Orangemen Take 32-14 Lead Into Fourth
10/17/2003 1:23:58 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse needed just one offensive possession to score 13 points in the third quarter, taking a 32-14 lead versus Boston College at the Carrier Dome. SU scored on a touchdown run by Walter Reyes and a blocked punt for a touchdown by Anthony Smith.
The Eagles drove to the SU 30-yard line on the first possession of the third quarter, but the SU defense held on third down. Sandro Sciortino's 47-yard field goal attempt missed wide right to keep the score at 19-7.
SU quarterback R.J. Anderson went to work on the next drive, accounting for 68 yards of offense, including a 20-yard run that gave the Orangemen a first-and-goal at the BC seven yard line. Anderson ran for 33 yards and completed all three of his pass attempts to Rashard Williams for 35 yards. Reyes capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give SU a 26-7 lead. The score extended Reyes' streak of consecutive games with a rushing touchdown to a school-record 11 games. Jim Nance ran for a score in 10 straight games in 1964.
Reyes' touchdown run was the 30th of his career, moving him into sole possession of second place on the SU career ledger. Reyes and Floyd Little (35) are the only two SU backs to have 30-or-more career rushing touchdowns. It also tied him with Dee Brown for fourth on the SU all-time total touchdown ledger.
Reyes now has 12 rushing touchdowns in 2003, tied for fifth on the Orangemen's single-season ledger.
The SU defense did not allow the Eagles a first down on their next possession. On fourth down, Smith broke through the line and blocked the Eagles' punt. Smith recovered the ball in the endzone for his first career touchdown to give SU a 32-7 lead. It was the Orangemen's first blocked punt for a touchdown since the Rutgers game in 2002. It was the first time the same player blocked a punt and scored a touchdown since David Tyree did it in 2000 versus Buffalo.
Boston College came back with a six-play, 90-yard touchdown drive to pull within 32-14 with 13 seconds left in the third quarter. Quinton Porter hit Larry Lester for a 39-yard touchdown.
Anderson completed 19-of-24 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns through three quarters. He also led the Orangemen in rushing with 43 yards on seven carries.
The SU defense recorded six sacks through the first three quarters, doubling their output of three sacks entering the game.
Second Quarter Update
R. J. Anderson and Johnnie Morant connected on a pair of touchdown tosses to lead the Orangemen to a 19-7 lead versus Boston College at halftime in the Carrier Dome. Anderson has already tied a career high with three touchdown passes.
Boston College scored the first points of the second quarter when Quinton Porter hit tight end Dave Kashetta for a 21-yard touchdown pass. The play capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive. Sandro Scortino's extra point gave the Ealges a 7-6 lead with 13:24 remaining in the half.
Syracuse came right back with an 80-yard drive on the ensuing possession to re-take the lead. R.J. Anderson threw his second touchdown pass of the game, hitting Johnnie Morant on a 52-yard touchdown pass with 9:54 left in the second half. The Orangemen went for the two-point conversion but Anderson was stopped short, keeping SU's lead at 12-7. Morant has now caught at least one pass in 23 consecutive games.
SU stopped the Eagles on the next series, but SU punt returner Marcus Clayton fumbled the punt return, giving BC a first down on the SU 41-yard line. A false-start penalty made it first-and-15. Following a run by Derrick Knight, James Wyche sacked Porter at the BC 49-yard line to make it third-and-20. Another false start put the Eagles at their own 44-yard line. Porter scrambled to the SU 42-yard line on the next play, forcing BC to punt the ball away. Jeff Gomulinski's punt went out of bounds inside the one-yard line.
The Orangemen weren't able to advance the ball, but freshman Brendan Carney hit a 49-yard punt from the back of the end zone to give the Eagles the ball at midfield. The SU defense held firm, forcing another BC punt. Kelvin Smith recorded the Orangemen's second sack of the game on third down. Gomulinski's next punt was not as effective, hitting off the side of his foot and traveling just 10 yards.
Syracuse took advantage of the good field position, scoring with just nine seconds left in the half. Anderson connected with Morant on a 10-yard corner route. Morant went up with a BC defender, outleaping the DB in the back corner of the endzone for his second touchdown catch of the game. Carney hit the extra point, the first of his career, to give the Orangemen a 19-7 advantage.
The Eagles took a knee on the final play of the half.
Anderson has completed 16-of-21 passes for 172 yards and a career-best three touchdowns. Walter Reyes has rushed nine times for 26 yards and caught a career-high five passes for 34 yards.
Derrick Knight, the nation's leading rusher, had just 30 yards on 10 carries. Porter finished the first half 6-of-10 for 55 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
First Quarter Update
Rashard Williams caught his first career touchdown pass and the SU defense has limited the Eagles to 42 total yards as the Orangemen hold a 6-0 lead versus Boston College at the end of the first quarter at the Carrier Dome.
After an initial first down, the Orangemen were forced to punt on their opening possession. On third down for the Eagles, Diamond Ferri snagged a ball tipped by Thomas Whitfield for his first career interception. Ferri returned the ball to the Boston College 19-yard line.
After two carries by Walter Reyes made it third-and-three, R.J. Anderson hit Williams for a 12-yard touchdown. Anderson is now tied with Todd Philcox for eighth place on the Syracuse career touchdown pass ledger with 16. Ricky Kratuman's first career PAT try hit the right upright, keeping SU's lead at 6-0.
After forcing the Eagles to punt, the Orangemen drove to the Boston College 19-yard line, but Krautman's 36-yard attempt went just wide right with 44 seconds left in the first quarter.
Reyes became the 16th player in Syracuse history with 2,000 career rushing yards. He is only the sixth Orangemen to accomplish the milestone in his third season. The last was Joe Morris in 1980. Reyes finished the quarter 25 yards, moving him past Michael Owens into 15th place on the SU career list with 2,020 yards.
Anderson finished the quarter 6-for-7 with 56 yards and a touchdown. He moved into fifth place on the SU career completion ledger with 255, passing Todd Norley.
BC's Derrick Knight, the nation's leading rusher has been limited to only 2 yards on five carries through the opening period.
