East Rutherford, NJ - Syracuse (0-1) fell 23-17 to Penn State (1-0) in its first game in the Scott Shafer era.
The first year coach said, “I liked the way the kids competed.”
Senior Drew Allen was the man under center for the orange. The Oklahoma transfer finished the game 17 for 38 with 189 yards and two interceptions.
The SU defense caused four turnovers in the game. Jerami Wilkes and Robert Welsh had interceptions for the orange, while Brandon Reddish and Micah Robinson added fumbles. Syracuse held Penn State to 57 rushing yards and under 300 passing yards.
Shafer said of the SU defense, “our games played a tough ass game.”
Allen Robinson, Penn State wide receiver, missed the first half due to a coaches decision but made his presence known on Penn State’s first drive of the second half. He took two catches to go 70 yards and put the Nittany Lions up 13-3. Robinson had six receptions for 115 yards in the 3rd quarter alone. He finished with 133 yards.
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Senior captain Jerome Smith added two touchdowns, with one of them cutting the game to 23-17, after a Robert Welsh interception brought the ball to the one yard line. Allen and the SU offense had a chance to win the game on its final drive with 2:08 left in the game but the oranges fate was sealed after Trevor Williams intercepted Drew Allen’s third round pass.
The Orange takes on Northwestern next weekend in Evanston. WAER’s coverage begins at 5:30.