#1 Miami @ Syracuse 1992

[Scooch]

TE Throwback??? This is one of the most memorable passes in SU history. TE over the middle, stopped at the 3 yard line. I don't think we started using the TE throwback until McNabb. First time I ever recall seeing it was at BC in 1996. There was an old wives tale at the time that had Graves thrown left to Shelby Hill, it would have been a TD. That he had beaten his corner and that the safety was cheating to Gedney. I could never prove that, but I remember when it was brought up back then it used to eat me up. I think the whole student section sat in the bleachers for at least 30 minutes after that game ended. It was a punch in the gut.

I was in the opposite end zone of that last play, in the SUMB section adjacent to the student section. I think everyone in the sections there put their arms up as Gedney the pass, and it was impossible to see if he crossed the goal line from across the field, so for a moment I thought he got in.

He didn't.

It sucked.

What a flippin' game though.

I've been chasing the high of that season ever since.

 

[CusefanATL]

I was 7 at that game. I remember vividly walking into the dome, my dad telling me not to leave his side ever - the dome was going to be crazy. I also remember him using all sorts of Keith Jackson lines all day "whoa nelly" "fumbleeee" etc...

And i remember Beano Cook predicting us to win.

I'll never forget the Chris Gedney catch and for a split second thinking he was going to score.

1 of my top 10 memories of all time.

 

[Toga]

I was in the opposite end zone of that last play, in the SUMB section adjacent to the student section. I think everyone in the sections there put their arms up as Gedney the pass, and it was impossible to see if he crossed the goal line from across the field, so for a moment I thought he got in.

He didn't.

It sucked.

What a flippin' game though.

I've been chasing the high of that season ever since.

Chasing the high - exactly. Boiled down, that is exactly what I want. Certainly one would love to win every big game, but what I mostly miss is the Dome crowd totally jacked up - backing their team which at least has a shot against any team in the country.

 

[SWC75]

TE Throwback??? This is one of the most memorable passes in SU history. TE over the middle, stopped at the 3 yard line.

I don't think we started using the TE throwback until McNabb. First time I ever recall seeing it was at BC in 1996.

There was an old wives tale at the time that had Graves thrown left to Shelby Hill, it would have been a TD. That he had beaten his corner and that the safety was cheating to Gedney. I could never prove that, but I remember when it was brought up back then it used to eat me up.

I think the whole student section sat in the bleachers for at least 30 minutes after that game ended. It was a punch in the gut.

The first tight end throwback I saw was to Pat Kelly in the 1987 Pittsburgh game.It wasn't along the goal line. We were deep in our own territory. But the play worked beautifully and Kelly ran for about 40 yards. It got us going and we went on to win after having been in a bad spot.

 

[OrangeBass]

SWC, I remember a play very similar to the tight end throw back in 1983 against BC that went about 40 yards for a touchdown and SU beat the Eagles and Doug Flutie 21-10. The QB may have been Kmetz or Norley and I thought the TE was Kelly but I think i am wrong. The tight end was so open it was ridiulous.

I remember that day, the 4 Wheel Drive DLine harrassed the heck out of Flutie.

 

[Eric15]

For what it's worth, I think the 1992 team was better than the 1987 team. I think 1987 team was excellent, but benefited from an extraordinarily easy schedule.

 

[Marsh01]

For what it's worth, I think the 1992 team was better than the 1987 team. I think 1987 team was excellent, but benefited from an extraordinarily easy schedule.

absolutely

 

[SWC75]

From Newspaper Archive.com:

http://poststandard.newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-journal/1992-11-22/page-45?tag=gedney

 

[NJCuse97]

So an easier schedule resulted in an undefeated team, a big bowl, and a shot at the NC from the voters? Hmmmm...

 

[SWC75]

Quotes from the Herald American on 11/22/92:
(Source: Newspaper Archive.com)

“University of Miami linebacker Darrin Smith couldn’t figure it out. The pained expression on his face was proof. According to the script, the second half is when the top-ranked defending national champion Hurricanes are supposed to stomp on the opponents, taunt them, beat them and leave them gasping for air, as they’ve done often during their 28 game winning streak.

But a funny thing kept happening after the half ended. The Number 8 ranked Orangemen- owners of one, just one first down and no points in the first half- pulled something of a Superman act in their dramatic 16-10 loss. Down 13-0 at the half, the sleeping Giant awakened. Big Time.

“I kept like saying ‘We’re going to stop them this time’ “, Smith, one of three touted Miami linebackers, said. “Then they made the play.” Syracuse pounded the ball at Smith’s fellow linemen and linebackers with big fullbacks Al Wooten and Marcus Lee, tailback David Walker and quarterback Marvin Graves. “Then I said, OK, we’re going to stop them this time”, Smith continued “And then they made the play again.” Smith’s face had the look of a new believer.”


The paper reported that Syracuse had -1 yards total offense in the first half and 295 in the second half. Dan Conley’s interception at the Miami 22, which he returned to the 19, did indeed come in the first quarter- it was actually his second interception of the game- he’d picked off a pass at the SU goal line to stop Miami’s previous drive. The second pick, as exciting as it was, didn’t result in any points as John Biskup missed a field goal. (Note: there was no overtime in 1992 so if he’d made the field goal, then a field goal at the end of the game would not have given us a chance to win, which we needed to do to have a shot at the championship game.)

George DeLeone: “In the first half, we couldn’t handle their pressure. Their theory was to come after us on every down and force us into third and long situations and they did. We felt the best answer to pressure was to go right after them.”

Dennis Erickson: “In the second half they came out and started trapping us on running plays and then they got the option going.”

Dan Conley: “We came into the locker room at halftime and knew we could stay with them and beat them. We just ran out of time.”

The paper reported “In the first half, they couldn’t move the football, much less score. In the second half Syracuse dominated offensively and defensively. If not for some poor clock management that even head Coach Paul Pasqualoni referred to in his post-game comments, the outcome could have been different.”

Miami increased their lead to 16-0 before SU got the ball. The Orange went on a 50 yard drive that was really a 65 yard drive but they stalled due to a couple of penalties and Biskup kicked a field goal to make it 3-16. After forcing Miami to punt, SU went on a 92 yard drive that ended with a 1 yard TD run by Graves. Terence Wisdom, our 297 pound tackle: “It seemed to me that they were getting a little tired.”

SU forced another Miami punt and drove from their own 20 into Miami territory but a tipped pass interception by Rahon Marley, (Bob’s son), ended the drive at the 25. After forcing Miami to punt again, SU got the ball at their 28 with 3:49 left. The following is taken from the play-by-play that was printed in the paper.

The final drive began with Graves being sacked and fumbling. Miami recovered and ran out the clock. Err…no they didn’t. They were offside and we were still alive. Graves ran for 4 yards. Brian Picucci tried to get the first down but was stuffed. Terry Richardson ran 14 yards on a “option run”, (so they did use it successfully in this drive) for the first down. One of the articles on the game said that graves “bounced the pitch” to him. Graves lost 2 on a run.

“ABC TV play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger and football analyst Dick Vermeil couldn’t figure it out. With 45 seconds left in the game, they wondered why SU quarterback Marvin graves was talking such an awfully long time to get the ball into play. Then it hit Musburger. “You know, I’m wondering if Marvin Graves wasn’t shaken up on that hit back there when Terry Richardson took off. I don’t think he’s quite the same.”

Qadry Ismael caught a pass for 11 yards. Graves ran for 15 yards. This would have taken it to the Miami 21, This is when he threw up.

“Graves, apparently weakened by fatigue and emotion, got sick in the SU huddle, vomiting on the carpet. SU was forced to call a time time-out it dearly would have preferred to save. But if the officials had to call time because of a sick or injured player, Graves would have bene forced to leave the game for one play. So, while the time out was costly, SU coaches agreed it was well-spent. Graves still wasn’t OK. He went to the Syracuse sideline near head coach Paul Pasqualoni and vomited again. Then he went back on the field and came within inches of beating the #1 team in the country.

Pasqualoni: “Marvin is not only a great player, a great person, the guy has got tremendous courage, as you’ve seen. He was not going to come out of the game under any circumstances. He was vomiting fluids, he was so tired.” (This is why I don’t much like it when people make fun of Donovan McNabb doing the same thing vs. Virginia Tech in 1998 or in the Super Bowl in 2005).

Graves remained in the game and ran for 4 yards on the next play. (This would be the near-side option I remember). What I didn’t remember was that he was sacked on two plays before the final play, losing a total of 15 yards. I also didn’t remember that “The first sack forced SU to use its final time out with 31 seconds remaining. The clock continued to run after the second sack by Miami’s Darren Krein. The Orangemen scurried to the line and center John Reagan snapped the ball Graves with four seconds left on the clock.

After Gedney was stopped on Miami’s 3 yard line by Miami strong safety Casey Greer, only zeros showed on the Dome scoreboard. Miami players celebrated their escape. Syracuse players lay stunned and motionless on the stadium carpet.

Gedney: “I just wish I could have carried my momentum a little bit further into the end zone. I knew when I came down I wasn’t in the end zone. I didn’t know how far away I was from it. It was just a sickening feeling, really”.

Greer: “I saw the pass coming and knew I couldn’t intercept it without getting pass interference. But I knew I was short (of the end zone), so I was looking to blast him and go right through him with a big hit”

“With no time left, the second half comeback was over. Gedney and other SU players sprawled on the turf in disbelief for several seconds. “I lost it,“ Wisdom said. “I couldn’t believe it was over. Just one more play. Just 3 yards….Just one more play.” The paper reported that “Musburger and Vermeil fell silent for 15 seconds after the clock ran out, letting the pictures tell the story.”

Fiesta Bowl director John Junker: “Those are two tremendous football teams. You really have to take your hat off to the tremendous, gutty job that Syracuse did. They really dominated Miami in the second half of play. No matter what you say about the Hurricanes, they’re still the heavyweight champion of the world. But Syracuse took them 15 full rounds on a decision .”

DeLeone: “It was an example of great composure on our football team. To have a chance to beat the most dominant team of the decade and not get it done- and we had every chance to do it- it’s crushing.”

Pasqualoni: “I don’t know if we were three plays short or one play short. We just didn’t get the whole thing done. We’re an awfully good football team. I think we showed we could compete with anybody.”

 

[SWC75]

Miami didn’t lack for respect- for themselves. In an article entitled “Boos are Like Candy to ‘Canes”:

Middle linebacker Michael Barrow said: We have faith in God. And when you have faith, you know you’re going to win. We got destiny on our side. Notre Dame used to have it. Now we got it. God is really blessing our team”. Barrow said he loved the Carrier Dome. “I couldn’t play outside in that cold. It’s all wet and freezing out there. I couldn’t stand it. I’m glad we inside in the Dome.” The temperature outside was 55 degrees. “We wanted to make the Dome our home and we did.”

Wide receiver Horace Copeland was wearing a Syracuse hat in the locker room. “Every time we win a game, I buy a hat of the team we beat. I have a big collection.”

Offensive linemen Diego London: Those fans didn’t come to see the home team. They came to see us. Hey, we weren’t playing the siter5s of the poor. Syracuse has a good team. But there’s a big difference between a good team and a champion like us. This game was about a good team and a great team.”

Casey Greer on the crowd booing the Canes when they entered, (he didn’t think it was aloud as at other places): “You got to understand, everybody looks at us as the bad boys of college football. The bad boys. The bad boys. The Hurricanes are the bad boys. That’s what we want. That’s good for this team, you understand.” Greer didn’t seem sure he had made his point. He grabbed a white T-shirt and held it high. “It’s a Cane thing”, the shirt read. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Oh, we understood. And we were rooting for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl when they whupped the Canes for the national title, 34-13. We also enjoyed beating them in the Dome 66-13 six years later. I hope they understood.

 

[SWC75]

With the home crowd going wild over Syracuse’s second-half surge, former CBS college basketball sportscaster Musburger proclaimed “Where is Sherman Douglas?” The paper had a side-bar aobut decibel levels:

115-120 decibels could hurt your hearing. Federal workplace standards say people should not be exposed to 100 decibels or above for more than one hour. The ten loudest plays in the game, (they’d actually assigned someone to keep track of this) were:

101 decibels: David Walker’s 17 yard run in the 4th quarter; Miami’s first quarter field goal; Graves’ scramble to the Miami 21 on the final drive, (just before he lost his lunch)

103: Graves' 1 yard touchdown run that made it 10-16 in the fourth quarter.

104: Glen Young stuffs a Miami run to force that first field goal; Gino Torretta gets sacked in the first quarter.

105: Shelby Hill returns a punt in the first quarter.

107: Dan Conley’s first interception at the SU goal line in the first quarter.

108: Conley’s second pick at the Miami 22, also in the first quarter.

 

[SWC75]

SWC, I remember a play very similar to the tight end throw back in 1983 against BC that went about 40 yards for a touchdown and SU beat the Eagles and Doug Flutie 21-10. The QB may have been Kmetz or Norley and I thought the TE was Kelly but I think i am wrong. The tight end was so open it was ridiulous.

I remember that day, the 4 Wheel Drive DLine harrassed the heck out of Flutie.

Flutie threw one TD pass against us in four years.- and it beat us 13-20 in 1982.

I always through the tight end throwback was a DeLeone invention. And he joined the staff in 1985. Anyway, I'm sure I've heard Gedney call the 1992 play a throw-back in an interview, the same one where he said Greer was actually out of position and that's why he was there to tackle him. it doesn't really matter. We were 3 yards short, whatever the play was.

 

[Eric15]

So an easier schedule resulted in an undefeated team, a big bowl, and a shot at the NC from the voters? Hmmmm...

Yep - SU played one team in 1987 that finished the season ranked in the Top 25 (Auburn) and we looked completely mediocre against them.

 

[SWC75]

For what it's worth, I think the 1992 team was better than the 1987 team. I think 1987 team was excellent, but benefited from an extraordinarily easy schedule.

We had a lot of talent in those years. We kept building it up each year. I think our teams in the McNabb years had the most.

A few years back, I did a study of how many players on each roster made the pros, either as draftees or free agents, based on the "Orange in professional football" section of the media guide. These guys weren't All-Pros or even starters. They were just employed by a pro team at some point, which means they must have been pretty good players in college. Here are the totals for the Coach mac and Pasqualoni years:

1981: 10 players in 1982-85

1982: 12 players in 1983-86

1983: 13 players in 1984-87

1984: 17 players in 1985-88

1985: 23 players in 1986-89

1986: 26 players in 1987-90

1987: 32 players in 1988-91

1988: 28 players in 1989-92

1989: 31 players in 1990-93

1990: 33 players in 1991-94

1991: 31 players in 1992-95

1992: 35 players in 1993-96

1993: 32 players in 1994-97

1994: 30 players in 1995-98

1995: 33 players in 1996-99

1996: 35 players in 1997-00

1997: 33 players in 1998-01

1998: 36 players in 1999-02

1999: 31 players in 2000-03

2000: 32 players in 2001-04

2001: 31 players in 2002-05

2002: 29 players in 2003-06

2003: 31 players in 2004-07

2004: 27 players in 2005-07

 

[SWC75]

Yep - SU played one team in 1987 that finished the season ranked in the Top 25 (Auburn) and we looked completely mediocre against them.

They were ranked 7th and we were at least as good as they were. And Penn State was the defending national champions. west Virginia, after a bad start, was already starting to play the kind of ball that would produce a very similar 11-0 season for them in 1988. We've had tougher schedules but we didn't schedule our way into 11-0.

 

[SWC75]

So an easier schedule resulted in an undefeated team, a big bowl, and a shot at the NC from the voters? Hmmmm...

We played basically the sort of schedule we'd been playing. Some teams were not as good as normal. Others were. We were much better and played more consistently well. That's how we got to 11-0.

http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/Syracuse.htm

 

[Eric15]

They were ranked 7th and we were at least as good as they were. And Penn State was the defending national champions. west Virginia, after a bad start, was already starting to play the kind of ball that would produce a very similar 11-0 season for them in 1988. We've had tougher schedules but we didn't schedule our way into 11-0.

To be clear, I'm not hating on the 1987 team at all. I think they were tremendously important to bringing excitement back to the program. But objectively, I would put them as an underdog against the 1992, and 1996-1998 teams.

 

[Bayside44]

Turns out Gedney roomed with that safety at some camp after that game.

For me, I turned 21 that day, so they game wasn't the only thing I needed to survive. Had we won that campus would've burned down.

 

[OttoMets]

...

Wide receiver Horace Copeland was wearing a Syracuse hat in the locker room. “Every time we win a game, I buy a hat of the team we beat. I have a big collection.”

...

Those poor college student-athletes, unable to even afford meals or travel to visit family. Heartbreaking.

 

[MSOrange]

They were ranked 7th and we were at least as good as they were. And Penn State was the defending national champions. west Virginia, after a bad start, was already starting to play the kind of ball that would produce a very similar 11-0 season for them in 1988. We've had tougher schedules but we didn't schedule our way into 11-0.

1987 was the ultimate Syracuse sports year - getting to the championship game in New Orleans in March followed by the undefeated football season. Wow - it's just amazing when you think about it. I was only 11 at the time so I probably didn't totally appreciate how awesome that was. Gosh if the internet was around back then, this board would have been really weird with nothing to complain about

 

[cuse309]

I've been "chasing that high" like another member commented since the end of that game. Closest we came was 98, but considering we got waxed in the Orange Bowl by the Gators, it fell well short. The talent was there for sure, but bad-mediocre coaching throughout the year really limited us. The ceiling was incredibly high with that team. Even Butch Davis of Miami called that team "Ridiculously talented". I feel like that team had top 5 potential.

Our last year of what I would consider relevancy, was 2001 when we went 10-3 and finished #14. This however was an overachieving squad and without Freeney we likely win about 6 games that year. It never had the feeling that 92 and 98 squad gave me.

With the changing college football landscape, I'm beginning to come to the painful realization that achieving that 1992 "high" is unrealistic.
I now think that a successful SU season would be 7 wins and a team that is in the "others receiving votes" category of the top 25.

 

[kirbivore]

So an easier schedule resulted in an undefeated team, a big bowl, and a shot at the NC from the voters? Hmmmm...

Miami and Oklahoma were undefeated, ranked 1/2, and playing each other in the Orange Bowl. SU had no shot at the title even if they beat Auburn.

 

[storange]

I've been "chasing that high" like another member commented since the end of that game. Closest we came was 98, but considering we got waxed in the Orange Bowl by the Gators, it fell well short. The talent was there for sure, but bad-mediocre coaching throughout the year really limited us. The ceiling was incredibly high with that team. Even Butch Davis of Miami called that team "Ridiculously talented". I feel like that team had top 5 potential.

Our last year of what I would consider relevancy, was 2001 when we went 10-3 and finished #14. This however was an overachieving squad and without Freeney we likely win about 6 games that year. It never had the feeling that 92 and 98 squad gave me.

With the changing college football landscape, I'm beginning to come to the painful realization that achieving that 1992 "high" is unrealistic.
I now think that a successful SU season would be 7 wins and a team that is in the "others receiving votes" category of the top 25.

I just don't buy that, Teams like TCU Boise State, Cent Florida, ect...come from nowhere to have 10 win seasons and get major bowl bids. You need the right coach and the right plan but it can be done here. I just don't buy the 7 wins is the best we can hope for. I heard the same during the late 70s and early 80s. Winning a NC is a long shot at best, but putting up 9 or 10 win seasons is possible, not easy but possible. If I thought 7 win seasons were the best I could hope for I would end my 20 something years of season tickets today.

 

[SWC75]

I just don't buy that, Teams like TCU Boise State, Cent Florida, ect...come from nowhere to have 10 win seasons and get major bowl bids. You need the right coach and the right plan but it can be done here. I just don't buy the 7 wins is the best we can hope for. I heard the same during the late 70s and early 80s.

You also need the right conference. We were in one. I'm not sure we are now. I think those team's we've been talking about: 1987, 1992, 1996, 1998, would have been 10-2 at best in this conference. I'd take that right now but we were in a conference where it was possible to run the table and maybe play for the national title as Virginia Tech did in '99, and (even though it was pre-conference) Pittsburgh did in '76 and West Virginia in '88. W picked the wrong year to go 11-0. And I don't think we'll see a year like that again.