10:28 am: There’s naught to fear, the gang’s all here for Homecoming. No omissions from today’s dress list. Parking lots are crowded and today’s game is — and has been — sold out. The event staff army is well aware of this.

10:34 am: In case you haven’t heard, Ryan Boatright jumped ship. All that stuff I said about the luxury of having two point guards? Apparently the kid didn’t agree.

1o:59 am: The Las Vegas take today is interesting: WVU by 13.5 with the over-under at 43.5.

11:21 am: WVU … good and terrible on Oct. 23 through the years.

11:55 am: Highlight of the season and it’ll never make television. The marching band is performing and a presumably very drunk man in white sneakers and blue gym shorts with gold stripes — no shirt — ran onto the field and did his own performance.

He then laid down at the 43-yard line, face first, and put his arms behind his head, ready for the coming handcuffs.

The band, now lined up in the shape of the state, began to march right to left … and trampled the guy to a tremendous cheer. Authorities stormed the field and took the compliant criminal into custod.

11:58 am: … and the predictable Pat McAfee jokes flow like water in a canal.

12 pm: Joe Madsen had the sledgehammer. Big week for Joe, who was named one of the team’s offensive champions for the USF game.

12:05 pm: Doug Hogue survives the curse. Jumped the route, bumped Jock Sanders and made the interception. WVU defense tested right away.

12:11 pm: Six plays, 15 yards, 28-yard field goal. WVU had gone two games without a turnover.

12:18 pm: Eu starts 0-for-3 … he’s 5-for-8 for 72 yards and a TD. And how about Syracuse’s defense putting six defenders on the goal line and each one letting Tavon sneak to the back line?

12:26 pm: Just before the TD — and having watched Chew play this season and seen the cushion Tandy was giving — I said to Mr. Dunlap, “Tandy’s bubble may get burst today.” During the review, someone to my left said, “Maybe they’re killing time until the search dog finds Tandy.” Life as a CB, I suppose. Let’s remember Tandy did make 10 tackles last week, which was nice, but he had to make 10 tackles, too.

12:38 pm: Apart from the fourth quarter at Marshall, this is the most entertaining quarter of the season.

12:42: Stedmania. Leading with the helmet causes the turnover on the kickoff.

12:48 pm: Syracuse not buying WVU’s playaction game today. Geno’s made two of the poorest throws of his season today — bad throw in the middle of the field that msised Jock by 10 yards on the second drive and that INT.

12:56 pm: Chess game on fourth down from the WVU 1. Syracuse ran a fullback and some larger personnel onto the field and WVU countered and then Syracuse pulled a switch and ran the specialists on the field and called back the short-yardage group. Then Syracuse took a delay of game to back up and get a better angle, which WVU declined. The Orange never thought about going for it to make WVU pay. Fun little sequence there. I suppose Syracuse likes the reality of trailing 14-13 as opposed to the gamble of leading 17-14.

1:20 pm: WVU hasn’t trailed since the end of the LSU game, if that matters.

1:30 pm: Syracuse has been inside the 20 four times — as deep as the 11, 2, 16 and 5 — and has four field goals … including 22- and 19-yard kicks where the drive stalled inside the 10. Also, there’s a man below us screaming “BUBBLE SCREEN!”

1:35 pm: Doug Hogue has caught more Eu Smith passes than Brad Starks and as many as Jockay and J.D.

1:38 pm: Here’s the problem with WVU and just assuming the team would get through the Big East the rest of the way. It’s been proven more than contested the offense can’t stay out of its way. Today it has three interceptions and four penalties … and it’s still averaging five yards a snap, which is pretty good. Except that the second quarter was terrible: 15 plays for 19 yards and a brutal turnover. 

1:40 pm: Syracuse has 132 yards rushing. In entire games, WVU allowed 132 to Marshall and 150 to LSU.

1:55 pm: Something to keep an eye on the rest of the way. Right now, Eu has completed more passes to Syracuse players than Ryan Nassib (3-2). It’s on!

1:58 pm: Mickey Furfari is not in attendance today. In his defense, his bookie said it was a 7 p.m. kick.

2:15 pm: WVU hasn’t subbed on the last two third-downs, and I suspect it’s because the Orange were running on it.