-3, when Syracuse WR Umari Hatcher hauled in a 67-yard TD from QB Kyle McCord to make it 13-10 heading into the half.

It appeared as though Syracuse may have switched the momentum to their advantage at that point, but with just over four minutes left in the third quarter, Mitch Leigber jumped a route, secured the interception, and was able to take it all the way to the house for a 71-yard TD.

Syracuse added a touchdown of their own as time expired in the quarter as McCord ran for 17 yards and the score, but Stanford held a three point edge entering the fourth, and would add another three with nine minutes left in the game.

With just over three minutes to go in the game, Syracuse was able to take their first lead of the night on a Jackson Meeks reception from 13 yards out. With the PAT, the Orange led by one, 24-23. The problem was, all the Stanford Cardinal needed was a field goal, and Kenney was already 3-for-3 from distances of 38, 51 and 35.

While the Cardinal needed just a field goal, it wasn't easy to get into range. Daniels operated out of the shotgun, finding TE Sam Roush for an eight yard gain on second down, and head coach Troy Taylor dialed up a run on third and two, handing the ball off to Micah Ford for ten yards and a first down on their own 43. They'd pick up another first to end up in Syracuse territory.

After a holding penalty on first and ten from the Syracuse 46 backed them up to their own 44, Daniels began to zero in on Ayomanor, who ended up with seven receptions on 15 targets, good for 87 yards and a score.

The attempt on first down went incomplete, but Stanford gobbled up 11 yards when Daniels found Ayomanor to get them back into Orange territory. On third and nine, Daniels looked for Ismael Cisse at the yard stick, but the pass fell incomplete, putting the game on the line on fourth down.

Daniels found Ayomanor deep for a 27 yard completion that not only kept Stanford's hopes alive, but also put them firmly into field goal position at the Syracuse 18. Daniels would pick up two more yards while centering the ball for Kenney to come on and kick the team to victory.

Syracuse attempted to ice him and there was a false start penalty that moved them back five yards, but Kenney split the uprights as time expired, sealing the first ACC win for Stanford.

In the postgame footage posted to social media, Troy Taylor was getting ready to hand out the game ball, mentioning the performances from the Daniels and Ayomanor to get them into position. Then he posed a question to his team: "Who's the best kicker in the country?"

Kenney, a senior who is in his first year as Stanford's kicker with Joshua Karty now in the NFL, is now 8-for-8 on field goals this season, and none have been bigger than the game clincher on Friday night.

The full game highlights package can be found below.

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Jason Burke
JASON BURKE

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