LeQuint Allen, Syracuse RB Par Excellence

Syracuse University has a football history highlighted by a lone national championship ,in 1959. The school's all-time record is 743-577-49, including a 16-11-1 mark in bowl games.

Since joining the ACC in 2013, the Orange have had only one season, 2018, in which they've finished above .500 in the league ( 6-2 that year). Two other years, they went 4-4 in the Conference.

All other years were below .500 inside the ACC. And going back 20 years, the Orange have an aggregate record 50 games below .500. So most of Syracuse's best football results came pre-2003.

In that period, the Orange were their own version of Running Back University . Syracuse grads of note include Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. With the notable exception of Davis, each of them went straight to the NFL for distinguished careers. Davis fell victim to leukemia just post -college and did not survive. The other three were each ultimately inducted into the pro football Hall Of Fame. Many football experts still consider Jim Brown the greatest football player of all time.

Beyond those names, consider Darryl Johnston , Joe Morris , James Mungro and Jim Nance, four more Syracuse running back alums with fine NFL careers.

Coincidence, perhaps, but Brown , Little and Davis each wore #44 at Syracuse.

This year the featured running back of the Orange is LeQuint Allen. The 6'0 201 lb junior had an outstanding year in 2023, going over 1000 yards, scoring nine times and hauling in 38 catches for another 210 yards as well.

In the Orange opener last week vs Ohio, Allen ran for 98 yards and caught four passes with one going for a score. Stopping Allen will be a tall task for Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Much of that responsibility will fall to Tech's middle linebacker Kyle Efford who leads the Tech defense– and the country– with 23 tackles.

Coincidence , perhaps, but Efford's number is 44 for the White and Gold.

Patrick Conarro

RamblinSports.com