Syracuse University Athletics

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Returning back to the JMA Wireless Dome for the first time in two weeks, Syracuse football dropped a 27-10 ACC game to North Carolina Friday night.

Syracuse (3-6, 1-5 ACC) had just 147 total yards of offense, picking up 108 on the ground. Yasin Willis led the Orange with 61 yards on 15 carries, averaging 4.1 per carry. Syracuse's passing game struggled as walk-on Joseph Filardi made his first career appearance, completing four passes on 18 attempts for 39 yards.

Syracuse's defense accounted for the lone Orange touchdown on the night with a scoop-and-score from Anwar Sparrow, returning it 51 yards for the score. It was one of two total turnovers in the game, one from each team. Sparrow also picked up two tackles for loss, leading the Orange.

North Carolina (3-5, 1-3 ACC) ran for 209 yards on the back of Demon June's 101 yards with a touchdown. Jones added a receiving touchdown as well while catching two passes for 81 yards. The Tar Heels picked up another 216 yards in the air, as Jordan Shipp caught six passes for 64 yards.

Syracuse is on the road for its next two games, leading off on November 8 at No. 10 Miami for a 3:30 p.m. kick on ESPN. The Orange return to the Dome Thanksgiving weekend for a November 29 showdown with longtime rival Boston College. Tickets are available at Cuse.com/tickets

After the teams traded punts early, the Tar Heels picked up a 50-yard catch-and-run as Lopez hit Kobe Paysour down the right side down to the Syracuse 3-yard line. From there, the Orange defensive line held firm, stopping UNC on two straight rushing plays at the goal line. A false start penalty out of a Carolina timeout pushed the Tar Heels into a field goal and a 3-0 lead at the midway point of the first quarter.

The Orange had their second-straight three-and-out, but it would be the defense that came up big on the following UNC possession. After Lopez hit Shamar Easter in the flat, Devin Grant punched the ball loose, setting up an Anwar Sparrow scoop-and-score from 51 yards out, bringing the Dome crowd to its feet with a 7-3 lead at 4 minutes and 38 seconds in the first.

On the next Carolina possession, the Orange allowed just six yards, both 3-yard rushes, before an incomplete pass, pushing the visitors into their first three-and-out of the evening.

Backed by several 10-plus yard runs, Syracuse marched down the field before stalling out in the red zone. Tripp Woody knocked through a 31-yard field goal as the Orange took their advantage out to 10-3 with 12:17 left in the half. Importantly, Syracuse used up nearly six minutes of clock to cover the 50 yards on 13 plays.

After another few rounds of traded punts, Filardi completed his first career pass on a flea flicker down the middle into triple coverage to Darius Johnson for a 25-yard pick up.The drive stalled out on the Block S at midfield before Stonehouse pinned the Heels inside their own 8-yard line with a sky high punt.

In the fading minutes of the first half, North Carolina made it a four-point game at 10-6 Syracuse with just 36 seconds on the clock, completing a drive of just eight plays over 67 yards in a shade over four minutes. Rece Verhoff hit a 43-yard field goal after the Heels' drive flamed out, despite a 44-yard run from Demon June into 'Cuse territory.

The Orange went three-and-out in the first possession of the second half. One play later, North Carolina took a 13-10 lead 90 seconds into the third as Lopez connected with June on the right side for a 72-yard touchdown pass.

As Syracuse approached midfield, the Orange went for it on fourth and one as Carney handed off to Willis, who punched through the Carolina line for nine yards. One play later, Carney ran for 18 yards down to the UNC 30. The drive came to an end after two tackles for loss in three plays to set up another Stonehouse punt.

Carolina made it a two-score game with eight seconds left in the third quarter. Three chunk plays and a 15-yard penalty against the Orange brought the Tar Heels deep inside Orange territory. Paysour caught a 14-yard pass before two 5-yard rushes from June, bookending a Shipp 7-yard run, pushed the Tar Heels ahead 20-10 on June's second touchdown of the half.

Syracuse committed its first turnover of the game as Filardi was caught from behind by Melkart Abou Jaoude, who punched the ball free and it was recovered by Smith Vilbert. Three snaps later converted a 21-yard pass from Lopez to Shipp for a 27-10 North Carolina lead.

That would be the final score of the game as the Tar Heels ran out the clock on the final possession of the game.

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