SYRACUSE — The fans at the Carrier Dome were treated to a putrid final act from the Syracuse University football team on Saturday.

The Orange presented the "Quarterback Shuffle" for the home finale. Three SU quarterbacks took their respective shots at the Connecticut Huskies, but the showcase ended with an abysmal twist.

The Huskies' defense held the Orange to 51 passing yards, intercepted three passes and collected five sacks. Sprinkle in two key scores on special teams, and Connecticut rolled to a 39-14 win over Syracuse. With four years of home games completed, SU coach Greg Robinson has won just seven times in Dome, at total that includes a meager two Big East Conference victories.

"It's a shame," Robinson said. "I thought we could make some plays against this outfit. In every way, we found ways to hurt ourselves."

The crowd of 28,081 — a generous count when looking at the sea of empty seats — witnessed a mediocre performance from Syracuse's quarterbacks in the first half. Starter Cameron Dantley went 4-for-11 for 38 yards, had a couple passes tipped and was sacked twice. Andrew Robinson came out for one series, overthrew a wide-open receiver and also absorbed one sack. Even redshirt freshman Cody Catalina came in to lose 1 yard on a run up the middle.

"We'd get into a rhythm, and then we'd got out of rhythm and we'd be flustered," Dantley said. "There's really nothing you can do. You've just go to move forward."

The Huskies (7-3 overall, 3-2 conference) weren't nearly as intriguing as their counterparts. Connecticut didn't step out of character and used the nation's leading rusher, junior Donald Brown, to maintain a methodical running approach. The strategy led to two field goals by kicker Dave Teggart. But in the second quarter, the Orange (2-8, 1-5) caught one major break on special teams.

Syracuse sophomore Max Suter blocked Desi Cullen's punt, and it was quickly pounced on by classmate Parker Cantey in the end zone to give the Orange its only lead. SU blocked a punt and scored against Rutgers over a week ago to gain an early two-touchdown lead.

"Our coaches just put together a plan, and it worked out well," Suter said. "It worked just like we thought it was going to. I didn't get touched, and I was lucky enough to get it."

Two drives later though, a low snap forced Syracuse punter Rob Long to fall down in the end zone and give the Huskies 2 points for a safety. On the ensuing possession, the Orange defense showed the lack of concentration that's haunted the team all season. Focusing solely on Brown, the Huskies' back-flipped a reverse to fellow back Jordan Todman, who sprinted 50 yards to score UConn's first touchdown.

Syracuse resolved its offensive woes momentarily in the second quarter by giving the ball to senior running back Curtis Brinkley. The Philadelphia native carried the ball eight times on a 12-play drive that culminated with his 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. Brinkley finished with 94 rushing yards on 21 carries in his final home game, but it would be last time SU even came close to scoring again.

"It's a big embarrassment," Brinkley said. "I thought we would do a lot better on offense. I thought the defense showed up. We just didn't back them up as an offense."

Not to be outdone, Brown finally scored just before halftime. He beat five SU defenders down the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown run to extend the Huskies' advantage to 22-14 at intermission. Brown rushed 22 times for a game-high 131 yards.

Dantley and Robinson went from average to atrocious in the second half. Dantley tossed a bad interception that led to another Teggart field goal. He also had a fourth pass deflected and was sacked once more. He finished the game 4-for-16 on passing attempts.

Connecticut kept things rolling as Jasper Howard returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown later in the third quarter. Robinson said it was the worst performance of the year from the Orange special teams, and Suter agreed.

"We've just got to do a better job, plain and simple," Suter said. "We're not where we're supposed to be, and they were gashing us. That last punt return, I don't know. They can say there was a clip or whatever, but we've got to contain."

Andrew Robinson replaced Dantley, but lost any reliability when his first throw was intercepted by cornerback Robert McClain III and returned for a 37-yard score. The Huskies tallied 14 points in 11 seconds, and the fourth quarter was irrelevant.

The self-proclaimed "Loud House" became the "Humbled House" in the final frame. The last quarter was a requiem for SU as it tried to salvage something positive. There was no happy ending for the exiting fans as the Carrier Dome doors closed on the football season.

"I know what I'm getting with the response from the young people that are out there trying," Greg Robinson said. "They truly are trying to do their very best. They really are. Unfortunately, it doesn't look very good."

EXTRA POINTS ...

Brinkley eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. It's the 12th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history, and Brinkley is the eighth back to achieve the feat. ... Brown became UConn's all-time leading rusher following his touchdown run in the first half. He has 3,254 yards in his career. ... SU Senior safety and captainBruce Williamsleft with a right leg injury and was on crutches after the game.