SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) Tommy DeVito passed for four touchdowns to four different receivers, the Syracuse defense held Holy Cross to 18 yards rushing and the Orange defeated the Crusaders 41-3 Saturday.
The win was Syracuse’s 13th straight against the Crusaders (1-3) in the team’s first meeting since 1973, when the Orange (3-2) won 5-3.
DeVito was 19 of 31 for 269 yards and had completions to eight players before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury. Taj Harris and Trishton Jackson led the Orange with six receptions each.
The Syracuse defense held Holy Cross to 138 yards total offense, sacked Connor Degenhardt four times and held the Crusaders quarterback to 13 of 28 and 104 yards passing. Holy Cross was averaging nine points a game entering Saturday’s contest.
Aaron Hackett and Jackson, who scored two touchdowns each against Western Michigan the week before, added one each against the Crusaders. Freshman tight end Luke Benson scored his first touchdown on a 70-yard pass play and Harris took a DeVito pass 47 yards for a score.
Syracuse wasted little time getting on the board in their first possession as DeVito hit Hackett on 14-yard scoring strike for a 7-0 lead. Less than three minutes later, the Orange recovered a Jon Jon Roberts fumbled punt on the Holy Cross 17 and capitalized immediately. On the first play, DeVito hit Jackson on 17-yard pass play and a 14-0 lead. A 52-yard field goal by punter Sterling Hofrichter made it 17-0 midway through the first quarter.
Syracuse took a 24-3 halftime lead on a 23-yard run up the middle by Abdul Adams and was never threatened.
THE TAKEAWAY
Holy Cross: The Crusaders couldn’t get much going against Syracuse, which has been par for the course this season. Unless Holy Cross finds some answers it could be a long season in the Patriot League.
Syracuse: Orange fans will hold their breath on DeVito’s status. It’s hard to take much out of the Holy Cross game, but the offense sputtered for much of the time after a quick start. On the other hand, Syracuse managed to get over .500 and has two weeks to get healthy for the resumption of ACC play.
UP NEXT
Holy Cross: The Crusaders kick off Patriot League action Saturday at Bucknell, the team’s third-straight road game.
Syracuse: The Orange has a bye before heading off to Raleigh, NC for an Oct. 10 ACC matchup with North Carolina State.
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