University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Syracuse
Strong Fourth Quarter Lifts Heels Over Syracuse, 30-22
September 7, 2002 | Football
Sept 7, 2002
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By JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Darian Durant threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and Dan Orner kicked field goals from 51, 52 and a school-record 55 yards as North Carolina beat Syracuse 30-22 Saturday night.
North Carolina (1-1) atoned for a miserable nine-turnover performance in its opening loss to Miami of Ohio, while Syracuse (0-2) had a seven-game winning streak at the Carrier Dome stopped.
Orner equaled the Division I-A record for most 50-yard field goals in a game. The mark was set in 1966 by Wyoming's Jerry DePoyster and matched by Wichita State's Sergio Lopez-Chavero in 1984 and Iowa's Tim Douglas in 1998.
Orner's 55-yarder surpassed the 54-yarder Kenny Miller made against Florida State in 1985 as the longest in Tar Heels history.
Durant, who fumbled twice and threw three interceptions last week, settled down after another shaky start and broke open the game with some fine running and passing.
Trailing 22-16, he scooted up the middle for 17 yards on a draw play that went just past midfield. After a long pass failed, Durant came right back with another, hitting Jarwarski Pollock over the middle between defenders Latroy Oliver and Steve Gregory at the Syracuse 10. Pollock bulled his way in for the score and a 23-22 lead with 11:25 left.
After the Orangemen went three and out, Durant guided a 14-play, 77-yard drive that lasted 7:07. Durant hit Sam Aiken with a 22-yard pass on third-and-16, picked up 12 yards on a draw play, then hit Bobby Blizzard with a 12-yard scoring pass over the middle.
Orner kicked his 55-yarder midway through the third to give the Tar Heels a 16-14 lead in the seesaw battle.
But the Orangemen came right back to score in six plays. R.J. Anderson hit Johnnie Morant for 37 yards over the middle to the Carolina 13. A pass-interference call against Michael Waddell on third down set up Anderson's 1-yard touchdown run. Freshman tailback Damien Rhodes then hit David Tyree for the 2-point conversion pass to put Syracuse ahead 22-16.
Orner gave North Carolina a 3-0 lead early in the first with his 52-yarder. It came after some shaky play by both teams.
Tar Heels safety DeFonte Coleman intercepted Anderson's first pass of the game and returned it 11 yards to the Syracuse 36. Durant then fumbled the second-down snap, but Brandon Russell fell on it at the 35 for a 4-yard gain to set up Orner's kick.
Willie Parker gave the Tar Heels a 10-0 lead on the final play of the first quarter, going around the left side for 50 yards.
Syracuse rallied quickly, scoring twice in a span of 68 seconds to take a 14-10 lead.
The Orangemen, who failed to sustain any long scoring drives in their season- opening 42-21 loss at BYU, finally put one together early in the second quarter, going 84 yards in 14 plays in 5:26.
Rhodes gained 27 yards on four carries and Anderson combined twice with tight end Joe Donnelly for 10 and 14 yards on key third downs to keep the drive going. Walter Reyes scored on a 1-yard run with 9:24 left to make it 10-7.
When Carolina got the ball back, Durant fumbled again, this time on a scramble, and this time Will Hunter recovered for the Orangemen. Morant scored on a 14-yard reverse on the next play.
