Culpepper Tosses Three TDs In Loss To Unbeaten Liberty

Saturday, October 17

Syracuse, NY

12 PM

Syracuse University

1-4 , 1-3

Liberty

5-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Liberty

Syracuse

Culpepper Tosses Three TDs In Loss To Unbeaten Liberty

10/17/2020 3:19:00 PM | Football

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Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper tossed three touchdown passes, freshman running back Sean Tucker recorded his second 100-yard game, and linebacker Mikel Jones notched his fifth takeaway of the season Saturday, but the Orange (1-4) fell to the Liberty Flames (5-0), 38-21, in the Carrier Dome.

Playing in place of injured starter Tommy DeVito, Culpepper completed 19-of-40 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receivers Taj Harris (nine receptions for 96 yards) and Anthony Queeley (five for 77), and tight end Aaron Hackett (two for 25) each caught a touchdown pass from Culpepper. It was the first touchdown of Queeley's career.

Tucker, who ran for 112 yards against Georgia Tech, gained 111 yards on 21 carries against the Flames. Defensively, Jones recovered a fumble and notched eight tackles, linebackers Marlowe Wax and Lee Kpogba each had a sack, and linebacker Tyrell Richards led the team with nine tackles.

Syracuse entered the game leading the nation with 14 takeaways and a +10 turnover margin, and the Orange continued to improve those numbers with a 2-1 edge in turnovers Saturday. No team in the FBS has more takeaways than Syracuse's 72 since the start of 2018.

For Liberty, quarterback Malik Willis – a transfer from Auburn – completed 16 of 20 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown. The Flames rushed for 338 yards, with running backs Shedro Louis (170 yards on 10 carries) and Peytton Pickett (115 yards on 23 carries) combining for 285 yards and Willis added 58 on the ground. Louis scored on runs of 75 and 57 yards, Pickett had a 16-yard touchdown run, and Willis had a 4-yard score and a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Stubbs.

Making his second career start, the redshirt senior Culpepper led the Orange on a nine-play, 61-yard drive to give Syracuse a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Facing a second-and-22 from the Orange 45, Culpepper completed three consecutive passes to pick up the first down, and then connected with Harris across the middle for a 17-yard scoring strike.

The Orange takeaway machine started to churn in the second quarter, this time courtesy of special teams. When Liberty returner DeMario Douglas muffed a Nolan Cooney punt, backup wide receiver Isaiah Jones won the scramble for the ball at the Flames' 14-yard line.

Thanks to that turnover, Liberty started its next drive at its own 5-yard line and the Orange forced the Flames to punt when freshman Wax sacked Willis for a 7-yard loss at the Liberty three. A short punt gave the Syracuse offense a short field and the Orange took advantage as Tucker rambled for a combined 24 yards on the first two plays. Culpepper executed a perfect run fake and found Hackett in the flat for a 12-yard touchdown that knotted the score at 14.

Liberty was ahead 21-14 and the Flames were driving near the end of the first half, but Syracuse's Jones saved a touchdown by forcing Willis' fumble at the Orange 3-yard line and then falling on the ball along the sideline for the turnover. Jones has notched three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in five games this season.

In the fourth quarter, Culpepper directed a seven-play, 65-yard drive in 2:16 to pull the Orange within 14, 35-21. Culpepper capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Queeley in the corner of the end zone.

Saturday's game was the Syracuse's only non-conference game of this season and the second of a three-game series with Liberty. The Orange defeated the Flames 24-0 last season in Lynchburg, Va., and will host Liberty again in 2021.

Up Next

After a three-game homestand, the Orange will travel to face No. 1 Clemson (5-0) at noon Saturday at Memorial Stadium (ESPN or the ACC Network).

Syracuse University Athletics remains committed to doing everything it can to support and protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, our staff and the campus and Syracuse communities. All decisions will be science-based and informed by public health and guidance as provided by county, state and public health officials.

If fans are permitted to attend games – in some capacity – Syracuse Athletics will announce plans for spectators to secure admission to the events. Fans will be required to sit in their socially-distanced seat locations and wear a face covering.

Gallery: (10-17-2020) Syracuse vs. Liberty