Syracuse University
Connecticut
Orange Hosts UConn in BIG EAST Finale
11/19/2010 2:40:20 PM | Football
| Week 12: rv/rv Syracuse (7-3 overall , 4-2 BIG EAST) at Rutgers (5-4, 2-2) | |
| Game Day | Saturday, Nov. 20 | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Buy Tickets | 2010 Tickets |
| TV | ESPNU (Clay Matvick and Herm Edwards) |
| Radio | Syracuse Sports Network (TK99.5 FM, Flagship) |
| Follow the Action | Live Stats | Twitter Updates | SMS Updates |
| News and Notes | Read the Game Notes |
| Head Coach Doug Marrone | Weekly Press Conference Transcript |
| Whats Next? | 2010 Schedule |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – rv/rv Syracuse continues its quest for the BIG EAST Championship on Saturday night in the Carrier Dome. The Orange (7-3, 4-2 BIG EAST) will square off against Connecticut (5-4, 2-2) in the last conference game of the season with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (ESPNU). The Orange, which received votes in both the Associate Press and USA Today Coaches Polls this week, has a 2-2 record at home this season.
The Fun Begins on the Quad on Game Day
The festivities Saturday morning begin at the Family Fun Zone on the quad at 9:00 a.m. Adjacent to the Dome, the Family Fun Zone will feature the Syracuse marching band, cheerleaders, dance team and Otto the Orange. There will be jumpies and face painting for children as well as food available for purchase.
Parking
Pay parking for the SU Football game will be at the Skytop Lot ($10.00 per car). Please note all campus and West Campus Lots near the dome are reserved for permit holders only.
Complete Game Coverage
Fans can listen to the game on the Syracuse 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 on to Orange All Access following the game.
Bowl Eligibility
For the first time since 2004, Syracuse will return to post-season play after earning its seventh victory of the season last week at Rutgers. The Orange has a record of 12-9-1 in Bowl games, having won eight straight from 1987 through 1996. Syracuse had to win seven games for the bowl berth because it has two FCS opponents on the schedule. Generally, to qualify for a bowl, a team must have six wins including five against FBS opponents.
Orange Defense Moves up in National Rankings
Syracuse defense is performing at its best level since 1997, moving up in the total defense national rankings to ninth from 10th last week, allowing 297.1 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer has really proven he can make the defense better.
Road Excellence
Syracuse is one of two FBS teams to have five road victories this season. Both Syracuse and Oregon have won five games in opponents stadiums this season. There are 12 other FBS teams that have an opporunity to reach five or more road wins this year, including Boise State (4 road wins), Central Florida (3), Nebraska (4), Nevada (4), Northern Illinois (3), Northwestern (4), Oklahoma State (4), Southern California (4), Southern Mississippi (4), Stanford (4), TCU (4) and Utah (4). Both Oregon and USC can get to six road wins this year.
Smith Leads Defense
Senior linebacker Derrell Smith is tied 18th nationally in solo tackles per game with 5.7, and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 8.5 tackles per game. He leads the Orange defense with 85 tackles including 4.5 for a loss of yards. In his career, Smith has forced eight fumbles, including three this season hich ties for second on the SU career record list.
Nassib, Harris and Smith Earn Academic Honors
Quarterback Ryan Nassib, fullback Adam Harris and linebacker Derrell Smith earned the honor of being named to the ESPN District I All-Academic Team and will now be on the national ballot. Syracuse has the most representatives of any BIG EAST team on the All-Academic Team. The ESPN Academic All-America team will be announced on November 23.
Nassib is a finance major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He is a four-time Athletic Director's honor roll honoree and a 2009 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection. Harris majors in marketing management in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and is a two-time Athletic Director's honor roll selection and 2009 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection too. Smith is working on his Master's degree in advertising in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He is a three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection and a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, Dick Butkus Award, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist.
Syracuse – UConn Series
UConn leads Syracuse 4-2 in the all-time series, yet is 1-3 in meetings at the Carrier Dome. These two teams have faced off against one another annually starting in 2004.
