Pittsburgh Hands Syracuse First Loss of the Season

The opening 8 minutes inside the Petersen Events Center last night were something out of a horror movie if you're a Syracuse fan. As Pittsburgh made basket after basket and Syracuse missed shot after shot and carelessly turned the ball over the crowd only grew louder and louder as Syracuse fans everywhere were left saying "the horror, the horror!" When the dust had settled the Pittsburgh Panthers had jumped out to a 19-0 lead on the #3 Syracuse Orangemen.

Then a spark went off, and at the 11:56 mark Scoop Jardine finally hit a 3-pointer to put the Cuse on the board. That bucket sparked a 17-0 run for the Orangemen to miraculously push the score to 19-17 with 6:08 left in the first half. Even Dick Vitale, who has been saying the same four phrases since 1985, was left speechless at the Orangemen's dramatic turn around.

James Southerland drilled a three pointer with 34 seconds left in the first half to cut the lead to 1 point, however with 3 seconds left in the half Ashton Gibbs knocked down a 3-pointer of his own to put Pittsburgh back up 4 points at the break. It was that kind of night.

The Orangemen and the Panthers would trade blows to open the 2nd half, and with 13:52 on the game clock James Southerland swished a 3-pointer to tie the game 41-41. The Orangemen were in business. The Cuse had clawed back, overcame a 19-0 run and the most hostile building in the nation and had evened the scored early in the second half.

Unfortunately, those good vibrations only lasted 16 seconds, because Travon Woodall came down the court for Pittsburgh and knocked down a 3-pointer of his own to give Pittsburgh a 44-41 lead. Just like that, the wind was right back out of the Cuse's sails.

That 3-pointer with 13:36 remaining was the ball game, as Syracuse was never able to mount another run inside the Petersen Events Center. Final score 74-66 Pittsburgh. Syracuse was denied matching the best start in school history, and with the loss are 18-1 on the season, 5-1 in Big East play. This was Pittsburgh's 5th straight win over Syracuse, and 13th win in the last 16 contests.

In the absence of Kris Joseph, James Southerland got the start. Southerland played 38 minutes and shot 3 of 8 from the field for 8 points. Unfortunately he only grabbed 1 rebound all game. Fab Melo, Baye Moussa Keita, Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche all combined for ZERO rebounds for Syracuse, who were out-rebounded 41-27 by Pittsburgh.

Rick Jackson was the usual rock for the Orangemen that he's been all season. He had a team high 11 rebounds and 10 points while notching his 12th double-double of the season. Jackson also picked up 2 assists 3 steals 3 blocks and turned the ball over just once while staying out of foul trouble all night.

C.J. Fair came in off the bench for the Orangemen and played 36 extremely strong minutes, leading Syracuse in scoring with 16 points and pulled down 9 rebounds (5 on the offensive glass) while blocking 2 shots. Fair was extremely impressive while Syracuse mounted a 17-0 run in the 1st half, as was freshman Dion Waiters who played 25 minutes.

Waiters scored 9 points and had 6 rebounds 3 assists 2 steals while making 1 turnover, and was a big spark for Syracuse off the bench while the other two guards, Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche struggled. Jardine was 4 of 13 from the floor, and all 4 of his made shots were 3-pointers. Triche wasn't much better, shooting 4 of 9 from the floor. When Syracuse needed both players to step up with Kris Joseph out, neither responded as Orangemen fans would have hoped, but thankfully Syracuse had C.J. Fair and Dion Waiters ready to play off the bench.

In one miraculous statistic, Syracuse only turned the ball over seven times to Pittsburgh's twelve. So that's one bright spot. Another is the way Syracuse fought to get back into the game after they were seemingly run out of the gym in the games opening 8 minutes.

The Orangemen could have just packed it in, however they dug deep and found a way to score points while clamping down on defense on the other end. Syracuse held Pittsburgh off the scoreboard for nearly 6 minutes after allowing 19 unanswered points. That is definitely something to hang their hats on. As was the play from C.J. Fair.

The #3 Syracuse Orangemen return to the court on Saturday at 12:00PM when they take on the #7 Villanova Wildcats in the Carrier Dome on ESPN. If you don't already have tickets you might want to get on that, as ticket sales have already passed the 31,000 mark. If you are going to the game, I know it's early, but please make some noise.

The Cuse Connection will be making their first visit to the Carrier Dome this season for the game, and will be tweeting live all weekend from Marshall St. and the Carrier Dome. Be sure to follow us on twitter @CuseConnection to stay up to the minute with all the action.

photo courtesy of syracuse.com

#3 Syracuse Orangemen and #4 Pittsburgh Panthers Face Off at Petersen Events Center

Tonight the #3 Syracuse Orangemen will face their toughest test of the season as they look to match the best start in school history. Syracuse, 18-0 (5-0 Big East) will travel to the Petersen Events Center to take on the #4 Pittsburgh Panthers (17-1, 5-0 Big East), just one win shy of the mark set by the 1999-2000 Orangemen that started their season 19-0.

Syracuse will be playing without leading scorer Kris Joseph, who suffered a concussion after being slammed to the floor during the first half of the Cincinnati game on Saturday. To add insult to injury, the Orangemen have lost 5 of their last 6 games at the Petersen Events Center, and Pittsburgh has lost just once in the last 51 games at the P.E.C. The Panthers have won 19 straight games at home and by an average of nearly 20 points.

With Joseph on the mend, Syracuse fans are expecting sophomore James Southerland to get the starting nod. Following Southerland off the bench will be freshman C.J. Fair as Syracuse looks to find a way to carry on without Joseph, who was averaging 18.4 points in his previous seven games prior to being knocked out of the Cincinnati game.

With the Orangemen down one of their core-four players in one of the most hostile buildings in the Big East, you cannot stress the importance of Rick Jackson. Pittsburgh is one of the most physical teams in the conference, and don't think that the Panthers won't start roughing up Jackson inside to try and bait him into taking a few early fouls.

The Panthers' know that Rick Jackson is the heart of this undefeated Syracuse squad, so expect to see them get physical with him early. Syracuse has been fortunate in their first 18 games to keep Rick Jackson out of foul trouble, the leading rebounder in the Big East, and Jackson has only been called for 4 fouls in a game twice so far this season. Once was against William & Mary and again in the first Big East game of the season against Providence.

In the scary event of seeing Rick Jackson in foul trouble, this Syracuse fan would not be surprised to see Mookie Jones pop off the bench for 3-5 minutes with Kris Joseph on the shelf. Mookie certainly has a lot to prove, and would certainly give as much as he has got if he could sniff the floor tonight.

Syracuse saw some signs of life out of freshman center Fab Melo on Saturday as well. In the second half Fab Melo went on a tear, after which he declared "I felt very comfortable out there today. I think I'll play even better the next game." This was after Melo scored 6 points blocked 4 shots and pulled down 4 boards. We are going to need Melo to do more than just "think" he'll play even better. We are going to need to see it if Syracuse wants to have a chance to remain undefeated tonight.

For the #4 Pittsburgh Panthers, junior Ashton Gibbs (6'2" 190 pounds) is leading the team averaging 16.3 points per game and is shooting 44.6% from 3-point range. Gibbs likes taking a lot of three pointers and knocked down a season high 5 threes twice so far this season (although both times he attempted 10 in the game). Gibbs has also scored a season high 24 points twice this year, and scored 22 points on Georgetown on January 12th.

Brad Wanamaker (6'4" 210 pounds) out of Philadelphia, PA is the 2nd leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points 5.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Wanamaker also shoots with 40.7% accuracy from beyond the arc, however he attempts much fewer long range shots than Gibbs. Brad Wanamaker scored a season high 24 points in the opening game of the season against URI and scored 21 points on December 11th in the team's lone loss to Tennessee.

Senior Gilbert Brown (6'6" 210 pounds) from Harrisburg, PA averages 11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for the Panthers. Although he doesn't attempt many 3-pointers, he managed to knock down 5 of 6 in Providence on January 4th and shoots 41.4% from behind the 3-point line. Brown had a season high 28 points on December 18th against Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) a team that is 4-12 this season. In the game he made 4 of 5 three point attempts.

The game featuring the #3 Syracuse Orangemen and #4 Pittsburgh Panthers is a part of ESPN's Big Monday, and tip-off will be at 7:30PM on ESPN. Check back in with The Cuse Connection following the game for complete recap and analysis.

photo courtesy of syracuse.com

Pittsburgh Finds A Coach

The Pittsburgh Panther's Football team has found a replacement for recently ushered out Dave Wannstedt. The University announced today that Michael Haywood is the next head coach of the Panthers.

Haywood comes to Pittsburgh from Miami of Ohio, where he was the head coach for the past two seasons. In his first year the team went 1-11, however this past season he guided them to a 9-4 record. Michael Haywood was an offensive coordinator at Notre Dame under Charlie Weiss, where he also played cornerback during his playing days.

Michael Haywood is the first black head coach in football or basketball in Pittsburgh Panther history. He gave this speech to his team before taking the field against Temple on November 23rd, 2010 right before coaching his team to a 23-3 victory.

Much like our HCDM, he requires his players to wear shirts and ties on road trips. Some fans in Pittsburgh are "less than thrilled" with the hire.

Pittsburgh Outclasses Syracuse, Defeats Orangemen 45-14

PITTSBURGH 45

SYRACUSE 14

In front of 40,168 orange-clad Syracuse fans, the Syracuse Orangemen were absolutely dominated in every facet of the game by the Pittsburgh Panthers. There were very few bright spots on this Saturday afternoon, and the loss dropped Syracuse from first place in the Big East back down into reality. Syracuse is now 4-2 on the year, 1-1 in the Big East.

Clearly, Syracuse was not ready to take the next step against Pittsburgh on this Saturday afternoon. After the Orangemen went three and out to open the game, the Panthers scored on their very first play from scrimmage, a 79 yard touchdown pass from Tino Sunseri to Devin Street. Just like that all the excitement and momentum the cuse had been gaining over the first six weeks of the college football season were seemingly zapped from the Dome in that instant.

Syracuse would respond with a touchdown drive of their own to tie the score at 7-7. Alec Lemon caught a 41 yard pass from Ryan Nassib to bring the Orangemen down to the Pittsburgh 13 yard line. From there Delone Carter banged into the Pittsburgh end zone to tie the game. Syracuse's timely response gave Orange fans everywhere a reason to believe again, although it would be short lived.

After Syracuse and Pittsburgh exchanged three and out drives, Syracuse was held to a punt again by the Panther's defense. This time the punt coverage unit for the cuse couldn't answer the call. Pitt ran the ball down to the Syracuse 20 yard line on the return and a 14 yard touchdown pass from Sunseri to Ray Graham with under a minute left in the 1st quarter would give Pittsburgh the lead for good. The game would never be in doubt again.

The Panthers would score three more touchdowns before Syracuse got on the board again in the 4th quarter. The Orangemen had chances to get back into the game, but every time the cuse crossed into Pitt territory, there was a fumble or an interception waiting for them on the other side. In total, Syracuse turned the ball over four times, compared to zero for Pitt.

Ryan Nassib had one of his worst days of the season on Saturday, and he was not alone. Nassib finished the afternoon with 25 of 46 completions, 231 yards 1TD and 2INTs. One of the interceptions opened the 2nd half scoring for Pitt when it was returned 80 yards by Ricky Gary for a Pittsburgh touchdown. Additionally, Delone Carter rushed for just 38 yards on 13 carries and 1TD. Bailey added 25 yards on 7 attempts with 13 receiving yards on 3 catches. Syracuse's dynamic running back duo was completely shut down.

With the lack of a running game, and Ryan Nassib having one of his worst showings of his young career, Syracuse's defense was forced onto the field with very little time on the sidelines. The Orangemen were just 4 of 13 on 3rd down attempts. Syracuse was out hit, out run, out coached, out everything'd in this game.

Syracuse fans watching the game Saturday were left scratching their heads wondering if SU addressed how to tackle in practice last week. Well fear not cuse fans, because I can assure you that they will certainly be working on tackling much of this week! Pittsburgh knew Syracuse's weakness was in the secondary and they exploited it all afternoon. Sunseri finished the day 17 of 24 passing attempts for 266 yards 4TDs and no picks.

Additionally, Dion Lewis torched Syracuse all afternoon, running for 80 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. After a week of shutting down the South Florida Bulls offense on the road in Tampa, the Syracuse defense was no where to be found in the Dome. Perhaps it was just a let down game after a huge emotional road win.

At the end of the day it is only 1 loss against a team that everyone had high hopes for at the start of the season. Pittsburgh shined on this day while Syracuse reverted back into its former self. Still, Syracuse is only three wins away from clinching a Bowl Game appearance for the first time since 2004, and with six games remaining on the schedule Syracuse fans can still be hopeful that we can get there.

A few game notes now:

• Michael Hay (#74), who I have been hard on, had one of his best games of the season. The entire offensive line did their best job protecting against the pass rush this year.
• What are the odds that #85 on both teams is named Cruz?
• After promoting the Homecoming football game all week (or Orange Central) Syracuse still couldn't manage to sell out the football game. Not sure what its going to take to win back the hearts and minds of the locals.
• Delone Carter's 1st quarter touchdown gave him 21 for his career. That ties Carter with Malcolm Thomas for 9th on Syracuse's all-time rushing TD list.
• Doug Hogue had a career high 12 tackles and Derrell Smith tied his career best with 9 solo tackles. Of course this was a result of them being on the field all afternoon.

Syracuse's schedule will not get any easier going forward. From here, the Orangemen will travel to Morgantown to take on #20 West Virginia. The game will be televised on ESPN2 live at 12:00PM.

photo courtesy of syracuse.com

Friday News and Notes:

Homecoming weekend is officially underway today, although the awkwardness of "Orange Central" has been going on all week. As Syracuse University's alumni make their way back to the Hill, they will be looking forward to a weekend of drinking, fine pitas, and of course Syracuse Football.

There are three distinguished alumni coming back for this weekend and they will not be in town strictly for the football game. Jonny Flynn, Wes Johnson and NBA journeyman Jason Hart will be in the Carrier Dome tonight for a homecoming of their own. All three are currently on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster, although Hart is there on a try-out basis. The 'Wolves will be taking on the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off is at 7:30PM and Jason Hart and Wes Johnson will be taking to the 'Jim Boeheim Court' for a preseason NBA game. Unfortunately JFlynn is being held out due to injury.

For those young fans out there Jason Hart was a true pleasure to watch on the court. He currently ranks as the all-time leader in steals and 2nd in assists to Sherman Douglas. Jason Hart came to campus in time for the 1996/97 season. He replaced Lazarus Sims (who graduated) as the starting point guard in his freshman year. He would remain a starter all four years. The 1999/2000 team lead by seniors Hart, Etan Thomas and Ryan Blackwell started the year 19-0 and wound up losing to the eventual National Champions Michigan State in the Sweet 16. For the fans who grew up watching Hart, who is also current SU point guard Brandon Triche's cousin, it will be a great chance to show their respects for one of the great competitors and defenders in SU hoops history.

For those fans driving to the games at the Dome this weekend, there is some roadwork they will want to be aware of. According to Syracuse.com there's construction on i-81 south (which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone). There will be construction, there will be lane reductions, and there will be encouragement to take i-481 south around the city to the Brighton Avenue exit. They then advise fans to follow signs for Dome parking. Also the on ramp to i-81 north to i-690 is closed for when fans are leaving the game.

Remember fans, the Homecoming game is on at 12 noon Saturday. The Syracuse Orangemen v. The Pittsburgh Panthers. Televised live on SNY the Big East Network. Although if you live in the Syracuse area the only way to truly watch the game is inside the Carrier Dome where tickets are still available. Rumors on the internet are gathering that the Dome expects to reach 40,000 tickets sold sometime today. Don't be afraid to walk up on the day of the game and buy a ticket! Also, remember to wear orange, as its an 'orange out'.

LETS GO ORANGE!

Dave Wannstedt Wins Big East Celebrity Look-a-Like Contest

Well the results are in and its good news for the University of Pittsburgh. Dave Wannstedt finally put his mustache to good use and took 1st place in the Celebrity Look-a-Like contest with Dennis Farina, star of stage and screen. Farina has stared in such movies as Snatch, Get Shorty, Saving Private Ryan and Midnight Run. His career has spanned nearly three decades.

Dennis Farina was not immediately available for comment. No word on whether or not Dave Wannstedt will have his 1st place trophy with him on the sidelines this Saturday when Pittsburgh travels to Syracuse to take on the Orangemen on Homecoming Weekend.

Tickets are still available by calling the Dome box office (1-888-DOMETIX) or going to suathletics.com. Word is starting to spread that only 35,474 tickets have been sold thus far. Fans in the Syracuse area please try and do everything in your powers to attend this Saturday's game at 12:00. If Syracuse wants to dominate at home than they are going to need their fans behind them. Making some noise. They need everyone tuned into the game. Go support the defense that gave so much last week, pulling out a much needed win in Tampa. You will not be disappointed.

Also, there are Orange Out the Dome t-shirts on sale at Manny's this week for the upcoming game. They look very fresh, $9.98 plus shipping. T-shirts were designed by Michael Borkowski who does a tremendous job each week drawing SU sketches, among many other projects.

Isn't it funny that Syracuse has to actually tell people to orange out the dome? People who aren't wearing jerseys should be required by law to wear orange into the Dome!

Welcome Everyone! To 'Orange Central'!

Saturday at 12 o'clock the Orangemen will be taking on the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Carrier Dome. This weekend is homecoming for all Orangemen alumni, and a special 50th reunion for the class of 1960. Those of us who keep a watchful eye on University happenings will notice that people around the Hill have been referring to this weekend's events as "Orange Central."

What is "Orange Central", and why aren't we calling it homecoming? I dove deep into the internet to find out the answers.

The place to look was of course syracuse.edu. They explained that "Orange Central offers something for everyone, from sporting events to film premieres to art exhibits." Quick note, they spelt premieres wrong, but I digress. The first thing this makes me think is "wow they are really taking the attention away from the football game. Is Homecoming too closely associated with a football game for our gracious chancellor?" Perhaps we needed a more gender neutral slogan.

'Orange Central' begins on Tuesday and the events are indeed as varied as the website lead us to believe. There's SU Idol to kick things off. I assume that means that a few students will perform karaoke at the Schine Student Center at 7:30PM. Tickets are $3 for students and $7 for general admission. There's a slightly more exciting Battle of the Bands on Thursday night at 8PM at the Schine Underground. There will be prizes and original music.

Additionally on Thursday there will be an "Art of Inclusion" meeting, or discussion group, or panel. Not really sure how they are running that. They will be having a "red-carpet premiere of People Like Me, a documentary about actors with various disabilities working with undergrad drama students at Syracuse. Premiere was spelt correctly this time. I'm not sure how "red-carpet" the premiere is, but if it comes as advertised be on the lookout for Doctor Daryl Gross to be on that red-carpet. The main page for Orange Central describes the "Art of Inclusion" to be "celebrating the inclusive campus." Yeah this one just wreaks of Nancy Cantor's involvement.

Other events during this week long party are the Syracuse International Film Festival, taking place Wednesday through Sunday. Thursday there will be a preview screening of "Session," a psychological thriller which was made in Syracuse and also stars Bar Rafeli. Yup, that Bar Rafeli. No word on if she will be in attendance.

Damon Waynes will be on campus. Max Weinberg will be on campus. Bill Viola and James Bradley will be on campus. Wesley Johnson and Johnny Flynn will be on campus. The Minnesota Timberwolves will be taking on the Detroit Pistons in a NBA preseason showdown at the Carrier Dome Friday night at 7:30. Flynn is unlikely to play due to injury though. Get your tickets at suathletics.com or by calling the Dome box office.

With so many big events happening in and around the Syracuse University campus this week (full list of events here), one might easily forget about the MAIN EVENT taking place this weekend. With all the excitement of an International Film Festival and the 60th anniversary of Hillel at Syracuse University (also featuring a panel discussion which will include none other than Jerry Stiller of Seinfeld fame) one might easily forget about the Football game. Remember that from the start of the article?

Yes, none of us can forget that the Orangemen and Panthers will play at Noon on Saturday and that it is indeed Homecoming weekend, and hardly this concoction of events tied together under the Orange Central moniker. The only thing all these events have in common is that they are completely unrelated to the football game.

What ever happened to homecomings that were dinner, drinks, pep rallies and football games? Thats what the alumni are coming back for. Its important not to lose sight of this as the years roll on. This is the biggest home football game in years for the Orangemen. Coming home 4-1 after a big win in Tampa, Florida, the attention needs to be on the team and getting everyone to the game. Through six weeks of the college football season, our Syracuse Orangemen are alone atop the Conference standings. Let's show the players what the Carrier Dome used to sound like on game day! The alums know what I'm talking about.