UConn erases 20-point deficit but falls in OT to Syracuse

Ky Wilson (0) moves upfield after a reception in Saturday’s NCAA football game with Syracuse. He caught four passes for 52 yards. (Photo courtesy UConn Athletics)

Twice, the Syracuse University football team held a 20-point lead over UConn on Saturday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

In the second quarter, the Huskies sliced the lead to 13 before the Orange scored again in the third quarter to boost their lead back to 20 points.

This time, the Huskies scored 20 points to tie the game. But the Syracuse QB Amari Odom rifled a 17-yard touchdown pass to Umari Hatcher in overtime and scored on a two-point conversion to allow the Orange to escape with a 42-41 victory in overtime.

Syracuse (2-2) had a chance to win the game in the final seconds of regulation but kicker Shay Butler missed a 44-yard field goal to allow the game to go into overtime.

It was a roller-coaster of emotions for the Huskies, who saw receiver Javon Brown hurt in the third quarter leaping into the air for a pass. He left the field on a stretcher.

The Huskies rallied in the second half with big plays from Cyncir Bowers, who ran for two second half touchdowns. He had a 10-yard TD run in the third quarter and a 71-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter with 11:52 remaining that tied the game at 34-34.

Jayden Price made a big stop for the Huskies with an interception with 5:51 remaining to stop a potential Syracuse touchdown and keep the game tied.

QB Kalieb Osborne threw three TD passes including a sharp touchdown pass to Trey Cornist near the corner of the end zone in overtime to give UConn a 41-34 lead after the successful extra point from Jack O’Connor.

UConn nearly stopped the Orange in OT. On second down and goal from the seven, pressure from the Huskies forced Odom to fumble the ball out of bounds at the 17-yard line. On third down, UConn’s John Lista tipped Odom’s pass away in the end zone.

On fourth down, Odom threaded a needle with a sharp touchdown pass in the end zone to Hatcher (12 catches, 152 yards), just ahead of a UConn defender. When the Huskies were called for roughing the passer thanks to a shove of Odom by Lista, it moved the ball to the 1½ yard line, enticing Syracuse to go for the two-point conversion and the win.

Odom was able to get the ball over the goal line for the game-winning two-point conversion.

The Huskies were also hurt by lost fumbles on consecutive possessions in the second quarter. One fumble – a strip sack of Osborne — led to a 41-yard touchdown pass from Odom to Hatcher and a 27-7 lead. The second fumble, on a kickoff return, led to a 46-yard FG attempt by Barker that failed, helping to keep the Huskies in the game.

UConn responded with a four-yard run from Trey Cornist with 11 seconds left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 27-14.

“Emotionally, a draining game in a lot of ways, but hats off to Syracuse for getting the win,” UConn head coach Jason Candle said. “A tough game in a lot of ways. And, you fight back, you’re down multiple scores, you’re able to fight back and get within striking distance and just a lot of ebb and flows and momentum swings that happen in a college football game.

“Tons of adversity throughout the course of 60 minutes of football both ways,” Candle said. “I’m super proud of our team for responding and doing the things necessary to continue to fight back. Down but never out. And if we can continue to do that, we’re going to have a lot of success here.

“I certainly (felt) we left some plays out there. There’s no question about that,” he said. “Question our resolve and our toughness and our fight and our want to win, our want to get better and improve — I don’t think that was ever in question today.”

Syracuse 42, UConn 41, OT
At East Hartford
Syracuse (2-2)              6  21  7    0  8  -42
UConn (2-3)                  7    7  6  14  7  — 41
First quarter
S: Umari Hatcher 40 pass from Amari Odom (kick blocked), 11:45
C: Cam Abshire 8 pass from Kalieb Osborne (Jack O’Connor kick), 9:31
Second quarter
S: Noah Meyers 4 pass from Odom (Shay Barker kick), 13:39
S: Odom 6 run (Barker kick), 9:22
S: Hatcher 41 pass from Odom (Barker kick), 3:19
C: Trey Cornist 4 run (O’Connor kick), 0:11
Third quarter
S: Daunte Bacheyle 34 pass from Odom (Barker kick), 7:58
C: Cyncir Bowers 10 run (kick failed), 3:46
Fourth quarter
C: Xavier Watson 7 pass from Osborne (O’Connor kick) 14:55
C: Bowers 71 run (O’Connor kick), 11:52
Overtime
C: Cornist 25 pass from Osborne (O’Connor kick)
S: Hatcher 17 pass from Odom (Odom run)
Individual leaders
RUSHING: Syracuse – Tylik Hill 28-140, Ahmad Miller 8-22, Matt Outten 2-9, Davion Kerr 2-6, Amari Odom 7-minus 2; UConn – Cyncir Bowers  16-163, Kalieb Osborne 7-23, Trey Cornist 8-8, Team 1-minus 13
PASSING: Syracuse – Odom 27-37-2, 335; UConn – Osborne 19-39-0, 314; Tucker McDonald 1-1, 4
RECEIVING: Syracuse – Umari Hatcher 12-152, Darius Johnson 4-47, Justus Ross Simmons 3-31, David Clement 2-20, Calvin Russell 2-14, Noah Meyers 2-9, Bacheyle 1-34, Cole Weaver 1-28; UConn – Ky Wilson 4-52, Ryder Treadway 3-57, Javion Brown 3-49, JD Willoughby 2-51, Xavier Watson 2-30, Bowers 2-16, Cornist 1-25, Matt Ragan 1-18, Shamar Porter 1-12, Abshire 1-8
MISSED FIELD GOALS: Syracuse Barker 46, 44, UConn: O’Connor 40
A: 35,883