Recap: Dungey Delivers as Orange Win Opener, 55-42

Friday, August 31

Kalamazoo, MI

6 PM

Syracuse University

1-0

Western Michigan

0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Syracuse

Western Michigan

Recap: Dungey Delivers as Orange Win Opener, 55-42

8/31/2018 3:26:00 PM | Football

Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery Dino Babers Press Conference Eric Dungey Press Conference Jamal Custis Press Conference Postgame Notes Quotes

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – With a résumé full of passing accomplishments, Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey opted to hang on to the ball a bit longer against Western Michigan (0-1). The result was a record rushing total for a Syracuse signal-caller and a 55-42 Orange triumph in the 2018 season opener for both teams Friday, Aug. 31 at Waldo Stadium.

Dungey ran 15 times for 200 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 7-of-17 passes for 184 yards and two scores. The senior shattered the previous rushing record for Orange signal-callers, which was 156 shared by Bill Hurley and Terrel Hunt. Hurley posted his total against Northwestern in 1979 and Hunt matched it in 2014 versus Maryland. In addition, Dungey's performance was the fourth 200-yard rushing game for a quarterback in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

Syracuse (1-0) lit up the board early and often against the Broncos. The game's initial score was vintage Dungey, a 27-yard scoring strike to Jamal Custis on the first Orange passing play of the new season to cap Syracuse's first possession. The Orange offense returned to the field quickly, following an interception by freshman Andre Cisco at the Western Michigan 30. The drive stalled, but redshirt freshman Andre Szmyt converted the first field-goal attempt of his career, a 26-yarder that put the Orange up 10-0 less than six minutes into the contest.

Syracuse added rushing touchdowns of one and three yards from Moe Neal, and a 1-yard TD blast from Dontae Strickland before the first half ended. The Broncos managed a first-quarter touchdown, but when Szmyt nailed a 43-yard field goal to complete the points scored prior to intermission, the Orange led comfortably, 34-7.

Dungey gouged the Bronco defense with runs of 14, 18, 18, 31, 36 and 49 yards to his credit. When he departed the contest with 9:25 remaining in the second quarter in favor of redshirt freshman Tommy DeVito, Dungey had accumulated 149 yards rushing on nine carries.

A NEW AND DIFFERENT HALF
The hosts weren't finished, though. After regrouping in the locker room, the Broncos flipped the switch. Western Michigan forced a Syracuse fumble on the opening play of the third quarter, and the Broncos scored 21 unanswered points. Quarterback Jon Wassink threw touchdown passes of 21 and 84 yards to D'Wayne Eskridge, and LeVante Bellamy sprinted 64 yards for a touchdown. With the extra points added, the Broncos had narrowed the gap to 34-28 with 5:19 left in the third quarter.

Dungey returned to the field and immediately engineered an 8-play, 60-yard scoring drive, finished off by his 21-yard touchdown pass to Custis, to put Syracuse ahead, 41-28. However, the increased margin was shortlived. Wassink teamed with Eskridge on a 59-yard pass play, then completed the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to close the gap to six again.

Following the Western Michigan score, the Dungey-to-Custis combination came up big once more. The two hooked up on a 50-yard sideline pass down to the Bronco nine. Dungey ran it to the one and Strickland took it the final yard into the end zone. The third quarter, which featured 42 combined points, ended with Syracuse in front, 48-35.

HOW IT WAS DECIDED
The final quarter began the way the third had – with a turnover. This time it was the Syracuse defense that stepped up. Senior linebacker Kielan Whitner picked off a Wassink pass and returned it to the Bronco 27. Dungey did the rest, scoring from 27 yards out on first down. Szmyt's seventh extra point extended the lead to 55-35 less than 15 seconds into the fourth stanza.

The Orange's seventh TD of the game proved to be too much for the Broncos. Western Michigan managed one more score, wrapping up the evening's point explosion by fashioning a 7-play, 98-yard scoring drive. Wassink found Jayden Reed on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 2:50 remaining, but that was as close they would get. Syracuse's ensuing possession started on the Bronco 20-yard line following a failed onside kick. Neal rushed six straight times to move the ball down to the 1-yard line when the final buzzer sounded.

OF NOTE

Syracuse won its fifth straight season opener. It was the Orange's first opening-day win on the road since 2010, when Syracuse defeated Akron, 29-3.
Coach Dino Babers improved his record in opening day matchups with Syracuse to 3-0.
Custis finished with a career-high six catches, 168 yards receiving, and two touchdown receptions.
Western Michigan's Eskridge led all receivers with eight receptions, 240 yards, and two touchdowns.
Szmyt's kicking debut for Syracuse resulted in a 7-of-7 effort on extra points and 2-for-2 showing on field goals.
Sterling Hofrichter excelled when called upon, punting four times for a 43.5-yard average. Three of his boots landed inside the Western Michigan 20. He had a long punt of 51 yards.
In addition to forcing two turnovers, the Syracuse defense held Western Michigan to a 2-of-10 (.200) performance on third-down conversion attempts.
Syracuse ran 88 plays from scrimmage, compared to 64 for the Broncos.

BABERS BITE
"To let them [Western Michigan] back in the game was not good, it was not good," Orange head coach Dino Babers said. "But the fortitude that they [the Syracuse players] turned around with, and how they took over the fourth quarter when we put our four fingers up and it's all about us and our conditioning. For them to go in and take that game back, take any hope that those guys had of winning the game in the fourth quarter, I'm really proud about the way they battled back."

UP NEXT
Syracuse opens the home portion of its schedule against Wagner on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The game is slated to air on ACC Network Extra.

Season tickets start for Syracuse's six home games start at $125 and are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Single-game tickets to watch the Orange against Wagner start at $20.

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