SYRACUSE, New York (Ticker) -- Stefan LeFors threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns as Louisville defeated porous Syracuse for the first time, 30-20.
Florida State transfer Eric Shelton ran for 135 yards on 24 carries for the Cardinals (2-0), who had been 0-3 all-time against the Orangemen. The teams had not played since 1992.
LeFors completed 16-of-25 passes with one interception, directing an offense that amassed 451 yards. He put together three straight scoring drives that turned a tie game into a 27-10 lead for the Cardinals early in the third quarter.
Syracuse (1-1) rallied for a 49-47 triple-overtime win last week at North Carolina but dropped its home opener for the second straight season. It has allowed 956 yards and 77 points in its first two games.
Collin Barber's 42-yard field goal pulled Syracuse into a 10-10 tie early in the second quarter before LeFors went to work. His one-yard TD flip to D.J. Kamer less than three minutes later gave the Cards the lead for good.
A fumble by Syracuse quarterback R.J. Anderson set up Louisville at the Orangemen 29 and Shelton banged it down to the 2 before Nate Smith's 19-yard field goal gave the Cards a 20-10 lead at halftime.
Following the second-half kickoff, LeFors marched Louisville 81 yards in seven plays, finding Michael Bush with a 24-yard TD pass.
Syracuse scored less than a minute later on a 35-yard touchdown run by Walter Reyes, who had 87 yards on 16 carries. Barber's 36-yard field goal at the 5:19 mark made it a one-score game, but the Orange never got that score.
A 75-yard drive consuming nearly five minutes culminated in Smith's 37-yard kick that capped the scoring with 6:58 to play.
J.R. Russell caught six passes for 133 yards for Louisville.
Anderson was 19-of-30 for 229 yards and Johnnie Morant caught eight passes for 141 yards for Syracuse, who gained 446 yards.
