Orange Football Sets Sights on Notre Dame
11/13/2005 4:26:54 PM | Football
Read Head Coach Greg Robinson's Press Conference Transcript (Nov. 13, 2005)
Read the SU Weekly Release (PDF Format)
The football Orange will make its first trip to South Bend, Ind. since 1961 when SU and Notre Dame square off for the fifth time. Each squad has won two in the series, which began with a 20-0 Fighting Irish win in 1914. Syracuse has won the last two clashes between the two squads, including a 38-12 triumph at the Carrier Dome in the most recent meeting in 2003, outscoring the Irish 52-19 in its two victories. This week's game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on NBC.
In the 2003 SU victory, Orange tailback Walter Reyes rushed for 189 yards and five touchdowns. His five TD’s and 30 points scored are both Dome records. The performance vaulted him to the top of SU’s single-season (20) rushing TD list. The Orange forced four turnovers in the contest, including two interceptions by free safety Anthony Smith. Defensive tackle Christian Ferrara tied the SU record with five tackles for a loss.
In the 1961 meeting, College Football Hall of Famer Ernie Davis ran for 95 yards against the Irish on his way to becoming the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. In the same game, NFL Hall of Famer John Mackey caught two passes for 80 yards.
Orange true freshman Bruce Williams earned the punt returning job prior to SU's game against South Florida and returned three punts for 33 yards in his debut. SU head coach Greg Robinson was pleased with Williams' debut.
"I liked his confidence," Robinson said. "I think Bruce is going to be just fine right there. You never know, maybe we have a punt returner for the next four years. And, that would be a good thing. He is a solid decision-maker now and he'll only get better because he cares about all the little things. He has very good hand-eye coordination and he's tough."
