Pitarresi: SU provides a big surprise

There were some big surprises in college football Saturday.

 

As far as local fans are concerned, Syracuse’s 28-21 victory over Louisville was chief among them.

 

This win was built on the back of tailback Curtis Brinkley, who has been terrific all year. The fact that Brinkley didn’t start the Akron game – the coaches mysteriously were committed to a rotation that had Doug Hogue starting – probably cost the Orange one victory, and the fact that Brinkley wasn’t in the game on a key possession against Pittsburgh might have cost that one, too.

 

We’ve said it here many times – if Brinkley can run, Syracuse can play offense. The Orange still have to play much better defense. The D was just good enough against the Cardinals to win, with Utica’s Nick Santiago contributing two big sacks and Bruce Williams, who had lost his starting position at safety, coming up with a sensational interception to ice the game.

 

Another surprise:

 

Utica College played powerful St. John Fisher to a standstill before bowing 17-10. The Pioneers made a statement with that one. A little more explosiveness on offense and they are a pretty good team. Eric Kahl and the defense are good now. It was a loss, but a loss that will give the Pioneers confidence and shouldn’t hurt coach Blaise Faggiano’s recruiting, either.

 

Not a surprise, but just too bad:

 

Hamilton College is a better football team than it has been in years, with much more offensive potential, but the Continentals keep letting games get away. Their 31-28 loss to Middlebury on a late field goal was very disappointing – their fourth loss by seven points or fewer – especially since the usually reliable defense didn’t do the job in the fourth quarter.

 

How about these scores?

 

Northwestern 24, No. 20 Minnesota 17: The Wildcats might not be a power, but they’re pretty good, and they’re another reason SU has six losses.

 

No. 6 Texas Tech 39, No. 1 Texas 33: What gunslinging showdown, with another No. 1 biting the dust. This season has made rankings meaningless, and you wonder if the BCS championship game really will match the top two teams in the nation.

 

Colgate 21, Lafayette 13: Marv Hubbard, Dom Fischer, Mark van Eeghen, Henry White, Kenny Gamble, Anthony Cavaretta, Randall Joseph, Jamaal Branch, Jordan Scott and now Nate Eachus, who had 34 carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns to help win an important Patriot League game. Eachus, a freshman, has started three games in place of the nicked up Scott, and has 107 carries, 626 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s a season for most guys