Pitarresi:Great victories for Colgate, SU

I was away 10 days, and all heck broke loose.

 

Greg Robinson was fired as Syracuse’s football coach, then the Orange defeated Notre Dame, and an hour or so before that, Colgate defeated Holy Cross in a sensational game for the Patriot League football title.

 

As it happened, my brother and I went to the Colgate-Holy Cross game Saturday. It was kind of what used to be called a busman’s holiday. I’ve spent 37 years covering games, but rarely get to watch one from the stands. Same for my brother, who has coached football at New Hartford for 38 years.

 

We had a great time out in the cold and snow. We stood on the Holy Cross side, with Crusader parents all around us – very nice people – and took it all in. It reminded me of when we were little kids going to all kinds of games with my father.

 

This was old fashioned football. With running backs Jordan Scott and Nate Eachus and quarterback Greg Sullivan running – and occasionally throwing to Pat Simonds and Doug Rosnick – the Raiders just pummeled the Crusaders in the second half in a come-from-behind 28-27 victory. As one reader mentioned to me, the real MVP of the game was the offensive line. I don’t care how many games you’ve ever watched, you’ve probably never seen one line dominate another that way. Steve Jonas, Zach Posey, Justin Snyder, Rich Rosabella and Nick Hennessey were just sensational as Colgate held the ball for 25 minutes in the second half.

 

Colgate had a 17-play, 79-yard, 10-minute scoring drive, a nine-play, 67-yard scoring drive that lasted five minutes, and a closing drive of 10 plays that went 51 yards, last 4:37 and ended the game. And this was against one of the top run defenses in the nation.

 

It was a great, great show.

 

So was SU’s victory over Notre Dame.

 

The Irish gave the Orange plenty of help in this one, but who cares? A victory over Notre Dame at South Bend by a team that came in at 2-8 and with its coach having been fired earlier in the week? Come on!

 

I was very happy for the players and very happy for Greg Robinson, who by the way, is a huge Notre Dame fan. Everyone noticed that he interrupted his post-game interview on CBS to show respect for the Irish alma mater. He wasn’t gilding the lily, either. That’s really the kind of guy he is.

 

Hey, maybe the Orange will spoil Cincinnati’s Big East title hopes Saturday. That would be a great way for Robinson to go out.