First, I have to admit that I was a little cranked when the "no memory card present" warning came up when I hit the camera's on button so you will have to work with me on the visuals. That being said, even with the sloppy play and the knowledge that the impending Big East games would not be as easy as this double overtime win over 1-4 Wyoming, it was one of the more exciting sporting events I have ever been at.
Gary - who drove up from Ithaca on his day of two tailgates - was good enough to photograph my pre-game lunch at the Dinosaur BBQ where we were treated like the "sweet boys" we are by server #34. The ribs were particularly plump this time and Ithaca Brown, Otter Creek Porter, Syracuse Pale Ale and Dino's own house ale made by Middle Ages were relied upon. Say what you like but we earned it as we had to walk from the Carrier Dome to Middle Ages Brewing to hook up with Gary as we remembered too late after we got a jombie parking spot that Syracuse is the land of the comprehensive absence of taxis.
Anyway, the game. Brendan Carney again played a very solid game but got little of the fanfare. On at least three kickoffs, the Wyoming receiver had his feet within a yard of the end zone and the ball fell into his hands from 65 yards away. There was one unfortunate punt but even that got a huge roll after it landed to save the day. Here are the numbers:
| Kickoffs | |||||
| CARNEY,Brendan |
| Punting | ||||||
| CARNEY,Brendan |
At the end of half time, he was out cranking punts from half working on both length and height and one he kicked that went well over our level in the third level, row "I" got a particular woo out of the crowds. There will definitely be a place on the Ti-Cats for this guy one day.
Later: I just noticed two-toned orange me in the background.
As for the other players in the 40-34 2OT win, it was all about rushing back freshman #3 Delone Carter. Carter said after the game:
“I was very hungry. That’s what we call that. I was hungry and I wanted to eat and I ended up eating a lot today.”Four touchdowns and many very confident and strong spinning breaking runs left Wyoming looking bad...probably because in the big picture they are. Syracuse's defence returned the favour looking pretty bad themselves, especially early in the game, letting wide receivers with free eight yard runs before making any contact with anyone in an orange helmet. Play of the game for me was Wyomings first touchdown with a stretched out reception but SU's d' came back to amke their claim to play of the game stopping the second overtime drive with a crushing block on Wyoming quarterback Karsten Sween after which they chose (stupidly as it turned out) to go for the one yard on fourth rather than taking the field goal. After that failed, SU had a free kick to win but drove for the fourth of Carter's touchdowns. The fans went wild, the team rushed the field and Carter was carried around on the shoulders of his teammates after looking very unhappy after being at the bottom of the pile of love his team gave him.
Comments
gr - October 1, 2006 11:45 am
Sometimes, Alan, it is all in the tailgating, with the actual games a little down the priority list.
Alan - October 1, 2006 11:46 am
Best tailgater was deinitely th guy on the second story of the parkade.
gr - October 2, 2006 7:28 am
Big East not Big ten, now that I think of it.
Alan - October 2, 2006 8:10 am
Oh, yea. I pay so much attention to my use of past participles I miss those sorts of things.
Flea - October 3, 2006 9:16 am
You do realize this is not proper football, right?
Alan - October 3, 2006 9:44 am
Please pick one, any one.
Alan - October 3, 2006 9:47 am
Here is an extraordinary stat I knew nothing about from the article linked above:<blockquote class="smalltext">a series of meetings was held by 19 colleges in 1905–06. This occurred reputedly at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt. He was considered a fancier of the game, but he threatened to ban it unless the rules were modified to reduce the numbers of deaths and disabilities. The meetings are now considered to be the origin of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. One proposed change was a widening of the playing field. However, Harvard University had just built a concrete stadium and therefore objected to widening, instead proposing legalisation of the forward pass. The report of the meetings introduced many restrictions on tackling and two more divergences from rugby: the banning of mass formation plays, as well as the forward pass. <b>The changes did not immediately have the desired effect, and 33 American football players were killed during 1908 alone</b>. However, the number of deaths and injuries did gradually decline.</blockquote>
Paul - October 3, 2006 9:56 am
Well the extra down requires a bit of getting used to but if the skill level of the running backs and QBs and the energy imparted by a crownd of 20 t 30K equates to improper football then bring it on I say.
US college futbol is different than the Canadian University variety. I've been to many Queens games and the difference (apart from the size and talent gap) is that in the US, following tailgate festivities, the people pay upward of US$35 and go to watch the game. In Canada people enageg in pre-game house partying (a Canadian tailgate?) and then pay either nothing or something very small to go and party some more. One is not necessarily better than the other - just different.
In my humble opinion though - it was the best football I've ever seen.
Alan - October 3, 2006 10:00 am
It was certainly as fun and engaging a spectator even as my recollection or Arsenal v. West Ham or Celtic v. St. Mirren in 1977.
gr - October 3, 2006 7:04 pm
Hell, the food and drink were also the best ever served. Gentlemen, make plans for this sort of activity in '07.
gr - October 4, 2006 1:25 pm
There are times when I am bursting with American pride and thank my lucky stars I was not born in Soviet Russia or some other awful place. You Canadians may have Celine Dion and the CN tower, but I can walk into the grocery store and fill my cart with Dinosaur BBQ Habernero sauce AND garlic sauce. This is a great country.
Alan - October 5, 2006 7:43 am
Another good recap of the game with some of the consequent mid-week Big East honours. Next: Pitt at noon on Saturday.
Paul - October 5, 2006 10:25 am
Actually Gary - you guys have Celine Dion now. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha HAAAAA! BTW - we don't want her back either.
gr - October 5, 2006 11:05 am
Doesn't the Geneva convention prohibit the use of Celine Dion as a weapon of mass destruction?
Do you have any idea how tasty it is to slather Dinosaur sauce on EVERYTHING?
Alan - October 5, 2006 1:26 pm
Yes I do know that, Gary.
gr - October 5, 2006 1:33 pm
There is a culture deficit here. You people gave the world Celine Dion and we gave the world Dinosaur BBQ sauce. You owe us one.
I wonder if the resident music critic cm cares to weigh in on Celine?