Pick a sport, and Syracuse Orange fans have a favorite memory. And most likely, it took place in the Carrier Dome.
With thousands of games packed with millions of moments in the Dome’s 35 year history, it would be nearly impossible to narrow it down to one single greatest moment. But we have a few candidates for your consideration.
Flip through these Dome moments that are part of Orange sports lore and then vote for your favorite.
Led by Coach Mac, Tim Green and Todd Norley, the Orange pulled off one of the biggest upsets in football history. The year before Nebraska had taken down Syracuse in a decisive 63-7 game. With the Huskers favored nationally by 25 points, ‘Cuse fans had little reason to expect the massive upset.
Things didn’t look good after a Nebraska touchdown in the first quarter. But other than a safety in the final seconds, those would be the only points Syracuse gave away. After multiple drives and a little luck — and a 1 yard TD run with less than 2 minutes to play – Syracuse came back to win with a final score of 17-9. Coach Schwarzwalder called it “the best win since 1959,” and the celebration at the Dome lasted for more than an hour after the game.
With this play against Boston College, Washington secured the win — and a spot in almost every Syracuse highlight reel. After a missed free throw by BC, the ball was passed to Washington with the game tied at 73-73. He took off, and sank the winning shot from just past half court.
Fans and team members rushed the court, and Washington just kept running — right back to the locker room.
Of all the rivalries in college hoops, Syracuse vs. Georgetown reigns as one of the most intense. And in an iconic dome moment from 1990, Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. got so heated that he earned not one, not two, but three technical fouls in a row in front of a record-breaking crowd.
Thompson became irate when a series of calls caused a 10-point swing in 15 seconds, putting the Orange up 43-36. Thompson got his first tech for complaining about a foul call, his second for leaving the coach’s box, and his third for storming onto the court. The Hoya’s coach was automatically ejected, and SU went on to win in overtime and clinch the Big East regular season title.
In November of 1998, The Syracuse Orange Football team was facing a 4th and 8 from their own 45 yard line, trailing 22-26 with 1:45 left on the clock. The Orange decided to do what had worked for them all season – trust QB and SU legend Donovan McNabb. The senior held onto the ball and rushed 41 yards, setting up a game-winning touchdown on 3rd and 13 – with no time left on the game clock — from McNabb to tight end Steven Brominski.
The whole team piled onto one another in the endzone. Fans rushed the field. It was a heroic comeback that still lives on in SU lore.
Syracuse has seen a lot of great lacrosse players, and many believe that Mike Powell is the best there ever was. He was the winner of the the Jack Turnbull award for attackman of the year in every season he played at SU, and holds countless records, including the distinction of being SU’s all-time leading scorer in men’s lacrosse.
In his senior campaign, Powell led the Orange to a perfect home record, won the Tewaaraton Trophy (college lacrosse’s Heismann) for the second time, and helped the team win the NCAA title for the second time in his SU career. In that season, Powell scored 89 points, passing his two older brothers on the all-time leading scorers list – and cementing himself in the pantheon of SU sports heroes.
34,616 Syracuse Basketball fans showed up to see the 4th ranked Orange take on the Villanova Wildcats for a shot at their first Big East regular season title since the 2003 season. Adding to the drama, the top three teams in the country all lost before tip-off, giving the Orange a shot at the No. 1 spot in the coaches’ polls.
Six SU players scored double-digit points and the Orange dominated the Wildcats in a 95-77 win. The team did go on to lock up the top spot in the rankings and broke the record for attendance at an NCAA men’s basketball on-campus game.
The Orange’s departure from the Big East left many long-time college basketball fans feeling a sense of loss – but the result of Syracuse’s move to the ACC was the introduction of a new, highly anticipated conference rivalry.
In a game which featured the two winningest coaches in Division I history, in one of college basketball’s most iconic venues, in front of a record breaking crowd of more than 35,000 fans, the Orange fought their way to a 91-89 overtime victory over the Blue Devils. SU also set a school record for the best start to a season, going 21-0 after the win over their new ACC foes.
