Reyes Leads Orange Past Scarlet Knights

Saturday, October 2

Syracuse, NY

12:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Rutgers

Walter Reyes became only the second SU back ever to rush for 3,000 yards with 237 yards against Rutgers.

10/2/2004 4:44:28 PM | Football

Box Score

Syracuse Post-Game Quotes

SU Post-Game Notes

Rutgers Post-Game Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Senior running back Walter Reyes ran for 237 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 2:24 left in the game, to lead the Orange to a thrilling 41-31 victory against Rutgers in front of 40,153 fans at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Reyes broke two tackles en route to the game-winning touchdown. His 21-yard jaunt put the Orange ahead, 34-31, the sixth lead change of the second half. Perry Patterson led the Orange on a five-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Reyes’ run. Patterson was 3-for-4 for 54 yards on the drive, including a 43-yard hook-up with Andre Fontenette.

The Syracuse defense came up with its biggest stop of the season, denying the Scarlet Knights a first down on its next possession. Rutgers appeared to have converted a fourth-and-15, but a holding penalty was called on the play. Ryan Hart’s fourth-down pass hit the turf, giving the Orange the ball at the Rutgers three-yard line.

Junior running back Damien Rhodes iced the game with a three-yard scoring run with 1:02 left on the fourth-quarter clock. Rhodes had his first career 100-yard day with 102 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Rhodes and Reyes became the first SU backs to each run for 100 yards in a game since James Mungro and Dee Brown against Boston College in 2000.

The Orange responded for the game-winning drive after Hart threw his third touchdown pass of the game, a five-yard completion to Chris Baker. The score put the Scarlet Knights (2-2, 0-1 BIG EAST) on top, 31-27, with 3:58 left. The drive took 6:47 off the clock, covering 80 yards in 16 plays. Rutgers was 5-for-5 on third down conversions on the drive.

Reyes moved into second place on the Orange’s all-time rushing list. His 3,150 yards is second only to Joe Morris’ total of 4,299. Reyes and Morris are the only 3,000-yard backs in school history. Reyes also moved into seventh place on the BIG EAST career rushing list. His two touchdowns moved him into a tie for second place on the league's career rushing touchdonw list (42) and into ninth on the conference’s career scoring list (262).

Patterson finished the game 11-for-25 for 131 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It was his first victory as a starter for the Orange. Patterson completed passes to seven different players. Jared Jones led the squad with three catches for 32 yards. Fontenette’s 43 yards were a team high.

Syracuse gained a season-best 501 yards of total offense, including 370 on the ground. It was SU’s first 500-yard game since the North Carolina game last season and its first 300-yard rushing game since the Toledo game last season.

Safety Diamond Ferri led the Syracuse defense with 14 tackles. Linebacker Jerry Mackey had 13 stops and now has 30 in his last two games. Senior safety Anthony Smith had six tackles to move into ninth place on the SU all-time tackles by a defensive back list. Smith now has 175 career tackles, passing Rob Thomson’s (1987-90) total of 173. Defensive end Ryan LaCasse made three tackles, including one sack, and forced two fumbles.

Hart finished the game 29-of-49 for 311 yards and three touchdowns. Baker led the Scarlet Knights with 101 yards on five catches. Tres Moses also had a 100-yard day with 109 receiving yards on 10 catches. Tight end Clark Harris had five catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Maeki Facyson led the Rutgers rushing attack with 43 yards on 14 carries.

The high-scoring affair started in the second quarter. After no points and just 120 yards of combined offense in the first quarter, Syracuse and Rutgers tallied 23 points and gained 302 yards in the second stanza.

The Orange netted the first points of the game on a 40-yard field goal by Collin Barber with 13:15 left in the second quarter. Barber’s fifth field goal of the season capped a 12-play, 47-yard drive. Barber recorded 11 points in the game on two field goals and five extra points to move into seventh place on the SU all-time scoring list with 204. Barber is the eighth Orange player to score at least 200 career points

SU’s next scoring drive was all Rhodes. The junior ran for 69 yards on two carries, including a 44-yard scoring run with 11:19 left in the second quarter to extend SU’s lead. Barber’s extra point put the Orange ahead 10-0.

The Scarlet Knights responded with an 11-play, 70-yard drive of their own punctuated by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Hart to Harris. The extra point cut SU’s lead to 10-7 with 7:48 remaining in the first half.

Rutgers got the ball right back on the ensuing kickoff when Ferri’s fumble was recovered by Ron Girault at the Syracuse 27-yard line. Rutgers had a first-and-goal at the Orange 10-yard line, but the SU defense limited the Scarlet Knights to a 26-yard field goal by Jeremy Ito to tie the game at 10-10 with 5:40 left in the quarter. Mackey made the key defensive play, batting down Hart’s third-down pass attempt.

The Orange retook the lead, 13-10, on its next possession after a 25-yard field goal by Barber with 2:25 left in the half. The score was set up by 61-yard run by Reyes.

The Syracuse special teams preserved the lead when defensive end James Wyche blocked Rutgers’ 31-yard field goal attempt with 29 seconds left in the first half. It was the Orange’s fifth blocked kick of the season (three punts, one PAT, one field goal) and SU’s first blocked field goal since the Rutgers game last season.

Rutgers took a 17-13 lead on its first possession of the second half. Justise Hairston capped a 12-play, 86-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge with 8:56 left in the third quarter.

The Scarlet Knights forced SU’s third turnover of the day on the Orange’s next possession. Patterson’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Jason Nugent to give Rutgers a first down at its own 48-yard line. The Syracuse defense took the ball right back two plays later when Chris Thorner recovered his first career fumble.

SU took advantage of the miscue, retaking the lead on a 23-yard touchdown run by Reyes. Barber’s third PAT of the game put Syracuse ahead, 20-17, with 5:37 left in the third quarter. A career-long 30-yard scramble by Patterson set up Reyes’ third rushing touchdown of the season.

Rutgers went on another long scoring march on its next possession to regain the advantage at 24-20. Hart threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Harris, an eight-yard completion with 1:18 left in the third quarter. The play ended an 11-play, 80-yard drive that took 4:19 off the clock.

The Scarlet Knights were knocking on the door again after a 49-yard pass completion from Moses to Baker that gave Rutgers a first down at the SU 11-yard line. On the next play, LaCasse stripped Hairston and Ferri recovered for the Orange’s second turnover of the game.

Two plays later, Reyes busted loose again for a season-long 62-yard run that gave the Orange a first down on the Scarlet Knights’ 28-yard line. The Orange converted the opportunity when Patterson found fullback Greg Hanoian for a four-yard touchdown pass. Barber’s PAT put SU back on top, 27-24, with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter. The 90-yard drive was the Orange’s longest of the season. It was Hanoian’s first career touchdown.

Syracuse committed its fourth turnover on the first play of its next possession. Reyes ran around the left end and had the ball stripped. Gary Gibson recovered giving the Scarlet Knights a first down at the SU 21-yard line with 3:49 left. The SU defense stiffened and Jeremy Ito missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, giving the Orange back the ball at its own 25-yard line with 3:27 left, setting up the game-winning drive.

The Orange remain home for another week, hosting Florida State at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Oct. 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.