University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Falls at Syracuse 42-30
10/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
UConn falls to 5-3 on the season and is 2-3 in Big East play while the Orange even their record to 4-4 and improve to 2-1 in the league.
Syracuse led 21-20 at the half and increased its lead to 28-20 as Anthony Smith had 32-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:51 left in the third quarter.
UConn kicker Matt Nuzie (Trumbull, Conn.) cut the lead to 28-23 on a 48-yard field goal with 5:27 left in the third. Nuzie’s 48-yard field goal was one yard shy of his career-long.
Syracuse sealed the win with a pair of touchdown later in the second half. Jared Jones scored on a 29-yard pass from Patterson with 34 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 35-23 Orange.
Reyes scored Syracuse’s final points on a three-yard run with 7:39 left in the game.
UConn added a touchdown with 52 seconds remaining as Dan Orlovsky (Shelton, Conn.) threw a 15-yard to Brandon McLean (New Haven, Conn.).
Orlovsky was 39-of-51 in the air for 445 yards and three touchdowns. The 39 completions is a UConn and BIG EAST Conference single-game record. The 445 passing yards is also a UConn single-game best.
Cornell Brockington (Burlington, N.J.) led the Huskies in rushing with 24 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown. It was his fifth 100-yard rushing game in the last six contests.
Syracuse took a 21-20 lead at halftime as the Orange scored a touchdown on the final play of the first half. Syracuse faced a third-and-one from the UConn 36 with four seconds left and Patterson threw a pass into the endzone that was tipped by a UConn player and then fell into the hands of SU receiver Andre Fontenette.
The Orange drew first blood in the game as UConn’s nine play-54 yard opening drive ended in a Orlovsky interception by Diamond Ferri that put the ball exactly at midfield. Walter Reyes then came back and rushed for 50 yards and the TD on SU’s first play from scrimmage.
UConn tied the game on its next possession on a 13 play-78 yard drive capped by a 17-yard pass from Orlovsky to Dan Murray (Gloucester, Mass.). The Huskies then took a 13-7 lead in the second quarter as Brockington’s two-yard rush capped a nine play-74 yard drive.
Syracuse quickly came back and scored a touchdown on three plays – highlighted by a 54-yard run by Damien Rhodes and a 22-yard TD rush by Breyone Evans that made it 14-13 SU.
UConn responded and took a 20-14 lead on a five play-80 yard drive as Orlovsky threw a 20-yard pass to Brian Sparks (Plainville, Conn.) with 4:07 left in the half. Sparks had caught a 19-yard pass on the previous play before the touchdowns.
The Huskies return to action on Sat., November 13 when they travel to Georgia Tech. Kickoff time for that contest is expected to be announced on Monday.
