Game was played Nov. 5, 2011

The Syracuse defense intercepted quarterback Johnny McEntee twice and recovered three fumbles in the first half against Connecticut.

But the Orange was unable to capitalize, failing to score off any of UConn’s five turnovers through the first 30 minutes.

When it was all said and done, Syracuse’s inability to score points off turnovers cost it in a 28-21 loss to the Huskies in front of 38,769 at Rentschler Field in 2011. The Orange lost its second straight game, falling to 5-4 on the season and 1-3 in Big East play. Meanwhile, Connecticut improved to 4-5 and 2-2 in the conference. Both teams would end up finishing the season at 5-7, one win shy of an elusive bowl berth. For Syracuse, the UConn game and its season — dropping its last five games after starting 5-2 — were full of lost opportunities.

“I think it’s just when you think about, the defense got a turnover, we need to score now, instead of just focusing on that first play and then the second play,” SU wide receiver Alec Lemon said after the game. “And then that first first down and turning that into a good drive.”

But UConn wasn’t the only team making the mistakes, as the Orange offense turned the ball over three times.

“You’ve got to make plays; we weren’t able to make plays,” Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone said after the game. “We wound up turning the ball over, too.”

After the Huskies took an early 7-0 lead in the first half, Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib and running back Antwon Bailey botched a handoff on the Orange’s second play of its first drive. The ball bounced off Bailey in the backfield and eventually ended up in the arms of UConn linebacker Jory Johnson.

“It was … the handoff was … it just didn’t happen,” said Bailey, who was held to just 50 yards on 16 carries.

The Syracuse defense was there to bail out the mistake-prone offense throughout the game. McEntee threw his first interception of the day to safety Phillip Thomas. But once Syracuse got the ball back, the offense didn’t make much progress.

Defensive end Chandler Jones jarred the ball loose from UConn running back Lyle McCummings early in the second quarter. But when the offense got back on the field, Nassib missed a throw on third-and-5 that would have kept the possession alive.

The quarterback finished the first half 7-of-17 with a touchdown and an interception. All that against Connecticut’s 106th-ranked pass defense.

“He came out, the balls were sailing on him, he had a couple guys open and just missed them,” SU offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said.

In Syracuse’s five first-half possessions following a Connecticut turnover, the Orange only managed 62 yards on 21 plays.

The offense came alive in the second half, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions. But the Connecticut offense matched Syracuse score for score. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies did what the Orange couldn’t throughout the game: the team capitalized on a turnover.

With the game tied at 21 in the final quarter, Nassib made a throw to the right sideline intended for Lemon. The ball instead found Connecticut linebacker Sio Moore. And the Connecticut offense eventually turned the interception into the game-winning score.

“Any time the defense does a great job like that, you got to capitalize on the turnovers,” Hackett said. “We didn’t today. We didn’t capitalize at all.”

—Compiled by Jon Harris, asst. sports editor, jdharr04@syr.edu

Published on October 19, 2012 at 1:48 am