After tumultuous four years, bowl offers seniors last chance at success
For just a few moments last Wednesday, senior wide receivers Andre Fontenette and Jared Jones took a break from practice to glance around the Carrier Dome. They took in the banners celebrating the accomplishments of previous Syracuse football teams.
They saw SU’s three previous Big East Championship banners – the last of which came in 1998. They marveled at how a fourth banner would soon be unveiled, largely because of the efforts of the senior class.
‘We got one of them now,’ Fontenette said to Jones.
Not only did the Orange’s 43-17 win over Boston College on Nov. 27 earn SU a championship banner. It also gave SU a sixth win, making the Orange bowl eligible. Fontenette and his SU teammates now hope to add a Champs Sports Bowl championship banner to their Big East one.
Syracuse will get that chance Tuesday at 7:45 p.m., in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Orange takes on Georgia Tech at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla. ‘What a difference a game makes,’ Fontenette said, referring to SU’s romp at Boston College. That’s about as outspoken as Fontenette could be when describing the last few topsy-turvy weeks of SU’s season. The unbelievable ending began with Syracuse’s 34-24 loss at Temple on Nov. 13. At that point, head coach Paul Pasqualoni’s firing seemed much more likely than a bowl game. After the loss, Fontenette went as far as to say Syracuse didn’t deserve a bowl bid. But the Orange followed up the loss with its upset win over then-No. 17 BC. Suddenly, Syracuse found itself a bowl game and Pasqualoni kept his job. Syracuse’s mood couldn’t have changed more over the last month. Following SU’s loss to Temple, players second-guessed themselves. Some even questioned SU’s effort. But last Wednesday, the atmosphere couldn’t have been better. When asked how he was doing by reporters, Pasqualoni responded with a smile and an emphatic, ‘Great!’ Senior defensive end Julian Pollard stopped just to ask the gathered reporters how they were doing. When he didn’t get a response, he joked that he better get a more positive answer next time he asked. ‘There’s a lot more excitement,’ middle linebacker Jerry Mackey said. ‘It’s a lot more fun.’
But now, SU (6-5, 4-2 Big East) must put the joy of victory behind it, and concentrate on the Yellow Jackets (6-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). The early timing makes preparing for Georgia Tech that much more difficult.
Syracuse will get that chance Tuesday at 7:45 p.m., in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Orange takes on Georgia Tech at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla. ‘What a difference a game makes,’ Fontenette said, referring to SU’s romp at Boston College. That’s about as outspoken as Fontenette could be when describing the last few topsy-turvy weeks of SU’s season. The unbelievable ending began with Syracuse’s 34-24 loss at Temple on Nov. 13. At that point, head coach Paul Pasqualoni’s firing seemed much more likely than a bowl game. After the loss, Fontenette went as far as to say Syracuse didn’t deserve a bowl bid. But the Orange followed up the loss with its upset win over then-No. 17 BC. Suddenly, Syracuse found itself a bowl game and Pasqualoni kept his job. Syracuse’s mood couldn’t have changed more over the last month. Following SU’s loss to Temple, players second-guessed themselves. Some even questioned SU’s effort. But last Wednesday, the atmosphere couldn’t have been better. When asked how he was doing by reporters, Pasqualoni responded with a smile and an emphatic, ‘Great!’ Senior defensive end Julian Pollard stopped just to ask the gathered reporters how they were doing. When he didn’t get a response, he joked that he better get a more positive answer next time he asked. ‘There’s a lot more excitement,’ middle linebacker Jerry Mackey said. ‘It’s a lot more fun.’
But now, SU (6-5, 4-2 Big East) must put the joy of victory behind it, and concentrate on the Yellow Jackets (6-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). The early timing makes preparing for Georgia Tech that much more difficult.
SU didn’t finish with exams until Friday, meaning the Orange had to balance exams and practice. Normally, with a later bowl date, teams can carry a lighter practice schedule during exams. SU left for Florida on Saturday afternoon.
But the Orange has plenty to prepare for. The Yellow Jackets boast one of the nation’s top defenses. Overall, Georgia Tech gives up just 299.5 yards per game, good for 14th nationally. Its 19th-ranked run defense gives up just 109.5 yards per contest.
The strong running defense presents an interesting matchup with SU’s three-headed rushing attack of Walter Reyes, Damien Rhodes and Diamond Ferri. After missing the last two games of the season, Reyes expects to be 100 percent. Pasqualoni said that Ferri, despite rushing for 141 yards in the win over BC, will be a third option. ‘We have to come up with a way to move the football, and that is not going to be easy,’ Pasqualoni said. Pasqualoni has said numerous times how this season’s final game serves as the beginning of next season for his returning players. It’s also a recruiting tool, as potential recruits will get a chance to watch the Orange on national television. Last Wednesday, four or five potential recruits watched practice. And while the game may serve as a new beginning for most, it comes as the end to one of the most tumultuous four-year runs in recent Syracuse football history for the seniors. After finishing 10-3 and winning the Insight.com Bowl as freshmen, the seniors haven’t returned to a bowl game since. A win would not only send the Orange seniors out on a winning note but would also give SU a seventh win, a one-game improvement from last season. ‘When we came here, we had a great tradition of winning behind us,’ senior center Matt Tarullo said. ‘We’re going to leave with that tradition in front of us.’Published on December 21, 2004 at 12:00 pm
