2008 Syracuse Orange thread

[twofingers]

Busy off season for the Orange. Biggest addition is the new offensive coordinator Mitch Browning (formerly with Minnesota). He has scraped the west coast, pistol, pop gun offense of past three seasons for a more conventional runnng offense. Big hopes that he can get the offensive ( and they have been offensive) line in shape and respond to more simplfied blocking schemes.

Biggest loses were Taj Smith , WR, leaving early for NFL and Mike Williams , WR, being dismissed for cheating on test.

Schedule still looks brutal. Only two semi guarenteed wins ( Akron and Northeastern ), two Big 10 non conference games ( Northwestern and Penn State) and Big East schedule in which they have won one game in over 2 years.

QB - Andrew Robinson returns for junior year. Showed flashes of potential last year but spent most of his time being buried under the on slaught of opposing rushers. Will be missing Smith and Williams greatly. When he has time to throw , he does throw a nice ball and makes good decisions. Running game has to take pressure off and OL has to give him time.

RB - Orange are loaded in the backfield. Delone Carter returns from hip injury suffered in spring 2007. Led Orange in rushing as true freshman in 06. Has looked good in camp and participated in everything. When 100% he is the best the Orange have. Powerful runner with great vision. Curtis Brinkley returns from a broken leg suffered mid way through last season. Brinkley has looked the best in camp this year. Short compact runner who has ability to make first tackler miss. Doug Hougue took over after Brinkley went down last year as a true freshman and did a commendable job. He is the biggest of the three backs and is load to bring down. He came to camp in awesome shape and looked at times like he would hold on to the job. Look for all three to share time in backfield. Browning has shown ability to have multiple feature back and make it work ( Maroney and Barber at Minnesota). New York State Player of the Year, Averian Collier, is in the mix as well but a leg injury in camp slowed his progress. With Browning's running approach , I look for the Orange to show improvement in the ground game this year. ( I know, how can they not improve)

WR - Current Orange WR's caught a total of one pass last year. things are so bad that they switched SS Bruce Williams back to receiver in camp. Lavar Lobdell will be the #1 option this year. He was heavily recruited out of HS by big time schools but decided to stay home and go to SU. Been a huge disappointment. This is his last chance. Williams won the #2 spot and brunch of freshman will play fill in with Marcus Sales being the most intriguing. At TE, Orange will give Jr Mike Owens first shot.

OL - Everything revolves around this group. Last year they were probably the worst line in 1A. They were out of shape, undisciplined, inexperienced, overmatched, and trying to play a system in which they had no idea of where or what they were suppose to be doing. When Browning got to campus for spring practice he told them all that they were going to lose weight, spend the summer lifting, and anyone who was not down with that could sit the bench. He must have got the message across because there was no fat bellies hanging out this fall camp. Browning also dropped the fancy blocking schemes of the past three years for a more old fashioned "take your man and put him on his ass" approach with the line. Have to see how this will coorelate on the field but, again, they can not do worse then last year. Best of the bunch is Senior RG Durand. He was banged up most of last year but is a 3 year starter and has some attitude. Other returners are C Mackensize, RT Chavers, LT Baumback, and LG Bartholomew. Mackensize. Bartlomew and Baumback all started as freshman last year and if they can show improvement, the Orange will definately show improvement on the field.

DL - Orange boast Jr. Arthur Jones at DT as one of the best in BE. He was unstoppable in camp this year and looks primed for a big season. He pairs up with senior Nick Santaigo at other tackle. At DE, So. Jared Kimmell returns after a promising freshman year. (this guys has some guns on him). 5th year senior Giruzzi switches from LB to DE. To slow for linebacker so they will try him as a speed rusher. Not much depth on the line. Bud Trimbley returns to back up the tackles and he can play. Mikhail Marinovich ( Todd's brother) is a freshman end and will see plenty of time.

LB - Jake Flanerty returns in the middle. After a sloooow start last year, he played his best the second half of the season. Lots of competition for other two spots as last years starter Giruzzi and Maljovec both were sent to different spots this year. Two soph's who got a look last year won the starting spots this year. Mike Mele and Darell Smith both look to be a improvement over last year. They give up some size but bring more speed on defense which was lacking last year. Stenclik and Canty are the back ups with Stenclik being the hardest hitter on the squad.

Secondary - Ouch. On the corners you have two sophs, Mike Holmes and DaMon Merkerson (former WR). Both are inexperienced and it showed in camp. Merkerson is very athletic and could be a sleeper but he has alot to learn. At safety, Senior AJ Brown retained his spot (lord knows how) and joins soph Randy Mckinnon. This group is very inexperienced and will get burned plenty. Hopefully, GROB will let them be aggressive this year instead of playing them off ten yards ( give them the short stuff and hope we stop them on third down).

Special teams - KR Suter set a NCAA record for return yardage last year ( Orange had a lot of kick off returns last year) and is a threat every time he gets the ball. I think that SU also set the record for fair catches last year and Ryan Howard gets the honor of throwing his arm up in the air this year. PK Pat Shadle lost 30 pounds after being the poster boy for the out of shape Orange last year. He is a consistent kicker and has good range. Rob Long returns to punt the ball and god knows he had lots of practice last year.

Coaching - Last year for GROB unless miracles happen and monkeys learn to fly. Word is nothing short of six wins will keep his job. Look for Turner Gill to be on the sidelines this time next year. Browning is a huge addition and overhaul of offense line and junking of the WC - pistol crap will help keep the offense on the field longer and the defense fresher. GROB is the worst halftime adjustment coach i have ever seen. Game in and game out, the Orange will play a spirted 1st half, hanging with teams much better them them , only to get blown out in the 3rd quarter. Look it up. Happens almost every game.

Overall - I see 2-4 wins tops. They will be more competitive then last two seasons but still the bottom dwellers in the BE.

If they only win one game this year, please let it be the Penn State game. Please. Shove it up Paterno's ass one more time. Syracuse is waiting to explode and a win at home vs. Penn State will do it.

Game one - At Northwestern this Saturday. Ever the optimist, i will take the Orange and the 12 points. Duke went into Chicago last year and upset them and SU is not that bad yet. NW should be the bottem dweller in the Big 10 and SU had a great camp. I think the enthusiasm holds on for the first game. The offense does enough to keep it competitive.

NW 27 - SU 17

GO ORANGE

 

[spang]

Duke , in fact, did win that game in Evanston. It was their lone win of '07

 

[IE]

For NU's Bacher, feet as important as yards




Everyone wants to point to C.J. Bacher's right arm as the key to Northwestern's season.

Seeing as how the Wildcats went 5-0 last year when the senior quarterback threw fewer than 2 interceptions - but 1-6 when Bacher tossed at least 2 picks - it hardly takes a third-year medical student to make that anatomical observation.

But new Northwestern offensive coordinator Mick McCall, shortly after arriving from Bowling Green in January, came in and pointed to something else:

Bacher's feet.

"He noticed that in games last year I was getting a little lazy with my footwork," Bacher said. "Throwing off my back foot a little bit. Being a little too slow in the 'quick' game."

Bacher's feet didn't drag on every play. But when they did, he found himself taking too much time backpedaling into position to throw.

That led to too many off-balance passes - particularly ones where he had too much weight on his back foot - and goes a long way to explain why Bacher was the Big Ten's only quarterback to finish with as many interceptions (19) as touchdowns (19).

That ratio outshined Bacher's 3,656 passing yards, which wound up second in the league and 15th in the country.

"We've put a lot of emphasis on footwork," Bacher said, "and I think it has gotten a lot better."

If Bacher maintains quick feet all year on his three-step drops, then makes the easy throw once in the pocket as McCall's offense calls for him to do, Northwestern's bid for a bowl berth should be as easy as 1-2-3.

That's a nod to the experience and talent the Wildcats retain from last year's 6-6 season - a crew good enough to be bowl-eligible but not sexy enough to receive one of the Big Ten's eight postseason berths.

Northwestern's depth chart for Saturday's opener against Syracuse features just four new starters on offense, four on defense (because senior defensive tackle John Gill is suspended for one game) and none on special teams.

With veterans virtually everywhere, the off-season's biggest issue was teaching the incumbents how the demands brought in by McCall (the no-huddle) and new defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz (an attacking 4-3 scheme and a renewed emphasis on the basics).

To speed the process along, third-year coach Pat Fitzgerald conducted an uncommonly rugged training camp where the Wildcats hit a ton and did a lot of scrimmaging with the "ones against the ones."

Remember, Northwestern finished next-to-last in the Big Ten in almost every defensive category - including yards allowed (410.5 per game), points allowed (31.0 per game), sacks (18) and turnovers forced (16).

"We wanted to improve fundamentally and technically," Fitzgerald said. "We wanted to become better tacklers on defense. We wanted to take better angles and play better team defense. And the only way you can do that is to put our guys into as many scrimmage reps as we possibly can."

To a man, the Wildcats love their new defensive style.

"We just have been focusing on attacking," said senior outside linebacker Prince Kwateng. "Attacking the gaps. Attacking the ball. Just from blitzing, from everything. That should force us to get more turnovers.

"I felt like last year we didn't create enough turnovers and that really hurt us offensive and defensively."

Conversely, the Wildcats' offense plans to be all about turnover avoidance. Some might view their rejiggered style as dinking and dunking down the field. NU views it as controlling the game.

"It's look for your read down the field and then come down to the backs," Bacher said. "There's been a big emphasis on checking down, not trying to make the tight fits. Not trying to make the great throws, just making the smart throws."

 

[twofingers]

Your right, Duke did win in Evanston.

i also like the fact that NW does not start classes til later in Sept., Sox and Cubs in pennant race, and lots to do in Chicago. If the stands are half empty, Syracuse will feel right at home.

As this means anything but apparently SU players are pissed that Kansas and WEST VIRGINA got to see advance permeires of "The Express" ( Ernie Davis movie out in October) while the studio denied SU's request. SU players will have to wait til Sept 4th. has to erk them that the dreaded Mountaineers got first shot.

 

[twofingers]

Please excuse Greg Robinson for having a selective memory.

"Did we lose our first three openers?" Robinson quipped at his press conference Sunday. "I really wasn't thinking back on that."

Whether or not Syracuse's head football coach chooses to remember it, the fact remains SU has lost four consecutive season openers, the last three with Robinson at the helm.

It has become a theme of the Robinson era: lose the first game, thereby setting the tone for the rest of the year. The Orange will try to break the streak Saturday when it travels to Evanston, Ill., to take on Northwestern (noon, ESPN2), to kick off the 2008 season, and the importance of game one is not lost on Robinson or his players.

As Robinson addressed the media last weekend, it suddenly all came back to him. The 15-7 loss to West Virginia in his coaching debut. The tough 20-10 defeat in 2006 to Wake Forest, a team which later climbed the national polls. And last year's 42-12 meltdown on national television against Washington.

Even if Robinson wanted to block the games from his mind, some things a football coach never forgets.

"The first opener, we could have won that game like that," Robinson said. "The second one, I told you, it was a real good football team in Wake Forest. With a minute and 20 seconds, it was still 15-10 to the Orange Bowl team. Last year, I didn't think we played very well against the Huskies."

Last year's opening day is a perfect example of how one game can resonate throughout an entire season. Expectations were high that Friday night, and the 40,329 fans that filed into the Carrier Dome proved it. The ESPN camera crew validated the excitement even further.

The game was an embarrassment, with Washington taking a 14-6 lead at halftime and eventually going up 35-6 to break it open in the third quarter. Syracuse's best home crowd the rest of the season was 38,039 against South Florida on Parent's Weekend. The Orange went on to have its lowest average attendance since 1986 (35,009).

With Syracuse coming off a 2-10 season, attendance is expected to be low again. Even the most loyal and ardent SU supporter is finding it tough to invest money in a program that has gone 7-28 the last three years.

Unless, of course, the Orange surprises the experts and wins some games.

"We want our fans at the games," said senior offensive lineman Ryan Durand. "And you can't blame them (for not coming) right now, they don't have a reason other than the diehard fans who are there regardless. We have to get those fans back. In order to that, we have to win.

"This is a great way to start the season off and get some more fans in those seats."

Though teams often try to downplay the importance of opening day, relegating the hype to a media-created myth, Syracuse realizes Saturday's effort against Northwestern could spark some interest back home. One win could boost attendance when the Orange plays its home opener next weekend against Akron.

"I think this team is doing a great job as far as the mental part with the seasons we had. But I do think we need this game," said senior tailback Curtis Brinkley. "I really believe we need to win this game, to start off the season the right way. So the people who don't feel good about the team can.

"I think a quick start is very important this year, just to avoid the negativity in everybody."

 

[twofingers]

It's been two years since the tragic death of Randy Walker, and while the program is still in a grieving stage, it's hard to avoid the influence of the former head coach. Now it's up to Pat Fitzgerald to make this team his own.

Fitzgerald was thrown to the wolves in the most impossible of circumstances. Too young, too green, and needing to somehow keep the program going while also dealing with transition from Walker's loss, Fitzgerald did what he could. By all accounts, he's one of the bright, up-and-coming head coaches, and while he said and did all the right things in deference to Walker's legacy, it's been hard for him to put his stamp on things and take full ownership of one of the most unique programs in college football.

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While it's not fair to blame losses just on Fitzgerald ? Northwestern had its share of clunkers under Walker, too ? it's safe to say the team wouldn't have lost the Duke game last year, it probably wouldn't have lost to Iowa, and it definitely wouldn't have blown the Michigan State game in 2006 and would've at least split with New Hampshire and Nevada if it had a veteran head man at the helm. However, consider those a few steps back to potentially take a giant leap forward.

From the first moment, Fitzgerald has never allowed anyone to have an excuse for anything. He has said he demands a Big Ten championship, and he truly believes he can make Northwestern football something special on a continuous basis. Considering he was one of the key pieces for the mid-1990s teams that were so amazing, it's hard not to believe him.

He has brought in Mick McCall, an inventive offensive mind from Bowling Green, to add a little more zip to the attack. He also snapped up defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who was canned by Bret Bielema at Wisconsin this offseason, to attack more on defense. Fitzgerald was an aggressive player and is an aggressive coach, and he has the assistants to fit his style. Now he has the team to follow suit.

Going 6-6 is always a positive at Northwestern, especially since there were three wins over bowl-bound teams, but that should be just the springboard to a big year. QB C.J. Bacher gets almost all his key weapons back, Tyrell Sutton is the league's best all-around back, the defense is loaded with veterans, and the special teams should be excellent. And the coaching is in place.

This is Fitzgerald's time to open up the throttle and see what he and his team are capable of accomplishing. Unlike the last two years, there should be expectations for a winning season and a bowl, and while Fitzgerald has never shot for anything lower, he has to prove he can really be the man who makes Northwestern a steady player in the Big Ten. It starts now.

What to watch for on offense: Bacher to be the triggerman for an interesting offensive scheme. Using more hurry-up and no-huddle, McCall's goal is to control the tempo. A great quarterbacks coach at Bowling Green, McCall will look to get Bacher to make quick reads and quick throws and to make everyone around him better by getting the ball to the veteran playmakers in places where they can do something with it. This was the league's No. 1 passing offense last year, and while it wasn't efficient, it should be this season as Bacher will make more short-to-midrange throws and will try to keep defenses on their heels.

What to watch for on defense: Hankwitz to release the hounds. He doesn't have the most athletic defense around, but it's far speedier and has far more talent than in the past. Fitzgerald has done a good job of recruiting to a type, and Walker brought in some nice talent a few years ago that's ready to shine. After struggling so much to force turnovers and get into the backfield, the Wildcat defensive front will do more blitzing and more attacking than in year's past.

The team will be far better if ... it generates more defensive pressure from the ends. Corey Wootton and Kevin Mims are big, talented veterans on the outside, but the best pass rush last year came from John Gill and the interior. The secondary had talented players who struggled because almost all quarterbacks got 10 days to throw. Wootton and Mims are too experienced with too much upside not to be regulars in the backfield.

The Schedule: The first rule of any schedule: You don't lose to Duke. The second rule of any schedule: You do NOT lose to Duke. The Wildcats blew it at home against the Blue Devils last season, but they'll get another shot. If NU wants to go bowling, it has to win at least three of four, if not all four, against Syracuse, at Duke, Southern Illinois and Ohio before the Big Ten opener at Iowa. Getting at least a split in home games against Michigan State and Purdue, after coming off a bye week, is a must with a strange and difficult finishing kick. Going to Indiana and Minnesota for back-to-back road games wouldn't be that big a deal for anyone else, and those might be must-wins with Ohio State, at Michigan and Illinois to close things out. Missing Wisconsin and Penn State in Big Ten play is a gigantic break.

Best Offensive Player: Senior RB Tyrell Sutton. Hurt for most of last year, Sutton still led the team with 522 rushing yards and caught 30 passes for 282 yards. If the idea of the new offense is to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers as soon as humanly possible, and in a place where they can do something with it, then Sutton is Option 1. Get him the ball in space and good things will happen.

Best Defensive Player: Senior DT John Gill. The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder is starting to emerge as a legitimate pro prospect with good quickness, nice pass-rushing ability, and just enough toughness against the run to be considered an anchor for a veteran line. If he got any pass-rushing help from the ends, he'd be dominant.

Key player to a successful season: Redshirt freshman C Ben Burkett. Everything is in place for the offense to explode. It put up a ton of yards last year, finishing second in the Big Ten, but it could be far better if there's steady pass protection. The emergence of Burkett this spring allowed Joel Belding to move from center to guard, and while Burkett isn't all that big at 6-4 and 265 pounds, he's the type of athletic center who should be great for the offense.

The season will be a success if ... the Wildcats go bowling. The team is better, the schedule isn't awful, missing Wisconsin and Penn State, arguably two of the top three teams in the league this year, and after going 6-6 last season, 7-5 is a must with a trip to somewhere, anywhere, to close out. It would be really nice if there was a win over a really big name, like Illinois or, dream of dreams, Ohio State.

Key game: Sept. 27 at Iowa. For a successful season, the Wildcats have to get hot, really hot, early on. A win in the Big Ten opener would do wonders with an off-week before home games against Michigan State and Purdue. Considering the second half of the season has two road games followed up by Ohio State, at Michigan and Illinois, beating Iowa at Iowa could be a must.


OFFENSE
New offensive coordinator Mick McCall has one main goal going into the season: hurry everything up. The offense will go to a no-huddle, fast-paced attack to get everyone into more of a rhythm, and while a slight change in style and philosophy might seem like an issue, it shouldn't be for the veteran skill players. QB C.J. Bacher's job is to get the ball to his playmakers as quickly as possible, and that shouldn't be a problem with almost all of the top targets returning. RB Tyrell Sutton is a star to revolve around as both a runner and a receiver, but unlike last year, he has to stay healthy. The line is an X factor with three new starters coming in, but last year's group was full of talented veterans and it was mediocre. The new front five is more athletic and a better fit for the new style.

Quarterbacks: Northwestern always seems to get good quarterback play when its quarterbacks are experienced. After a year of Bacher getting all the work, and going through the lumps needed, he should be even stronger and even sharper now that he has a no-huddle, hurry-up offense to work with. This is Northwestern; there aren't a lot of dumb mistakes. The interceptions thrown last year were part of the offensive design problems, and because the receivers weren't in place. Bacher doesn't screw up too much and is a tough, smart leader. Mike Kafka is a nice luxury as the No. 2, and Dan Persa should eventually be a nice option.

Running Backs: Sutton is one of the Big Ten's most dangerous weapons and will be the league's best all-around back if he can stay healthy. Now that Omar Conteh is proven, there should be more of a rotation. These two should add nice balance to the offense that was too reliant on the passing attack last year. The idea in the Mick McCall offense will be to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers where they can do something with it. If Sutton can just make one man miss in the open field, he's gone. All the backs can catch, and they'll all be used on a regular basis in the passing game.

Receivers: Eric Peterman and Ross Lane started every game last year, Rasheed Ward started the first half of the season, and Brewer has been a big part of the offense in the past. This group should be strong now that it has a full year-plus of playing with Bacher. It'll be interesting to see how quickly the veteran receivers take to the new offense. They'll be given plenty of chances to make plays on the move as the idea will be to get the ball in the targets' hands quickly. It'll require adjustments and good rapport with Bacher. This group will have it. There will be plenty of passes to go around for the strong, productive corps. The receivers made plenty of big plays, averaging 11.5 yards per catch, but the outside X position is what's supposed to open up the field and it hasn't happened. Ward has the speed and the experience, but he has to hit more home runs on the outside so the quick, inside passes can be more effective.

Offensive Line: This should be a problem area after losing veterans like Kurt Mattes, Dylan Thiry and Trevor Rees, but the overall production can't be that much worse, and now there's more athleticism up front to do more things on the move. This won't be a dominant line in any one area, and it'll need at least half the season to figure out what it's doing, but it should be fine in time. The coaching staff had no problems quickly shuffling things and trying new combinations this spring, and while the young line needs continuity, getting several players involved in several spots will help the depth. Redshirt freshmen Ben Burkett and Al Netter are two talented young players who'll be the anchors of the line for the next four years. Once they get a little experience, they should be fantastic.


DEFENSE
New defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz wants to attack, attack, attack. He might not have the athletes to go nuts with the blitzing, but the experience is there to be far more consistent. The key will be the line that gets all four starters back after a disappointing season against the run and with little pass rush from the ends. The back seven is more athletic than in the past with promising linebackers that should be good after they get their feet wet. Brendan Smith is back at safety after missing most of last year hurt. His return should help a good secondary that should be far more productive if there's a steady pass rush. Veteran depth is a problem across the board, but the talent level has been upgraded over the past few years.

Defensive Line: With the entire front four returning, and with all the size and all the experience, there's no reason the defense should struggle so much again at generating sacks and plays in the backfield. There's too much beef to be so mediocre against the run. With tackle-sized ends in Wootton and Mims, the Wildcats average around 280 pounds per man. The depth is promising, and there's the potential for a good rotation in a few spots, but any improvement will have to come from Corey Wootton and Adam Hahn growing into bigger factors. Gill is great at getting into the backfield from the inside, but Wotton and Mims struggle to get to the quarterback on a regular basis. In the new defense, they'll be asked to do far more to generate pressure.

Linebackers: Pat Fitzgerald's linebackers always have to live up to a higher standard, and while it might take a little while, this should be a better group than the 'Cats have had in a while. The recruiting has been a bit stronger with an upgrade in overall talent, and now it has to pay off with more takeaways and better production against the run. While former leading tackler Adam Kadela could move, Malcolm Arrington is the most athletic middle linebacker the defense has had in a few years. Prince Kwateng and Quentin Davie aren't speedsters, but they can get around.

Secondary: A slight disappointment last year, hurt mostly by a lack of a steady pass rush, the secondary should be better with Brendan Smith back along with two returning starters. As the pass rush improves in the new attacking scheme, so will the corners, but making more big plays will be vital after coming up with just nine interceptions last year. There's great potential among the reserves, but the defense will still be relying on a slew of redshirt freshmen to play key roles. It could take a while to find the right rotation.

Special Teams: Sophomore Amado Villarreal had a nice first year, nailing 12 of 18 field goals, but he has to be better from midrange. He nailed three of four shots from 40-to-49 yards, but he was just one of five from 30-to-39 yards. In other words, consistence will be the key. He has a good leg, but a banged up hip he needs to get healthy. Also with a dinged hip is sophomore punter Stefan Demos, a decent placekicking option who had a nice first year averaging 40.1 yards per pick while putting a whopping 23 kicks inside the 20. He doesn't have a monster leg, but he's surprisingly consistent. Corner Sherrick McManis is one of the Big Ten's best kickoff returners averaging 23.2 yards per return, while Stephen Simmons was even better averaging 26.8 yards per try with a 99-yard return for a score. Senior Eric Peterman is back after averaging a pedestrian 6.1 yards per punt return.

 

[twofingers]

Northwestern 31, Syracuse 14: These schools are home to two of the nation's finest journalism programs, so the best two-deep coverage might occur in the press box. Each football team has gone the way of newspaper stock in recent times. But at least Northwestern has plenty of offensive playmakers, like quarterback C.J. Bacher and tailback Tyrell Sutton. Syracuse has got, um ... hey, did you know Bob Costas went there?



Syracuse (0-0) at Northwestern (0-0)




The Sports Network

DATE & TIME: Saturday, August 30th, 12:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Ryan Field (49,256) -- Evanston, Illinois. Television:ESPN2. Home Record: Syracuse 0-0, Northwestern 0-0. Away Record: Syracuse 0-0, Northwestern 0-0. Neutral Record: Syracuse 0-0, Northwestern 0-0. Conference Record: Syracuse 0-0, Northwestern 0-0. Series Record: Syracuse leads, 4-3.

GAME NOTES: The Big Ten meets the Big East in Evanston this weekend, as the Northwestern Wildcats and Syracuse Orange open their respective campaigns against one another at Ryan Field. For the second straight season, the Wildcats were left out of the postseason, as the team finished an even 6-6 in 2007. Despite failing to reach a bowl game, Northwestern did improve from 2006, when it ended just 4-8. Now in his third year as head coach of the Wildcats, Pat Fitzgerald has an experienced team to work with and should have the program headed for a bowl game in 2008. As for Syracuse, it endured another painful campaign in 2007, finishing with just two wins against 10 losses. The Orange have now gone a dismal 7-28 in three years under head coach Greg Robinson, who is certainly feeling the pressure to turn around this once proud program. Syracuse returns a decent amount of starters on both sides of the ball and that gives the program a hope for a better campaign in 2008. The Orange leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 4-3, but the teams haven't met since 1984.

The Orange had all sorts of problems moving the ball on offense last season and they finished the year ranked 104th in scoring with an average of just 16.4 ppg. The offensive struggles can be directly attributed to a nonexistent ground attack that produced a minuscule 62.8 rushing ypg. However, with three starters welcomed back on the offensive line and a pair of healthy backs in Curtis Brinkley and Delone Carter, the Orange could be looking at an improvement in 2008. Brinkley led Syracuse with 371 rushing yards last season, but missed the final four games with a broken leg, while Carter missed the entire season with a dislocated hip. Now healthy, the duo should provide a jolt to this stale ground game. At the quarterback position, Andrew Robinson will once again be the starter. Last season as a sophomore, Robinson threw for 2,192 yards and 13 touchdowns against only seven interceptions and he will be the focal point of the offense once again. Wideout Mike Williams emerged as a go-to-target for Robinson last season, catching 60 balls for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he is clearly the top returning performer on the offensive side of the ball.

Syracuse was torched for 34.8 ppg and 468.8 total ypg last season, but that was only the half of it. The Orange defense failed to generate any big plays as well, finishing with a mere nine sacks and just 14 forced turnovers. Along the line, Syracuse is still without a proven pass rusher, but it does welcome back the services of tackle Arthur Jones. Jones registered 51 stops and an impressive 17 TFLs last season, displaying the ability to dominate the middle of the defense. At linebacker, the Orange are glad to see Jake Flaherty return for his senior campaign. Flaherty ranked second on the team with 95 stops a year ago and he will be counted on to provide leadership for a young linebacker corps. The secondary also lacks experience, although corner Mike Holmes could be primed for a breakout campaign. As a freshman last season, Holmes emerged as a dependable player by making 64 tackles and with a year of experience he should only be better.

Behind their spread offense, the Wildcats have been productive for quite some time and they should be able to continue that trend in 2008. It all starts with C.J. Bacher, who is one of the more underrated quarterbacks around. Last season, Bacher completed 61 percent of his tosses for 3,656 yards and 19 touchdowns, although he did make some poor decisions as evident by his 19 interceptions. Still, he is a talented player and a leader and he should benefit from a wide receiver group that returns almost all of its top pass catchers from a year ago. Eric Peterman is the best of the returning wideouts and he paced the Wildcats with 66 catches and 744 receiving yards last season. In the backfield, Northwestern has another weapon it will surely utilize in Tyrell Sutton. The quick and elusive back has climbed to 3,000 rushing yards for his career despite amassing just 522 yards in an injury plagued 2007 campaign. He is one of the most dangerous backs around when healthy. The line returns just two starters, making this the weakest part of the offense.

Defensively, Northwestern wasn't very good last season, allowing 31.0 ppg and generating only 18 sacks and just 16 turnovers. Needing a change of direction, coach Fitzgerald brought in former Wisconsin coordinator Mike Hankwitz to oversee the defense and he plans to make this unit more aggressive. Up front, the Wildcats have plenty of experience, especially at the ends with Kevin Mims and Corey Wootton returning. Mims recorded 38 tackles and 5.5 TFLs last season, while Wootton managed 39 stops and seven TFLs. The duo though combined for only three sacks and that is an area they will look improve upon. At linebacker, Northwestern must replace its leader in tackles, Adam Kadela. Seniors Malcolm Arrington (47 tackles) and Prince Kwateng (45 tackles, three FF) will need to step up and try to fill the void left by Kadela. In the secondary, the Wildcats should be solid with the return of corner Sherrick McManis and several other experienced players. McManis spent the offseason recovering from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, but he is an emerging star that notched 75 stops a year ago.

This is an important game for both programs, as neither wants to get off on the wrong foot. Northwestern though, simply has too many weapons on offense for Syracuse to compete with and that is why the Wildcats should come out on top in this one.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Northwestern 38, Syracuse 21

 

[twofingers]

Northwestern released its injury report for Saturday's opener against Syracuse. The Wildcats have gone to an NFL-style report, which will come out every Thursday during the season. Let's hope other Big Ten teams follow the trend.

Here it is:

TE/FB Drake Dunsmore, knee, out for season
WR Kevin Frymire, ankle, out for Week 1
LB Chris Jeske, knee, out for Week 1
DT Niko Mafuli, shoulder, out for Week 1
LB Bryce McNaul, leg, out for Week 1
WR Jeff Yarbrough, leg, out for Week


No significant injuries for Syracuse

 

[twofingers]

SU was 0-5 vs. spread offense last year, giving up an avg. of 300 plus on the ground in those game.

Off season spent trying to get more speed on defense, hense switch of Merkerson to CB, switch of LB Garuzzi and Maj to other positions, switch of Smith from RB to LB.

Can't fault anyone taking NW and giving up the 11. If they execute offensively with revamped OL line, they certainly can blow SU out.

SU has to have some success in the air to keep NW honest. IF they stack the box and SU can't take advanatage, it will be a long day IMHO.

Going to stay optimistic and lay a little cabbage on the Orange with the points. I hope to see some reason to stay interested this season. Another 1-10 season and I may have to start shaving my wrists.

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Thanks for the analysis - appreciate it

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

And just as an FYI - Evanston's a pretty quiet homefield anyway, but the students aren't back for another 3 weeks. There's not much of a home field advantage at all. Thought I'd be pulling the trigger on N'western, but can't.

 

[twofingers]

SU opens at -5 at home vs. Akron.

Fans are gathering signatures asking for Robinson to resign as HC. Another pitful coaching performance at NW. Abandon running game only down 16-10 late in 3rd, punting on 4th down in NW territory with 5 minutes left down 31-10. Robinson's quote hen asked about it:

I really thought that maybe ... we threw the incomplete pass, it was fourth-and-10 I believe, I said hey, you know what, maybe we can go down there and make something happen with the defense. Maybe in hindsight, I probably should have gone for it. I figured let the defense have a chance to see if they could, and they didn't. They didn't respond."

This after his defense was on the field for almost entire second half and totally gassed. This guy is a piece of work.

Much talk about replacing AROB at QB after another dismal performance. Don't think that will happen as long as GROB is there.

 

[twofingers]

It's official. Cam Dantley replaces AROB as srarting QB today.Dantley bring more elusiveness in the pocket and a stronger arm.

This is a huge game for the Orange for a couple of reasons:

1) Obviously, they can not afford to go 0-2. Northeastern looks like the only sure thing on the schedule from here on out.

2) The week coming up is the biggest week for SU football in many years. "The Express"has it's premiere in Syracuse on Thursday night with many celebrities and former greats coming to town to celebrate the legend of Ernie Davis. The team saw the movie on Thursday night. I hope they paid attention to the blocking and tackling scenes.

3) Their most hated rival comes to town next Saturday in the form of Joe Paterno. For those who do not know the story, SU - Penn State had a annual game going back to the 1920's. Syracuse carried Penn State for most of that time until the 1970's - 1980's when Penn State rose to power and annually thrashed the Orange. In the late 80's Paterno demanded that SU play six games at Penn State for each four game they played in Syracuse. SU refused and the rivlary died.


The bad news:


1) Akron employs the spread offense which has been the Orange killer.

2) No word that OL Corey " Drive killer" Chavers will be sitting the bench.

3) Greg Robinson is still the Head Coach, which means a shitty game plan, no in game adjustments, no energy on the sidelines.

Line is SU -4.5. i will back the Orange as they get one of their few victories of the season. One last chance.

 

[pirate fan]

I'm with ya. I think SU wins 4 games, this is one of them. I'm giving the 4.5 GL

 

[twofingers]

We gave up a 3rd -23 for a TD, 3rd-11, 3rd - 15, 3rd - 12, all for 1st downs, missed 56 tackles, and had no defensive answers for that offensive jaggernaunt that is Akron.

The announced attendance was 31, 000 but there was no more then 21,000 there.

Syracuse football is officially dead. Only question now is when will Dr. Gross pull the plug on GROB. Probably not this week as Penn St comes to town and the Express premieres. I expect that it will be next Monday, givng the interim coach a chance at a opening win vs. Northeastern, maybe.

Only interesting angle this week is whether JoePa will want to run it up against the Orange or will he call the dogs off early. Penn St will probably be 35 point favs in our building.

When does basketball start?

 

[twofingers]

Robinson made it through this week and every indication is that he will last the season. Administration does not want to send wrong signal to incoming canadates. GROB teared up twice this week in press conferences, once after game on Saturday and again on Monday.

Bruce Williams is being moved back to SS after two weeks at WR. They have put this kid through the wringer in his senior year. Starting SS all through spring and summer. Starts fall there and then they move him to WR after a week of camp. Now back to SS. Injury to McKinnon is the reason but I think the lack of tackling in secondary plays a part also. This secondary is in taters. Best cover guy cant tackle. best tackler cant cover anyone. Linebackers continue to be atrosious. Mele and Smith have been non existent on the outside.

To make matters worse, Penn State comes to town at the worst imaginable time. It is very hard to imagine a scenario where SU does not lose by 30+. People are bringing up the Louisville game last year as a reason to hope but that is way out there. I dont see Penn State as the imposters that loiusville was.

Penn State names the score. Syracuse might be able to put 10 points on the board. if JoePa wants to run the score up here, there is no stopping him. i think he will show some mercy but it will not matter.

Penn State 48 - Syracuse 10