Syracuse University
#4 Virginia Tech
w.jpg&height=300&type=webp)
Syracuse Loses to #4 Virginia Tech, 51-7
10/11/2003 3:07:45 PM | Football
Box Score
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Orangemen lost to #4 Virginia Tech, 51-7, Saturday before a sellout crowd of 65,115 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. Syracuse is now 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the BIG EAST, while the Hokies improve to 6-0 overall, and 2-0 in the BIG EAST.
Junior running back Walter Reyes scored a rushing touchdown for the 10th consecutive game with a one-yard scamper in the third quarter. Reyes is tied for the longest touchdown streak in SU history with Jim Nance, who had a rushing touchdown in 10 consecutive games in 1964. Reyes finished with 40 rushing yards, increasing his career total to 1,995.
Quarterback #R.J. Anderson# completed 8-of-23 pass attempts for 91 yards in the game, extending his streak to 144 attempts without being intercepted. Anderson passed Donovan McNabb for the longest streak in school history. McNabb had a streak of 133 attempts without being intercepted in 1998. Anderson also moved into fifth place on the career pass attempts list with 498, passing Todd Norley (1982-85). Anderson passed for 91 yards, moving into fifth place on the career passing yards list with 3,422 in his career. Anderson had eight completions in the game, and needs one more to catch Norley for the fifth spot on that career list. With his next completion he will become the fifth SU quarterback with 250 completions and 3,000 yards in his career.
In the first quarter, Hokie quarterback Bryan Randall ran 75 yards to the endzone less than four minutes into the game to put Virginia Tech on the board, 7-0. It was the first rushing play of more than 70 yards against Syracuse since Frank Gore of Miami ran for 77 yards on one play in 2001.
Midway through the first quarter, sophomore Anthony Smith recorded his third interception of the season when he picked off Randall and returned the ball 10 yards. Randall threw the ball under pressure by senior middle linebacker Rich Scanlon.
DeAngelo Hall returned a punt by redshirt freshman Brendan Carney 58 yards for the Hokies’ second score with 6:07 left in the first quarter, and returned another Carney punt 60 yards less than two minutes later to give Virginia Tech a 21-0 advantage. It marked the first time a team has returned an SU punt for a touchdown since Jeff Frederick of Temple returned a punt 74 yards for a score in 1994.
On the next possession, SU senior wide receiver Johnnie Morant caught a 37-yard pass from Anderson in the first quarter, extending his streak to 22 games with one reception, the second longest in school history.
Virginia Tech blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Collin Barber with 30 seconds left in the first quarter, ending his consecutive made kicks streak at 16.
In the second quarter, Carter Warley kicked a 34-yard field goal four minutes into the period, and hit a 23-yard field goal with five minutes left in the session, to give the Hokies a 27-0 lead at halftime.
On Virginia Tech's first series of the third quarter, SU's Kellen Pruitt recovered a fumble forced by Orange defensive end Josh Thomas at Virginia Tech's 19 yard line. Reyes then scored his 11th touchdown of the season 1:01 into second half, capping a three-play, 19-yard drive. Anderson had a 17-yard run to set up Reyes’ score.
Tech increased its lead to 41-7 on two touchdowns by Kevin Jones. Hall recorded his third touchdown of the game on a 24-yard reverse to give the Hokies a 48-7 advantage with 6:29 left in the third quarter. Warley kicked a 24-yard field goal at 9:51 of the fourth quarter to make the final score 51-7.
Syracuse will host Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 12:00 p.m., in the Carrier Dome. The game will be televised by ESPN Regional.
