Syracuse Tops UConn 42-41 in Overtime Behind Odom's First Start

Amari Odom threw five touchdown passes in his first start and ran in the decisive two-point try as Syracuse survived a blown 20-point lead to edge UConn 42-41 in overtime.

Quarterback Amari Odom, making his first start for Syracuse in place of Steve Angeli, ran for a two-point conversion in overtime to lift the Orange past UConn 42-41 on Saturday. Fran Brown's team moved to 2-2, while the Huskies dropped to 2-3. The game was broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The finish was necessary because Syracuse let a 20-point advantage slip away, leading 34-14 in the third quarter before UConn reeled off 20 unanswered points. The victory also ended a stretch of more than a year without a win over an FCS opponent for the Orange.

In his debut as the starter, Odom completed 27 of 37 passes for 335 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Umari Hatcher was his favorite target, finishing with 12 receptions for 152 yards and three scores, and Tylik Hill piled up 140 yards on 28 carries.

The teams combined for more than 850 yards of offense. Kalieb Osborne threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns for UConn, and Cyncir Bowers added 163 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

Odom opened the game with a touchdown drive, capped by a 40-yard strike to Hatcher after he gathered a bobbled snap, though a missed extra point left Syracuse up only 6-0. UConn answered with an eight-yard Osborne touchdown pass to Abshire to finish a 75-yard drive, then missed a 40-yard field goal on its next series. A four-yard Odom touchdown toss to Noah Meyers and a rushing score pushed the Orange ahead 20-7.

Late in the first half, a possible Bowers touchdown catch was ruled incomplete and stayed that way after review. Tunmise Adeleye then forced an Osborne fumble that Syracuse recovered, setting up Odom's second deep touchdown to Hatcher, and a second fumble forced by Deslauriers led to a missed 46-yard field goal try by Shay Barker. UConn closed the half with a 72-yard drive in 94 seconds to trail 27-14 at the break.

Syracuse extended the lead to 34-14 on its first possession after halftime, ending a seven-minute, 75-yard march with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Daunte Bacheyie on fourth-and-23. UConn responded with Bowers' 10-yard touchdown run on a drive extended by two fourth-down conversions, and Renick Dorilas intercepted Odom soon after, though the Orange defense held on fourth-and-10. Syracuse then failed on a fourth down of its own, handing the Huskies the ball at the Orange 43-yard line.

The Huskies took advantage, with Ky Wilson making a difficult catch before Osborne found Xavier Watson for a touchdown that cut the deficit to 34-27. Bowers then broke loose for a 71-yard touchdown run to knot the game at 34. Syracuse later kept the ball for more than six minutes and reached the UConn 7-yard line, but Odom was intercepted for the second time in the half.

In the closing minutes, a 26-yard completion to JD Willoughby moved UConn deep into Syracuse territory, but a false start on a fourth-and-short helped the Orange force a stop. Hill then picked up a first down on third-and-seven to set up a long attempt, and Barker pushed the kick right with four seconds left to send the game to overtime. UConn scored two plays into the extra period, but Odom answered with a touchdown pass to Hatcher and kept the ball himself on the conversion that decided it.