Saturday, September 15
Syracuse, NY
12:00 p.m.
Syracuse University
20
vs
41
Illinois
Curtis Brinkley was SU's leading receiver with four catches for 89 yards.
Brinkley Has Big Day In 41-20 Loss To Illinois
9/15/2007 10:35:17 AM | Football
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Final Stats
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior tailback Curtis Brinkley registered 143 yards of total offense for Syracuse (0-3), but it wasn’t enough as the Orange lost its third in a row, 41-20, to Illinois (2-1) at the Carrier Dome Saturday. Brinkley had a career day receiving, catching four passes for a personal-best 89 yards. His career-long 62-yard reception in the third quarter set up SU’s first touchdown. Brinkley also rushed 18 times for 54 yards against the Illini.
Brinkley’s performance was no match for the three-headed running combination of Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, and tailbacks Rashard Mendenhall and Troy Pollard. Williams carried 12 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. Mendenhall gained a game-high 150 yards rushing on 16 attempts and a personal best three TDs. Pollard had 92 yards on 13 carries Willams also completed 13 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown before being replaced at the end of the third quarter by Eddie McGee. The trio combined for 449 of Illinois’ 508 yards of total offense.
The Illini took the opening kickoff and went 70 yards on six plays to grab the early lead. Williams hit tight end Jeff Cumberland for a 22-yard touchdown, and Jason Reda kicked the extra point to make the score, 7-0, 2:04 into the contest. Williams was 4-for-4 for 41 yards on the drive.
Mendenhall added a two-yard touchdown run with 3:27 left in the first quarter to extend the Illini advantage to 14-0. A 32-yard field goal by Reda with 49 seconds to go in the first half pushed the margin to 17-0 at the break.
The Orange offense started moving the ball in the second quarter using a blend of run and pass. Syracuse recorded seven first downs in the period. It converted on 4-of-6 third downs and held a 4:22 edge in time of possession. The Orange kept the momentum it built in the period, starting its first drive of the second half on the Illinois 29 after a botched onside kick by the Illini. The miscue resulted in a 44-yard field goal by junior Patrick Shadle to get Syracuse on the scoreboard.
Another Reda field goal, this time from 50 yards out, made the score 20-3 with 9:52 left in the third quarter.
The Orange pulled to within 10, 20-10, on tailback Jeremy Sellers’ first career touchdown. Sellers took the handoff running off tackle left and bulled his way into the endzone. The TD was set up by a swing pass from quarterback Andrew Robinson to Brinkley that went for 62 yards down the right sideline. It was SU’s longest play from scrimmage this season.
The comeback was derailed, though, by three straight Illinois rushing touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, one by Williams and two by Mendenhall. A 42-yard Shadle field goal and Cameron Dantley’s first career touchdown pass to Jawad Nesheiwat with 1:01 remaining in the game produced the 41-20 final.
Robinson passed for a career-best 208 yards in the contest. He completed 17-of-26 attempts through the air. Dantley was 2-for-3 for 15 yards and a TD.
Safety Joe Fields led the Orange defense for the second straight week with 10 tackles and linebacker Jake Flaherty had a personal-best seven stops. J Leman and Antonio Steele paced the Illini defensive unit with eight stops each.
Neither team committed a turnover in the game. It was the first time in an SU game since 2004 (at Virginia) neither squad turned the ball over.
Syracuse opens its BIG EAST schedule on Saturday, Sept. 22 when it visits #9/9 Louisville. Game time is 12:00 p.m. on ESPN Regional.
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