MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Syracuse only wanted a chance – a chance to beat a Top 25 team and show the nation Syracuse football is back.

Three times it had that chance, and three times it blew it.

On Thursday night, at Mountaineer Field, the Orange had one final opportunity on national TV against a Top 25 opponent. And SU had even more at stake this time. A win would make the Orange a front-runner for the Big East title and a Bowl Championship Series bid.

But, once again, Syracuse came up short, falling to West Virginia, 27-6, in front of 52,909 fans. Not only did the Orange come up short – it barely even put up a fight.

‘We came out flat,’ safety Anthony Smith said. ‘I kind of saw it from the beginning. At times we picked it up, but we couldn’t keep the ball rolling.’

Early on, it looked like SU might surprise the Mountaineers. Diamond Ferri returned the game’s opening kickoff 37 yards to the SU 42. Somehow, Damien Rhodes finagled a botched option into a 27-yard gain. But Collin Barber missed a 42-yard field goal wide right.

After a West Virginia field goal, Ferri again gave Syracuse solid starting position at its own 45. On a third-and-1, SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni took a gamble that paid off when Joe Kowalewski pulled in a 28-yard reception.

But a Matt Tarullo holding penalty nullified SU’s field position. Two plays later, WVU’s Mike Lorello blocked Collin Barber’s second field goal attempt.

Two drives into West Virginia territory. Seventy-six yards. Zero points.

‘We could’ve been in the game,’ quarterback Perry Patterson said. ‘It could’ve been 10-6 or 10-9 going into half.’

Three plays later, the Mountaineers turned the blocked field goal into seven points on a 23-yard screen pass from Rasheed Marshall to Chris Henry.

Again for the Orange (3-4, 1-1 Big East), it came down to missed opportunities. In the first half alone, Patterson missed four wide-open receivers. SU’s sophomore quarterback also looked sluggish in the pocket, holding on to the ball too long and taking three sacks.

With Walter Reyes on the bench with flu-like symptoms, Rhodes and Patterson failed to pick up the slack. The pair botched three running plays, all three resulting in fumbles that SU recovered.

‘Everybody has to take responsibility for their own things,’ Patterson said. ‘I take responsibility for the missed passes.’

Even with SU’s offense sputtering, the defense did its best to give the Orange a glimmer of hope. But every time the defense made a big stop, Syracuse’s offense came up empty.

With 1:15 remaining in the first half, Syracuse stopped WVU (6-1, 2-0) at the SU 42. But a Marcus Clayton muffed punt put the defense back on the field.

Twenty-two seconds later, the Mountaineers took advantage as Henry pulled in his second score of the game, a 25-yard strike.

Again, the defense made a play, forcing a Kay-Jay Harris fumble with 11 seconds left in the first half. But Barber came on and missed his third field goal.

While the Orange offense showed some life in the second half and scored on its first possession, it couldn’t dig itself out of a 17-point halftime rut. That can be largely attributed to a tired defense and two offensive drives that stalled deep inside Mountaineers’ territory.

On eight of its first 10 possessions, the Orange moved the ball into West Virginia territory, yet had only six points to show for it.

‘We moved the ball well in the second half,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘When you get into the red zone, you have to score.’

After SU’s 17-13 loss to Florida State on Oct. 9, SU players said they’d shake it off. They still had five Big East games to play and one more shot at a Top 25 opponent.

But now, their preseason goal of winning the Big East is in major jeopardy. Not only that, but after steadily improving in each of its last two games against Top 25 opponents, the Orange clearly took a step back on Thursday.

At least Syracuse won’t play a Top 25 opponent again. SU doesn’t control its own destiny in the Big East. The Orange is out of chances. To win the Big East, SU must win out and hope two other Big East teams knock off the Mountaineers.

The optimism that surrounded the Orange just days ago has suddenly faded.

‘We’re definitely still in it,’ Patterson said. ‘We’re 1-1 and we’re just not in the driver’s seat anymore. We can’t worry about (West Virginia) anymore. This game’s over. We just gotta focus on UConn.’

Published on October 21, 2004 at 12:00 pm