NEW YORK – A lot has happened since the last time Syracuse played West Virginia.

The Orange suffered a collapse after its upset win over the Mountaineers in 2011, one that carried into this season before the team finished the year on a dominant 5-1 run. West Virginia moved to the Big 12 and football dominance didn’t come as easily as it fell to the bottom of the conference.

The rivalry between Syracuse and WVU ended, only to be reignited in the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Officials from both schools, the New York Yankees and the Pinstripe Bowl gathered at Yankee Stadium for a news conference on Wednesday. On Dec. 29, the bowl will be a matchup of two teams with a long history.

“We’re excited. Our kids are excited. Both teams know each other,” SU head coach Doug Marrone said. “I think it’s going to be an outstanding game. I do believe it’ll be the best game so far with the Pinstripe Bowl.”

Last season, Syracuse upset then-No. 11 West Virginia 49-23. The Orange appeared to be headed for a second-straight bowl game, but instead lost its final five games.

The Mountaineers recovered to win the Big East and routed Clemson 70-33 in the Orange Bowl. Head coach Dana Holgorsen said Wednesday that last year’s loss to Syracuse gives his players something extra to play for. This could be their final chance to avenge that loss, as the teams can now only meet in nonconference or postseason play.

“Hopefully our experience playing Syracuse and playing in New York will be better than last year, which was not very pleasant for West Virginia when Syracuse got the best of us,” Holgorsen said. “I think we’re going to be motivated to play based on what happened last year.”

There had been speculation that Pinstripe Bowl officials would choose Pittsburgh to restore the long rivalry between the Panthers and Mountaineers. But on Wednesday, the idea of having the Orange in the Pinstripe Bowl was clearly the more enticing option.

Several times, officials referenced each team’s fan base in the New York area as a reason why this matchup was the most appealing option for this season’s game. Marrone also said it’s a great opportunity for his players’ families to watch them in a bowl game without having to worry about extensive travel. Travel would have been a concern if SU went to the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., or the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

Not one player on the Orange’s roster is from those states.

This gives Syracuse a final chance to play in the Bronx, N.Y., before going to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“We talk about ourselves as being New York’s College Team, and that’s to represent the entire state,” athletic director Daryl Gross said. “But obviously the Empire State and New York City go hand in hand with everything we talk about doing and how we brand ourselves and how we feel about ourselves.”

The game itself stands to have a high-scoring result.

Both teams feature explosive, fast-paced prolific offenses that put plenty of points on the board. West Virginia averages 41.6 points per game, good for seventh in the nation. Quarterback Geno Smith was a Heisman Trophy candidate early in the season before the Mountaineers hit their struggles and lost five-straight games in conference play.

The Orange’s no-huddle offense sent Syracuse surging midway through the season. And SU quarterback Ryan Nassib became the program’s all-time leader in passing yards. The Orange averages 29 points per game.

“I think out of all the bowl games,” Marrone said, “I think you’re going to see two of the best quarterbacks in college football.”

And for Marrone, it’s a chance to coach one more time in the borough where he grew up. He said on Wednesday that he was probably the most excited person there, and his excitement was palpable when he stepped to the podium. His connections to the Bronx – and the Yankees – run deep.

One of the workers at the news conference has a younger brother who played football with Marrone when they were growing up. Marrone’s grandfather was an usher at the old Yankee Stadium.

Now he has another chance to coach at the stadium. His players have one last chance to play in New York City. And Holgorsen and West Virginia have one final chance to avenge their loss to the Orange.

It’s the brief return of a deep-rooted rivalry.

“I am jacked about this,” Marrone said. “I truly am excited about being here.”

Published on December 6, 2012 at 5:43 am

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman