SU Set to Host Rhode Island Saturday

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Syracuse began its quest to compete for a BIG EAST title last Thursday with a 36-29 come-from-behind overtime victory against Wake Forest. Now, looking to continue on the course, the Orange focus shifts to Rhode Island, which comes to the Carrier Dome on Saturday, September 10 (4:30 p.m., TWCS/SNY, BIG EAST Network).

"We're excited about where we are right now, being 1-0," third-year head coach Doug Marrone said. "We're looking forward to playing Rhode Island. Offensively, they return all of their starters. Defensively, I believe they return seven out of the 11, so we're looking forward to start to work on ourselves and get ready to play a challenging game this Saturday."

Saturday is Patriotic Day at the Dome, where there will be a remembrance in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Fans in attendance will receive a commemorative pin displaying both the American flag and a flag featuring the Syracuse block "S" logo. In addition, Grammy Award nominee Michael Peterson, the 2008 recipient of the Bob Hope "Spirit of Hope" award for his service to the nation and the servicemen and women of the armed forces, will sing the national anthem. At halftime, Peterson will perform a song he wrote for veterans entitled, "You Could Hear a Pin Drop." The song was written to acknowledge the sacrifice and value of veterans' service.

"This is very personal for our football program," Marrone said. "We're going to discuss that with the team and do something with the team internally. Our coaches will wear 9/11 patches, which we've always worn since I've been here on the week of 9/11."

The Orange come into the game against Rhode Island after erasing a 15-point fourth quarter deficit against Wake Forest in the team's season opener. Trailing 29-14 with 11 minutes remaining in regulation, SU responded with two touchdowns in 1:19 to tie the game and force overtime. Van Chew caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Nassib on the first possession of overtime to provide the winning margin.

“We had players make plays in the second half," Marrone said following the Wake Forest game. "Antwon Bailey took it down. They were pressuring us, and we just caught them in the right play. They caught us in a bunch of right blitzes early on for us not to make plays."

Bailey recorded the second 100-yard rushing game of his career against Wake Forest, gaining 114 yards on a career high 25 carries. The Landover, Md. native had the first multiple-touchdown game of his career with a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter, the longest of his career.

Syracuse has only faced Rhode Island, which will play its first game of the season on Saturday, one other time in school history, a 63-17 win for the Orange at home in 2002. The Rams welcome back 18 starters from the 2010 team that went 5-6, including a 4-4 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The group is headlined by preseason All-CAA quarterback Steve Probst, who passed for 1,876 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He also rushed for a team-best 600 yards.

"Rhode Island, even though they were 5-6, beat a New Hampshire team that was ranked and a Villanova team that was ranked," Marrone said. "Rhode Island is a heck of a football team, so I'm not worried about anything in the future. I'm just worried about today."

Defensively, the Rams have five starters returning in 2011. Senior Matt Rae is the club's leading returning tackler. He had 42 stops last year, including 7.5 for a loss. He's one of the three returning starters on the defensive line, joined by Matt Sheard and Willie McGinnis. The trio combined for 109 total tackles last season.

Individual and season tickets are available online (SUAthletics.com) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (1-888-DOMETIX). Season tickets start at $99.

Syracuse University Athletics

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