Syracuse University
EAST CAROLINA
Orangemen Win Third Straight, Defeat ECU 44-30
10/2/2001 9:27:11 AM | Football
Syracuse Game Notes
Syracuse Post-Game Quotes
East Carolina Post-Game Notes
East Carolina Post-Game Quotes
Box Score
Live Stats
Syracuse, N.Y. - Troy Nunes threw a career-high four touchdown passes and the Orangemen defense forced four turnovers to lead Syracuse to a 44-30 victory versus East Carolina in front of 36,347 fans at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001.
Syracuse is now 3-2 overall, while the Pirates are 2-2.
Nunes finished the day 17-for-27 for 296 yards. His four touchdown passes was the first time an SU quarterback threw for four scores since Donovan McNabb did it against Cincinnati in 1998. It was Nunes' third game with at least three touchdown passes (Central Michigan -1999; Pittsburgh - 1999).
Nunes also ascended two of Syracuse's all-time lists. His 17 completions moved him into fifth place on the SU career completions list with 237. Nunes passed Bill Hurley (228) with his final completion of the first half.
Nunes' first completion of the third quarter, a 15-yard toss to Malik Campbell, made him the fifth quarterback in Syracuse history with more than 3,000 yards passing in a career. Nunes now has 3,144 career passing yards.
The Pirates started the scoring on a 43-yard field goal by Kevin Miller. The Orangemen offense answered the score with a 70-yard drive, capped by 38-yard touchdown pass from Nunes to Jamel Riddle in the second quarter. It was Riddle's first career touchdown pass, and Nunes' first scoring toss of the season. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on SU was assessed after the play, and Justin Sujansky missed the 35-yard PAT.
Syracuse's defense used the momentum, sacking the Pirates twice on their next possession. Dwight Freeney had the first sack, extending his consecutive games streak to 13. He later added a sack on ECU's final offensive play, running his streak of games with at least two sacks to seven.
The Orangemen took a 13-3 lead when Nunes found Jeremie Frazier for a four-yard scoring toss. Kwazi Leverette made two big plays on the drive, gaining 46 yards on his first career reception and converting a third down with an 11-yard catch that gave SU first and goal from the ECU six-yard line.
The defense forced its second turnover when, under a heavy rush, Pirate quarterback David Garrard threw a pass that was intercepted by Latroy Oliver. Capitalizing on the turnover, Nunes capped a three-play, 26-yard drive with a three-yard pass to Maurice Jackson to give the Orangemen a 20-3 lead.
East Carolina scored its first touchdown of the half with two seconds remaining before intermission. A three-yard pass from Garrard to Corey Floyd finished a 10-play, 70-yard drive.
Syracuse led 20-10 at halftime, but a 66-yard run by Leonard Henry on the third play of the third quarter cut the Orangemen lead to 20-17. It was the longest run by a Syracuse opponent since Michigan's Walter Cross had a 66-yarder in 1998.
The East Carolina defense set up the Pirates' next score when Jerome Steward stripped James Mungro. Greg Lefever recovered the ball for ECU at the Syracuse 16-yard line. Terrance Copper finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put ECU ahead, 24-20.
R.J. Anderson started the second half at quarterback for the Orangemen, but was replaced by Nunes on SU's third possession of the half. Nunes engineered Syracuse's fourth scoring drive of the game. Justin Sujansky cut the deficit to 24-23 when he made a career-long 43-yard field goal. It is the Orangemen's longest field goal of the season.
The defense forced its third turnover of the game when Quentin Harris intercepted Garrard. The Orangemen took the lead on a Chris Davis five-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, making the score 29-24.
The Pirates took the lead for the third time in the game, 30-29, when Garrard hit Marcus White for a 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. East Carolina went for two, but Freeney forced Garrard to fumble on the conversion attempt.
Once again, the Orangemen offense rose to the challenge, retaking the lead, 35-30 on a six-yard touchdown run by Mungro. Mungro started off left tackle and dipped to the outside. It appeared he would go down for a loss, but the senior fought off two tacklers at the seven and dragged another Pirate defender into the endzone. Nunes hit Jackson for the two-point conversion to put Syracuse up, 37-30.
The Orangemen defense stopped the Pirates on a crucial fourth-and-one from the Orangemen 41-yard line with 5:47 left in the game. The SU offense took advantage, going 59 yards in eight plays for the game-clinching score. Nunes threw his fourth TD pass of the game, hitting Malik Campbell from 39 yards out.
Syracuse begins BIG EAST play next weekend when they travel to Rutgers. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.
