SYRACUSE ORANGE
vs.
Rhode Island Rams

GAMEDAY CENTRAL

Carrier Dome (49,262/FieldTurf)
Syracuse, N.Y.

Television
BIG EAST Network/ESPN3.com — Mark Larson and Dale Drypolcher

Syracuse Radio
WTKW-FM 99.5 (flagship)
XM 93

THE GAME
Syracuse and Rhode Island have only met once, with Syracuse’s 63-17 win in 2002 standing as the lone game between the schools … Syracuse has faced a Colonial Athletic Association team in each of the past two years, scoring wins against Maine in 2009 (41-24) and 2010 (38-14) … The CAA has had four teams defeat Bowl Subdivision members in 2009, had one such win in 2010 (James Madison over Virginia Tech) and has one already in 2011 (Richmond over Duke).

SYRACUSE (1-0)
Head Coach
Doug Marrone (Syracuse ’91)
13-13, third season

NOTES
Syracuse turned in one of the more exciting games of the young season as the Orange rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to get past Wake Forest 36-29 in overtime at the Carrier Dome … Syracuse trailed 20-7 at halftime and Wake Forest was able to build a 29-14 lead on a field goal with 11:02 left in the fourth quarter … Syracuse scored the last 22 points of the game … QB Ryan Nassib went 20-of-28 for 178 yards and three touchdown passes, including two TD throws after the start of the fourth quarter … RB Antwon Bailey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns against Wake Forest, including a 53-yard touchdown that allowed the Orange to tie the score midway through the fourth quarter … Bailey scored multiple touchdowns for the first time in his career and enjoyed his second career 100-yard day … WR Alec Lemon had a team-high seven catches for 52 yards, while WR Van Chew had four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown … Chew has caught at least one pass in 14 consecutive games … The defense was paced by freshman LB Dyshawn Davis, who had eight tackles and a sack … S Shamarko Thomas had a team-high 10 tackles … Eight Syracuse players made their first career starts against Wake Forest … The Orange play four of their first five games at home, with next week’s game at USC the lone road trip in that stretch.

RHODE ISLAND (0-0)
Head Coach
Joe Trainer (Dickinson ’90)
6-16, third season at Rhode Island
19-36, sixth season as collegiate head coach


NOTES
Rhode Island did not play last weekend and begins its 2011 season with the trip to Syracuse … The Rams were 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the CAA last year … The Rams’ ledger included wins against teams ranked No. 3, 8 and 19 in the Football Championship Subdivision last year … Rhode Island closed the year with three wins in its last four games … The Rams return 11 offensive starters and five defensive starters from last year … QB Steve Probst, a transfer from Hofstra, threw for 1,876 yards and rushed for 600 last year … Probst ranked third in the CAA in total offense, averaging 225.1 yards per game … The Rams’ defense, which allowed an average of 36.9 points in 2009, limited opponents to 24.4 points per game last season … Rhode Island announced last year that the 2011 and 2012 seasons would be the Rams’ final years in the CAA … Rhode Island will join the Northeast Conference for the 2013 season.