Syracuse University
Kansas State
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Champs!
12/30/2010 4:03:30 PM | Football
Final Stats | Notes | Photos
Syracuse Post-Game Quotes
Kansas State Post-Game Quotes
NEW YORK - Syracuse (8-5) amassed an SU bowl-record 498 yards total offense to defeat Kansas State, 36-34, in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. SU improved its overall bowl record to 12-9-1, while securing its eighth overall victory and sixth road win. The six away game victories are the most since 1992.
Senior running back Delone Carter led the Orange on the ground, logging a career-high 198 yards rushing on 27 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Carter moved into third place on SU's career rushing ledger (3,104 yds.) passing Pro Football Hall of Famer and Syracuse legend Larry Csonka. Junior wide receiver Marcus Sales had five receptions for a career-best 172 yards and an SU-bowl record three touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Ryan Nassib threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-21 passing in the win. With his 13 completed passes, Nassib set an SU single-season record for completions (202), eclipsing the previous standard of 193 established by Greg Paulus in 2009. Nassib is eighth on the Orange's all-time completions record list with 238. His three touchdown passes also matched an SU bowl record, originally set by Donovan McNabb in the 1996 Gator Bowl.
Kansas State converted on its opening drive as Daniel Thomas broke out for a 51-yard rushing touchdown, capping a two-play, 51-yard drive to give the Wildcats an early 7-0 advantage.
Syracuse answered with a perfectly executed flea-flicker play with junior running back Antwon Bailey taking the handoff and tossing back to Nassib who found Sales in the end zone with a 52-yard pass, tying the game, 7-7. Carter opened the two-play, 76-yard scoring drive with a 24-yard rush.
Sales helped give the Orange its first lead of the contest, 14-7, at the 9:35 mark of the second quarter. Sales legged out a 36-yard reception for the touchdown, capping an eight-play, 79-yard drive for SU, which included 15 yards on the ground by Nassib and a 22-yard reception by Sales.
The Wildcats knotted the score for a second time, 14-14, with 1:51 remaining before halftime as Thomas capped a seven-play, 73-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.
Carter and Bailey combined for 60 yards on the ground to open the second half with Carter driving seven yards to the end zone to put SU back on top, 21-14, with 12:11 remaining in the third quarter.
The back-and-forth battle continued as the Wildcats marched 65-yards on 10 plays capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Coffman to Chris Harper. The score tied the game at 21 with 6:34 remaining on the clock in the third quarter.
SU went to the ground again to re-establish its lead, 27-21, on a 15-yard touchdown run by Carter. The score capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive for the Orange and included a 16-yard reception by sophomore wide receiver Alec Lemon and a 15-yard catch by Bailey.
With Kansas State driving toward the end zone on its first possession of the fourth quarter, the Orange defense stood strong, pinning the Wildcats on the goal line three times. Thomas broke through for the Wildcats on their fourth attempt, crossing the goal line to give K-State its first lead since the first quarter, 28-27, with 11:03 left on the clock.
Sales came through again on the ensuing drive, putting the Orange back on top, 33-28, with 7:52 left on the clock. Sales' third touchdown catch of the day completed a seven-play, 72-yard drive for SU, which had its two-point conversion attempt broken up.
After a failed fake field goal attempt by Kansas State, the Orange built its lead to eight, 36-28, on a 39-yard field goal by Ross Krautman with 3:08 remaining in regulation. Krautman's field goal capped a five-play, 64-yard drive for the Orange, which included a 60-yard rush by Carter.
The Wildcats cut the deficit, 36-34, with a 30-yard touchdown reception by Adrian Hilburn. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was assessed to Hilburn after the play, backing up K-State's two-point conversion attempt to the 18-yard line. The Syracuse defense warded off the conversion attempt, securing the 36-34 win for the Orange.
Syracuse finishes the season at 8-5 overall. It qualifyied for postseason play for the first time since 2004 and secured its first bowl victory since 2001, when the Orange beat K-State, 26-3, in the Insight.com Bowl. The Orange is now 2-1 against K-State and 4-2 against Big 12 Conference opponents in bowl games.
