Mike Owen called his good friend Andrew Lewis Sunday night to offer congratulations. He called Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone Monday morning to do the same.

Owen, a senior tight end on Syracuse’s 2009 team, never got that elusive bowl bid in four seasons at SU. But to Owen, the Orange’s bowl-clinching 13-10 victory over Rutgers Saturday was the culmination of a process that started with him and the 2009 version of SU.

‘Last year, we tried to lay the foundation,’ Owen said in a phone interview Monday. ‘The seniors last year, we were on the same page with Coach Marrone’s philosophy. … We wanted everybody to believe in his philosophy and his values.’

And it was clear Marrone felt the same way Saturday after the Orange’s win. To get to this point, Marrone knew it would be a long road.

So in his three-minute opening statement Saturday — noticeably longer than usual, given the circumstances — Marrone went all the way back to his playing days under then-SU head coach Dick MacPherson. But perhaps the most surprising group he thanked was last year’s group of seniors, who helped start the process.

It only led to a 4-8 season in Marrone’s first year at the helm, but the SU head coach recognized the part the group played in getting Syracuse back to national relevance.

‘I want to make sure that, somewhere along the line, we understand that there were some good seniors last year that really helped this foundation,’ Marrone said. ‘And I don’t want to forget those players, either. … Even though they’re not here with us today, those players are part of what we’ve done today. No doubt in my mind.’

Marrone singled out Owen specifically, along with quarterback Greg Paulus and defensive tackle Art Jones. To hear of Marrone’s statements gave Owen more respect for Marrone, a coach he considers ‘a great man to lead this team.’

For Owen, last season was the start of something big, even if it didn’t immediately show in the Orange’s results. That meant getting some tangible turnaround in Marrone’s first season. That meant getting players, especially the underclassmen, to buy into a Marrone system he believed in. That meant laying the groundwork for what was to come.

‘Last year, we were 4-8,’ said Owen, who just finished a season coaching at Riverhead High School in Riverhead, N.Y., where he attended high school. ‘But I can honestly say that every game besides the UConn game, we were in the game the whole time. … It was just a matter of growing and understanding each other and understanding where Coach Marrone was coming from.’

In his weekly press conference Monday, Marrone made little time for dwelling on the significance of Saturday’s victory, which also helped Syracuse receive two votes in this week’s Associated Press poll. Marrone said he is already focusing his full attention on Saturday’s opponent, Connecticut.

But he did take some time to reflect. And he said the one thing that made this season so special for him was that this year’s senior class could go out on top.

‘What pleases me the most is that the seniors are going to go out with a winning season and a bowl game,’ Marrone said. ‘For me, I felt there was a lot of pressure on myself and the coaches for us to do this the right way so that our seniors can leave here winning, knowing that it is going to help them more so in life than the gratification you get at the moment.’

Lemon, Tribbey expected to play

Marrone said Monday that he expects both starting wide receiver Alec Lemon and defensive tackle Bud Tribbey to play this weekend in SU’s contest against Connecticut. Both did not play Saturday against Rutgers, despite being in uniform and on the sidelines.

‘We expect both of those players to be on the field for us this week,’ Marrone said. ‘They’re cleared medically.’

When asked about the specifics of Tribbey’s injury, Marrone did not elaborate. Lemon missed the game against Rutgers because of an injured left hand that was heavily taped on the sidelines.

Lemon said last Tuesday that he injured the hand in SU’s loss to Louisville the previous week, on a diving attempt at a touchdown catch that grazed off his fingertips.

Despite having the hand heavily taped when talking to reporters last Tuesday, Lemon said he expected to play against Rutgers.

‘I’m good,’ he said. ‘It’s just going day by day right now. The swelling is going down, and I’m feeling better every day.’

Without Lemon, junior Marcus Sales started and freshman Adrian Fleming saw more time at wide receiver. Sales caught five passes for 73 yards, including two on the Orange’s final 66-yard drive that would lead to Ross Krautman’s game-winning field goal.

Tribbey will be especially important in taking up blockers against Connecticut’s Jordan Todman, the seventh-leading rusher in the nation. His absence was a crucial factor in Rutgers’ Jeremy Deering rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown out of the Wild Knight formation.

But Marrone said Monday he anticipates both Lemon and Tribbey will be back to fill those holes.

‘You’re cleared medically to play, that is one thing,’ Marrone said. ‘The other thing is being able to go out there and perform at a level where we can win. … It is just a matter of how they perform. And they’ll both be practicing this week.’

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on November 15, 2010 at 12:00 pm