Pugh's Return to the Gridiron

Senior offensive tackle Justin Pugh will most likely remember the 2012 Pittsburgh game for the rest of his life. Not only was it his and his fellow seniors first career victory against the Panthers, it was the first game Pugh was cleared to play after missing the first four games of the season due to an upper body injury. But while it was the first time he contributed by holding back a defensive line, Pugh has been contributing all year.

"I was able to coach a little bit while I was hurt," Pugh said. "I was able to help some of the younger guys. I kind of take pride in some of the way the younger guys play like Sean Hickey, Rob Trudo, Ivan Foy and Lou Alexander. It definitely was a little different role for me. I think it made me a better player overall."

When told that he could return to the Orange lineup for the game against Pittsburgh, Pugh was ecstatic.

"It was great to get back out on that football field," Pugh said. "I have been building up my levels of excitement in the past couple of months because I knew this was the game I was coming back for. Once I found out I wasn't going to get cleared for that first game. It was just great to be back out there in the huddle and back out there with the guys."

The Holland, Pa. native had played in every game of his sophomore and junior seasons, and also had back-to-back seasons blocking for a 1,000-yard rusher. Pugh garnered national attention prior to this season and was named to both the Outland Trophy Watch List and the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List.

"I got hurt probably the last week of spring ball which was tough to sit out that spring game and not to be out there," Pugh said. "It was the first time I had ever missed a significant amount of football ever in my career. During the summer I was able to push it and do a lot of things with the team. I obviously couldn't do any of the upper body stuff but I was running with them."

Pugh rehabbed this summer, working hard to ensure a quick return for his senior season.

"It was kind of tough because I would do everything with them and then they would go play football and I would go to the sidelines and watch," Pugh said. "It was definitely a tough thing. I think it made me a better player actually because I got to see the game from a different perspective."

His perseverance paid off and Pugh was cleared to play in Syracuse's BIG EAST opener against Pittsburgh. During his first drive back on the offensive line, Pugh had the chance to block for Adonis Ameen-Moore, who ran for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Orange up 7-0 three minutes into the game.

"I love running the ball," Pugh said. "Coach gave us the honor of putting the goal line play in and it was going to the left. Zach Chibane and I put it on us. We wanted to make sure that it was going to work and it was going to work behind us. If it wasn't going to work, we were taking the blame. We scored that first touchdown and we ended the game with five or six straight runs right behind us. It was something you take pride in as an offensive line."

The Orange continues BIG EAST play this weekend when it travels to No. 19/20 Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 13th (12 p.m./BIG EAST Network).

"I'm ready to go down there," Pugh said. "We beat them two years ago to go to the Pinstripe Bowl. They have a good stadium and a good crowd. I'm just looking forward to getting after it. They have a lot momentum. I'm just ready to go against this defense and show them what we have."

The Orange return back to the Carrier Dome on Friday, Oct. 19th at 8 p.m. to face UConn. Tickets are available online, in person at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B), or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX for the Orange's game against UConn.

Syracuse University Athletics

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