Brinkley Joins 1,000-Yard Rushing Club

Saturday, November 15

Syracuse, NY

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Connecticut

Senior tailback Curtis Brinkley crossed the 2,000-yard career rushing plateau in the third quarter against Connecticut.

11/15/2008 7:43:54 PM | Football

Final Stats
Syracuse Notes
Head Coach Greg Robinson Post-Game Press Conference Quotes
Syracuse Student-Athlete Post-Game Quotes
Connecticut Post-Game Quotes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Senior running back Curtis Brinkley made his final home game one to remember, eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the Orange’s 39-14 loss to Connecticut on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Carrier Dome. Brinkley carried 21 times for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies. He has 1,060 rushing yards this season, which ranks eighth on the school’s single-season record list. He also became the 18th SU back to rush for 2,000 career yards. He has 2,028 in his four seasons at Syracuse.

Brinkley is the eighth SU back to rush for 1,000 yards joining Joe Morris (1978, 1979, 1981), Walter Reyes, (2002, 2003) Larry Csonka, (1966, 1967) James Mungro (2001), Floyd Little (1965), Dee Brown (2000) and Michael Owens (1989). Brinkley’s 1,000-yard campaign is the 12th in Orange history.

Connecticut grabbed a 3-0 lead on a 23-yard Dave Teggart field goal with 4:12 to play in the first quarter. The Huskies extended their advantage to 6-0 on the first play of the second period as Teggart tacked on a 37-yard field goal to cap a six-play, 41-yard drive with 14:56 to go in the first half.

For the second straight week, the play of its special teams sparked the Orange. On fourth down inside the Connecticut 10-yard line, sophomore Max Suter came free and blocked a Connecticut punt. Classmate Parker Cantey jumped on the loose ball in the endzone for the score, and senior kicker Patrick Shadle hit the extra point to give the Orange a 7-6 lead at the 12:56 mark.

Not to be outdone, the Huskies' special teams recorded a safety on the Orange’s next possession. SU punter Rob Long tried to get a punt off deep in his own territory, but UConn collapsed the pocket and Long took a safety at 9:18, putting the visitors back on top, 8-7.

On Connecticut’s next offensive possession, Jordan Todman extended the Huskies’ margin to 15-7, breaking free for a 50-yard touchdown run at 8:34 of the second quarter.

Brinkley accounted for 48 of 70 yards on a 12-play drive that lasted 6:01 and ended when he bulled in from the one-yard line on fourth down. The TD plunge pulled Syracuse within one, 15-14. Connecticut answered with 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to produce the final score. Donald Brown scampered 49 yards for a touchdown two plays after Brinkley’s score to push UConn’s lead to 22-14 at the half. Another Teggart field goal, and a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jasper Howard, in addition to a Robert McClain 37-yard interception return for a score, sealed the outcome.

Brown finished with a game-high 131 yards rushing and one touchdown for the Huskies, who had 259 yards on the ground. Quarterback Tyler Lorenzen was 7-for-15 through the air for 70 yards.

Defensively for the Orange, sophomore Max Suter tied his personal high with seven tackles in addition to the first blocked kick of his career. He also recorded the first sack of his career and finished with a personal-best two tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Jake Flaherty also made seven stops for the Orange in his last home game.

Syracuse will play its final two games of the 2008 campaign on the road. The Orange travels to South Bend, Ind. on Saturday, Nov. 22 for a matchup with Notre Dame. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on NBC. Following the Notre Dame contest, Syracuse will close out the year at Cincinnati on Nov. 29.