Syracuse University
WEST VIRGINIA
Orangemen Defeat West Virginia, 24-13
12/14/2001 1:15:01 PM | Football
Box Score
SU Game Notes
SU Quotes
WVU Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Two fourth-quarter touchdown runs by James Mungro and two sacks by senior defensive end Dwight Freeney propelled the 18th-ranked Orangemen to a 24-13 victory versus the West Virginia Mountaineers in front of 43,753 fans.
Syracuse has won eight consecutive games. All 24 of the Orangemen's points were scored after three West Virginia turnovers and a punt block by SU.
Freeney now holds the NCAA record for sacks in a season with 16.5. Both of his sacks forced fumbles, which led to points for the Orangemen.
Syracuse led, 10-6, after three quarters. Two big plays by the SU defense and special teams set up the game-clinching scores. Senior Andre Brinson blocked his second punt of the season. Junior Barry Baker recovered the blocked kick at the WVU 11-yard line. Two plays later, Mungro went into the endzone from two yards out for the first of his fourth-quarter scores.
On the next Mountaineer possession, Freeney forced his second fumble of the game. Senior Mark Holtzman made his first career fumble recovery to give the Orangemen a first down on the WVU 18-yard line. Mungro capped the three-play drive with a three-yard touchdown run.
Mungro led the Syracuse offense with 78 yards rushing on 21 carries and three touchdowns. He moved into fifth place on the Syracuse career-rushing list, passing Mungro now has 27 career rushing touchdowns, which is good for third place on the SU career rushing-touchdowns list.
Syracuse scored the first points of the game on a 22-yard field goal by Collin Barber. Freeney's first sack set up the score when he forced WVU quarterback Brad Lewis to fumble. Freeney also recovered the fumble at the Mountaineers 10-yard line.
The Mountaineers tied the game on their next possession. Brenden Rauh capped a 12-play, 61-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal.
The Mountaineers took a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter on a 21-yard field goal by Rauh. West Virginia had a first and goal at the four-yard line after a 37-yard run by Avon Cobourne on the last play of the first quarter, but the SU defense stopped WVU on the next three plays.
The Orangemen forced their second turnover of the game when Will Hunter tipped a Lewis pass into the waiting arms of Latroy Oliver. It was Oliver's third interception of the season.
The offense capitalized on the turnover, scoring the game's first touchdown. Mungro put the finishing touches on the drive with a one-yard plunge. SU took a 10-6 lead into halftime.
West Virginia took the second-half kickoff and drove into SU territory. The Mountaineers lined up to attempt their third field goal of the game, but instead the snap went directly to Rauh. He lobbed the ball into the endzone, but O'Neil Scott broke up the play to give the Orangemen possession.
West Virginia cut the lead to 24-13 on a 10-yard run by Rasheed Marshall with 3:22 remaining in the game.
