SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 30, 2010

Playing in the first New Era Pinstripe Bowl at the new Yankee Stadium, Kansas State and Syracuse traded touchdowns and trick plays for four quarters. But in the end, an excessive celebration penalty cost the Wildcats in a 36-34 loss to the Orange.

Trailing 36-28 in the final minutes, Carson Coffman completed a 30-yard pass to Adrian Hilburn who saluted the crowd, drawing a 15-yard penalty. The Wildcats (7-6) then failed on their two-point conversion from 18 yards out.

Coming into the game, Syracuse wide receiver Marcus Sales had caught one touchdown all year. Thursday, he caught two in the first half. As if that wasn’t enough, the junior caught the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished with 172 yards receiving.

Daniel Thomas was stellar for the Wildcats in his last college game. He took the second play from scrimmage 52 yards for one of his three rushing touchdowns and completed a 29-yard pass to Coffman. The Wildcats also used a flea flicker and tried a fake field goal in the fourth quarter.

But Syracuse (8-5) used a 52-yard flea flicker play of its own from junior quarterback Ryan Nassib to Sales to tie the game in the first quarter.

In the second half, the Orange took it straight at the worst run defense in the Big 12. Delone Carter ran for 202 yards and scored two third quarter touchdowns.

This was Syracuse’s first bowl win since 2001 when it beat Kansas State 26-3 in the Insight Bowl.