Syracuse Postgame Notes
Coach Robinson Postgame Quotes
Postgame Player Quotes
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Syracuse football team jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead on an 82-yard touchdown run by sophomore
Doug Hogue and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in a 35-17 loss at Rutgers Stadium.
Hogue's 82-yard touchdown run on SU's first possession was the fifth-longest rushing play in school history and the fourth-longest touchdown run in the Orange archives. It also marked the longest rushing touchdown for an SU back since Bruce Yancy broke off an 83-yard touchdown run against Boston University in 1953. Hogue’s scamper was the first 80-yard rushing play for Syracuse since James Mungro rumbled for 86 yards against Kentucky in the 1999 Music City Bowl.
Defensive back
Dorian Graham blocked a Rutgers' punt on the next drive and
Da’Mon Merkerson recovered it in the endzone to give Syracuse the 14-0 edge.
Darnell Pratt was the first SU player to get to the loose ball and he batted it back toward Merkerson, preventing it from going out of bounds. It was the first blocked punt for Syracuse since 2005 at Pittsburgh (
Anthony Smith blocked a punt recovered and it was returned for a touchdown by
Reggie McCoy).
Sophomore cornerback
Mike Holmes recovered his third fumble of the season and had an interception. Senior
Jake Flaherty recorded his first career interception.
Senior
Arthur Jones had two tackles for a loss, including a sack for a 10-yard loss. He leads the team with nine tackles for a loss of 36 yards and now has 27.5 tackles for loss of 82 yards throughout his career. Senior defensive end
Nick Santiago forced a fumble and registered his eighth tackle for loss of 32 yards on the season.
Sophomore linebacker
Derrell Smith led the Orange defense with a career-high
12 tackles, including six solo stops.
Senior running back
Curtis Brinkley surpassed the 900-yard rushing mark for the season with 67 yards. Brinkley is 14th on Syracuse's single-season record list with 966 total yards. Brinkley also topped 3,000 career all-purpose yards versus the Scarlet Knights. He is the 17th player in school history to reach that plateau. Brinkley's career total rests at 3,047 all-purpose yards.
On RU’s first drive, Holmes intercepted Mike Teel’s pass in the end zone. Five plays later, Hogue ran for the 82-yard touchdown on third-and-eight for the 7-0 Orange lead.
The Orange forced a punt on RU’s next drive and Graham raced through the protection and blocked it on the Syracuse 12-yard line. Merkerson recovered the ball in the endzone for the 14-0 advantage.
Rutgers scored a touchdown to cut the lead to seven when Teel hit Tiquan Underwood on a five-yard scoring pass. The Scarlet Knights scored on their next possession on a 54-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 16–yard touchdown toss from Teel to Kenny Britt at 4:54 of the second quarter.
Rutgers took its first lead, 21-14, after Kordell Young made his way into the endzone from one-yard out at 9:00 of the third quarter. RU’s Joe Martinek ran for a 45-yard touchdown dash at 6:27 of the third quarter to give the Scarlet Knights a 14-point advantage, 28-14.
SU kicker Patrick Shadle converted a 47-yard field at 2:54 of the third to cut into Rutgers’ lead, 28-17. It was his 63rd career field goal, which ranks eighth on Syracuse’s career record list.
Teel connected with Underwood again on a 16-yard touchdown pass at 11:40 of the fourth quarter for the final score of the game.
Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome for its final home game of the 2008 season. The Orange entertains Connecticut on Saturday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m.
