In a thrilling overtime match, LeQuint Allen charged into the end zone for his fourth touchdown, leading Syracuse to a narrow 44-41 victory over No. 23 UNLV on Friday in Las Vegas.

This marked the first time UNLV (4-1) achieved a ranking in the program’s history, but they had to settle for a 41-yard field goal from Caden Chittenden during their first overtime possession. Syracuse (4-1) seemed to be heading for a long field-goal attempt, but a roughing-the-passer penalty kept their drive alive.

On the subsequent plays, Allen received the handoff, powered through Jackson Woodard, and dove into the end zone for the victory with a 1-yard score. Overall, Allen recorded 19 carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns, along with two receiving touchdowns from quarterback Kyle McCord, who finished 40 of 63 for 355 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.

UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams completed 21 out of 25 passes for 227 yards, contributing three touchdown passes and running for an additional score with 53 rushing yards. Ricky White III had a standout performance with 10 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown, in addition to making a crucial punt block.

With the score tied at 31-31 late in the fourth quarter, Woodard picked off a McCord pass in the red zone. Shortly after, Williams threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to White, giving UNLV the lead with 2:58 remaining.

Syracuse quickly responded, advancing down the field and scoring on a 6-yard back-shoulder touchdown pass from McCord to Jackson Meeks with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Allen made a clutch run on a fourth-and-1 to keep their drive alive.

Syracuse started strong, with Allen scoring on the team’s first two drives. UNLV’s Williams responded with back-to-back touchdowns—a 6-yard pass to Kaleo Ballungay followed by a 3-yard touchdown run, leveling the game at 14-14.

The Rebels capitalized on a mishap when Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse was stopped behind the line of scrimmage, leading to another quick touchdown pass from Williams to Casey Cain for a 9-yard score.

Syracuse quickly regained their momentum, scoring 17 consecutive points, including a 6-yard pass from McCord to Allen early in the third quarter and a 21-yard touchdown run from Yasin Willis, putting the Orange ahead 31-21 midway through the third quarter.

However, UNLV fought back to pull ahead once more with 17 unanswered points. In the dying seconds of the third quarter, White executed a crucial punt block, which bounced into the end zone for a touchdown by Charles Correa, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.