SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The mob of Syracuse players was finally ready to move the celebration from the field to the locker room. After a glorious stretch of bear hugs, handshakes and high-fives, the horde of white jerseys and orange helmets collectively made its way toward the tunnel on the south end of Notre Dame Stadium. Touchdown Jesus loomed in the distance, just beyond the stands.

At the 15-yard line, the mass unexpectedly stopped in its place, unabashed by the increasingly hostile environment. The frigid temperatures and the Fighting Irish marching band playing the school Alma Mater suddenly meant nothing. Not even the barrage of snowballs the sellout crowd of 80,795 sent flying from the stands ever since the clock struck zero on Syracuse’s shocking 24-23 victory Saturday evening could convince the players to move any further.

They weren’t leaving. Not without their coach, Greg Robinson, who was busy giving an interview for the national audience watching the upset on NBC. When he was ready, they were ready. He had gone through so much in one long week. Losing his job Sunday, leading his much-maligned Syracuse team to an improbable win at the most heralded venue in college football six days later.

Saturday was the most jubilant day of Robinson’s four-year tenure. The Orange (3-8 overall, 1-5 Big East) won a game with the entire country watching. Never before had Notre Dame (6-4) fallen to an eight-loss opponent. It was a remarkable showcase for a program desperate for something to grasp onto. This was the bowl game Robinson was never able to bring to Syracuse.

‘For us to rally around him, it means a lot to him, and he means a lot to us,’ said SU quarterback Cameron Dantley, who went 13-of-25 for 122 yards and a touchdown. ‘That’s why we stayed out there.’

Dantley provided the game-winning toss, finding wide receiver Donte Davis over the middle for an 11-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left. Notre Dame was able to position itself for one final desperation field goal. But Brandon Walker’s 52-yard attempt fell short, and the SU players sprinted onto the field in celebration.

It was the kind of game the Orange had lost so many times these past four years. Syracuse had a 10-6 lead late in the second quarter. The defense was hanging tough, and the offense was doing just enough.

Then Jimmy Clausen hit Golden Tate with a 35-yard touchdown bomb down the left sideline with two seconds left before halftime to give Notre Dame the lead. SU fans had seen this show before: A good first half giving way to a pitiful second half, leading to another blowout loss.

But this game was different. Syracuse was the team coming back from the brink at the end of a game. It overcame a 23-10 lead in the fourth quarter, carried by backup tailback Antwon Bailey.

He ran for a 25-yard touchdown to bring the Orange within one score. On the final possession, he rushed for 43 of the 68 yards Syracuse drove, finishing the game with 126 yards on 16 carries.

The Orange had been outscored, 94-20, in the fourth quarter heading into Saturday’s game. This time, Syracuse didn’t fold.

‘It’s a great day for our football team. Really, a great day for our program,’ Robinson said. ‘…They knew somewhere along the line this team was going to do something special, and it was an opportunity for them, and they knew they had to make the most of it.’

All week leading up to the game, Syracuse’s players maintained they still had something to play for. Traveling to Notre Dame has that effect.

It would have made sense if they had folded. Five other programs had fired their coaches midseason. All five lost their first game after the change was announced. The way Syracuse had played lately, it seemed destined to become the sixth.

Instead, it used its coach as motivation, even if Robinson didn’t want to believe it.

‘They won it for themselves. Trust me,’ Robinson said. ‘The players win it for them. It ain’t one of those deals.’

The evidence suggests otherwise. While Syracuse was waiting for its coach to finish the interview, the players started a chant of ‘G-Rob! G-Rob!’ despite the snowballs coming from the stands. Earlier, Jones was hit with a shard of ice near his eye, but he was not about to be deterred. When Robinson joined the pile, the players stayed in the middle of the band, dancing to the Notre Dame fight song with their coach.

Robinson still has one week left – next Saturday in Cincinnati. But this was the game dedicated to Robinson, just before the door closes on his career at Syracuse.

‘We had to go out there and play for our coach,’ Bailey said. ‘We love him like we are having an undefeated season.’

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on November 25, 2008 at 12:00 pm