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| Freshman quarterback AJ Long's first two career touchdowns weren't enough to hold off the defending national champs. (Photo: cuse.com) |
By Michael Castellano
Freshman Quarterback A.J. Long threw the first two touchdowns of his career Saturday but the Orange dropped its fourth-straight game. losing to the #1 ranked Florida State Seminoles in front of 43,295 fans on Homecoming Weekend at the Carrier Dome.
Florida State (6-0,4-0 ACC) showed it's versatility, totaling 185 yards on the ground and 317 in the air led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston whose pending disciplinary hearing into sexual assault accusations didn't seem to affect his performance on the field.
Syracuse (2-4, 0-2 ACC) needed to rely on freshmen for all of its scoring output against the 'Noles. Long connected with freshman wide receiver Steve Ishmael twice for the first TDs of their college careers. Freshman kicker Cole Murphy accounted for the rest of SU's offense on the afternoon with two field goals in the second quarter.
Florida State opened up a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter thanks in large part to an interception by Jalien Ramsey after the Orange had marched down inside the FSU 20-yard line.
The Seminoles expanded their lead in the second quarter on two TD passes by Winston; one to tailback Mario Pender and the other to tight end Nick O'Leary who had 97 yards receiving on the afternoon. O'Leary is the grandson of golf great Jack Nicklaus who was in the dome for the game.
On a crucial play late in the second quarter, with SU trailing 24-6 new offensive coordinator Tim Lester opted to go for it on fourth and goal on the FSU 6 yard line, but Austin Wilson's sideline pass to Ishmael fell incomplete.
"I was very pleased with my offensive staff to work together and come up with a very good game plan against the best team in the country," head coach Scott Shafer said after the game.
Long played sparingly in the first half as Wilson started in place of the injured Terrel Hunt. But Wilson took a blow to the head in the second half and had to be helped off the field. Long took over and showed his prowess in the third quarter. He threw the first TD of his young career, a 22-yard connection to fellow freshman and Florida native Ishmael cutting the FSU lead to 31-13.
"You couldn't write a script any better for a true freshman who everybody says runs his mouth," Long said
"They [FSU] were going to offer me [a scholarship], but they ended up taking the two better receivers," Ishmael said. "I just really wanted to come out here and show them that Syracuse is on the rise, and that's what we did."
Dalvin Cook rushed for a 7-yard TD early in the fourth to give Florida State a commanding 38-13 lead. Long connected with Ishmael again later in the period on a 35-yard touchdown making the eventual final score 38-20.
"A.J. was just the way I thought he would be," Shafer said. "All in all I thought the kid did a pretty damn good job."
Florida State's Rashad Greene became the school's all-time pass catch leader (213 career receptions) with his 107 receiving yards on the afternoon. The Seminoles also extended their nation best winning streak to 22-games.
Long became the first true freshman in SU history to throw a TD pass in his college debut.
Next up for the Orange is an ACC matchup with Wake Forest next Saturday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where SU will look for it's first win in over a month.
Game time is set for noon at BB&T Field.
- Coach Shafer Press Conference
- AJ Long Press Conference
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