For two weeks, Collin Barber suffered through kicking problems – shanks, pulls and internal demons. Who knew the cure laid in the musical stylings of Beanie Sigel?

That’s right. Gangsta rapper and South Philly’s Finest. On Saturday, as Barber lined up to kick a game-tying field goal, holder Jared Jones sang him a little Beanie Sigel line: Chef Boyar-Beans. You know what happens next. Barber nailed the kick, sending Syracuse to overtime, where it finally beat Pittsburgh, 38-31.

For those unfamiliar with Mr. Sigel, Chef Boyar-Beans is a line from ‘Beanie (Mack B****).’ When Jones and Barber were roommates freshman year, Jones used to play the hardcore rap song practically on repeat. Now, the speedy wide receiver and holder repeats the phrase to soothe Barber when he’s lining up for kicks.

Here’s a little sample of ‘Beanie (Mack B****):’

When it come to coke you can’t outwit me ‘Bout to take over the city of Philly like John Street Ask all y’all friends, they call me Chef Boyar-Beans Beanie Crocker, cook coke proper

Hmm. Some choose Enya or Yanni to relax; Barber chooses Beanie. Whatever the methods, though, it seems Barber’s back from a slump in which he missed three field goals and an extra point against West Virginia and was benched for SU’s last game against Connecticut.

His 27-yarder with 1:11 to go to tie the game sent the Orange into overtime, but he also converted on a pressure-packed extra point in the first OT, when a miss would have sent SU home losers. It came in front of his parents and friends, who flew into Syracuse from Kentucky. There was no guarantee they’d see him play, but he sent them home to the Bluegrass State with immense pride.

‘You’d expect a fifth-year senior to step up,’ said special teams coach Chris Rippon. ‘Collin has been down. We’ve all seen that. And here’s his chance. Were we as a unit vindicated? I don’t know. But I think Collin was.’

And he’s earned back the respect of all of his teammates, not that he lost it all in the first place. Most SU players, including Barber, believed he’d get another shot. For a while, it didn’t seem like it would be against Pittsburgh. Brendan Carney started at place kicker, but when the lanky sophomore missed a 32-yard kick in the first quarter, head coach Paul Pasqualoni yanked him for Barber.

‘Collin assured me that his confidence level was high and his attitude level was great,’ Pasqualoni said. ‘He said I’m going to kick it and I’m going to make it. I had a gut feeling that Collin Barber was going to kick it better. Senior Day. Last game in the Dome. I just knew it was going to happen.’

It happened, all right, but not without a 48-yard miss in the first quarter which sent the crowd out for blood. The two missed field goals in the first quarter could have carried the blame if the Orange had lost. Now, it’s the fourth-quarter make that Syracuse players and coaches are citing for the victory.

‘Right now I’m exhausted physically and mentally,’ Barber said. ‘I just want to lay down for a minute and let it sink in.’

Maybe he should play some Beanie to relax him. It worked for his kicking game.