Legends Of The Pen: Running Of The Bulls
10/7/2010 5:51:47 PM | Football
Sure, you concern yourself with the running of the Bulls.
And the passing.
But it's more than a curious 0-5 record Syracuse has in its brief football history with South Florida. It's the Sunshine State, period.
Travel to Florida is supposed to be basking in the sun. Catch some rays.Not third-degree burns.
But SU has been burned time and again. And not just by USF -- although losing by an average of 24.2 points, while being "run over" by 162.8 yards per game, are scary figures.
SU first journeyed to the Sunshine State to play a home state opponent 50 years ago, the season after Ben Schwartzwalder's team ran the table (11-0) and won the national championship. The Orange closed the 1960 season witha 21-14 win at Miami.
In '71, SU's season finale was a 14-0 win at Miami.So what's the problem?
Beginning with the closer of Frank Maloney's first season -- a 14-7 loss at Miami -- the Orange has posted a 2-14 record in Sunshine State encounters against state of Florida opponents. That statistic, and the fact SU is 0-5 vs. USF by a lopsided margin, might suggest a no-contest. But the Orange is only about a 10-point road underdog. Why?
Because both teams are 3-1, having lost by double digits to the one quality foe each faced (SU at Washington, USF to Florida). Wins over Akron, Maine and Colgate by SU, over Stony Brook, Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic by USF, don't tell you all that much.
SU is still rebuilding its program under second-year coach Doug Marrone. Skip Holtz inherited an 8-5 team at USF.
Stats this season are relatively similar. It's a game SU has to "steal" if it is to surprisingly be in the bowl picture at season's end.
The last time SU left the Sunshine State with a victory? After a 38-35 thriller eight years ago at Central Florida.
Since then, SU lost at Miami ('03), at Florida State ('05), at USF ('06, '08). Not to mention a Champs Sports Bowl debacle in Orlando with Georgia Tech, that sent Paul Pasqualoni packing and ushered in the Greg Robinson era.
And you think the running of the Bulls is a scary thought!
