SYRACUSE, N.Y. – More than 400 yards of offense,
Treyvhon Saunders and
Reed Swanson both going over 100 yards receiving, and
Zach Osborne and
Jake Stearney combining for more than 300 yards through the air highlighted Colgate Football's 66-24 loss to Syracuse on Friday night in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Colgate's 24 points matched the 1981 team for the most points scored against the Orange in the past 50 years. The Raiders ran 83 plays, racking up 25 first downs, 107 rushing yards, and 301 passing yards. Swanson caught seven passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while Saunders registered his third straight double-digit catch performance with 11 for 105.
First Quarter
- Syracuse scored on its first possession, marching 65 yards in seven plays capped off by a 26-yard touchdown reception from Justus Ross-Simmons to open a 7-0 lead at the 10:30 mark.
- Colgate moved the ball early, and aided by a defensive fumble recovery by Kenny Langston, got on the board with a 39-yard field goal by Luke Vogeler cutting the deficit to 7-3.
- The Orange responded with a nine-play drive that carried 86 yards finished by a 43-yard pitch and catch from Steve Angeli to Darrell Gill Jr., extending the home team's lead to 14-3.
Second Quarter
- Syracuse scored on five consecutive possessions, three times in the second quarter, to build on its double-digit lead.
- Colgate found some answers late in the half when Swanson and Saunders made back-to-back diving grabs to set up the Raiders in the red zone. Osborne's final pass of the half unfortunately ended in Syracuse's hands in the end zone, and the Orange took a 38-3 lead into halftime.
Third Quarter
- Colgate saved its best offense for the second half after Stearney took over at quarterback. He started 8-for-11 with a pair of grabs from Saunders and Winston Moore setting up the Raiders for their first touchdown – a 12-yard over-the-shoulder strike to Swanson in front of the pylon – with 4:34 showing.
- The Raiders got the ball back with 2:56 left in the quarter and needed every second to find paydirt again. Cole Fulton had a 10-yard run and a nine-yard reception before Stearney delivered a 23-yard fade to Swanson in the end zone with zeroes on the clock and the score 45-17.
Fourth Quarter
- Syracuse brought its starting quarterback back into the game and drove 71 yards in nine plays capped off by a one-yard touchdown run to establish a 52-17 lead early in the fourth.
- Fulton stole the show on Colgate's next possession, first a 16-yard reception to get into Syracuse territory before ripping off a 44-yard touchdown run down the right sideline for Colgate's longest rush of the season – quickly cutting the deficit to 52-24 midway through the fourth.
- The Orange capped off the scoring with a pair of late touchdown drives over the final six-plus minutes to secure the 66-24 final score in Syracuse.
UP NEXT
Colgate (0-3) opens Patriot League play at home next Saturday when the Raiders host Fordham for Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff from Andy Kerr Stadium is 1 p.m.
