Syracuse Football: Rob Welsh, A.J. Long Honored With Weekly ACC Awards

Robert Welsh and A.J. Long were both bestowed with accolades this week following their efforts in the Syracuse Orange's 30-7 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday.

Welsh was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week thanks in large part to his pick-six that ended up sealing the win for SU.

Welsh scored one of Syracuse's two defensive touchdowns in the Orange's 30-7 victory at Wake Forest. He intercepted the second pass of his career and returned it 42 yards for a score to extend the SU lead to 17-7 with 5:05 to play in the opening half. Welsh led all SU defensive linemen with three tackles and tied his personal best with 2.0 tackles for loss. He also broke up a pass on Wake Forest's first offensive series in addition to the interception to finish with a game-high two passes defended.

Meanwhile, Long's first start as quarterback for the Orange went pretty smoothly. The freshman acquitted himself well and scampered in for a touchdown early on to lead SU to victory. He was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his efforts...

Long became the first true freshman quarterback in Syracuse history to win his starting debut as he completed 22 of 32 passes for 171 yards and scored the first rushing touchdown of his career in the Orange's 30-7 victory at Wake Forest. His 22 completions were the most in a game by an SU true freshman signal caller, eclipsing the previous mark of 18 set by Todd Norley vs. Maryland in 1982. Overall, Long became the fifth true freshman quarterback in school history to start a game.