After Drew Allen took a blindside hit while throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter, backup Terrel Hunt calmly trotted onto the field and led Syracuse down the field for a touchdown in its 48-27 loss to No. 19 Northwestern.

The game was already out of reach, and it came against a unit made up mostly of backups, but the drive was still impressive.

Hunt led the offense the way he knows best. He ran three times for 30 yards, including a 15-yard scramble into the end zone. But he also threw two completions for 22 yards and looked sharp throughout the drive.

“I thought he came in and did a great job,” Syracuse wide receivers coach Rob Moore said. “He came in and took advantage of the opportunity, and I tip my hat to him for that.”

Hunt held the upper hand in Syracuse’s quarterback competition before Allen arrived on campus after transferring from Oklahoma, but he’s been stuck on the bench behind Allen for the past two weeks.

Hunt made the most of his opportunity in the game’s final minutes. Now, SU head coach Scott Shafer has a decision on his hands.

“We’re going to keep having those guys competing their asses off,” Shafer said, “and we’re going to play the guy that’s ready to play.”