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Syracuse University
Connecticut
Syracuse Beats Connecticut, 20-14, in First BIG EAST Victory
11/18/2006 11:11:05 AM | Football
The triumph improved the team’s home record to 3-3, marking the 25th time in 27 seasons the Orange has posted a .500 or better record at home since the Carrier Dome opened in 1980. It also sent Syracuse’s 17 seniors out on top in their final home appearance.
Brinkley rushed 19 times for 68 yards, including a one-yard touchdown on SU’s opening drive of the game.
Tailback Delone Carter contributed to SU’s rushing attack as well, rushing for 115 yards on 16 carries for an average of 7.2 yards per attempt. It was his second 100-yard rushing performance this season.
Patterson, playing in his final Dome game, was 9-of-18 through the air for 163 yards and a touchdown. The TD toss to Brinkley was his 12th of the season, moving him into a tie with Don McPherson for ninth on the Orange’s single-season list.
Kicker Patrick Shadle contributed a pair of field goals (35, 44) in the victory to move into a tie for fourth on SU’s single-season field goals list with 16. It is the most made field goals for an Orange kicker since John Biskup made 16 in 1992.
The Orange took the opening kickoff and marched 86 yards to grab a 7-0 lead. Brinkley capped the drive with a one-yard TD plunge, his second rushing touchdown of the year. Brinkley carried five times for 25 yards on the drive and Patterson did the rest, completing three passes to three different receivers for 61 yards.
The Huskies responded, going 81 yards on their first offensive possession to tie the score, 7-7, with 3:57 left in the opening period. Quarterback D. J. Hernandez connected with Donald Brown for a three-yard touchdown strike to put the finishing touches on the 16-play drive.
The Orange reclaimed the lead, 10-3, on a 35-yard field goal by Shadle with 51 seconds left before halftime. The score was set up by defensive back Nick Chestnut, who intercepted a pass and returned it to the UConn 16-yard line.
Syracuse extended its advantage to 17-7 with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter on Brinkley’s 18-yard touchdown reception.
Shadle’s 44-yard field goal at the 12:05 mark of the fourth quarter extended the Orange’s margin to 20-7. Hernandez hit Terence Jeffers for a 16-yard touchdown with four seconds left to produce the game’s final score.
Defensively, the Orange recorded five sacks, increasing its season total to 34, which is tied with for the fourth-most in SU single-season history. The Orange also intercepted Hernandez three times to boost its season interception total to 17, tied for 10th on SU’s season record list. Safety Joe Fields nabbed two of the picks, a career best. Kelvin Smith made nine tackles to lead the Orange. With the performance he eclipsed the 100-tackle mark for the season (106 total).
