The Last Time Two Ranked Teams Squared Off in the Dome

A ranked Syracuse football team is set to host a ranked opponent for the first time in more than 20 years.

Mike McAllister | Oct 11, 2022

The Last Time Two Ranked Teams Squared Off in the Dome /

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Syracuse Orange

Syracuse football is set to host NC State on Saturday in perhaps the biggest game in the Dome in more than 20 years. With the Orange ranked 18th and the Wolfpack 15th, it is the first matchup between two ranked teams in the Dome since 2001 and the first top 20 matchup since 1998. Here is a look back at those games.

2001: (22) Syracuse vs (25) Boston College

One of the surprise teams in college football, Syracuse, hosted a solid Boston College squad in the Dome. Each team scored on its first possession. The Orange would score two straight touchdowns to start the second quarter before the Eagles answered with one of their own. This Syracuse team was led by defense, paced by All-American defensive end Dwight Freeney. Freeney would break the Big East single season sack record in this game on a stripe sack that was recovered by the Orange and set up a score to put SU up 28-14 at halftime. Boston College never seriously threatened after that and Syracuse won 39-28. James Mungro and Kyle Johnson each scored two touchdowns to lead Syracuse with Mungro rushing for 184 yards as well. Willie Green led Boston College with 182 yards rushing and a pair of scores. This was the final regular season game that season. Syracuse would go on to dominate Kansas State 26-3 in the Insight.com Bowl and finished ranked 14th in the nation.

1998: (17) Syracuse vs (10) Tennessee

One of the most frustrating games for Syracuse football fans, the last top-20 matchup occurred in the season opener in 1998. The 17th ranked Orange, defending Big East Champions, hosted the 10th ranked Volunteers who were trying to replace Peyton Manning. Tennessee jumped out to an early lead and took a 14-10 edge into halftime. The Volunteers maintained the advantage until a Donovan McNabb touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter gave Syracuse its first lead. Less than two minutes later, Tee Martin would hit Peerless Price go take the lead back. A pair of Nate Trout field goals on the Orange's next two possessions would take the lead back at 33-31 with 2:38 to play. This is where a controversial call changed the outcome of the game. Tennessee was facing a fourth and seven deep in its own territory. Failure to pick up the first down would end the game. Tee Martin threw a pass that was broken up by Will Allen. Syracuse started to celebrate. Then a late flag was thrown by official Lee Dyer for pass interference. Tennessee would get a new set of downs and cap the drive with a game winning field goal as time expired.

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Published Oct 11, 2022

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.