DALLAS (FWAA) – With its 43-17 win over #17 Boston College, the Syracuse Orange is the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, as selected by the pollsters of the Football Writers Association of America's Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll for games of the weekend of Nov. 27.
Diamond Ferri ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception 44 yards for a score as the Orange routed Boston College in the Eagles' final Big East game. The win made Syracuse (6-5) bowl eligible and created a four-way tie at the of the Big East standings.
The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season that the award has been sponsored by the FedEx Orange Bowl.
The 16 pollsters of the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2004 college football season, the FWAA has named the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week. This is the final award for the 2004 season.
This season, FedEx Orange Bowl will match the two top-ranked teams in the final BCS standings. It will be played at Miami's Pro Player Stadium on Jan. 4, 2005.
The Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll wil continue to be released each Monday through Dec. 6. The top-ranked team in the final poll, released on Jan. 5, 2005, will be awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy as the FWAA's national champion. The FWAA has awarded the trophy each season since 1954.
For more information on the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, go to www.footballwriters.com or www.orangebowl.org.
2004 FedEx Orange Bowl National Teams of the Week
- Sept. 4: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Sept. 11: Fresno State Bulldogs
- Sept. 18: Auburn Tigers
- Sept. 25: Navy Midshipmen
- Oct. 2: Northwestern Wildcats
- Oct. 9: Army Black Knights
- Oct. 16: Wisconsin Badgers
- Oct. 23: Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Oct. 30: North Carolina Tar Heels
- Nov. 6: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Nov. 13 Michigan State Spartans
- Nov. 20: Utah Utes
- Nov. 27: Syracuse Orange