West Virginia Mountaineers vs Syracuse Orange Match Player Stats On Oct 21, 2011

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 21, 2011

Syracuse looked like the class of the Big East in front of a rowdy Carrier Dome crowd by upsetting No. 15 West Virginia for the second straight year, 49-23, on Friday night.

In an unlikely role reversal, it was Syracuse (5-2, 1-1 Big East) who was the unstoppable force with the football, scoring its highest point total in 59 meetings against its Big East rival.

Geno Smith, meanwhile, spent more time on his back than getting into any type of rhythm, throwing two picks in the face of a blitz-happy Orange defense that entered the game ranked 112th against the pass.

Syracuse’s rush was aided by the return of defensive end Chandler Jones, who recorded two sacks and provided a critical pressure that forced an interception late in the third quarter that all but cemented the victory. Jones had missed the previous five games with a lower-body injury but was the lynchpin that halted West Virginia (5-2, 1-1 Big East), which that had boasted the nation's fourth-best passing offense.

Syracuse also dominated in the other two phases, as tight end Nick Provo caught a career-high three touchdowns for the offense and Dorian Thomas returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score to give the Orange a 21-9 halftime edge. Ryan Nassib, who tossed three interceptions in the conference opener earlier this month, was 24-of-32 for 230 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover.

Syracuse ate up the clock early, then came out after the break with four straight touchdowns. It got so out of hand that even running back Antwon Bailey completed a duck of a halfback pass in the fourth quarter. Bailey finished with 125 yards and a score in the Orange’s first victory of more than seven points this season.