Terrel Hunt watched from the sideline as Drew Allen floated a short pass over the Wagner defense and into the waiting hands of Christopher Clark in the back of the end zone.

He’d been there before. That’s where he absorbed almost all of Syracuse’s two season-opening losses – defeats trifled with six Allen interceptions.  

Hunt spent each offensive drive wondering if and when he would get his chance to play.

This time, though, Hunt was smiling. He had nothing to worry about.

This time it was Allen who should have been nervous. Because Hunt had already gotten his chance, and he blew the Seahawks’ defense away.

“I’ve worked hard for this moment and it finally came,” Hunt said. “I feel like I maximized on my opportunity.”

Twenty-four days ago, Hunt went from front-runner to back burner. The redshirt sophomore who dominated first-team reps in the spring officially lost the starting job to Allen, the Oklahoma transfer, 10 days before the start of the season.

But in only seven drives, he reversed the roles again as Syracuse (1-2) tromped Wagner (1-2) 54-0 in front of 33,299 in the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Hunt completed 15-of-18 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns in the Orange’s home opener, leading the offense to a score on every drive he manned.

“I’m excited as hell about the way he played,” SU head coach Scott Shafer said. “I really am. I think the kids rallied around him, too.”

Hunt found Prince-Tyson Gulley on a swing pass for a 30-yard touchdown to start the second quarter, connected with a wide-open Clark for a 41-yard bomb just before halftime and launched a beautiful 65-yard scoring strike to Jarrod West on his final play.

But before the 44-point rampage he catalyzed, Hunt watched from the sideline as Allen twiddled his thumbs on SU’s first three drives.

The Orange offense failed to pick up a single first down. It gained five total yards. A stream of boos filled the stadium as Allen walked off the field following a screen to Gulley that lost four yards.

But that marked the end of SU’s frustrations.

Hunt entered with a 3-0 lead and 7:07 left in the first quarter, and converted all three third downs he faced that drive. He found Jeremiah Kobena on an in route to move the first set of chains. Then after Jerome Smith scampered up the middle for 15 yards to the Wagner 41-yard line, Hunt hit West on two identical button routes to push SU to the 3-yard line.

“Last year he wasn’t even on the depth chart,” Syracuse quarterbacks coach Tim Lester said. “He wasn’t even three, four deep. He was only getting reps as the scout team quarterback.”

Two plays later, Smith plunged into the end zone and a demonstrative rout blurred the next two full quarters.

One minute, Hunt was beaming into the Carrier Dome stands, smiling ear-to-ear while on the phone with offensive coordinator George McDonald. The next, he was back on the field, leading the Orange to four more touchdown drives before halftime.

Sixty-four yards. Fifty-nine yards. Forty-nine yards. Seventy-three yards. Hunt completed 13-of-15 first-half passes before the break for 200 yards and two touchdowns. And when the play broke down, he used his feet to extend opportunities.

Hunt ran three times for 22 yards, but more often gave his receivers a chance to get open — like when he found Ashton Broyld on the right sideline for a 6-yard gain on his last drive of the first half.

“Terrel did some things with his feet that helped some drives,” Lester said. “That’s the thing that makes him special.”

By the time Hunt launched the 41-yarder to Clark with 2:20 left before the break, more than one competition was already decided.

Hunt had won the starting job.

He came back out for the second half and polished off two more scoring drives with what Lester called the best throw of his day — a 65-yard deep post that spiraled past close coverage and into the outstretched hands of West.

“When Terrel stepped in we made more plays,” West said.

Next week, Hunt won’t have to wait. The script has flipped in the Syracuse quarterback battle, and with Hunt under center the Syracuse offense is finally functioning as planned.

“I think Terrel will be ready to start this thing off.” Shafer said of SU’s matchup with Tulane next Saturday. “I’d be surprised if I feel differently.”

Published on September 14, 2013 at 7:03 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1