Orange Runs by Wake Forest, 30-7

Saturday, October 18

Winston-Salem, N.C.

12 pm

Syracuse University

3-4 , 1-2

Wake Forest

2-5 , 0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Syracuse

Wake Forest

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

10/18/2014 3:55:00 PM | Football

Box Score

'Cuse rushes for 199 yards and scores two defensive TDs in victory

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Syracuse scored 30 unanswered points and defeated Wake Forest, 30-7, in its first road conference game of the season. AJ Long threw for 171 yards and rushed for a touchdown to become the first SU true freshman quarterback to lead the Orange to victory in his first game as a starter.

Junior Devante McFarlane led the Orange's rushing attack, gaining a career-best 114 yards on 10 carries. Long completed his first five passes and finished the day 22-for-32 for a career-high 171 yards. Long's 22 completions were the most ever for SU true freshman signal caller in one game, eclipsing the previous mark of 18 set by Todd Norley against Maryland in 1982. Syracuse's offense was perfect in the red zone, scoring on all four possessions from inside the 20.

Defensively, Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 ACC) sacked Wake Forest quarterbacks three times and forced two turnovers. Both takeaways led to Orange scores as defensive ends Robert Welsh (interception return for a touchdown) and Micah Robinson (fumble recovery return for a touchdown) contributed 14 Orange points. The Demon Deacons' 170 yards of total offense is the fewest Syracuse has allowed this season. Wake Forest was just 3-for-15 on third down and rushed for only 71 yards on 36 attempts (1.97 avg.).

The first quarter featured scoring drives by both teams. Wake Forest (2-5, 0-3 ACC) took the lead when quarterback John Wolford hit Cam Serigne for a 10-yard touchdown with 5:20 on the clock for its only score of the game. The play capped a 13-play, 91-yard drive. Syracuse responded with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that ended with Cole Murphy's 32-yard field goal that closed the gap to 7-3.

The Orange took the lead for good on its first possesion of the second quarter. Long capped a 15-play, 92-yard march with a dash to the right corner of the end zone and Syracuse claimed a 10-7 advantage with 7:50 remaining in the half. Long accounted for 80 of the 92 yards on drive. He was 5-for-7 for 56 yards passing and rushed for 24 yards during the series.

On Wake Forest's ensuing drive, Welsh intercepted a Wolford pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. It was Syracuse's second interception return for a touchdown this season and Murphy's extra point gave SU a 17-7 lead with 5:05 to go in the second quarter.

Syracuse continued to pour it on in the second half, adding to its lead on a 41-yard field goal by Murphy at the 11:07 mark of the third quarter. A 33-yard pass from Long to Steve Ishmael highlighted the drive and Ishmael led all receivers with six catches for 72 yards on the day.

The Orange defense struck again on Wake Forest's next series. Senior Brandon Reddish came on a corner blitz and drilled backup quarterback Tyler Cameron, causing a fumble. Robinson picked it up and ran it back 51 yards for the touchdown and a 27-7 SU lead. Robinson's scoop-and- score was the Orange's second fumble return for a touchdown in 2014.

An 86-yard run by McFarlane set up a 27-yard field goal by Murphy that closed the scoring late in the third. McFarlane's dash tied for the third-longest rush in school history.

The defense did the rest, not allowing a first down on Wake's last five possessions to help the Orange snap its four-game losing streak.

Reddish paced the SU defensive unit with a career-high seven tackles in addition to forcing the fumble that led to Robinson's touchdown.

The Orange's road swing continues next Saturday when it faces Clemson at 7 p.m. (ESPNU) in Memorial Stadium.