jflaboon's Blog

SU football releases 2010-11 schedule

By Jeff Laboon
June 1, 2011 - 4:09 pm
The defending champions of the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl hope to make back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 1999.

The Syracuse Orange recorded a winning record last season for the first time since 2001. SU football hopes to continue its recent success under third-year head coach Doug Marrone this fall.

SU opens its 2011 campaign Labor Day weekend against Wake Forest in the Carrier Dome. It will be the first Thursday night football game in the program’s history.

Syracuse will then host Rhode Island, the only team from the Football Championship Subdivision on the schedule this season. Week 3, SU travels to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to play Southern California in the first of a two-game series. Game two will be played next fall at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

 The Orange host Toledo of the Mid-American Conference in Week 4 and open BIG EAST Conference play in Week 5 against Rutgers, who SU dramatically beat last season, 13-10. 

SU finishes non-conference play Week 6 in New Orleans against Tulane in the first of a home-and-home series. West Virginia visits the Carrier Dome after a bye week. The Mountaineers hope to reclaim the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy, which SU won last season for the first time since 2001. Conference play continues with a pair of road games against Louisville and Connecticut.

SU then returns home for a Friday primetime game against South Florida on ESPN 2 and the home finale against Cincinnati. Syracuse wraps up the regular season at Heinz Field against Pittsburgh, who the Orange have not beaten since 2004.  

 

Melo arraigned on criminal mischief charges

By Jeff Laboon
June 1, 2011 - 2:47 pm
Fab Melo voluntarily appears in city court Wednesday for incident two days earlier.

Sophomore center Fab Melo, 20, appeared before Syracuse City Judge James Cecile Wednesday to plea not guilty for criminal mischief charges relating to a Monday incident. The court called Melo - full name Fabrico P de Melo - in for questioning and he voluntarily came before Cecile in court. 

The charges were for "reaching through the open driver's side window of a 2003 Chevrolet Impala, and breaking the turn signal contral arm making the turn signal, headlight high beam control and windshield wiper control inoperable," according to Syracuse.com. 

Court papers note the incident occured Monday at 341 Slocum Heights with a SUNY Upstate student. Cecile issued an order of protection for the student, according to Syracuse.com.  

Assistant coach Bernie Fine joined Melo and his attorney in court. Cecile released Melo on his own recognizance because he appeared when summoned by the court. A future court date has not yet been announced. 

Melo played in 33 games for Syracuse this season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The 7-footer is a native of Juiz de Flora, Brazil. The BIG EAST named Melo 2010-11 Preseason Rookie of the Year.