Syracuse attempts to topple Rutgers

SYRACUSE — The highly anticipated game between the Scarlet Knights and the Orange has vastly more significance for Rutgers than Syracuse today.

Rutgers cracked the AP Top 25 poll this week for the first time all season. It is the sixth ranked team Syracuse will play this year.

"If we keep playing to the best that we're capable, hopefully we can climb in those polls," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "It's nice, but (the poll) is more for the fans."

To keep that No. 25 ranking, the Scarlet Knights face a Syracuse team with, according to quarterback Greg Paulus, plenty to play for with just a couple games remaining.

"There's still great opportunities in front of us," he said. "Being competitors on this team and wanting to win and having the opportunity to compete and play for 'Cuse and win our first Big East game is enough incentive."

Syracuse will have to do it without a number of starters who have suffered injury, the most critical being nose tackle Arthur Jones. He's done for the season with a knee injury. Offensively, Syracuse doesn't have receiver Cody Catalina and running back Mike Jones.

"The injuries just don't stop for us," Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said. "We have to find people."

Rutgers isn't without injury either. The Scarlet Knights lost last season's leading rusher Kordell Young to a season-ending knee injury. The school announced this week that he would undergo surgery in hopes of playing next season.

That hasn't stopped running back Joe Martinek from running all over Big East opponents. The sophomore from Hopatcong, N.J., rushes for 81 yards per game on average and scored eight touchdowns this season.

Under center is quarterback true freshman Tom Savage. He's thrown only two interceptions, while tossing 10 touchdown passes. In the process, he's helped bring Rutgers to the national stage and the Big East out from its derisive conference nickname, the "Big Least."

"They're playing well," Marrone said. "If you ask me what is the reason they're playing better now than before, I think they're getting good play from their young quarterback. I think he's coming along quite well."

Syracuse has its eyes set on the upset, and not just because it's Rutgers, or that the team's in danger of another last-place conference finish, or that Marrone said at the start of the year that he would open the recruiting pipeline again for New Jersey players. The Orange wants to win because it's senior day.

"It's our last home game, and it's important for us to put a good showing for our fans," Marrone said. "It's important for us to make sure it's a special day for our seniors, who have endured quite a bit through this program."

Not one senior experienced a bowl game. Not one senior experienced a .500 season. They all witnessed the debacle that was the Greg Robinson era.

"We want to finish strong," Paulus said. "We're excited to play football."

Syracuse and Rutgers kicks off at 3:30 p.m. today at the Carrier Dome. The game will be carried on ESPN360.com.