Orange Hosts USF in Homecoming Game

Syracuse (1-1) vs. USF (2-0)
Game Details: Saturday, Sept. 17 | 3:30 p.m.
Location: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Live Stream: ACC Network Extra
Radio: Syracuse IMG Radio Network
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes
USF Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse football team (1-1) concludes a three-game homestand at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 against USF (2-0). The game is centerpiece of the University Orange's Central Weekend (Homecoming). It's also 'Education Day' at the Dome, which serves as an opportunity for teachers, educators and students in the community to rejoice in the opening of school.

Part of the celebration includes the start of Otto's Reading Kickoff presented by Driver's Village. The program rewards academic excellence in our local schools. by offering free tickets to students who meet their school's qualifying standard. The high-achieving students will be honored during Syracuse's game against Florida State on Nov. 19. To sign up for Otto's Reading Kickoff presented by Driver's Village, school officials should call 888-DOMETIX.

The Orange are looking to bounce back from a 62-28 loss to Louisville on Sept. 9. Sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey was responsible for all four touchdowns against the Cardinals, including a a career-high three TD passes. Redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo hauled in eight passes for 103 yards and two scores to post his second straight 100-yard receiving game.

USF is off to a 2-0 after back-to-back wins against Towson and Northern Illinois. In their most recent game, the Bulls defeated Northern Illinois 48-17 on Sept. 10. Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers led the way, going 21-of-33 passing for a career-best 350 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, USF gained 658 yards of total offense, the second-highest total in school history.

Saturday's game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra with Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Al Groh (analyst) on the call.

AIRING IT OUT
After two games, Syracuse ranks second in the ACC and 10th nationally in passing, averaging 365.0 yards per game through the air. Amba Etta-Tawo and junior wide receiver Ervin Philips lead the Orange with 20 catches each and they both lead the ACC and are ranked third in the country in receptions per game (10.0). Syracuse is the only school with two receivers ranked in the top 10 in catches per game.

On Sept. 2, Syracuse was 40-46 passing for 437 yards against Colgate. The Orange recorded a .870 completion percentage, setting a new program single-game record. The previous top mark was a 16-of-19 (.842) performance against Army West Point on Nov. 16, 1996. It also marked the highest completion percentage by an ACC team with a minimum of 40 attempts this century.

BIG EAST DAYS
Syracuse and USF were both members of the BIG EAST Conference from 2005-12. The Orange and Bulls met eight times while in the league, with USF owning a 6-2 edge in the series during that time frame. USF is the second former BIG EAST opponent Syracuse will play during the 2016 season. The Orange already played Louisville on Sept. 9, and they will also face former BIG EAST foes Connecticut (Sept. 24), Virginia Tech (Oct. 15), Boston College (Oct. 22) and Pittsburgh (Nov. 26).

HERMANOWSKI RECOGNIZED WITH ZUNIC AWARD
Three-time Orange football letterwinner Tom Hermanowski '70 is the winner of the 2016 Zunic Award. Hermanowski will be honored tonight during a dinner at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino and recognized on the field in the second quarter of tomorrow's game.

A defensive back for the Orange from 1967-69, Hermanowski is a leader in the fight against substance abuse. He is the executive director of ADAPT Consultants, which provides comprehensive alcohol and substance abuse education, prevention and intervention programs for school-age children in Southern New England. His work has helped hundreds of kids to better understand the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol.

Presented by the Syracuse Football Club, the Zunic Award was created in 2001 to honor Mike and Judy Zunic, who died tragically on July 18, 1989 when a United Airlines plane crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. The pilot, anticipating landing difficulties, requested if some strong passengers would volunteer to give up their seats and sit at the exit doors to assist passengers in the event of an emergency. Mike and Judy gave up their seats in first class to sit at one of the exit doors. They both died in the crash and those in the Zunics' original seats survived. Mike Zunic was a four-year starter at linebacker at Syracuse.

USF AT A GLANCE
Head coach Willie Taggart has USF off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2012. Taggart owns a 16-23 record with Bulls, but has guided the team to wins in nine of its last 11 games. The Bulls are averaging 52.0 points and 551.0 yards of offense per game thus far in 2016. They lead the American Athletic Conference in points per game.

Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers is averaging 264.0 passing yards per game and has accounted for eight touchdowns this season. Wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Ryeshene Bronson are Flowers' top targets. Valdes-Scantling is averaging 75.5 yards per game on eight catches for 151 yards. Bronson has four receptions for 122 yards (30.5 avg.). Running back Darius Tice leads all USF rushers with 152 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries.

Defensively, linebacker Auggie Sanchez has a squad-best 20 tackles. Sanchez was a 2015 All-AAC performer last after finishing with 117 stops. Linebacker Nigel Harris has 11 tackles, including a team-best 3.5 for a loss. He also has USF's only interception so far this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting is the 10th between Syracuse and USF. The Bulls own a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have split the last four meetings.

In the last year's matchup, USF recorded a 45-24 victory at Raymond James Stadium. Eric Dungey was 21-for-34 passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns for the Orange. He also ran for 31 yards and a score. Running back Jordan Fredericks and wide receiver Steve Ishmael were on the receiving end of Dungey's TD tosses.

Syracuse defeated USF for the first time in school history on Oct. 9, 2010. The Orange scored a 13-9 victory on the road. Down three points in the fourth quarter, quarterback Ryan Nassib engineered at 98-yard, game-winning drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Sales.

UP NEXT
Syracuse goes on the road for the first time this season. The Orange will visit the UConn Huskies on Saturday, Sept. 17 for a 1 p.m. contest at Rentschler Field. The game will air live on the CBS Sports Network.

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Players Mentioned

Eric Dungey

Amba Etta-Tawo

Jordan Fredericks

Steve Ishmael

Ervin Philips

Syracuse University Athletics