The Sports Xchange
Sep 2, 2016
Junior wide receiver Ervin Phillips tied Art Monk's 39-year-old school record with 14 receptions Friday night as Syracuse defeated Colgate 33-7 at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York in coach Dino Babers first game with the Orange.
Graduate transfer receiver Amba Etta-Tawo and freshman running back Moe Neal also had impressive debuts with long touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey was 34 of 40 passing for a career-high 355 yards and two touchdowns. Dungey’s 85 percent completion rate tied for the fourth-best in school history and is highest by a Syracuse quarterback with at least 21 attempts.
Etta-Tawo set career-highs with 11 receptions and 205 yards, exceeding his production from all of last season at Maryland (20 receptions, 209 yards, no touchdowns).
Neal scored a 49-yard touchdown on his first carry and finished with 68 yards on nine rushes. Phillips finished with 87 yards and a touchdown.
Colgate totaled just 143 yards of offense, with more than half coming on its opening drive. Quarterback Jake Melville completed 10 of 22 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Syracuse scored 10 points in the first 2:31 of the second quarter to take a 17-7 lead.
Following Cole Murphy’s 32-yard field goal, the Orange forced a three-and-out and took over at the Colgate 49. Neal burst up the middle and into the end zone on the first play of the drive.
Murphy made a 41-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the first half and converted from 32 and 33 yards out to extend Syracuse’s lead to 26-7 in the third quarter.
Phillips’ 4-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter tied Monk’s record and put the Orange out front 33-7.
Colgate took an early 7-0 lead, going 75 yards on an opening drive capped by Melville’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Owen Rockett. The Orange tied the game less than two minutes later on Etta-Tawo’s 43-yard touchdown catch.