SB Nation New York - Temple vs. Syracuse: Orange earn 38-20 victory in Big East finalehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2012-11-23T14:41:59-05:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/34459192012-11-23T14:41:59-05:002012-11-23T14:41:59-05:00Syracuse ends Big East tenure with 38-20 victory
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> rushing attack compiled 260 yards and scored three touchdowns Friday to propel the Orange to a 38-20 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/temple-owls">Temple Owls</a> in their Big East Conference football finale. The win helped Syracuse University's 21-year tenure as a Big East member conclude with a 76-75 record and cemented the second winning season under head coach Doug Marrone.</p>
<p>The Orange, who began the season with a 1-3 record, finished regular-season play with a 7-5 overall record (5-2 Big East) and secured, at least, a fourth-place finish in the Big East standings. SU could still earn the league's automatic BCS bowl berth, <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-football/2012/11/23/3682028/big-east-football-bcs-bowl-scenarios-syracuse-orange-louisville-rutgers-cincinnati/in/3445919">but needs a lot of help</a>.</p>
<p>Syracuse junior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114537/jerome-smith">Jerome Smith</a> ran for a team-high 96 yards on 20 carries, sophomore <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114527/prince-tyson-gulley">Prince-Tyson Gulley</a> carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards and a touchdown while sophomore <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134364/adonis-ameen-moore">Adonis Ameen-Moore</a> powered his way to 57 yards on 10 carries with a pair of touchdowns.</p>
<p>Ameen-Moore's last touchdown came with 4:32 to go in the third quarter and helped give SU a 24-20 lead it would never lose, while Smith's performance helped him surpass the 1,000-rushing mark for the first time in his career.</p>
<p>Another Orange player that cleared a 1,000-yard mark was senior wide receiver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75625/alec-lemon">Alec Lemon</a>, who caught a team-high five passes for 74 yards. Lemon, who also broke his own single-season and school record of 68 catches, now has 1,063 yards entering SU's final game of the year.</p>
<p>Senior quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37776/ryan-nassib">Ryan Nassib</a> finished 16-for-28 with 215 yards and a touchdown - a 24-yard second-quarter pass to senior wide receiver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37778/marcus-sales">Marcus Sales</a>. Nassib became Syracuse's all-time leading passer in last week's victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/missouri-tigers">Missouri Tigers</a>.</p>
<p>Temple earned an early 10-0 lead, but could not overcome four turnovers. The third was an interception thrown by quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135828/clinton-granger">Clinton Granger</a> that was returned for a touchdown by Syracuse senior defensive back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114524/keon-lyn">Keon Lyn</a> with 2:37 to go in the game. Lyn's touchdown cemented SU's third straight victory.</p>
<p>Syracuse improved to 7-0 when committing the same or fewer turnovers than its opponent.</p>
<p>Granger compiled 234 yards of total offense (173 through the air) and scored two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). Senior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/49314/montel-harris">Montel Harris</a> rushed for a game-high 106 yards on 21 carries for Temple (4-7, 2-5), which ended its season losing five of the last six games.</p>
<p>The Orange will now wait to see how the rest of the Big East plays out and for their second bowl invite in three seasons.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-football/2012/11/23/3682800/temple-vs-syracuse-final-score-2012-recapJared Smith2012-11-23T12:37:08-05:002012-11-23T12:37:08-05:00SU leads Owls, 17-13, at halftime
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> offense came alive in the second quarter and helped the Orange earn a 17-13 halftime lead over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/temple-owls">Temple Owls</a> in a Big East Conference football game at Lincoln Financial Field.</p>
<p>Syracuse (6-5, 4-2 Big East) helped erase two first-quarter turnovers by tallying a pair of touchdowns - one by senior wide receiver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37778/marcus-sales">Marcus Sales</a> and another by sophomore running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134364/adonis-ameen-moore">Adonis Ameen-Moore</a> -- and a 26-yard field goal by kicker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114532/ross-krautman">Ross Krautman</a>, which came with seven seconds remaining in the half.</p>
<p>Sales scored on a 24-yard throw from quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37776/ryan-nassib">Ryan Nassib</a> just 1:37 into the second quarter, while Ameen-Moore ran in from 18 yards out to help give Syracuse a 14-10 lead with 9:11 remaining in the first half.</p>
<p>Krautman's kick capped a small 10-play, 38-yard drive that capped the half's scoring.</p>
<p>Nassib finished the half 8-for-16 with 116 passing yards, while junior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114537/jerome-smith">Jerome Smith</a> has rushed for 56 yards on seven carries.</p>
<p>Temple junior quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135828/clinton-granger">Clinton Granger</a> is 11-for-13 for 89 yards, and has added 57 rushing yards on eight carries. Owls senior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/49314/montel-harris">Montel Harris</a> has a game-high 63 yards on 13 carries.</p>
<p>Temple led 10-0 after the first quarter, however, managed just a 22-yard field goal by kicker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84392/brandon-mcmanus">Brandon McManus</a> in the second quarter.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-football/2012/11/23/3682494/temple-vs-syracuse-score-orange-lead-owls-17-13-at-halftimeJared Smith2012-11-23T11:45:46-05:002012-11-23T11:45:46-05:00SU trails Temple, 10-0, after 1st quarter
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>A 12-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135828/clinton-granger">Clinton Granger</a> to wide receiver<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135828/clinton-granger"></a> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135846/john-christopher">John Christopher</a> and a 47-yard field goal by kicker <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84392/brandon-mcmanus">Brandon McManus</a> has helped the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/temple-owls">Temple Owls</a> earn a 10-0 lead on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> in a Big East Conference football game that has reached the conclusion of the first quarter.</p>
<p>So far, Granger is 6-for-8 for 46 passing yards and has 47 rushing yards on six carries, while senior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/49314/montel-harris">Montel Harris</a> has 48 yards on eight carriers.</p>
<p>Syracuse (6-5, 4-2 Big East) turned the ball over on its two possessions of the first quarter. Both were fumbles that happened inside Temple's 40-yard line.</p>
<p>The Owls (4-6, 2-4) turned the Orange's second fumble into a touchdown after marching 74 yards on 11 plays in 5:55. The drive ended with Granger finding Christopher.</p>
<p>McManus' field goal capped Temple's game-opening drive, which marched 43 yards in eight plays in 4:10.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-football/2012/11/23/3682344/temple-vs-syracuse-score-2012Jared Smith2012-11-23T10:28:48-05:002012-11-23T10:28:48-05:00Syracuse barely, but still in, BCS bowl hunt
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k4AZ3zUXGjVqYFKP2-sft2B2rWA=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828127/large_newyork.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>On Friday, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> visit the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/temple-owls">Temple Owls</a> in their final Big East Conference football game ever. The Orange (6-5, 4-2 Big East) seem to be playing for just a chance to cement its second winning record in 10 seasons, however, there's a very small chance SU can still earn the league's automatic BCS bowl berth.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/college-football-rapidreports/21103859/big-east-bcs-scenarios-can-syracuse-sneak-in">According to CBS Sports' Evan Hilbert</a>, here's how:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Scenario No. 2: </b>Louisville loses to UConn, beats Rutgers; Rutgers loses out; Cincinnati loses one of its last two; Syracuse beats Temple.</p>
<p>Now, again, we create a mini-conference between the three teams at 5-2. That would be Louisville, Syracuse, and Rutgers. But, uh-oh, head-to-head records here are all 1-1. Louisville beat Rutgers, lost to Syracuse; Syracuse beat Louisville, lost to Rutgers; Rutgers beat Syracuse, lost to Louisville. In this case, the determining factor becomes which team has the highest BCS ranking. As of Nov. 17, <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings/bcs">CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm</a> has Rutgers (18) ahead of Louisville (20) ahead of Syracuse (43). So, in this case, the most likely outcome would be Louisville leaping over Rutgers after having won and edging out Syracuse for the BCS berth based on ranking. Unless, of course, something wacky happens, like Connecticut beating Louisville 40-0 and the Cards turning around and beating Rutgers 7-6, then, maybe, Syracuse somehow ends up ranked higher.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Obviously, this scenario is calling for a lot to happen but truly anything can happen in the Big East.</p>
<p>What's also a bit disheartening is Syracuse was oh-so-close to defeating the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/rutgers-scarlet-knights">Rutgers Scarlet Knights</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/cincinnati-bearcats">Cincinnati Bearcats</a>. It can be argued, the Orange controlled both games, however, were undone by their own wrong-doings - costly turnovers and bad penalties being the main problem.</p>
<p>By weekends end, Syracuse football fans will more than likely be asking "what if." Yet, it's still impressive that after starting the season 1-3, SU is in this possession.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/syracuse-orange-football/2012/11/23/3682028/big-east-football-bcs-bowl-scenarios-syracuse-orange-louisville-rutgers-cincinnatiJared Smith2012-11-23T09:26:49-05:002012-11-23T09:26:49-05:00SU visists Temple in Big East Conference finale
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FdlXAfE388pgq2HwTNH-VQB3dWo=/0x179:2883x2101/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/3765765/20120922_jla_aj5_229.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Syracuse has a chance to cement a winning season Friday when it visits Temple (11 a.m. on ABC).</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> will play their final Big East Conference football game Friday when the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/temple-owls">Temple Owls</a> host the Orange at Lincoln Financial Field (11 a.m. on ESPN2). Syracuse (6-5, 4-2 Big East) could cement its second winning season in 10 years, while Temple (4-6, 2-4) is looking to earn its second consecutive win over the Orange.</p>
<p>Syracuse is coming off a thrilling 31-27 victory at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/missouri-tigers">Missouri Tigers</a>. The Orange used a last-second 17-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37776/ryan-nassib">Ryan Nassib</a> to wide receiver <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75625/alec-lemon">Alec Lemon</a> to help take a four-point lead with 20 seconds remaining in the game.</p>
<p>The win allowed Syracuse to become bowl eligible for the second time under head coach Doug Marrone.</p>
<p>Friday's showdown with Temple will conclude SU's Big East football tenure, which began in 1991. During that span, SU is 75-75 in league play and collected four conference championships ('96-98, '04).</p>
<p>Two Syracuse players - senior wide receiver Alec Lemon (989 receiving yards) and junior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114537/jerome-smith">Jerome Smith</a> (923 running yards) - each have a chance to break the 1,000-yard mark.</p>
<p>Senor quarterback Ryan Nassib (3,404 passing yards) could surpass 4,000 yards during SU's bowl game. Last week, Nassib set SU's all-time passing mark which currently stands at 8,845 passing yards.</p>
<p>The Orange have the top-ranked offense in the Big East, as they average a league-best 473.3 total yards per game. SU also averages 28.5 points per game, the third-best average in the league.</p>
<p>Last week, Temple easily defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/army-black-knights">Army Black Knights</a>, 63-32. The Owls used a record-breaking performance from senior running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/49314/montel-harris">Montel Harris</a>, who ran for a Big East all-time best of 351 yards and seven touchdowns.</p>
<p>Harris is the league's top rusher with 948 yards and 12 touchdowns on 165 carriers.</p>
<p>Temple will be led by a pair of quarterbacks that each present different skill sets. Last week's starter, junior <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135828/clinton-granger">Clinton Granger</a>, is more of a duel-threat signal caller that's more than likely to run than pass, while junior <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84447/chris-coyer">Chris Coyer</a>, who's started most of the games for the Owls, is more of a pocket passer.</p>
<p>However, despite its running threat the Owls are ranked last in the Big east in total offense (320.2), total defense (432.9) and scoring defense (30.5).</p>
<p><a href="http://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/syracuse-temple-odds-november-23-2012">According to oddsmakers</a>, Temple will enter the contest 7 1/2-point underdogs. The point spread is a point higher than the opening line of 8 1/2-points. The over/under is set at 57 points.</p>
<h5>Predictions</h5>
<p>This will be a very tough test for Owls, who can't match the Orange's offensive fire power.</p>
<p>The difference in this game will be turnovers, as Syracuse is 6-0 when its has had fewer, or the same number of turnovers as its opponent and 0-5 when it lost the turnover battle.</p>
<p><b>Final score: Syracuse 27, Temple 16.</b></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2012/11/23/3681652/temple-vs-syracuse-game-time-tv-schedule-odds-predictionsJared Smith