Garrett Shrader threw four touchdown passes as Syracuse opened its season with a 65-0 home victory over FCS foe Colgate on Saturday.
Shrader was removed early in the third quarter with his team ahead 44-0 following a crisp 18-of-24 passing performance. He finished with 257 yards through the air and another 40 on the ground.
LeQuint Allen chipped in 107 rushing yards and a score on 16 attempts for the Orange, while Isaiah Jones finished with two receiving touchdowns.
Michael Brescia went 7 of 14 for 29 yards with two interceptions for the Raiders (0-1), who were outgained 677-106 and converted only three of their 17 third-down attempts.
Syracuse outgained Colgate 317-55 in the first half and outscored the Raiders 37-0 prior to intermission.
Allen opened the scoring with a 3-yard TD run midway through the first quarter. On the next Orange possession, Shrader completed consecutive passes to Oronde Gadsden II before finding Damien Alford from 13 yards out to make it 14-0.
A couple of Colgate miscues helped Syracuse extend its advantage to 23-0. First, Jeremiah Wilson intercepted a pass by Brescia and returned it 66 yards to the end zone. Then, the Raiders fumbled the ensuing kickoff, setting up Brady Denaburg’s 25-yard field goal.
The rout continued in the second quarter, beginning with Shrader’s 44-yard TD strike to a wide-open Jones. The Raiders then botched a fourth-down attempt near midfield and the Orange made them pay shortly thereafter on Shrader’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Gadsden, making it 37-0.
Syracuse found the end zone once again on its first possession of the second half. Shrader and Umari Hatcher connected for 42 yards on third-and-9 and then again three plays later for a 4-yard TD.
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson then came on and threw three more touchdown passes in the third quarter. He finished 10 of 13 for 149 yards without an interception.
Hatcher caught four passes for 105 yards to lead the hosts, while Gadsden had a team-high six catches for 57 yards.
–Field Level Media
