If the career of Syracuse quarterback Troy Nunes was a movie, it would get a thumbs down.

And a thumbs up.

Nunes, a senior, has endured a series of occupational peaks and valleys during his four seasons in an Orangemen uniform.

	Troy Nunes threw for 403 yards in an upset victory over then-No. 8 Virginia Tech.

Nunes has started 20 games for Syracuse, but has seemingly lost the job just as often. At times, Nunes has been the toast of the Orange faithful. In other moments, he's been the target of their rage.

"Up and down," said Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, when asked to describe Nunes' career. "The good news is that he's on the upside of it right now."

Way up.

On Saturday, Nunes orchestrated one of the season's biggest upsets as Syracuse (4-6, 2-3) spoiled then-No. 8 Virginia Tech's BCS hopes by recording a 50-42 triple-overtime victory in the Carrier Dome.

Nunes was sensational, completing 24-of-40 passes for 403 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joe Donnelly on fourth-and-goal that forced the third extra period. The 403 yards were the second most by a quarterback in school history behind Marvin Graves, who threw for 425 yards against Rutgers in 1992.

"It just proved that we were better than our record showed," Nunes said. "We showed a lot of heart, more than you would expect from a team that lost six out of its first seven games."

It was that forgettable beginning to the season that allowed Nunes to regain the job as Syracuse's starting quarterback three games ago. A combination of injuries and poor play forced junior R.J. Anderson to the bench beginning with the Orangemen's game against Rutgers on Oct. 26.

Syracuse has looked like a different team since, ripping off three straight wins and retaining its hopes of a postseason berth.

Since Nunes became the starter, SU's offense has averaged 44.3 points as compared to 26.3 points while Anderson was in control.

"Guys were kind of fed up with things," Nunes said. "When you're used to winning, guys were taking losing six games out of seven pretty bad. We got upset."

If Nunes ever became upset over the treatment afforded him by Syracuse's fans, he doesn't let on.

Nunes, a nimble-footed native of Butler, Pa., was a crowd favorite for most of his freshman and sophomore seasons, during which he started 13 games.

But that began to change last year when the Orangemen got off to a 0-2 start. The booing directed at Nunes only stopped when he was benched in favor of Anderson.

The jeers returned for Syracuse's game against East Carolina, when Nunes was forced to replace a flu-ridden Anderson. The Carrier Dome fans, unaware of Anderson's health problem, made no effort to hide their disdain for Nunes' inclusion in the starting lineup.

Nunes got the last laugh by throwing four touchdown passes in a 44-30 victory over the Pirates. But Nunes still shakes his head at the memory of the crowd's reception.

"I played the best game of my career and I was booed for three-and-a-half quarters," Nunes said. "That's hard to deal with. But I understand fans want to win. If you're in that situation, you have to understand that."

After last season, Nunes said he considered not returning to Syracuse. He graduated in May and figured his role this season would mainly involve watching Anderson play. Nunes wondered if he wouldn't be better off finding a job and getting started with the rest of his life.

"The thought flashed through my mind," Nunes said. "But, I know what I would have been missing."

Returning was made easier when Nunes' teammates chose him as a team captain even though he wasn't starting.

It wasn't long before some of the same fans who had derided Nunes were begging Pasqualoni to start him.

The chorus became louder after Nunes replaced Anderson against Auburn on Sept. 28 and spear-headed a comeback that sent the game into overtime. Syracuse would eventually lose to the Tigers, 37-34, in three overtimes.

Pasqualoni stuck with Anderson for three more games, all defeats, before turning to Nunes. Anderson is Nunes' roommate.

"The way we've been up and down here, both of us have gone through it," Nunes said of his relationship with Anderson. "We deal with it. We've dealt with it for four years."

Nunes is dealing with it this season by winning. Since Nunes gained the starting job, Syracuse has beaten Rutgers, Central Florida and Virginia Tech.

"I couldn't be happier for Troy Nunes," said Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, a Syracuse assistant when Nunes arrived in 1998. "He's an awesome kid who has taken a lot of abuse here."

The Orangemen have their work cut out in their quest for a bowl berth. They play at Boston College on Saturday then finish the regular season by facing No. 1 Miami in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse must win both to become bowl eligible.

That figures to be a tall order, but in Nunes' up-and-down world, anything is possible.

"People always use the roller coaster to describe my career, but it's been great," Nunes said. "It's an experience I'll never forget."

Around the Big East

Boston College
Boston College fell to 0-4 in the Big East for the first time ever, following its shocking victory over Notre Dame with a lackluster 24-14 loss to West Virginia. "You go from being on top of the world to being on the bottom of it," said BC linebacker Josh Ott. ... Quarterback Brian St. Pierre threw a career-high 50 passes, completing 28 for 284 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. St. Pierre has been playing with a cracked rib he sustained two weeks ago against Pittsburgh. ... Running back Derrick Knight was held to a season-low 53 yards on 18 carries. ... The Eagles haven't won at Mountaineer Field since 1990. ... BC needs to win one of its final three games to assure itself of a postseason berth, most likely a trip to the San Francisco Bowl on New Year's Eve. The Eagles play Syracuse on Saturday, followed by Temple (Nov. 23) and Rutgers (Nov. 30).

Miami
Miami turned in a dominating performance in its 26-3 victory against Tennessee, especially defensively where the Hurricanes held the Volunteers without a touchdown for the first time since the 1994 season. ... Tailback Willis McGahee rushed 30 times for 156 yards, the seventh time this season the sophomore has gone over 100 yards. McGahee also tied Edgerrin James' single-season school record for rushing touchdowns by scoring his 17th in the second quarter. ... Quarterback Ken Dorsey became the Big East's career leader in passing yards. Dorsey now has 8,461 yards surpassing the 8,389 yards piled up by Syracuse's Donovan McNabb (1995-98). ... The Hurricanes matched their season high of seven sacks against Tennessee. ... Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork missed the game after his mother suffered a stroke last week. ... Todd Sievers tied the UM single-game record with four field goals, all in the first half. Sievers had a chance to break the record, but missed a 38-yard attempt on the last play of the second quarter. ... The Hurricanes have won 31 straight games, which matches the seventh-longest Division I-A streak.

Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh gave coach Walt Harris a happy 56th birthday by beating Temple, 29-22, and winning its eighth regular-season game for the first time since 1983. Linebacker Brian Beinecke had a huge day, registering 18 tackles, seven stops for lost yardage and two sacks. What Beinecke didn't stop, teammate Gerald Hayes did. Hayes finished with 15 tackles. ... Fullback Lousaka Polite missed the game with a sprained ankle. Tim Murphy started in his place. ... The Panthers were held to 64 yards rushing, a week after gaining 275 yards against Virginia Tech. Brandon Miree, who rushed for 161 yards against the Hokies, had 40 yards on 15 carries against the Owls. Miree was the only Pittsburgh tailback to play. ... Freshman receiver Larry Fitzgerald has four touchdowns catches in his last two games.

Rutgers
Rutgers has its best chance of the season to break a 20-game conference losing streak when the Scarlet Knights face Temple at Rutgers Stadium on Saturday. The Owls have owned the Knights lately, winning three straight and four-of-five in the series. Temple has averaged 45.8 points in the wins. ... The teams have met every year since 1977. ... Rutgers' defense hasn't yet stopped Temple tailback Tanarado Sharps. Sharps has gained at least 100 yards in three previous meetings and has totaled 418 yards on the ground.

Syracuse
Syracuse's 50-42 overtime victory over No. 8 Virginia Tech kept the Orangemen's hopes for a postseason berth alive. At 4-6, Syracuse has games remaining at Boston College on Saturday and home against Miami on Nov. 30. ... Running back Walter Reyes scored three touchdowns against Virginia Tech and now has 15 rushing touchdowns, breaking the school single-season record. The previous record of 14 was shared by James Mungro (2001) and Floyd Little (1965). Reyes left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained right knee and did not return. ... Receiver David Tyree caught nine passes for 229 yards and blocked a Hokies' punt in the second quarter, setting up a Syracuse touchdown. Tyree's 229 yards was the second most in Orangemen history behind Scott Schwedes, who had 249 receiving yards against Boston College in 1985. It was just the third 200-yard game ever by a Syracuse receiver. Marvin Harrison had 213 yards against West Virginia in 1995.

Temple
Tailback Tanardo Sharps ran for 84 yards on 13 carries against Pittsburgh and became the second Temple player to rush for 1,000 yards in more than one season. Paul Palmer, now a sideline reporter for radio broadcasts of Temple games, went over 1,000 yards in 1985 and 1986. Sharps, a 5-11, 196-pound senior, also went over the career 3,000-yard mark. Sharps has 3,022 yards, second to Palmer, who gained 4,895 yards. ... Quarterback Mike McGann completed 25-of-38 passes for 221 yards, but fumbled twice, including a very costly one in the fourth quarter that Pittsburgh's Claude Harriott returned 11 yards for a game-winning touchdown. ... Senior Cap Poklemba tied a school record and set a Big East mark by hitting five field goals. ..Temple outplayed Pittsburgh in many key areas. The Owls had more first downs (21-13) and outgained the Panthers (341-211). So why did Temple lose? Four turnovers and a blocked punt. "The most disappointing loss I've ever been associated with," said Temple coach Bobby Wallace.

Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech, ranked No. 3 two weeks ago, saw its Big East championship hopes and possibility for a BCS bowl berth go out the window with a shocking 50-42 loss to Syracuse in three overtimes. That overshadowed record-setting performances by quarterback Bryan Randall and receiver Ernest Wilford. Randall established a new school mark with five touchdown passes and threw for 504 yards, second to the 527 yards Don Strock passed for against Houston in 1972. ... Wilford's 279 receiving yards and four touchdown catches were the most ever at Va. Tech. ... The Hokies were held to 55 yards on the ground on 24 carries, including minus-1 in the second half. ... The 50 points were the most allowed by Virginia Tech since a 52-21 loss at Syracuse in 1996. ... Orangemen quarterback Troy Nunes threw for 403 yards, the fourth-highest total ever against the Hokies. ... Syracuse receiver David Tyree's 229 yards tied the most yards by an opposing receiver, matching Florida State's Ron Sellers, who had 229 yards in a 1967 game. ... Garnell Wilds, starting at cornerback in place of injured starter DeAngelo Hall, intercepted three passes. ... Carter Warley missed a 46-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation and a 36-yarder in the first overtime. Either kick would have won the game. Warley, bothered by a back injury, hadn't played since Sept. 28. ... Linebacker Vegas Robinson missed his second consecutive game with a sprained ankle. ... Safety Michael Crawford, who doctors suspect has lymphoma, may have played for the last time this season. Crawford finished with six tackles. ... After committing five turnovers in their first five games, the Hokies have turned the ball over 15 times in the past four games. ... Coach Frank Beamer says he hopes to have tailback Kevin Jones (hamstring) back for the West Virginia game on Nov. 20.

West Virginia
Picking the Big East coach of the year doesn't figure to be easy. Pittsburgh's Walt Harris, Miami's Larry Coker and West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez, whose Mountaineers have improved from three wins last season to seven this year, are all worthy candidates. ... Safety Angel Estrada unloaded a vicious open-field hit in the third quarter on Boston College's Derrick Knight that left the Eagles' junior running back with two stitches on his chin and a sore jaw. ... James Davis blocked two field goal attempts by BC's Sandro Sciortino. ... Trey Hinrichs, the West Virginia mascot, suffered gunpowder burns on his face when his musket backfired following the Mountaineers' first touchdown. Hinrichs was treated and returned to the game. ... The Mountaineers have allowed only 326 yards on the ground in their last five games, an average of 65 per game. ... West Virginia is off for 10 days before playing Virginia Tech on Nov. 20. ... Tailbacks Avon Cobourne (138) and Quincy Wilson (100) each rushed for 100 yards against Boston College. It's the second time this season they've reached the century mark in the same game. Cobourne and Wilson also did it against East Carolina. ... With a win against Virginia Tech on Nov. 20, the Mountaineers could enter the national rankings for the first time since the 1998 season. ... West Virginia has committed 12 turnovers this season after turning the ball over 32 times last year. The Mountaineers' plus-1.6 turnover ratio is third best in Division I-A.

Around the MAC
Akron could not capitalize on one of its biggest victories ever, dropping a 27-10 decision to Ohio a week after defeating Marshall. The Zips were their own worst enemy fumbling three times and throwing an interception. ... When Ball State running back Marcus Merriweather broke the school rushing record against Western Michigan a week ago, the feat was not announced to the crowd at Ball State Stadium. That created a stir among those who thought the accomplishment merited more attention. Ball State center Colin Johnson told the Muncie Star Press: "In the back of our minds -- and I think I speak for everybody -- we were thinking, 'Has he gotten it yet?' We were sure when he got it, the PA announcer was going to say so.'" Merriweather told the newspaper he was "a little disappointed" that an announcement was not made until after the game, long after many of the fans in attendance had left the stadium. ... The Cardinals must win their final three games to finish with a winning record for the first time since 1996. BSU travels to face Central Michigan on Saturday, followed by a home meeting with Buffalo on Nov. 23. The Cardinals end the season on the road against Marshall. ... Bowling Green's storybook season took a bad turn Saturday with a 26-17 loss to Northern Illinois. The defeat knocked the Falcons from the ranks of the unbeaten and was their first loss after 11 straight wins. ... The Falcons had 357 yards of total offense, 134 below their average. ... BG gained only 86 yards on 30 carries after entering the game averaging 230 rushing yards. Tailback Joe Alls was held to 31 yards rushing. ... The 17 points were 30 below Bowling Green's season average. ... South Florida, the Falcons' opponent on Saturday, has won 18 straight games at home. ... Even if Bowling Green doesn't win its division, the Falcons could still end up in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which is tied into the MAC, but is not required to choose one of the conference's division winners. ... Buffalo lost its eighth consecutive game, dropping a 45-21 decision to Central Florida. The Bulls' 21-14 third-quarter lead marked the first time since the Oct. 5 game against Western Michigan that Buffalo led its opponents. ... Saturday's crowd was announced as 6,923, but newspaper reports had actual attendance closer to 2,000. ... Freshman Aaron Leeper continued his solid first season by rushing for 119 yards and three touchdowns against UCF. ... The Bulls close out the 2002 season on the road against Akron (Nov. 16) and Ball State (Nov. 23). Buffalo has never beaten either team. ... Central Florida quarterback Ryan Schneider threw for a career-high five touchdown passes and ran for a sixth during the Knights' 45-21 victory against Buffalo. Schneider completed 25-of-43 passes for 360 yards...The Knights' defense, which had given up an average of 165 rushing yards in its last three games, held the Bulls to 38 yards on the ground in the second half and 94 yards overall. ... Receiver Jimmy Fryzel tied a career high with eight catches. ... The 45 points were the most scored by UCF in coach Mike Kruczek's five seasons. ... Defensive end Elton Patterson's fourth-quarter sack gave him 29.5 for his career, third in the school's record book. ... A week after setting the MAC record with 377 rushing yards, Central Michigan's Robbie Mixon was held to 35 yards on 10 carries in Central Michigan's 44-17 loss to Toledo. ... Safety James King had a career-high 19 tackles for CMU. Cornerback Dante McKnight added 17 stops. ... Derrick Vickers, who has started all 10 games this season, may have lost his job after completing 4-of-14 passes for 30 yards. He was replaced by freshman Kent Smith, who led the Chippewas to both of their touchdowns. Coach Mike DeBord said a decision on the starter wouldn't come until later in the week. ... Eastern Michigan bounced back from a 24-0 first-quarter deficit to take a 31-20 lead against Western Michigan, but ended up losing its fourth consecutive game on a field goal with 12 seconds remaining. ... The 33 points WMU scored were the second fewest against the Eagles' porous defense this season. Southeast Missouri, a Division I-AA school, scored 32 points in a 35-32 loss to EMU on Sept. 14. ... The loss was the Eagles' 10th in their last 11 games against WMU. ... Eastern Michigan hasn't won on the road since the 1999 season. ... Receiver Kevin Walter had 111 yards receiving, making him the second player in school history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in one season. ... Quarterback Joshua Cribbs may miss the rest of Kent State's season after re-injuring his right hamstring during the Golden Flashes' 63-21 loss to Connecticut. Cribbs sat out the Oct. 26 game against Buffalo with the injury. "I feel like I want to cry," Cribbs said after Kent's sixth defeat in its last seven games. ... The Golden Flashes trailed, 49-0, after the first half. "We got embarrassed," said coach Dean Pees. ... Before being hurt, Cribbs became the second player in Division I-A history to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in two seasons. ... The lone bright spot Saturday was the career-high 125 yards gained by running back Eddie Beccles. ... Leftwich isn't the only Marshall player bothered by injury. Tailbacks Franklin Wallace and Brandon Carey, whose importance will be greater without Leftwich, are dealing with nagging injuries. Wallace will try to bounce back from a tough game against Akron during which he fumbled three times, losing the ball twice. Wallace had not fumbled in 15 game. ... The first 2,000 fans at Tuesday's game between the Herd and RedHawks will receive Bob Pruett bobblehead dolls. ... Under Pruett, the Thundering Herd is 46-1 at Marshall Stadium. ... Miami is only one of two Division I-A teams with five road wins. The RedHawks are 5-1 away from home while Colorado is 5-2. ... Kicker Jared Parseghian, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, has hit all 11 field goal attempts this season. ... After averaging 21.3 points in their first four games, the RedHawks have scored 39 points per game in their last six outings. ... Miami has 29 sacks in its last seven games. ... In the first 112 years of Miami football, the team's quarterbacks recorded a total of seven 300-yard passing games. Ben Roethlisberger has produced six in less than two seasons. ... Northern Illinois won its sixth straight game and moved closer to a West Division title by defeating 20th-ranked Bowling Green, 26-17, at Huskie Stadium. NIU has two games remaining facing Eastern Michigan on the road on Saturday followed by a meeting at home versus defending conference champion Toledo on Nov. 23. "Nothing is over yet," said NIU coach Joe Novak. "We have two more games to go. We have to settle back in." ... Tailback Michael Turner showed no ill effects from an ankle sprain that knocked him out of NIU's game against Western Michigan on Oct. 26. Turner carried 40 times for 192 yards. ... Steve Azar kicked four field goals and has 49 for his career, surpassing Vince Scott (1980-83) as NIU's career leader in that department. ... The victory was the Huskies' second win in their last 22 games against a ranked opponent. ... Fullback Chad Brinker rushed a career-high 36 times for 160 yards as Ohio defeated Akron, 27-10. ... Linebacker Rob Stover had four tackles for lost yardage and forced a fumble that led to the Bobcats' go-ahead touchdown. ... Ohio has won three of its last four games and remains in the East Division race. ... Toledo defeated Central Michigan for the eighth consecutive season, using the running of freshman tailbacks Astin Martin (60 yards) and Quinton Broussard (59) yards to register a 44-17. The freshmen played in place of starter William Bratton, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a hairline fracture of his fibula. ... Kicker Josh Robbins, who seven missed extra points were the most by an Division I-A kicker coming into last week's games, was 5-for-5 on extra points and connected on each of his three field goal attempts. ... Quarterback Brian Jones completed 27-of-35 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Jones, who leads the nation in completion percentage, has connected on at least 65 percent of his passes in eight of nine games this season. ... Toledo gained a season-high 522 yards of offense. ... The Rockets, who have lost four of their last six games on the road, travel to face Western Michigan on Saturday. ... Western Michigan broke a four-game losing streak, defeating Eastern Michigan, 33-31, on a career-long 39-yard field goal by Robert Menchinger with 12 seconds to play. Menchinger kicked three field goals in the fourth quarter. ... Freshman tailback Daniel Marks entered the game after starter Philip Reed was injured in the second quarter and ran for 97 yards on 21 carries. ... Tony Carr tied a school record by intercepting three passes. ... Sophomore Tyrone Walker also tied the school record by returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He shares the mark with Lovell Coleman, who had 100-yard kickoff returns in 1957 and 1958. Walker also caught a 56-yard pass that set up Menchinger's game-winning kick. ... Quarterback Jon Drach started for the second consecutive week in place of former starter Chad Munson. Munson replaced Drach during the game and completed 14-of-33 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.