Drew Allen’s first collegiate touchdown pass wasn’t to Ashton Broyld. And it wasn’t to Jarrod West or Jeremiah Kobena, either.

It was to true freshman Kendall Moore.

“He’ll always remember that as his first career collegiate touchdown,” Moore said about Allen.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pound gargantuan Moore is listed as an offensive lineman on Syracuse’s roster, but now plays tight end for the Orange.

When Syracuse tight end Beckett Wales went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter against Northwestern on Saturday, Moore knew it was his time to shine.

Allen and Moore’s touchdown connection came on a 16-yard strike down the middle early in the third quarter. Moore added two more receptions, finishing with 37 total yards. He said catching Allen’s first touchdown pass is especially meaningful, considering all that Allen’s been through to get to this point.

“After my first catch, I was really excited,” Moore said on Tuesday with a slight grin. “When the second catch came around, I was even more excited.”

Moving forward, Moore hopes to improve his speed. He said his goal against Wagner is to have a short-term memory and repeat his performance from Saturday night.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, Moore has his first career touchdown under his belt.

“When I saw the opportunity to score a touchdown, I just ran,” Moore said, “and when I got it, I was overwhelmed.”

Published on September 11, 2013 at 2:51 am

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass