Syracuse University
West Virginia
Oranges Vies for Schwartzwalder Trophy
10/22/2010 4:27:21 PM | Football
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The Orange (4-2, 1-1) travels West Virginia to take the Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0) on Saturday, October 23 (12 p.m., ESPN2). Fans can also listen to the game on Syracuse ISP Sports Network (TK-99.5 FM in Syracuse) and Orange All Access. For game highlights, head coach Doug Marrone's postgame press conference and student-athlete interviews, sign onto Orange All Access following the game.
Syracuse-WVU Series
The second longest series with a BIG EAST team in SU football history is with WVU, dating back to 1945. For each matchup, the teams compete for the Schwartzwalder Trophy, named for the Hall of Fame coach who guided the Orange to a 153-91-3 overall record in 25 seasons. The teams have played every year since 1955 with Syracuse ahead in the series 30-27, but West Virginia ahead in victories played in Morgantown 18-12.
The Schwartzwalder Trophy
The Orange will battle the Mountaineers in one of the oldest rivalries for the coveted Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy. The trophy has been awarded to the winner of the annual pairing since 1993. Schwartzwalder is SU's all-time winningest coach who also led the Orange to its only national championship in school football history in 1959. This trophy is reserved for competition against the Mountaineers because Schwartzwalder was the starting center at WVU UNDER THE GREAT COACH Greasey Neale.
Road Wins
Syracuse has won two out of three road games this season (at Akron and South Florida). The last time the Orange won two road games was in 2004 at Buffalo and Boston College. Syracuse last won three road games in 2001 at Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.
Orange Defense Ranked Nationally
The Orange defense ranks 18th nationally in total defense, which is performing at its best level since 1999 allowing 302.0 yards per game. The pass defense is ranked 23rd, while rush defense is 35th. In addition to the impact defensive coordinator Scott Shafer has made at Syracuse, his 2007 Stanford defense improved in every category from the 2006 season.
Bailey Displays Versatility
Junior running back Antwon Bailey has proved to be an offensive threat in the backfield tying for ninth on the SU career receptions by a running back record list with 42. In 2010, he is Syracuse's second-leading rusher and fourth-leading receiver. He averages 5.5 yards per carry and 12.1 yards per reception. At USF he gained a season0high 81 yards on nine carries.
Making a Statement
For the first time since 2003, Syracuse is 4-2. The last time the Orange began a season 5-2 was in 2001. Through six games this year, the squad is performing statistically at levels the program has not seen in awhile. The 2010 total defense has 304.5 yards, the best since 1999 with 301.3. Scoring defense in 2010 is 19.8, the best since 2001 (19.5). the 2010 total offense has 359.5 yards per game, a best since 2003 (407.3).
