The Syracuse Orange did not allow a single point to the visiting Colgate Raiders in 60 minutes of play a week ago in their season-/home-opener, a 65-0 romp.
In this game, it took the Western Michigan Broncos of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) just 30 seconds and two plays to obtain the first score against the Orange this season when redshirt-freshman running back Jalen Buckley took his second carry of the contest down the middle and out to the right sideline for a 75-yard surge to the end zone to give Western Michigan a 7-0 lead at the 14:30 mark.
Syracuse senior quarterback Garrett Shrader would take a shot at the Western Michigan end zone, finding junior wide receiver Damien Alford, but he did not reel in the wide-open opportunity, bringing up fourth down. Sophomore kicker Brady Denaburg would come on for a 36-yard field goal and boot it through to get the Orange on the board, 7-3, with 10:55 on the first-quarter clock.
After the defense forced a punt by the Broncos on their second possession, the Orange marched down the field, with Alford and redshirt-junior wide receiver Isaiah Jones making crucial grabs in coverage, Alford on the left sideline and Jones leaping by the end zone.
Sophomore running back LeQuint Allen, Jr., would, like in the first game of this season, bring about the first touchdown for Syracuse, this time on a one-yard run after breaking the plane against Colgate on a three-yard rush. This touchdown gave the Orange their first lead of the match-up, 10-7, at the 8:55 mark.
Then, Syracuse said, "I see your 75-yard touchdown, and I raise you 11 for an 86-yarder," when Shrader scrambled, gout out of the pocket, and found redshirt-freshman wide receiver Donovan Brown for Brown's first career collegiate touchdown, bringing the score to 17-7 Orange at the 5:03 mark of the first quarter.
Forcing the Broncos to punt for the third time in the first quarter, the Orange would set up once again for a punt return. This time, redshirt-senior wide receiver D'Marcus Adams got his fingertips on the punt-return attempt but did not gather the ball. Nebraska Cornhuskers' transfer, redshirt-junior defensive back Myles Farmer, who came onto the team in the middle of Fall Camp, recovered the ball for the Orange.
Western Michigan would inadvertently bail out Syracuse on this drive as a result of a rough-the-passer penalty that came on a play where Shrader had a wide-open receiver, but threw too far right and out-of-bounds.
At the start of the second quarter, in continuation of this drive, Shrader kept the ball for a 15-yard run up the middle as the defense parted and left him an ocean, rolling the Orange ahead 24-7 just eight seconds in.
Allen would carry the ball over the middle on the following Syracuse drive for his second rushing score of the game, and third of the season, raising the Orange up to a 31-7 advantage with 10:28 before half.
Western Michigan tried some trickery on their next possession, but it was to no avail as Syracuse redshirt-sophomore linebacker Stefon Thompson sacked redshirt-sophomore quarterback Jack Salopek for a 13-yard loss on a drive that eventually ended in yet another punt, the fifth of the first half by the Broncos.
On 3rd-&-9 of their following drive, the Orange would move ahead 14 yards to Broncos' two-yard line, but not by a catch or a run. Instead, a pass-interference penalty would send Syracuse toward the goal-line.
Allen got the call on the next play and kept his feet moving, twisting his body, and willing his way into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the game, and fourth of the season, this from two yards out, turning the Syracuse lead into 31 points, 38-7, with 1:19 on the first-quarter clock.
Then, the Orange defense said, "Our turn!", with the final score of the first half coming on an interception and 63-yard return by senior free safety Jason Simmons, Jr., to end the first 30 minutes of play with Syracuse lead 45-7.
Receiving the ball first in the second half, the Orange would bring in backup quarterback, redshirt-sophomore Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. His first two drives would end in the team's first two punts of the contest.
On their third possession of the second half, Syracuse was signaled for a touchdown on a carry by redshirt-junior running back Juwaun Price. However, the play would be reviewed and Price was marked short of the goal.
This would lead to Denaburg's second field-goal attempt of the game, and it would end the same as the first, through the uprights, with this 33-yarder giving the Orange a 40+ point lead, 48-7, with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Syracuse would begin the fourth quarter with their third punt of the game.
Redshirt-freshman backup quarterback Treyson Bourguet would have a shot in the Orange redzone, but overthrew his receiver in the left corner of the end zone for a turnover on downs.
Third-string quarterback for the game, redshirt-sophomore Luke MacPhail, came in to end the game for Syracuse.
True freshman running back Ike Daniels would have the exclamation point with a 22-yard run within the final seconds en route to a 48-7 win that moves the Orange to 2-0 at home and overall, while the Broncos are now 1-1, 1-0 at home (35-17 over the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash), and 0-1 on the road.
Syracuse scored 48 unanswered points to conclude this contest.
The Offense:
Shrader finished 19-for-30 for 286 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions
Donovan Brown led all Syracuse receivers with 89 yards, with three catches including his first collegiate touchdown
Redshirt-junior wide receiver Isaiah Jones and redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Umari Hatcher led the Orange with five catches apiece
LeQuint Allen, Jr., was atop all running backs on both teams with three scores on the ground
Price led Syracuse in rushing yards, with 68 on 16 carries (4.3 yards per carry)
Shrader had three keepers for a total of 31 yards (10.3 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown
Buckley had the only score of the game for Western Michigan, a 75-yard run
Salopek finished 15-for-22 for 110 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception
The Defense:
Junior linebacker Marlowe Wax, Jr., led the Orange in solo tackles (6) and total tackles (7)
Thompson, McDonald, redshirt-junior defensive tackle Kevon Darton, and redshirt-sophomore linebacker Anwar Sparrow each had a sack
Special Teams:
Denaburg was a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points and 2-for-2 on field-goal attempts.
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