NEW YORK —
West Virginia University’s defense made a handful of plays during the Mountaineers’ 38-14 loss to Syracuse in Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
It was not nearly enough, though, on a cold, snowy and rainy day when the offense struggled badly and the defense was gashed by the Orange’s running game.
WVU coach Dana Holgorsen pointed out that WVU, during a 7-6 season that ended with six losses in eight games after a 5-0 start, was generally able to hold its own along the line of scrimmage.
No so against Syracuse, which finished 8-5.
“Our pass defense was bad, but our run defense was OK,” Holgorsen said. “Being a game like this where you have to rely on your run defense to help you win and you’re not able to do it, it’s pretty frustrating.
“I give Syracuse credit. They did a better job of controlling the line of scrimmage, and they did a better job of running downhill.”
Indeed. Prince-Tyson Gulley ran 25 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns. On TD runs for 33 yards in the second quarter and 67 yards in the third, he was virtually untouched.
Jerome Smith added 157 yards on 30 carries for the Orange, which had 511 total yards, 369 running the football.
WVU, meanwhile, finished with 88 rushing yards on 37 tries. With WVU trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, safety Darwin Cook’s smashing hit capped a goal-line stand.
Mountaineer quarterback Geno Smith, though, was then sacked for a safety, part of a day when he completed 16 of 24 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times and was the victim of another safety when he was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone.
Sports
Handful of plays not enough for WVU
- Sports
-
-
Fairmont Senior outlasts Oak Glen for regional title
On to the next round.
Fairmont Senior squeaked past Oak Glen in the regional championship game on Friday, 3-0.
In the win, the Polar Bears were led by their ace pitcher in Matt Robbins. -
FURFARI COLUMN: Chuck Howley greatest all-around WVU athlete
Chuck Howley’s greatest fame came in football at West Virginia University and then with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
However, making the Wheeling native even more distinguished is the fact he is the only five-sport letterman in WVU athletic history. -
HERTZEL COLUMN: McCartney getting his second chance
There is a familiar saying that carries much weight around the West Virginia University football program.
“If at first you don’t succeed …” -
Musgrave, errors push WVU past TCU
In its second game of pool play at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the West Virginia University baseball team trumped TCU, 10-3, as the Horned Frogs committed a Big 12 Championship record nine errors in the contest.
-
Penguins rip Ottawa, move to conference finals
Eight playoff wins down, eight to go for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
James Neal had a hat trick and the Penguins finished off the lifeless Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Friday night in Game 5 of the Eastern conference semifinals to take the best-of-seven series 4-1. -
Burnett a hard-luck loser; Pirates fall to Brewers
The hard luck remains for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ A.J. Burnett.
Burnett gave up just three hits and two earned runs over seven innings but took the loss as the Milwaukee Brewers held on for a 2-1 victory Friday night. -
Polar Bears vs. Golden Bears postponed to today
It’s a washout in Golden Bear country.
The Fairmont Senior-Oak Glenn Class AA regional final championship game has to wait another day.
The culprit? A toad strangler that dumped gallons of water on the field, which resulted into a muddy mess. -
HERTZEL COLUMN: Jarrod West treasures time with his family
It came along too late to do me any good, but today I want to offer a very warm thank you to Jarrod West, the one-time West Virginia University basketball hero.
-
WVU in eight-team Cancun Challenge field
West Virginia University’s basketball team will be in a field with seven other teams in the 2013 Men’s Cancun Challenge, played at the all-inclusive Aventura Palace resort near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
-
Kansas pitcher Taylor shuts down Mountaineers
In its first game of pool play against Kansas at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, the West Virginia University baseball team was defeated, 7-2.
- More Sports Headlines
-
