Dec. 28, 1999
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – After two straight berths in the Bowl ChampionshipSeries, Syracuse finds itself playing for pride – and a winning record -against Kentucky in Wednesday’s Music City Bowl.
Both teams enter the game 6-5. A loss would give the Orangemen their worstrecord since 1986.
“Our team is going to be hungry to play in this game,” Syracuse coach PaulPasqualoni promised.
The Orangemen targeted a third straight BCS bowl this season despite losing10 starters, including quarterback Donovan McNabb and receiver Kevin Johnson.They started fast, winning five of their first six games, then were humiliated62-0 by Virginia Tech en route to dropping four of their last five games.
The low point was a loss to Rutgers.
“You look back on the season and, if the breaks go our way a few times in afew different ball games, we might have nine wins at this point,” offensivetackle Mark Baniewicz said.
Some fans have called for Pasqualoni to be fired, even though he has led theOrangemen to bowls in seven of his nine years. Pasqualoni ignores the criticismand says he wants to use the Music City Bowl as a springboard for next year.
“Everyone keeps saying, `You’re not in a New Year’s Day bowl is a letdown.’We’ve never had a letdown in one of these games,” said Pasqualoni, who is 4-2in bowl games.
Kentucky is happy to be playing in any bowl. The Wildcats lost quarterbackTim Couch, the entire offensive line and leading receiver Craig Yeast from lastyear’s squad, which took the school to its first bowl in five years.
This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for coach Hal Mumme, but closevictories over Division I-AA Connecticut and Vanderbilt helped the Wildcatsearn a trip to a second straight bowl for only the third time in schoolhistory.
A victory would match last year’s record.
“If you’re not winning, you’re not moving along,” Mumme said.
Neither team has fared well in recent bowls. The Orangemen were routed byKansas State (35-18) in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl and by Florida (31-10) in lastseason’s Orange Bowl. Kentucky lost to Penn State 26-14 in the Outback Bowl.
Kentucky tight end James Whalen, who was fifth nationally with 8.2receptions a game, said just reaching a bowl game isn’t enough.
“Now we need to take that to the next level and actually go in there andwin the bowl game,” he said.
The game will pit Syracuse’s defense, which ended the season ranked 14th inthe nation allowing 301.2 yards per game, against Kentucky’s spread offense,led by quarterback Dusty Bonner, who topped the SEC in total offense with 284.1yards a game.
The Wildcats get a boost with the return of receiver Quentin McCord and havethrown the Orangemen a bit of a curve by moving Derek Homer from the backfieldto receiver.
Pasqualoni won’t announce whether Troy Nunes or Madei Williams will start atquarterback. He has used both to try to spark one of the nation’s worstoffenses.
The game is being played in Nashville, and up to 50,000 Kentucky fans areexpected to cram into Adelphia Coliseum.
“Hopefully, we can keep the thing under control a little bit,” Pasqualonisaid.
“We’re going to have to play well to try to not let it get too, too loud.”
The Music City Bowl is sponsored by HomePoint.com.
