Looking Ahead - New ACC Foes | Syracusefan.com

Looking Ahead - New ACC Foes

RobCWhatUp

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I wanted to take a break from all this missed extra point drama and attendance hoopla and look forward to to our new foes that we will encounter in the ACC and our history with them, well at least the history of my lifetime.

A little about my fandom, My father (bigbob44) is a Cuse alumni and brainwashed from day 1. My first vivid memory is watching the VHS tape "Orange and Blue 92" at the age of 7 and it being the only thing I watched whenever I was bored. I have seen that season in review about 50 times! Later, in the 6th grade my Dad started getting season tickets (3 hour drive from our home in PA) and I saw a boat load of games growing up before I attended Cuse in '04. 2004-2008 might be a forgettable time in SU sports (GRob and NITs), but I never missed a moment. Ok, enough with the background check, I want to highlight each ACC team and pinpoint my memories from those schools during my 25 year lifespan (more like 15-20 years of watching SU sports). So without further ado...

Boston College - Former Big East school, we played them so many times throughout the years. But the boldest memory is of course the 2003 season, BC final year and ultimately PP final year in Syracuse. Who can forget the game Diamond Ferri had. Our beloved safety who had to go convert back to RB due injuries to Walter Reyes and Damion Rhodes. Ferri had the game of his life rushing for 141 yards, 3 TDs and having 6 tackles and an INT. Cuse went on to win 43-17 and share of the BE championship.

Clemson - My lone memory of Clemson is in 1996 when Donovan McNabb and Marvin Harrison torched the Tigers en route to a 41-0 victory in the Gator Bowl. I have to say I am looking forward to playing in Death Valley though.

Duke - The only Duke/Syracuse FB connection I could think of was of course Greg Paulus returning to Syracuse after his BBall days at Duke. He helped bridge the gap in Marrone's first season and gave time for Nassib to develop. Paulus was a serviceable QB in his one year at Cuse.

Florida State - A few years back, we got beat up down in Florida. But I remember my Freshman year, when Perry Patterson nearly lead the Orangemen to a huge upset in front of a LOUD Carrier Dome crowd. Unfortunately a 17-13 defeat was served.

Georgia Tech - Going back to that season same season, we played Georgia Tech in the Champs Sports Bowl. My father and I went to the game, he had a great time chatting with Steve Gregory's father late night at the hotel bar. Unfortunately, the game itself was not great and it all started with a GT INT return for a TD on the first play from scrimmage. Then it was Calvin Johnson just abusing our DBs all game long and a 51-14 defeat. I also remember in 2001 when Troy Nunes nearly lead us to victory in the Kickoff Classic against #10 GT but once again we came up short 13-7 in an ugly game.

Maryland - There have been no matches during my lifetime, I hope some of you can help out telling the story of the rivalry between Syracuse and Maryland..

Miami - Another one of those opponents that we have a long history with, so I will leave this open for input as well. But the 2 highlights I want to bring up is Chris Gedney getting tackled on the 2 yard line on the last play of the game in 1992 (I have seen that about 50 times from my Orange and Blue '92 tape) and Donovan McNabb's final home game in 1998 when we simply went bananas rushing for 3 TDs and throwing for 2 more TDs in a 66-13 rout. Kevin Johnson also had a big game too.

UNC - All I have in my memory bank is the opening season victory in 2003. It was an OT victory, down in Chapel Hill where the Tar Heels failed to convert the 2 point conversion in OT.

NC State - Not good, 0-6 lifetime vs the Wolfpack. I remember coming off a victory in the Kickoff Classic against Wisconsin (I was there in attendance) in 1997 only to have one of those PP What loses the next week to Torry Holt and NC State. We lost the following season to in the rematch...

Va Tech - This is another one I will leave for other memories but two game I saw in the Carrier Dome was when Dwight Freeney sacked Michael Vick a record 4.5 times in 2000 (lost that game 22-14, Tech was #2 in the nation) and in 2002 when we pulled off the upset in 3OTs. Ernest Wilford seemed to score on every play and had 279 yard receiving and David Tyree had a mere 229 yard receiving as well. Still one of the best games I have ever seen in the Dome.

Wake Forest - OT down there during the GRob Era and of course our OT victory this season.

That is what I got for now, I am excited for the future memories that will be made with our new rivals. What kind of memories or experience can you guys think of to add onto our forthcoming matchups in the ACC?
 
So who are we going to play in the 2012 ACC Championship Game?
 
I fully anticipate a SU/VaTech rivalry

I can see a SU/Clemson or SU/GaTech rivalry

And despite our best efforts, it wouldn't surprise me if SU/Boston College didn't take off
 
Maryland - There have been no matches during my lifetime, I hope some of you can help out telling the story of the rivalry between Syracuse and Maryland..

The last game the two teams played was in 1994, where SU won 21-16. First time they played was in 1920, a 10-7 win for MD. Overall, SU leads the all-time series 18-14-2. One of those ties, 17-17 in 1981 is a game I remember listening to on the radio. The Orangemen were underdogs to a MD team led by a young Boomer Esiasson (the other tie was a scoreless tie in 1935). He killed us the next two years 3-26 and 13-34. After he was drafted in 1984, we beat them in the Dome 23-7. The following year, they crushed SU in the one and only Cherry Bowl in Pontiac, MI 35-18. Since then, SU has a 4 game win streak against the Terps.

That's all I got.
 
I fully anticipate a SU/VaTech rivalry

I can see a SU/Clemson or SU/GaTech rivalry

And despite our best efforts, it wouldn't surprise me if SU/Boston College didn't take off

I think SU-MD will really take off.
 
I'm looking forward to the matchups in the ACC. I think they are much more appealing than most of the games in the Big East. Playing games against Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Va Tech, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Maryland, and Duke is more exciting to me than games against Rutgers, UCONN, Louisville, Cincinnati, or USF. I will miss the games against WVU, even though most of them in recent memory were not pretty for Syracuse. I can do without the others.

Maybe Rutgers can be our FCS game each year in the future. :cool:
 
I fully anticipate a SU/VaTech rivalry

I can see a SU/Clemson or SU/GaTech rivalry

And despite our best efforts, it wouldn't surprise me if SU/Boston College didn't take off

I hated VPI when they were in the Big East. Miami was a close second, but I loathed the Hokies. Still do. So it will be good to get back to a point where we can beat them again. I just REALLY hope the ACC gets the scheduling right.
 
Dan Conley blew out his knee in the last Maryland game.

You skipped Virginia (I think). We lost both halves of a home-and-home with the Cavaliers around 2004 and '05. Maybe '03 and '04. We played them tough in the Dome, lost on a last second field goal (from the one-yard line).

In the late 80s (maybe '89?), we hosted FSU in the Dome and lost 41-10. In that game, I think Neon Dion fake fair caught a punt, everone walked off the field and he then sprinted for the end zone. TD. We were not ready for their speed.

We destroyed Clemson in that Bowl game.

One memory from the Pitt series. As much as they have had our number for almost a decade, we had theirs for 12-15 years. Rarely did we not blow them out. Oh, except for my frosh year, 1990, Alex Van Pelt in the Dome. We are up 14-10 and score a TD. The extra point is blocked or the snap is muffed and Pitt returns it for 2 points. Score is now 20-12. Pitt gets the ball and drives for the tying TD and 2-point conversion. Final score: 20-20. And SU opened the season 1-0-2. We tied Michigan State either the week before or after.
 

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