Camping World Bowl Champs!

Friday, December 28

Orlando, FL

5:15 PM

Syracuse University

10-3

West Virginia

8-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

West Virginia

Syracuse

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

12/28/2018 8:51:00 PM | Football

Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery Dino Babers Press Conference Players Press Conference Postgame Notes Quotes

ORLANDO, Fla. – Record-setting quarterback Eric Dungey added to his career totals, completing 21-of-30 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 17 Syracuse (10-3) to a 34-18 victory against No. 15 West Virginia (8-4) in the Camping World Bowl on Friday, Dec. 28.

Dungey was named the game's MVP and Syracuse captured the Charles H. Rohe Trophy, named in honor of the former executive director of Florida Citrus Sports, as the 2018 Camping World Bowl champions.

In a game that featured eight lead changes, Dungey led Syracuse to 17 fourth-quarter points to erase an 18-17 deficit and emerge victorious.

WHAT IT MEANT

The win clinched the seventh 10-win season in team history and the first since 2001.
It marked Syracuse's fourth consecutive bowl victory.
The triumph was Syracuse's fourth straight versus West Virginia and its second bowl win over the Mountaineers.
The Orange upped their overall bowl record to 16-9-1.
Coach Dino Babers earned the 55th win of his head coaching career. He was 19-7 at Eastern Illinois, 18-9 at Bowling Green, and improved his Syracuse record to 18-19.

BABERS BITE
"Couldn't be more proud of the 2018 seniors to end in this fashion against a rival opponent that goes so far back in our history," Babers said. "Can't say enough about the Camping World Bowl and the way they've treated us here, and the trophy is really, really heavy and I'm glad we got it."

TRANSFERS OF POWER
Running back Abdul Adams made a big splash in his Syracuse debut, scoring two first-half touchdowns to help the Orange out to a 14-12 halftime lead. Adams, a transfer from Oklahoma, became eligible following the end of Syracuse's regular season. He carried the ball eight times for 19 yards against the Mountaineers.

Wide receiver Trishton Jackson, who transferred to Syracuse from Michigan State, also made an impact in his first game in Orange. Jackson caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Dungey and finished the game with three receptions for 27 yards.

A SLOW START FOR BOTH OFFENSES
A game billed as an offensive showdown started off script. Syracuse went three-and-out on its first two possessions and West Virginia did the same on its initial drive.

The Mountaineers put the first points on the board when Evan Staley kicked a 28-yard field goal with 6:42 left in the first quarter.

The Orange answered promptly, moving 91 yards in 10 plays. Syracuse maneuvered into scoring position thanks to a 44-yard deep ball from Dungey to Jamal Custis that put the Orange at the West Virginia 3-yard line. Adams finished the march with a 4-yard plunge up the middle.

A turnover at the end of the first quarter helped West Virginia regain the edge early in the second period. A Dungey pass was intercepted by Kenny Robinson deep in Syracuse territory, and four plays later Kennedy McKoy powered his way into the end zone from three yards out. Staley's extra-point try hit the upright and the Mountaineers led, 9-7.

On West Virginia's next possession, the Mountaineers attempted to convert on fourth down, but safety Evan Foster stopped T.J. Simmons short of a first down at the Syracuse 40 to give the ball back to the offense. Dungey took advantage, teaming with Taj Harris on a 19-yard play and another 8-yard completion. A 5-yard targeting penalty was tacked on to the second play to make it first-and-goal Syracuse at the five. Adams gained four yards and then bulled his way into the end zone from a yard out for his second touchdown.

Staley made up for his missed conversion attempt by kicking a 36-yard field goal with 6:33 left in the second quarter to narrow the gap to 14-12 at the intermission.

The third quarter featured a series of field goals. Staley sandwiched kicks of 44 and 49 yards around a 39-yarder from Syracuse All-American and Lou Groza Award winner Andre Szmyt to claim an 18-17 advantage with 3:23 to play in the stanza.

ORANGE FINDS THEIR RHYTHM
The Syracuse offense shifted into high gear late in the third quarter, as Dungey quickly moved the Orange into scoring position after Staley's Camping World Bowl-record fourth field goal. Dungey connected with Sharod Johnson for 18 yards and Sean Riley for 23 more yards on consecutive plays that pushed Syracuse into West Virginia territory at the 38-yard line. Dungey then hit Nykeim Johnson for seven yards, ran for five more, and found Custis for 13 yards down to the 13. After two runs were stopped, Dungey completed a 14-yard, back-shoulder throw to Jackson in the end zone. Szmyt's extra point put the Orange back in front again, 24-18.

On West Virginia's first play of the subsequent possession, quarterback Jack Allison's pass was intercepted by defensive back Allen Stritzinger. After a 17-yard run by Dontae Strickland the Orange were in the red zone, and Szmyt completed the drive with a 34-yard field goal that extended the Syracuse advantage to 27-18.

Syracuse added to its margin by scoring on its third straight offensive series. Dungey scrambled out trouble and flipped the ball to Moe Neal, who turned the catch into a remarkable 42-yard gain. On the next play, Jarveon Howard ran up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown that closed the scoring.

DEFENSE STANDS OUT
With Syracuse holding a 16-point advantage, the Orange defense, which turned in a workman-like performance, came up with another big play that helped ice the game. After Allison teamed with David Sills V on a 48-yard passing play that put the ball at the Syracuse 8-yard line, the unit made a stand. The Mountaineers had third-and-goal from the Orange three, but defensive lineman Chris Slayton and linebacker Ryan Guthrie made stops on consecutive running plays to keep West Virginia off the board.

Defensive back Andre Cisco led the Orange with nine total tackles. Foster had eight stops, while Guthrie, Tyrell Richards and Slayton each ended up with six. Guthrie and Richards also had sacks.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Dungey completed passes to nine different receivers in the game. Custis led the group with five receptions, followed by Harris who had four. Tight end Aaron Hackett and Jackson each hauled in three passes, and Nykeim Johnson ended up with two. Neal, Riley, Sharod Johnson and Chris Elmore had one apiece.

OF NOTE

Kendall Coleman tied the Syracuse bowl-record with three sacks and the Orange totaled five sacks overall to set a new school single-season record with 43 in 13 games. The previous record of 41 was established by the 1985 Syracuse squad.
Dungey became the Orange's all-time leading passer with his 303-yard performance against the Mountaineers. The Lake Oswego, Ore. native ended his career with 9,314 yards, eclipsing Ryan Nassib's mark of 9,190 yards from 2009-12. More impressive was the number of games Dungey needed to overtake Nassib. Dungey achieved his passing total in just 39 games, while Nassib played in 48.
Dungey accounted for 47 plays (30 passes, 17 runs) in the game to raise his season play count to 555, matching Nassib's single-season Syracuse record set in 2012.
Custis finished with 80 receiving yards against the Mountaineers to move into eighth on Syracuse's single-season receiving yardage list with 906 yards. Amba Etta-Tawo owns the school standard with 1,482 receiving yards in 2016.
Szmyt set the Syracuse season records for both extra points made (61) and attempted (61).
Szmyt's two field goals gave him 30 for the year, tied with West Virginia's Josh Lambert (2014), Alabama's Leigh Tiffin (2009) and Utah's Matt Gay (2017) for the second-most in NCAA history.
Allison finished 17-of-35 passing for 277 yards to lead the Mountaineers.

New season ticket orders and renewals to watch Orange football in 2019 are being accepted now. Tickets for next season's six-game home slate start at $100 for Syracuse University Young Alumni (Class of 2015 to Class of 2019 graduates) and $125 for the general public. They may be purchased online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).

The deadline to renew current season tickets is March 8, 2019.

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