When Syracuse announced Wyoming as its final opponent for the 2006 season back in April, it looked like the driest game on the Orange schedule.

Not anymore.

Cowboys’ starting running back Devin Moore ignited fire into the contest Sunday when he guaranteed not only a win over Syracuse on Saturday but wins the rest of the season.

Someone forgot to remind him his team has lost three straight games and holds a 1-3 record.

‘I’m going to guarantee a win next against Syracuse, and every other conference game,’ Moore told the Jackson Hole Star-Tribune. ‘I don’t want to be cocky, not at all. But I do have confidence in the Wyoming Cowboys, and I hope everybody else out there does, too, because we’re going to win. And that’s the bottom line.’

Greg Robinson hadn’t heard of Moore’s comments until a reporter informed him during his Sunday press conference. Needless to say, the Syracuse head coach was less than impressed.

‘They are allowed to say what they want to say,’ Robinson said. ‘I don’t know that is what we need to motivate us. If it does motivate somebody, wonderful. I still think it is about what is inside of us.’

Stall

Against Illinois the problem was the fourth quarter. Against Miami the trouble came in the second.

For the last 22 minutes of the first half on Saturday, the offense disappeared (one first down) and the defense relaxed (11 first downs).

Perry Patterson overthrew and underthrew several receivers and was called for intentional grounding. The Orange ran for -13 yards and the O-line was called for holding.

The Miami attack revved into high gear-quarterback Mike Kokal went 12-of-20 for 142 yards and a touchdown after gaining only 11 yards in his first three possessions.

But for the first time in the Robinson era, Syracuse overcame mid-game difficulties and regained the momentum in the third quarter.

‘I think that we just got a little out of sorts,’ Robinson said. ‘What I like is that this team has now developed the confidence to get back and they got themselves right. Sometimes the other team throws blows, too, and you have to absorb some of those blows. You have to punch back, and I thought that we did a good job of coming back and jabbing away.’

So that’s how it feels

Robinson downplayed sending safety Joe Fields on a blitz on the first play of the game. Kokal never saw Fields walk up to the line of scrimmage before the play and barely reacted before the junior flattened him.

The sack was the first of Fields’ four-game career on defense. He was on the receiving end for plenty during his days at quarterback.

‘I think it was the right call for what they were getting ready to do,’ Robinson said. ‘It worked out well. I don’t know that it was a message as much as it was well executed and it broke the protection down.’

Published on September 24, 2006 at 12:00 pm