Syracuse football (2-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) got back in the win column Saturday with more than 500 yards of offense in a 42-41 overtime victory against UConn (2-3, Independent). The win marks SU's first victory against an FBS opponent in more than a year.
After 16 days off to evaluate its quarterback situation, Syracuse opted to mix it up and hand senior Amari Odom the start at quarterback. SU gunslinger Steve Angeli, who tossed five interceptions across his last two starts, watched from the bench as Odom threw for 335 yards and tied a career high with five touchdown passes.
"Steve is healthy, he was cleared and all," SU head coach Fran Brown said after the game. "But you just say, OK, this kid [Odom] can go and do this and he can run a little bit more."
Less than three and a half minutes into his first start of the season, the Kennesaw State transfer threw his first touchdown pass as an Orange player. After initially dropping the snap on second-and-10, Odom connected with wideout Umari Hatcher for a 40-yard score, SU's longest completion this season.
Odom accounted for three more first-half touchdowns and helped SU carry a 27-14 lead into halftime.
On the 'Cuse's first drive of the second half, the Orange faced fourth-and-23 on the Huskies' 34-yard line. But instead of sending out the field-goal or punt unit, Coach Brown opted to keep the offense on the field. The eye-catching decision paid off for SU, as Odom found a wide-open Daunte Bacheyie, who waltzed into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.
After Bacheyie's touchdown about halfway through the third quarter, the Orange held a 34-14 lead, their largest of the day. But UConn stormed back with three unanswered touchdowns, the third a 71-yard run by Cyncir Powers to tie the game.
It's clear that @CuseFootball couldn't contain @UConnFootball running back Cyncir Bowers and the ground game.@alex_burstein had the call for the junior's second touchdown.
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As the Orange attempted to regain the lead, they ran into an issue that has haunted them all season. With the game tied and the 'Cuse inside the red zone, Odom gifted an interception to the Huskies at their 1-yard line. It was Odom's second giveaway of the day, the same number Angeli had against Pittsburgh last time out.
After SU got the ball back and worked into field-goal range with little time to play, another recurring problem resurfaced: missed kicks. With the game tied, Shay Barker knocked a potential walk-off 44-yard attempt wide right. The miss was the freshman's second of the game and sent the contest into overtime.
Last season, Syracuse defeated UConn in overtime at the JMA Wireless Dome. Saturday, the Orange did the same thing, except on the road at Rentschler Field and in even more dramatic fashion.
Seventeen yards from the goal line on fourth-and-goal, SU needed a touchdown to extend the game and answer UConn's score from moments earlier. While a third consecutive loss loomed, Odom heaved a prayer into the end zone and miraculously found Hatcher for a touchdown.
Against one of the most penalized teams in the nation, UConn was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty on the scoring play, which encouraged SU to line up for the two-point conversion. With the game on the line, Odom took a designed run up the middle and powered into the end zone for a walk-off SU win.
"They [UConn] had the momentum all the way up until the two-point conversion," Brown said after the game. "And the one thing I told our guys was keep going, stay focused. Lock in."
The win is Syracuse's third against UConn in three years and brings its record back up to .500. But the victory didn't come without more discipline issues. SU took eight penalties for 84 yards, marking the fourth time in four games this season that the Orange have been called for more than 80 yards' worth of flags.
The penalty problems rolled past the bye week. @CuseFootball was charged for nearly 100 yards against @UConnFootball.@griffbloom and @Josh_Rajunov32 are fed up with the Orange's discipline issues.
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"I think both teams would tell you we've got a lot to clean up," Brown said after the game. "I think it's football, it's the nature of the business."
Next week brings another chance for the 'Cuse to tidy things up and stay in the win column. Syracuse travels to Charlottesville for a prime-time clash against Virginia next Saturday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Our coverage on WAER begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Kickoff at 7 p.m.