Week 8 of season-specific reminiscing -- 1996

[Eric15]

This was a strange year. We were ranked #9 preseason (the last time we were ranked in the Top 10). I remember Playboy had us #3. Huge expectations after dismantling Clemson the year before.

We lost our opener to a very good UNC team that went on to finish in the Top 10 themselves, and then lost an absolutely incomprehensible game to Minnesota, which I attended. The single strangest SU football game I've ever seen. The same Gopher player scored on fumble returns on consecutive possessions.

Then we went on an 8 game tear where we destroyed a lot of good teams: Va Tech, @ WVU and Army. All we had to do was beat a good but not great Miami team to go to the Orange Bowl, but we came up short. Tremain freaking Mack.

In some bizarro world where there was an NCAA Tournament for football, this 96 SU team was a 4 seed that absolutely nobody would have wanted to draw.

Also, 4,312 attendance for Temple. I had to do a double-take there.

 

[OrangeDW]

I remember my dad buying into the hype and getting a 3 game ticket package of UNC, Pitt, and Miami. We saw two crushing L’s. Not a good win percentage for us that year.

We were so bummed out after the Miami game. We all thought this was for sure the year we would beat them. We looked so dominant in that 8 game win streak.

UNC game at the time was very frustrating, but we later learned how good they were.

I still remember blocking our second punt in a row against UNC and returning it for a TD. The Dome was already roaring before the snap, anticipating another block. Then we got it! And returned it for 6! It was insanely loud, and then all of a sudden you realized there was a flag thrown and the TD was taken away. And I’m going strictly off memory, but we might’ve ended up not even getting any points on that drive(missed FG maybe?). We had a shot to possibly steal that game at that point, and that was a killer.

 

[OttoMets]

The hype before that UNC game was greater than the build-up to Tennessee a couple years later, in my memory at least. We had a team that year.

I remember a Mike Brown punt block and Abrams touchdown that got us within shouting distance late in the opener, but it got called back for a penalty.

Frustrating season. Though the team was very exciting to watch from about the second quarter against VPI right through the beginning of the Temple game (didn't McNabb throw 3 or 4 picks in a game we all expected to win by 70?).

 

[OttoMets]

I remember my dad buying into the hype and getting a 3 game ticket package of UNC, Pitt, and Miami. We saw two crushing L’s. Not a good win percentage for us that year.

We were so bummed out after the Miami game. We all thought this was for sure the year we would beat them. We looked so dominant in that 8 game win streak.

UNC game at the time was very frustrating, but we later learned how good they were.

I still remember blocking our second punt in a row against UNC and returning it for a TD. The Dome was already roaring before the snap, anticipating another block. Then we got it! And returned it for 6! It was insanely loud, and then all of a sudden you realized there was a flag thrown and the TD was taken away. And I’m going strictly off memory, but we might’ve ended up not even getting any points on that drive(missed FG maybe?). We had a shot to possibly steal that game at that point, and that was a killer.

Damn, beat me to it. That was crushing.

 

[JeremyCuse]

The hype before that UNC game was greater than the build-up to Tennessee a couple years later, in my memory at least. We had a team that year.

I remember a Mike Brown punt block and Abrams touchdown that got us within shouting distance late in the opener, but it got called back for a penalty.

Frustrating season. Though the team was very exciting to watch from about the second quarter against VPI right through the beginning of the Temple game (didn't McNabb throw 3 or 4 picks in a game we all expected to win by 70?).

I believe that was the Army game, I think most were bad luck but I seem to remember McNabb throwing a bunch of picks that game. Wait till GOSU sees this thread, he hates that Minnesota game more then any other.

 

[Eric15]

If I remember correctly, on our opening drive against Minnesota we ran the ball on literally every single play and just went down the field effortlessly, and then we scored on one of those patented Coach P-era TE wide-open throwbacks. And then 9th grade-me thought to myself "oh man, this is going to be a blowout."

 

[OttoMets]

I believe that was the Army game, I think most were bad luck but I seem to remember McNabb throwing a bunch of picks that game. Wait till GOSU sees this thread, he hates that Minnesota game more then any other.

I'd like to see more from this year. Found this recap of UNC: U.N.C. Deflates Syracuse in Dome

All I remember about the Army game is the salute. Sticks in my head that McNabb played awful games twice at the Vet, might have barfed in one of them, because I thought it was ironic he wound up playing home games there after he got drafted.

EDIT: looks like he put up a good line against Army, no picks: Syracuse QB Regrets Salute to Army Cadets

 

[JeremyCuse]

I'd like to see more from this year. Found this recap of UNC: U.N.C. Deflates Syracuse in Dome

All I remember about the Army game is the salute. Sticks in my head that McNabb played awful games twice at the Vet, might have barfed in one of them, because I thought it was ironic he wound up playing home games there after he got drafted.

SU never seemed to play well at Temple, always felt like a sluggish game that eventually would catch up to us and of course it did that one year despite SU scoring pretty much at will.

 

[OrangeDW]

If I remember correctly, on our opening drive against Minnesota we ran the ball on literally every single play and just went down the field effortlessly, and then we scored on one of those patented Coach P-era TE wide-open throwbacks. And then 9th grade-me thought to myself "oh man, this is going to be a blowout."

I was camping with my family in a pop up camper for the weekend of that Minnesota game. There was a house nearby that was a relative, and I made my way in there to watch the game on ESPN 2(I think).For some reason the game wasn’t on TV there. Not sure if they didn’t have the channel or what. I do remember watching LSU-Auburn and there was a huge fire near the stadium, and you could see the smoke during the game. I caught highlights at some point that night, and was in disbelief. I remember thinking the way things are going, VT would probably beat us, and we were going to start 0-3.

 

[OrangeDW]

I'd like to see more from this year. Found this recap of UNC: U.N.C. Deflates Syracuse in Dome

All I remember about the Army game is the salute. Sticks in my head that McNabb played awful games twice at the Vet, might have barfed in one of them, because I thought it was ironic he wound up playing home games there after he got drafted.

EDIT: looks like he put up a good line against Army, no picks: Syracuse QB Regrets Salute to Army Cadets

I remember tagging along for one of my dad’s pickup hoops run during the win streak and had a Cuse shirt on and one of the typical CNY negative nellies told me “they got two losses coming up - Army and Miami will beat them”. I was incredulous at the Army thing, “Army hasn’t played anybody! They don’t have the athletes! It’s at the Dome! Cuse will kill them!” The guy had no argument other than “Army will win.”

 

[DNABB5]

Malcom Thomas' elbow very clearly hit the ground to cause that second fumble. Still pissed about that call.

Also, in that 27-6 Miami game, Quinton Spotwood called a fair catch and muffed it as the ball arrived, but the ball clearly hit the Miami players shoulderpad first (saw it live from 250 feet away) but they called it a muff. Its was 7-6 Miami at the time I believe.

Two calls that would 100% have been overturned in todays game.

52-21 VT the third week was fun tho. Jim Drunkenmiller and Ken Oxendine, lol. Freshman Kieth Bullock scored a pick 6 as a safety in garbage time.

 

[OttoMets]

...
52-21 VT the third week was fun tho. Jim Drunkenmiller and Ken Oxendine, lol. Freshman Kieth Bullock scored a pick 6 as a safety in garbage time.

Lot of action in that one, we blocked at least one punt, but VPI had a better one. If I recall correctly, their player picked the ball clean off Sean Reali's foot a moment before the punt would've been gone, controlled it in one motion, and ran it back for a score. Don't think the ball ever touched the turf.

 

[Eric15]

Lot of action in that one, we blocked at least one punt, but VPI had a better one. If I recall correctly, their player picked the ball clean off Sean Reali's foot a moment before the punt would've been gone, controlled it in one motion, and ran it back for a score. Don't think the ball ever touched the turf.

25:45 mark. I don't think I've ever seen that happen before or since.

 

[OttoMets]

25:45 mark. I don't think I've ever seen that happen before or since.

This is awesome, I don't believe I've seen the play since that afternoon.

LOL at punting from our own 40; I remembered it being a long block return but that's funny in light of all the last decade's meathead-bashing.

 

[Chip]

That was the fall that I finally grew up (in a sense) and moved to DC so my ability to go all home games was shot.

But still went to most. UNC was so hyped but they beat Clemson 45-0 the week before and their D was legit. Still, if not for a weird PF call during a block punt return going in for a TD, we might have won.

Minny game, just a fumbling nightmare.

Team pulled it together to avoid complete disaster, and dominated VT.

WVU on the road was maybe the most impressive performance of the season. Or beating a good Army team by 25.

Hype for Miami was off the charts, Dome was rocking at kickoff. Orange Bowl on the line and we laid an egg in the Dome. At least until halfway thru the 3rd Q. Comeback was too little too late.

The bowl game was a snooze fest, we ran on almost every down.

If Marvin Harrison just had one more year, we win it all. WRs struggled early and late. That team was so otherwise loaded.

 

[Eric15]

But still went to most. UNC was so hyped but they beat Clemson 45-0 the week before and their D was legit. Still, if not for a weird PF call during a block punt return going in for a TD, we might have won.

I'm hazy on this but did Jim Turner have a perfectly thrown deep ball just bounce off his hands at a critical moment?

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

During the season ticket years for my father and I. Miami/Syracuse... We used to park of one of the frat houses on Walnut I think. There had been other games over the Thanksgiving break in years past where someone was collecting money and the house would still be parking people but not this time. Still, even though there was no one there taking my money my father decided he would park in the same place we always had before. "Bad idea dad" I said. He told me we'd be fine.

The game was deflating, after a rough start to that season we came on and only a very beatable Miami team was between us and a major bowl. And we laid an egg. My father and I walked back down the hill with our heads hung low...To find the car was not there, surprise. We did not have cell phones then so we had use the phone at the Sheraton to call around and see where it got towed too. My dad was in an awful mood at this point, while trying to see where we could make a call from a cop on a horse yelled at him for walking in front of cars, my father slapped the horse on the rear end. No idea how he didn't get in trouble for that. He might have also broken the pay phone in Marshal Square mall trying to call my mother at home, she was not picking up and a person behind him said something like "Hey Chief, pick up the pace" to which he slammed the phone on the cradle and something cracked.

Finally we got to the yard where the car was towed and no one was there other than some other folks who had their car towed from the mall. The other people said the guy would be there to collect the fine in 20 minutes or so as they called. He did not show up for 2 hours as we all stood around in late November in the dark.

When the guy from the other towed car found out we had gone to the game he asked who won. When we said Miami he replied "Oh, Syracuse would never beat Miami, they are too good." ugh...We got home after midnight that evening as we hit snow storms near Utica on the way back.

I still have a T Shirt from this game that simply said BEAT MIAMI somewhere.

A year or so later a friend of mine and I were visiting his girlfriend in Ohio. We decided to go to a Cavs game and my friend decided he could park near the arena by the meters because they said no charge on weekends, I told him it can't be free because there are $20 lots across the street. We'll be fine he said. Car towed. To this day my father and my friend will joke I'm bad luck for getting cars towed and I let them know that's not the case, they're just idiots.

 

[ForCuseSake]

25:45 mark. I don't think I've ever seen that happen before or since.

53 minute mark (SU blocks VT's punt for a TD) is so perfectly emblematic of the Coach P era.

SU scores the go ahead TD on an outstanding special teams play (blocked punt) and calls TO before the extra point attempt...to then kick the extra point.

Gawd luv ya, P!

 

[Chip]

I'm hazy on this but did Jim Turner have a perfectly thrown deep ball just bounce off his hands at a critical moment?

I’m hazy on that as well but it wouldn’t surprise me. My recollection is him going against Dre Bly and just never getting a good release all night.

 

[sufandu]

I was at the VT game and remember the Tebucky Jones reverse field touchdown run and wondered, "Why can't he do stuff like that more often?"

 

[sufandu]

I think this was the year of the Miami game where McNabb had a play around the 5 yard line, maybe an option to the right, where he did this side step backward skip to make a defender whif before jogging into the endzone untouched. Am I remembering that right?

 

[Eric15]

I think this was the year of the Miami game where McNabb had a play around the 5 yard line, maybe an option to the right, where he did this side step backward skip to make a defender whif before jogging into the endzone untouched. Am I remembering that right?

I remember McNabb having an unbelievable run where he juked multiple guys to score at Miami his frosh year in 1995.

 

[sufandu]

I remember McNabb having an unbelievable run where he juked multiple guys to score at Miami his frosh year in 1995.

That may be what I'm remembering.

 

[EER-WAX]

It was 30-0 until a minute left in the 4th quarter. The game followed the 10-7 loss to Miami in which 7-0 WV lost on a last second blocked punt. The emotional hangover ruined the rest of the season for the fans and team. Mountaineer Field was a morgue for the Cuse game and no one wanted to be there.. which was evident from the performance WVU put on the field that day.

 

[sutomcat]

It was 30-0 until a minute left in the 4th quarter. The game followed the 10-7 loss to Miami in which 7-0 WV lost on a last second blocked punt. The emotional hangover ruined the rest of the season for the fans and team. Mountaineer Field was a morgue for the Cuse game and no one wanted to be there.. which was evident from the performance WVU put on the field that day.

Are Mountaineer fans happy in the Big 12? Where do you think West Virginia is going to be in 10 years?