Syracuse Orange football: Three takeaways from overtime win over Virginia Tech

At the end of the season they don't ask how you won, but how many you won. Well, the Syracuse Orange didn't score any style points today, but they showed a lot of heart in coming back from a deficit against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Let's get to the takeaways:

The Syracuse Spark

The Orange were down 21-3 and desperately needed someone to step up and make a play. Kyle McCord was struggling with dropped passes and his receivers were unable to create space against the Hokies' secondary when he squeezed in a pass to Justus Ross-Simmons. Virginia Tech's corner read the throw and appeared ready to stop the ball when Ross-Simmons caught the ball and took off for the score.

Last week I pointed out that Syracuse had one 40-yard pass this season and Ross-Simmons made his first catch of the year for 55 to bring the Orange back to life. Later in the third, Trebor Pena hit a 41-yard screen to tie the score, and those big plays seemed to force Virginia Tech to adjust their approach.

Syracuse's defense was up and down all game, but Duce Chestnut forced a turnover to get the offense back on the field in the comeback, and Marlowe Wax's overtime play sealed the win. Big plays in big moments that turned a seemingly demoralizing defeat into an uplifting victory.

Return of the run

LeQuint Allen ran for 125 yards on 21 carries. 68 of those yards came in the second half and overtime as the Orange finally found a rhythm in the running game. It certainly seemed to help that Syracuse no longer had spread formations that allowed Allen to get to the second level and find room to move instead of slamming headfirst into a stacked box.

Whatever the change, the blocking seemed more active and Allen ran like an old man trying to return soup at a deli. You could tell he wasn't planning on turning around and accepting defeat today, and he delivered in the final round in both regulation time and overtime.

Syracuse's outside plays forced Virginia Tech to adjust its coverages and keep the safeties in the passing game. We'll see if the Orange keep this strategy going next week in Boston.

So many shots in the foot

Syracuse continues to look for ways to do its own damage. Darrell Gill had a first down late in the first half but failed to recover the ball, resulting in a fumble. Five McCord passes were dropped. The offensive line missed a double-team on Antwan Powell-Ryland, allowing a sack on third down. Powell-Ryland blocked an extra point with a slight jump over the lineman, who remained in his stance.

This team seems to love creating its own obstacles and that area needs to be cleaned up over the last four games. Maybe the momentum that got away today will bring the team's attention to detail back to where it needs to be.

The Orange travel to Boston College next Saturday to face an Eagles team that currently has a bye. We'll have plenty of previews this week.