Orangemen Prepare For Pittsburgh
10/2/2000 3:06:27 PM | Football
OCTOBER 7, 2000 4:30 P.M. espn2
Syracuse holds a 27-25-3 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1916, and has won the last nine meetings with the Panthers ... SU's first victory in the series was a 24-3 decision in 1919 ... Pittsburgh won the first-ever meeting between the teams, 30-0 ... The Panthers last beat the Orange in 1989, 30-23 ... The teams tied, 20-20, in 1990 in the Carrier Dome.
ON THE AIR
TELEVISION
The Orangemen's game against Pittsburgh will be broadcast by espn2 ... Mark Jones and Gino Toretta will call the action from the booth, while Heather Cox will provide sideline reports ... Kim Belton is the producer.
RADIO All of SU's games will be broadcast on the SU Radio Network ... Dave Pasch and Dave Hammond call the action ... Mike Schopp provides sideline reports and Carter Blackburn adds feature segments to the broadcast ... The flagship station is WAQX-95.7 FM ... Orange football can also be heard on WAER ... WAER's sports director is Damon Amendolara.
ALLEN RANKS THIRD NATIONALLY IN KICK RETURNS
Senior Will Allen (Syracuse, NY) is averaging 33.0 yards per kickoff return, which ranks third in Division I-A football ... Allen has taken back five kickoffs for 165 yards ... Allen and senior Pat Woodcock (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) combine to rank seventh nationally in kickoff returns ... Woodcock is averaging 21.5 yards per attempt.
NUNES RANKS 10th NATIONALLY IN PASS EFFICIENCY
Quarterback Troy Nunes (Butler, PA) is the nation's 10th-most efficient passer this season ... He has an efficiency rating of 152.7 through four games.
SU'S OFFENSIVE OPTIONS ARE PLENTIFUL AND EFFECTIVE
SU's tailback tandem of senior Dee Brown (Atlamonte Springs, FL) and junior James Mungro (East Stroudsburg, PA) is providing 70 percent of SU's rushing attack (608 out of 874 yards) that ranks 14th nationally ... Brown leads the Orange with 354 yards on 65 carries (5.4 yards per rush) ... His rushing numbers tie for 35th nationally in Division I-A football ... Mungro is SU's second most productive runner, gaining 254 yards on 29 carries (8.8 yards per rush) ... Brown has scored two rushing touchdowns, while Mungro has three.
THIS WEEK'S GAMEDAY FEATURES
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
At halftime of SU's game against Pittsburgh the football program will be recognized for its 2000 American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award, which is presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Memphis. Syracuse recorded a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its football squad when all members of the freshman class of 1994-95 earned a degree.
DOLLAR DAYS KICKS OFF
For the third straight year, SU student-athletes will raise money for the United Way during Dollar Days at the Dome ... The fundraiser is scheduled to take place before the SU-Pittsburgh football game.
SYRACUSE-PITTSBURGH STATISTICAL COMPARISON
SU OFFENSE UP DEFENSE 33.0 Scoring 10.0 396.0 Total Yardage 239.2 218.5 Rushing Yardage 42.2 177.5 Passing Yardage 197.0 64.5 Total Plays 68.0 46.3 Rushing Plays 32.0 18.3 Passing Plays 36.0 6.1 Avg. Per Play 3.5 4.7 Avg. Per Rush 1.3 9.7 Avg. Per Pass 5.5 14.5 Avg. Per Catch 10.5 1.5 Turnovers 2.0 SU DEFENSE UP OFFENSE 16.8 Scoring 26.2 321.0 Total Yardage 394.5 110.3 Rushing Yardage 118.5 210.8 Passing Yardage 276.0 65.0 Total Plays 67.5 32.0 Rushing Plays 41.5 26.4 Passing Plays 26.0 4.9 Avg. Per Play 5.8 3.4 Avg. Per Rush 2.9 6.4 Avg. Per Pass 10.6 13.2 Avg. Per Catch 17.0 2.0 Turnovers 3.0 PITTSBURGH IN 2000 (4-0 OVERALL, 1-0 BIG EAST) 9/2 KENT STATE W 30-7 9/9 Bowling Green W 34-16 9/16 PENN STATE W 12-0 9/23 RUTGERS W 29-17 10/7 Syracuse 10/21 BOSTON COLLEGE 10/28 Virginia Tech 11/4 NORTH CAROLINA 11/11 Miami 11/18 Temple 11/24 WEST VIRGINIA
SU WINS 2000 AFCA ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Syracuse University will receive the 2000 American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award, which is presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Memphis. Syracuse recorded a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its football squad when all members of the freshman class of 1994-95 earned a degree.
"We're certainly proud of the efforts of the student-athletes in our program," said Syracuse Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni. "The AFCA Academic Achievement Award is a great tribute to this group of student-athletes who were involved in three BIG EAST championships, two BCS bowl games and attained a 100 percent graduation rate."
The Syracuse student-athletes who were members of the 1994-95 freshman class and completed their athletic eligibility in the Fall of 1998 are Darryl Daniel, Doug Dunkin, Stan Gibbs, Kevin Johnson, Scott Kiernan, Donovan McNabb, Phil Nash, Jason Poles, Kaseem Sinceno and Shawn Summerville. In addition, Doug Dunkin and Marc Pilon are also members of this class after transferring to Syracuse and earning their degrees in May, 1999.
Syracuse's win is the first for the school since the award's inception in 1981. It also marks the fourth time a BIG EAST school has earned the honor. Boston College shared the award in 1992, 1995 and 1996. This year's award is the third one presented by the AFCA. From 1981-1997 the award was handed out by the College Football Association.
DEE BROWN CONTINUES CLIMB IN SYRACUSE RECORD BOOKS
Senior running back Dee Brown (Altamonte Springs, FL) is averaging 88.5 yards per game which ranks 35th (tie) in the NCAA Division I-A football statistics ... He is the sixth-leading rusher in The BIG EAST Conference ... ranks 14th on SU's career rushing record list ... Out of the 13 players ahead of Brown on the list 11 have more career rushes than his 386 ... When he gains 51 yards he will become just the 14th player in Syracuse history to rush for than 2,000 yards ... Brown needs 60 yards to catch Michael Owens in the 13th spot.
SU Career Rushing Leaders
| Name | Yards | Carries | Yds./Carry | TDs | Years |
| 1. Joe Morris | 4299 | 813 | 5.3 | 25 | 1978-81 |
| 2. Larry Csonka | 2934 | 594 | 4.9 | 19 | 1965-67 |
| 3. Floyd Little | 2704 | 504 | 5.4 | 35 | 1964-66 |
| 4. David Walker | 2643 | 503 | 5.3 | 17 | 1989-92 |
| 5. Bill Hurley | 2551 | 685 | 3.7 | 19 | 1975-79 |
| 6. Ernie Davis | 2386 | 360 | 6.6 | 28 | 1959-61 |
| 7. Kyle McIntosh | 2250 | 439 | 5.4 | 15 | 1995-98 |
| 8. Jaime Covington | 2188 | 526 | 4.2 | 13 | 1981-84 |
| 9. Malcolm Thomas | 2180 | 417 | 5.2 | 21 | 1993-96 |
| 10. Robert Drummond | 2164 | 393 | 5.5 | 17 | 1985-88 |
| 11. Jim Brown | 2091 | 361 | 5.8 | 23 | 1954-56 |
| 12. Marty Januszkiewicz | 2069 | 489 | 4.2 | 17 | 1969-72 |
| 13. Michael Owens | 2009 | 393 | 5.1 | 16 | 1987-89 |
| 14. DEE BROWN | 1949 | 386 | 5.0 | 21 | 1997-present |
| 15. Roger Praetorius | 1772 | 427 | 4.1 | 18 | 1970-72 |
Brown Tied for Fifth on SU Career Rushing Touchdown Record List
Brown rushed for one of SU's two touchdowns against East Carolina, scoring his 21st career rushing touchdown ... His total is tied for fifth on SU's career rushing touchdowns record list with Malcolm Thomas (1993-96) ... Jim Brown ranks fourth with 23 rushing touchdowns.
SU's Career Rushing Touchdown List
| Rank | TD's | Player | Years |
| 1 . | 35 | Floyd Little | 1964-66 |
| 2. | 28 | Ernie Davis | 1959-61 |
| 3 . | 25 | Joe Morris | 1978-81 |
| 4. | 23 | Jim Brown | 1954-56 |
| 5. | 21 | Dee Brown | 1997- |
| 21 | Malcolm Thomas | 1993-96 | |
| 7. | 20 | Al Wooten | 1990-93 |
| 20 | Rob Konrad | 1995-98 | |
| 8. | 19 | Larry Csonka | 1965-67 |
| 19 | Bill Hurley | 1975-79 | |
| 19 | Donovan McNabb | 1995-98 |
BROWN IS SU'S LEADING BALL CARRIER
Senior running back Dee Brown leads Syracuse with 354 yards rushing ... Brown averages a team-high 88.5 yards per contest and two touchdowns.
BROWN vs. BYU
Brown carried the ball 13 times for 64 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
BROWN vs. EAST CAROLINA
Brown recorded his second rushing touchdown of the season ... He gained 78 yards on 17 carries, including a season-long 21-yard effort.
BROWN vs. CINCINNATI
Brown, who started the game at fullback, gained 55 yards on 17 carries.
BROWN vs. BUFFALO
Brown recorded his fifth career 100-yard game, compiling a career-high 157 yards on 18 carries ... With the performance, he tied former Orangemen Robert Drummond (1985-88) and Michael Owens (1987-89) for 10th on the school's all-time 100-yard game list ... Joe Morris (1978-81) is tops in school history with 22 ... It marked the third time in his career that Brown has gained more than 100 yards in the first half.
REELING IN FIRST TD RECEPTION
Brown caught his first career touchdown against Buffalo, a two-yard pass from Troy Nunes in the second quarter.
WILL ALLEN IS ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST CORNERS, AND HE IS TURNING HEADS AS A KICKOFF RETURNER
Thorpe Award candidate Will Allen (Syracuse, NY) recorded two pass break-ups, increasing his season total to seven ... He also had one tackle, giving him a total of 17 in 2000 ... Against East Carolina he matched his career high with 10 tackles, including seven solo ... Against Cincinnati he batted down four passes, forced a fumble and had three tackles ... The Thorpe Award is given to the best defensive back in college football ... Allen is ranked third nationally in kickoff returns with an average of 33.0 yards per return.
ALLEN MOVES UP SU'S CAREER KICKOFF RETURN RECORD LIST
Will Allen moved into the 13th spot on SU's career kickoff return yards record list ... Allen needs 102 yards to reach 12th place (611 yards), which is held by Jim Brown (1954-56).
All-Time Kickoff Return Yards
| No. | Yards | Ret. | Name | Years |
| 1. | 2,290 | 105 | Qadry Ismail | 1989-92 |
| 2. | 1,688 | 68 | Jim Turner | 1994-97 |
| 3. | 1,562 | 71 | Harold Gayden | 1982-86 |
| 4. | 1,437 | 50 | Kevin Johnson | 1995-98 |
| 5. | 1,096 | 47 | Kirby Dar Dar | 1991-93 |
| 6. | 1,004 | 40 | Joe Morris | 1978-81 |
| 7. | 959 | 50 | Warren Harvey | 1976-79 |
| 8. | 797 | 20 | Floyd Little | 1964-66 |
| 9. | 723 | 34 | Michael Owens | 1987-89 |
| 10. | 675 | 31 | Art Monk | 1976-79 |
| 11. | 632 | 35 | Larry King | 1974-77 |
| 12. | 611 | 21 | Jim Brown | 1954-56 |
| 13. | 547 | 23 | Will Allen | 1997- |
| 14. | 515 | 24 | Pat Woodcock | 1997- |
ALLEN RANKS AMONG BEST IN AVERAGE YARDS PER RETURN
Will Allen's 23.1 yards per kick off return ranks seventh best in SU history ... Allen has taken back 22 kickoffs for 509 yards.
All-Time Best Yards Per Return (min. 20)
1. 39.9 Floyd Little 1964-66 2. 29.1 Jim Brown 1954-56 3. 28.7 Kevin Johnson 1995-98 4. 25.1 Joe Morris 1978-81 5. 24.8 Harold Gayden 1982-86 24.8 Jim Turner 1994-97 7. 23.8 Will Allen 1997- 8. 22.3 Kirby Dar Dar 1991-93 9. 21.8 Art Monk 1976-79 21.8 Qadry Ismail 1989-92 11. 21.5 Pat Woodcock 1997- 12. 21.3 Greg Walker 1988-91 21.3 Michael Owens 1987-89
ALLEN RANKS THIRD NATIONALLY IN KICK RETURNS
Will Allen is third in the NCAA Division I-A kickoff return average with 33.0 yards per return ... His average ranks first in The BIG EAST Conference ... His career average is 23.8 yards per return. ... Allen returned a kickoff for 38 yards against Brigham Young, increasing his season totals to five returns for 165 yards.
ALLEN BLOCKS FIRST FIELD GOAL FOR SU SINCE 1993
Will Allen blocked a Buffalo field goal attempt from 27 yards away with 2:58 remaining the first quarter ... Greg Shaw was the last Orangeman to stop a field goal when he deflected an attempt in 1993 vs. Temple.
ALLEN RECORDS CAREER-LONG KICK RETURN
Against Buffalo Allen recorded a career-long 59-yard return ... The run broke Allen's career return mark of 52 yards (Virginia Tech, 1999) ... He had one return for 19 yards against Cincinnati ... Allen led SU in the kickoff returns and return yardage last season, taking 18 attempts for 382 yards for an average of 21.2 yards per return.
NUNES HAS CAREER DAY IN VICTORY AGAINST BRIGHAM YOUNG
Sophomore quarterback Troy Nunes (Butler, PA) completed 10-of-11 passes for a career-high 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns leading the Orange to a 42-14 victory against Brigham Young ... It was the 10th time in his career that he passed for more than 100 yards ... Nunes recorded his longest career completion, connecting with senior wide receiver Pat Woodcock (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) on a 79-yard touchdown pass ... Against East Carolina he and junior tailback Dee Brown (East Stroudsburg, PA) combined for a 51-yard pass play, which had been the longest of the 2000 season.
NUNES CARRIES THE BALL INTO THE ENDZONE
Nunes recorded his first rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard run in the first quarter ... The score was Nunes' fourth career rushing touchdown ... He has accounted for five touchdowns this season (four by pass).
CLIMBING SU CAREER RECORD LISTS
Nunes advanced on three of Syracuse's all-time passing lists with his performance against BYU ... His two touchdown passes moves him to eighth-place in school history with 15 ... Nunes' 10 completions move him into 12th place with 140 ... His 1,773 career passing yards ranks 14th at Syracuse.
Most Passing Yards 1. 8,466 Marvin Graves 1990-93 2. 8,389 Donovan McNabb 1995-98 3. 5,812 Don McPherson 1983-87 4. 3,398 Bill Hurley 1975-79 5. 2,661 Todd Norley 1982-85 6. 2,617 Bernie Custis 1948-50 7. 2,593 Dave Warner 1978-81 8. 2,116 Pat Stark 1951-53 9. 2,105 Todd Philcox 1985-88 10. 1,989 Rick Cassata 1965-67 11. 1,939 Jim Donoghue 1973-75 12. 1,903 Dave Sarette 1959-61 13. 1,851 Bill Scharr 1987-89 14. 1,773 Troy Nunes 1999- Most Completions 1. 563 Marvin Graves 1990-93 1. 563 Marvin Graves 1990-93 2. 548 Donovan McNabb 1995-98 3. 367 Don McPherson 1983-87 4. 250 Todd Norley 1982-85 5. 228 Bill Hurley 1975-79 6. 209 Dave Warner 1978-81 7. 196 Bernie Custis 1948-50 8. 180 Rick Cassata 1965-67 9. 153 Pat Stark 1951-53 10. 147 Bob Woodruff 1970-72 11. 145 Todd Philcox 1985-88 12. 141 Troy Nunes 1999- Most Touchdown Passes Thrown 1. 77 Donovan McNabb 1995-98 2. 48 Marvin Graves 1990-93 3. 46 Don McPherson 1983-87 4. 23 Dave Sarette 1959-61 5. 19 Pat Stark 1951-53 19 Bill Hurley 1975-79 7. 16 Todd Philcox 1985-88 8. 15 Troy Nunes 1999-
NUNES RANKS AMONG NATION'S BEST PASSERS
Sophomore quarterback Troy Nunes (Butler, PA) is 10th in the NCAA Division I-A stats with a 152.7 pass efficiency rating ... Nunes and the SU offense rank eighth in the NCAA's team pass efficiency totals (153.18).
NUNES LEADS POTENT ATTACK IN FIRST HALF
The Syracuse offense gained 390 yards and scored 42 points in the first half of its victory against Brigham Young ... The 390 yards is the most for SU in one half since the Orange compiled 391 yards against Rutgers in 1996 ... The last time SU scored that many points in one half was against Miami in 1998 (45 first half points) ... SU also tallied 42 against Rutgers in the first half in 1998 ...
OFFENSE POSTS SEASON-BEST NUMBERS
The Orange offense improved its total offense season-high with 452 against Brigham Young (228 passing and 224 rushing)... The previous season-best was 426 yards (273 rushing, 179 passing) against East Carolina ... SU gained 386 yards against Buffalo and 326 yards against Cincinnati.
SU IN THE REDZONE
The Orangemen have entered the opponent's redzone 15 times in 2000 and have scored on 12 of those opportunities ... The Orange have tallied 10 touchdowns and two field goals ... The SU defense has allowed opponents into the redzone just six times in four games with four of those drives resulting in scores (zero touchdowns and four field goals).
MUNGRO GAINS MORE THAN 100 YARDS BY THE HALF
Junior running back James Mungro (East Stroudsburg, PA) recorded 102 yards before halftime against Brigham Young, marking the second time this season a Syracuse back rushed for more than 100 yards in the first half ... Senior Dee Brown (Altamonte Springs, FL) hit the century mark before halftime of the Buffalo game ... Mungro finished the game as the leading rusher with 119 yards.
MUNGRO HITS 100-YARD MARK FOR THIRD TIME
James Mungro notched his third 100-yard game against BYU, gaining 119 yards on 11 carries (10.8 yards per rush), and tied his career-high with two rushing touchdowns (also vs. Kentucky, 1999 and Cincinnati, 1998) ... It is the second consecutive 100-yard game for the tailback (106 yards on 10 carries vs. East Carolina) ... He scored on a career-long run of 61 yards in the first quarter and a 20-yard rush in the second ... He is SU's second-leading rusher (254 yards on 29 carries, 84.7 yards per game).
SU DOMINATES ON FIRST DOWN
In its first three games, the Syracuse offense has gained 695 yards on first down plays, an average gain of 5.8 yards per attempt ... On the other side of the ball, the Orange defense is allowing opponents 4.5 yards per first down play.
First Down Yards (# of plays in parentheses)
| vs. Buffalo | Offense | 89 (12) | 59 (9) | 31 (7) | 21 (6) | 200 (34) | Avg. 5.9 |
| Defense | -3 (5) | 20(7) | 6 (7) | 9 (9) | 32 (28) | Avg. 1.1 | |
| at Cincinnati | Offense | 38 (7) | 65 (9) | 41 (7) | 33 (6) | 177 (29) | Avg. 6.1 |
| Defense | 25 (6) | 38 (5) | 44 (8) | 34 (10) | 141 (29) | Avg. 4.9 | |
| at East Carolina | Offense | 40 (9) | 57 (7) | 96 (10) | 3 (5) | 196 (31) | Avg. 6.3 |
| Defense | 65 (6) | 42 (5) | 3 (5) | 3 (6) | 113 (22) | Avg. 5.1 | |
| vs. Brigham Young | Offense | 75 (7) | 29 (8) | 7 (4) | 11 (6) | 122 (25) | Avg. 4.9 |
| Defense | 34 (7) | 64 (7) | 49 (9) | 45 (5) | 192 (28) | Avg. 6.9 | |
| Total | Offense | 242 (35) | 210 (33) | 175 (28) | 68 (23) | 695 (119) | Avg. 5.8 |
| Total | Defense | 121 (24) | 164 (24) | 102 (29) | 91 (30) | 478 (107) | Avg. 4.5 |
JOHNSON AND MINTER MAKE PRESENCE FELT ON SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior linebackers JR Johnson (Cicero, NY) and Maurice Minter (Ossining, NY) lead SU's special teams units with nine and seven tackles, respectively ... Johnson had three special teams stops against Brigham Young, in addition to downing a punt at the BYU one-yard line ... Minter had five against Buffalo ... Minter forced his first career fumble at Cincinnati ... Minter knocked the ball loose from UC punt returner Antoni Chatman in the second quarter ... Minter played wide receiver during his freshman and sophomore seasons and moved to safety during 2000 spring practice and then to linebacker during SU's 2000 preseason camp.
SU SPECIAL TEAMS HALTS RETURNS
SU's special teams defense is allowing just 8.8 yards per punt return and 13.3 yards per kickoff return ... On the flip side, SU's offensive special teams is averaging 12.2 yards per punt takeback, which ranks 30th nationally, and 26.0 yards per kickoff return, which ranks 10th nationally.
SU HOLDS ADVANTAGE IN FIELD POSITION
Syracuse's average field position is its own 34.8 yard line, while the Orangemen's opponents average field position to start their drives is their own 27.6 yard line.
WOODCOCK SCORES TWO TOUCHDOWNS
Senior wide receiver Pat Woodcock (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) was the 47th player in school history to catch a pair of touchdowns in a game ... Woodcock caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Troy Nunes (Butler, PA) in the second quarter, marking his longest career reception and his first touchdown reception of the season ... Later in the game, he caught a 65-yard pass from Nunes for a score ... The last Orangeman to record two touchdown receptions in a game was Stephen Brominski against Pittsburgh in 1999 ... Woodcock has a team-high 292 yards on 12 catches this season with a pair of touchdowns ... Woodcock has caught at least one pass in the last 15 games he has played.
SENIOR RECEIVER RECORDS HIS CAREER-BEST DAY
Woodcock caught a career-high 144 yards and two touchdowns against Brigham Young ... The touchdowns were Woodcock's only receptions of the game, from 65 and 79 yards away ... The latter marked Woodcock's longest career reception ... Woodcock's previous career long was a 54-yard catch against Michigan in 1999 ... His previous career best was 75-yards against Tulane last year.
WOODCOCK IS A THREAT ON KICKOFF RETURNS
Against BYU Woodcock returned a kickoff for 13 yards ... He is 48th in Division I-A, averaging 21.5 yards per return ... Woodcock is in 11th place on the Syracuse kickoff return record list with 24 ... He is 14th in SU history with 515 kickoff return yards ... He took back 16 kickoffs for 342 yards in 1999.
ORANGE USES MULTIPLE OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
Syracuse is getting a lot of players involved in the offensive gameplan this season ... Twelve different Orangemen have rushed the ball this season and 11 have been on the receiving end of a pass ... Against Buffalo a season-high 10 different players rushed the ball, while a season-best eight receivers caught passes against Brigham Young.
Junior Malik Campbell (Buffalo, NY) has the most receptions with 13, while Pat Woodcock (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) leads the team in receiving yards with 292 ... Senior Dee Brown (Altamonte Springs, FL) is the Orangemen's leading rusher with 354 yards on 65 carries.
JACKSON SCORES TOUCHDOWN ON REVERSE
Junior wide receiver Maurice Jackson (Rochester, NY) scored his first touchdown of the season on a 18-yard reverse in the first quarter ... It was Jackson's lone carry of the game ... It was the third time he has executed a reverse this season, giving him a total of three carries for 46 yards (15.3 yards per carry) ... He has caught three passes for 23 yards this season ... His career numbers include 15 receptions for 243 yards and nine rushes for 111 yards.
MANLEY PULLS IN CAREER-LONG RECEPTION
Junior tight end Graham Manley (Olney, MD) caught a 23-yard pass in the second quarter against Brigham Young, marking the longest reception of his career ... His single-game career best is three catches for 26 yards at Cincinnati ... He caught all three passes in SU's final drive of the game, resulting in kicker Mike Shafer's 35-yard field goal with 43 seconds remaining in the contest ... Manley has four catches for 49 yards this season, averaging 12.3 yards per catch.
CAMPBELL PLAYS TWO PARTS
Junior Malik Campbell (Buffalo, NY) returned a career-high six punts for a personal-best 57 yards against Brigham Young ... It was the second consecutive week he set career return highs ... Campbell is SU's top punt returner with 159 yards on 15 attempts (10.6 average) ... His return of 26 yards against East Carolina was the longest of his career ... This is Campbell's first season as SU's punt returner.
He Catches Passes, Too
Campbell led the Orange in receiving yards with 57 (four receptions) against East Carolina ... Against Cincinnati Campbell had a career-best eight receptions for a personal-best 66 yards against Cincinnati ... His eight catches ties for 12th on SU's single-game receiving record list ... It is his second season as a wide receiver for the football Orangemen ... Campbell played basketball for SU in 1998-99.
SHAFER IS SU'S LEADING SCORER
Sophomore Mike Shafer (Sarasota, FL) has scored 22 points in four games this season, including 16 PATs and two field goals ... He connected on field goals against Cincinnati and East Carolina ... Against UC Shafer kicked a 35-yard field goal with 43 seconds remaining, marking his first collegiate field goal ... The kick gave Syracuse a 10-9 lead in the game.
Shafer Improves Punting
Shafer also serves as SU's punter (18 punts for 743 yards, 41.3 yards per attempt) ... Shafer's average is slightly improved from his four-game numbers last year as a rookie (17 punts for 693 yards, 40.8 yards per attempt).
Shafer Adds Kickoffs to His Duties
Shafer handled SU's kickoffs during the second half against East Carolina ... He booted his only kickoff of the game 58 yards early in the third quarter.
TYREE IS SU'S THIRD-LEADING RECEIVER
Sophomore wide receiver David Tyree (Montclair, NJ) has five receptions for 83 yards through four games this year ... He is close to his 12-game total from last season of seven catches for 89 yards ... He scored his first career receiving touchdown against Cincinnati and led SU in receiving yards with 70 on four catches, which are both career-high numbers.
TYREE EXCELS ON SPECIAL TEAMS AGAINST BUFFALO
Tyree made two special teams plays that put points on the board for the Orangemen against Buffalo ... In the third quarter Tyree scored his first collegiate touchdown by blocking a punt by Dallas Pelz and returning it 20 yards for the touchdown ... In addition, Tyree caught Troy Nunes' two-point conversion pass in the second quarter, marking his first collegiate points.
RECEIVERS MAKE NOTABLE CATCHES
Frazier Hauls In First Catch
Junior tight end Jeremie Frazier (Haviland, KS) caught an 18-yard pass against Brigham Young for his first career reception ... Frazier pulled in the pass from quarterback Troy Nunes (Butler, PA) on a fake field goal play that produced a first down for the Orangemen on their first drive of the game.
Riddle Catches First Pass
Redshirt freshman Jamel Riddle (Meriden, CT) recorded his first career reception against Brigham Young ... Riddle caught a six-yard pass from quarterback Troy Nunes (Butler, PA) in the fourth quarter.
GREENWOOD GETS FIRST SACK OF SEASON
Senior linebacker Morlon Greenwood (Freeport, NY) recorded 10 tackles, including four solo stops, and his first sack of the season against Brigham Young ... It is the second time in four games this year that Greenwood has reached double-figures tackles ... He had 10 against Cincinnati in the second game of the year ... Greenwood has made 30 stops in 2000 ... Greenwood is a candidate for the 2000 Butkus Award ... The award honors the top linebacker in Division I-A ... Greenwood has made 41 consecutive starts at SU ... Greenwood was rated the 15th-best outside linebacker nationally by Lindy's preseason magazine ... The 70-player Butkus Award Watch List will be trimmed to 10 semi-finalists on October 19 ... Three finalists will be announced on November 9 ... The Butkus Award Gala will be on December 8 at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL.
PETTIJOHN HURRIES OPPOSING QBs
Senior defensive end Duke Pettijohn (Mattapan, MA) posted four tackles against Brigham Young ... Pettijohn added one quarterback hurry ... Pettijohn has 14 tackles in three games this season ... Pettijohn has four quarterback hurries ... Pettijohn is tied for sixth on SU's career sacks list ... He recorded 10.5 last year, which ranks fifth on SU's single-season record list ... Pettijohn, who began his SU career as a linebacker, has played in 35 games, including 23 starts.
FERRARA GETS STARTING NOD
Redshirt freshman Christian Ferrara (North Caldwell, NJ) made his second career start against Brigham Young ... Ferrara started in place of senior Rickie Simpkins (Middle Village, NY), who missed the BYU game due to a violation of team academic policy ... Ferrara tied his career-high with three tackles and had two quarterback hurries against BYU ... He recorded three tackles in his collegiate debut against Buffalo ... Ferrara has eight stops, one fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries in four games this year.
SMITH RECORDS SEVEN TACKLES AGAINT BYU
Sophomore Clifton Smith (Freeport, NY) was one of two SU defenders to lead the team with 11 tackles, including nine solo, against BYU ... He shared the team-high honors with fellow Freeport, NY native Morlon Greenwood... Smith is tied with Greenwood for second on the team with 31 tackles ... Against Cincinnati he recorded the first fumble recovery of his career and returned it three yards ... He had 10 tackles against the Bearcats.
WALKER RECOVERS ANOTHER FUMBLE
Sophomore strong safety Keeon Walker (Hoboken, NJ) recorded his second fumble recovery of the season against Brigham Young ... His first was against Cincinnati in the second game of the season ... In the first quarter junior cornerback Will Hunter (Chester, PA) forced the fumble and Walker recovered it at the BYU 18-yard line ... He had five tackles against the Cougars ... He had a career-high 14 stops against Cincinnati ... In his first season on defense, he leads the team with 34 total tackles and 21 solo stops ... Walker moved from running back prior to the 2000 spring practice.
FREENEY RECORDS CAREER-BEST SACKS
Junior defensive end Dwight Freeney (Bloomfield, CT) recorded a career-high two and one half sacks against BYU, tying for ninth place on SU's single-game sack list ... It was the fifth consecutive game, dating back to the Music City Bowl, that Freeney has recorded a sack ... Freeney has a team-leading five and one half sacks in 2000 ... He added four tackles against the Cougars, increasing his season total to 19 ... Freeney had a pair of quarterback hurries, giving him five this season ... The last player to have at least 3.0 sacks in one game was Duke Pettijohn (Mattapan, MA) with four at Rutgers in 1999.
HARRIS RETURNS TO LINEUP
Junior free safety Quentin Harris (Wilkes-Barre, PA) returned from a shoulder injury to record eight tackles against BYU ... He also broke up two passes ... Harris missed the East Carolina game after separating his shoulder in the second quarter of the Cincinnati game ... Harris has 21 tackles, two pass break-ups and one fumble recovery on the season.
JOHNSON FORCES FUMBLE AGAINST BYU
Junior linebacker JR Johnson (Cicero, NY) caused the first fumble of his career in the first quarter ... Johnson knocked the ball loose on the first series of the game, but BYU quarterback Bret Engemann recovered the ball ... Johnson had a career-high 10 tackles against the Cougars ... He is tied for fourth on the team with 21 stops this season.
GACHELIN RECORDS CAREER-BEST IN TACKLES
Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Louis Gachelin (Miami, FL) posted a career-best six tackles against BYU, bringing his season total to 14 in three games ... Gachelin also added his first quarterback hurry of the season to the effort ... He has also posted one sack, one forced fumble and one pass break-up this year.
FORD RETURNS TO CORNERBACK
Junior cornerback Willie Ford (Falmouth, MA) posted seven tackles, a pass deflection and had one-half sack against Brigham Young ... Ford teamed with Will Hunter (Chester, PA) for first career sack ... Ford has 17 tackles, including three for a loss, and two pass break-ups this season ... Ford has started eight games at cornerback in his career, including five in 1999 ... Ford started SU's games against Buffalo and Cincinnati at strong safety.
DOWNING GETS TO OPPONENT'S QUARTERBACK
Senior defensive tackle Eric Downing (Paterson, NJ) made two tackles for a loss and four quarterback hurries against Brigham Young ... Downing increased his season total to a team-leading seven quarterback hurries ... He had six tackles in the game, bringing his season total to 20 ... Downing also has one forced fumble (vs. Buffalo) and one fumble recovery (vs. Cincinnati) this season.
DEFENSE KEEPS RUSHERS OUT OF THE ENDZONE
The Orange defense has not given up a rushing touchdown this season ... And, the SU defense has allowed just six touchdowns this season (special teams allowed one) ... Buffalo scored a TD with 34 seconds left in the game in the season-opener ... Syracuse held Cincinnati without a touchdown, marking the first time SU has held an opponent out of the endzone since SU's 30-7 victory against West Virginia in the Carrier Dome in 1999.
INJURIES TAKE THEIR TOLL
Thomas Injures Foot Against UC
Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Josh Thomas (Orchard Park, NY) broke a bone in his left foot against Cincinnati ... He had surgery the following morning ... A date for his return has not been determined ... In his first collegiate game against Buffalo, Thomas reeled in his first career interception in the fourth quarter ... Thomas batted a pass by Buffalo quarterback Joe Freedy into the air, spun around and caught it with one hand, then spun around again to return it five yards ... Thomas added five tackles to the effort.
Johnson Sidelined in First Game
Against Buffalo senior fullback Kyle Johnson (Woodbridge, NJ) scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter and fractured a bone above his left ankle on the play ... Johnson had surgery on September 3, the morning after the game against Buffalo ... Against the Bulls Johnson gained 27 yards on five carries and caught one pass for one yard ... The senior co-captain is out indefinitely.
Johnson Recognized for Community Service
Senior Kyle Johnson (Woodbridge, NJ) is a member of the 2000 AFCA Good Works Team, recognizing football student-athletes who show exceptional dedication to community service and to the betterment of the communities in which they live.
During his SU career, Johnson has been a member of the Athletic Directors honor roll every semester at SU and a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star. He was the coordinator of the 1999 and 2000 "Jam Session" events, which feature a basketball game between members of the Syracuse media and the Orangemen football team. Funds raised through Jam Session benefit local charitable organizations.
In addition, Johnson served two terms as the SU Student-Athlete Council president from 1998-2000. He led student-athletes in community service activities and in improving the quality of life by bettering communications with coaches and administrators. Johnson is a regular participant in SU's Student-Athlete Speaker's Bureau which visits local schools and community organizations. Johnson represented Syracuse University at the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., following his freshman year and served as SU's representative at the BIG EAST Student-Athlete Advisory Council meetings in Providence in 1997 and 1998.
Johnson is also an accomplished actor, having performed in numerous theatrical productions, and is an on-air radio personality, hosting "The Sunday Night Love Flight" on SU radio station WJPZ. His most recent on-stage performance was as the lead character, Cephus Miles, in the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company production of Home.
BLOWING OUT THE BIRTHDAY CANDLES
Eight members of the SU football squad will enjoy birthday festivities in October.
| Jim Hofher | Quarterbacks Coach | Oct. 12, 1978 |
| Madei Williams | Sophomore | Oct. 17, 1978 |
| Sheldon King | Junior | Oct. 20, 1977 |
| Joe Burton | Junior | Oct. 21, 1978 |
| Mike Shafer | Sophomore | Oct. 22, 1980 |
| Andrew Bulman | Redshirt Freshman | Oct. 27, 1980 |
| Eric Kaloyanides | Sophomore | Oct. 29, 1980 |
| Rodney Wells | Junior | Oct. 31, 1978 |
