'Cuse Done In by Running of the Bulls

Saturday, September 17

Syracuse, NY

3:30 pm

Syracuse University

1-2

USF

3-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

USF

Syracuse

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

9/17/2016 3:47:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Orange tie ACC record for most offensive plays

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange (1-2) scored the game's first 17 points, but couldn't hold off USF (3-0) and its strong rushing attack in a 45-20 loss at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Two rushing touchdowns each by USF running back Marlon Mack and wide receiver Rodney Adams proved to be the difference in the contest. Overall, USF ran for 239 yards on 35 attempts (6.7 avg.) and outscored Syracuse 45-3 over the last three quarters.

Syracuse ran a school-record 105 plays from scrimmage (55 rushing, 50 passing) to post its second game with at least 500 yards of total offense under head coach Dino Babers. Saturday's play count eclipsed the previous Orange record of 100 snaps set against Virginia Tech in 2002 and tied the ACC record established by Maryland in 1992 versus North Carolina State.

Quarterback Eric Dungey was 32-of-48 passing for 350 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. It was Dungey's second 300-yard passing effort of the season and the eighth time he's thrown at least two touchdowns. Wide receiver Ervin Philips had 10 receptions for the second time in three games this season. He finished with 10 catches for a career-best 95 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo recorded his third straight 100-yard receiving game with eight receptions for 123 yards.

Running back Dontae Strickland had his best game in Orange uniform. The sophomore posted career-high totals for carries (30) and yards (127). His number of rushing attempts were the most for a Syracuse performer since Delone Carter had 30 against Akron in 2009. Strickland also caught three passes for 17 yards.

Syracuse scored the first three times it had the ball. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Orange drove 79 yards in 16 plays, a march finished off by Dungey's 24-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Philips. Dungey and Strickland were the key factors in SU's scoring march. Dungey extended the drive by plunging forward for a first down on fourth-and-one at the Syracuse 45. Strickland carried eight times for 36 yards during the series.

On Syracuse's next possession, Dungey hooked up with Brisly Estime on a 47-yard touchdown pass. The score was set up by a 30-yard completion to Etta-Tawo on the previous play. Kicker Cole Murphy added a 40-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the first period to give the Orange a 17-0 advantage at the end of the quarter.

Dungey, who started the game with back-to-back incompletions, got hot, hitting 10-of-11 throws for 138 yards over the rest of the period.

With the Orange offense clicking, USF didn't rattle. The Bulls responded with two scores in the first six minutes of the second quarter and led 28-17 at the half. Adams did most of the damage, scoring on a 27-yard reception from Quinton Flowers, and adding touchdown runs of nine and 19 yards. Mack recorded USF's other first-half score on a 2-yard touchdown plunge.

In the third quarter, the teams traded scoreless drives until Syracuse broke through. Murphy converted a 49-yard field goal, just one yard shy of his career best, to narrow the deficit to 28-20.

The Bulls answered Murphy's second field goal of the game decisively. Facing a fourth-and-1 from their own 48, the Bulls put the ball in Mack's hands and he ran 52 yards to paydirt with 55 seconds left in the third quarter to push the lead to 35-20.

After Syracuse's next possession stalled, USF used its special teams to put the game away on the first play of the four quarter. Sterling Hofrichter's punt traveled 52 yards, but D'Ernest Johnson ran it back it 83 yards up the middle for a touchdown. The Bulls tacked on a 42-yard field goal by Emilio Nadelman with 8:55 remaining to close the scoring.

Safety Daivon Ellison Syracuse with a career-best 11 tackles and a forced fumble in his first start. Linebacker Zaire Franklin added eight tackles for the Orange.

Mack led USF with 115 yards rushing on nine carries. Flowers was 12-of-24 passing for 185 yards and a touchdown and ran 11 times for 51 yards. Adams finished with 34 yards rushing. He was also USF's top receiver, making four catches for 67 yards. Auggie Sanchez led four Bulls with double-digit tackles. Sanchez tallied 13 tackles, including USF's only sack.

Syracuse faces its first road test of the season next week. The Orange travels to Connecticut for a 1 p.m. clash with the Huskies Saturday, Sept. 24 at Rentschler Field. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.

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