Countdown to Kickoff: Season Opening Games
8/24/2004 4:27:38 PM | Football
Last season Syracuse played a triple-overtime thriller at North Carolina, emerging with a 49-47 victory in Chapel Hill, N.C. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime and neither team scored in the second extra period. Tailback Walter Reyes scored a touchdown on the first play of the third overtime and added the two-point conversion to give the Orange an 8-point lead. After a UNC touchdown, linebacker Kelvin Smith stopped the Tar Heels’ two-point attempt on the one-yard line to give Syracuse a 49-47 victory.
The North Carolina game last year was just one of many exciting season openers since Pasqualoni became head coach in 1991. The 1995 season-opener against the Tar Heels saw the emergence of perhaps the best quarterback in SU history. Pasqualoni ended months of speculation when he named redshirt freshman Donovan McNabb SU’s starting quarterback just hours before kickoff. McNabb did not disappoint as he began his brilliant career with the Orange. He helped lead Syracuse to a fourth-quarter comeback against 20th-ranked North Carolina as SU won 20-9.
In 1997, Syracuse opened the season against Ron Dayne and the Wisconsin Badgers in the Kickoff Classic. The earliest season opener ever for an SU team produced a dominating performance by the Orange. Syracuse was in control on offense, defense and special teams. Kevin Johnson returned the game’s opening kick 89 yards for a touchdown and Syracuse never looked back. SU scored 34 points while shutting out Wisconsin. The Orange totaled 440 yards to 223 for the Badgers.
In 1998 Syracuse squared off against 10th-ranked Tennessee at the Carrier Dome for the first game of the season. The Orange trailed 24-13 entering the fourth quarter but two McNabb touchdowns and two field goals gave SU a 33-31 lead with just minutes remaining. The Volunteers managed to score a field goal as time expired and Syracuse lost 34-33. Tennessee went on to win the National Championship that season.
Syracuse begins the season on Sunday, September 5 at Purdue. The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ABC. SU then plays at Buffalo on September 11 at 6:00 p.m. The Orange kicks off the home portion of the schedule on Saturday, September 18 against Cincinnati at 12:00 p.m. SU will also host Rutgers (Oct. 2 at 12:00 p.m.), Florida State (Oct. 9), Connecticut (Oct. 30) and Pittsburgh (Nov. 6).
For ticket information and prices, call the Carrier Dome box office at 1-888-DOMETIX. Tickets are available at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B), by telephone (888-DOMETIX) or on the Internet www.dometix.com.
