SYRACUSE - The pieces seem to be falling into place for the Syracuse Orange, and that couldn't happen at a better time.
After ending a school record 11-game losing streak last week with a victory at Illinois, its first road win in eight tries, Syracuse beat Miami of Ohio 34-14 on Saturday for its first two-game winning streak in nearly two years. The Orange hadn't won two in a row since November 2004, in Paul Pasqualoni's final year as head coach.
Saturday's game was the first of a three-game homestand for the Orange (2-2), who begin Big East play in two weeks against Pittsburgh.
“I think we are improving,” head coach Greg Robinson said. “Is there work to do? Yes, but this team, I believe, if they continue to do what they do, they will only get better.”
Curtis Brinkley (a career-high 108 yards and his first touchdown) and Delone Carter (a career-high 71 yards) gave the Orange a solid running attack for the second straight week.
“It feels good, it picks our confidence up so we can go out there,” said Brinkley, who capped the Orange's first drive with a 1-yard scoring dive over center. “We've always had the winning attitude, we just haven't always come out on top, and now we are.”
The defense also starred again. It held Miami to 31 yards rushing on 29 carries, intercepted its seventh pass of the season and registered eight sacks in overpowering the injury-plagued front line of the RedHawks, who are winless now in four games. Syracuse has 19 sacks, six fewer than all of last year.
“They told us we had to step it up,” said defensive end Jameel McClain, who had two sacks. “They put it on our backs, and we stepped up as a unit. That's what we're supposed to do.”
The RedHawks knew they were in for a long night after the game's first two offensive snaps. Syracuse safety Joe Fields sacked quarterback Mike Kokal on the first play, and defensive tackle Tony Jenkins nailed tailback Brandon Murphy for a 1-yard loss on the next.
“We've been banged up on the offensive line, and they took advantage,” Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. “We had no balance. We threw the ball more than we probably wanted to in the first half, but we felt like we weren't getting a running game, felt like we were just wasting plays.”
When the Orange offense clicked on its first two possessions, the RedHawks were in a hole they couldn't escape from.
“Nobody could hear anything at the start, and we just couldn't get any rhythm to get anything going,” said Kokal, who was sacked seven times before leaving in the fourth quarter with a sore ankle. “We just couldn't get our running game going at all.”
Still, the Orange sputtered after a quick start. Quarterback Perry Patterson looked lost in the second quarter and Kokal led the RedHawks back, accounting for 177 of his team's 186 yards in the first half. He hit star wideout Ryne Robinson for a 9-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to pull Miami within a touchdown.
Syracuse stopped the momentum swing with a big play by its special teams. After a Miami drive stalled at the Orange 17, linebacker Kelvin Smith blocked a 35-yard field-goal attempt by Nathan Parseghian. Syracuse left the field at halftime with a seven-point lead.
Patterson rediscovered his touch in the second half, and Syracuse scored 20 straight points to take command. Patrick Shadle kicked two field goals, Patterson hit tight end Jawad Nesheiwat on a 5-yard scoring pass, and linebacker Ben Maljovec intercepted backup Daniel Raudabaugh's first pass of the game and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown with 5:02 left for a 34-7 lead.
The victory snapped a five-game home losing streak for the Orange, whose last win in the normally friendly confines of the Carrier Dome was its only triumph of 2005 - 31-0 over Buffalo.
“It feels great,” said Smith, who finished with seven tackles. “We're tired of playing tough games and not coming out with a win. We just can't wait to come back next Saturday to play Wyoming.”
Notes: Syracuse wideout Taj Smith, who caught a 52-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, suffered a collarbone injury and will be out for an indefinite period. He leads the Orange with four touchdowns. ... Tight end Tom Ferron caught a career-high five passes for a career-high 54 yards.
Saturday's game was the first of a three-game homestand for the Orange (2-2), who begin Big East play in two weeks against Pittsburgh.
“I think we are improving,” head coach Greg Robinson said. “Is there work to do? Yes, but this team, I believe, if they continue to do what they do, they will only get better.”
Curtis Brinkley (a career-high 108 yards and his first touchdown) and Delone Carter (a career-high 71 yards) gave the Orange a solid running attack for the second straight week.
“It feels good, it picks our confidence up so we can go out there,” said Brinkley, who capped the Orange's first drive with a 1-yard scoring dive over center. “We've always had the winning attitude, we just haven't always come out on top, and now we are.”
The defense also starred again. It held Miami to 31 yards rushing on 29 carries, intercepted its seventh pass of the season and registered eight sacks in overpowering the injury-plagued front line of the RedHawks, who are winless now in four games. Syracuse has 19 sacks, six fewer than all of last year.
“They told us we had to step it up,” said defensive end Jameel McClain, who had two sacks. “They put it on our backs, and we stepped up as a unit. That's what we're supposed to do.”
The RedHawks knew they were in for a long night after the game's first two offensive snaps. Syracuse safety Joe Fields sacked quarterback Mike Kokal on the first play, and defensive tackle Tony Jenkins nailed tailback Brandon Murphy for a 1-yard loss on the next.
“We've been banged up on the offensive line, and they took advantage,” Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. “We had no balance. We threw the ball more than we probably wanted to in the first half, but we felt like we weren't getting a running game, felt like we were just wasting plays.”
When the Orange offense clicked on its first two possessions, the RedHawks were in a hole they couldn't escape from.
“Nobody could hear anything at the start, and we just couldn't get any rhythm to get anything going,” said Kokal, who was sacked seven times before leaving in the fourth quarter with a sore ankle. “We just couldn't get our running game going at all.”
Still, the Orange sputtered after a quick start. Quarterback Perry Patterson looked lost in the second quarter and Kokal led the RedHawks back, accounting for 177 of his team's 186 yards in the first half. He hit star wideout Ryne Robinson for a 9-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to pull Miami within a touchdown.
Syracuse stopped the momentum swing with a big play by its special teams. After a Miami drive stalled at the Orange 17, linebacker Kelvin Smith blocked a 35-yard field-goal attempt by Nathan Parseghian. Syracuse left the field at halftime with a seven-point lead.
Patterson rediscovered his touch in the second half, and Syracuse scored 20 straight points to take command. Patrick Shadle kicked two field goals, Patterson hit tight end Jawad Nesheiwat on a 5-yard scoring pass, and linebacker Ben Maljovec intercepted backup Daniel Raudabaugh's first pass of the game and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown with 5:02 left for a 34-7 lead.
The victory snapped a five-game home losing streak for the Orange, whose last win in the normally friendly confines of the Carrier Dome was its only triumph of 2005 - 31-0 over Buffalo.
“It feels great,” said Smith, who finished with seven tackles. “We're tired of playing tough games and not coming out with a win. We just can't wait to come back next Saturday to play Wyoming.”
Notes: Syracuse wideout Taj Smith, who caught a 52-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, suffered a collarbone injury and will be out for an indefinite period. He leads the Orange with four touchdowns. ... Tight end Tom Ferron caught a career-high five passes for a career-high 54 yards.
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