EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Just two days after Amari Odom was told he would be the starting quarterback in Syracuse’s road game against UConn, the ball was in his hands with the Orange looking to leave Rentschler Field on a winning note.
Odom’s fifth touchdown pass of the game and successful 2-point conversion run on the final play of overtime lifted the Syracuse Orange to a 42-41 win over UConn.
UConn scored 27 consecutive points and had a chance to win the game with a fourth-down stop. However, Odom, making his first career start for Syracuse, found Umari Hatcher in the end zone on 4th-and-goal from the 17 after UConn scored a touchdown on its first overtime possession.
“They say that the best plays that you make are when you scramble,” Odom said. “The scramble drill, once they break off their routes and see me out of the pocket and them getting into my vision so I can make a throw to them, is very important so I can make a throw to them.”
And when the Huskies were called for roughing the passer, which moved the ball closer to the goal line, the Orange decided to go for the 2-point conversion.
“Some things were (added) to the game plan for me to use my legs that Coach (Fran Brown) thought was a good option,” said Odom, who threw for 335 yards and accounted for six touchdowns.
UConn’s first play in overtime was originally ruled as a fumble that was recovered by Syracuse. After a short review, it was changed to an incomplete pass. On the next play, Osborne threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Trey Cornist to give UConn its first lead since the opening quarter.
UConn rallied from a 20-point deficit to tie the game on a 71-yard touchdown run by Cyncir Bowers with 11:52 remaining. Syracuse was driving for the go-ahead score, but Odom’s pass was intercepted by Jayden Price at the 1-yard line. UConn drove into Syracuse territory, but couldn’t get close enough for a field goal. Syracuse missed a 44-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.
Hatcher had 12 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns for the Orange (2-2). Bowers ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns for UConn (2-3) as the Huskies continued to run the ball despite being down by 20 points early in the third quarter.
“I thought to get back into the game, we had to get a couple of stops,” UConn coach Jason Candle said. “We could play balanced offense, we didn’t have to go into throw on every down mode because the kids were getting great movement.”
UConn receiver Javon Brown, the Huskies’ leader with 14 catches this season, was taken off the field on a stretcher with 3:31 left in the third quarter after trying to secure a pass in the end zone.
Syracuse coach Fran Brown opened his post-game press conference by offering his prayers to the UConn receiver and his family.
The takeaway
Syracuse: Odom started in place of Steve Angeli, one of the lowest-rated quarterbacks in the ACC. He was nearly perfect in the first half, but did have two interceptions.
UConn: The Huskies nearly defeated an ACC team at home for the second season in a row after upsetting Duke in 2025.
Up next
Syracuse: Plays at Virginia on October 10.
UConn: At Temple on October 10.