Louisville Tops the Orange

Brandon Radcliff rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries and scored twice as Louisville defeated Syracuse, 28-6, in the Orange's ACC opener at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse falls to 2-3 on the season, while Louisville improves to 5-1.

The 'Cuse defense held the Cardinals to 352 yards of offense and forced a pair of turnovers, but the SU offense managed just 260 yards and 23:02 of possession time, while the Cards controlled the ball for 36:58 behind a ground game that accumulated 178 yards.

Jarrod West was the Orange's leading receiver for the second straight week, hauling in five passes for 85 yards.Josh Parris also grabbed five passes for 34 yards. Terrel Hunt was 17-of-32 passing for 201 yards and an interception. 

     

Cameron Lynch led the Orange in tackles for the fourth time in five games this season with seven. He also forced a fumble and had a sack.

     

The Orange jumped out to an early 3-0 when Cole Murphycapped an eight-play, 41-yard drive on the second 'Cuse possession.

     

Louisville responded on the ensuing series when Brandon Radcliff scampered in from four yards out for the game's first touchdown. The Cardinals added a safety early in the second quarter points when their defense swarmed Adonis Ameen-Moore before he could get out of the end zone, pushing the lead to 9-3.

     

John Wallace sent the Cards into the locker room with a 12-3 advantage, hitting a 51-yard field goal with 3:42 to go in the half.

     

SU opened the second half with a 69-yard drive that resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Murphy to make it a one possession game. The Orange nearly scored touchdowns on a pair of trick plays on the drive, however. Prince-Tyson Gully completed a halfback pass to Ben Lewis, but the play was negated due to an ineligible player downfield. West almost connected with Lewis on a reverse-pass on the following play, but it was deflected from Lewis' hands as he attempted to haul it in and the Orange settled for three.

     

The Cards answered the SU score when Radcliff ran in from 14 yards out to open up a 19-6 lead with 5:27 remaining in the third quarter.

     

Louisville tacked on another score when Reggie Bonnafon completed a four-yard pass to Gerald Christan with 7:45 to go in the contest. Charles Gaines closed the scoring by sacking Orange quarterback Austin Wilson causing the ball to roll out of bounds for Louisville's second safety.

    

Wilson finished the game at quarterback for the Orange after Hunt left the field late in with an injury.

Syracuse continues its homestand next Saturday at noon when it No. 1 Florida State on ESPN.

ACC Opener Awaits the Orange

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orange open the conference portion of its schedule on Friday, when the team hosts the ACC's newest member Louisville at 7 p.m.

GAME OVERVIEW
• Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome on Friday, Oct. 3 to open its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule against league newcomer Louisville.
• The game can be seen live on ESPN. Ryan Ruocco (pxp), Danny Kanell (analyst) and Niki Noto (sidelines) have the call.
• The Orange is the last ACC team to play a conference game. Syracuse opened the year with four non-league opponents and a bye week.
• SU is looking to end its two-game losing streak. After starting the year with consecutive victories against Villanova and Central Michigan, the Orange has lost its last two to Maryland and Notre Dame.
• Louisville has won its last two games. The Cardinals are 4-1 and have already played three ACC games in the early going, including a 20-10 victory against Wake Forest last weekend.
• The Orange and Cardinals know each other well. The two teams played every year from 2005 to 2012 as members of the BIG EAST Conference. They did not meet last season as Syracuse was in its first year in the ACC and Louisville completed a one-year stay in the American Athletic Conference before joining the ACC for 2014.
 
PROMOTIONS CENTRAL
• Fans can get an opportunity to see the Orange and Cardinals renew their league rivalry on both the gridiron and hardwood as a part of the Louisville two-game crossover package. This opportunity can be taken advantage of, as well as purchasing tickets for the rest of the Orange's slate by ordering online, by calling 1-888-DOMETIX or visiting the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).
• The City of Syracuse has officially declared September 29 through October 3 as "Orange Out Week" in an effort to raise community spirit in advance of the Syracuse's ACC game against Louisville on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.
• Throughout Orange Out Week, community members are encouraged to display their Syracuse University pride. Several Downtown buildings, including Syracuse City Hall, will be illuminated in orange.
• Syracusans are encouraged to wear orange clothing on Friday to show their support for the football team, which will play its first home game against an ACC opponent, Louisville, this Friday.  Social media users will observe this week using the hashtag #OrangeOutWeek.
 
WEEKDAY WARRIORS
• The Orange is 5-3 all-time in eight weekday games at the Carrier Dome and has won five of the last six non-weekend Dome clashes since the start of 2011.
• Prior to 2011, SU had only hosted two weekday Dome games (1989 vs. West Virginia, 2007 vs. Washington). Both were losses.
• Overall, the Orange is 8-1 in weekday games dating back to its 36-34 win against Kansas State in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, a game that was played on Thursday, Dec. 30.
• SU is 1-0 this season in weekday games. The Orange beat Villanova, 27-26, in double overtime on Friday, Aug. 29.
• The Orange has won three consecutive weekday home contests da?? ng back to the start of the 2012 season, and five straight weekday games overall.
• South Florida was the last team to beat the Orange on a weekday, winning 37-17 on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011.
 
THE LOUISVILLE SERIES
• The all-time series between the Orange and Cardinals is tied, 6-6, including a 3-3 record in games played at the Carrier Dome.
• In 1989, SU defeated the Cardinals in the Coca-Cola Bowl in Tokyo, Japan, 24-13, representing the only time Syracuse has played outside the U.S.
• In 2007, SU beat the 18th-ranked Cardinals, 38-35, at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Andrew Robinson threw for 423 yards – the third-best total in school history – and tied a then-school record with four touchdown passes, including a 79-yard scoring pass to Taj Smith on the first play from scrimmage.
• In 2008, running back Curtis Brinkley broke the SU single-season record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games against the Cardinals. Brinkley gained an SU series-high 166 yards, his fifth consecutive 100-yard performance. However, it was Orange fullback Tony Fiammetta who was the hero. Fiammetta caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Cameron Dantley with 5:18 remaining to lift SU to a 28-21 victory.
 
LAST TIME VS. LOUISVILLE
• The Orange led 31-13 at the half and rolled to a 45-26 victory at the Carrier Dome on Nov. 10, 2012.
• Ryan Nassib passed for 246 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Alec Lemon, who had nine receptions for an SU series-high 176 yards and two scores.
• Jerome Smith (144) and Prince-Tyson Gulley (98) paced an SU ground attack that generated 278 yards. Smith had one rushing TD and Gulley scored twice, including a 55-yard TD run in the second quarter.
• Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort.
 
SYRACUSE-LOUISVILLE CONNECTIONS
• SU has no players from Kentucky on its roster and no Louisville player is from New York state.
• Orange C Donnie Foster and Louisville DT DeAngelo Brown are both Savannah, Ga. natives and attended Savannah Christian Prep.
• 'Cuse guard Alex Hayes and Louisville OT Aaron Epps played scholastically at Tucker High School in Georgia.
• SU's Oliver Vigille, Durell Eskridge, Marqez Hodge and Louisville CB Charles Gaines and OL John Miller are products of Miami Central High School.
• Syracuse DT Wayne Williams and Louisville OL Kelby Johnson attended ASA College.
• Orange defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough and Louisville DC Todd Grantham were members of the same Michigan State coaching staff in 1997-98. Bullough coached the Spartan defensive backs (1997) and offensive linemen (1998). Grantham was Michigan State's defensive line coach.
 
A WIN AGAINST LOUISVILLE WOULD …
• Be SU's 708th all-time victory, tied with Virginia Tech for the 15th-most among FBS schools and most of any ACC program.
• Be SU's second straight win over the Cardinals at the Carrier Dome and would give the Orange a 7-6 advantage in the all-?? me series.
• Boost the Orange's record to 2-1 this season at the Carrier Dome.
• Mark the first time the Orange has won its ACC opener and the third time in five years SU won its initial conference game.
• Extend the Orange's winning streak in weekday games to six.

Catch up with Cuse on Syracuse Sidelines

If you're looking to get up to date on the Orange football team and look ahead to its ACC showdown with Louisville, look no further than Thursday's Syracuse Sidelines Episode.

Cuse TV: Coach Shafer's weekly press conference
Links: Game Notes

The weekly show will air in its regular time slot on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (323).

This week's episode will feature coach Shafer breaking down Riley Dixon's fake punt and Louisville's defense from the 'All-22' angle.

Senior safety Darius Kelly will also be this week's student-athlete feature.

Shafer Looks to Louisville

Syracuse will open its ACC slate on Friday against the league's newest member on Friday night when the team hosts Louisville.

The Cardinals are a team that 'Cuse is all too familiar with after the two spent years as BIG EAST rivals, with head coach Scott Shafer and the Orange looking forward to another matchup between the programs.

"Good week of preparation, short week, but a good week of preparation for this Louisville team," Shafer said. "It's a good football team, well coached, highly talented Louisville football team coming to the Dome. We're excited to get back in the Dome with our fans. Just looking forward to going head to head with a very good football team. It's kind of neat to go against an old BIG EAST foe and rekindle that competitive nature that we had with each other when we were in the BIG EAST together."

The teams last met in 2012 when Syracuse handed a then No. 11 Louisville, and previously 9-0 team its first loss of the season.

The Orange enter the contest with some uncertainty of which Cardinals' signal-caller it'll be matching up against, as sophomore Will Gardner started the first three games before missing last week's game against Wake Forest and freshman Reggie Bonnafon led Louisville to a win in his absence.

"I think both kids are a little bit different," Shafer said. "I think Bonnafon has the edge, the young guy, with his ability to take off with the ball. The one thing about coach Petrino is that he's very systematic with the offense and what he's going to have those quarterbacks do. So you're not going to have two different offenses when one guy is in. For the most part we're going to see an offense that's true to what they are – but it is an offense that breaks its tendencies all the time. With a short week, I'm sure they'll try to stay with what they've had success with but I know coach Petrino will have some wrinkles in the game plan for us."

To hear what else coach Shafer has to say about Friday's matchup, check out the full press conference on Cuse TV: Coach Shafer Press Conference

Shafer Previews Louisville

The Orange will return to the Carrier Dome this week when the team hosts the ACC's newest member Louisville.

SU will be looking for a similar result as last time 'Cuse hosted Cards, Syracuse handed the then undefeated and No. 11 Louisville its first loss of the season 45-26 on Nov. 10, 2012 after Prince-Tyson Gulley rushed for a pair of touchdowns.

To get the win this time around, the Orange will have to solve a Louisville defense that is surrendering just 14 points per game and 58.2 rushing yards per contest this year.

"They're a very talented. Charlie Strong did a great job recruiting those kids and they really have a lot of team speed on both sides of the ball, but the defense has been playing extremely well," said head coach Scott Shafer. "Again, not dissimilar to last week, we're going to have multiple looks out of them, we're going to have some pressures both with man and zone, so it'll be a good challenge for our guys to go out there against a quality defensive team in Louisville.

"Coach Petrino's background is obviously on the offensive side of the ball and he does some great things. He breaks his tendencies each week, they'll spread you out, get you into two tight ends and three tight ends in the back. So we'll have a lot of things to prepare for in this short week."

For more of what coach Shafer has to say about the Cards, watch today's interview with Matt Park: Coach Shafer interview