Dungey helps Orange stay on roll
QB totals 363 yards, four TDS; team 4-0 for 1st time since ’91
Eric Dungey scored three touchdowns and threw for another to key a first-half blitz and Syracuse continued its early season success with a 51-21 victory over former Big East rival Connecticut on Saturday.
Syracuse, which has not yet trailed this season, has won its first four games for the first time since 1991 and only the fourth time since the end of World War II.
Connecticut (1-3) entered the game ranked last in points allowed per game (55.7) and yards allowed per game (673.3). Uconn’s defensive depth chart for Saturday listed nine freshmen and two redshirt freshmen on the two-deep, and that inexperience proved costly again. The Orange, who entered the game averaging 49 points, scored rapidly on their first three possessions and stormed to a 21-0 lead.
Dungey, who sat out the second half of last week’s 30-7 win over Florida State because of blurred vision suffered after a tackle, started the rout with a typical Orange drive — 10 plays, 67 yards in 2:51. He completed four passes for 45 yards before scoring from the 1.
After a three-and-out by the Huskies, Syracuse went 75 yards on seven plays in 90 seconds and gained a 14-0 lead on Dungey’s 9-yard run up the middle.
Dungey’s 7-yard scoring pass to freshman tight end Gabe Horan, the first catch of his college career, boosted the lead to 21.
Dungey was 21 of 27 for 286 yards and two touchdowns passing with no turnovers and rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries before Tommy Devito replaced him in the fourth. Moe Neal had 116 yards rushing, the first Orange tailback to eclipse the 100-yard mark this season, and Sean Riley had 290 all-purpose yards.
Syracuse outgained Uconn 636-395 for the game as the Huskies struggled on both sides of the ball.
The Orange defense finished with six sacks and three hurries.
Riley gave the Orange a 24-point cushion with an electrifying 69-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third. It was the first punt return for a score by the Orange since 2015.
Riley added a 49-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.