MORGANTOWN, W.VA. -- R.J. Anderson found Malik Campbell in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to lift Syracuse to a 31-27 win over West Virginia Saturday at Mountaineer Field.
The victory improves Syracuse's bowl hopes with a 4-4 record, while the loss drops the Mountaineers, which started the season 4-1, to 4-4.
However, the big news of the day came following the game when WVU Coach Don Nehlen announced that the 2000 football season would be his last in Morgantown.
Nehlen, who owns 199 career victories in 32 seasons as a collegiate football coach at Bowling Green and West Virginia, made the decision a couple of weeks ago and told his team following Saturday's tough loss.
"I told (WVU athletic director) Eddie Pastilong about two weeks ago," Nehlen admitted. "I'll be 65 in seven weeks. I've had a great run, a lot of fun, but it's time for somebody else to do it -- we'll let some younger guy do it."
It appeared Nehlen's Mountaineers were going to pull out Saturday's game, but a late turnover resulted in Syracuse's winning score.
Leading 27-24 with 4:17 left, West Virginia freshman quarterback Scott McBrien's pass was intercepted by Will Allen at the Syracuse 16 yard line.
"That pass was just dumb, just stupid," Nehlen admitted. "But Scotty McBrien played his heart out. They all did."
With three timeouts left and 4:07 left on the clock, Syracuse drove the football 84 yards on 13 plays for the winning score. Syracuse freshman quarterback R.J. Anderson completed two key third-down passes to David Tyree during the winning drive.
At the game's outset, it appeared Syracuse was going to run away with the game, ripping off 14 straight points against the Mountaineers.
The Orange scored first on a Dee Brown five-yard pass from Anderson, making his first career start in place of starter Troy Nunes.
Syracuse added seven more points five minutes later when Anderson scored on a four-yard run.
On the ensuing kickoff, West Virginia's Shawn Terry faked a reverse to Cooper Rego and outraced the Syracuse coverage unit for a 100-yard touchdown. It was just West Virginia's fourth 100-yard return for a score ever.
Despite being outgained 187-4 in the first quarter, West Virginia inched closer with 11:59 left in the second quarter when Jon Ohliger nailed a 20-yard field goal.
That score was set up after a 45-yard pass from McBrien to senior Khori Ivy.
Syracuse expanded the lead to 17-10 on a Mike Shafer 21-yard FG with 2:26 left in the half. Syracuse gained great field position after WVU returner Antonio Brown failed to field and punt and the ball was downed at the WVU two-yard line.
Following Shafer's FG, West Virginia took the football from its own 24 and drove 56 yards to position the ball for a 50-yard Ohliger field goal attempt. His kick reached the post as time expired in the half to trim the WVU deficit to 17-13.
West Virginia took its first lead of the game with 4:18 left in the third quarter when senior Wes Ours bulled in from the five on third and goal. That touchdown was set up on when Syracuse linebacker J.R. Johnson roughed McBrien on third and five at midfield.
The Orange regained the lead with 10:01 in the fourth quarter on a Dee Brown 16-yard touchdown run. That play was set up by a 48-yard Anderson pass to running back James Mungro out of the backfield.
On West Virginia's ensuing possession, the Mountaineers put together their best drive of the day, coving 80 yards on five plays. Tailback Avon Cobourne gained the majority of those yards on a season-long 47-yard burst down the right sideline. Cobourne, who rushed for 120 yards in the fourth quarter alone, finished off the drive with a beautiful 20-yard TD run on an option reverse.
The Mountaineers had an opportunity to run out the clock after Cobourne ripped off another long 41-yard burst, but McBrien's first-down pass to Antonio Brown sailed high of the target and into the arms of Allen. It was one of two interceptions tossed by McBrien on the day.
Cobourne finished the afternoon with a season-high 166 yards on 23 carries.
McBrien completed eight-of-21 passes for 156 yards.
Ivy was West Virginia's top receiver with four catches for 79 yards.
Anderson hit 18-of-33 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns for Syracuse. He also rushed 14 times for 64 yards and another score.
Brown finished the afternoon with 96 yards on eight carries.
"That was a heck of a good football team," Nehlen said of Syracuse.
The loss denied Nehlen his third straight attempt at winning No. 200 of his career. The coach will try to get it next weekend at Rutgers.
West Virginia has games remaining against the Knights, East Carolina and Pitt to close out the season.
"I'm only concerned with our focus for the next three weeks -- to hell with Don Nehlen," the coach said.
Syracuse will close out the season with Temple, Miami and Rutgers.
A crowd of 51,442 witnessed the game on homecoming.
Scoring Summary
SU - Brown 5 pass from Anderson (Shafer kick)
SU - Anderson 4 run (Shafer kick)
WV - Terry 100 kick return (Ohliger kick)
WV - Ohliger 20 FG
SU - Shafer 21 FG
WV - Ohliger 50 FG
WV - Ours 5 run (Ohliger kick)
SU - Brown 16 run (Shafer kick)
WV - Cobourne 20 run (Ohliger kick)
SU - Campbell 13 pass from Anderson (Shafer kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing: SU - Brown 8-96, Anderson 14-64, Mungro 13-24, Jackson 4-10, Davis 2-3, Nunes 1-minus 14; Total 42-183; WV - Cobourne 23-166, Brown 3-21, Ours 3-8, Rego 2-minus 5, McBrien 6-minus 21; Total 37-169.
Passing: SU - Anderson 18-33-1-203-2, Nunes 1-3-0-10-0, Brown 1-1-3-0-0, Total 20-37-216-1-2; WV - McBrien 8-21-2-156-0.
Receiving: SU - Brown 5-16, Jackson 4-59, Woodcock 3-27, Tyree 2-37, Campbell 2-30, Mungro 1-48, Anderson 1-3, Manley 1-1, Romeo 1-minus 5, Total 20-216; WV - Ivy 4-79, Brown 3-64, Terry 1-13, Total 8-156.
Attendance: 51,422
