Recap: Miami 27, Syracuse 19

Saturday, October 21

Miami Gardens, FL

3:30 pm

Syracuse University

4-4 , 2-2

Miami

6-0 , 4-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Syracuse

Miami (FL)

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

10/21/2017 6:49:00 PM | Football

Box Score Cuse TV: Highlights Cuse TV: Dino Babers Press Conference Photo Gallery Postgame Notes Quotes

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – No. 8 Miami (6-0, 4-0 ACC) turned away a second-half Syracuse (4-4, 2-2 ACC) comeback bid to emerge with a 27-19 victory at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 21. The Hurricanes extended their winning streak to 11 games and topped the Orange for the sixth straight time.

After falling behind 13-0, the Orange put together yet another strong second-half performance, outscoring Miami 16-14 after the break and pulling to within 20-19 with less than six minutes to go.

Running back Moe Neal accounted for the lone Syracuse touchdown, scoring on a 15-yard run in the third quarter. Cole Murphy kicked four field goals, including a career-long boot of 53 yards, account for the rest of the Orange points. Running back Dontae Strickland (105 yards) and quarterback Eric Dungey (100 yards) led a Syracuse ground attack that churned out 264 yards on 51 carries (5.2 avg.).

Quarterback Malik Rosier completed 26-of-43 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns to lead Miami. The Hurricanes defense intercepted Dungey four times, including two by cornerback Michael Jackson.

HOW IT WAS DECIDED
Syracuse turned the ball over three times and punted twice on its first five possessions. Miami scored 13 unanswered points during that time before a 22-yard field goal by Murphy trimmed the advantage to 13-3 at halftime.

Following another Murphy field goal, this one from 40 yards out, Miami regained its 13-point margin on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Rosier to Jeff Thomas. Syracuse answered back on the ensuing possession as Neal found the end zone for the first time in 2017 from 15 yards out. A 45-yard Murphy field goal opened the fourth-quarter scoring and pulled the Orange within four, 20-16, with 9:52 remaining.

On the next Miami series, the Orange defense rose up and forced an incomplete pass on fourth-and-3 to give the ball back to the Orange at their own 31. Dungey moved Syracuse 34 yards in six plays, and Murphy converted a kick from 53 yards away to make the score 20-19 with 5:23 to go.

A 33-yard touchdown run by Miami's Travis Homer with 2:48 left capped an 85-yard scoring drive and pushed the Hurricanes back in front, 27-19.

Down by eight, the Orange had one final offensive opportunity, but a sack of Dungey by Shaquille Quarterman left Syracuse facing a fourth-and-7 from its own 46-yard line with with 1:38 left. On the next play, Dungey fired for Ervin Philips, but his pass was incomplete. Miami took over on downs and ran the clock out to stay undefeated.

BABERS' TAKE
"Obviously, [they are] a fabulous football team," Orange head coach Dino Babers said. "Four turnovers in the first half, giving them great field position and putting our defense in a bad situation. Came back and played a better second half of football, but when you're playing a team like this you got to score touchdowns, not kick field goals if you're going to beat a team that's ranked in the top 10."

OF NOTE
With Strickland running for 105 yards on 14 carries and Dungey gaining 100 yards on 20 carries, it marked the first time since the 2014 Maryland game two Syracuse players ran for 100 yards in the same game. Terrel Hunt and Prince-Tyson Gulley were the last Orange tandem to turn the trick. Hunt tallied 156 yards on the ground against the Terps and Gulley chipped in with 138.

Murphy now has four field goals of 50+ yards in his career. Only one placekicker in Syracuse history has made more from that distance – Dave Jacobs, who hit seven from 50 yards and beyond during his Orange tenure.

Parris Bennett continues to be a tackling machine. Bennett carded 10 stops against the Hurricanes, the fourth time in the last five games he finished with double-digit tackles. Bennett leads the Orange with 75 tackles this season, an average of 9.4 per game.

UP NEXT
Following a week off, Syracuse returns to the Sunshine State Saturday, Nov. 4 to square off with Atlantic Division rival Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium. Kick time for the Orange and Seminoles will be announced by the ACC on Monday, Oct. 23.

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