Syracuse Orange vs Ohio Bobcats Match Player Stats On Sep 04, 2021

Sean Tucker rushed for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries to power visiting Syracuse in a 29-9 win over Ohio in a nonconference matchup on Saturday night in Athens, Ohio.

Syracuse (1-0) won for the seventh time in its last eight season openers and claimed its eighth straight victory against the Mid-American Conference. Quarterback Tommy DeVito completed 11 of 17 passes for just 92 yards, but he added 49 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

Ohio (0-1) lost the head coaching debut for Tim Albin, the program's long-time offensive coordinator who was elevated to the head role in July following the retirement of Frank Solich. Kurtis Rourke hit on 21 of 28 passes for 142 yards with an interception and even caught a 38-yard pass for the Bobcats, who managed just nine points on three trips into the red zone on the night.

Jerome Buckner hauled in seven catches for 102 yards, De'Montre Tuggle added 65 yards rushing, and Stephen Johnson kicked three short field goals of 22, 30 and 25 yards for Ohio.

Syracuse pulled away with a pair of third-quarter scores to take a 22-6 lead into the final frame. Andre Szmyt kicked a 20-yard field goal, and then Tucker found paydirt on a 6-yard touchdown run for the 16-point lead with 40 seconds left in the quarter.

Ohio pulled to within 22-9 with 11:21 left on Johnson's third field goal, but Syracuse answered with Cooper Lutz' 11-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left for the 29-9 final score.

Orange receiver Taj Harris had six catches for 29 yards and broke his tie with Marvin Harrison for sixth place on the Syracuse career receptions list. Syracuse finished with 280 rushing yards on 44 carries, and averaged 6.4 per attempt.

Ohio out gained Syracuse 171-139 in the first half and had a better than a seven-minute edge in time of possession ... but trailed 12-6 at the break.

The Bobcats' first drive took 12 plays and eight minutes off the clock but ended with a missed 50-yard field goal. Syracuse took the lead just five plays later when DeVito kept the ball on a read for a 6-yard touchdown run.

On the following kickoff, returner Tuggle muffed the return and was tackled on his own 1-yard line. Ohio's next play was a dive to Tuggle, and he was swarmed under for a safety, and Syracuse led 9-0 with 6:24 left in the first quarter.

The Bobcats got on the board with 13:33 left in the half on Johnson's 22-yard field goal. Syracuse answered with Szmyt hitting from 29 yards, and Ohio closed the half with Johnson's 30-yard field goal with just 19 seconds remaining.

--Field Level Media