Pitarresi: Redemption a good thing for Stein

I’m feeling good for Colgate University kicker Jacob Stein today, and bad for the Syracuse University football team.

 

Stein kicked the winning field goal in Colgate’ s 27-24 win today in a very entertaining football game on a beautiful day at Andy Kerr Stadium, one of the best places to watch a game – at least on a sunny October afternoon - you’ll ever visit.

 

That was great, because Stein missed an extra point and failed on a 39-yard field goal attempt when Princeton edged Colgate in overtime on the same field in 2006. Redemption is a very good thing.

 

I was following the SU game on the internet while covering Colgate, and I was excited to see the Orange, trailing 10-6 in the fourth quarter against a 25-point favorite, were going in to score. The next thing I knew, the Mountaineers were kicking and extra point.

 

“How can that be?” I thought.

 

Well, SU was stopped at the WVU 5, and a few plays later Noel Devine goes 93 yards to score. Game over. Hey, the Orange are getting better, but they aren’t good enough yet. I feel very badly for those kids.

 

I got to see Hamilton College play for a quarter – the Continentals are getting better and defeated Bowdoin 28-17 – and was very impressed with freshman quarterback Jordan Eck. He has to get bigger and stronger, but he has great presence and you seldom will see a small college quarterback get rid of the ball more quickly or cleanly.