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Syracuse University
Tennessee
Orangemen Lose to No. 8/8 Tennessee, 33-9
10/2/2001 9:19:15 AM | Football
The Syracuse University football Orangemen (0-2) lost at the University of Tennessee, 33-9, before a crowd of 107,725 at Neyland Stadium on September 1. It was the third largest crowd in the history of Neyland Stadium and the second largest crowd ever to witness an SU football contest.
The game, for the most part, was dominated by defense. Twenty-one of the 42 points scored in the game came during a 36-second span in the fourth quarter. The Volunteers broke the game open in the final quarter with two rushing touchdowns by Corey Larkins. SU's Johnnie Morant also scored a touchdown in the final 15-minute period.
Tennessee opened the scoring on its first play from scrimmage. Casey Clausen connected with Donte Stallworth on a 37-yard touchdown pass giving Tennessee a 7-0 lead.
After the initial score, Dwight Freeney and the Orange defense kept the Volunteers out of the endzone for the rest of the first half. Freeney's consecutive games-with-a-sack streak has now reached 10. The senior defensive end sacked Clausen twice. Freeney now has 20.5 career sacks, which ties him with Jamie Kimmel for fifth in school history. He has had at least two sacks in the last four games he has played.
Tennessee's next score came when Troy Nunes was tackled for a safety by Constantin Ritzmann in the second quarter. With six seconds left in the second quarter, Tennessee kicker, Alex Walls made a 24-yard field goal to give the Volunteers a 12-0 halftime advantage.
Syracuse struck first in the second half. SU cornerback Will Hunter forced a Clausen fumble, which Freeney recovered at the Tennessee five-yard-line. The Orangemen turned the fumble into three points. True freshman kicker Justin Sujansky made the first field goal attempt of his collegiate career, a 22-yarder.
Tennessee recovered a mishandled SU snap at the Syracuse five-yard-line. Two plays later Travis Stephens, who rushed for 114 yards on 14 carries, scored on a four-yard run.
The Orange offense scored its first touchdown when R.J. Anderson, who replaced an injured Nunes, hit sophomore receiver Johnnie Morant for a 74-yard scoring play. It is the longest pass in Anderson's career and Morant's first collegiate touchdown and longest career reception.
Trailing 26-9, with 6:13 left to play, Syracuse attempted an onside kick. Tennessee's Eric Parker returned the onside kick to the SU 16. On the next play Larkins scored his second touchdown with 5:59 remaining. Senior tailback James Mungro led SU in rushing with 93 yards on 21 carries. With 1,825 career-rushing yards, Mungro ranks 15th on SU's career rushing record list.
