Syracuse 31, Connecticut 24
When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 24, 2016
Where: Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut
Temperature:
65°
Head Official:
Jerry Magallane
Attendance:
31899
By The Sports Xchange
Amba Etta-Tawo set a school record with 270 receiving yards and quarterback Eric Dungey threw for a career-high 407 yards as Syracuse posted a 31-24 victory over Connecticut on Saturday in Storrs, Conn.
Etta-Tawo reeled in 12 passes, including a 59-yarder en route to a late 99-yard touchdown drive.
Dungey, who completed 26 of 40 passes, finished that drive with a 6-yard option keeper with 2:14 left to give Syracuse a 31-17 lead. That possession came after the Orange (2-2) stopped Huskies quarterback Bryant Shirreffs for a 1-yard gain on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with 6:12 remaining.
UConn (2-2) gave itself a final chance when Shirreffs fired a 24-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Tyler Davis with 33 seconds left. The Huskies appeared to have a shot at a high-bouncing onside kick, but Syracuse receiver Brisly Estime secured the ball near the sideline to seal the win.
Etta-Tawo, a graduate transfer from Maryland, has found the fast-paced passing offense of first-year Syracuse coach Dino Babers to his liking.
Etta-Tawo entered the game ranked third nationally in receiving yards per game (145.3). He scored on a 57-yard reception in the first minute of the game, added a 30-yard touchdown with 10:48 left in the first quarter and went on to become the first player in school history with multiple 200-yard receiving games.
The previous Syracuse single-game receiving record was 249, set by Scott Schwedes in 1985.
Syracuse defensive back Cordell Hudson broke a 17-17 tie with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
Shirreffs completed 27 of 45 passes for 264 yards, with a touchdown and interception. Receiver Noel Thomas made 14 catches for 111 yards.
UConn's four games this season have been decided by a total of 17 points. The Huskies play at Houston on Thursday night.
Top Game Performances
Receiving
Syracuse |
|
Connecticut |
Amba Etta-Tawo
|
Player |
Noel Thomas
|
12 |
Receptions |
14 |
270 |
Yards |
111 |
22.5 |
Avg Yards |
7.9 |
2 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
0 |
Long |
0 |
Team Stats Summary
|
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
Syracuse
|
469 |
62 |
407 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2.0 |
0 |
Connecticut
|
425 |
144 |
281 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1.0 |
0 |