WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Syracuse’s four-game losing streak is over.

The Orange (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) rolled through Wake Forest (2-5, 0-3), 30-7, at BB&T Field on Saturday afternoon behind a huge day on the defensive side and an adequate showing on offense in freshman quarterback AJ Long’s first college start. Here are three reasons why the game went the way it did. 

1. Turn, baby, turn

Indicative of Syracuse’s season, the defense shouldered the load. But this time, it put points on the board itself.

Defensive end Robert Welsh picked off a pass from Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford, who took a shot on the play from SU linebacker Dyshawn Davis and didn’t return. Welsh trucked 42 yards to the end zone and pushed Syracuse’s lead to 17-7 five minutes before halftime.

In the third quarter, cornerback Brandon Reddish came in hot and knocked the ball loose from the grasp of WFU backup quarterback Tyler Cameron. The ball popped up into the hands of Orange defensive end Micah Robinson, who strolled 51 yards for another defensive score.

That gave SU a 27-7 lead. Syracuse brought heavy pressure on Wake Forest’s offense all day long and took some pressure off its offense to account for SU’s points.

2. Long distance

Although only one of Syracuse’s first four red-zone opportunities resulted in a touchdown, it got the Orange on track.

On second-and-goal from the 4, Long escaped pressure from the left side and scrambled to wide-open space on his right. He stayed behind the line of scrimmage for most of the run, but made a sharp turn for the pylon and beat two Demon Deacon defenders with a last-second lunge.

It was a touchdown from 4 yards out, but plenty more wide, and put the Orange up 10-3 with 7:50 left in the second quarter and paved the way for sophomore quarterback Mitch Kimble’s collegiate debut late in the fourth.

3. Rule of 3rds

Scott Shafer has said he wants a 45 percent conversion rate on third down from his offense. He got even better than that in the first half.

Syracuse succeeded on 6-of-9 third downs in the first half for a 66.7 percent clip, nearly double the Orange’s season average of 33.4 percent heading into the contest.

Although the red-zone offense didn’t display much improvement, the unit moved the chains on some lengthy third-down situations — two third-and-11s on its first drives. On SU’s only touchdown drive, a 92-yard march, it only earned a new set of downs on third down before Long punched it in from 4 yards out.

Published on October 18, 2014 at 3:26 pm