ESPN had this as the best QB matchup of the bowl season and it turned out being the direct opposite as weather conditions would play havoc on the game. Through one half of football, Quarterbacks Geno Smith and Ryan Nassib combined for 111 yards passing. Yes, 111 COMBINED. Nassib would finish the game with 123 YDS, 2 TD’s, and an INT while Smith did a bit better, passing for 197 YDs and 2 TD’s.
The run game was the surprise stat as the potent WVU run D gave up 212 YDS to Prince-Tyson Gulley and 157 to Jerome Smith. They gave up 369 total, the most all season by far. “We praise ourselves on stopping the run and it hurts us that they were able to be so effective”, Said Senior LB Terence Garvin.
The Mountaineers got the kick to start the game and went 3 and out, but they got a gift in a roughing the punter penalty which extended the drive. They would take it down to the 18 yard line where they would stall. Tyler Bitancurt’s FG try would then be blocked.
Syracuse would then drive down the field and get a 25 YD FG by Ross Krautman to make it 3 – 0 after one. They would drive it again after a WVU punt but Darwin Cook and co. would stop the Syracuse running game on the one to get the ball back.
One play later, Geno Smith would be sacked in the endzone to make it 5 – 0. “They sent an extra guy from the right side and I wasn’t able to avoid the pressure and got sacked for the safety”, Said Smith. The Cuse would make it 12 – 0 after the free kick thanks to a 33 yd Prince-Tyson Gulley run.
The Mountaineers would finally get on the board at the end of the half when they would go 6 plays and 69 yards, capped off by a Geno to Stedman 32 yd pass to cut the lead to 5 going into the half.
Syracuse would come out of the locker room and continue their barrage against the young Mountaineer defense. Short run here, mid-length pass there and a 10 yard pass from Nassib that was tipped by a WVU linebacker and dropped into the hands of TE Becket Wales to make it 20 – 7.
The Mountaineers would again to come back with a Geno to Stedman 59 yd pass but the drive would appear to stall. On 4th and 2 from the Syracuse 32 Andrew Buie would take it to the house for a score but the play would be called back due to a hold and the Mountaineers would punt.
The game would then get a bit weird. Ryan Nassib would be intercepted by Isaiah Bruce, on the next play, Geno Smith would fumble the ball right back to the Orange. Gulley would then run it in from 67 yards out to make it 26 – 7.
The Mountaineers would answer back on the next drive. Geno and Co. would pick at the Orange defense which set up a 29 yd Geno to Stedman strike to make it 26 -14. It would look like the WVU D would get off the field with Nassib facing a 3rd and 10 from the WVU 46 yd line. The Mountaineers would rush the house but Nassib would find Gulley for a 20 yd screen pass to keep the drive alive. A few plays later, Nassib would find Gulley again on a screen pass, this time of the 10 yd variety, to make it 33 – 14.
WVU would get backed up to their own 9 to start their next drive after a block in the back penalty. Geno Smith would then be taken down in the endzone for Syracuse’s second safety and a 35 – 14 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Syracuse would again drive down to the WVU 27. Nassib would throw a pass on second down to the flat that Terence Garvin broke on for the pick-6. Only problem was Garvin forgot the ball and dropped the sure TD. Nassib would then rush 8 yards setting up a 36 yd FG by Krautman to make it 38 -14.
Both teams would then exchange possessions and run out the clock. Final score: Syracuse 38, West Virginia 14.
A few mentioned after the game that conditions played a big role despite Coach Dana Holgorsen’s comments yesterday saying weather shouldn’t play a major role. “The surface was bad”, said Holgorsen. NFL bound Stedman Bailey said the same. “Conditions played a big role and Syracuse did a good job defending.”
Holgorsen also mentioned about the adversity the team had experienced with such an early hole. “We did a poor job overcoming adversity.” Others mentioned the team being down on themselves during the game causing them to allow Syracuse to dominate.
This ends the season for the Mountaineers and ends the college career for 21 seniors, including Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, and Stedman Bailey, who you will be seeing on draft day. Coach Holgorsen now has some questions to answer in planning for next season but he doesn’t expect those to be answered until a month or two from now. “We are going to take a couple days off and then get on the recruiting trail which will take up 90% of our time. After that, in a month or so, we will sit down and start planning for 2013”.
We also will be back for you in 2013. With that, we say Happy New Year and we will talk to you again next season.
