Orange Defeats Tulane, 37-34

Saturday, October 8

New Orleans, La.

8:00 p.m. (EDT)

Syracuse University

4-2 , 0-1

Tulane

2-4 , 1-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Syracuse

Tulane Green Wave

Ross Krautman hit the game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Orange a 37-34 victory.

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

10/8/2011 8:44:34 PM | Football

Box Score

Syracuse Game Notes | Boxscore (pdf)
Photo Gallery

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Sophomore Ross Krautman hit a 21-yard field goal as time expired to give Syracuse a 37-34 victory against Tulane at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. With the victory, the Orange improves to 4-2, while the Green Wave goes to 2-4.

Syracuse entered the fourth quarter with a 31-27 lead. After Cairo Santos missed a 45-yard field goal attempt that would have cut SU's lead to one, Krautman converted a 32-yard attempt to increase the Orange's lead to 34-27 with 4:19 left to play. Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin connected with Xavier Rush on a 58-yard touchdown pass and the ensuing PAT tied the game at 34-34 with 2:53 on the clock.

The Orange converted three third-down plays on the game-winning drive. Senior running back Antwon Bailey accounted for 44 yards on the drive, 23 coming on the ground as he rushed for 111 yards. It marked the fourth time he has surpassed 100 yards rushing in a game this season.

Senior quarterback Ryan Nassib was 19-of-34 for 186 yards and two touchdown passes. With that performance, he moved past Troy Nunes (1999-02) into fourth place on the SU career touchdown passes list. Nassib now has 33. One of Nassib's favorite targets was senior Dorian Graham, who recorded career highs in receptions (4) and receiving yards (55). He also caught two touchdown passes, the first of his career.

Tulane opened the game with an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 40-yard touchdown run by Orleans Darkwa. The Green Wave converted two third-down plays, helping sustain the drive that put it up 7-0 with 11:44 remaining in the quarter. The Orange answered on its first drive of the game. Freshman Jeremiah Kobena's career-long 79-yard kickoff return set up a five-yard touchdown run by senior Antwon Bailey at the 11:28 mark. After Tulane's next drive stalled, the Orange took the lead on a 29-yard field goal by Ross Krautman. The Orange converted two third down plays on the drive. The first was a 26-yard pass from Ryan Nassib to Alec Lemon. The second was a Nassib pass to Nick Provo, who was tackled at the Tulane eight-yard line, which set up Krautman's seventh field goal of the season that gave SU a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Syracuse defense held Tulane to a three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Orange offense. Nassib capped an eight-play, 62-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard pass to Dorian Graham in the right corner of the end zone for his first touchdown reception. The drive featured the first career carry for freshman Adonis Ameen-Moore, who rushed twice for six yards. The Green Wave fumbled the ball on its next possession, which was recovered by freshman Dyshawn Davis. Syracuse took advantage and extended its lead to 24-7 with 9:07 remaining in the second quarter on a four-yard scoring run by Nassib. It was his first touchdown of the season.

Sophomore Marquis Spruill recovered a fumble caused by senior Dan Vaughn on the second play of Tulane's next drive, but the Green Wave defense held Syracuse to a three-and-out. Tulane needed only four plays on its next drive to cut into Syracuse's lead. Quarterback Ryan Griffin was 3-for-3, completing passes of 35, 27 and 12 yards, which set up Darkwa's one-yard run to bring the Green Wave to within 10 at 24-14 with 5:55 left in the first half. The Orange answered and Nassib's one-yard touchdown pass to Graham gave Syracuse a 31-14 lead with 2:58 on the clock. Tulane cut the lead to 31-21 on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Griffin to Xavier Rush at the 2:11 mark of the second quarter. After the Orange offense couldn't sustain its drive, the Green Wave had one more possession before intermission. Cairo Santos converted a 42-yard field goal attempt as time ran out in the half as Syracuse went into the locker room with a 31-24 lead. The 31 points are the most the Orange has scored the first half this season.

The Green Wave scored the only points of the third quarter on its second possession of the second half. Santos' 49-yard field goal capped an eight-play, 32-yard scoring drive as Syracuse led, 31-27, after three quarters of play.

The Orange will have a bye week before returning to action against West Virginia on Friday, Oct. 21 in the Carrier Dome. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.