No. 17 Syracuse beats No. 15 West Virginia
ORLANDO, FLA. — Abdul Adams and Trishton Jackson made their Syracuse debuts memorable, combining to score three touchdowns and helping the 17th-ranked Orange secure their first 10-win season since 2001 by topping No. 15 West Virginia 34-18 in the Camping World Bowl on Friday.
Adams rushed for two first-half scores, and Jackson hauled in a TD pass from Eric Dungey on the first play of the fourth quarter (AP) — for Syracuse (10-3), which survived a game that featured eight lead changes. Adams and Jackson were both transfers who had to sit out a year, which by NCAA rule was satisfied at the end of the first semester.
Dungey completed 21 of 30 passes for 303 yards for the Orange, who trailed 18-17 going into the final quarter. Barely five minutes later, it was 34-18. Dungey connected with Jackson, the Orange got an interception oneplaylaterandturnedthat possession into a field goal by Andre Szmyt, and Jarveon Howard barreled in from 4 yards out with 9:59 left to cap the SU flurry.
Syracuse got a fourthand-goal stop on the next possession, and from there the orange-clad faithful who came south from Central New York could start to celebrate.
Jack Allison, making his first collegiate start because West Virginia star quarterback Will Grier elected to skip the bowl game and focus on preparing for the NFL, completed 17 of 35 passes for 277 yards for the Mountaineers (8-4)
MUSIC CITY BOWL AUBURN 63, PURDUE 14
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Jarrett Stidham threw for 373 yards and five touchdowns in his final college game and Auburn routed Purdue in the Music City Bowl.
Auburn (8-5) rolled in the finale of a season that opened with a top-10 ranking, stumbled a bit in the middle and concluded with a record-setting performance. It was the Tigers' first postseason victory since beating Memphis in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl. Auburn scored the most points by a Southeastern Conference team in a bowl, topping Alabama's 61-6 victory over Syracuse in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1953. The Tigers had a chance to match the most points ever in a bowl at 70, most recently by Army in the Armed Forces Bowl last week, but they took a knee at the Purdue 1 with 1:01 left.
Auburn scored TDs on its first eight possessions. It tied the Music City Bowl records for most points and TDs set by West Virginia in 2000 — with 5:36 left in the first half.