Syracuse airs it out vs. Wagner
Dungey ties school mark with five TD passes in easy win
Eric Dungey tied a school record by tossing five touchdown passes to pace Syracuse University to a 62-10 rout of Wagner in its home opener on Saturday.
The Orange improved to 2-0 while FCS Wagner dropped to 1-1.
Playing into the third quarter, Dungey completed 23 of 32 passes for 218 yards and threw one interception. He hit five different receivers for scores: Sean Riley, Nykeim Johnson, Jamal Custis, Taj Harris and Ravian Pierce.
Two previous SU quarterbacks have thrown five touchdown passes in a game: Ryan Nassib (2010 vs. Maine) and Zack Mahoney (2016 vs. Pittsburgh).
Dontae Strickland rushed for a pair of scores for the Orange, who blew open the game with a 45-point first half to tie a school mark. Syracuse scored 45 against Miami in 1998 and Colgate in 1959.
Week 1 starter Luke Massei opened the game at quarterback for the Seahawks but was yanked after tossing an interception on his team’s first series. He was replaced by T.J. Linta, a graduate student who transferred from Brown. Linta suffered a minor injury late in the preseason and was not available for the opener against Bowie State.
Linta completed 7 of 15 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. He was shaken up in the third quarter, and Graham Lindman finished the game.
The takeaway
Syracuse: Dungey has orchestrated an offense that’s looked unstoppable in wins over Western Michigan (55 points) and Wagner. Thelasttimesuopeneda season with a pair of 50-plus point displays was 1929.
Wagner: The Seahawks returned 17 of 22 starters from last year but the program remains little more than fodder when it jumps up to play FBS foes and is now 0-9 since 2012, including a 54-0 loss to SU in 2013.
Up next
Syracuse: The Orange host Florida State in their ACC opener Sept. 15.
Wagner: The Seahawks travel to Montana State on Sept. 15 for the first meeting between the schools.