Syracuse, NY — The Syracuse football team had just taken its first lead in Friday night’s showdown.

Kyle McCord connected for a 13-yard touchdown with Jackson Meeks to give the Orange a 1-1 lead with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter.

SU’s defense had played well all game, intercepting Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels twice, limiting Stanford to a pair of field goals and keeping preseason All-ACC receiver Elic Ayomanor fairly in check.

But on the drive that mattered most, Stanford converted a 4th-and-9 to create a walk-off field goal opportunity.

Emmet Kenney covered the 39 meters with ease.

Syracuse did not survive Friday night’s confrontation with new ACC member Stanford, losing 26-24 to the Cardinal.

McCord finished the game 27 of 42 for 339 yards, two passing touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite a 19-yard scoring rush, he finished with minus-8 rushing yards as a result of four sacks.

Trebor Peña was by far the Orange’s best in receptions and yards, with 10 catches for 101 yards.

Syracuse’s defense braced itself for a day that, aside from a few notable moments like McCord’s score, was a tough one for the opposition.

Justin Barron and Derek McDonald led in tackles with eight each. Devin Grant and Clarence Lewis each intercepted Stanford QB Ashton Daniels. They held Ayomanor to 87 receiving yards on seven catches.

Orange played with a number of absentees who could also have an impact in the future.

Syracuse was down five starting players at the end of Friday’s game, excluding linebacker Marlowe Wax, who has been out since Week 1 with a lower leg injury.

Four players were inactive before the game started: defensive lineman Dion Wilson Jr., wide receiver Emanuel Ross, running back Will Nixon and wide receiver Zeed Haynes, who was absent due to a personal matter.

The Orange also lost cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. in the first quarter, who was taken to the locker room. The ESPN broadcast of the game later announced that he would not play in the game.

After a rocky first half that saw no scoring in the first half, Syracuse’s offense finally began to play consistently midway through the third quarter.

Lewis intercepted a pass from Daniels, giving the ball back to Syracuse at its own 25-yard line.

But on a third-and-12 around midfield, McCord targeted Dan Villari. The tight end either didn’t turn on his route, or didn’t turn in time, and Mitch Leigber returned a clean pick 71 yards for a touchdown.

It looked like Syracuse would tie the score or take an early lead, but now the team is behind by double digits again: 20-10.

The Orange recovered from a poor game with a touchdown from McCord, but the next time the Orange went out, McCord was intercepted for the second time.

The interception fest that both defenses actively participated in began early when Grant intercepted Daniels’ pass in the second quarter.

Grant dove for a mid-distance pass with Ashton Daniels aimed at Tiger Bachmeier. He was punished at the Stanford 23-yard line.

It could have been the momentum-shifting play, but Syracuse’s offense couldn’t find the end zone on the ensuing drive. Brady Denaburg put points on the board with a 31-yard field goal.

The fact that there was so little movement, even deep in Cardinals territory, was surprising given the Orange offense’s seasonal format, but not in the context of the game.

SU didn’t move the ball more than 16 yards on any of its first three drives.

The drive immediately preceding Grant’s interception was three-and-out with just one net yard. McCord was sacked for a loss of nine on second down and dropped the ball. Left tackle Da’Metrius Weatherspoon recovered.

Syracuse didn’t reach the end zone until late in the first half and went into the locker room trailing 13-10.

Fran Brown showed his clock-management savvy again and started the drive, calling a timeout with 1:49 left in the half and Stanford stuck on third-and-10. The defense called up the third-down play, the Cardinal settled for a field goal, and the Orange got the ball back with 1:35 left.

McCord was sacked early in the drive — he was sacked four times in the game — but two plays later he connected with Umari Hatcher for a 67-yard score after the defender went down in coverage and Hatcher had a clear path to the end zone.

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