SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 10, 2012
Syracuse 45, No. 10 Louisville 26: Ryan Nassib threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns and the Orange rushed for 278 yards in handing the visiting Cardinals their first setback.
Jerome Smith rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown and Prince-Tyson Gulley carried it 15 times for 98 yards and a pair of scores for Syracuse (5-5, 4-2 Big East), which scored on three straight possessions in the second quarter to jump out to a big lead.
Teddy Bridgewater went 36-of-49 for 424 yards and three touchdowns for Louisville (9-1, 4-1), which will have to wait to secure its first 10-win season since 2006. The Cardinals dropped into second place in the Big East behind Rutgers.
The game was tied at 10-10 heading into the second quarter when the Orange began to turn it on. Nassib hit Alec Lemon with touchdown passes of 13 and 37 yards before Gulley broke free for a 55-yard scoring burst to turn it into a 31-10 advantage with 2:13 left in the half.
Smith broke for a 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Nassib’s 3-yard pass to Lewellyn Coker made it 45-19 with 11:14 left in the contest. Lemon finished with nine catches for 176 yards.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Nassib (738) passed former Rutgers QB Ryan Hart for the Big East record for completions. … Louisville had its six-game road winning streak and a three-game winning streak in the series come to an end. … Cardinals leading rusher Senorise Perry (leg) was injured on the opening series and did not return. Louisville finished with just 48 yards on 17 carries.