CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Awash in a sea of ecstasy, Kelvin Smith separated himself from the moment he had created seconds earlier.

As a tide of orange, white and blue mobbed him and devastated opponents littered his side, he tried to grasp his most dramatic work ever on a football field.

‘I saw my teammates rush the field,’ Smith said. ‘I didn’t know what I had just done.’

What Smith did was stone North Carolina running back Jacque Lewis at the one-yard line on the game’s final play as the Syracuse football team defeated UNC, 49-47, in triple overtime in front of 47,000 at Kenan Stadium.

Lewis had taken a shovel pass from quarterback Darian Durant on a two-point conversion that would have tied the score. Lewis, moving left, received a pitch from Durant, who was rolling right, and darted through what looked like a gap to the end zone.

In stepped Smith, who wrapped up Lewis and pinned his back to the turf, sending the SU sideline into euphoria.

‘I just saw him take a step forward, just went ahead and made the play,’ said Smith, who was appearing in his first college game. ‘I didn’t really have to go that far.’

In a game that saw more than 1,000 yards of offense, Syracuse (1-0) never led during regulation and needed a 17-point, second-half comeback to force overtime.

‘There was a lot of times that they could have folded,’ SU defensive coordinator Chris Rippon said. ‘And they never folded. There was a lot of times when you’re sitting there and you’re saying, ‘Wow. Can they keep their head above water?’ And then, boom! They come back and they make a play.’

In overtime, Syracuse force-fed Walter Reyes down the throat of UNC’s defense. He scored both of Syracuse’s overtime touchdowns and its two-point conversion and gained 55 of SU’s 56 overtime yards. For the game, Reyes rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.

His last score, which was on the first play of the third overtime, wouldn’t have happened had SU kicker Collin Barber’s 36-yard field goal not sailed wide left in the second overtime. Kellen Pruitt had ended UNC’s second overtime possession with an interception, meaning all Syracuse had to do was score.

‘It was big-time,’ Reyes said. ‘We knew it was our turn to go. Unfortunately, Collin missed a field goal. But we weren’t too worried about that. Just go back on the field and score another touchdown.’

That SU had the chance to go to overtime was shocking. Throughout the first half and much of the second, SU’s defense mirrored last year’s unit. Durant shredded the Orangemen for 316 yards and four touchdowns through the air and 69 yards and one score rushing. In total, UNC racked up 505 yards.

‘We certainly didn’t play as well as we hoped to,’ Rippon said. ‘We didn’t tackle well. We got caught in coverage.’

The offensive domination staked North Carolina (0-2, 0-1 ACC) to a 34-17 lead with 4:58 left in the third quarter after Durant found Jarwarski Pollock for a 15-yard touchdown.

Then Syracuse began its comeback. Johnnie Morant returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards and hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass from R.J. Anderson on the next play. The quick score swung the momentum in SU’s favor for good to cut the lead to 34-24.

After Anderson scrambled and found SU running back Damien Rhodes for a 31-yard touchdown, the Orangemen forced a UNC punt, giving them the ball at their own 20 with 3:06 left in regulation, down 34-31.

‘Stay on the field,’ Anderson thought to himself. ‘Don’t leave the field until you get points.’

Anderson directed a 12-play, 61-yard drive that culminated in a 37-yard field goal by Barber.

‘That said a lot,’ head coach Paul Pasqualoni said. ‘The whole scenario in the second half says a lot. This is his ship and he’s steering his ship. He’s going to have his trademark on it.’

The drive capped a redeeming day for Anderson, who completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Anderson showed improved poise and maturity, waiting in the pocket and finding his second and third receiver when necessary.

‘It’s my first Division I win in two years,’ Anderson said. ‘It felt good.

‘I got humbled big time last year. I’m grateful for this opportunity. I’m so grateful just to be able to play to try to make up for last year.’

Published on September 7, 2003 at 12:00 pm