Syracuse, guided by fired coach, capsizes sputtering Notre Dame

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After getting fired by Syracuse, outgoing coach Greg Robinson helped turn up the heat on Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.

Cameron Dantley, son of one of Notre Dame’s basketball greats, threw an 11-yard TD pass to Donte Davis with 42 seconds left to lead Syracuse to a 24-23 victory Saturday against the stunned and disheartened Fighting Irish.

The Orange trailed 23-10 in the fourth quarter before rallying as Notre Dame struggled mightily on offense. The Irish came away with just six points after starting four times inside the Syracuse 23-yard line.

The victory allowed Syracuse (3-8) to avoid a third 10-loss season in four years under Robinson, who was fired last week, effective the end of the season.

Weis’s 58.3 winning percentage is the same that Bob Davie was fired with after five seasons and Tyrone Willingham after three. Weis has seven years left after this season on a 10-year contract.

It was an ugly game all around. The Irish, who had several highly rated recruits in for the game, were pelted by snowballs on the sideline for much of the first quarter by fans sitting on the student section.

West Virginia 35, Louisville 21

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — West Virginia’s Pat White broke the NCAA record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback.

White ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns to give him 4,292 yards for his career, breaking the record of 4,289 set by former Missouri quarterback Brad Smith (Chaney High) between 2002-05.

Rutgers 30, Army 3

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Mike Teel threw for 359 yards and once-downtrodden Rutgers became bowl eligible.