SU Texas Bowl Champs, Hunt Named MVP

Friday, December 27

Houston, TX

6 p.m.

Syracuse University

7-6 , 4-4

Minnesota

8-5 , 4-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Syracuse

Minnesota

Scott Shafer is just the second SU first-year head coach to win a bowl game.

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

12/27/2013 7:18:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Final Stats | Notes | Photos | Quotes

HOUSTON — Quarterback Terrel Hunt scored a last-minute touchdown to lift Syracuse (7-6) to a 21-17 victory against Minnesota (8-5) in the Texas Bowl on Friday night at Reliant Stadium. Hunt scored from 12 yards out with 1:14 remaining, and the Orange defense held firm on the Gophers' final drive as SU won its third bowl game in four years.

Hunt was named the Texas Bowl Most Valuable Player. He set an SU bowl record with 19 completions, finishing the game 19-of-29 passing for 188 yards. He also tied for team-high rushing honors with 74 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns.

Brisly Estime was the Orange's leading receiver, catching five passes for 47 yards, but his biggest play of the day came on special teams. With SU trailing 17-14, he returned a punt 70 yards to set up Hunt's game-winning touchdown.

In addition to Estime, Jarrod West also had five catches for 38 yards. Ashton Broyld added four receptions for 41 yards.

Jerome Smith matched Hunt's ground production with 74 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, while George Morris II added 33 yards on eight carries, all in the second half.

Defensively, Jay Bromley recorded his 10th sack of the season, the most for a Syracuse interior lineman since Rob Burnett (11) in 1987. Bromley finished the game with four tackles, including two for a loss.

Cameron Lynch and Dyshawn Davis led the team with eight tackles each. Lynch also forced a fumble and had two tackles for loss.

Mitch Leidner was the primary quarterback for Minnesota. He completed 11-of-22 passes for 205 yards. His main targets were Maxx Williams, who made five catches for 76 yards, and Drew Wolitarsky who had four receptions for 94 yards. Both players caught touchdowns passes in the second half.

Minnesota's David Cobb gained 91 yards rushing on 18 carries. The SU defense stopped the Gophers' leading rusher nine yards shy of 100 to finish the year as the only FBS team not to allow a 100-yard rusher.

After a scoreless first quarter, Hunt led the Orange on an 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a Smith one-yard touchdown run. Ryan Norton's extra point put SU up 7-0 with 10:04 remaining in the first half.

That's how the score remained until the end of the second quarter when Minnesota's Chris Hawthorne kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to trim the SU margin to 7-3 at the break.

In the third quarter, Hunt extended the SU advantage to 14-3 on a five-yard touchdown run, capping a 15-play scoring drive. Hunt converted a key fourth-and-8 to keep the drive alive, running for nine yards down to the Minnesota 17. Three plays later, he was in the end zone and the Orange lead was 11 points.

The Gophers answered quickly, however. Leidner threw a 20-yard pass to Maxx Williams on the opening play of the fourth quarter for Minnesota's first touchdown. The Gophers tried for two, but the SU defense smothered Leidner before he could get off a pass and the score stayed 14-9 with 14:55 remaining in the game.

Minnesota claimed its first lead of the game on its next possession as Leidner connected with Drew Wolitarsky on a 55-yard touchdown pass to put the Gophers in front, 15-14. This time Minnesota's two-point try was successful, pushing the lead Gopher lead to 17-14 with 12:34 to go in the contest.

After the two teams traded punts, the Orange had an opportunity to tie the game with less than four minutes left, but Norton's 45-yard field goal attempt was wide right.

On the ensuing Minnesota possession, Syracuse shrewdly used its timeouts to slow the Gophers' momentum and a timely sack by Robert Welsh on third-and-5 from the Minnesota 32 forced a punt. That set the stage for Estime, who electrified the crowd by bursting up the middle then to sideline, returning the ball 70 yards to the Gopher 14-yard line.

Prince-Tyson Gulley picked up seven yards on two runs, but a false start penalty on third-and-3 backed the Orange up to the 12. On the next play, Hunt dropped back to pass then scrambled up the middle into the end zone for the go-ahead points.

The Gophers had one last chance, driving to the SU 40-yard line with less than 25 seconds left. Leidner heaved the ball deep twice, but Brandon Reddish and Ritchy Desir were there to break up the passes and the Orange held on.

With the win, Syracuse improved to 15-9-1 in 25 bowl appearances. The Orange has won its last three postseason games, the second-longest bowl winning streak in team history.