Syracuse announced its 12-game 2008 football schedule Monday, complete with more than a month away from home and the return of a former rival.

The Orange will not play a home game during the entire month of October for the first time in school history. In the 34 days between home games, Syracuse has two bye weeks and road contests at West Virginia and South Florida.

And also for the first time ever, SU has four home games scheduled for September, including a Sept. 13 date vs. Penn State, the first time the two old rivals will play since 1990. From 1922-1990, the two schools played every season except one – 68 games in 69 years. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series, 40-23-5.

The next week, SU plays Northeastern, its first I-AA opponent since Rhode Island on Sept. 14, 2002. Syracuse won that game, 63-17.

On Nov. 22, Syracuse will travel to Notre Dame to complete a three-game series with the Fighting Irish that started in 2003. SU lost at Notre Dame, 34-10, during head coach Greg Robinson’s first season on Nov. 19, 2005.

Robinson enters his fourth season with a 7-28 record. Syracuse was 2-10 in 2007, the second 10-loss season under Robinson.

magelb@syr.edu

Published on February 25, 2008 at 12:00 pm