2004 FSU at Syracuse

[SWC75]

I remember thinking that we were going to win the whole game. I believe we would have if Reyes hadn't fumbled. We badly needed a big win, (Coach P sure did) and we didn't get it. Oh Lord

 

[marz09cuse]

Remember this game well. I worked a beer both with my fellow Air Force recruits a week before I left for basic training. Still have the Dome concessions apron, which the manager allowed us to sneak out with.

 

[jgeorge322]

This game was just posted on YouTube. We lost -- but we played them extremely tough and led for much of it.

Ppl may not remember how gold tanard jackson was. Thats what i remember from this era

 

[chugg21]

Wow. I still remember nothing

Same thing. I have to imagine that I wouldn't have missed FSU coming to the dome but don't remember anything about this game.

 

[javadoc]

This game was just posted on YouTube. We lost -- but we played them extremely tough and led for much of it.

Frustrating game. The tailgate was great, tho.

I vaguely remember Chris Thorner being a force in the middle. And thinking that we had 2 really good RB's, and then FSU's RB steals the day by being twice as fast as our entire defense.

 

[Bayside44]

I can't remember what happened yesterday, but I know this game was at night. I remember the Yankees were playing the Twins in a playoff game right around the same time. I remember we were in the upper deck corner where the Tops Family Section is today (wasn't there then obviously). I think it's the only time we ever sat in that part of the Dome. Reyes fumble was right under us. Final INT was in that end zone. FSU had a backup QB who couldn't hit water from the boat.

But yeah, yesterday's lunch? Seriously, no clue.

Watched this at Ramparts. Amazing the nonsense we retain.

 

[nzm136]

I think we were left in a scheduling bind that year and Bobby Bowden stepped in and did SU a big favor agreeing to play in Syracuse.

Might have happened because of what the ACC did to Syracuse the previous year.

Regardless, there was some emotion in the Dome that day. The fans and players wanted to show the ACC they made the wrong decision. Which of course was correct.

It was a result of the lawsuit against the ACC. Some ACC teams had to play @ BE schools.

 

[Alsacs]

It was a result of the lawsuit against the ACC. Some ACC teams had to play @ BE schools.

Syracuse refused to participate in that BE lawsuit.
That kept us in good graces with the ACC and those schools.

It was already said Bobby Bowden stepped up and did Syracuse a real solid. Since Miami became an ACC game they had an OOC opening and bailed Syracuse out and gave us a home/home.

This was Florida State being good to us.

 

[Cajovalley]

Watched this at Ramparts.

 

[elimunelson]

I remember thinking that we were going to win the whole game. I believe we would have if Reyes hadn't fumbled. We badly needed a big win, (Coach P sure did) and we didn't get it. Oh Lord

We win this game and I have to think the entire future of SU Football would have been greatly changed. No way P is fired that year, Robinson probably gets another job that takes him, thankfully, out of the SU Football picture once Gross finally gets to to fire P in 2005-2007 time frame.

It would have been interesting who would have been available at that point vs when we hired GERG. Like would have Harbrough been a guy we could have taken a chance on since he got the gig w Stanford in 2007. This is too depressing to spitball.

 

[OrangePA]

After the Ferri pick to begin the 2nd half, why didn't we throw to the end zone from just outside the 20?

Reyes run -1 yard.
Reyes run -3 yards.
Screen pass.
FG attempt.

Would have preferred 3 shots at the end zone before settling.

If I recall correctly when PP tried to throw at the end of the game - I think in the FSU redzone - it became quite clear why the staff didn't try to throw all that much earlier in the game. We could not throw against that defense.

In addition to the Reyes fumble I recall the FSU muffed punt that the Orange should have recovered in the endzone - I seem to recall the ball going out of the endzone for a touchback.

That was a great effort by the Orange that day - and a great coaching job by a staff that was obviously completely outmanned.

I remember being told by a very good source that had he been a member of the FSU team that day, Walter Reyes would never have seen the field - that is how good the FSU personnel was.

 

[Alsacs]

I think nobody talks about the fact that if we had won this game we would have played in the Fiesta Bowl against Utah.

We left this game and the Temple game on the win column. The 2004 team should have gone 8-3.

 

[djorange1989]

I think nobody talks about the fact that if we had won this game we would have played in the Fiesta Bowl against Utah.

We left this game and the Temple game on the win column. The 2004 team should have gone 8-3.

Temple was beyond hideous back then too, talk about screwing up. They were 2-9 that year. They beat Florida A&M and us. They lost to Rutgers for goodness sakes. P deserved to be fired just for the Temple game, let alone the Ga Tech bowl disaster

 

[sufandu]

If I recall correctly when PP tried to throw at the end of the game - I think in the FSU redzone - it became quite clear why the staff didn't try to throw all that much earlier in the game. We could not throw against that defense.

In addition to the Reyes fumble I recall the FSU muffed punt that the Orange should have recovered in the endzone - I seem to recall the ball going out of the endzone for a touchback.

That was a great effort by the Orange that day - and a great coaching job by a staff that was obviously completely outmanned.

I remember being told by a very good source that had he been a member of the FSU team that day, Walter Reyes would never have seen the field - that is how good the FSU personnel was.

We couldn't throw against any defense. The QBs had 8 TD passes and 13 INTs that year. PP's inability to scheme a dynamic offense, or hire someone that could, and recruit a QB and some WR's killed us. We gave up 77.8 more yards per game than we gained. Bravo to the team for keeping it close that game, but FSU was looking past us to their next game against a Virginia team that was undeafeated and in the top 10 at the time.

 

[nzm136]

Syracuse refused to participate in that BE lawsuit.
That kept us in good graces with the ACC and those schools.

It was already said Bobby Bowden stepped up and did Syracuse a real solid. Since Miami became an ACC game they had an OOC opening and bailed Syracuse out and gave us a home/home.

This was Florida State being good to us.

It's correct that SU didn't sue the ACC, but Syracuse was in the Big East, which did. It was the BE who settled w/ the ACC.

 

[nzm136]

We couldn't throw against any defense. The QBs had 8 TD passes and 13 INTs that year. PP's inability to scheme a dynamic offense, or hire someone that could, and recruit a QB and some WR's killed us. We gave up 77.8 more yards per game than we gained. Bravo to the team for keeping it close that game, but FSU was looking past us to their next game against a Virginia team that was undeafeated and in the top 10 at the time.

This was a different year, but I still don't understand why we didn't try a QB sneak up the middle against #14 Iowa in the 7 OT game. Perry wasn't a great QB, but he sure was a big dude.

 

[Finwad32]

This was a different year, but I still don't understand why we didn't try a QB sneak up the middle against #14 Iowa in the 7 OT game. Perry wasn't a great QB, but he sure was a big dude.

8 cracks from inside the 3... 8!!! And we didn't punch it in. I don't care what we ran, QB sneak, ISO, Power, PA, whatever, a D-1 school not being able to put 1-8 plays into the EZ from that distance is just unacceptable. I'm still dumbfounded a decade later.

 

[Briancuse]

I think nobody talks about the fact that if we had won this game we would have played in the Fiesta Bowl against Utah.

We left this game and the Temple game on the win column. The 2004 team should have gone 8-3.

The Temple game almost killed me, how we lost to that glorified High School team, I still don't know, I think I broke like 3 remotes that day.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Leon Washington.

 

[sufandu]

This was a different year, but I still don't understand why we didn't try a QB sneak up the middle against #14 Iowa in the 7 OT game. Perry wasn't a great QB, but he sure was a big dude.

The oline probably wasn't gonna get enough push regardless of what play we ran in the Iowa game.

 

[kirbivore]

After the Ferri pick to begin the 2nd half, why didn't we throw to the end zone from just outside the 20?

Reyes run -1 yard.
Reyes run -3 yards.
Screen pass.
FG attempt.

Would have preferred 3 shots at the end zone before settling.

classic P and D scared playcalling

 

[kirbivore]

Maybe its totally my imagination, but Walt always felt like a superstar to me in the Dome, but kind of slow and average on the road.

4 years with Hicks mad Reyes slower

 

[Scooch]

We win this game and I have to think the entire future of SU Football would have been greatly changed. No way P is fired that year, Robinson probably gets another job that takes him, thankfully, out of the SU Football picture once Gross finally gets to to fire P in 2005-2007 time frame.

It would have been interesting who would have been available at that point vs when we hired GERG. Like would have Harbrough been a guy we could have taken a chance on since he got the gig w Stanford in 2007. This is too depressing to spitball.

Not this game, the Temple game. Win THAT layup and we're in the Fiesta Bowl and P gets another season.

Losing to a horrific Temple team was a program altering event.

 

[OrangePA]

We couldn't throw against any defense. The QBs had 8 TD passes and 13 INTs that year. PP's inability to scheme a dynamic offense, or hire someone that could, and recruit a QB and some WR's killed us. We gave up 77.8 more yards per game than we gained. Bravo to the team for keeping it close that game, but FSU was looking past us to their next game against a Virginia team that was undeafeated and in the top 10 at the time.

I will give you that by 2004 we were very weak at QB and at WR.

We can debate why that was the case.

Still, the staff that year did a great job with what it had and the FSU game was a very good example of just how well that staff coached the team that year.

We went 6-6, beat BC for a share of the Big East and went to a Bowl.

The program had problems that needed to be addressed.

But, the issue was not coaching.

 

[OrangePA]

The Temple game almost killed me, how we lost to that glorified High School team, I still don't know, I think I broke like 3 remotes that day.

Yeah, a "glorified High School team" with a phenomenal athlete at QB who single handedly won that game in Philadelphia.