Is That Allowed? Syracuse-Wagner Make Agreement Amid Blowout
Syracuse led 49-0 at halftime
What do you do when you're down 49-0 at halftime? You ask if you can shorten the length of the game. At least if you're Wagner College playing on the road against Syracuse.
That's right. They shortened the length of the third and fourth quarters.
Both teams agreed to play 10-minute quarters in the second half of Syracuse's 59-0 win over Wagner on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. While that final score isn't completely out of the ordinary for an FBS vs. FCS matchup, the first half stats will help spell out just how dominant the Orange were in this one.
As mentioned above, Syracuse led 49-0 at halftime behind dominating performances from just about every level. Quarterback Garrett Schrader went 14-for-14 for 185 yards through the air and scored three total touchdowns. His running back Sean Tucker, one of the best in the nation, rushed for 227 (!!!) yards and three touchdowns of his own -- including an easy 60-yarder.
The Orange entered the ballgame as -50.5 point favorite. Due to that ludicrous spread, 85% of the total money and 70% of the total bets were placed on the Seahawks to cover, per Cassie Buontempo of DraftKings Sportsbook. The only question remaining is whether or not those bets will be honored considering the teams only played 40 minutes of football.
It wasn't just an offensive display from Syracuse. The Orange defense allowed 19 yards in the first half. Total.
In the second half (the one where they played 10-minute quarters) Syracuse continued to bully Wagner, with Tucker's backup, LeQuint Allen, having the schools first rush of more than 90 yards since 1949.
In the end, Syracuse won 59-0 nothing and college football fans were treated to a delightfully weird game.