Syracuse In-Game Notes against Penn State 9_30_08
2008 Syracuse University Football Game Notes (Postgame)
Syracuse vs. Penn State
Carrier Dome/Syracuse, N.Y.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
RIVALRY RENEWED
Saturday’s game marked the first time since 1990 the Orange and Nittany Lions have met on the gridiron … Syracuse and Penn State played 68 times between 1922 and 1990 … The only year they didn’t clash during that stretch was 1943 when the Orange suspended its football program due to the war.
SYRACUSE GOES HOLLYWOOD
Actors Dennis Quaid, Rob Brown and legendary SU tailback Floyd Little accompanied 2008 Orange captains Jake Flaherty, Bruce Williams, Patrick Shadle and Tony Fiametta to midfield for the opening coin toss … Quaid played former Orange head coach Ben Schwartzwalder, and Brown played legendary SU tailback Ernie Davis in the movie ‘The Express’ which premiered Friday night at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse … The film tells the story of Davis, who led Syracuse to the 1959 national championship and won the 1961 Heisman Trophy … Little (1964-66) was a three-time All-American for the Orange and followed Davis to Syracuse University.
COIN TOSS
Syracuse won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
FOR STARTERS
Senior Bruce Williams made his second career start on Saturday … A week after starting at wide receiver, Williams took the field against the Nittany Lions as SU’s starting free safety … Redshirt freshman Kevyn Scott made his first collegiate start Saturday at strong safety … For the second straight week Nick Lepak started at guard in place of the injured Ryan Bartholomew … Lepak started at right guard … Starting right guard Ryan Durand moved from his normal spot over to left guard … Senior tight end Ben Maljovec, a converted linebacker, earned his first starting nod on offense as SU opened its first offensive series in a two tight end formation.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
True freshman cornerback Dorian Graham got his first collegiate playing experience on defense Saturday … Rookie receiver Grant Mayes made his first career reception in the second quarter … It went for 26 yards … On the same drive, Maljovec made a seven-yard reception to record the first catch of his career … Fullback Tony Fiametta forced his first career fumble on punt coverage in the second quarter … Williams made the recovery, the first fumble recovery of his career … Freshman receiver Frank Satterfield made the first two tackles (one solo, one assisted) of his career on special teams … Sophomore cornerback Mike Holmes forced his first career fumble in the third quarter … Rookie receiver Marcus Sales caught his first career touchdown pass (11 yards) with 1:23 left in the third period.
MOVIN’ ON UP
Senior placekicker Patrick Shadle converted two field goals (44, 44) in the second quarter to move past Tim Vesling for seventh place on the program’s career field goals made list (29).
SUPER SUTER
Sophomore return specialist Max Suter continued his climb up the Orange’s career kickoff return yardage list … Suter returned five kicks Saturday for 111 yards … Suter lists third on the school’s all-time list with 1,614 kickoff return yards.
TACKLE TIME
Kevyn Scott made a career-best eight stops (six solo, two assisted) in his first start for the Orange.
LONG GOES LONG
Sophomore punter Rob Long boomed a 70-yard punt in the third quarter, tying him with Sean Reali for the ninth-longest punt in school history … Long cranked a season-long 72-yard punt at Northwestern in the season-opener.
DAVIS DOWN THE FIELD
Sophomore receiver Donte Davis made a 34-yard catch in the third quarter …. It was the longest reception of his career … Davis was SU’s leading receiver Saturday with three receptions for 40 yards.
PACKED HOUSE
Saturday’s attendance was 45,795 … It was the largest crowd for an Orange home game since Greg Robinson took over as head coach in 2005.
