SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Garrett Shrader threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, Daniel Villari threw for one and rushed for one, Damien Alford had two scores, and Syracuse became bowl eligible for the second straight season, defeating Wake Forest 35-31 Saturday.
With Wake Forest trailing 35-31 and headed for a potential game-winning score, Syracuse’s Jason Simmons intercepted Michael Kern at the 1-yard-line with two minutes remaining to secure the win.
The Orange win (6-6, 2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) capped a week that saw the firing of coach Dino Babers after eight years at the helm. Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile served as interim coach.
Syracuse had not gone to consecutive bowl games since 2012-13 under Doug Marrone and Scott Shafer.
Wake Forest (4-8, 1-8 ACC) ended its season in last place in the ACC. The Orange avoided a last-place finish with the victory.
Shrader, who took snaps along with running back LeQuint Allen and tight end Dan Villari, connected on a 35-yard pass play with Alford midway through the first quarter and ran it in from the 1-yard line to give Syracuse a 14-7 lead with 10:59 to go in the second. Shrader also connected on a 13-yard pass play to Villari to give Syracuse a 28-17 lead and a 37-yard scoring pass to Umari Hatcher to for a 35-25 advantage.
Kern connected with Wesley Grimes on Grimes’s second touchdown on the day, a 9-yard score, to make it 35-31 with 7:20 left but Syracuse held on.
Shrader was 10 of 15 for 173 yards. He also gained 46 yards on the ground. Allen rushed for a career-high 144 yards on 32 carries. Syracuse won the time of possession category, 34:58 to 25:02.
Kern was 17 of 24 for 261 yards and three touchdowns for Wake Forest.
The loss marked the Demon Deacons’ worst 12-game season since going 3-9 in 2015 during coach Dave Clawson’s second year. They had won at least seven games every year since, outside of a nine-game COVID-19 schedule in 2020.
