For second-year Syracuse head coach Mitch Tulane, the first item on the agenda was establishing his team’s physical identity.

The Titans opened up a tight game Friday night with 17 unanswered second-half points to escape with a 37-24 win over Woods Cross.

“There’s a reason that we wanted to play Woods Cross week one,” Tulane explained. “It’s because they’re tough as nails. I think we’re a good football team, but they are a tough, physical football team and I wanted to see what we were about.”

The deceptive and hard-nosed Woods Cross triple option offense caused Syracuse trouble early as the Wildcats amassed over 200 rushing yards in the first half.

But it was the defense that initially set the tone as Shaydon Gerratt added the first points of the season on a 27-yard pick-six against Syracuse’s Ledger Wight midway through the first quarter.

Wight, though, used his legs to get the Titans ahead with a pair of quarterback keepers, from 4 and 20 yards out, to put Syracuse up 13-7.

The Wildcats regained the lead on the third consecutive rushing touchdown by a quarterback when Jesse Simmons spun his way in from the 7.

Unfortunately, Simmons was injured late in the first half and didn’t return. After a promising start, the Woods Cross offense sputtered the rest of the way.

Twice in the game, the Titans answered go-ahead Wildcat scores with touchdowns of their own on the ensuing play.

The first came following the Simmons TD when Syracuse took possession at the Woods Cross 44 following a long kick return.

Using a double pass, Wight tossed to Bracken Lessey, who launched the ball down the right sideline into the waiting arms of Weston Russell, who scampered untouched the rest of the way. The score put the Titans back on top 20-14 with 3:39 to play in the second period.

“Once we settled in and dealt with their physicality, I thought we were much better,” Tulane said. ” Obviously, in the first half, I think the offense moved the ball, especially in that second quarter. We stalled there at the end a little bit — we need to be better — but I liked our resiliency and finishing the right way.”

Following the Simmons injury, Woods Cross salvaged the drive with a 25-yard Mason Allred field goal to pull within 20-17 at the half.

After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Titans had a chance to make it a two-score game and seriously diminish the hopes of a ground-dependent team playing with its backup quarterback.

But a drive to the Woods Cross 12 culminated in a goal-line interception which WX returned to the Syracuse 39, breathing new life into the Wildcats.

Riding the ball-carrying efforts of senior Viliami Tapa’atoutai, Woods Cross took the lead again when Tapa’atoutai bullied his way in from the 2 with 3:09 to play in the third period.

But for the second time, the WX lead only lasted mere seconds.

The Syracuse kickoff return team had been threatening to break one all the way for a good portion of the evening and Kao Prom finally did. The freshman outraced the Woods Cross coverage team for a 97-yard touchdown to make it 27-24.

Syracuse helped make the Woods Cross offense ineffective down the stretch with three forced punts — including one blocked by Mulivai Pula — and by forcing one fumble.

Meanwhile, the Titans tacked on a 20-yard Coban Lambert field goal and a Ben Cook touchdown after he scooped up Pula’s block.

“I love the youth on our team making plays,” Tulane said. ” The freshman on the kick return — huge. And then the sophomore blocks the punt there at the end. The young guys stepping up, playing for the seniors.”

Syracuse next travels to Roy (0-1).