Despite mistakes, BYU overpowers Syracuse

By NEIL K. WARNER
The Utah County Journal

PROVO - How do you have four fumbles, an interception, two missed field goals, three missed extra points and still beat Syracuse by 21 points?

With performances like those of running back Marcus Whalen and quarterback Bret Engemann. With a receiving core that left Syracuse wondering whom to cover.

Engemann was 35 of 54 for 386 yards and three touchdowns and Whalen rushed 19 times for 152 yards and a touchdown. Toby Christensen led BYU in receiving with 98 yards and a touchdown. He was one of 10 different Cougars to catch a pass.

Perhaps most impressive about BYU's receivers was the yards they racked up after they caught the ball. The receivers combined to pile up 175 yards after the catch.

Wow.

Despite its mistakes, BYU opened the season in impressive fashion, thumping Big East power Syracuse by a score of 42-21.

"I think it says a lot. To come out and beat a team like this from a big conference with the number of turnovers we made," Christensen said. "It gives us a lot of confidence. Hopefully not too much confidence."

BYU was clinging to a 26-21 lead in the fourth quarter when Engemann threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to David Christensen that broke open the game.

Christensen ran a 5-yard out, broke a tackle and scampered 50 yards for a touchdown that gave BYU a 33-21 advantage.

Kicker Matt Payne missed a 25-yard (celebration penalty) extra point, but the Cougars quickly quieted any thoughts of a Syracuse comeback.

Defensive end Jeff Cowart helped add some insurance when he sniffed out a middle screen and picked off Syracuse quarterback R.J. Anderson at the 15, which led to a 31-yard field goal from Payne that gave BYU a 36-21 lead with 6:33 left in the game.

Freshman Curtis Brown brought the 65,612 Cougar fans to their feet when he scored the first touchdown of his promising career on a 1-yard run with 1:47 to play that finished off the game's scoring.

"Our heads were spinning the whole game. They had more speed and more game than we though," said Syracuse linebacker Jameel Dumas. "They came out in multiple groups of three-, four- and five-receiver sets. We were off balance the whole game."

The score could have been much worse if BYU could have held onto the ball. All three of Syracuse's touchdowns resulted from BYU turnovers.

"A lot of things went well, but we still have a few things to work on," said BYU coach Gary Crowton. "I didn't like the celebration penalties and a few errors. I was most disappointed in that area. I know the guys are excited and they want to win and they're just having fun; I want that to be the case, but I just want us to be smart about it."

BYU had a chance to bury Syracuse just before halftime. The Cougars led 21-7 and were in Orangeman territory when disaster struck.

Engemann tried to force the ball into a crowd on a screen play. Dumas picked off the pass.

It took the Orangemen just four plays to cut the lead to 21-14. Damien Rhodes scored from 5 yards out with 54 seconds left in the half.

Still, there was plenty of time for the Cougars to tack on another score. Engemann drove the Cougars down to the Syracuse 18 before they settled for a field goal.

But Payne's attempt was wide left, leaving the Cougars with a 21-14 lead at intermission.

Instead of leading 28-7 at the half, BYU's lead was down to 21-14.

The Orangemen then tied the game in the third quarter after BYU receiver Rod Wilkerson caught a pass and while trying to get additional yardage, had the ball ripped away by Jeremiah Mason, giving Syracuse the ball at the BYU 40.

The turnover turned into a 4-yard touchdown run from Rhodes that tied the game with 6:08 left in the third quarter.

That was as close as Syracuse could get. BYU took the lead with a 92-yard scoring drive that was capped off by Engemann's first rushing touchdown of his college career.

Engemann finished off the drive with a 3-yard bootleg around the left end for a touchdown. Payne missed the extra point, leaving BYU up 27-21 with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

Overall, BYU's offense showed little rust behind Engemann.

"I was just trying to enjoy myself out there," Engemann said. "We should have put them away in the second quarter. We let them stay in the game. I think it just came down to we were in better condition."

BYU's offense jumped on Syracuse early. The Cougars opened the season with a 15-play, 71-yard scoring drive.

"I think that drive gave him the confidence he needed," Crowton added. "I've been telling everyone he's pretty good ... Now what he has to work on is being consistent."

The Cougars kept the Orangeman defense guessing with a variety of different looks. The Cougars ran the shotgun with Reno Mahe at quarterback. He took the snap and rolled out for six yards. Crowton even put backup quarterback Lance Pendleton in for a running play.

Engemann finished off the drive by hitting Andrew Ord on a quick slant on third-and-goal from the 6 to give BYU a 7-0 edge after Payne's extra point with 8:14 left in the quarter.

Syracuse answered after Mahe fumbled a punt at his own 17. On the first play from scrimmage, Jamel Riddle scored on a pitch-out reverse, strolling into the end zone untouched.

Engemann converted on 3rd-and-goal at the 2 when he zipped a short pass to Christensen on a quick slant, giving BYU a 14-7 lead with 14:46 left in the half.

The Cougars scored again thanks to the longest drive in BYU history. After holding the Orangemen on 4th-and-goal at the 1, the Cougars went on a 99-yard drive that took nine plays. The big play was a Whalen draw that went up the gut of Syracuse's defense. Whalen rumbled for 58 yards to the Syracuse 1. Whalen then punched it in to give the Cougars a 21-7 lead with 4:53 left in the half.