Highlights from SU's Season Opener vs. Penn State

Check out the coverage from yesterday's game:

SUathletics.com - Penn State Tops Orange, 23-17

Post Standard - The Scott Shafer Era has begun and bodes to be bright

Post Standard - SU's Scott Shafer won't change style, for better or worse

Newsday - Syracuse coach Scott Shafer loses debut

Scout.com - Defense Shows Promise in Opener

Daily Orange - Smith's strong performance, red zone success paces Orange

Daily Orange - More consistent Broyld sparks Syracuse offense

Robert Welsh's Interception in the Fourth Quarter 

Newsday - Freshman QB, defense get job done for Penn State

Post Standard - Syracuse DE Robert Welsh shines in 1st start

Daily Orange - Welsh interception highlights career day

Penn State Preview: This Week's Coverage Leading Up to the Season Opener

Coach Shafer's Press Conference (8/29/13)

A chance to go to the Meadowlands and see Penn State come running out and see our Syracuse boys come running out is what it is all about. For me, it's a dream come true," Shafer said earlier today. "There are going to be highs and lows and ugly things and pretty things but at the end of the day that's the fight that we all love as coaches and players. It's the grind and the fight that you love. Saturday will be a great challenge and a great opportunity for us to see what we can do against a good football team and we're going to know a heck of a lot about ourselves after that game."

Check out this week's media coverage leading up to Saturday:

• SUathletics.com - Excitement Builds for Season Opener | Syracuse Kicks Off Season at MetLife
• Syracuse.com - The Syracuse football team is about to take on its obstacles or its challenge
• Syracuse.com - Syracuse wide receiver Quinta Funderburk remains amystery, buried on depth chart
• DailyOrange.com - On the run: Smith brings diverse background to Syracuse
• DailyOrange.com - True grit: Shafer implements ‘hard-nosed’culture at Syracuse in 1st year
• PennLive.com - Pittsburgh-bred Syracuse OL Sean Hickey has endured thanks to Steelers surgeon 
• PennLive.com - Syracuse RB Jerome Smith learned value of patience from his grade-school sister
• Scout.com - George Morris Ready to Make an Impact
• Scout.com - Flemming Confident in Receiving Corps

Coach Shafer Praises Leadership

Orange head coach Scott Shafer will lead the squad in the 2013 season-opener against Penn State at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, August 31 (3:30 p.m., ABC), but in his mind the senior class is doing the heavy lifting when it comes to leadership. The squad boasts 24 seniors, 11 on the offense, 11 on the defense and two on special teams.

"I love our senior class and I love our captains," Shafer said in his weekly exclusive Orange All Access Interview. "I've seen our captains really take the team over and our senior class has helped them with it. There is strength in numbers and we have a really large senior class. It's a group of kids that's really committed to find ways to win games. That's probably the one thing that excites me the most about this team."

To read the full article, visit SUathletics.com.

Orange All Access provides exclusive interviews with Coach Shafer every Monday during game weeks.

Shafer Preparing for Coaching Debut

Coach Shafer's Press Conference

Syracuse leader Scott Shafer makes his head coaching debut on Saturday, August 31 when the Orange takes the field against Penn State at MetLife Stadium (3:30 p.m., ABC).  With the focus on his first game as Syracuse's head coach, the veteran gridiron mentor reflected on his most vivid first experience as a coach in addition to other memorable moments in his career.

My first college job was a graduate assistant position for Bill Mallory at Indiana," Shafer said. "We opened up the season against a real good Notre Dame team and the head coach there was Lou Holtz. When I looked at those two guys, both from Ohio, where I am from, and coaching at the higest level, what I remember the most was during pre-game warmups Coach Holtz yelled at me for being on the wrong part of the field. I remember thinking, getting kind of pissed at him, thinking, alright we are in someone's backyard now and it's on. All the stuff I read about him went down the drain and I realized that it's on.

Read the full article on SUathletics.com.

Eight Days Until MetLife!

There are just eight more days until the season opener against Penn State on August 31 at MetLife Stadium! The team has been preparing for its first opponent for the last few days and is now finished with preseason camp.

The home opener against Wagner is in just three weeks on September 14 so get your tickets soon! The 'Cuse Kids Club is offering youth tickets free of charge for every adult ticket purchased. Call 1-888-DOMETIX to reserve your seats.