Saturday, November 29
Cincinnati, Ohio
12:00 p.m.
Syracuse University
10
at
30
Cincinnati
Mike Holmes (35) had an interception and a fumble recovery in the season-finale at Cincinnati.
Syracuse Closes 2008 Campaign in #16 Cincinnati
11/29/2008 12:38:51 PM | Football
CINCINNATI, OHIO – The Syracuse football team wrapped up its 2008 season in a 30-10 setback at BIG EAST Conference champion Cincinnati. The Orange's 12th contest of the year marked the final game for 17 SU seniors at Nippert Stadium.
Senior running back Curtis Brinkley concluded his four-year tenure with 2,132 rushing yards, the 15th-highest career total in Syracuse history. Brinkley surpassed Jim Brown's career rushing total (2,091) and finished the day with 60 yards on 16 carries.
Brinkley compiled 1,164 yards rushing in 2008, to move past Walter Reyes' (2002) single-season total into fifth on the SU ledger. Brinkley's 494 total carries ranks 10th all-time in the Syracuse archives, just ahead of Dee Brown's (1997-00) mark of 493.
Senior Patrick Shadle ended his career Saturday as the most accurate field goal kicker in SU history. Shadle connected on 80 percent of his three-point attempts (40-of-50) in his career. The Morgantown, W.Va.'s 33-yard field goal in the second quarter elevated Shadle into 10th on the SU career scoring list with 189 points, two better than Jim Brown's total.
Sophomore Mike Holmes returned seven kickoffs for 161 yards. Holmes' racked up 941 return yards this season which is the second most in school history. Holmes has totaled 55 returns in his career which ranks fifth all-time. He has recorded 1,293 total kick return yards for the Orange. Holmes also recovered his fourth fumble of the season and made an astonishing interception in the third quarter. The Jacksonville, Fla. native finished with the most fumble recoveries and tied with the most interceptions (2 – Bruce Williams) in 2008.
The Syracuse defense recorded four sacks at Cincinnati. Senior defensive linemen Nick Santiago and Vincenzo Giruzzi, senior linebacker Jake Flaherty and sophomore safety Max Suter each got to the quarterback once. Santiago posted 4.5 sacks in 2008 to lead the team. Flaherty anchored the defense with a game-high 10 tackles, including his first sack of the season. Suter recorded a personal best with eight tackles and freshman Dorian Graham matched a career high with four stops. Senior Paul Chiara forced his first career fumble against the Bearcats.
Sixteenth-ranked Cincinnati received the opening kick and scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game at 7:26 of the first quarter. John Goebel's 10-yard scamper to paydirt capped a 14-play drive for the 7-0 lead.
Jake Rogers broadened UC's lead at 13:39 of the second quarter, 10-0, with a 45-yard field goal, ending a 14-play drive.
Both teams exchanged possessions before SU senior fullback Tony Fiammetta bolted for a career-long of 58 yards down to the Cincinnati 22-yard line. Syracuse continued to apply pressure on the ground with a 16-yard carry from freshman Antwon Bailey, but a penalty stalled the Orange advance. Shadle knocked a 33-yard field goal through at 4:45 of the second quarter to cap the eight-play, 73-yard drive and put SU's first points on the board, 10-3.
Rogers connected on his second field of the game from 38 yards out with 22 seconds remaining in the first half. Cincinnati's 11-play scoring drive kept the Bearcats ahead, 13-3, before heading into the locker room.
On UC's first possession of the third quarter, Holmes picked up a fumble forced by Chiara, but Syracuse turned the ball back over just moments later. Senior quarterback Cameron Dantley was picked off by Corey Smith, who returned the interception 39 yards down to the Orange 35-yard line.
The Bearcats turned the interception into a 20-3 lead after UC's Tony Pike connected on a seven-yard scoring toss with Kazeem Alli at 7:45 of the third quarter, ending Cincinnati's 40-yard drive that lasted five plays.
Following a Syracuse punt, Holmes made an aerobatic inteception at 5:18 of the third quarter. Redshirt freshman Kevyn Scott, senior A.J. Brown and Holmes all collapsed on Pike's pass downfield. Scott made the initial break-up and Brown batted the ball toward Holmes. Holmes swooped in and grabbed the ball at the Cincinnati seven-yard line.
Syracuse could not take advantage of the turnover and Cincinnati resumed possession on the SU 29-yard line. The Orange held the Bearcats' to a 45-yard field goal from Jake Rogers with 2:16 remaining in the third quarter, 23-3.
Cincinnati delivered the knockout punch at 11:22 of the final quarter. Pike delivered his second touchdown, hitting Jacob Ramsey for the 15-yard score to put the contest out of reach, 30-3.
The Orange made a final charge as Dantley discovered sophomore receiver Dan Sheeran on a six-yard touchdown toss at 6:06 of the final quarter. Sheeran's first career touchdown grab capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive. Dantley's throw marked his 16th career touchdown, tying him with Todd Philcox (1985-88) for 10th all-time on the Orange's career list. On fourth and five at the UC 40, Dantley hooked up with redshirt freshman Nick Provo on a 27-yard pass to keep Syracuse's scoring drive alive. The catch marked Provo's longest career reception.
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