:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26391427/20131204_kkt_bk3_493.0.jpg)
There's something a little ironic to me about this category: Top Individual Game Performance. It's not that 2013 didn't see its fair share of big-games from Orange men, but this season's success seemed collective. The ugly and brutal fight to get to and ultimately win the Texas Bowl was a team effort, not many individual performances stand out, at least that's the way it seemed.
And yet, there's no denying this season provided some amazing singular efforts. The first one that comes to mind is Hunt's three touchdown effort against Boston College. Hunt not only kept Syracuse in the game against the Eagles, accumulating over 350 total yards on the ground and through the air, but he also overcame a devastating late-game interception to lead the Orange to an improbable win and eventual bowl berth. Hunt's coming-of-age moment not only showed Scott Shafer and company they had their quarterback of the present, that effort showed EVERYONE Syracuse had its man for the next two years.
The majority of the TNIAAM staff agreed, picking Hunt's performance in the final regular season game as the most memorable by any one player this season. However, Sean Farrell, being the outlier that he is, figured to go in a different direction. Farrell went with the combo of Jerome Smith and Prince Tyson-Gulley and their efforts against N.C. State.
"They (Hunt and Tyson-Gulley) had over 130 yards rushing, one 50-plus yard run and one TD. Each win to six - hypothetically - counts the same. And in this one, the run game bailed out Hunt (who had an off game)."
There's also Smith's game against Maryland, a huge road win for Syracuse, where the running back dominated the ground attack by rushing for 118 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Or maybe you preferred Hunt's game-winning ways in the Texas Bowl win over the Gophers? Maybe something else?
Really, If you don't like one of the choices here just post it in the comment section and we'll tally them up. Because there are probably more choices than I realize.
