Syracuse vs. West Virginia Game Notes
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
November 9, 2001
Syracuse, N.Y. • Carrier Dome
Dwight Freeney's first-quarter sack ran his single-season total to an NCAA record 15.5. North Carolina's Julius Peppers held the old mark of 15 set in 2000. Freeney also now holds the Orangemen single-season record for sacks, breaking Tim Green's mark of 15 set in 1984. Freeney later added another sack in the fourth quarter. He is second on the BIG EAST single-season list with 16.5, passing West Virginia's Canute Curtis (16, 1996). Virginia Tech's Corey Moore holds the BIG EAST record with 17 sacks in 1999. Freeney is third on the BIG EAST career ledger with 33 sacks. The NCAA began keeping sacks as an official statistic in 2000.
James Mungro's first touchdown run of the fourth quarter moved him into fourth place on the Syracuse career rushing touchdown list with 26. Mungro passed Joe Morris (25, 1978-81). Mungro later added his 27th career rushing score. He needs one more touchdown to tie Ernie Davis and Dee Brown for second place.
James Mungro's 12-yard run in the fourth quarter moved him into fifth place on the Syracuse career rushing list, passing Dee Brown (2,626, 1997-2000). Mungro now has 2,636 career yards. He needs just seven more to tie current SU assistant coach David Walker for fourth on the Syracuse career rushing ledger.
Mike Shafer is now third on the Syracuse career punt yardage list with 6,812 yards, passing Pat O'Neill (1990-93). Shafer also passed O'Neil for fourth place on the SU career punts list. Shafer has punted 166 times in his career. He is also moving up on two SU single-season lists. Shafer is third in season punt yards with 2,722 and is fifth in season punts with 64. His 11 punts in the game is tied for third on the SU single-game list. The last time a Syracuse punter had 11 kicks in one game was Jim Goodwill versus Florida State in 1978.
Unofficially, Dwight Freeney was credited with four tackles for loss. His career TFL total now stands unofficially at 35, moving him into a second-place tiet on the BIG EAST career list with Virginia Tech's Corey Moore (35, 1997-99).
The Orangemen blocked their fourth kick in four weeks when Andre Brinson blocked a punt in the fourth quarter. Syracuse blocked a field goal at Pittsburgh (Clifton Smith), a punt versus Temple (Andre Brinson) and a punt versus Virginia Tech (David Tyree). It was Brinson's second blocked punt of the season. Barry Baker recovered the ball, setting up James Mungro's second touchdown run of the day.
All 24 of the Orangemen's points were set up by either the defense or the special teams. Syracuse recovered a fumble deep in West Virginia territory in the first quarter to set up a Collin Barber field goal. The defense intercepted a pass in the second quarter and went on to score their first touchdown of the game on a James Mungro run. A blocked punt by Andre Brinson set up SU's third score, another run by Mungro, and Dwight Freeney's second forced fumble of the game put the Orangemen in position to capitalize on Mungro's third touchdown run of the game.
Mark Holtzman's fourth-quarter fumble recovery was the first of his career.
Latroy Oliver's second interception of the game was the Orangemen's 29th turnover created of the season. That is the most of any SU team during the Paul Pasqualoni era. The 1995 team also created 29 turnovers.
