Syracuse University
Pittsburgh
Carter Leads Orange in 37-10 Loss at No. 14 Pittsburgh
11/7/2009 12:38:05 PM | Football
No. 14 Pittsburgh 37, Syracuse 10
Syracuse Postgame Notes
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Senior running back Delone Carter led the Orange with 165 yards of total offense in a 37-10 loss to No. 14 Pittsburgh at Heinz Field on Saturday afternoon. It was the fourth 100-yard rushing game of Carter's career and the second this season.
Carter collected 143 yards rushing on 17 carries, including a career-long 58-yard scamper and had a 22-yard reception to lead the Syracuse offense. Senior wide receiver Donte Davis was the second-leading rusher for the Orange, collecting a career-best 33 yards on three carries, while sophomore running back Averin Collier had his first career touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Graduate student quarterback Greg Paulus completed 12-of-18 passes for 120 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Marcus Sales was the leading receiver for the Orange, reeling in four passes for 36 yards. Junior tight end Cody Catalina tied a career-best with three receptions for 20 yards before being sidelined by a knee injury in the second quarter.
Junior defensive back Mike Holmes led the defense with 11 total tackles, including seven solo, while senior linebacker Derrell Smith, junior linebacker Doug Hogue and sophomore defensive end Chandler Jones each had eight, a career-best for Jones. Junior defensive back Max Suter had six total tackles to lead Syracuse at the half before leaving the game in the second quarter with an arm injury. Freshman free safety Phillip Thomas replaced Suter in the second half and tallied a career-best six total tackles.
Redshirt senior quarterback Bill Stull led the Pittsburgh offense, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-23 passing. Freshman running back Dion Lewis led the Panthers offense on the ground, collecting 110 yards on 18 carries while senior tight end Dorian Dickerson was the receiving leader with 118 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
After receiving the opening kickoff at its own 15-yard line, the Orange marched 71 yards and took a 3-0 lead on a 29-yard field goal by freshman kicker Ryan Lichtenstein. The six-play drive included the career-long 58-yard run by Carter.
The Orange defense limited Pittsburgh to a field goal on the ensuing drive, stalling the Panthers on the 2-yard line on three-straight plays. Kicker Dan Hutchins converted the 19-yard field goal attempt to even the score, 3-3.
Syracuse cut short another Pittsburgh march in the second quarter, holding the Panthers to a 45-yard field goal by Hutchins, the longest of his career.
The Panthers caught a break late in the second quarter as linebacker Greg Williams intercepted a deflected pass attempt by Paulus and returned it 52-yards for the first Pittsburgh touchdown of the game. Hutchins tacked on the extra point to give the hosts a 13-3 lead heading into the break.
Pittsburgh increased the lead on its opening drive out of the locker room, engineering a 55-yard, nine-play touchdown drive. The Orange defense stuffed the Panthers on the one-yard line on two separate occasions during the drive before Lewis broke through for the score to increase Pittsburgh's edge, 20-3.
Wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin helped the hosts build its lead in the third quarter, legging out a 61-yard rush to put the Panthers on the 14-yard line. Stull found Dickerson in the end zone to cap off the two-play drive with a 14-yard score putting Pittsburgh on top, 27-3. A fourth-quarter, 33-yard field goal by Hutchins upped the lead to 30-3.
The Orange was not deterred as Paulus began to march the team downfield on the ensuing drive. Paulus competed four-of-five pass attempts, connecting with Sales, sophomore wide receiver Van Chew and senior wide out Lavar Lobdell, but the drive was cut short as Pittsburgh defensive lineman Greg Romeus infiltrated the passing lane for a drive-halting interception.
The Panthers took advantage of the turnover, as wide receiver Cedric McGee capped off a six-play, 63-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown run, building the Pittsburgh edge, 37-3, with 5:47 remaining in the game.
Syracuse refused to relent, as Nassib engineered a 58-yard touchdown drive with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Collier finished the drive with a one-yard run, finding the end zone for his first career touchdown to produce the final score, 37-10.
The Orange created another opportunity when Collier recovered Rob Long's onside kick. The SU drive stalled and Pittsburgh emerged with the victory.
