SYRACUSE ORANGE
vs.
Northwestern Wildcats

Saturday, September 1 • Noon • ESPN2
Carrier Dome (49,262/FieldTurf)
Syracuse, N.Y.

Television
ESPN2 — Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway and Jenn Brown

Syracuse Radio
WTKW-FM 99.5 (flagship)
Sirius 86; XM 86

THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 10th meeting between Syracuse and Northwestern in a series that began in 1940 … Syracuse was a 37-34 winner at the Carrier Dome in 2009, giving Doug Marrone his first career head coaching victory, behind a 346-yard performance by QB Greg Paulus … Northwestern’s last win against the Orange was in 2008 in Evanston, Ill. (30-10) … The Orange have gone 3-1 against the Wildcats in Syracuse, with the lone setback coming in 1940.

SYRACUSE (0-0)
Head Coach
Doug Marrone (Syracuse ’91) - LISTEN TO TELECONFERENCE
17-20, fourth season



NOTES
Syracuse enters the 2012 season on the heels of a 5-7 campaign as the Orange look to rid themselves of a five-game slide that closed 2011 … The Orange were 4-1 in nonconference games last year and are 11-5 in nonleague games under fourth-year coach Doug Marrone … Syracuse was 5-1 when it scored at least 21 points and 0-6 when it scored 20 points or fewer last year … QB Ryan Nassib, who enters his third year as the Orange signal-caller, leads a group of five returning starters on offense … Nassib threw for 2,685 yards and 22 touchdowns with nine interceptions last year … WR Alec Lemon earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors in 2011 after he led the team with 68 receptions and 834 receiving yards … WR Marcus Sales, who had a 172-yard, three-touchdown effort in the 2010 New Era Pinstripe Bowl, returns after not playing in 2011 … The Orange return all three starting linebackers from last year, including LB Marquis Spruill (62 tackles, three sacks), an All-BIG EAST Second Team choice in 2011 … LB Dyshawn Davis (43 tackles, team-high 10.5 TFL) earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors … LB Dan Vaughan had 72 tackles last year — the most among returning players … The game against Northwestern is the first of two for Syracuse against Big Ten opponents in 2012 (Sept. 22 at Minnesota).

NORTHWESTERN (0-0)
Head Coach
Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern ’97)
40-36, seventh season


NOTES
Northwestern was 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten Legends Division last season … The Wildcats fell to Texas A&M 33-22 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas to close the 2011 season … Northwestern returns 14 starters from last year, but looks to fill the void left by the departure of the winningest senior class in school history … Northwestern earned bowl eligibility in each of the last five seasons after previously never amassing more than a three-year run of postseason eligibility … QB Kain Colter holds the distinction of entering the 2012 season as the Wildcats’ top returning passer (673 yards), rusher (654 yards) and receiver (466 yards) … S Ibraheim Campbell, who earned Freshman All-America accolades last season, is the top returner on defense with 100 tackles and two interceptions in 2011 … Head coach Pat Fitzgerald is 19-5 in regular-season nonconference games … Northwestern led all Football Bowl Subdivision schools with an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 995 in the most recent report.