Syracuse University
Georgia Tech
Orangemen Lose Battle with No. 10 Georgia Tech, 13-7
10/2/2001 9:15:41 AM | Football
In a defensive battle, Syracuse lost its season opener, 13-7, to Georgia Tech in Kickoff Classic XIX, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
A crowd of 41,517 saw a stifling Syracuse defense, led by sack-master Dwight Freeney, limit Georgia Tech to 13 points, more than 20 points below their 2000 average. Freeney sacked Yellow Jackets? quarterback George Godsey twice. With the sacks Freeney is now in sixth-place on the SU career sacks list (18.5). Freeney has had at least one sack in his last nine games.
Freeney, a menace to the Yellow Jackets' offense, lined up in multiple places throughout the game. His first sack came on a blitz up the middle. His second as he sped past the right tackle. Freeney also lined up from his normal right defensive end position and on occasion dropped back into pass coverage from the middle linebacker position.
Georgia Tech took a 3-0 lead on a 22-yard field goal from Luke Manget on the game's opening drive. Using six minutes and 10 seconds, the Yellow Jackets drove 68 yards on 14 plays, before the Orange defense shut down the drive at the five-yard-line. Georgia Tech would use a one-yard Joe Burns run to take a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. Wide receiver Kelly Campbell highlighted the Georgia Tech offense with 10 catches for 193 yards.
Syracuse opened the second half by cutting the Georgia Tech lead to 10-7. The Orangemen offense put together an impressive 11-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Troy Nunes. Nunes, who won the starting quarterback job in preseason camp, completed 19 of 32 pass attempts for 183 yards and one interception. With 2,690 career pssing yards Nunes is now in fifth place on the school's career passing yards list. Nunes was shaken up twice and had to leave the game. Both times he returned to lead the Orange offense. Nunes connected with seven different receivers on the day.
Wide receivers David Tyree and Maurice Jackson both had career-highs in receptions. Tyree caught seven passes for 67 yards, while Jackson hauled in five passes for 79 yards. Sophomore receiver, Johnnie Morant made his first collegiate reception in the game. Morant, playing in his home state of New Jersey, finished with two catches for 15 yards.
Orangemen captain and fullback, Kyle Johnson saw his first action since Syracuse's 2000 season opener when he injured his ankle against Buffalo and missed the remainder of the season. Johnson had two carries for seven yards and one reception for eight yards against Georgia Tech.
