MIAMI (Ticker) -- Of all the changes Miami coach Larry Coker made this week, the most important was giving freshman Tyrone Moss an expanded role.
Moss scored on a nine-yard run midway through the fourth quarter and Maurice Sykes batted away a fourth-down pass with 52 seconds left as the 14th-ranked Hurricanes avoided a three-game losing streak with a 17-10 win over Syracuse.
Miami (8-2, 4-1 Big East) dropped out of the national title chase with losses to Virginia Tech and Tennessee, prompting Coker to bench quarterback Brock Berlin, shuffle his offensive line and limit the playing time of star tight end Kellen Winslow as punishment for a series of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Miami honored its 1983 national championship team that stunned Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and 40 members of the team were in attendance, including quarterback Bernie Kosar. But the Hurricanes did not play like a championship team until the fourth quarter, when Moss capped a six-play, 48-yard drive with his touchdown run.
"Tyrone is one of those backs who gets better the more carries he gets," Coker said. "He's a real powerful runner and he got the job done today."
Moss, who had just 40 carries all season before Saturday, carried 18 times for 91 yards, including a 25-yard run on the winning TD drive.
"I got the ball a lot today, which makes me want to work harder and get the job done," Moss said.
Syracuse (5-4, 2-3) drove to the Miami 20 late in the game before Sikes batted away R.J. Anderson's pass to Johnnie Morant.
"We think they are the best defense is I-A football," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "It's hard to win when you can't sustain drives and make first downs."
Derrick Crudup made his first career start at quarterback for Miami and completed just 5-of-13 passes for 80 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Ryan Moore in the second quarter that made it 7-3. Crudup also had a fumble and an interception and was replaced briefly by Berlin.
"I think I played well today but as a competitor you always want to get better," Crudup said. "I could have played better but all I cared about was getting the win."
Winslow worked his way back into the good graces of Coker by blocking a punt early in the third quarter. With a first down at the Syracuse 13, Miami failed to capitalize as Crudup was stopped on a running play on fourth down.
Winslow caught just one pass for six yards and fumbled the ball away in the third quarter.
Jon Peattie of Miami tied the game at 10-10 with a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth.
Miami defeated Syracuse for the fifth straight time and will be assured of the Big East title if it wins its final two games against Rutgers and Pittsburgh.
Crudup fumbled a snap from center at the Hurricane 45 early in the second quarter, and the Orangemen capitalized on a one-yard touchdown run by Walter Reyes that made it 10-7 at halftime. Reyes had 24 carries for 89 yards.
