Syracuse Orange football bowl bound for the first time since '04

It's time to turn the page in Syracuse football history.

It is officially the Doug Marrone Era.

With a 13-10 win over Rutgers, November 13, 2010 in Piscataway, NJ, the Syracuse Orange become bowl eligible for the first time since 2004, back when Syracuse Athletics first dropped the "Men" in "Orangemen" to be known simply as the Syracuse Orange.

With 1:07 on the clock, Syracuse freshman Ross Krautman nailed a 24 yard field goal to seal the win. It was the Orange's fourth Big East victory, also for the first time since '04, when the Orange team was run by a man by the name of Paul Pasqualoni. Second year head coach for the Orange Doug Marrone is the former offensive coordinator for last year's NFL Super Bowl champs the New Orleans Saints.

A straight shooter with no time for nonsense, Marrone was determined to bring back to Syracuse the winning football organization that was developed under Pasqualoni. And boy did he deliver! Proving that football is truly a "game of inches" and that it is of utmost importance to master the realm of "small ball" such as special teams and basic offensive and defensive football fundamentals, Marrone has lit a fire under this Syracuse Orange team that doesn't appear to be going out anytime soon. It has even been rumored that Marrone demanded the players show up early to practice, make it to every class on time when able, (excluding time taken off for games) and to be clean-cut and ready to play football each and every day.

And what a difference the coaching style of Doug Marrone has brought to this team! Not sure of what bowl they may be headed to, QB Ryan Nassib is quoted as saying, "We're very excited! We're not concerned about what bowl we go to, we're just happy to be able to make it to one."

Along with the 24 yard winning field goal, Syracuse kicker Krautman also booted a career-long 48 yard field goal in the game for the Orange, who go into bowl eligibility 7-3 on the season and 4-2 in Big East Conference standings. Nassib has been the face of the Orange's newly aggressive offense, but let's not forget it's the little things that win games and send teams to higher places, in this case a field goal clinched the win.

Ryan Nassib threw for 214 total yards including a short four yard touchdown pass to Antwon Bailey. RB Delone Carter as well as Bailey rushed for decent field position to set up Krautman for the winning field goal.

Head coach Doug Marrone has brought his team to 7-3 overall, with four wins on the road in the Big East Conference. Marrone has achieved five true road wins on the season for the Orange (one in Akron) last achieved in 1992 under Pasqualoni.

Marrone now has more wins with (11) in less than two seasons than previous Syracuse Orange coach Greg Robinson had in four years with (10) wins (ESPN Stats and Information).

Rutgers, with a touchdown and a field goal in the match up, tried to employ a wildcat offense towards the end of the game out of sheer desperation. Unfortunately for Rutgers, a 12 yard run by Mohamed Sanu and a six yard run by Jeremy Deering to put Rutgers within field goal range proved to be too little too late for this year's outstanding Syracuse Orange defense.

The Orange, Marrone, and Nassib wait with baited breath to assume their rightful bowl position in this exciting 2010 Syracuse football season.

-C.T. Minardi