Syracuse Battles No. 1 Florida State in 38-20 Loss

reshmen AJ Long and Steve Ishmaelconnected for a pair of second-half touchdown passes in Syracuse's 38-20 loss to No. 1 Florida State on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. Ishmael had the big day for SU's receiving corps, catching touchdown passes of 22 and 35 yards for his first career scores while finishing with career-bests in three receptions and 93 yards. Running back Prince-Tyson Gulley caught a career-best seven passes out of the backfield for 25 yards to go with 80 yards rushing on 16 carries.
 
Led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, the Seminoles rushed out to a 24-6 halftime lead, but the Orange, in its first game without injured quarterbackTerrel Hunt, used two different signal callers and battled the nation's top-ranked team tough in the second half, scoring a pair of touchdowns.
 
Orange starting quarterback Austin Wilson was 5-of-9 passing for 89 yards and one interception. He left the game in the second half with an upper body injury. Long was 16-of-27 passing for 167 yards, two scores and two interceptions.
 
Winston threw for 317 yards, going 30-of-36 with three touchdowns. Tight end Nick O'Leary was his top target with eight receptions for 97 yards and score, while Rashad Greene (TD) and Travis Rudolph caught six passes each. Dalvin Cook amassed 122 yards on 23 rushes and scored once.

The Seminoles opened up the game with an eight-play, 70-drive that resulted in a touchdown. Once FSU settled for a field goal on its next drive, Long came out for the Orange to lead the offense, just the ninth true freshman to see action under center in Syracuse history. He led SU to a Cole Murphy field goal from 21 yards out, bringing the score to 10-3.
 
On the ensuing possession, Winston found Rashad Green on a crossing route for 44 yards to the Syracuse 5-yard line. The two big gains set up another pass play complete to Pender on a crossing pattern for a four-yard score.
 
After Robert Welsh forced a Pender fumble that was recovered by John Raymon, Syracuse got a 32-yard field goal by Murphy, cutting the Seminole lead to 11 with a 17-6 score.
 
The following possession, Winston was perfect with his arm, connecting on all five pass attempts with his one incompletion erased by a pass interference call on the Orange. The drive was capped off with a Nick O'Leary reception down the seam for a 21-yard score to give FSU the 24-6 lead.
 
After a Winston to Jesus Wilson touchdown pass opened the scoring for FSU in the second half, the Syracuse offense quickly came back with a score of its own as Long found Ishmael on a 22-yard reception for SU's first touchdown of the game, making it 31-13. Long's touchdown pass made him the first Syracuse true freshman in program history to throw for a TD.
 
After a 92-yard scoring drive in which Winston completed all five of his attempts for 66 yards, Wilson was knocked out of the game on a hit by Demarcus Walker and Long returned to connect on four consecutive passes for 32 yards. The first three were to Prince-Tyson Gulley for 15 yards with the fourth finding the hands of Adrian Flemming for 17. After a nine-yard rush by Ameen-Moore, Long completed his second touchdown pass of the game as he found Ishmael on a crossing route for a 35-yard score, closing the scoring at 38-20.