Once the season ended, however, things changed in a way that is to be expected from successful teams from non-Power Six conferences: The robust senior class led by Ryan Witman, Louis Dale and Jeff Foote graduated. Donahue made a major leap to helm the program at Boston College. Back in Ithaca, in stepped Bill Courtney from Virginia Tech and several players began the transition from bench player to starter. This team is night and day from last season’s squad.

At 2-4, Cornell has lost some close games and gutted out a couple decent, but no one they have played to this point has the firepower of their tough schedule from last season. Despite the non-con sluggishness by SU, Tuesday night’s game against the Orange presents one of the toughest challenges the Big Red will face all season, the other being upstart Minnesota later this week.

Like last season, this edition of Cornell is more comfortable in a game at a slow-to-moderate pace, not forcing themselves into a track meet. They average around 70 possessions in each of their last four games, a rate that keeps them fresh on defense, where they have allowed just 66 points per game. They’ve also let up less than one point per defensive possession in all but one contest so far (a loss to Seton Hall).

The key for SU is to get Cornell running more than they want to with defensive pressure to create turnovers and easy transition opportunities. The Orange will also be able to get ahead by cleaning up on the glass like they should (the Big Red averages a measly 28.5 rebounds per game). However, SU must balance their comfort running with smart decisions from Scoop Jardine, who runs the backcourt. Scoop has shot just 8-37 in his last three games; while SU is trying to find scoring consistency, I’m fairly confident that Jardine putting up 12 shots a game isn’t going to improve the team in the long run. Brandon Triche also needs to continue to be assertive. Against Georgia Tech, he posted his highest scoring total since his 16-point game against Canisius, which came on the heels of Jim Boeheim calling for him to be more aggressive.

In the frontcourt, look for Kris Joseph to become more consistent when matched against undersized 6’4 senior Max Groebe. In the paint, Rick Jackson should have a field day with Adam Wire, who hardly qualifies as a forward checking in at 6’5. While bigger opponents will eventually mitigate Baye Moussa Keita’s effectiveness, Tuesday will not be one of those times. The mismatches across the paint way so heavily in SU’s favor that even Fab Melo should be able to make some kind of positive impact.

It took all of two games for Jim Boeheim to criticize the media and his team publicly, the truest sign that Syracuse basketball is here. We’ve heard a lot of talk about how the rotation might go ten deep, but in Boeheim’s mind, that speaks more to how little proven depth there is on the team beyond the four returning starters than it does to the idea that there are 10 players who are good enough to command significant playing time.

Before the season started, the concept of a bench seat was completely foreign to Dion Waiters, who first pledged allegiance to the Orange before he played a single varsity game. Fab Melo had everyone, even the schools who didn’t pursue the Brazilian, fawning over him before he played a varsity game in the US. Both players have been very frustrating in the early going as they get used to the college environment.

On the other end, CJ Fair and Baye Moussa Keita were supposed to be the afterthoughts of the recruiting class, but in the early going, they’ve made the most noise. Fair missed an entire season in high school with a torn ACL and Baye Moussa Keita committed to SU despite being stuck on the Oak Hill depth chart his entire junior year behind a blue-chip recruit in Tiny Gallon (who, coincidentally, is Paul Harris’ roommate at the moment). You always have to consider the competition, but perhaps the fact that Fair and Keita were so overlooked by the media compared to their freshmen peers has something to do with their inspired play over the first two games. With the last of three games in five days coming tonight against Detroit, we’ll get to see for the first time how the younger players answer a public challenge from their coach.

Waiters will get a challenge in Ray McCallum, Jr., a hyped freshman guard who spurned multiple high-profile schools to play for his father at a mid-major. As much attention as McCallum has received, Detroit had a stellar incoming class even before his commitment, with Jason Calliste, LaMarcus Lowe and Nick Minnerath comprising one of the top groups of newcomers in the Horizon League.

On top of their new guys, the Titans, who won 20 games last season, return junior Eli Holman, who shot at an Onuaku-esque 61.4% clip from the floor and pulled down close to nine boards a game in his sophomore campaign. Holman is the focal point of the offense and in terms of size, will be the most even matchup for Fab Melo and Rick Jackson we’ve seen in the early going. Like Syracuse, Detroit has plenty of young talent, but is still searching for what they can expect from their bench. They don’t have quite enough players to make a serious run at Butler’s Horizon League crown, but they should provide a stronger test than Canisius for Syracuse.

The Panther team that will arrive at the Carrier Dome Friday night will be different from the version that won the Missouri Valley Conference two years in a row, as guard Ali Farokhmanesh and seven-footer Jordan Eglseder both graduated. Still, Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Johnny Moran, Jake Koch and Kerwin Dunham make for a dynamic group of shooters who can obliterate a zone defense if they’re hot.

In the paint, Lucas O’Rear and Koch are decent big men, and both are making the adjustment from bench options to starting roles. In terms of size, Rick Jackson and Koch are evenly matched, but in O’Rear, Fab Melo will have the first of many uneven matchups in the middle of the zone. That’s not to take anything away from the UNI big man, who is the reigning two-time Missouri Valley Conference Sixth Man of the Year; it’s just hard to give up six inches in the paint and stand much of a chance.

Out on the wing will be Kris Joseph going up against Dunham. After Melo-O’Rear, this is the next-biggest mismatch in favor of the Orange. Dunham is another player who is making the move into a more prominent role with the Panthers. He’ll be tested early and often not only against Joseph’s crazy athleticism, but also against the perimeter games of James Southerland and Mookie Jones.

In the backcourt is where things even out for the Panthers. Ahelegbe is UNI’s leading returning scorer at 10.6 PPG, was named to the preseason all-conference team, and took home Most Outstanding Player honors in last season’s conference tournament. His Achilles’ Heel is shaky ball control, as he led the Missouri Valley Conference in turnovers last season with 104; 20 more than the next-closest player. It will be a nice early challenge for Scoop Jardine, and he’ll also have a chance to prove that SU’s stingy perimeter defense of last season wasn’t a fluke.

Brandon Triche will lock horns with Johnny Moran, who does a few things decently, but aside from free-throw shooting, nothing particularly well. I don’t have any doubts about SU’s sophomore being able to pass this early-season test, and Dion Waiters won’t be overwhelmed in the first regular-season action of his career either.

Simply put, Northern Iowa has to go on a three-point shooting barrage to have a chance in this one. They’re capable, though I think SU’s advantage in the frontcourt far outweigh any shooting edge the Panther’s perimeter players bring. I’ll predict a 78-65 victory for the good guys, but don’t be surprised to see UNI hang around for awhile in this one.

It may be an exhibition game, but if I learned anything from last season, it’s that even though preseason games like tonight’s tilt against Kutztown won’t count in the standings, they’re still important to the development of the team.

Usually, exhibition games present the opportunity for a coach to bring in a former player or assistant getting his feet wet in coaching with a small program like Kutztown, based 220 miles from Syracuse. However, there aren’t any such connections to be found between the Orange and the Golden Bears – but there is one player worth pointing out to ‘Cuse fans: Devon McBride (who wears 44 on his jersey – it’s like he wants the pain to rain down on him Tuesday night), not to be confused with former Syracuse “center” Devin Brennan-McBride, whose pinnacle as a member of the Orange came when he could be accurately described as Matt Gorman’s backup in 2006-07.

Man, those days were rough.

As for the Golden Bears, they’ve been picked to finish third in Division-II’s Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference’s (PSAC) East Division, if you care about that sort of thing. Kutztown will rely on junior guard Julius Gray and junior Eric Brennan (that’s right – a Brennan AND a McBride) to outperform last season’s 23-8 record, which ended in a first-round loss in the D-II Tournament.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST.

It’s tough to think that if we had a somewhat decent Head Coach - the Orange might be 2-0 in the Big East – and possibly playing a meaningful game this weekend in terms of how the conference will shake out. Now we’re headed to Tampa to try and play spoiler to the Bulls – which probably means the Orange wont notch a Big East victory until November…if at all.

When: Saturday October 18th, 2008 – 12:00 PM Eastern

Where: Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium.

Capacity: 65,857

Television: Time Warner Sports - Channel 26

The Spread: The Line opened at Syracuse +25 – but has since fell to Syracuse +23.5 with just about 46% of the money going on Syracuse to cover.

Rivalry info: Rivalry? Since South Florida has joined the Big East - they have had no problem with the Orange. The Bulls are 3-0 all time against the Orange – outscoring them by an average of 32-7.

Coaches: South Florida - Jim Leavitt - 12th season at South Florida (84-47 overall.) Syracuse- Greg Robinson – 4th season at Syracuse (8-33 overall.)

Syracuse Offense ranked #106 vs South Florida Defense ranked #11: Want to see how much Curtis Brinkley and our Offensive Line has really improved? You’ll get your chance this weekend. South Florida ranks among the best at #6 against the run thus far this season. Only once have the Bulls allowed a opposing rusher to gain more than 60 yards against them this year – that being Pitt RB LeSean McCoy (142 yards) - who ran against a Bulls defense without star DE George Selvie and starting LB Brouce Mompremier. Both are expected to be suited up and ready to go this Saturday -which doesnt bode well for the Orange.

The only chance the Orange have in this game lies again in the hands of Curtis Brinkley - who has looked stellar gaining 100+ yards in his last three outings and averaging nearly 5.5 yards a carry this season. The Orange dont have nearly the speed or athleticism to try and get into a shoot-out with the Bulls so they’re best shot is to do what they’ve done best – run the ball. The Orange were able to hold onto the ball for nearly 12 minutes more than the Mountaineers and were able to churn out a total of 20 first downs – and that probably played a big part as to why the Mountaineers were held to 17 points (Pat White or not, WVU should have scored in the 30′s.) It’ll be hard to run the ball on the Bulls – seeing as they’ll attack the ball better than anyone we’ve seen this season, but you cant take the ball out of Brinkleys hands with how he’s ran the ball.

The Bulls have been somewhat decent against the pass ranking 47th in the nation – but thats not saying much considering some of the passing attacks they’ve faced (Tenn Martin, FIU, UCF, NC State.) No matter who you bring in it’s tough to replace CB’s like Jenkins and Williams who were lost to the NFL Draft. Lobdell finally broke out and grabbed a few nice balls and Donte Davis was solid as well grabbing a game leading 7 receptions last week. If Dantley is unable to put together a few things in the air the Orange will be dead in the water. I expect the Bulls to bring the house starting early and it’s important Dantley burns them once or twice to keep them as honest as possible.

South Florida Offense ranked #25 vs Syracuse Defense ranked #107: Once again – the Orange are just simply outmatched. We got a break last weekend without having to face White – but now we’re faced with an even tougher task in the name of Matt Grothe. Grothe has racked up just over 1500 yards all purpose and has accounted for a total of 11 TD’s six games into the season (9 passing, 2 rushing.) He can burn you with either his arm or his legs and probably has his best set of recievers to throw to since hes been in South Florida (primarily Taurus Johnson and Jessie Hester.)

There really is no way for us to stop Grothe – but if we can avoid making the same type of mistakes that we did against Penn State weeks ago (primarily missed tackles and mis-reads) then we might be able to at least contain Grothe and Co. to an extent.

South Florida defensive coaches phones were off the hook this offseason with calls from college coaches dying to know how they were able to stop West Virginia and the spread – their answer? Speed and fundamentals. Since the spread is geared to create 11 one-on-one matchups and to exploit individual speed – form tackling is a must. If the Orange make the same weak arm tackle attempts against South Florida its going to result in a ton of big plays (since you really have no defensive back up) and the scoreboard is going to roll.

There really isnt one scheme or trick to stopping the spread – if you have a few playmakers its going to be quite easy to rack up yardage inbetween the 30′s. Once you hit the 30 its tough to really utilize the spread to your advantage because theres not as much field to work with. The Orange are going to have to hold strong during that time and hope to cut a few South Florida TD drives into FG attempts.

Why Syracuse will win: The South Florida Defense is still banged up and Brinkley is able to take advantage and continues his hot streak. Ball Control! Last week Syracuse held the ball for 36 minutes and were in the game deep into the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh held the ball for 37 minutes against the Bulls (resulting in 16 more plays) and were able to hold the Bulls to 21 points and win the game.

Why South Florida will win: South Florida is just too fast for the Orange. Grothe has no problem burning an undermanned Syracuse Defense and jump out to an early first half lead. Mike Ford and the Bulls ball control the second half and still end up beating the Orange big.

Syracuse player to watch: RB Curtis Brinkley – 621yards rushing – 3 rushing TD’s – 8 receptions for 41 yards

South Florida player to watch: QB Matt Grothe – 63.9% completion – 1,304 passing yards – 9 TD’s 3 INT’s – 258 yards rushing – 2 rushing TD’s

Reyes39 Prediction: South Florida 42 – Syracuse 10

-Stats thanks to ncaa.org and cfbdatawarehouse.com

-Lavarr Lobdell photo from Frank Ordonez/The Post Standard

]]> http://www.cuseorange.com/2008/10/17/week-8-syracuse-orange-19-south-florida-bulls/feed/ 0 http://www.cuseorange.com/2008/09/04/week-two-preview-syracuse-vs-akron/ http://www.cuseorange.com/2008/09/04/week-two-preview-syracuse-vs-akron/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:23:59 +0000 LvilleOrange http://www.cuseorange.com/?p=136 After an ugly loss against Northwestern – It’s time to put that behind and look into our next opponent, the Akron Zips (0-1.) Once again, props go out to Reyes39 for the breakdown and pacusefan for giving us research material. Now, read along for all the information you’ll need for the game!

When: Saturday September 6th, 2008 – 3:30 PM Eastern

Where: Syracuse, New York in the Carrier Dome

Capacity: 50,000

Television: TWC 26 and FSN Ohio

Tailgating information: http://www.texanmarktailgate.blogspot.com/

The Spread: Opened at Syracuse -7. Has quickly moved down to Syracuse -4.5

Rivalry info: This will be the first time the two teams have ever played each other.

Fun Fact: Akron Head Coach J.D. Brookhart served under Syracuse Head Coach Greg Robinson as a defensive assistant when Robinson was the Defensive Coordinator of the Defensive Broncos.

Coaches: Akron – J.D. Brookhart – 5th season at Akron (22-27 overall.) Syracuse- Greg Robinson – 4th season at Syracuse (7-29 overall.)

Last time they played: Never

Syracuse passing game (ranked #101) vs. the Akron secondary (ranked #10): After last week…I’m not sure we have anything that resembles a passing game. Robinson looked pretty bad much of the game – only completing 14 of 28 passes for just over 100 yards and an interception. Andrew looked tight the entire game and rarely put the ball where it had to be in Brownings new short swing/slant passing offense. Rumor has it Senior Cameron Dantley has been getting looks with the first team offense this week during practice – but we’ll just count Arob in as the starter until we see otherwise. I’m not sure if it was our recievers, the loss of Williams and Taj – or a combination of both. But Robinson just did not look comfortable in the offense and didn’t seem to groove with anyone last Saturday. No matter who gets the start on Saturday there has to be an improvement – and maybe a passing attempt down field…or two. Akron on the other hand didn’t recieve much of a test against Wisconsin. The Badgers did their work on the ground and only threw the ball a total of ten times but the Zips were able to pick off one of those attempts to keep things tight in the first half.
Who has the edge? It’s hard to really judge the Akron secondary since they were untested most of the game – but with how bad we were in the air in week one we’ll have to go with a push. Neither side showed much of anything in week one to warrant the edge.

Syracuse rushing attack (ranked #70) vs. the Akron front six (ranked #113): Syracuse was able to nearly double their rushing average from 2007 on Saturday rushing for 122 yards overall. The only problem is 60 of those yards came on two bursts by Brinkley and Carter and Grob has yet to chose a back to carry the load. I understand the problem in chosing a back – its gotta be hard not to try and involve the three headed duo of Carter, Hogue, and Brinkley – but by splitting the carries like we did takes the momentum right out of the ground game. No one was able to really get into sync since each drive there was a new back manning the tailback position. The Offensive Line looked improved but still not to the point we would want it – our backs were unable to find much room inside the tackles and usually profited most by bouncing the ball outside or following Fiammetta. The Orange should be able to run the ball down the Zips throat just like the Badgers chose to do. The Zips run a 3-3-5 defense that Wisconsing and P.J. Hill were able to gash open for over 400 yards but to return a decent and experienced Defensive Line. We’re not Wisconsin – but If our O-Line can at least engage all 6 Zips in the box our backs should be able to find a few holes in the Zips easy to run on defensive scheme.
Who has the edge? Although we were pitiful in the air – I think the Orange have an edge over the Akron defense. If we follow the Badgers blueprint and keep the ball on the ground we should be able to put up a few more points this week. Akron was able to keep things closer than expected due to three Wisconsin turnovers – be smart with the ball, run, run, and run – and our offense should be alright this week.
Syracuse Offense (rated #102) vs. Akron Defense (rated #101) synopsis: I wouldn’t mind seeing the Orange try to open things up a bit more with the pass against an opponent we can likely tweak a few things against – but I’d rather go the safe route. Keep the ball on the ground just like Wisconsin did and eat up the clock en-route to a few to a few scores. The Orange actually have more experience on this side of the ball and hopefully flow a bit more like they did last week in the first quarter. I give the Orange the slight edge – no matter who is behind center. We should be able to pick up some good chunks of yardage against the quirky 3-3-5 defense Akron utilizes.
Akron passing game (ranked #43) vs. the Syracuse secondary (ranked #71): Akron Quarterback Chris Jacquemain probably had one of his best performances last week going 22-36 for 227 yards and 2 TD’s against a decent Wisconsin secondary and was able to break his streak of seven consecutive games with an interception thrown. Perhaps some of his success could be attributed to JC transfer Deryn Bowser – Akron’s top catch in the 2007/08 recruiting season. Bowser has great size (6-2 215 lbs) and was able to grab five balls for 76 yards. The Orange defense wasnt spectacular but was able to somewhat slow down one of the nations best and most experienced passing units last week. Like the Wildcats – the Zips run a shotgun spread offense but don’t have the firepower – especially at QB – to run it as fluently as Northwestern. If Brown, Merkerson, and Holmes play a little better than last week then they should be able to force a turnover or two and stall the Zip offense a bit.
Who has the edge? Syracuse. Akron QB Jacquemain had the best game of his career but due to his past turnover issues It’s not enough to believe he has really turned the corner just yet.
Akron rushing attack (ranked #94) vs. the Syracuse front seven (ranked #109): Like Syracuse’s passing game – Akron didn’t show much of anything in their opener on the ground. Akron ran the ball only 22 times for a total of 70 yards – deciding to keep the ball in the air much of the game. The Orange just flat out didn’t do much against the run of Northwestern – missing tackles and assignments – letting the NU ground game eat them up for much of the game. Good thing is – there’s not one back on Akron’s roster that is anything like Sutton and Akron was unable to run the ball well against any formidable defenses last year. Odds are the Zips will try to run the ball a little more than they did against the Badgers since that was our weakness – but as long as we can tackle a little bit better the Akron ground game shouldn’t provide much of a problem.
Who has the edge? Akron does return two 2nd team all MAC offensive lineman – but I think Arthur Jones and Jared Kimmel answer the call and shake things up a bit. LB Mike Mele has to step things up if he wants to see much more of the field. Overall the Orange run Defense has a lot to prove after such a sad performance against Northwestern – but Akron didn’t seem to try to do many things on the ground. I give the Orange the edge for just that reason.
Akron Offense vs. Syracuse Defense synopsis: If the Orange can tackle…they shouldn’t have a problem creating some problems for Akron. Sounds easy – but if you watched last weeks game you know we’re far from fundamental.
Why Syracuse will win: The Orange take a page out of the Badger playbook and run wild on the Akron defense. Brinkley and Carter both rack up nearly 100 yards a piece while Hogue chips in with 50. Jones reverts to 2007 form and makes life for Jacquemain hell as he’s on his back all day. The Orange actually make a few tackles.
Why Akron will win: History repeats itself.  The Cuse blows some assignments on D, there are missed tackles and Akron is allowed to get comfortable while the boo birds come out in full force.  On offense, the play calling stays conservative.  There are lots of 3rd and long situations and down the field passing is non-existent.
Syracuse player to watch: Safety A.J. Brown. Brown made 11 tackles and intercepted a pass against Northwestern in week one.
Akron player to watch: Quarterback Chris Jacquemain. Jacquemain had a career game against Wisconsin throwing for 227 yards and two scores.
5 Things I don’t want to see:
1) The offense pinned inside its 20 all game. If we have 3 or more possessions inside our 20, that means that both the offense and defense are not winning the battle up front and we are losing the field possession game. A recipe for disaster.
2) “The rotation” – I want to see us find the hot hand at tailback and go to him. Someone needs 20 touches. I would think it should be Carter, with Brinkley the 3rd down guy and Hogue as short yardage.
3) “The dropsies” – must be cut down. Lobdell and Davis have to come up with balls to keep the chains moving. Otherwise, I expect that the field will get alot shorter as the defense crowds the box.
4) Maybe this should be heard vs. seen, but here goes: No “I’ll have to look at the tape” quotes from Grob. Give us your take as you saw/remembered. I expect that you were watching this game as keenly as I was.
5) Aluminum. I want to see fans in the seats for 4 quarters. These are our kids. Let’s get behind them. All the way. Period.
Reyes39 Prediction: Syracuse 27 Akron 21
Lvilleorange Prediction: Syracuse 31 Akron 16
-Northwestern helmet thanks to Nationalchamps.net
-Stats thanks to ncaa.org and cfbdatawarehouse.com
-click on photos to see them from host site

Well its finally time to put summer camp aside and focus on our Week One opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats. Read along for everything you’ll need to know about this game! A huge thank you to reyes39 for providing the majority of this preview.

When: Saturday August 30th, 2008 – 12:00PM Eastern/ 11:00AM Central (local kickoff time)

Where: Evanston, Illinois at Northwestern’s Ryan Field

Capacity: 47,130

Television: ESPN2 HD

The Spread: Opened at Syracuse +12. Currently floating around Syracuse +11 and +11.5

Rivalry info: The two teams have faced each other seven times. The last being in 1984. Syracuse owns a 4-3 record in the all-time series winning the last four meetings.

Fun Fact: The upcoming movie showcasing Ernie Davis and the Syracuse Orangemen, “The Express” – was shot mostly in Evantson, Illinois. Producers felt Ryan field closely resembled Archbold Stadium – home of the Orangemen until 1980.

Coaches: Northwestern- Pat Fitzgerald – 2 seasons at Northwestern (10-14 overall.) Syracuse- Greg Robinson – 3 seasons at Syracuse (7-28 overall.)

Last time they played: Syracuse pulled out a nail-biter over Northwestern on September 15th, 1984 – beating the Wildcats 13-12.

Syracuse passing game vs. the Northwestern secondary: Heading into 2008 the Orange expected to have one of the top passing units in all of the Big East. Then – top Wide Receiver Mike Williams was kicked off the team for academic reasons, Taj Smith bolted early for the NFL (Green Bay Packers), and Dan Sheeran broke his leg in summer camp. Now the Orange are left with a group of unproven and inexperienced talent at the position. Lavar Lobdell is the most talented and top receiver from 2007 returning but has shown little in his few opportunities in orange and blue. Freshman Marcus Sales is expected to contribute immediatly and Donte Davis returns after missing all of 2007 with a hand injury. Rounding out the group is Bruce Williams who transitioned back over from safety and will take time to get comfortable in the offense again – and theres a small chance freshman Van Chew will be worked into the mix after joining the Orange in early January.
Northwestern lost two starting DB’s in FS Reggie McPherson and CB Deante Battle but do return SS Brendan Smith who missed most of ’07 due to injury. Last years staff did yield 243.3 ypg but is expected to be improved with 3 of 4 starting backs returning with strong game time experience. The only real question mark heading into 2008 is with CB Justan Vaugh who is expected to share time with Jordan Mabin opposite Sherrick McManis.
Who has the edge? Although unproven, Lobdell and Robinson should be able to find some holes in the Northwestern secondary. Initially I would think it would be a push…but due to our overall uncertainty at the WR position – Northwestern gets the nod.
Syracuse rushing attack vs. the Northwestern front seven: After ranking dead last in almost all major rushing categories in 2007 – the Orange look to be in much better shape heading into the 2008 season. Delone Carter and Curtis Brinkley are both back and healthy – and Doug Hogue rounds out what should be one of the most well rounded RB units the Orange have had in years. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter who’s in the backfield if the Offensive Line is anything like it was last year. New Offensive Coordinator Mitch Browning has a great track record or piecing together great Offensive Lines – but will he have enough time in Syracuse to really make a change?
Northwestern returns a rather experienced and strong front seven that was able to mingle in the mid 60′s-70′s nationally against the run in 2007. Fortunately, big run stuffing DT John Gill, Northwestern’s best defensive player, has been suspended from the season opener against the Orange. Losing Gill is something the Orange will try to take advantage of – but giant DE Wootton (6’7”) will provide enough problems in the trenches alone. Northwestern also lost leading tackler Kadela to graduation who racked up 125 tackles last year.
Who has the edge? Due to the Orange’s problems with the Offensive Line in 2007 – we’ll have to give Northwestern the edge for now until we see Brownings product on the field this Saturday. The Orange are in much better shape at Running Back than last season though. A true starter is yet to be named – but its probable Coach Robinson will use a committee anyways.
Syracuse Offense vs. Northwestern Defense synopsis: Everything falls on the offensive line. If they are indeed improved from 2007 the Orange have the play makers to put up some points. Expect things to look sloppy at times as the Orange transition into Brownings offense regardless of the offensive lines performance.
Northwestern passing game vs. the Syracuse secondary: Northwestern probably brings one of the most well rounded and underrated WR crops in the Big Ten to the table this Saturday. Peterman, the best overall receiver in the bunch, returns after a 66 catch 744 yard performance in 2007. He’ll be joined by Rasheed Ward (brings speed/elusiveness) and Ross Lane (Big target/red zone threat.) Converted quarterback Andrew Brewer figures to be worked back into the mix in the Wildcats four wide sets as well. The success of the Wildcats falls into the hands of their best players – QB C.J. Bacher. Bacher led the Big Ten in passing yards per game averaging just over 300 yards last year but did have problems controlling the ball – throwing 11 interceptions in the Wildcats final four games last season.
The Orange are expected to only have two starters in the secondary with starting experience in SS A.J. Brown (pressured strongly by Kevyn Scott) and sophomore CB Mike Holmes. Da’Mon Merkerson has made the transition from WR back into his natural CB position and officially won the starting spot over Nico Scott just days ago. Scott is expected to see the field quite a bit especially against Northwestern’s spread 3-4 receiver sets along with senior Ryan Howard. Mike Holmes will be starting opposite Merkerson and was rather impressive in action last year notching starts at both CB and Safety.
Who has the edge? Once again – the Orange are beat out by a much more experienced WR core. Bacher is slated to have a monster season with all of his major targets from 07 returning. Syracuse’s secondary will be much improved from last season and has a bright future but might not show for a few weeks.
Northwestern rushing attack vs. the Syracuse front seven: Like the Orange – Northwestern also has offensive line problems of their own. The Wildcats do return one of the Big Ten’s top RB’s in Tyrell Sutton. Sutton has close to 3,000 total yards in his career although he was banged up and unavailable much of the 2007 season. Omar Conteh is a serviceable compliment to Sutton and last year was able to rack up nearly 5 yards per carry. The offensive line is the Wildcats biggest question mark especially after losing three starters from last year – although thats not necessarily a bad thing. Last years line had trouble protecting much of anything and gave up 32 sacks on the year.
With DT Arthurt Jones – the Orange should be able to flourish against a weak and diminished offensive line. Kimmel has to take advantage of the extra attention Jones will receive – and Santiago (lost 40lbs in offseason) and Girruzi (transitioned from LB) only have one more year to showcase their talents. The only glaring issue heading into 2008 is with the Linebacking core. The Orange seem to be all set at MLB with Flaherty – but outside of him the unit is young and rather raw. Conley has voiced his satisfaction with his entire core but Orange fans don’t really know what to expect from Mele and Smith until we see them in action on Saturday. Overall the group is in better shape due to youngsters getting PT last year – but until Saturday its another coin flip.
Who has the edge? When it comes down to the trenches – I think Syracuse has the definite edge. But our questions at Linebacker still loom large and the two headed Wildcat running attack give them the slight edge overall. If Kimmel and Giruzzi can keep Sutton contained we have a shot at really slowing down Northwestern ground game.

Northwestern Offense vs. Syracuse Defense synopsis: If the Orange can contain Sutton and Bacher – the Orange should completely dismantle the Wildcat offense. The thing is – thats not easy – especially with the question marks we have on defense.
Why Syracuse will win: Arthur Jones and the Defensive Line expose Northwestern’s weak Offensive Line and shake up Bacher and Sutton. The Orange Offensive Line makes a 180 degree turn and Carter and Co. run wild on the Gill-a-monster-less Northwestern D-Line making it easy for Robinson to hook up with Lobdell for a few red-zone scores.
Why Northwestern will win: Bacher and Sutton are just way too much for the Orange to handle and shred a young Orange defense. The Orange O-Line isnt much improved from 2007 and Carter and Co. aren’t able to get things rolling. Robinson has the usual 3 seconds of time to pass and cant establish a passing game without Taj or Mike.
Syracuse player to watch: Defensive Tackle Arthur Jones. Jones is the staple of the Orange Defense and was able to rack up 17.5 TFL in 2007.

Northwestern player to watch: Quarterback C.J. Bacher. Bacher lead the Big Ten with 305 passing yards per game and totaled for 23 scores in 2007.

Five things I don’t want to see on game day:
5) A punt/quick kick on third down.
4) The corner backs playing 15 yards off the ball.
3) 3 or more sacks allowed.
2) CJ Bacher having all day to throw.
1) The Orange walk out of the tunnel. I want to see fire and emotion not that parade march we endured last season.

Reyes39 Prediction: Northwestern 35 – Syracuse 27
Lvilleorange Prediction: Northwestern 38 – Syracuse 23
Collegefootballnews Prediction: Northwestern 37 – Syracuse 20
Phil Steeles Prediction: Northwestern 31 – Syracuse 21
-Northwestern helmet thanks to Nationalchamps.net
-Stats thanks to ncaa.org and cfbdatawarehouse.com
-click on photos to see them from host site

What we know

The defending Big East champs aren’t without controversy as they start the season.  Rich Rodriguez left his alma mater to take the Michigan job.  The messy divorce from the WV program is going to cost him and UM $4 million.  His replacement, Bill Stewart, may have been the perfect person to guide them in their BCS dismantling of Oklahoma, but he could be a long term risk, as evidenced by SI’s Stewart Mandel shredding.

We like to think of WV as some inconquerable beast, but in reality this team lost two games in conference last season.  The wins were to Western Michigan, Marshall, maryland, East Carolina, Cuse, Mississippi St, Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati.  The losses:  South Florida and Pitt – a game that cost them a shot at the BCS title.

The offense will be just as potent as last season.  Seven starters return, including QB Pat White and a veteran offensive line.  Noel Devine replaces Steve Slaton at RB.  The big concern is durability at the skill slots as Slaton and White lost time in several games with various nagging injuries.  The WR core is inexperienced but talented with Dorrell Jalloh and Wes Lyons stepping in.

On defense, only four starters return but they are key.  Linebackers Reed Williams and Mortty Ivy were the teams top tacklers.  The secondary will be competely overhauled and the line will be manned by sophomore Scooter Berry and Frosh Chris Neild.  I’m not sure they can expect to maintain their standing as a top 10 D (7th overall last season – 8th in scoring/16th rushing/14th passing), but they should be enough given their potent offense.

Quick Fact

Dan Mozes’ 2006 Dave Remington award is the only major hardware garnerd by a WV player.

Why we can win

We have a week to prepare for this game and this could be trap game for WV sandwiched between Rutgers and Auburn. Wait a minute, I think I hear something. Oh its my alarm clock waking me from the ’87 SU/WV classic.
1987 SU/WV

Why we can lose

Well we have lost the last 6 games by an average of 34-13. We haven’t won in Morgantown since 2000. To think we can pull of a big upset would be surprising to say the least. I think we can easily expect another 20+ point pounding.

ZHK says

I’m not one for moral victories, but I think this season is going to need a number of these such “wins” to save GRob’s job. And how SU plays against the top dawgs like WV will go along way in determining his fate. SU will have to try and match WV’s speed on offense by controlling the ball and taking advantage of WV’s young line and secondary. Can we do it? Maybe for a quarter or half, but I would expect that SU will have a hard time winning in Morgantown.

Next ZHK: South Florida breakdown

What we know

The Panthers are this year’s darling to make a splash in the Big East Conference race for a BCS slot. Much of this is largely based on Pitt’s upset of West Virginia in the season finally 13-9,that effectively ended the Mountaineers chance to play in the BCS championship game.  Also coach Dave Wannstedt has been stacking up Top 25 recruiting classes like a weightlifter on a steriod program.  Last year Pitt finished with a 5-7 record and 3-4 in conference play with wins over Eastern Michigan, Grambling St, Cincinnati, Syracuse and West Virginia. Losses were to Michigan St, UConn, Virginia, Navy, Louisville, USF and Rutgers.

Things went south for Pitt when QB Bill Stull was lost for the season with a thumb injury and true frosh Pat Bostick was given the reins. Also lost for the year was talented WR Derek Kinder. He is back as is Oderick Turner, burner TJ Porter and they welcome 6’6″ 5-star Jonathon Baldwin.  LeSean McCoy was a revelation at RB, rushing for 1300+ yds and 14 TDs. If there is a concern on offense its that the OL returns only one starter. The line needs to gel, but the weapons are definitely there.

The real reason that expectations are high is that the defense has a chance to be special. Last year the D ranked 5th overall in total yards allowed thanks to allowing only 167.2 yds a game, good for 3rd in the nation. The DL is really talented and deep, led by end Greg Romeus, a man who terrorized our line last season as the Panthers got 6 sacks against us last season. The Defense also returns all three starting LBs.

Last year’s 20-17 win by Pitt has squared the overall series at 30-30-3. The game was close throughout with Pitt scoring late to go up 20-10 and then hanging on as the Cuse staged a comeback.  Pitt has won 5 of 6 after SU had totally dominated the 90′s.

Quick fact:

The University of Pittsburgh officially claims nine National Championships for the Panthers football team: 4 unanimous, (1916, 1918, 1937, and 1976) and 5 shared titles (1915, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936).

Why we can win:

The two teams played a tight affair last season in a game that saw Cam Dantley come in and play well in place of Andrew Robinson.  The game being in the dome will definitely help.  Despite McCoy running well we hung around.  Our offense should be better w/ a stable of healthy backs to prevent Pitt’s defensive line from just having to tee it up on every play.

Why we can lose:

A top notch dline that can reek havoc on an inexperienced oline. A RB that can pound away and get tough yards. Experienced and improved QBs. The promise of a top 25 season and the maturation of several highly rated recruiting classes gives hope for at least an 8 win season and a nice bowl game.

ZHK says:

If I drink the kool-aid being served to me by every talking head, this game is the proverbial no-brainer. Pitt should win this game easily. The problem is, I still have some lingering doubt about Wannstedt as a college coach. And not that I don’t think Pitt will be very dangerous going forward. There is also this quote from Browning that has me intrigued, “I have been pleasantly surprised by the talent on hand”. If there was any shred of hope, its the knowledge that the Oline woes can be turned around. And the hope that Browning thinks improvement is achievable this season.  By this point we know what we have and whether any of this preseason speculation means anything. I think we can keep this game close and get a late FG by Pat Shadle to secure the early season surprise.

Next Week: West Virginia

What we know:

Well, not much. As far as cupcakes go, this one is should come with a glass of milk. Last year they finished at 3-8 with wins to Northwestern St, New Hampshire and Hofstra. Losses were to Northwestern, Richmond, UC Davis, James Madison, UMass, Maine and Rhode Island. They return QB Anthony Orio, a four year starter and returns 15 starters from last year’s team. Does it matter?

As for the spring game, I think we found someone we outdrew, but not by much.

Quick fact:

ESPN SportCenter anchor Michelle Bonner is an alumni.

Why we can win:

Let’s just say that there won’t be many games where we are favored. Even in this darkest of eras, GRob has managed to take care of the one game everyone thought we should win. Well this is that game on the schedule.

Why we can lose:

Look no further than last year as big bad Michigan fell to FCS Appalachian St. While Northeastern isn’t even at Appalachian St’s level, we aren’t exactly at Michigan’s are we?

ZHK says:

Yeah, so what. Are you really reading this? I probably could have typed, blah, blah, blah and you might not even have noticed. If the Cuse were to lose this game, I and the rest of Orange Nation would probably have to hide the steak knives, and probably put Linkin Park’s Given up on permanent rotation. The season and GRob’s job would be effectively over. But alas, this should be a relatively easy game. It will be the third of four straight at the dome, and should be a good game to move the ball on the ground and hopefully get the 2nd and third stringers some PT in advance of the BE opener the following week against Pitt.

Thoughts? Talk to the Zero Hand…