Final - OT
Minnesota spoils Paulus' Orange debut, wins 23-20
Sep 15, 2009 - 9:36 PM By JOHN KEKIS AP Sports WriterSYRACUSE, N.Y.(AP) -- Greg Paulus' debut at quarterback for Syracuse lacked only the storybook ending.
Eric Ellestad kicked a 35-yard field goal in overtime Saturday to give Minnesota a 23-20 victory over the Orange, who failed to score in the extra session when Paulus threw his lone interception on an ill-advised pass.
Paulus got off to a strong start in his first football game since 2004, but his turnover on a third-and-5 play on the first possession of OT gave the Gophers a chance to win.
"I shouldn't make that throw," Paulus said. "I was trying to make a play. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn't. I should have thrown the ball in the back of the end zone and kicked the field goal."
Paulus guided Syracuse to a 20-14 lead at the break but failed to convert any of the Orange's eight third-down tries in the second half.
"We had some opportunities to put them away and we just didn't get it done offensively," Paulus said. "And that's on me."
Still, in his first college football game after playing point guard for four seasons at Duke, Paulus made plenty of positive plays. He was 19-for-31 for 167 yards and one touchdown.
"I would have liked a better outcome," said Paulus, just 7-for-14 for 39 yards in the second half after the Minnesota defense adjusted. "That pick, I shouldn't make that mistake. I'll be kicking myself for a little bit thinking about that one. But playing football is awesome. It's so much fun. I can't tell you the joy I get. To play here is phenomenal."
Paulus had not played competitive football since he was honored as 2004 national player of the year at Christian Brothers Academy in suburban Syracuse. New coach Doug Marrone, who played for the Orange in the mid-1980s, made Paulus the starter less than two weeks into preseason camp, and he felt good about the decision despite the outcome of the opener.
"It (the interception) was a poor decision," Marrone said. "I'll rely on him to make the right decision. I have a lot of trust in him."
Adam Weber was 19-for-42 for 248 yards and one touchdown and Eric Decker had nine catches for 183 yards to lead Minnesota.
Until his ill-fated throw, Paulus showed great poise for somebody who had never played the position in college, and the Orange's revamped offensive line provided adequate protection.
Paulus, who received an NCAA waiver to play football with his one remaining year of athletic eligibility, seemed at home after the Orange's first snap of the game sailed way over his head and led to a quick Minnesota touchdown. He looked off defenders and scrambled when he had to, displaying the flair that made him a record-setting high school quarterback five years ago.
With Syracuse trailing 14-3 late in the first quarter, Paulus electrified the near-capacity crowd of 48,617, which included former Syracuse star Donovan McNabb, with his first collegiate scoring pass.
Facing a second-and-6 from the Minnesota 29, Paulus fooled three defenders with a pump fake and hit a wide-open Mike Williams near the goal line to move the Orange within 14-10. It marked the 10th straight game Williams has had a TD catch, a school record and the best mark in the nation.
Not even penalties seemed to faze Paulus. Despite a false start and a hold against the Orange late in the second quarter, he guided Syracuse 67 yards in eight plays, accounting for all but 10 yards with four completions in four attempts to set up Delone Carter's 1-yard touchdown run.
That gave the Orange, who were 10-37 in the previous four years under Greg Robinson, a rare 20-14 halftime lead. Syracuse scored 20 or more points in a game only eight times under Robinson.
The game started badly for the Orange. Center Jim McKenzie's first snap sailed over Paulus' head and was recovered by Minnesota's Cedric McKinley at the Syracuse 16. Two plays later, Duane Bennett scored untouched on a 16-yard run around the right side.
Ellestad forced overtime with a 26-yard field goal with 57 seconds left after a lob by Weber for Decker in the right corner of the end zone sailed high.
"This was exactly what I expected it to be," Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said. "Syracuse is a tough place to play. We didn't do everything right by any means, but I'm excited that we found a way to win."
- NCAAF FINAL IN 1ST OT
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -- -----
MINNESOTA 14 0 3 3 3 23
SYRACUSE 10 10 0 0 0 20 FINAL IN 1ST OT
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: MINNESOTA - TD, DUANE BENNETT 16 YD RUN (ERIC
ELLESTAD KICK), 0:19.
MINNESOTA 7-0
SYRACUSE - FG, RYAN LICHTENSTEIN 23 YD,
1:59. MINNESOTA 7-3
MINNESOTA
Sep 5 12:00 PM - NCAAF
MINNESOTA 20
SYRACUSE 20 0:00 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Sep 5 12:00 PM - NCAAF
MINNESOTA 17
SYRACUSE 20 0:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Sep 5 12:00 PM - NCAAF
MINNESOTA 14
SYRACUSE 20 0:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Sep 5 12:00 PM - NCAAF
MINNESOTA 14
SYRACUSE 10 0:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Sep 5 12:00 PM - 215
roots
Related News
- Syracuse football: Justin Barron announces return so letās take an early look at the Orange defensive depth chart Dec 26
- Quick Lane Bowl: Staff Predictions Dec 26
- Syracuse football: three takeaways from Boca Raton Bowl loss Dec 22
- RoWINg to Bowling Green - Quick Lane Bowl Preview Dec 22
- Syracuse football: USF stampedes over Orange 45-0 in Boca Raton Bowl Dec 22
- Syracuse vs. USF: Boca Raton Bowl TV/streaming, time, odds, history & more Dec 21
- Syracuse football: what to watch for vs. South Florida Dec 21
- Early Signing Day 2024: DL Fadil Diggs signs with Syracuse Dec 21
- Early Signing Day: 2024 linebacker Jayden Brown signs with Syracuse Dec 21
- Early Signing Day: 2024 cornerbackĀ Braheem Long commits to Syracuse Dec 21
- Early Signing Day: 2024 edge Jahide Lesaine commits to Syracuse Dec 20
- Early Signing Day: 2024 defensive lineman Maraad Watson commits to Syracuse Dec 20