Syracuse University
RUTGERS
Orangemen Score 45-14 Win Versus Rutgers
10/26/2002 2:24:10 PM | Football
Box Score
Syracuse Game Notes
Rutgers Game Notes
Coach Pasqualoni Quotes
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse defense forced five turnovers, allowing no points and only 16 yards rushing to lead the Orangemen to a 45-14 victory versus Rutgers in front of 37,158 fans at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, October 26. SU improved to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the BIG EAST, while the Scarlet Knights are now 1-7 and 0-4.
Syracuse forced six fumbles, recovering four, and had one interception. SU gave up just 193 yards of offense, its lowest total of the season. Unofficially, SU had eight sacks, also a season-best.
Rutgers scored all of its points on special teams. SU's Louis Gachelin recovered a fumble on the Rutgers' 20-yard line on the second play from scrimmage. The SU offense took the ball to the one-yard line, but Collin Barber's field-goal attempt was blocked by Nathan Jones. Brandon Haw picked up the loose ball and went 90 yards for the score to give Rutgers a 7-0 lead.
Syracuse came back with an eight-play, 37-yard drive, but Barber's 40-yard field goal attempt went wide right. After forcing a three-and-out, the Orangemen put together a 10-play, 59-yard drive capped by Damien Rhodes' first career touchdown reception, a five-yard catch-and-run, to tie the game at 7-7.
Junior defensive end Josh Thomas forced the second Rutgers turnover of the first quarter when he swatted the ball out of quarterback Ryan Cubit's hand and fell on it to set up SU's second score. Senior quarterback Troy Nunes found junior Jamel Riddle on a corner route for a 30-yard touchdown on the third play of the drive, giving the Orangemen a 14-7 lead. Syracuse outgained Rutgers, 143-31, in the first quarter.
The Scarlet Knights had the ball for most of the second quarter, but the Orangemen outscored Rutgers, 7-0, in the stanza. SU ran only five offensive plays, but one of them was a 79-yard touchdown run by sophomore Walter Reyes. It was the longest run of Reyes' career and SU's longest run from scrimmage this season. It was also the longest run by an Orangeman since James Mungro had an 86-yard run versus Kentucky in 1999. The score put SU ahead, 24-7, at halftime.
Reyes recorded his third 100-yard effort of the season with 115 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
The Syracuse defense recovered its third fumble of the game on the Scarlet Knights' first possession of the second half. Senior Latroy Oliver forced the turnover, his first of the season, and redshirt freshman Steve Gregory made his first career fumble recovery.
The SU defense recovered its fourth fumble of the day to set up the Orangemen's first score of the second half. Junior linebacker Rich Scanlon forced and recovered a fumble by quarterback Ted Trump. Barber then put Syracuse ahead, 24-7, with a 33-yard field goal with 5:12 left in the third quarter.
The Scarlet Knights scored their second special teams touchdown of the game when Nate Jones took the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for the score, cutting the Orangemen's lead to 24-14. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown against Syracuse since West Virginia's Shawn Terry took one back 100 yards in 2000.
Syracuse put its own special teams touchdown on the board in the fourth quarter. Senior safety Keeon Walker blocked a punt and freshman Damien Rhodes scooped up the ball at the three-yard line and went in for the touchdown and a 31-14 lead.
Oliver set up SU's next score with his first interception of the season. He retuned the ball 24 yards to the Rutgers' two-yard line. Reyes did the honors with a two-yard plunge on the next play to give SU a 38-14 lead.
Rhodes finished the scoring with a five-yard run in the fourth quarter. He ended the game with 10 carries for 41 yards.
Nunes, making his first start of the season, was 13-of-23 for 117 yards and a pair of scores. Nunes also rushed seven times for 46 yards. As a team, SU rushed for a season-best 289 yards on 44 carries.
Riddle led the receiving corps with three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. He also had two carries for 30 yards, including a 21-yard run, all career highs. Riddle moved into sixth place on the SU all-time punt return list, passing Art Monk. Riddle returned three punts to run his career total to 46. Riddle's first return of nine yards made him the sixth Orangeman to amass more than 600 career punt return yards. He ranks sixth on the Syracuse punt return yardage list with 636 career yards.
Scanlon finished the game with three sacks, the first of his career. Gachelin and Thomas each recorded a career-best two sacks. The Orangemen's eight sacks as a team was the most since the team had nine versus Virginia Tech in 2000.
Senior safety Maurice McClain cracked the starting lineup for the first time in his career. It was McClain's first action of the season after suffering a broken leg in spring practice.
The Orangemen play their final non-conference game of the season on Saturday, November 2 at Central Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Orangemen return home on November 9 to face Virginia Tech.
