SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 27, 2012
Syracuse 37, South Florida 36: Ryan Nassib passed for 328 yards and four touchdowns - including the winning score with three seconds left - to lead the visiting Orange back from a 23-3 halftime deficit.
The Orange (4-4, 3-1 Big East) used a blocked punt - their first since 2008 - and a fumble to score three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the second half and take a 24-23 lead. The Bulls regained the lead and held it until Nassib led Syracuse 75 yards in eight plays and hit Alec Lemon for the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown.
South Florida's B.J. Daniels rushed for 134 yards and passed for 183 yards and a touchdown to put the Bulls (2-6, 0-4 Big East) in position to snap a five-game losing streak before the final drive. Lindsey Lamar had 145 rushing yards, including a career-long 80-yard touchdown run, and Maikon Bonani connected on all five of his field goal attempts for the Bulls.
Jerome Smith rushed for 127 yards on 28 carries for his second consecutive 100-yard game for Syracuse and Marcus Sales had nine catches for 125 yards and two scores.
South Florida rolled up 273 of its 369 rushing yards in the first half, falling only eight yards short of the school record set in 2005.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Daniels surpassed 10,000 total yards in his career, the third player in Big East history to do so (Pat White, Matt Grothe). … Daniels has passed for 52 touchdowns in his career, tied with Matt Grothe for second all-time at South Florida behind Marquel Blackwell (67). … South Florida scored a touchdown on its opening possession for the first time this season.