Recap: DeVito Runs and Throws Orange Past Western Michigan

Saturday, September 21

Syracuse, NY

12 PM

Syracuse University

2-2

Western Michigan

2-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Western Michigan

Syracuse

Recap: DeVito Runs and Throws Orange Past Western Michigan

9/21/2019 5:54:00 PM | Football

Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery Dino Babers Press Conference Players Press Conference 1979 Team Celebration Postgame Notes Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tommy DeVito passed for four scores and ran for another and Syracuse (2-2) stopped its two-game losing streak with a 52-33 victory against Western Michigan (2-2) on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Dome.

Devito completed 27-of-35 passes for 287 yards and the four touchdowns. He also ran for 85 yards and a score. DeVito's 372 total yards and five touchdowns responsible for were both personal bests.

His performance helped Syracuse score a season-high 52 points and rack up 545 yards of total offense on 82 plays.

QUOTABLE
"Fantastic effort by our young men. I thought it was a game where there were different mood swings and different momentum swings. It felt like one minute we had control of the game and then next thing you know, you were back in a football game," Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said. "You've got to take your hat off to Coach [Tim] Lester, a former Orange that was here and does a fantastic job with his football team at Western Michigan. I wouldn't be surprised if that team was right in the middle of a run for the MAC championship. They're really, really good."

DEVITO UNLEASHED IN GROUND ATTACK
Devito had not rushed for more than 21 yards in a single game prior to Saturday. He surpassed that total on his second attempt of the afternoon when he sprinted up the middle and then cut to the outside for a career-long, 60-yard gain.

He added to that number when he scrambled 36 yards for a second-quarter touchdown that put the Orange ahead, 21-0. The carry marked his first rushing touchdown of the season.

AIRING IT OUT
DeVito combined with redshirt junior Trishton Jackson on two scoring passes and found junior tight end Aaron Hackett for two more.

The TD pass to Hackett came on a 10 yard shovel pass in the first quarter. In the third quarter, DeVito and Jackson teamed up twice for touchdowns. The first covered 46 yards, while the second was a 59-yard missile that hit Jackson in stride. The latter represented the longest completion of DeVito's career, to date.

With Syracuse clinging to a 38-33 advantage in the fourth quarter, DeVito found Hackett again, this time for a 9-yard touchdown.

DEFENSIVE STAND HELPS SECURE TRIUMPH
Syracuse was hanging on to a 38-33 advantage when Western Michigan took over on its own 9-yard line with 13:42 left in the fourth period. The Broncos moved the ball up to their own 32. Facing third-and-1, Broncos signal caller Jon Wassink plunged forward, but was stopped for no gain by senior defensive end Kendall Coleman and senior defensive back Christopher Frederick. An officials' review confirmed the spot of the ball.

Western Michigan opted to hand the ball to senior Davon Tucker on fourth-and-1 and senior Orange defenders Kenneth Ruff and Evan Foster stopped him shy the first down. The Syracuse offense took advantage, as DeVito capped the ensuing series by tossing his second touchdown to Hackett, which pushed the Orange advantage to 45-33 with 8:45 to go.

TURNOVERS LEAD TO ORANGE POINTS
Two of Syracuse's first three touchdown drives were initiated by turnovers. Western Michigan's Keith Mixon Jr. fumbled a Sterling Hofrichter punt and Syracuse's Abdul Adams recovered at the Broncos 7-yard line. Three plays later, Devito teamed with Hackett on a 10-yard shovel pass that found paydirt to put the Orange up 14-0 midway through the first quarter.

Later in the stanza, redshirt senior safety Antwan Cordy caused WMU running back LeVante Bellamy to fumble at the end of an 11-yard run and Fredrick recovered in the end zone to halt a Broncos drive. On the ensuing possession, the Orange went 80 yards in 11 plays capped off by DeVito's touchdown run.

RETURNING THE FAVOR
Western Michigan also took advantage of miscues in the game. Moe Neal lost the handle on a second-quarter pitch and senior Anton Curtis fell on the loose ball at the Syracuse 27. With fourth-and-goal at the Orange 2-yard line, Wassink hit senior tight end Giovanni Ricci in the end zone to close the gap to 21-13.

A fumble by Abdul Adams late in the third quarter gave the Broncos possession at the Syracuse 35. Western Michigan covered the distance in eight plays, with freshman Sean Tyler running the final eight yards into the end zone. The score got the Broncos within five points, 38-33, with less than a minute remaining in the period.

CONVERSION FAILURES
Western Michigan misfired on two point-after touchdown attempts. When the Broncos narrowed the score to 21-13 in the second quarter, placekicker Thiago Kapps missed the extra-point try. In the third quarter, Western Michigan cut the Orange advantage to 31-19 on a LeVante Bellamy touchdown and opted for a two-point conversion attempt. Wassink was then pressured into an incomplete pass.

THE LIFE OF RILEY
Returner Sean Riley became Syracuse's career leader in kickoff returns (107) and kickoff return yards (2,299) during the contest. He passed Qadry Ismail (105 kickoff returns, 2,290 kickoff return yards) in both categories. Riley had two kickoff returns for 32 yards against the Broncos.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Neal led all ball carriers with 123 yards on 26 attempts. He had touchdown runs of 23 yards and 16 yards in the first and fourth quarters, respectively. In two games versus Western Michigan, Neal has four rushing touchdowns. He also scored twice against the Broncos last season.
Jackson ended up with six receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 23.5 yards per catch. The performance marked the second 100-yard receiving game of his career. Jackson had 157 yards two weeks ago at Maryland.
Syracuse's four takeaways (3 fumble recoveries, 1 interception) upped the squad's streak of consecutive games with a turnover gained to 18 games, the third-best active streak in the FBS ranks.
A fourth-quarter interception by redshirt sophomore Eric Coley extended Syracuse's run of games with an interception to 17 contests. It is the longest active streak among FBS programs.
Sophomore kicker Andre Szmyt converted all seven of his extra-point attempts and added a 31-yard field goal to his stat line. He now ranks seventh on Syracuse's career PAT list (73) and ninth in career extra-point attempts (74).
Evan Foster led all Orange defenders with nine total tackles.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Syracuse Athletics celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Orange's 1979 Independence Bowl championship in the second quarter. The 1979 Orange roster was dotted with players who went on to play in the NFL, including future All-Pros Art Monk, Joe Morris, Jim Collins and Gary Anderson. Together with head coach Frank Maloney and star quarterback Bill Hurley, they propelled Syracuse to a 7-5 record despite not playing a game at home due to the construction of the Dome.

The team also featured offensive lineman John Lally, who was recognized in the second quarter, along with his wife, Laura, for their gift commitment of $25 million to Syracuse Athletics. The Lallys were presented with a commemorative football by Orange Director of Athletics John Wildhack.

UP NEXT
Syracuse hosts FCS opponent Holy Cross on Saturday, Sept. 28 at noon in the Dome to wrap up a three-game homestand. The contest will be televised by the ACC Network.

Tickets for the Holy Cross game start at $25. They are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Dome Box Office located in the Ensley Athletic Center.

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