Orange crush for the Irish

Syracuse couldn’t save Greg Robinson’s coaching job, but the Orange did nothing to help the job security of Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis either, after pulling a 24-23 upset Saturday over the Fighting Irish.

“To do that on this type of stage on national TV, it’s just a dream come true,” said Syracuse quarterback Cameron Dantley, who threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Donte Davis with 42 seconds remaining.

Dantley’s dream became a nightmare for Notre Dame (6-5), which faces USC next week. The loss to the Orange (3-8), a 19 1/2 -point underdog that has compiled a 10-36 record under Robinson, ranked among the worst in the program’s history. In 1950, Notre Dame fell to a 2-7 Purdue team. In 1971, Missouri defeated the Fighting Irish a week after its 62-0 loss to Nebraska dropped its record to 1-10.

The defeat left Weis with a 28-20 mark in four seasons. Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham finished with the same .583 winning percentage after Notre Dame fired them in 2001 and 2004, respectively.

But Weis, who is in the fourth year of a 10-year contract, said he’s not worried about his job.

“I feel sick to my stomach,” Weis said. “Everyone at Notre Dame takes these losses personally, just like they feel good when they win. But right now I feel absolutely miserable for the seniors.”

Those seniors were pelted by snowballs at their last home game. After defensive tackle Pat Kuntz was hit with a snowball, he stood up and appeared to challenge the thrower down to the field.

“To throw snowballs at their own team, I didn’t think that was a smart thing to do,” Kuntz said.

Smart players

Florida State safety Myron Rolle earned a Rhodes Scholarship with his interview in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday morning, then boarded a private plane and joined the team late in the first half. When he entered the game, the Seminoles had secured a three-touchdown lead on the way to a 37-3 win.

If Boston College beats Maryland next week, the Seminoles will win the division and play in the ACC championship game. If Maryland beats Boston College, the Seminoles will capture the division title.

“When we found out that he won a Rhodes Scholarship, it was like we got one win already,” Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said.

“I’ve learned so much just by going through the process of application and interviews,” Rolle said. “I am a better person for it.”

Yale cornerback Casey Gerald also won a Rhodes Scholarship after interviewing in Houston on Friday night. He flew back in time to play in the Harvard-Yale rivalry, where the Crimson defeated the Bulldogs, 10-0, winning seven of their last eight rivalry games.

“This is definitely not the way we wanted to end our careers,” Gerald said. “But this has been the greatest time of our lives and we’ll cherish the good things that we did do for this program.”

White stuff

West Virginia quarterback Pat White broke the NCAA record for career rushing yards by a quarterback in the Mountaineers’ 35-21 victory over Louisville. He ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 4,292 career yards. That broke the record set by former Missouri quarterback Brad Smith, who ran for 4,289 yards from 2002-05.

White’s two passing touchdowns brought him to 98 career touchdowns, eclipsing the Big East record formerly owned by Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb, who had 96 touchdowns between 1995 and 1998.

“You witnessed something we may never see again,” West Virginia Coach Bill Stewart said.

That’s not resonating with White just yet.

“When I’m done, I’ll sit down and think about it, reflect on it,” he said. “Right now, I’m just thinking about the next two [games].”

Taking a bite

Washington State Coach Paul Wulff walked down a vacant hallway with his family at his side. He leaned over to his son.

“Who’s still winless?” Wulff asked.

“The Huskies,” his son replied.

He’s right. Washington (0-11, 0-8 in Pacific 10) is still the only winless team in the country after a 16-13 double-overtime loss to Washington State in the Apple Cup. Nico Grasu’s 28-yard field goal on the final play of regulation forced overtime, then Grasu hit the game winner from 37 yards.

“I don’t think I’m going to sleep,” Grasu said. “I’m so excited.”

This was supposed to be the most rotten Apple Cup. It was the first time the Huskies and Cougars (2-10, 1-8) played each other when they both had 10 losses. The two programs became national punchlines this year, though this was the 13th time in the last 14 matchups the game was decided by fewer than 10 points.

“A rival game like this, it hurts bad, and we’re all feeling it,” Washington wide receiver D’Andre Goodwin said.

More so for Coach Tyrone Willingham, who was fired Oct. 27, effective after the season, for failing to reach a bowl game in four years.

More records, streaks

Only one season after its second BCS title this decade, Louisiana State has lost four games for the first time since 2002. . . .

In a 70-19 victory over the Citadel, Florida became the first Southeastern Conference team to score at least 42 points in six straight games. . . .

California tailback Jahvid Best became the program’s seventh consecutive 1,000-yard rusher under Coach Jeff Tedford. Meanwhile, Iowa tailback Shonn Greene’s 1,729 yards rushing broke Tavian Banks’ record set in 1997. . . .

Abilene Christian set a record for points in an NCAA playoff game, beating West Texas A&M;, 93-68, in the second round of the Division II playoffs. . . .

North Carolina State’s 41-10 win over No. 25 North Carolina was the Wolfpack’s largest margin of victory over the Tar Heels since 1989. N.C. State went 4-0 against state opponents this season but finished 0-6 against other teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. . . .

Middle Tennessee junior tailback Phillip Tanner set a Sun Belt conference record for touchdowns in a game (five) in a 52-13 win over North Texas. . . .

Montana clinched a share of its 11th consecutive Big Sky Conference championship with a 35-3 victory over Montana State and Eastern Washington’s 32-26 upset against Weber State. . . .

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mark.medina@latimes.com