Orange Struggles in First Road Test

Story By Mike Carter

Syracuse Quarterback Eric Dungey started his first game since
suffering a concussion against CMU. Photo courtersy of cuse.com

Tampa, Fla. - After getting within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the Syracuse Orange football team lost its first road game of the 2015 season to the University of South Florida 45-24 at Raymond James Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Bulls' offense gained 540 total yards against the Orange defense which had been seen as the strength of the team this season.

"I'll see the film and I'll grade that effort," SU head coach Scott Shafer told reporters after the Orange's second straight loss. "I'll scrutinize that more than anyone in the country. I promise you that much."

Dungey returns

Following an impressive showing two weeks earlier which saw an injury plagued Syracuse squad hang close to then No. 8 LSU well into the second half before losing 34-24 -- the Orange (3-1), entered Saturday's matchup against USF (1-3) with the opportunity for just its second 4-1 start in the last 15 years.

Syracuse's freshman quarterback Eric Dungey returned to action for the first time since he was injured early in SU's 30-27 overtime win against Central Michigan on Sept. 19. Joining Dungey in the huddle was sophomore running back Ervin Phillips, who has been sidelined for the past three games following knee surgery after SU's home opener against Rhode Island.

Slow start

On sunny afternoon with the temperature in the upper 80s, both offenses struggled initially to find their footing on Saturday. Dungey showed some rust early on completing just 2 of 5 passes for 21 yards in the first quarter.

The first big play of the game did not happen until near the end of the first quarter when Bulls' quarterback Quinton Flowers connected on a 56-yard bubble screen pass to wide receiver Tyre McCants, putting the ball at the Syracuse 2-yard line. USF broke the scoreless tie two plays later when running back Darius Tice scored, putting USF in front 7-0.

With the Orange offense slow to get started, Syracuse finally got on the board with a 31-yard field goal by Cole Murphy late in the second quarter.

USF's Emilio Nadelman answered with a 22-yarder and USF led 10-3 at the half.


Second Half: USF stretches lead, Orange struggles back

Taking the second-half kickoff, USF drove 75 yards in seven plays with running back Marlon Mack scoring on a 25-yard run to put the Bulls up 14 points. With the score 17-3, the Bulls got the ball back and scored again on a 42-yard reverse flea-flicker pass from Flowers to Ryshen Bronson upping the total to 24-3.

The Orange scored its first touchdown of the day midway through the third quarter when Dungey connected with sophomore running back Jordan Fredericks. Fredericks spun out of a tackle at the USF 30-yard line and scrambled into the end zone making it 24-10.

SU got the ball back when on the following USF possession when Flowers fumbled and linebacker Marqez Hodge recovered for the Orange. Dungey led the offense down the field and carried the ball in himself from the 7-yard line to pull within a touchdown at 24-17.

But every time it appeared Syracuse was about to capture momentum, USF turned to its sophomore running back -- and former American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year -- Marlon Mack. Mack seemingly quelled any chance for an SU comeback with a 45-yard run on the following series putting USF back up two scores at 31-17.


Another Orange fake succeeds, but Bulls prevail

 

On its ensuing possession, trailing by two touchdowns, Syracuse set up for what appeared to be a long field goal attempt on a fourth down play. For the second straight game, it was senior punter Riley Dixon who took the long snap on a fake field goal and rushed the ball himself for an SU first down. The Orange then scored on a Dungey pass to receiver Steve Ishmael bringing Syracuse once again within a touchdown at 31-24.

The Orange defense held on USF's next possession and looked to get off the field on a third-and-long incompletion. However, SU freshman safety Kielan Whitner was called for a late hit out of bounds on USF receiver Rodney Adams, extending the Bulls' drive.

 

"Those officials, they work their tails off," Shafer told reporters, when asked about the call. "They try to do the best job they can just like we do as coaches. Whether they made or missed a call isn't for me to really say. I saw it too, and stuff happens."

 

USF took advantage with Flowers eventually carrying the ball the last two yards for a touchdown and putting to bed any further chance of an SU comeback.

 

The Bulls added one more score after Dungey was intercepted and a personal foul on the Orange gave USF the ball at the SU 9-yard line. Flowers hit Adams with the scoring pass. 

Noteworthy

• SU quarterback Eric Dungey ended the day with a career-high 232 yards and was responsible for all three Orange touchdowns. For USF, quarterback Quinton Flowers finished the day with 253 yards passing and two touchdowns. Mack led the Bulls in rushing with 179 yards and two scores.

• Saturday's game brought back together two members of the Jim Harbaugh coaching tree. SU head coach Scott Shafer and USF head coach Willie Taggart worked together on Harbaugh's Stanford team in 2007.

• The (3-2) Orange face off against Virginia next week in Charlottesville. The (2-3) USF Bulls will head north next Saturday to play Connecticut.