Garrett Shrader threw the pass. Oronde Gadsden caught the pass and got a foot in bounds. Syracuse showed resiliency throughout the afternoon. The Orange counterpunched every time they trailed in the fourth quarter, and the offense has been a breath of fresh air compared to recent years.
So why does it seem some observers still refuse to give Syracuse credit for the win? The Sporting News wrote:
Christmas came early in Syracuse, N.Y., on Saturday. The gift? A come-from-behind win for the Orange, courtesy of Purdue’s generosity in the final minute of the game.
Future records will show the Orange beat the Boilermakers at the JMA Wireless Dome. In reality, a series of horrible miscues on Syracuse’s final offensive drive ‚Äî all of them Purdue penalties ‚Äî allowed the home team to escape with a victory.
Undoubtedly, the Boilermakers made some bad decisions. A series of flags helped advanced the SU game-winning drive, and then torpedoed their last gasp. But at the same time, let’s give the Orange credit. The play that won the game was not a flag for pass interference. It didn’t spot it at the one-yard line. There was no questionable overturn of a call. The line blocked. Shrader threw the perfect pass. Gasden made a beautiful catch. No Boilermaker was involved in that process.
Jeff Brohm lost his cool and drew a flag. Dino Babers did not. Purdue threw an interception. SU didn’t commit a turnover. Purdue had 13 flags, Syracuse had 9. This was far from the cleanest SU win, and the Boilermakers certainly hurt themselves. But discipline is a learned trait, and taking advantage of the opponents mistakes is part of being a winner. Instead of suggesting “Syracuse (escaped) the Carrier Dome with a gifted victory,” let’s get a few things corrected.
A) It’s not the Carrier Dome anymore
B) Syracuse earned a win by being the smarter team
