Amari Odom executed the winning two-point conversion run on the final play of overtime to lift the Syracuse Orange football team to a 42-41 win over UConn on Saturday at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Odom threw for 335 yards and five touchdowns in his first start, and Umari Hatcher caught 12 passes for 152 yards and three scores to key the comeback finish.
UConn erased a 20-point deficit with 27 straight points, capped by Cyncir Bowers’ 71-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 34 with 11:52 left in the fourth quarter, according to CBS Sports. Bowers finished with 163 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries for the Huskies (2-3).
Takeaways from the Syracuse Orange win over UConn
Odom’s first start turned into a five-touchdown night
Making his first start for Syracuse, Odom completed 27 of 37 passes and was nearly flawless in the first half, building a 27-7 lead by throwing touchdowns to Hatcher twice and N. Meyers once, then adding a rushing score. He did throw two interceptions, including one picked off by Jayden Price at the 1-yard line that kept UConn alive late in regulation, per CBS Sports.
UConn’s 27 straight points nearly stole the game
Trailing 34-14 early in the fourth quarter, the Huskies scored touchdowns on four straight possessions, including Kalieb Osborne’s touchdown passes to Xavier Watson and Trey Cornist, Bowers’ 71-yard burst and a 25-yard Osborne-to-Cornist score in overtime that gave the Huskies their first lead since the opening quarter. Osborne finished 19-of-39 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
A blocked PAT and a missed field goal shaped the finish
Syracuse’s opening touchdown pass from Odom to Hatcher came with the extra point blocked by Z. Saez, a point that mattered when the Orange needed the two-point conversion to win. Syracuse also saw a 44-yard field goal attempt fail on the final play of regulation, and UConn’s first overtime snap was initially ruled a Syracuse fumble recovery before replay overturned it to an incomplete pass, setting up Cornist’s go-ahead score.
Player of the game: Umari Hatcher
Hatcher caught 12 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 17-yard score on the final play of overtime. His 41-yard touchdown in the second quarter helped build Syracuse’s early cushion, and his third score forced the extra point that decided the game.
Syracuse vs. UConn by the numbers
Syracuse out-gained the Huskies in total yards despite the Huskies averaging 5.3 yards per carry to the Orange’s 3.6. Syracuse controlled the clock for 35:27 compared to UConn’s 24:33, a nearly 11-minute edge in possession. The Orange converted 10 of 17 third downs while UConn managed just 3 of 11.
Both teams finished with two turnovers, but UConn lost two fumbles while Syracuse’s came on interceptions. Tylik Hill carried 28 times for 140 yards to anchor Syracuse’s ground game.
What they said
UConn nearly pulled off its second straight upset of an ACC opponent at home, having beaten Duke in 2025, according to CBS Sports. The Huskies’ bid fell just short when Syracuse converted the two-point try to escape East Hartford with the win.
What’s next
Syracuse (2-2) travels to face Virginia on Oct. 10. UConn (2-3) heads to Temple the same day looking to bounce back from the overtime heartbreak.
Reporting from CBS Sports contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).
