Orange Wins Double Overtime Thriller Versus Panthers, 38-31

Saturday, November 6

Syracuse, NY

12:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Pittsburgh

Damien Rhodes ran for 103 yards and the game-winning touchdown against Pittsburgh.

Orange Wins Double Overtime Thriller Versus Panthers, 38-31

11/6/2004 4:28:21 PM | Football

Box Score

SU Post-Game Notes

SU Post-Game Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Tommy Harris and Diamond Ferri stuffed the Pittsburgh rushing attempt on a fourth-and-one in the second overtime to give the Orange a 38-31 victory in front of 37,211 fans on Senior Day at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Syracuse (5-4, 3-1 BIG EAST), wearing all Orange for the first time this season, scored the game-winning touchdown on its second overtime possession. Junior Damien Rhodes accounted for all 25 yards on the drive and capped it with a two-yard run for a touchdown. It was Rhodes’ second career game-winning touchdown in overtime. He also scored the clincher versus Virginia Tech in 2002.

Rhodes rushed for 103 yards on 23 carries, including 81 yards on 16 carries after halftime. Senior Walter Reyes, playing in his final home game, ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries before leaving the game with a back injury early in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh (5-3, 3-2 BIG EAST) scored on its first overtime possession on a touchdown pass from Tyler Palko to Joe DelSardo. The Orange responded to force a second overtime session when Perry Patterson recorded his first career touchdown run, a three-yard run on an option play.

Patterson finished the game 15-of-28 for 170 yards and a touchdown. Freshman quarterback Joe Fields threw his first career touchdown pass on his only play of the game, a 60-yard connection with senior Jared Jones.

Jones led the Orange receivers with four catches for 136 yards. It was the first 100-yard receiving day of his career, and the first for an SU receiver since Johnnie Morant had 103 against Notre Dame last season. Jones now has 1,042 yards for his career. He is the 16^th SU player to record at least 1,000 yards.

Ferri led the SU defense with 12 tackles, none bigger than the game-winner. Kellen Pruitt notched 10 tackles, while Anthony Smith added eight. Junior defensive end Ryan LaCasse recorded a career-best two sacks for the Orange defense. Senior Julian Pollard also had a sack for SU.

Pittsburgh quarterback Tyler Palko was 28-for-42 for 342 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Greg Lee who had nine catches for 188 yards and a touchdown. Greg Furman had nine catches for 63 yards. Erik Gill also had a touchdown reception. Raymond Kirkley led the Panthers with 68 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

Pittsburgh overcame a 21-6 first-half deficit. The Panthers scored 18 unanswered points to take a 24-21 lead on a Josh Cummings 24-yard field goal with 4:23 left in the third quarter. Syracuse scored the only points of the fourth quarter when senior Collin Barber hit a 27-yard field goal with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter. The Panthers drove to the SU 34-yard line with three seconds remaining, but Cummings’ 51-yard field goal attempt was wide left on the final play of regulation.

After a 36-yard return by Ferri on the opening kickoff, SU went 62 yards for a touchdown on its first drive to take a 7-0 lead. The 11-play drive, 10 of which were runs, was capped by a one-yard Reyes touchdown run. Reyes ran seven times for 38 yards and caught the only pass of the drive, a four-yard screen. The touchdown was the 46^th of his career, tying Floyd Little for the SU school record. He also passed Little on the SU scoring list . Reyes now has 280 points, third all-time and first among non-kickers.

The SU defense stopped Pittsburgh’s ensuing possession on a third-down sack by Pollard. The Orange offense took the ball and drove to the Pittsburgh 15-yard line, highlighted by a career-long 56-yard reception by Jones, but Brendan Carney’s 32-yard field goal attempt with 2:50 left in the first quarter was wide right.

The Panthers took advantage of the SU miscue and went 80 yards for their first score of the game. Kirkley reached the endzone from five yards out to make the score 7-6. The snap on the extra point squirted away from the Panthers’ holder and SU kept a one-point lead.

On its first possession of the second quarter, Syracuse took the ball to the Panthers’ 31-yard line, but after a third-down incompletion, Barber’s 48-yard field goal attempt went wide right.

After the Orange stopped the Panthers to get the ball back, SU extended its lead with a six-play, 73-yard drive. Redshirt freshman fullback Breyone Evans scored his second touchdown in as many weeks, hauling in a five-yard scoring pass from Patterson. Barber’s extra point extended SU’s lead to 14-6 with 7:11 left in the half. Reyes keyed the drive with a 57-yard run down the right sideline on third-and-short from the Orange 36-yard line.

The Orange defense held the Panthers again, and on the first play of SU’s ensuing drive, Fields hit Jared Jones for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Fields faked the option to the right, dropped back and found Jones who outran the Pittsburgh secondary to the endzone. It was the longest catch of Jones’ career and Fields’ first career scoring toss.

Pittsburgh responded with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Palko to Lee. Lee ran a streak down the right sideline and made a one-handed snag to bring the Panthers to within 21-13 with 1:42 left in the half.

Reyes finished the half with 115 yards, the second straight game he has had 100 yards in the first half. Reyes now has 14 100-yard games in his career, the third most in Syracuse history.

Pittsburgh scored 11 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 24-21 lead after three quarters. After trading punts to begin the quarter, the Orange committed its first turnover of the game when Patterson fumbled. The Panthers recovered at the SU 15-yard line. On the next play Palko found Gill for the touchdown to cut the SU lead to 21-19 with 8:15 left in the third quarter. The Panthers tied the game, converting the two-point conversion on a pass from Palko to Gill.

A 53-yard catch-and-run by Lee put the Panthers in scoring position on their next possession. Lee ran a short comeback route, broke a tackle and ran to the SU 26-yard line. Ferri forced Lee to fumble, but Pittsburgh recovered on the Orange’s 20-yard line. After moving the ball inside the SU 10-yard line, the Panthers settled for a 24-yard field goal by Josh Cummings to take a 24-21 lead with 4:23 left in the third quarter.

On the Orange’s next possession, the Panthers intercepted Patterson for the first time. Patterson’s third-down pass deflected off the hands of an SU receiver and into the arms of Clint Session who returned the ball to the SU 49-yard line. The Panthers took the ball to the SU 28-yard line, but Cummings’ 45-yard field goal attempt went wide left to give SU possession with 2:11 left in the quarter.

SU remained scoreless in the second half until Barber’s field goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. Rhodes ran six times for 28 yards and had one catch for five yards on the drive. Freshman wide receiver Rice Moss also made his first career reception, a 15-yarder that gave SU a first down, on the drive.

The Orange is now 4-3 all-time in overtime games and 2-0 against Pittsburgh (Oct. 7, 2000; 24-17 2OT). Syracuse has won four of its last five overtime games. SU is also now 3-1 in all orange uniforms since 1991. Syracuse finished the home portion of its schedule with a 4-1 record.

The Orange plays its final two games on the road beginning with at Temple on Saturday, Nov. 13. Kickoff is at 12 p.m.