Penn State–Syracuse football rivalry

The Penn State–Syracuse football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Syracuse Orange. Penn State leads the series 43–23–5.

FirstmeetingOctober 28, 1922
Tie, 0–0

LatestmeetingAugust 31, 2013
Penn State, 23–17

NextmeetingSeptember 4, 2027

Totalmeetings71

Quick facts First meeting, Latest meeting ...

Penn State–Syracuse football rivalry
Statistics
Penn State Nittany Lions Syracuse Orange
First meeting	October 28, 1922 Tie, 0–0
Latest meeting	August 31, 2013 Penn State, 23–17
Next meeting	September 4, 2027
Total meetings	71
All-time series	Penn State leads, 43–23–5^[1]
Largest victory	Penn State, 49–6 (1973)
Longest win streak	Penn State, 16 (1971–1986)

Close

110km
68miles

Syracuse

Penn State

Locations of Penn State and Syracuse

History

The rivalry started in 1922, when Syracuse fought Penn State to a 0–0 tie.^[2] But it was during the 1950s and 1960s that the rivalry intensified, as it enjoyed a competitive and very controversial string of contests.^[3] In 1953, after Lenny Moore intercepted a pass to seal a 20–14 Penn State victory, he was shoved out of bounds into the Syracuse bench. A Syracuse player jumped on Moore and a wild brawl started. Fans jumped out of the stands to join in. The fighting went on for several minutes before order was restored and Penn State took a knee to end the game.^[4] Syracuse football was led by Ben Schwartzwalder, and Penn State by Rip Engle, then Joe Paterno. From 1950 to 1970, Syracuse won 11 games to Penn State's 10.

After Schwartzwalder retired in 1973, Syracuse floundered. Penn State won 16 straight from 1971 to 1986. Conference realignment and scheduling disagreements also dampened the intensity of the rivalry.^[5] Penn State fans and players increasingly turned their attention to the rivalry with Pittsburgh.

In 1987, Coach Dick MacPherson finally led Syracuse to a resounding 48–21 victory over the Nittany Lions in the Dome. Syracuse won again the following year in Happy Valley but lost the last two games before the series was suspended in 1991.^[6]

Rivalry resumed

In 2002, it was announced that the two teams would revive the rivalry by scheduling a home-and-home series in 2008 and 2009.^[7]

After an almost twenty-year break in the series, the two programs played in Syracuse's Carrier Dome on September 13, 2008, with the Nittany Lions prevailing 55–13 over the Orange. The contest didn't generate a sellout crowd at the Carrier Dome. They met again the next year. Penn State won 28–7. After a 4-year break, in 2013 the two teams met again, this time at MetLife Stadium, in front of 61,202 fans; Penn State won 23–17.^[8]^[9]

On May 4, 2022, the two schools announced a home-and-home series in 2027 and 2028.^[10]

Game results

Penn State victories	Syracuse victories	Tie games

More information No., Date ...

No.	Date	Location	Winning team		Losing team
1	October 28, 1922	New York	Tie	0	Tie	0
2	November 3, 1923	Syracuse	Syracuse	10	Penn State	0
3	October 25, 1924	University Park	Syracuse	10	Penn State	6
4	October 31, 1925	Syracuse	Syracuse	7	Penn State	0
5	October 23, 1926	University Park	Syracuse	10	Penn State	0
6	October 22, 1927	Syracuse	Penn State	9	Syracuse	6
7	October 27, 1928	University Park	Tie	6	Tie	6
8	November 2, 1929	Syracuse	Penn State	6	Syracuse	4
9	November 8, 1930	University Park	Tie	0	Tie	0
10	October 24, 1931	Syracuse	Syracuse	7	Penn State	0
11	October 22, 1932	University Park	Syracuse	12	Penn State	6
12	November 4, 1933	Syracuse	Syracuse	12	Penn State	6
13	November 3, 1934	University Park	Syracuse	16	Penn State	0
14	November 2, 1935	Syracuse	Syracuse	7	Penn State	3
15	October 31, 1936	University Park	Penn State	18	Syracuse	0
16	October 30, 1937	Syracuse	Syracuse	19	Penn State	13
17	October 29, 1938	University Park	Penn State	33	Syracuse	6
18	October 28, 1939	Syracuse	Tie	6	Tie	6
19	November 9, 1940	Syracuse	Tie	13	Tie	13
20	November 8, 1941	University Park	Penn State	34	#18 Syracuse	19
21	November 7, 1942	University Park	Penn State	18	Syracuse	13
22	November 4, 1944	Syracuse	Penn State	41	Syracuse	0
23	November 3, 1945	University Park	Penn State	26	Syracuse	0
24	October 12, 1946	Syracuse	Penn State	9	Syracuse	0
25	October 18, 1947	University Park	#9 Penn State	40	Syracuse	0
26	October 8, 1948	Syracuse	#10 Penn State	34	Syracuse	14
27	October 29, 1949	University Park	Penn State	33	Syracuse	21
28	October 14, 1950	Syracuse	Syracuse	27	Penn State	7
29	November 10, 1951	University Park	Penn State	32	Syracuse	13
30	November 8, 1952	Syracuse	#15 Syracuse	25	Penn State	7
31	October 17, 1953	University Park	Penn State	20	Syracuse	14
32	October 2, 1954	Syracuse	#10 Penn State	13	Syracuse	0
33	November 5, 1955	University Park	Penn State	21	#18 Syracuse	20
34	November 3, 1956	Syracuse	#17 Syracuse	13	#12 Penn State	9
35	October 26, 1957	Syracuse	Penn State	20	Syracuse	12
36	October 25, 1958	University Park	Syracuse	14	Penn State	6

No.	Date	Location	Winning team		Losing team
37	November 7, 1959	University Park	#4 Syracuse	20	#7 Penn State	18
38	October 15, 1960	Syracuse	#4 Syracuse	21	#20 Penn State	15
39	October 21, 1961	University Park	Penn State	14	Syracuse	0
40	October 20, 1962	University Park	Penn State	20	Syracuse	19
41	October 19, 1963	Syracuse	Syracuse	9	Penn State	0
42	October 17, 1964	University Park	#7 Syracuse	21	Penn State	14
43	October 16, 1965	Syracuse	Syracuse	28	Penn State	21
44	November 5, 1966	University Park	Syracuse	12	Penn State	10
45	October 28, 1967	Syracuse	Penn State	29	Syracuse	20
46	December 7, 1968	University Park	#3 Penn State	30	Syracuse	12
47	October 18, 1969	Syracuse	#5 Penn State	15	Syracuse	14
48	October 17, 1970	University Park	Syracuse	24	Penn State	7
49	October 16, 1971	Syracuse	#9 Penn State	31	Syracuse	0
50	October 21, 1972	University Park	#12 Penn State	17	Syracuse	0
51	October 20, 1973	Syracuse	#5 Penn State	49	Syracuse	6
52	October 19, 1974	University Park	#11 Penn State	30	Syracuse	14
53	October 18, 1975	Syracuse	#9 Penn State	19	Syracuse	7
54	October 16, 1976	University Park	Penn State	27	Syracuse	3
55	October 15, 1977	Syracuse	#10 Penn State	31	Syracuse	24
56	October 21, 1978	University Park	#2 Penn State	45	Syracuse	15
57	October 20, 1979	East Rutherford	Penn State	35	Syracuse	7
58	October 18, 1980	University Park	#12 Penn State	24	Syracuse	7
59	October 17, 1981	Syracuse	#2 Penn State	41	Syracuse	16
60	October 16, 1982	University Park	#8 Penn State	28	Syracuse	7
61	October 15, 1983	Syracuse	Penn State	17	Syracuse	6
62	October 20, 1984	University Park	#19 Penn State	21	Syracuse	3
63	October 19, 1985	Syracuse	#6 Penn State	24	Syracuse	20
64	October 18, 1986	University Park	#6 Penn State	42	Syracuse	3
65	October 17, 1987	Syracuse	#13 Syracuse	48	#10 Penn State	21
66	October 15, 1988	University Park	Syracuse	24	Penn State	10
67	October 14, 1989	Syracuse	#23 Penn State	34	Syracuse	12
68	October 13, 1990	University Park	Penn State	27	Syracuse	21
69	September 13, 2008	Syracuse	#17 Penn State	55	Syracuse	13
70	September 12, 2009	University Park	#5 Penn State	28	Syracuse	7
71	August 31, 2013	East Rutherford	Penn State	23	Syracuse	17
Series: Penn State leads 43–23–5^[1]

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Penn State–Syracuse football rivalry

History

Rivalry resumed

Game results

See also

References

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