UConn in Position for 1st Big East Title

No. 25 Connecticut 30, Syracuse 7

Connecticut's Andre Dixon celebrates after his team scored in the first half of a 30-7 football victory over Syracuse in East Hartford, Conn., on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham) (Fred Beckham - AP)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Tyler Lorenzen threw for 213 yards and a touchdown and No. 25 Connecticut beat Syracuse 30-7 to stay in sole possession of first place in the Big East.

The Huskies (9-2, 5-1 Big East) can win their first conference title with a victory at West Virginia next week. UConn finished 7-0 at home, only the second Big East team to do that. West Virginia was the other in 1993.

UConn's tailback tandem of Donald Brown and Andre Dixon combined for 151 yards rushing and two scores.

The Huskies jumped to an early 21-0 lead and were never really challenged by the Orange (2-9, 1-5).

Lorenzen got the Huskies off to a fast start when he hit Terence Jeffers for a 63-yard touchdown pass on UConn's first possession, the longest pass play for the Huskies since 2004. Jeffers was running with defensive back Mike Holmes until the ball was in the air, then went into another gear and ran away from Holmes down the right sideline. The Huskies took just five plays to go 95 yards.

UConn made it 14-0 on a 1-yard run from Dixon. That capped a 35-yard drive that began when Syracuse quarterback Andrew Robinson fumbled at the end of an 11-yard run.

After Syracuse missed a 40-yard field goal, UConn drove 77 yards in just under 2 minutes to take control of the game. Brown finished off that drive with a 21-yard touchdown run up the middle. He had 99-yards rushing on 22 carries. Dixon ran 15 times for 62 yards.

Lorenzen finished 16-of-24 for 213 yards, and no interceptions. He also ran for 28 yards.

Robinson was 8-for-21 for 59 yards and one interception, after missing last week's loss to South Florida with a cracked rib. He was replaced by Cameron Dantley in the fourth quarter, who threw an interception which UConn linebacker Danny Lansanah returned 49-yards for a score. It was the fifth time this season the Huskies have returned an interception for a touchdown.

Dantley finished 7-of-17 for 61 yards and a 2-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams after the game was out of reach. Williams has caught a touchdown pass in a school-record eight consecutive games.

Syracuse squandered several other scoring opportunities.

Taj Smith dropped a long pass while running free down the sideline in the first half, and Robinson overthrew a wide-open Da'Mon Merkerson who had gotten behind the UConn defense early in the third quarter. The Orange later drove 51 yards to the UConn 3, before safety Robert Vaughn picked off Robinson in the end zone.

The Orange also had four personal fouls, three on defense. Their best play of the day was a blocked extra point that kept the score 30-0.

Tony Ciaravino set a UConn record for field goals in a season. His 21st from 34-yards out made it 24-0 with just over 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

The win was Randy Edsall's 50th at Connecticut against 52 losses. Syracuse is now 7-27 under Greg Robinson, 2-18 in the Big East.