Connecticut Runs Over Syracuse

Backup quarterback D.J. Hernandez rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown Friday night after replacing injured Matt Bonislawski, and Connecticut defeated Syracuse, 26-7, at East Hartford, Conn.

Terry Caulley had touchdown runs of four and eight yards for the Huskies, 4-1 and 1-0 in the Big East Conference. The Connecticut defense dominated the Orange (1-4, 0-2), forcing three turnovers and shutting out Syracuse until the closing minutes.

Bonislawski, a junior, broke his left collarbone during the Huskies’ first scoring drive.

“Coach always said, ‘Be ready, you never know,’ ” said Hernandez, a freshman. “I’ve been preparing like I was the starter even though I was the No. 2.”

Hernandez’s one-yard scoring run with 6:58 left in the third quarter gave Connecticut a 23-0 lead.

With a driving rain that made footing slippery and a big lead, the Huskies were content to run the ball for most of the second half. The Huskies finished with 297 rushing yards with Hernandez and Caulley each getting 86. The Huskies finished with 45 passing yards.

“I give [Hernandez] credit, but I didn’t like our tackling either,” Syracuse Coach Greg Robinson said. “I thought we were too busy trying to grab instead of tackle.”

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The Sugar Bowl made it official, touching down in Atlanta in what is promised to be nothing more than a three-month layover before returning to New Orleans. But Sugar Bowl officials remain concerned about the Superdome. The roof was ripped open by Hurricane Katrina and the inside gutted by thousands of stranded evacuees. Once the Jan. 2 game is played in Atlanta, attention will shift to the Superdome, which faces a massive renovation.