There are your necessary post-game interviews when a football game has concluded.
The winning team speaks sharing their joy of winning along with the common reasons on how and why they won.
The losing team shares the agony of defeat that can give off stoic reaction.
Syracuse University Orange quarterback Eric Dungey is an exception. He shared it all — the mixed emotions that illustrated joy with tears of true gratitude after closing out his college career a winner at the Camping World Bowl on Friday.
The Orange were down 18-17 entering the fourth quarter; they scored 17 points in the first 5:01 of the fourth and shut out West Virginia in that time frame. The 17th-ranked Orange got their first 10-win season since 2001 by taking down No. 15 West Virginia 34-18.
A 10-win season means so much, as Dungey portrayed on his face and words.
“Just very thankful,” Dungey said, talking through tears. “I’ve been through a lot. … All I want to do is compete. I’ll get grief for crying, but I’ve been through a lot here. All I can say is I’m very thankful.”
Dungey led the way closing his college career by throwing for 303 yards, Abdul Adams and Trishton Jackson combined to score three touchdowns in their Syracuse (10-3) debuts.
Syracuse will conclude the season in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2001 when it finished No. 14. The last time the Orange finished a season higher than that was 1992 when they were No. 6.
Dungey came into the bowl game holding or sharing 18 Syracuse records, and added another one in his collegiate finale. He passed Ryan Nassib (9,190) for most passing yards in Syracuse history, finishing his career with 9,340.
“The only thing I care about is we got to 10 wins for the first time since 2001,” Dungey said.
On the opposite sideline, The Mountaineers fell in a bowl game for the third consecutive season.
The Mountaineers (8-4) were without starting quarterback Will Grier who elected to skip the bowl game and focus on preparing for the NFL. They were driving along with a lead going into the final quarter, but the gas ran out.
Jack Allison made his first collegiate start in place of Grier. In addition, they were also without two of their three top targets this season — Gary Jennings was ruled with an ankle injury, and Marcus Simms was a surprise scratch.
“We played a good team,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. “Give Coach Dino Babers a lot of credit. They played good all year.”
Kennedy McCoy had a 3-yard touchdown run for West Virginia on a direct snap, and Evan Staley made four field goals for the Mountaineers.
The beat goes on, Syracuse will kick off the 2019 season when they visit Liberty on Aug. 31, 2019. West Virginia will host James Madison on Aug. 31, 2019.
Photo/JustinWright/WORLDWIDEWEST
