http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2010/12/30/2010-12-30_syracuse_best_kansas_state_3634_in_pinstripe_bowl_at_yankee_stadium_though_offic.html?r=sportsSyracuse coach Doug Marrone grew up just 10 blocks from the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and is a lifelong Bombers fan. His grandfather was an usher in the ballpark for 20 years and Marrone spent his childhood summers watching games from the bleachers.
So it was a feel-good moment when he brought his team back to the old neighborhood for the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl Thursday at the new Stadium.
"When I looked up at the arches, I felt like I was 10 years old," he said.
Syracuse gave Marrone a holiday season to remember when sophomore quarterback Ryan Nassib threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns - all to junior wide receiver Marcus Sales - as the Orange defeated Kansas State, 36-34, before 38,274.
But officials ruined what could have been a dramatic ending to an entertaining game with a disappointing lack of common sense. They whistled Adrian Hilburn for a 15-yard excessive celebration penalty after he flashed what seemed like a simple salute to the crowd following a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Coffman that pulled the Wildcats within two points with 1:13 left.
The penalty forced K-State (7-6) to go for a two-point conversion from the 18-yard line, and one of the most entertaining games of the bowl season ended with a whimper when Coffman threw an incomplete pass on the next play.
"Two officials - the head linesmen and the back judge - threw the flag," head referee Todd Geerlings said. "Both judged it to be a player attempting to draw attention to himself."
Hilburn didn't see it that way.
"I was hurt, devastated," he said. "I don't agree with the call. Most of my teammates are backing me up, too. I saw our opponent throwing up diamond signs after they scored touchdowns and I give a salute. What's that, representing our soldiers? I know we're kind of on their turf and maybe I shouldn't have done it, but I don't think that was a good call.
"It was emotional for me. We were down. All we had to do was score the extra point. I guess my emotions took over. As soon as it happened, he (the official) said, 'Wrong choice, buddy.' Then I ran off. Then I saw a flag. I was like 'Oh, really?' "
"I've done that before and never got called for it. I was never called for that in my life. I couldn't lift my head up when it happened. I was just bawling. I feel like I let the team down."
The NCAA has lost its mind more than once this season with some of its decisions. But it's time to bring some sanity back to officiating so that one call doesn't become a bigger topic of discussion than the game itself.
In this case, it threatened to distract from a wonderful homecoming performance by the Orange, whose anemic offense came to life, piling up 498 yards on slippery turf. Syracuse got 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns from senior running back Delone Carter, who was one of 30 Orange players stranded throughout the country by a blizzard that buried New York City under more than 20 inches of snow Sunday and Monday.
Carter took a 12-hour bus ride from Akron, Ohio, to the Port Authority terminal, arriving at 2:30 Tuesday morning, just to be part of one of Syracuse's shining moments and the Orange's first bowl victory since 2001.
This was a much-needed boost of adrenaline for the program, which finished 8-5, its first winning season since 2004. It was also a huge shot in the arm for the Big East, which desperately needs to prop up its image in the bowls after a forgettable season.
Even though the league is guaranteed its automatic BCS qualifying status until 2013, the conference has constantly been forced to defend itself in a year when TCU and Boise State from the Mountain West and the WAC - two teams from nonqualifying conferences - both finished in the Top 10 of the BCS standings and no team in the Big East ended up in the Top 20.
The Orange is headed in the right direction.
Let's just hope the officials don't lose their way.
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