Quite a game...for Penn State. Let's catch up...In situations like this, I always like to think, What Would SUAthletics.com Do? And in doing so I find that the best way to mask the stench of a horrific home defeat is always by accentuating the positive:
Freshman receiver Marcus Sales scored his first career touchdown and senior kicker Patrick Shadle connected on two 44-yard field goals in a 55-13 setback to Penn State.Setback? SETBACK? What's this week's loss to Northeastern gonna be, a "misstep?"
Bud Poliquin starts things off with another one of his video wrap-ups. And Bud keeps upping the ante on hilarious ways to begin them. This time, he's fake-reading The Elmira Express and holding the book in that way that no one actually holds a book when reading it.
| Bud Poliquin discusses SU's 55-13 loss to Penn State |
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Bud also has a bone to pick with anyone to booed Nancy Cantor and DOCTOR Daryl Gross during the game:
Again, I appreciate the wrath of our community regarding the awful state of football (and, yes, the helpless Orange did trail the Nittany Lions 38-6 at the time of Cantor's and Gross' embarrassment). And I know that if popes and presidents (and Reggie Jackson) can get booed, SU's chancellor and athletic director can certainly get booed. And I realize that the catcalls were a means to the end of letting Cantor and Gross in on the secret that Orange Nation is furious with 7-31.
But what was displayed by an awful lot of folks inside the Dome on Saturday was rudeness. And to borrow from Woodrow Call (and some of you may have to look this one up), "I hate rudeness in a man." Or in this case, in men, women and children.
Bud hates rudeness. And people who don't know obscure Lonesome Dove references.
The Lions were just too big and too strong, says Dave Rahme:
The Lions, favored by four touchdowns, covered the spread by intermission. They were simply bigger, stronger, faster, more experienced and deeper at every position. Their offensive linemen wiped out SU's perimeter defense. Their defensive linemen overpowered their SU counterparts and were usually waiting in the backfield for Orange tailback Curtis Brinkley, who finished with 21 yards on 14 carries.Rahme also notes the startling truth of what the home team has done during Robinson's tenure and how painful going to the Carrier Dome to watch the Orange has become:
The Carrier Dome used to be a venue that guaranteed adversity to visiting teams, be they Nebraska, Florida, Miami, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Michigan . . . or Penn State. The Orange either defeated those football factories in the Dome or at least made them sweat mightily to prevail.
No more. Since Greg Robinson assumed the reins in 2005 the Orange is 5-16 at home. It has won one game there to a BCS school, a 20-14 decision over Connecticut in 2006. Its average margin of defeat in those 16 Dome losses is roughly 35-15. Seven of the last eight teams to visit the Dome have scored at least 40 points, the exception being Rutgers (38) last season. Three have scored at least 50.
The Axeman appreciated all the good-will from the week but hopes that everyone realizes no matter what the inspiration and no matter what the situation, this is not a very good football team:
Be honest with yourself. You knew these guys were going to lose. You can give me all the "anything can happen on any given day" speeches all you want, you knew this team had no shot vs Penn State.
Your only hope going in as an Syracuse fan was that they could at least give the mighty Nittany Lions a spirited fight *cough* cover the spread *cough* using the various sources of inspiration on campus this weekend as fuel to that fire.
They didn't.
Donnie Webb couldn't help but notice how young the Syracuse players are overall and the effect it has on the Orange:
I understand things have gotten to the point where nobody cares if they're young or not. These are players recruited by Greg Robinson and players he's choosing to play. At the same time, the youth of this team is a reality. When you play a true freshman cornerback and ask him to play press coverage, it's a lot to ask, especially when you send a blitz that can't get to the quarterback. We all know what happened.
Penn State's top two wide receivers caught 12 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns Saturday. All in the first half.
Crying child...cued.
The Three Idiots have a new synonym for failure...Robinson. That's assuming he's around much longer to put it into use...
Photo Credit (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)