University of Connecticut Athletics
Football Crushes Orange in Syracuse 39-14
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Junior Donald Brown becomes Huskies all-time leading rusher as Huskies move to 7-3
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Nov. 15, 2008) - Junior running back Donald Brown (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) rushed for 131 yards on 22 carries and became the all-time leading career rusher in Connecticut history to lead the Huskies to a 39-14 BIG EAST Conference football victory over Syracuse Saturday evening before a crowd of 28,081 at the Carrier Dome.
Connecticut improves to 7-3 on the season overall and 3-2 in BIG EAST play while the Orange are 2-8 and 1-5.
With a 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Brown passed Terry Caulley for the most rushing yards in school history. Brown now has 3,254 rushing yards at Connecticut.
The game marked the return of senior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen (Fremont, Iowa) to the UConn starting lineup. Lorenzen had missed four games due to a broken foot suffered in a win at Louisville on September 26. UConn is now 15-4 in games that Lorenzen has started at quarterback. Lorenzen finished with seven completions in 15 attempts for 70 yards.
The contest was fairly tight late in the third quarter when the Huskies scored two non-offensive touchdowns 11 seconds apart to blow the game open. Jasper Howard (Miami, Fla.) returned a Syracuse punt 69 yards for his first career touchdown. On the first play from scrimmage on Syracuse’s next possession, Robert McClain (Lusby, Md.) intercepted Andrew Robinson and scampered 37 yards with the pickoff to put the game out of reach. It was McClain’s third interception of the season, and the second one he returned for a touchdown. Howard added his third interception of the season in the fourth quarter.
The Huskies finished the contest out-gaining the Orange 329-147, while winning the first down battle 16-8. Linebacker Lawrence Wilson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) led the Huskies with six tackles.
The Huskies took the lead late in the first quarter when redshirt freshman kicker Dave Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) connected on a 23-yard field goal. After the Connecticut defense forced a three-and-out by Syracuse, the Huskies marched again, this time stalling at the Orange 21 setting up Teggart’s 38-yard field goal on the first play of the second period. Teggart has now started his Husky career by making his first nine field goal attempts (tying for the second-longest streak in school history.) The Huskies had increased their lead to 6-0.
On Connecticut’s next possession, Syracuse’s Max Suter blocked Desi Cullen’s (Louisville, Ky.) punt and the Orange’s Parker Cantey recovered in the end zone to put Syracuse ahead, 7-6. The Connecticut defense responded on their next time on the field. Syracuse punter Rob Long was smothered in the end zone by the Robbie Frey (Lehighton, Pa.) for a safety and the Huskies retook the lead at 8-7.
After the free kick, Lorenzen hit Kashif Moore (Burlington, N.J.) with a 17-yard completion to midfield and on the next play freshman running back Jordan Todman (North Dartmouth, Mass.) blew past the defense and rambled in for a 50-yard touchdown, the longest run of his career. Todman finished with 78 yards on eight carries.
On the ensuing Syracuse possession, the Orange offense awoke. Held to just one first down at that point, they marched 70 yards in 12 plays, capped by a 1-yard leap by Curtis Brinkley. The Huskies had held on three short runs prior to the fourth-down run by Brinkley, and the score was now 15-14, Connecticut
The Huskies wasted little time answering the Orange score. Todman took the kickoff five yards deep in the end zone and rambled out to the Connecticut 45. After a six-yard run by Lorenzen, Brown added his name to the school record books on a 49-yard touchdown scamper. In addition to setting the career rushing mark at UConn, Brown scored his 31st rushing touchdown at Connecticut, tying him for second best in the program's history with Terry Caulley. Wilbur Gilliard holds the school record with 34.
The Huskies took a 22-14 lead into the locker room at halftime, enjoying a 220-90 advantage in total offense in the contest’s first 30 minutes.
UConn returns to action next Sunday when it travels to South Florida for an 8:00 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPN.
University of Connecticut Football Postgame Notes --- vs. Syracuse
November 15, 2008
- Junior Donald Brown’s 49-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left in the second quarter made him UConn’s all-time career rushing leader. Brown now has 3,254 yards for his career – passing the mark of Terry Caulley, who had 3,187 yards from 2002-06.
- Brown had one rushing touchdown tonight and now has 31 for his career – tied for second all-time with Caulley. Wilbur Gilliard is the leader with 34 from 1992-95.
- Brown has now rushed for 100 yards or more in nine of 10 games this season and has 15 for his career.
- Senior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen returned to the Husky starting lineup after missing the past four games with a broken foot suffered at Louisville at Sept. 26. UConn is now 15-4 in games Lorenzen has started at quarterback during his career.
- Redshirt freshman David Teggart made three field goals tonight and since taking over the kicking duties against Cincinnati, he has made his first nine career field goal attempts.
- Teggart’s nine consecutive field goals is tied as the second-longest in school history along with David DeArmas in 1994 and Tony Ciaravino in 2007. Matt Nuzie is the leader with 10-straight in 2004.
- True freshman Jordan Todman’s 50-yard touchdown run with 8:34 left to go in the second quarter was the longest of his career.
- UConn now has a BIG EAST all-time road record of 4-12 with wins at Rutgers in 2004, Pittsburgh in 2007 and Louisville and now Syracuse in 2008.
- Junior Robert Vaughn recorded an interception early in the third quarter. It was the second of the season and the ninth his career.
- Sophomore Jasper Howard’s 69-yard punt return for a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the third quarter was his first career TD and the longest of his career.
- Junior Robert McClain had a 37-yard interception for a touchdown with eight seconds left was his third interception of the season and his second this year for a TD.
Players Mentioned
