Huskies are no match for high-powered Syracuse

Syracuse, N.Y. — 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 UConn 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. The Orange finished 4-8 in each of the past three seasons.

UConn (1-3) entered the game ranked last in points allowed per game (55.7) and yards allowed per game (673.3), and Syracuse had to avert a letdown with a game at No. 3 Clemson next week.

"Some people call it a trap game," said Orange coach Dino Babers, in his third season. "It gets us to our goal with an opportunity to maybe win one more."

UConn's defensive depth chart for Saturday listed nine freshmen and two redshirt freshmen on the twodeep, 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 rush with a typical Orange drive — 10 plays, 67 yards in 2:51. He completed four passes for 45 yards before scoring from the 1.

"It felt really good to be out there," Dungey said. "I try to be the best leader I can. I think a lot of these guys are starting to buy in. That's just awesome to see. We've just got to keep working, a lot of improvement to make still."

After a three-and-out by the Huskies, Syracuse went 75 yards on seven plays in 90 seconds and gained a 140 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 chipped in with 290 all-purpose yards.

Syracuse outgained UConn 636395 for the game as the Huskies struggled on both sides of the ball.

"We bounced off people, we missed tackles, we've got to get stronger," UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "Some of that is just youth and it's going to take time. People don't want to hear it, but I thought they competed. We just have to practice, continue to get better. The kids want to do that."

The one-two UConn punch of senior quarterback David Pindell and sophomore tailback Kevin Mensah had combined to average 206 yards rushing a game in the first three games — Pindell netting 334 and Mensah 285. But the Syracuse defense limited them to 87 yards on 16 carries in the first half as the Orange built a 31-14 lead. Both finished with 76 yards rushing and all but one yard of Pindell's total came on one play.

"We just had a good jump on the ball," Syracuse defensive end Kendall Coleman said. "We were able to recognize plays and jump on the ball."

Pindell scored on a 75-yard run up the middle in the first quarter and also hit Zavier Scott with a 2-yard TD pass in the second, but he was harassed repeatedly by the Orange defense, which finished with six sacks and three hurries.

"I think we did some good things, but some things we just got to clean up, be a little more consistent," said Pindell, who was 17 of 24 for 151 yards passing. "We knew we could push the ball down the field on them if we do our thing and do what our coaches planned for us."