Syracuse University
NORTH CAROLINA
Orangemen Lose to North Carolina, 30-22, in Home Opener
9/7/2002 8:53:00 PM | Football
Syracuse Game Notes
North Carolina Game Notes
Syracuse Head Coach and Student-Athlete Quotes
North Carolina Head Coach and Student-Athlete Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - North Carolina quarterback Darian Durant threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to give the Tar Heels a 30-22 come-from-behind win in front of 39,444 fans at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse's home opener.
The Orangemen are now 0-2 on the season, while UNC improved to 1-1.
With SU leading 22-16, Durant tied the game when he hit Jawarski Pollock for a 48-yard touchdown with 11:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. The extra point gave UNC the lead for good at 23-22. Durant then found Bobby Blizzard on a 12-yard strike with 3:06 left in the game to set the final score.
Trailing 30-22, SU fumbled the kickoff return, giving UNC 1st and 10 at the SU 35-yard line. The Tar Heels were able to run out the clock for the win.
Durant finished the game 19-of-34 for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tar Heels struck first in the opening stanza. Syracuse took the opening possession, and on the fourth play of the drive quarterback R.J. Anderson's pass was tipped and intercepted by DeFonte Coleman. The SU defense held firm, forcing the Tar Heels to kick a field goal. Dan Orner's 52-yarder was his first career field goal.
Orner's field goal was one of three on the night of longer than 50 yards. He tied the NCAA record for most 50-yard-or-longer field goals in a game, including a school-record 55-yarder.
Willie Parker ran for a 50-yard touchdown on the final play of the first quarter to give North Carolina a 10-0 lead. The two teams combined for only four first downs in the quarter. Until Parker's run, the SU defense had allowed only one yard on six UNC carries. Ninety-two of North Carolina's 97 total yards in the quarter came on two plays, including a 42-yard reception by Derrele Mitchell.
Syracuse scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead. The Orange offense responded to the UNC touchdown run by putting together its most impressive march of the season. The Orangemen went 84 yards in 14 plays to punch in its first touchdown of the game. Walter Reyes did the honors with a one-yard plunge. It was Reyes' first touchdown of the season.
The defense forced its fourth turnover of the season, stripping Durant of the ball. Will Hunter recovered the ball on the Tar Heels' 14-yard line and Johnnie Morant took it to the endzone on the next play, rushing for 14 yards on a reverse. It was Morant's first career carry.
Orner kicked a 51-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the half for the Tar Heels, and SU went into the locker room with a 14-13 lead.
Orner's third field goal of the night opened the scoring in the third quarter, giving UNC a 16-14 lead.
Syracuse came right back, however, with its second long scoring drive of the night. SU went 56 yards in eight plays and scored on Anderson's quarterback sneak from the one-yard line. Rhodes then took a pitch to the right and hit David Tyree in the endzone on the two-point conversion to give Syracuse a 22-16 lead.
Reyes had a career-night running the ball for the second consecutive game. He gained a career-best 86 yards and scored once on 12 carries. Reyes also had a career-long 20-yard run. Rhodes finished the game with 63 yards on 13 carries.
R.J. Anderson completed 4-of-11 passes for 71 yards.
Unofficially, linebacker Clifton Smith led the defense with 16 tackles, including his first sack of the season. Redshirt freshman Ryan LaCasse, making his first career start, also recorded his first sack. Junior Louis Gachelin had the Orangemen's third sack of the night and recorded two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Syracuse's next game is Saturday, September 14 versus Rhode Island in the Carrier Dome. Kickoff time is set for 3:30 p.m. North Carolina will return home to face Texas on September 14.
