Pitarresi: Bad day for CNY football

It was a bad day for Central New York football.

 

Syracuse ended the Greg Robinson era with a 30-10 loss to Big East champion Cincinnati, and Colgate was whipped by Villanova 58-28 in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

 

Colgate knew it would be tested mightily at Villanova, ranked sixth and capable of competing with big time teams. The Raiders were, giving up a touchdown on the opening kickoff and seeing things go downhill from there. It was a great season, though, with tailback Jordan Scott ending a great, record-setting career behind a terrific offensive line. And I’ll never forget that very entertaining, 28-27 victory over Holy Cross for the Patriot League championship.

 

The SU loss was predictable, I suppose, considering the track record of the last few years, but the Orange were still in it until that interception that helped set up the Bearcat touchdown that made it 20-13. It might have been different, too, had the Orange had their heads on straight from the beginning. Right before John Goebel ran 10 yards for Cincinnati’s first touchdown, I noticed that SU had just 10 players on the field, with just three down linemen.

“What is that?” I yelled at my television.

Goebel ran left, right through the empty spot, and it was 7-0. Not good.

 

At least Uticans Nick Santiago and Vincenzo Giruzzi finished their careers with their heads up. Both were credited with three tackles and sack, and Giruzzi played most of the game with a thumb that had been disclocated and ripped through his skin and his glove