CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 17, 1998
BOSTON -- Syracuse is getting good at recovering from adversity.
The 23rd-ranked Orangemen beat Boston College 42-25 Saturday to continue a comeback from an upset loss to North Carolina State two games ago and from the loss of receiver Quinton Spotwood to a season-ending knee injury a week ago.
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It was Spotwood's replacement, Jeff Lowe, who starred with the first two touchdown catches of his career.
"North Carolina State knocked us out of national championship contention," said Kyle McIntosh, who rushed for two touchdowns and 103 yards, "but we realize we still have a lot of football left."
SYRACUSE (4-2) IMPROVED TO 2-0 in the Big East and, with West Virginia (1-0), remained one of two unbeaten teams in conference play. Boston College (3-3, 2-2) dropped its third straight game.
Previously unbeaten and 14th-ranked Virginia Tech dropped out of the lead with a shocking 28-24 loss to Temple, which had been winless.
"What happened today in the Big East proves that every single week, you better be ready to play," Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "We don't take anything for granted. As soon as you think it's not going to happen to you, it's going to happen."
It happened last year when Syracuse started at 1-3 then rebounded with eight consecutive victories before losing the Fiesta Bowl. It has six games left this season, all in the Big East, and must play them without defensive end Donald Dinkins, who suffered a season-ending knee injury a week after Spotwood was lost.
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Boston College kick returner Jeremy Cooper is
wrapped up by Syracuse defender Brian Maye.
(AP)
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Lowe, though, did just fine as Spotwood's replacement.
"We have so much depth on offense, it's unbelievable," Lowe said.
The usual offensive stars contributed as Rob Konrad ran for one touchdown and the elusive Donovan McNabb, second in the nation in passing efficiency, threw for two scores.
"HE BRINGS SOMETHING TO the table that sometimes makes people look stupid out there," Eagles nose tackle Chris Hovan said.
But it was Lowe, who had 15 receptions in his first two seasons and only two this year, who provided an extra lift. He replaced Spotwood, who caught 88 passes for 12 touchdowns in 21/2 seasons.
"I was anxious," Lowe said. ``I was waiting patiently for my turn and today I got a chance."
The Eagles, who trailed 28-3 six minutes into the third quarter, came back with touchdowns on Mike Cloud's 1-yard run with 59 seconds left in the period and Scott Mutryn's 32-yard pass to Anthony DiCosmo 2:09 into the fourth, making it 28-18.
Kevin Johnson returned the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and McIntosh ran 23 yards for his second score with 5:51 left in the game. Boston College's last score came on Tim Hasselbeck's 19-yard pass to Derrick Crittenden with 2:22 left.
"They're just too much for us right now," BC coach Tom O'Brien said. ``The difference in the game is McNabb."
He completed 13-of-19 passes for 182 yards and no interceptions and maintained his 71 percent completion rate.
The Orangemen began the day fourth in the nation with 44.2 points per game and 10th with an average of 472 yards after a 63-21 victory over Cincinnati in which they gained 637 yards.
That started them back from a 38-17 upset loss to North Carolina State in its previous game.
On Saturday, the Orangemen scored on three of their four first-half possessions after drives covering 82, 75 and 75 yards. Against Cincinnati, they scored on nine of 11 series.
They took a 21-3 halftime lead, and for the fourth time in six games scored on the opening drive.
SYRACUSE WENT AHEAD 7-0 on a 10-play march capped by a 15-yard run by McIntosh, the team's rushing leader. McNabb kept it going with passes for first downs of 38 yards to Lowe and 14 yards to Johnson.
McNabb went 3-for-3 and had a 22-yard run on Syracuse's next drive, setting up Konrad's 21-yard run, his fifth touchdown of the year. On the next possession, the Eagles held the ball for 15 plays and 7:42 but settled for John Matich's 36-yard field goal.
Syracuse built the lead to 21-3 as McNabb's 12-yard pass to Lowe 59 seconds before halftime capped a 14-play drive. Lowe scored again on a 29-yard pass after Quentin Harris ended an Eagles drive with an interception at the Syracuse 3 and returned it 63 yards to the Boston College 36.
Cloud, third in the nation with 172.4 yards rushing per game, was held to a season-low 104. Even he agreed McNabb was the offensive star.
"He makes things happen by himself," Cloud said. ``That's one thing we need on our team."