Week 11 of season-specific reminiscing -- 1989 | Syracusefan.com

Week 11 of season-specific reminiscing -- 1989

Eric15

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This is a season I don't know much about as I was in 2nd grade.

I guess my first question is: how did a college football game in Tokyo possibly come about? Was it on in the middle of the night? What was the tangible benefit to SU? Did anyone here attend?

Did anyone attend the Peach Bowl win vs. Georgia?

Screen Shot 2019-07-23 at 2.11.12 PM.png
 
I remember watching the Tokyo game, it was during my final semester at SU. just remember it looking as gloomy and dark as the Carrier Dome for a football game. Not sure why we played it/the benefits/what time the game was etc. My biggest memories of 1989 were that we were really mediocre and I remember the game winning FG in the Peach Bowl. our 0-4 record against ranked teams(0-3 at home) confirms that we were pretty meh that year. I did attend the Navy game in Annapolis which was very cool.
 
Looks like a miserable season based on those results.
 
I remember watching the Tokyo game, it was during my final semester at SU. just remember it looking as gloomy and dark as the Carrier Dome for a football game. Not sure why we played it/the benefits/what time the game was etc. My biggest memories of 1989 were that we were really mediocre and I remember the game winning FG in the Peach Bowl. our 0-4 record against ranked teams(0-3 at home) confirms that we were pretty meh that year. I did attend the Navy game in Annapolis which was very cool.
I think Coke sponsored the game in Tokyo and it was a money grab, The game was played really late at night (or really early in the morning). The thing I remember most about the game is that Scharr and McDonald both got hurt, and we were forced to play Wendell Lowry, who was a Parade All American QB who had never played before. Lowry played well in his first playing time and helped win the game for us. I don;t think he ever played at Syracuse again after that.

Philcox graduated after 1988 and Billy Scharr won the starting job at QB. He had a strong arm and beautiful form but in those days, the SU QBs ran a lot of option plays and DeLeone did not change things up with Billy, more of a throwing QB than his precedessors, at the helm. He looked extremely uncomfortable running the option, was bad at it and out offense was somewhat ineffective as a result. We had Michael Owens, an excellent RB and Rob Moore and Rob Carpenter at WR and a very good OL. There was a lot to work with and the results were not what they could have been.

The defense was pretty good but was a couple of steps down from the dominant defenses of the previous 2 seasons. I think Bucey, Bavaro and Wooden were the stars at LB. Thomson was a fine safety but we couldn’t get big stops in big games. The offense also struggled against good teams.

It was the first sign that DeLeone’s option offense might need some tweaking. I remember being frustrated, especially with the offense. Scharr only had 9 TDs and 8 interceptions. When Mark McDonald played, I think the offense generally did better. He couldn’t throw very well but was very good running the option.
 
I could be wrong, but I think this was also the year that the record of consecutive made XP's was snapped.
 
Thanksgiving Day, 1989, I was 16, sitting around the house after dinner and thinking why don't we ever go to SU games? Dome is only 45 minutes away.

Yada yada yada, went to the WVU game and was hooked. Two seasons later, I showed up as a freshman.

I sat in the middle deck of the end zone, last row. And learned that day that it's the only seat in the Dome I never want to sit in again. Too dark in that one spot.
 
I could be wrong, but I think this was also the year that the record of consecutive made XP's was snapped.

I wish I remember the exact quote after the game, but Mac said something to the effect that it took Biskup one kick to screw up all the work of teams from the past 10 years (something similar). For those lean years we had in the late 70's into the early to mid 80's that was the one football record we had to rest our hat on. But we didnt score points at the pace of today and the record lasted a VERY LONG TIME. I always thought the swinging gate was so cool, but we almost never did anything with it.


Edit...i found this link

Syracuse Kicker Misses PAT, Ending 11-Year Streak
 
I wish I remember the exact quote after the game, but Mac said something to the effect that it took Biskup one kick to screw up all the work of teams from the past 10 years (something similar). For those lean years we had in the late 70's into the early to mid 80's that was the one football record we had to rest our hat on. But we didnt score points at the pace of today and the record lasted a VERY LONG TIME. I always thought the swinging gate was so cool, but we almost never did anything with it.


Edit...i found this link

Syracuse Kicker Misses PAT, Ending 11-Year Streak
Mac did say something, I can’t remember it either but yeah, it was like...’well, you got that out of the way quick’.

Funny on Louisville game being a ‘dark’ telecast, that is my memory of it too.

Also the Peach Bowl, good game, a little muddy...I was totally underwhelmed by their star RB Rodney Hampton. Then 4 months later the Giants drafted him in the 1st round and I was like...oh fluck.

He did have a solid career though.
 
Look at that attendance. 48,000+ 5 times, and a season low attendance of almost 47,000.

Coming on the heels of 11-0 and 10-2 seasons.
 
Look at that attendance. 48,000+ 5 times, and a season low attendance of almost 47,000.

Coming on the heels of 11-0 and 10-2 seasons.
Couldn’t beat a ranked team though. Then followed up 8-4 with 7-4-2 and not beating one again. Did manage to tie 2 though.

Thankfully, Coach Mac left before the Sack Mac crew got reformed and P was there to save the day...
 
I wish I remember the exact quote after the game, but Mac said something to the effect that it took Biskup one kick to screw up all the work of teams from the past 10 years (something similar). For those lean years we had in the late 70's into the early to mid 80's that was the one football record we had to rest our hat on. But we didnt score points at the pace of today and the record lasted a VERY LONG TIME. I always thought the swinging gate was so cool, but we almost never did anything with it.


Edit...i found this link

Syracuse Kicker Misses PAT, Ending 11-Year Streak

Fun link, especially since it has this word combination: "Dave Jacobs failed"
 
Freshman year... first SU game for me was Army. Can't say I remember a ton about the actual game but it was fun going to the Dome for sure. Had just been there to see the Stones and had some freshman orientation events there, including being able to run around on the concrete, I mean astroturf.
 
Freshman year... first SU game for me was Army. Can't say I remember a ton about the actual game but it was fun going to the Dome for sure. Had just been there to see the Stones and had some freshman orientation events there, including being able to run around on the concrete, I mean astroturf.
i remember going to the Stones and thinking..."cant believe theyre still going after 25 years!! Led Zep has been done for 10, the Beatles for 20, i just saw The Who's 'Farewell' tour and how cool is it to see these guys with a decent album out and before they stop touring altogether!!"

30 years later...im seeing them next month for the umpteenth time.
 
Freshman year... first SU game for me was Army. Can't say I remember a ton about the actual game but it was fun going to the Dome for sure. Had just been there to see the Stones and had some freshman orientation events there, including being able to run around on the concrete, I mean AstroTurf.


Me too! I had work study for the Dome and I worked that concert. I remember walking around and not doing much work listening to the concert.. If my memory serves me correctly I they had huge blow up things by the stage. That Dome work study was a tough gig because I always wanted to watch the games or concerts and didnt want to work much. Wound up finding a home refereeing games for intramurals and than finally at Peoples Place. People's Place was best college job every. Great people and free food!! Salt sticks rocked.
 
This was my first full season living in Georgia after moving from Liverpool. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed that Peach Bowl. Even after a few months, I had my fill of Georgia fans and wanted that game so badly. Only bad part was I couldn't go in person because I was recovering from surgery
 

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