Marques Hagans sparks Virginia to 31-10 rout of Syracuse

Walter Reyes was held under 100 yards for the Orangemen.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Marques Hagans didn't need to show all of his talents in three blowout victories for Virginia.
Now that he has, the 12th-ranked Cavaliers look even more imposing.
Hagans ran for two touchdowns, including a 59-yard run on a broken play, and completed 11 of 12 passes for 202 yards and a clinching touchdown Saturday in Virginia's 31-10 victory over Syracuse.
"Some of the plays, they just presented themselves and I just made the most of them," said Hagans, who ran for 81 yards on six carries.
"Coach always tells me that I have the ability to make plays with my legs and when they present themselves within the system, then I just have to be able to capitalize. Today I think I did that."
Syracuse is 2-2
Wali Lundy added a 27-yard run for his 10th touchdown of the season for the Cavaliers (4-0), and Michael McGrew caught a 39-yard pass from Hagans midway through the final quarter to put away the Orange (2-2).
The game also likely dealt a big blow to Virginia's defense because end Chris Canty had to be helped off the field shortly after the touchdown, and coach Al Groh said he expected the injury to be serious.
"You can probably see by the way that he left that he probably doesn't have an insignificant injury," Groh said, adding that he had not yet been told the extent or nature of the injury to the senior defensive captain.
An extended absence by Canty would put more of an onus on Virginia's offense to keep up its high-scoring ways, and Hagans looks up to it.
"Two rushing touchdowns, 11-for-12. It speaks for itself," guard Elton Brown said. "He's becoming a great quarterback. We're glad to have him."
Opening drive
Groh billed the game as the truest test of his team, and it proved to be on the opening drive, when the Orange drove 68 yards for a field goal behind sophomore Perry Patterson, making his first start at quarterback.
But that was it for Syracuse until the third quarter. They trailed 21-3 by halftime. Virginia has outscored its opponents 120-13 in the first half.
Hagans made it 7-3 with his big run. Flushed from the pocket on third-and-8 from his own 41, he scrambled right and finally tucked the ball and took off, outrunning the Orange defenders down the sideline for the TD.
"It felt good to get outside the pocket and run in the open field," he said. "It's been a while."
Hagans' 10-yard draw made it 21-3 with 19 seconds left in the half.
Patterson also played well. He finished 15-for-23 for 141 yards. Tailbacks Walter Reyes and Rhodes managed only 117 yards on 34 carries.
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