Orange Goes for Two in a Row

The Syracuse football squad is riding the momentum of its 38-35 upset at nationally-ranked Louisville as it travels to Miami (OH) today for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff. The Orange and Red Hawks have combined for 1,311 wins in their storied histories. Syracuse is the 13th winningest school in college football history with 669 wins, while Miami (OH) is 20th with 642 victories.

Fans in Upstate New York can watch the game live on Time Warner Sports or listen to the Syracuse ISP Sports Network, TK-99.5 FM broadcast. Fans can also hear the broadcast through Orange All-Access and on Sirus Satellite Radio.

Orange – Red Hawks Series

Saturday's match up will only be the fourth meeting between the two schools. Syracuse holds a perfect 3-0 record in a series that dates back to 1980. The first meeting marked the first game ever played in the Carrier Dome. Joe Morris rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns in the contest. His 32 rushing attempts against the Red Hawks is a Carrier Dome record.

In 1987, Don McPherson threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Orange prevailed 24-10. In 2006, SU sacked Miami (OH)'s quarterbacks eight times, one short of the school-record. Ben Maljovec (Warren, Pa.) had an interception return that lead the Orange to a 34-14 win. Curtis Brinkley (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded his first 100-yard rushing game and also scored his first rushing touchdown.

The Orange Racking Up the Awards

Three Orange student-athletes earned BIG EAST weekly honors after the 38-35 upset at Louisville. Sophomore quarterback Andrew Robinson (Baltimore, Md.) was named the conference offensive player of the week, freshman Max Suter (Ruffs Dale, Pa.) was named special teams’ player of the week and senior defensive end Jameel McClain (Philadelphia, Pa.) was named to the honor roll. Robinson had the best game of his career, completing 17-of-26 passes for 423 yards and tying a school record with four touchdowns. Robinson was two yards shy of the school’s single-game record of 425 yards set by Marvin Graves against Rutgers in 1992. Suter showed kick return brilliance when he broke for a 93-yard kick return in the second quarter to put SU ahead 14-7. McClain increased his career sack total to 12, forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and had seven tackles. It is the first time since Nov. 17, 2004 when Diamond Ferri was the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week that SU claimed multiple honors in the same week.

Winning the Takeaway Battle

The Orange defense recorded four takeaways at Louisville, increasing the season total to seven. Senior defensive end Jameel McClain intercepted a pass and forced a fumble, junior linebacker Ben Maljovec recovered two fumbles and junior safety A.J. Brown (Bealton, Va.) had an interception. It was the 13th time in 27 games (48.1 pct.) under Greg Robinson that the Orange has forced at least three miscues. For the season, the Orange has a +0.75 turnover ratio, which is tied for 30th among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. In 2006, the Orange ranked ninth in turnover margin and tied for 22nd in turnovers gained.

Receivers Stepping Up

The Syracuse receiving corps laid to rest some doubts about the Orange passing game versus Louisville with three players registering at least 80 receiving yards. It was one of most impressive displays put on by SU receivers since the early 1990’s. Junior wide receiver Taj Smith (Newark, N.J.) made four catches for a career-best 173 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals. Partner in crime Mike Williams (Buffalo, N.Y.) led all Orange receivers with five receptions for 83 yards and a score, and senior tight end Jawad Nesheiwat (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) set a career-best with 85 yards on three receptions. The group became the first SU trio since 1992 to each finish with more than 80 receiving yards. Qadry Ismail (94 yds.), Chris Gedney (105 yds.) and Kerry Ferrell (86 yds.) turned the trick against Rutgers that season.

Syracuse University Athletics

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