DALLAS (FWAA) – With their 43-17 win over Boston College, the Syracuse
Orange are the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week, as selected by
the pollsters of the FWAA'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.
Other FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week
nominees for the weekend of Nov. 27 included:
• Arizona (3-8): Redshirt freshman Richard Kovalcheck threw three touchdown
passes and Mike Bell ran for 139 yards as the Wildcats upset in-state rival Arizona State, 34-27.
• Louisville (9-1): The Cardinals clinched their third Conference USA title since 2000
with a 70-7 rout of Cincinnati.
• Pittsburgh (7-3): The Panthers won the "Backyard Brawl," defeating rival West Virginia,
16-13, on Tyler Palko's 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.
• USC (11-0): Matt Leinart threw for a career-high 400 yards and five touchdowns as the
Trojans won their 20th straight game, a 41-10 rout of Notre Dame.
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.