The identity problem for the Syracuse football team is over.

During the last four years, the Orange started to wonder if it really could live up to the moniker as ‘New York’s College Team.’ Before soaring to a 31-13 win Saturday, SU had lost its previous four contests against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights, traditionally a Big East doormat, began dominating the recruiting war for players in the New York region.

Consider Saturday’s win a boost of confidence for Syracuse’s ego.

‘We went in there and we wanted to show who New York’s team was,’ tailback Delone Carter said when asked about the importance of Saturday’s game to recruiting. ‘We want to get the recruit to come to Syracuse, and this is our little oomph to get them our way.’

Though the victory gave Syracuse its first win in Big East play under Doug Marrone, it perhaps meant more for the recruits that stand on the sideline in the Carrier Dome week after week. Particularly, those that reside in the southern part of the state and in surrounding areas.

It’s no secret that former Orange head coach Greg Robinson didn’t make a full-hearted effort to recruit the tri-state area. He let Rutgers, a team with much less prestige and history than Syracuse, sneak in there and start stealing away recruits.

Just imagine if Syracuse could have landed New Rochelle’s Ray Rice a few years back instead of watching him go to Rutgers. So in comes Marrone, and he wants to get back to recruiting New York City and the surrounding areas.

He tells everybody who wants to listen that he needs to get back to being the dominant team in that area. He hires a secondary coach in John Anselmo who coached in Long Island and knows the coaches in the area. He goes down to the schools to meet their coaches and let them know he will be down there. He signs the New York City Player of the Year in Staten Island’s Torian Phillips.

But this plan will take time. In his 2009 class, Marrone signed just three players from the New York City area, with only one (Phillips) being a high school athlete from the New York City area. The other two, center Zach Chibane and offensive lineman Andrew Tiller, came from New Jersey and Nassau Community College, respectively.

Meanwhile, Rutgers signed players from the Bronx, Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens this past year. In addition, the freshman class was littered with players from New Jersey. Rutgers still holds the edge in the recruiting battle in the area Marrone hopes to take over like a military general sometime soon.

Saturday’s victory, though, could help start the change that Marrone wants in terms of recruiting. Rutgers had beaten up the Orange in past few contests, even spotting Syracuse 14 points in the past two contests before tearing the hearts out of all of Orange faithful with blowout victories.

This game was different, though. Syracuse looked like the team headed to a bowl game, with a high-powered offense that could not be stopped. The playbook was opened for double reverses, options and intermediate passing routes. The defense looked downright scary, battering Tom Savage to the ground nine times. Syracuse looked and played like a better team. If you were a recruit watching this game, what would you take away? Syracuse looked the better prepared, the better coached team. That has to give some edge to Syracuse in a recruit’s mind.

‘I think that it helps a lot and definitely with recruiting,’ tailback Antwon Bailey said. ‘But also it helps with confidence and sending the seniors out on the right foot.’

Rutgers will not go away easily in the New York area and will be able to show recruits that it’s headed to a bowl game this year while Syracuse will be watching on its television.

Still, for Syracuse to defeat RU, it definitely gives recruits something to think about. Syracuse is not irrelevant in its own state anymore.

Saturday’s victory wasn’t just on the field. It could pay huge dividends for the future of this program. Don’t think Doug Marrone doesn’t smile when he thinks about this win’s meaning.

Matt Ehalt is a staff writer for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at mrehalt@syr.edu.

Published on November 24, 2009 at 12:00 pm