Josh Thomas felt it coming all week.

“I knew this had potential to be a breakout-type game for me,” Thomas said after SU’s 45-14 win over Rutgers, in which he had three tackles and two sacks.

Thomas and linebacker Rich Scanlon spearheaded SU’s defensive revival. The Orangemen held the Scarlet Knights to 16 rushing yards. Coming into the game, Syracuse had allowed 213.3 rushing yards a game.

For his part Saturday, Scanlon recorded six tackles, three sacks and recovered a fumble.

“Richie Scanlon’s been playing real solid football,” SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said. “He blitzes with a lot of intensity.”

With 6:39 left in the third quarter, Scanlon sacked RU quarterback Ted Trump, forcing a fumble. When he emerged from the bottom of a pile, Scanlon palmed the football and flexed his muscles.

“We’ve been fighting for seven games, and this is a great step for us,” Scanlon said. “We played really well today all the way around.”

***

A quiet return

Every so often, Cecil Howard throws on his Syracuse sweat pants — just for old time’s sake.

It’s one of the few ties Howard has left to the SU football team, which he transferred from in August, first to Youngstown State, then to Northeastern.

Howard, once pegged as SU’s quarterback of the future, was back at the Carrier Dome on Saturday for the first time since he left.

“I thought it would be weird,” he said. “But it’s not.”

Howard arrived at SU Friday night to visit his girlfriend, sophomore Brandy Oakley. Howard, who’s sitting out this season at Northeastern because of NCAA transfer rules, said he still keeps tabs on the Orangemen.

But before Saturday, he’d only spoken with two former teammates — Adam Terry and Walter Reyes. After SU’s win, Howard waited outside the Dome to chat with some Orangemen.

During postgame interviews, fullback Thump Belton was informed of Howard’s return and said he was looking forward to talking with him.

“Once an Orangeman,” Belton said, “always an Orangeman.”

***

Back on the field

Maurice McClain completed his miraculous comeback from a broken leg Saturday.

McClain, who broke his left ankle, tibia and fibula during an April practice at the Dome, started and made five tackles, including the game’s first.

“I didn’t want to leave without playing again,” he said. “I always knew I’d get back into it. It’s just my will to overcome things.”

After the game, cornerback Will Hunter lobbied his fellow captains to give McClain the game ball.

“It’s a great credit to Maurice McClain that he came back,” Pasqualoni said. “I said to him, ‘As long as you feel great, keep playing.’ And at halftime, he said, ‘I feel great.’ “

***

This and that

Terry, who usually starts at left tackle, sat out after suffering a concussion last week at West Virginia. Right tackle Kevin Sampson switched to Terry’s spot, with true freshman Quinn Ojinnaka starting in Sampson’s place. … Redshirt freshman linebacker Kellen Pruitt started for Jameel Dumas, who had a sprained left ankle. … Defensive tackle Brian Hooper did not play because of the flu. … Alongside freshman Damien Rhodes, Johnnie Morant returned kickoffs for the first time in his Syracuse career. He replaced Steve Gregory, who had returned kicks since the season opener. … Freshman Rashard Williams returned a punt for 22 yards. … Rutgers defensive back Nathan Jones returned a third-quarter kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Last season, Jones led the Scarlet Knights with 747 all-purpose yards — all on kick returns. … SU kicker Collin Barber missed two first-quarter field goals. His first attempt, an 18-yarder, was blocked and returned for a touchdown. His second, a 40-yarder, sailed wide right. For the season, Barber has converted 5 of 11 field goals.

Published on October 27, 2002 at 12:00 pm