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!

It's Midnight Madness!!

It's that time of year again. Time to kick off the Syracuse Basketball season in style! Midnight Madness has been scheduled for October 22nd at the Carrier Dome. The events of Midnight Madness kick off in true Syracuse style at 7:30PM, a more politically correct time, rather than at midnight. Maybe we can think of a different name? The Syracuse Atheltic's Department have already lined up great entertainment from the mid-1990s!

Performing live in the Carrier Dome for no reason I can comprehend will be Naughty by Nature! The group will start the evening with a performance before the assembled basketball fans, and there will also be an appearance by someone named Marcus Canty. He is allegedly a singer who has performed at Showtime at the Apollo. No word on how many appearances he has made. I can confirm at least one visit in 2006.

That's quite the superstar lineup. But wait. There's more! The Harlem Wizards, not the Globetrotters, will be in the Dome as well along with their "Trick Hoopz and Alley Oops."

After these world class entertainers leave the court, fans will finally get to see the first glimpse of the 2010/2011 Men's and Woman's Basketball teams. Both squads will participate in scrimmages, a dunk contest, and a DANCE contest! Look for James Southerland to absolutely dominate the dance contest (53 second mark). I'm calling it now.

Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Carrier Dome box office, Schine Student Center, and various AmeriCU branches around the Syracuse area starting Wednesday October 13th. Read the official press release for details of those locations here. There is a four ticket limit per person.

In other Syracuse Basketball news, individual tickets went on sale today at 10:00AM. Go purchase them now online or by calling the Carrier Dome box office.

photo courtesy of syracuse.com

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.

Delone Carter's Run for the Record Book Update

As previously reported on The Cuse Connection, Delone Carter is currently attempting to finish his career at Syracuse with his name along side the greatest running backs in Orangemen history. This past Saturday, Carter rushed for 105 yards on 26 carries. Delone Carter now has 2,395 career rushing yards, 9 better than 1961 Heisman Trophy winner and Syracuse legend Ernie Davis. Carter now sits in 10th place on the All-time Rushing list. Next up is Damien Rhodes who had 2,461 yards between 2002 and 2005.

While DC3 has now passed Ernie Davis, a quick look at Davis' stats show how impressive his numbers were. In Davis' day, freshman were not eligible to play in varsity games. Thus, Davis has 2,386 yards on just 360 carries. Delone Carter has 2,395 yards on 514 carries, and counting. That gives Davis an amazing 6.63 yards per carry for his career. Carter is currently averaging 4.66 yards per attempt.

Delone Carter is just 66 yards away from catching Rhodes for 9th All-time on the rushing list and has seven games left in the regular season. Syracuse fans will hope to see Carter pass Damien Rhodes this Saturday (homecoming weekend) when Syracuse takes on the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Carrier Dome at noon. If DC3 doesn't get there Saturday, plan on it coming the following Saturday when Syracuse travels to Morgantown to take on the Mountaineers of West Virginia.

Top Ten All-Time Rushers in Syracuse Orangemen History:

1. Joe Morris 4,299

2. Walter Reyes 3,424

3. Larry Csonka 2,934

4. James Mungro 2,869

5. Floyd Little 2,704

6. David Walker 2,643

7. Dee Brown 2,626

8. Bill Hurley 2,551

9. Damien Rhodes 2,461

10. Delone Carter 2,395

Photo courtesy of Michael Borkowski

Big East Roundup (Week 6)

Now that the dust has settled on an outstanding Syracuse weekend and we all begin to dry out from what was surely two nights of celebration, we can sit back and look at how the rest of the Big East did this weekend.

The first game on the slate this weekend was the Friday night game UCONN at Rutgers. Rutgers freshman QB Chas Dodd starting in place of Tom Savage threw for 18/29 322 yards and 2 TDs. Rutgers scored 10 straight 4th quarter points to edge the Huskies in Piscataway, final score 27-24. Rutgers kicked a 34 yard field goal with just 13 seconds left to give them the edge on this night. Rutgers will host Army at the New Meadowlands stadium this Saturday at 2PM while UCONN will be enjoying a bye week.

Louisville absolutely destroyed Memphis at home, 56-0. Louisville quarterback Adam Froman threw for 235 yards on 12 of 16 attempts with 4 TD passes. Bilal Powell, Cardinal running back, tallied 204 rushing yards of his own to go along with 2 rushing scores. The Cards defense held Memphis to just 39 rushing yards on the day and it was the program's first shut out since beating Temple 62-0 in 2006. Louisville will face off against Cincinnati at home this weekend to open up their conference schedule.

Pittsburgh traveled to South Bend this past Saturday and lost to the Fightin' Irish 23-17 in a contest that was hardly ever in doubt. Pittsburgh would jump out to an early 3-0 lead, however Notre Dame responded with 20 unanswered points. The loss drops Pittsburgh to 2-3 on the year. It was Notre Dame's first win over Pitt since 2005. Additionally, they haven't beaten Pitt in South Bend since 2002. Pittsburgh will travel to Syracuse next week.

Elsewhere in the conference West Virginia topped UNLV at home 49-10 and Cincinnati dominated Miami of Ohio 45-3. Geno Smith of WVU threw three touchdown passes, all to Brad Starks, and Noel Devine rushed for two scores of his own in this lopsided victory. Cinci would jump out to a quick 28-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Zach Collaros threw for 3 TD passes and 216 total yards and Isaiah Pead rushed for 197 yards on 10 carries with 1 TD. Next week Cinci will travel to Louisville in a Big East match up, and West Virginia will host South Florida on ESPN Thursday night at 7:30.

Through six weeks of Big East play, the conference standings are as follows:

1. SYRACUSE 4-1 (1-0)

2. Rutgers 3-2 (1-0)

3. West Virginia 4-1

4. Louisville 3-2

5. Cincinnati 2-3

6. Pittsburgh 2-3

7. South Florida 3-2 (0-1)

8. Connecticut 3-3 (0-1)

[UPDATE: Senior Max Suter named Big East Defensive Player of the week. Suter recorded 8 tackles, six of them solo three for a loss, and a sack. Suter was a 2007 Big East Special Teams Player of the week in 2007 after a 93 yard kickoff return for a touch down in Louisville.]

Syracuse Football Goes on the Road, Puts Big East on Notice!

SYRACUSE 13

USF 9

On a hot and sunny Saturday in Tampa, Florida, the Syracuse Orangemen pulled off a stunning victory. Lead by their defense who only surrendered 3 points, Syracuse kept holding on until Ryan Nassib found Marcus Sales for a 4 yard touchdown pass with 7:15 left in the 4th quarter. The score gave Syracuse the lead 13-9, and they would not look back.

The game started out in a defensive stalemate. First quarter ended 0-0 with Syracuse having only run 10 offensive plays for 21 yards and 1 first down. At half time the score was tied 3-3. As good as the defense looked for Syracuse, their special teams and offense were going nowhere quickly.

Special teams for both sides made costly plays in the second quarter to jeopardize their teams outcome. First the Orangemen defense came onto the field and forced USF three and out with 9:01 left to play in the first half. After a punt by USF, the ball bounced at the Syracuse 36 yard line, striking Syracuse junior safety Olando Fisher. The ball was recovered by South Florida inside Syracuse territory.

The ensuing drive would push the Bulls down to the Syracuse 24 yard line. After the cuse defense held again, USF lined up for a field goal try with 6:04 left and made it. However the Bulls had a special teams disaster of their own, and were penalized 5 yards on a false start. The kick, this time from 47 yards out, missed and the score remained tied 3-3.

Mistakes and penalties would continue to mount for Syracuse as the first half winded down. Syracuse would take the ball down to the USF 20 yard line and faced a 4th and 1 with 1:27 left in the half. With two capable running backs on the team, Doug Marrone opted to give the ball to full back Adam Harris, who rushed for no gain. Harris had just 3 carries on the year. Marrone would lose a challenge for the spot of the ball, and USF took over at their own 20. The score would stay knotted at 3-3 at half time.

To open the second half, Syracuse put together a solid drive. Delone Carter and Ryan Nassib steered the team down field. Syracuse's offense again couldn't find the end zone, and were held to a 41 yard Ross Krautman FG which gave the Orangemen their first lead of the game.

The lead would be short lived. On the kickoff following the SU field goal, Lindsey Lamar of USF caught the ball at the 6 yard line and burned past the Orange special teams unit for a 94 yard touchdown run to give the bulls the 9-6 lead. Ensuing field goal would be blocked by Syracuse's coverage unit, and the score remained 9 to 6. Special teams execution was defining the afternoon.

The score would stay 9-6 when Syracuse got the ball on their own 2 yard line with 13:49 left in the game. With hopes for an Orangemen victory looking increasingly dim, Ryan Nassib, Delone Carter and Antwon Bailey would put together quite possibly the defining drive of the season. The trio would bring Syracuse to first and goal just 4 yards of short of the end zone. With 7:22 left on the game clock, Ryan Nassib found Marcus Sales (back from the dead!) for a 4 yard touch down pass giving Syracuse a 13-9 lead. The drive was the longest on the season for the Orangemen, 14 plays for 98 yards and the cuse would now turn to their defense to hold onto the game.

As they did all afternoon, the Syracuse defense would stop the next two drives by the Bulls giving Syracuse the ball as time wound down. Doug Marrone and the Orangemen pulled off a win that felt impossible to achieve the last five seasons, on the road, in the football recruiting hotbed of Florida. One can not say enough about the Syracuse defense. The unit made USF QB BJ Daniels look like a lost little boy all afternoon. Intercepting him twice, sacking Daniels 4 times, and being held to just 9 completions in 23 passing attempts for 124 yards 0 TDs.

The Bulls' rushing attack didn't fair much better. Moise Plancher would finish the day with 58 rushing yards on 15 carries, and Demetris Murray was held to just 38 yards rushing. On the day USF rushed for just 95 combined yards, giving the Bulls just 219 yards total on the day to go along with just 3 points (not including the special teams kickoff return for a touch down).

Max Suter lead Syracuse's defense with 8 tackles (six of them solo, three for a loss), a forced fumble and a sack. Shamarko Thomas had 6 tackles, Jeremi Wilkes and Da'Mon Merkerson each recorded an interception of Daniels, and Shamarko Thomas, Brandon Sharpe, and Mike Holmes each recorded a sack as well. Chandler Jones, Andrew Lewis and Doug Hogue each recorded five tackles. Syracuse's defense hasn't looked as confident as they did Saturday since the early 2000s. Every time they took the field, they had a look like they weren't going to surrender. Every time they were called on to make a big play, they responded.

Game Notes from the win at USF:

• First question, have ANY of you EVER seen a false start in the victory formation? The team is taking a knee to run out the clock and Syracuse takes a false start penalty. Shocking!
• Syracuse had 12 penalties for 87 yards. Unacceptable.
• Michael Hay (#74) continues to be completely lost on the offensive line.
• Delone Carter rushed for 105 yards on 26 carries. This Moves Carter past Syracuse Legend Ernie Davis for 10th on the All-time rushing list. Next up is Damien Rhodes with 2,461 yards.
• Antwon Bailey continues to contribute in a big way. Bailey finished the day with 81 yards on 9 carries and 3 catches for 48 yards. 129 total yards on the day. I think its safe to say Bailey needs to be on the field!
• Quick question: why doesn't Syracuse ever go with the split back formation with their two dynamic runners?
• Too many dropped passes on 3rd and long.

Next week Syracuse will host the University of Pittsburgh on homecoming weekend. Many people this week will try to tell you that this weekend is "Orange Central," but don't fool yourselves. It's homecoming. Orangemen fans from all over the Syracuse area will be required to attend this game. Syracuse is coming back to the Dome 4-1 on the year, in sole possession of first place in the Big East, and off the biggest win for the program since they beat the Fightin' Irish in South Bend in 2008. Best start since 1999. If those aren't enough reasons to get you to the Dome Saturday, I think we need to send a doctor over to your home because you might need to be admitted to a local area hospital. Upon release, GO TO THE GAME!

photo courtesy of syracuse.com

DaShonte Riley Injured, Could Miss Season

News out of Syracuse today tells us DaShonte Riley has injured his foot and it could require surgery. Earlier this week my cousin, who is currently enrolled at SU, informed me he saw Dashonte Riley on campus in a walking boot. This news confirms that tip, and Jim Boeheim has said the injury is similar to a stress fracture. Boeheim said the two options are surgery, or to wait and hope it heals on its own in time to play this season. The decision is said to come at the end of next week. No word yet on whether or not ESPN will cover the decision live.

DaShonte Riley was among the candidates to start at center on November 12th when the Orangemen basketball season tips-off against Northern Iowa. If Riley is forced to miss the entire 2010-2011 season he will be eligible for a medical redshirt.

Syracuse is left with incoming Freshman Fabricio de Melo (7'0" 265lbs) and returning starting forward Rick Jackson (6'9" 240lbs) as serious options for the center position. Also on the team is freshman Baye Moussa Keita (6'11"220lbs), however he is looked at as more of a project than a regular contributor for this season.

Everyone on the team is going to have to step up and pick up the slack in the event of a season ending foot injury to Riley. Most importantly, Fab Melo is going to have to learn to adjust to the college game that much quicker. If he can make the adjustment and learn to play at an even higher level than he has ever been exposed to, than Syracuse's season should continue on without a hitch. Melo's security cushion may have just left the building.

Forward Mookie Jones (6'6" 220lbs), one player many felt might not be able to find minutes this season, could be getting the opportunity he's been waiting for. Additionally, sophomore James Southerland (6'8" 205lbs) might find himself with increased minutes in the event of season ending surgery to Riley. Stay tuned to the Cuse Connection for more details.

photo courtesy of syracuse.com