Spotwood, Nunes step into spotlight

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (U-Wire) - A year after Donovan McNabb slashed his way around Michigan Stadium's turf, slashing Michigan's throat in the process, Syracuse is looking for a new star or two. Could the Orangemen have found their men this past week against Central Michigan?

Senior Quinton Spotwood had a break-out game, notching 135 yards on six catches for two touchdowns. Troy Nunes posted efficient passing numbers, going eight-for-13 for 170 yards and three touchdowns.

"I think we have some confidence," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said after beating the Chippewas, 47-7. "Tonight was good to get on track and really be explosive and score the number of points we did. I think we have as much confidence as two wins can give you. I think the kids are looking forward to preparing this week for Michigan."

One of the primary sparks of that explosion was Spotwood, who was dormant two weeks ago against the Rockets. The senior just recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last season against Cincinnati.

After not catching a pass and gaining just five yards on three punt returns two weeks ago, Spotwood displayed the game-breaking ability that made him an All-American punt returner in 1997.

Spotwood gave Syracuse a 17-0 lead with more than two minutes to play in the first quarter, slowing up to catch an underthrown Nunes pass and taking it 56 yards into the end zone. Then in the second quarter on third and 29 from the Central Michigan 43-yard line, Spotwood caught a 15-yard bullet from Nunes, faked out Brian Leigeb and Tedaro France and then outraced Wayne Dudley to the sideline and into the end zone.

Spotwood had another pretty touchdown called back in the second half.

"I think I look at it differently," Spotwood said. "In 1997, I was looking to catch the ball. Now I look to score when I catch it."

Syracuse came out quickly against the Chips, building a 17-0 first-quarter lead after Dee Brown's opening 41-yard scamper on the first series. Brown's legs and Nunes' arm combined to lead the Orangemen on six of the nine first-half series.

Nunes fired a third-down bullet to Pat Woodcock for the first touchdown on Syracuse's first drive of the night. SU stalled on the next drive as Leigeb batted away Nunes' pass on third down. But Syracuse came back, this time with Madei Williams, and Nate Trout hit a field goal to make it 10-0.

The revolving door of quarterbacks continued, but Nunes again appeared to boast an edge over Williams. Brown did not see any snaps behind center. Of Syracuse's 11 offensive series, Nunes quarterbacked seven, including four of the first five and the first two of the second half. The Nunes-led Orangemen scored 28 points and accounted for 306 yards.

Williams helped engineer scoring drives of 50 and 80 yards in the second half. And after fumbling away three balls against Toledo, he appeared to have more confidence and a better handle with his injured pinky against Central Michigan.

But Nunes showed poise and creativity similar to his play in the Toledo game, helping ignite the first-half offensive outburst and going 6-for-8 on third downs. The redshirt freshman even, gasp, drew comparisons to McNabb from Spotwood.

"I gotta tell you, sometimes when he starts to scramble I get a little nervous," Pasqualoni said. "But the thing that he's done, he's taken care of the ball. He's used real good judgement and he's made real, real good decisions with the ball. And that has turned out to be productive."

09-16-99