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Penn State renews rivalry with Syracuse

Sep 13, 2008 - 10:03 AM No. 17 Penn St (2-0) at Syracuse (0-2), 3:30 pm EDT

SYRACUSE, New York (Ticker) -- Back during their pre-conference days, the rivalry between Eastern powers Penn State and Syracuse was a staple on the college football landscape.

On Saturday, the 17th-ranked Nittany Lions visit Syracuse in the first meeting between the schools since 1990, when Penn State posted a 27-21 victory.

Penn State and Syracuse played every year from 1981-1990, with the Nittany Lions winning eight of the 10 meetings.

However, the rivalry was discontinued after each school joined a conference in the early 1990s. Penn State became a member of the Big Ten Conference in 1993 and Syracuse joined the Big East Conference.

Saturday's contest shapes up as a classic mismatch, as Penn State has remained competitive on the national level while Syracuse has fallen on hard times, failing to record a winning season since 2001.

The one constant from the 1980s is Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who won his 374th game last week to remain tied with Florida State's Bobby Bowden for the most career victories among coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Nittany Lions (2-0) have been barely tested in their first two wins over Coastal Carolina (66-10) and Oregon State (45-14).

Last week, sophomore running back Evan Royster rushed for a career-high 141 yards on 17 carries and quarterback Daryll Clark completed 14-of-23 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Clark also rushed for 61 yards on five carries.

In its first two games, Penn State has featured excellent balance and a penchant for big plays, already recording 16 for 20 or more yards from scrimmage.

Royster has gotten off to an explosive start, becoming the first Penn State player in Paterno's 43 years as coach to have six rushing touchdowns through his first two games.

Syracuse (0-2) is coming off a demoralizing 42-28 home defeat to Akron of the Mid-American Conference. The loss dropped the Orange to a dismal 7-30 under fourth-year coach Greg Robinson, who has come under intense scrutiny.