John Pitarresi: Players are where you find them

Football players are where you find them, and not all of the good ones play at major colleges.

Brian Mandeville and Anthony Orio, for example.

Not to take away from the big days Curtis Brinkley (24 carries, 145 yards, 1 touchdown) – a fierce, very dangerous guy when he gets some room - Doug Hogue (16 carries, 100 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions, 25 yards, 1 touchdown) and Cameron Dantley (14 of 17, 167 yards, 1 touchdown) had in Syracuse University’s 30-21 victory over Northeastern today, but Orio and Mandeville were two big reasons the I-AA Huskies were able to give the Orange all they could handle.

Mandeville is a huge tight end (6-7, 255) with terrific athletic ability and great hands who pro scouts are looking at very closely. He had five catches for 83 yards today, and three of those grabs were sensational. The strong-armed Orio completed 23 of 37 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns and made a lot of good decisions, even if he threw two interceptions, both batted balls if I recall correctly.

The 6-2, 240-pound Orio is an interesting story. He graduated summa cum laude last year with a major in biochemistry and hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon. Huskies coach Rockie Hager is glad the kid hasn’t started on that path yet.

“He had applied to medical school, so if he was there, he wouldn’t be our quarterback today,” Hager said. “He is a great kid, and makes the right decisions. I hope he is my doctor some day.”

That’s a pretty good tribute for a coach, especially after a loss.

Some notable scores Saturday:

LSU 26, Auburn 21 - Too bad the War Eagle/Tigers, fresh off their scintillating 3-2 Mississippi State win, couldn't hang on.

South Florida 17, Florida International - The Bulls, current pride of the Big East, had some trouble with four-touchdown underdog.

NC State 30, East Carolina 24 - Long-forgotten Wolfpack bursts Pirates bubble and now maniacal SU fans have to find someone other than Skip Holtz to be their favorite next coach.

BYU 44, Wyoming 0 - Max Hall throws "only" three TD passes, but Cougars have outscored the opposition 103-0 in the last two games.

Boise State 37, Oregon 32 - The nation's favorite "mid-major" knocks off another supposedly great team.