SYRACUSE - Syracuse finally got that elusive first victory, just in the nick of time.

Doug Hogue rushed for 100 yards and scored twice, Curtis Brinkley had 145 yards and a touchdown, and the Orange held off stubborn Northeastern 30-21 on Saturday for its first victory in nearly a year.

“We needed to win,” said Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson, whose record stands at 8-31 in three-plus years. “Winning and just being in that locker room is a great feeling.”

And it didn't matter one bit that Northeastern (0-3) plays in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. What might matter when Big East play for the Orange (1-3) begins next week at home against Pittsburgh is that the Huskies were in the game until the end.

Quarterback Anthony Orio threw for a career-high 293 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a team-high 49 yards as the Huskies gained 383 yards, converting 10 of 14 third downs.

“We saw last week that they played a lot of man against Penn State,” said Orio, who was 23-for-37 passing and was not sacked. “We were pretty sure if they played man against them, they would play man against us.”

Syracuse, which finished with 271 yards rushing, appeared set to take command after Hogue's 9-yard touchdown run and a 46-yard field goal gave the Orange a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

But with Syracuse driving for another score late in the second, Orange tight end Mike Owen fumbled after a catch and Chris Byrne recovered for Northeastern at his own 20.

Given a big break, Orio took advantage despite a holding penalty that put the ball at the 10. He gained 10 yards on a keeper, hit Greg Abelli for another 10 yards and tight end Brian Mandeville for 16 before combining with Abelli on a 27-yard scoring pass with 25 seconds left in the half.

“That was a big momentum changer,” Northeastern coach Rocky Hager said. “Up until that time, I think you could get the impression that we were getting our rear ends kicked.”

The game turned in Syracuse's favor in the third quarter. After Cam Dantley hit Hogue with an 8-yard scoring pass to cap the first drive of the second half, sophomore free safety Randy McKinnon corraled an interception. The ball was tipped at the line by linebacker Derrell Smith and it caromed off the hands of defensive end Andrew Lewis to McKinnon.

“We just all went and made a play on it,” McKinnon said after his first career interception. “We were fortunate.”

Brinkley took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a 3-yard run in the waning moments of the third to make it 24-7.

The Huskies weren't done yet, though. Orio hit Chris Plum with a 54-yard TD pass and Alex Broomfield scored on a 1-yard run with 6:41 left in the game to make it 27-21.

“We came here expecting to win,” said Mandeville, who had five catches for 83 yards. “They have a good running game, and they kept the chains moving at the end. We didn't get that one last chance.”

Indeed. Syracuse drove 57 yards on nine plays that took nearly five minutes to set up a 21-yard field goal by Shadle with under two minutes to go.

That ensured Robinson and the Orange their first triumph since a 20-12 home win over Buffalo last October.

“I give them credit,” Robinson said. “They were game.”

Added McKinnon: “It feels good. It's still a win.”

Orange 30

Huskies 21