The two football teams entered the game with clear roles. The Syracuse offense did its part, moving downfield with grinding running and some downfield passing.

Temple, too, filled its role, as receivers dropped passes and defenders left seams open in the secondary.

The game followed a predictable path for Syracuse, likely bowl-bound, and Temple, a perennial loser. The Orangemen, draped in all-orange uniforms for the first time since 2001, beat the Owls, 41-17, in front of 43,149 at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse played its game. Temple played its game. And the game finished as planned.

‘Yeah, it did,’ wide receiver Johnnie Morant said. ‘This was a must-win game in that we know we should beat Temple.’

Syracuse (5-3, 2-2 Big East) did just that, jumping out to a 24-0 lead before Temple completed a pass or crossed midfield.

One 99-yard drive highlighted the game’s one-sided nature. With 13:01 left in the first half, Syracuse led, 10-0, and Temple punter Garvin Ringwelski pinned Syracuse at the 1-yard line. The Orangemen embarked on an 11-play touchdown drive.

It featured a fade pass on third-and-eight to Morant, who twisted his body and corralled a 14-yard reception.

On the next play, the 5-foot-7 Rashard Williams hauled in a 43-yard slant-and-go that brought SU to Temple’s 21-yard line.

By halftime, the game was out of reach. Syracuse doubled up Temple (1-8, 0-4) in almost every first-half offensive category – rushing yards (114-32), passing yards (164-82), and time of possession (20:29-9:31).

‘We came in here and we just played our game,’ safety Diamond Ferri said. ‘It went the way our game plan wanted it to go. See, it’s like a chess game. We forced them to make moves they didn’t want to make.’

Like forcing Temple into passing, which Syracuse did by jumping out to such a big lead. Temple quarterback Walter Washington competed 19 of 34 passes for 183 yards and two interceptions. Temple’s leading rusher, Makonne Fenton, only rushed six times for 21 yards.

Containing the pass resulted from two things: stellar play and good luck.

Cornerback Steve Gregory guarded Zamir Cobb, limiting Temple’s leading receiver to 31 yards and breaking up several passes. In SU’s last game, against Pittsburgh, star receiver Larry Fitzgerald burned Gregory in man-to-man coverage, allowing 149 yards and two touchdowns.

Saturday, the secondary also benefited from TU’s drops. One intended pass for Cobb bounced off his chest and into the hands of SU linebacker Kellen Pruitt, setting up SU’s first score.

‘Yeah, there were a few balls that hit them in the chest,’ Ferri said. ‘That helped us a lot. But we were always around them. They heard the footsteps.’

Syracuse’s passing game, though, thrived, partly because of Temple’s unusual defensive formation, which featured four linemen, four circling linebackers and, at times, a safety in the box. Syracuse saw a similar set when the Orangemen lost to Virginia Tech on Oct. 11, 51-7.

This time, though, Syracuse outmuscled the defense.

‘They were committed to stopping the run,’ offensive coordinator George DeLeone said. ‘But we did a good job in their one-on-one coverage.’

‘Yeah, it (helped),’ SU quarterback R.J. Anderson said of the defensive formation. ‘But I can pass the ball a little bit, too.’

Anderson proved it, completing 16 of 20 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception, thrown in desperation at the end of the first half.

Temple’s formation failed to fulfill its main goal – containing the run. SU running back Walter Reyes rushed for 93 yards on 25 carries and caught five balls out of the backfield.

The game marks a turnaround from last year when Syracuse lost to Temple for the first time since 1983, 17-16.

‘I told our football team before the game that last year we let them hang in the game,’ DeLeone said. ‘We let the score be 17-16 at the end of the game last year. We just told them this year to not doubt themselves. Never have a doubt.’

Published on November 9, 2003 at 12:00 pm