On The Mark: A Confidence Builder
10/31/2002 2:58:48 PM | Football
The offense, with an efficient Troy Nunes at the helm, was clicking on all cylinders, knifing through the Scarlet Knight's defense to the tune of 406 yards. Walter Reyes accounted for 115 yards on the ground and Damien Rhodes showed his versatility scoring three touchdowns, one rushing, one receiving, and one on special teams.
Defensively, the Orange played like a school of Piranhas; swarming and attacking Rutgers, while recording eight sacks, three by Rich Scanlon, and holding the Knights to a mere 16 yard rushing.
So, we've now seen what the Orangemen are capable of accomplishing when playing up to their potential. Now the question is, will they be able to sustain that level of play over the final four games? I'm not saying their going to go 4-and-0 over the final weeks of the season, but I do believe there was a "corner turned" last Saturday. There is an almost tangible, new-found confidence on this team, which I think will result in an increased level of play. This weekend in Orlando, Fla., if the Orange can put some pressure on UCF quarterback Ryan Schneider, which I thing they can, the Orange will come away with their second straight win and then, who knows?
One other quick note: Earlier this week Syracuse Athletic Director Jake Crouthamel made a statement regarding the "expectations" for the SU football program. The statement laid out a list of "minimum" requirements for maintaining an upper-level program. The list was fair, but lofty enough to keep the SU football team in the top 30 programs in the country, while maintaining its current integrity and allowing fans the opportunity to enjoy high caliber football with plenty of winning. Not being privy to the internal conversations behind the statement, my belief is it was made to give fans a clear understanding of what's expected while, maybe, quelling some of the conversation amongst fans in this 2-and-6 campaign.
Now, as a relative newcomer to the SU program, here's where my perspective can bring a unique take to the picture. There's old adage about "not being able to see for the forest for the trees". I think for many Orange fans that's the case in regard to the football program. This struck me earlier this week when I was preparing for Saturday's broadcast by reading the UCF game notes. In the notes there is a standard paragraph about the opposing team's head coach, in this case regarding Paul Pasqualoni. It reads, "Pasqualoni is in his 12th year as head coach at Syracuse. A 1972 grad of Penn State, Pasqualoni has enjoyed plenty of success at Syracuse. He has led the Orangemen to eight bowl games in his 11 years as head coach and has never posted a losing record. At the beginning of the season he was ranked as the 10th winningest active coach by both percentage and win total. He has led Syracuse to three BIG EAST conference championships and holds a bowl record of 6-2."
What struck me after reading that is, if I were to take the name and school out of that paragraph and show it to virtually any SU fan in the country, to a person, they would say that was the kind of coach they would like to see running their program. The great part is, that is the type of coach running their program and that's the way the rest of the country views the Orangemen. Sometimes what your looking for is right under your nose.
