Written by Zach Bartkus
ORLANDO, FL – The 29th Annual Camping World Bowl was a showdown between the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3, 6-3 Big 12) and the Syracuse Orange (9-3, 6-2 ACC). This is the 61st meeting between the two schools as they were old rivals in the Big East conference years ago. Syracuse currently holds the series lead as they’ve won 33 games to West Virginia’s 27 wins.
“I think it’s really cool that we’re playing an old rival, and I know that our fan base will be fired up about that,”said Syracuse head coach Dino Babers.
The Mountaineers would be playing without their star quarterback Will Grier as he chose against playing, in order to prepare for the NFL draft. They would start Redshirt sophomore Jack Allison at quarterback and he would split snaps with freshman Trey Lowe III.
The beginning of the game started the same for both teams stalled and went three and out. After two Syracuse drives and one West Virginia drive, both teams had just minus eight yards of total offense. After those three drives, the squads managed to amass 152 yards of total offense and 16 points, with West Virginia leading 9-7 at the beginning of the second quarter.
The game seemed to open up in the second quarter as both teams could string together drives and put some points on the board. Syracuse running back Abdul Adams had two rushing touchdowns and only 11 yards total in the first half. Allison completed 7-16 passes for 77 yards and Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey completed 7-14 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions. The first half would end with Syracuse leading 14-12.
The second half began with West Virginia stringing together a 45-yard drive, capped off with a field goal and Syracuse answered with a field goal of their own, making the score 17-15 with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Mountaineers would go down the field again and grab another field goal before the end of the quarter.
To start the fourth quarter, Syracuse wide reciever Trishton Jackson caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dungey to put the Orange up 24-18. On the following Mountaineers drive, Allison threw a pass towards running back Kennedy McKoy but it was intercepted and returned to the West Virginia 18-yard line. Syracuse would cash in on that turnover and put three more points on the board making the score 27-18. After that score, Syracuse took control of the game. They forced the Mountaineers to punt and after scoring a touchdown on that possession, they put themselves up by 16 points with a score of 34-18.
West Virginia would have another chance to score but would fail to convert on fourth down and turn the ball over on the Syracuse 3-yard line. That play all but sealed the Camping World Bowl victory for the Orange. Babers summed the game up pretty well saying, “It was one of those games, it was a good battle.” The Orange had the hot hand at the end of the game and it paid off.
Dungey would finish as the games’ Most Valuable Player completing for 21-30 passes, for 303 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. Dungey would also become Syracuse’s all-time passing yards leader with 9,340 yards. Adams also ran for two touchdowns and 19 yards. As for West Virginia, Allison completed 17-35 passes, for 277 yards and an interception. McKoy ran the ball 17 times for 77 yards and a touchdown. West Virginia kicker Evan Staley went 4-4 on field goals hitting from 28, 36, 44, and 49 yards, scoring 12 of West Virginia’s18 points.
Syracuse gets their first 10-win season since 2001 and West Virginia ends the season 9-4 and will look to improve into the 2019 season.
