Two weeks ago UConn football coach Bob Diaco declared that being a power running football team is part of his team’s culture.
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“It’s like defending two games”, Diaco said.
It was his fourth straight game with at least 100 yards receiving.
The Syracuse Orange (2-2) stopped their recent two-game skid with a 31-24 win over the University of Connecticut Huskies (2-2) on Saturday.
“The ball is on the 2 yard line and punch it in”, Diaco said after UConn ran two plays from the 2 and managed a total of one yard. “Which we felt like what we had”. We will go back – not to the drawing board because we are moving forward – but we are going to use this stuff to improve.
Looking to lessen the lead, UConn’s Sherriffs connects with a player in the Orange end zone to bring the score down to 31-24 with just over 0:30 left.
“That was an ugly play”, Summers said.
“I’m just so glad that he found us and we found him”, Dungey said. “I think, if you asked him, I think he might have made a good choice (to transfer)”.
Etta-Tawo made plenty of plays. Amba Etta-Tawo led in receiving with 123 yards in eight catches while Ervin Philips had 95 yards in 10 receptions. Ten of Etta-Tawo’s receptions went for a first down or touchdown – necessary production in a tightly contested game. It was just the second interception for the Orange this season. Dungey also had an impressive game with 407 passing yards, a new career high.
Syracuse kicker Cole Murphy hit a 47-yard field at the end of the first half to put the Orange ahead 17-14. That possession came after the Orange (2-2) stopped Huskies quarterback Bryant Shirreffs for a 1-yard gain on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with 6:12 remaining.
Though it was a close game, the way it was lost, with some unimaginative offensive playcalling highlighting a key late drive, is very disappointing considering the overwhelming evidence for when the offense is at its best.
Faced with a 3rd and 8 from its own 8, UConn quarterback Bryant Shirreffs’ pass was deflected. Murphy, who is on the Lou Groza Award watch list, entered Saturday’s game converting six of his seven field goal attempts, with the lone miss being a 55-yard attempt against Louisville. Hergy Mayala’s only catch of the game and pass from Tyler Davis to Tommy Myers after UConn lined up for a field goal put the Huskies inside the 10.
“It was a challenge I didn’t come prepared for”, Summer said, emphasizing the mental aspect and not the physical.
Though Bobby Puyol attempted a solid onside kick, Obi Melifonwu had a chance but couldn’t make a play on it and Syracuse recovered. It came back to haunt us. But that wasn’t able to stop UConn’s momentum, as they were able to pick up their first points of the game with a 2-yard rush to the end zone by running back Ron Johnson.
“My stats can’t really be celebrated with a loss”, said Thomas, who received a text message of support from Davis after the game. Shirreffs completed 27 of 45 passes for 264 yards, with a touchdown and interception.
First-year head coach Dino Babers has some work to do to rebuild a Syracuse team that now stands at 1-2 on the season.
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Syracuse came into the game leading the country by averaging 93 plays per game, but UConn actually ran 25 more plays in the game and had the ball for almost 38 1/2 minutes. “We had to drive down the field and try to put the game out, and that’s exactly what we did”. “And then we had a couple of plays that created a 21-point gift”.
