september 24, 2010

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A publication of

Rolling

matthew ziegler | staff photographer

alongWith Colgate coming to town, Orange looks for best start since 2003

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The Daily Orange is published weekdays during the Syracuse University academic year by The Daily Orange Corp., 744 Ostrom Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210. All contents Copyright 2005 by The Daily Orange Corp. and may not be reprinted without the expressed writ-ten permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Orange is distributed on and around campus with the first two copies complimentary. Each additional copy costs $1. The Daily Orange is in no way a subsidy or associated with Syracuse University.

All contents © 2006 The Daily Orange Corporation

Sports Editor Andrew L. JohnPresentation Director Becca McGovernPhoto Editor Bridget StreeterCopy Editor Susan KimAsst. Sports Editor Brett LoGiuratoAsst. Sports Editor Tony OliveroAsst. Photo Editor Kirsten CeloAsst. Photo Editor Joe LingemanAsst. Photo Editor Danielle ParhizkaranDesign Editor Elliot KartusDesign Editor Ankur PatankarDesign Editor Luis RendonDesign Editor Kelly SullanAsst. Sports Copy Editor Michael CohenAsst. Sports Copy Editor Mark Cooper

General Manager Peter WaackIT Manager Derek OstranderCirculation Manager Harold HeronAdvertising Representative Adam BeilmanAdvertising Representative Eric FormanAdvertising Representative Kelsey HoffmanAdvertising Representative Bonnie JonesAdvertising Representative Adam SchatzAdvertising Representative Jenna SpivackClassifieds Manager Michael KangSenior Advertising Designer Lauren HarmsAdvertising Design Coordinator Lauren GenivivaSpecial Advertising Sections Michelle ChiuDelivery Team Captain Brooke WilliamsStudent Business Manager Rebekah Jones

Kathleen Ronayne MANAGING EDITOR

Katie McInerney EDITOR IN CHIEF

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T N E W S P A P E R O F S Y R A C U S E , N E W Y O R K

Editors note:Dear readers,

This In the Huddle is the fi rst edition of a series of football extras The Daily Orange will distribute for the 2010 football season. In this series, the third year of In the Huddle, our goal is to provide you with a gameday companion to all home football games. Inside, you’ll fi nd a complete breakdown of Syracuse’s Saturday showdown with longtime Central New York rival Colgate. You’ll fi nd everything from key matchups and predictions to important num-bers and fun facts about the season. In addition, we’ll provide you with the most important news and notes from around the country and the Big East, complete with a breakdown of the most important games and a Heisman watch. Ulti-mately, our hope is for you to get the most out of your gameday experience.

Enjoy the game!

Sincerely,Andrew L. JohnSports Editor

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By Andrew L. JohnSportS Editor

W hen Doug Marrone speaks about Colgate, he does so with the utmost respect. Respect that comes from being a part of a tradition

that embodies football in upstate New York. From the tradition the Raiders have with SU. But it goes beyond that.

The most recent memory of Syracuse-Colgate was Oct. 24, 1987. The Orangemen rolled to a decisive 52-6 victory at the Carrier Dome, the prelude to what would eventually be an 11-0-1 undefeated season and Sugar Bowl championship.

But the game will likely be remembered because of the fights and player ejections that ensued. The game has since been remembered as a gridiron brawl. SU subsequently ended its rivalry with Col-

gate, and the two teams haven’t faced each other since.

Now 23 years later, Syracuse (2-1) will renew that storied rivalry Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN3), when Colgate (1-1) makes the trip to the Dome — a place where it has never won. The memories remain for those familiar with the history of either football program. For some, the wounds have healed. For others, Saturday’s contest will be a celebration of what was once the most heated football rivalry in upstate New York.

“A lot of people are going to come from Colgate to our game,” said Marrone, who is familiar with the rivalry as a former SU player. “I expect them to have a great turnout, and we should have a great turnout. … It is a good game. It is a good game for Central New York.”

The series is the second oldest in Syracuse foot-ball history, dating back to 1891. Colgate won that game, 22-16, and currently leads the series with a record of 31-29-5. But the Raiders haven’t ever won inside the Dome. And it hasn’t won a game in the series since 1950 — 14 consecutive losses.

Still, there’s history there. There’s a lot of bad blood. But now, there’s respect. Even today, SU play-ers know that. They’re taught that by those who have come before them, and they embrace it.

“This being the second biggest rivalry in Syra-cuse history, it means something,” wide receiver Alec Lemon said. “I haven’t witnessed a Syracuse-Colgate game, so I don’t really know the history behind it. But it’s kind of big for the alumni and Coach Marrone, so we’re going out and playing for

see colgatepage 26

After 23 years, Raiders come back to Dome to renew New York rivalry

matthew ziegler | staff photographerantwon bailey (29) and the Syracuse football team will take on Colgate in a New York State rivalry on Saturday. it is the first time the orange will play the raiders since 1987.

Start me up

4 s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0 s p o r t s @ d a i l y o r a n g e . c o m

fa n P e r s P e c t i v e scompiled asst. copy editor mark cooper

What are your thoughts on how Ryan Nassib has performed

through the first three games?

“I believe his speed and agility has captivated the game.”

J.S. LangerFreshman industrial design major

“Who’s Ryan Nassib?”

Stephen JamesFreshman biochemistry major

“Nothing that jumps off the page but a nice, solid college quarterback.”

Perry Russomsophomore dual political science and broadcast

journalism major

“He’s done a lot better than (Greg) Paulus has.”

Jon Jonesjunior mechanical engineering major

“Call him ‘slinger’. If he plays like he did last game, we’re in for a treat.”

Patrick SmalanskasFreshman civil engineering major

“He’s been good. The team has impressed me so far this year.”

Jose Del Riosophomore dual international business

and entrepreneurship major

“He’s been efficient for the most part. He doesn’t have the interceptions like last year (with) Greg Paulus.”

Michael Morisseaujunior accounting and Finance major

“I’m very impressed by the fact that he has already broke the record for touchdown passes.”

Megan Millersophomore advertising major


On Saturday, Antwon Bailey won’t be the one throwing the touchdown passes or pounding the opposing defense time and time again. He likely won’t be the one catching multiple touchdowns. But he’ll be there, wearing No. 29, doing everything in his power to help Syracuse claim victory over Colgate.

Bailey is the glue of the offense. The guy whose numbers won’t stand out in a box score, but a guy who has as big of an influence on the success of the offense as just about anyone. Just ask Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone.

“The one player that goes around and just does his job and is a player we’re really looking for good things out of this year is Antwon Bailey,” Marrone said during preseason camp. “He’s really been very consistent now, for two years, in his play. He can run the ball well, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield.”

Three games in, Bailey, a 5-foot-8, 192-pound running back, is second on the team in rushing yards behind starter Delone Carter. But Bailey also gives the Orange a pass catcher out of the backfield, making him one of the offense’s best dual-threat players. He’s tied for fourth on the team with six receptions on the season.

That versatility has been a key component to the success of the Syracuse offense through the first three games this season. Bailey is a shifty, change-of-pace

runner with the ball in his hands, yet gives quarterback Ryan Nassib a nice check-down option when in pressure situations.

This week, Bailey will help the offense in its attempt to exploit a defense that has allowed an average of 37 points per game this season. Here’s a look at how he is viewing the task.The Daily Orange: Coming in against such a long-standing rival this week at the Carrier Dome, what are your expectations of the game this Saturday?

Bailey: It’s going to be a great college football atmo-sphere. They’re a team from just up the road that has a long history with Syracuse. So it’ll be exciting.What are some of the things you have seen on film that impresses you about Colgate?

One thing I saw was they’re a very well-coached team; they’re a disciplined team. That’s something you have to account for. They’re not going to have too many missed assignments, too many penalties or guys out of place. That’s what we’re expecting come Saturday. With all the penalties and mistakes you guys com-mitted last week against Maine, how important is it to clean that up before you face a very disciplined, well-coached team this weekend?

No matter who we are playing, we’ve got to clean those mistakes up. So that’s one thing. Before even getting to the opponent, we needed to clean those things up. Most of those (mistakes) were unforced errors,

things that weren’t forced by the other team. So that’s something we feel we had to get under control, and we’re hoping that’s behind us. … This week’s practice has gone smoothly, and I haven’t seen many of those errors show up this week, so that’s definitely a good sign. What is different about this defense from the others you’ve faced this season?

The defensive scheme they run isn’t much different from what we’ve faced this season, and they aren’t the biggest defense we’ve faced. But they know the system. They know where they need to be and how to attack. That’s one thing we’ll have to really be prepared for.What have you seen from this Colgate defense that could potentially give you guys some trouble?

Like I said, this team is very disciplined. And as an offense, we cannot put ourselves into situations where we’re making unforced errors. We feel good about where we are as an offense, but we just can’t make the mistakes we made in the first half last week, and I think we’ll be good.How much does last week’s game against Maine help you this weekend against Colgate?

Bailey: Maine came out strong and really played well early. Every other game we’ve jumped out to an early lead, so we just need to regain that (mentality) this week. Maine showed they can play, and from what we’ve seen on tape, Colgate is right there, too.

[email protected]


Scouting Colgate with Antwon Bailey


anTWOn bailey (CenTer) will be the orange’s change-of-pace running back behind delone Carter in Saturday’s game against Colgate. thus far this season, Bailey has rushed for 88 yards on only 17 attempts, a 5.1 average. Bailey has also caught six passes out of the backfield, gaining 41 yards.

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L et’s take a trip down memory lane.In 2007, Daryl Gross was three

years into his athletic director post at Syracuse. He had three years to take in Big East football after his move from Southern California. With Pete Carroll at the helm of USC and the Trojans a national powerhouse, Gross designed a non-conference schedule full of similarly ambitioned opponents to USC.

He soon found out he couldn’t do the same at SU. Running a program in turmoil under then-head coach Greg Robinson, Gross realized he would have to take a dif-

ferent approach to scheduling. And so, in an interview with The Daily Orange three years ago, he even said making a date with a Divi-sion I-AA team — or, as the division is now

known, FCS — would be a possibility.One of them.“I think I-AA (Football Championship

Subdivision) is very considerable,” Gross told The D.O. in an article published on Nov. 8, 2007. “I wouldn’t want to see two I-AA’s on our schedule. But I think one is more than reasonable, especially when we’re growing this program.”

And here we are, three years later. The Orange is gearing up for its fourth game of the season, trying for its best start to a season since 2003. And it is preparing to do

so against an opponent coming to the Carrier Dome — Colgate — that is, of course, its sec-ond FCS opponent in as many weeks.

Behind all the glitz of history with Colgate, behind all the preparation for “Ala-bama,” and behind all the “Maine is a heck of a team” clamor, there is one telling proclama-tion behind the two weeks of bold, illustrious proclamations about subpar teams. And it comes straight from the horse’s mouth.

“We really didn’t have a lot of options,” SU head coach Doug Marrone said Monday, “on what we could do with our schedule.”

And so, sometime in early April, Colgate Athletic Director David Roach got a call from the SU administration. Was he surprised? Not really. Just excited for the possibility.

Were they apprehensive? Not really. Just a bit desperate.

“It was late,” Roach said. “I’m not sure that there were many other opportunities for them. We were happy that they did (call), and it’s been something that has caused quite a bit of excitement.”

And why not? There’s the excitement that goes along with bringing back a rivalry of the past that hadn’t been seen in 23 years. But that’s because Colgate football and Syracuse football have taken very different paths in those 23 years.

Colgate downgraded from Division I-A to Division I-AA in 1982. The Raiders have found great success since the move down, but there’s a reason the team made the move in the first place.

They couldn’t compete at the FBS level anymore. Colgate does not offer football scholarships to its players. Only need-based financial aid, per Patriot League football rules. That could change come December.

“The Patriot League is trying to decide whether it will allow football scholarships,”

Colgate matchup marks distinct shift from Gross’ past schedule remarksB r e t t L o g i u r at o

outrageous fun

matthew ziegler | staff photographerdoug marrone (right) and the Syracuse athletic department added Colgate as a late addition to the football schedule in April. The Raiders are the second FCS opponent the Orange has faced this season, as Syracuse took on Maine last week.

see logiurato page 16


By Tony OliveroAsst. sports Editor

Standing among Syracuse fans in the Car-rier Dome end zone after April’s spring game, Marcus Sales blended in as just another one of Syracuse’s players. Nary a reporter or fan approached the second-string Sales, as the wide receiver basked in the obscure glory of his 158-yard, two-touchdown performance against SU’s second-team defense.

For Sales, the wide receiver of very few words, the postgame was ideal. He could stay to himself and know what exactly the performance he put out on the field that day was. He was just doing his job.

“That’s my job, to catch the ball,” Sales said after the spring game. “It’s just my job to go out there and do work.”

Fast forward five months, and the mentality is still the same. Sales still knows he can do it. But there is only one problem. Through three games, his coaches — through their decision to not play him — have exhibited they think he can not. The junior has not stepped on the field once in three games — not even receiving garbage-minute reps last week against lowly Maine after the No. 3 wide receiver spot opened up with the season-ending injury to Aaron Weaver. Sales has been forgotten.

But the mentality is the same. He still swears, silently, he has it.

“I actually still feel the same way. I never lost confidence,” Sales said Wednesday. “I have been getting mentally stronger through this process that I am going through. Not playing and encouraging my teammates and things like that.”

To Sales, it has been exactly that: a process. It is a process of doing some things he is familiar with: speaking softly. But at the same time, doing something he is not familiar with: speak-ing softly, but doing it in complete 60-minute trials as a leftover piece to the puzzle on the sideline. That wasn’t always the case. Last sea-son, he hauled in 28 receptions for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Against Connecticut, he

made seven catches for 89 yards.Now with Weaver out, Sales is competing

with junior Dorian Graham, walk-on Cody Morgan and, perhaps his greatest competition, freshman Steve Rene, for that third wide receiv-ing slot. Sales is the favorite, listed in that third spot on the depth chart.

It hasn’t been a secret Sales is that “What happened to him?” guy on the depth chart. Numerous times throughout the summer and

fall, SU head coach Doug Marrone has brought up Sales’ name in press conferences. Sometimes at his own will. It has almost been a waiting game for Marrone and the coaching staff with Sales. Waiting for him to do something. Any-thing.

“Marcus Sales will play more, and we need to see him step up and play well for us,” Marrone said Monday. “Dorian Graham will also be in there and Cody (Morgan). Marcus Sales has the

most experience, and he can play two positions, so we have him backing up at X and the third Z right now. We look at it to increase his playing time.”

But thus far, it has been a waiting game for Sales, as well. He hasn’t had the chance to do something, or anything.

But the confidence is still there. The silent sureness remains. Sales thinks he has the

f o o t b a l l n o t e b o o k

With receiver spot open, Sales confident he has advantage

daily orange file photo

marcus sales is competing with dorian Graham and walk-on Cody Morgan for the newly vacant third receiver position. After finding favor with head coach doug Marrone in the spring, sales has yet to play for sU this season.

see sales page 8


He is just waiting for that silence to become opportunity on Saturday. It is almost as if he is promising it after five months of nothing.

“I am the most advanced receiver in the group, so I think I have an advantage,” Sales said. “I think we will find out after Saturday who the third receiver is. Hopefully it will answer every-one’s questions about who it is.”

The story behind ‘catch one for Aaron’As Aaron Weaver’s best friend and roommate,

Jose Cruz knew he needed to give him four hours. After a season-ending injury, even best friends need to give a guy in Weaver’s situation four hours to be. Four hours to just remain alone.

After those four hours — and about 76 hours after Weaver left SU’s practice last Wednesday knowing his season, and maybe career, was over — Cruz did everything he could for Weaver.

It included writing his fallen former Hofstra teammate’s name and numbers on his arm. It included consolation that Wednesday night. And 76 hours later, it included catching the game-swinging touchdown for Weaver.

And it concluded with an immediate embrace on the sidelines.

“We have been through a lot together,” Cruz said. “I gave him his space for a little while. I think he went home around 5 or 6 (p.m.), I didn’t talk to him until around 10 at night or so.”

Added Cruz: “That’s my roommate. So the first person I wanted to see was Aaron. He was the first person I went up to on the sidelines behind the coaches on the sidelines. For me it was something special, my first touchdown ever in college. First person I thought of when they confirmed it was Aaron.”

Never, ever look up into the standsWhat is the main piece of advice Ricky Kraut-

man — SU kicker Ross Krautman’s brother and a former Orange kicker in his own right from 2003 to 2005 — gives to his sibling daily? Never lift your head any further than you need to. Ever. The sightline must be the field.

“I talk to him almost every day, and he says to never look up in the stands,” Ross said.

Thus far this year, it appears little brother has

been listening. Krautman, a freshman walk-on who won the starting job over returning starter Ryan Lichtenstein in preseason camp, is 4-for-5 on field goals with a long of 47.

For Krautman, who looks to be securing his spot for the rest of the season daily, his success comes down to that Krautman-bred focus. It’s about the sightline. It’s about not looking into any stadium’s stands until the time you leave the tunnel.

It’s about being a kicker with vertical blind-ers. From there the mind is blank, and nothing goes through Krautman’s head. Excitement and comfort are not allowed.

Just the life of a kicker. A Krautman kicker.“You tend to lose focus,” Krautman said. “It’s

always just stay focused in the game. You never know when you are going to go out and kick.”

[email protected]

SAleSf r o m p a g e 7

“I am the most advanced receiver in the group, so I think I have an advantage.”

Marcus SalesSU wide receiver


S yracuse and Colgate cut ties to their foot-ball rivalry 23 years ago. It was probably for good reason.

In what can only be described as a “nasty” game in every way, the Orangemen routed the Raiders 52-6 on Oct. 24, 1987, in the Carrier Dome. Despite the storied rivalry creating some emotions, Colgate, an I-AA school, did not have enough to compete with Syracuse, which had improved to 7-0 on the season.

For the Orangemen, Colgate was just the game between a Penn State victory the week before and a game against Pittsburgh the next week. In the grand scheme of things, it’s prob-ably one of the least memorable games in an 11-0-1 season for Syracuse that ended with a tie against Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.

But boy, did it spur up the emotions during the game. While Colgate didn’t have the physi-cal talent the Orangemen had, the players stood their ground. And then some, said Syracuse defensive tackle Ted Gregory, who left the game with a bruised knee after what he considered to be a cheap shot.

“They obviously didn’t come to play football, and the score indicated it,” Gregory told the (Albany) Times Union after the game. “They were terrible. I’m very complimentary to the opposing team, always. This is the first time … I have absolutely no respect.”

Syracuse Athletic Director Jake Crouthamel decided this would be the last meeting between Syracuse and Colgate, due to the different paths the two schools were taking athletically. Colgate was a pretty good I-AA team, even defeating I-A

school Army earlier in 1987, but the Orangemen entered this game ranked No. 9 in the nation after defeating Joe Paterno’s Penn State team, 48-21.

After the result that occurred that Saturday, it was probably a good idea.

“Personally I’m sorry to see the series end because I’m an old-timer,” Colgate head coach Fred Dunlap said to the Times Union. “But if Syracuse is going to be in the Top 10, it’s cer-tainly not a good thing.”

Despite the extracurricular activities, which included two ejections (one from each team), the game had a lot of positives for the Orangemen. The offense produced 560 total yards, proving it could avoid Colgate being a trap game in between two tough opponents.

Quarterback Don McPherson had people talking Heisman Trophy after his performance. He went 10-for-11 for 244 yards and four touch-downs. His top target, wide receiver Tommy Kane, went for 193 yards and all four of McPher-son’s touchdowns.

The ability of the Orangemen to not overlook Colgate and to cruise to a blowout may have done wonders for SU’s fate the rest of the season. The two-week period of defeating Penn State and then avoiding a letdown against the Raiders sent Syracuse into Pittsburgh as confident as it could have been.

Said McPherson to the Times Union after the game: “The guys are playing very good football right now. Right now, I think we’re unstop-pable.”

—Compiled by Asst. Copy Editor Mark Cooper

Last timethey played

Syracuse blows out Colgate in heated 1987 rivalry game on way to undefeated season

daily orange file photo

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NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. CLASS1 Phillip Thomas FS 6-0 189 So.2 Olando Fisher SS 5-11 198 Jr.3 Delone Carter RB 5-10 215 Sr.4 Malcolm Cater LB 6-1 212 Fr.5 Marcus Sales WR 6-0 177 Jr.6 Da’Mon Merkerson CB 6-1 184 Sr.7 Jonny Miller QB 6-1 210 Fr.8 Cody Catalina TE 6-3 231 Sr.9 Ri’Shard Anderson CB 6-0 185 So.10 Dorian Graham WR 5-11 190 So.11 Marquis Spruill LB 6-2 223 Fr.12 Ryan Nassib QB 6-2 224 So.13 Deon Goggins DL 6-3 280 Jr.14 John Kinder QB 6-2 182 Fr.15 Alec Lemon WR 6-2 196 So.16 Dom Anene CB 6-1 209 So.16 James Jarrett QB 6-2 204 So.17 Charley Loeb QB 6-4 208 So.18 Keon Lyn DB 6-1 188 Fr.18 Nick Raven QB 6-3 218 Fr.19 Ryan Lichtenstein K 5-10 155 So.20 Brice Hawkes LB 6-0 216 Fr.21 Shamarko Thomas SS 5-10 200 So.22 Adrian Fleming WR 6-3 198 Fr.23 Prince-Tyson Gulley RB 5-9 178 Fr.24 Max Suter SS 5-11 191 Sr.25 Derrell Smith LB 6-1 232 Sr.26 Kevyn Scott CB 5-11 207 Jr.28 Jeremi Wilkes DB 5-9 177 Fr.29 Antwon Bailey RB 5-8 192 Jr.30 Steve Rene WR 5-7 167 Fr.31 Clay Cleveland FB 6-0 218 Fr.31 Colin Reno WR 5-10 182 So.32 Doug Hogue LB 6-2 226 Sr.33 Dan Vaughan LB 6-2 214 So.34 Tombe Kose FB 5-9 253 Jr.35 Mike Holmes CB 5-11 182 Sr.36 George Mayes CB 5-8 182 Sr.37 Ross Krautman K 5-7 154 Fr.38 Ryan Ahern FS 6-0 198 Sr.39 Ricky Azzoto RB 5-9 203 Jr.40 Zachary McCarrell S 5-11 195 Fr.40 Joe Nassib CB 5-9 141 Fr.41 Ryan Gillum LB 5-11 219 Jr.42 Shane Kimmel FB 6-1 242 So.43 Mario Tull LB 6-0 206 Fr.45 Jerome Smith RB 6-0 210 Fr.46 Robert Nieves FB 5-11 221 Sr.47 Rob Long P 6-3 190 Sr.48 Carl Cutler FB 6-2 240 Jr.49 Adam Harris FB 6-2 232 Jr.50 Femi Aliyu LB 5-11 204 Fr.51 Andrew Lewis DT 6-2 285 Sr.52 Ollie Haney NT 6-2 292 Sr.53 Chad Battles DE 6-2 230 Jr.54 Mikhail Marinovich DE 6-5 245 Jr.55 Anthony Perkins DT 6-4 282 Sr.56 Cory Boatman DT 6-2 256 So.57 Max Leo LS 5-11 210 Sr.58 Lewellyn Coker LB 6-1 210 Fr.59 Macky MacPherson C 6-2 256 Fr.60 Sean Hickey OL 6-5 292 Fr.62 Andrew Phillips OT 6-6 280 Fr.65 Jarel Lowery OG 6-3 299 So.66 Andrew Tiller OT 6-5 338 Jr.67 Justin Pugh OG 6-5 287 Fr.69 Robert Welsh DL 6-4 259 Fr.70 Ryan Bartholomew C 6-2 298 Sr.71 Adam Rosner OG 6-5 326 Sr.72 Nick Lepak C 6-4 336 Jr.73 Nicholas Pedrotti OL 6-4 296 Fr.74 Michael Hay OT 6-4 290 Jr.75 Zack Chibane OG 6-5 298 So.76 Ian Allport OT 6-4 320 Jr.78 Austin Lane OL 6-6 300 Fr.80 Nick Provo TE 6-4 241 Sr.81 Cody Morgan WR 5-8 182 So.82 Van Chew WR 6-1 170 Jr.83 Kyle Ishman WR 6-1 170 Fr.84 Michael Acchione WR 5-10 164 Jr.85 Jose Cruz TE 6-5 250 Sr.86 David Stevens TE 6-2 219 So.87 Aaron Weaver WR 6-2 220 Sr.88 Jarrod West WR 6-3 190 Fr.89 Thomas Trendowski TE 6-1 238 Jr.90 Jared Kimmel DE 6-6 250 Sr.91 Brandon Sharpe DE 6-2 233 So.92 Charlie Copa TE 6-6 246 Fr.93 Micah Robinson DL 6-3 259 Fr.94 Bud Tribbey DT 6-0 290 Sr.95 Torrey Ball DE 6-3 247 Jr.96 Jay Bromley DE 6-3 273 Fr.97 Beckett Wales TE 6-3 233 Fr.98 Max Beaulieu DE 6-4 255 Fr.99 Chandler Jones DE 6-5 251 So.

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NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. CLASS1 Omar Auais DB 5-9 177 So.2 Noah Jackson TB 5-8 195 Jr.3 Chris Lebel WR 6-5 214 Sr.5 Charles Babb WR/TB 5-11 208 Sr.6 BaRack Little TE 6-3 232 Jr.7 Gavin McCarney QB 6-2 190 Fr.8 Doug Rosnick WR 6-2 227 Sr.9 Evan Colbroen PK 5-11 193 So.10 Andrew Nairin DL 6-3 220 Fr.11 Greg Sullivan QB 6-1 215 Sr.12 Coree’ Moses CB 6-0 181 Sr.13 Jason Taylor CB 6-2 196 So.14 Jonathan Mputu WR 6-3 210 So.15 Josh Hasenberg QB 6-2 209 So.16 Steve Rizzo QB 6-1 202 Jr.18 Gary Marshall SS 5-10 185 Sr.19 Scott Rehnquist DB 6-3 205 So.20 Vinnie Nicosia FS 6-0 206 Jr.21 Kenny McKenzie CB 5-9 180 Jr.22 Nat Bellamy DB 5-11 185 Fr.23 Wendell Davis DB 5-8 175 Fr.24 Evan Goldszak PK 5-11 189 So.25 Demitri Diamond DB 6-3 197 So.26 Matthew Shimshock RB 6-1 200 Fr,27 Christopher Krieg RB 5-11 185 Fr. 28 Mike Barry FS 6-1 214 Sr.29 Chad Frey LB 6-1 215 Fr.30 Eddy Sihavong RB/DB 5-10 201 So.31 Robert Stup LB 6-1 195 Fr. 32 Nate Eachus TB 5-10 216 Jr. 33 Gigi Cadet FB 5-11 228 Sr. 34 Jared Pratt LB 6-0 215 Fr.35 Quinneil Simmons DB 5-8 170 Fr.36 Brad Keele FS 5-11 189 Sr.37 John Tinkham LB 6-1 216 So. 38 Kurt Roskelly DB 6-0 206 So.40 Levi Bursch RB 6-2 205 Fr.41 Austin Dier LB 6-0 218 So.42 Patrick Friel LB 6-3 227 So.43 Mike Carbone LB 6-0 216 Jr.44 Zauhn Lewis RB 5-10 198 So.45 Sam Spitz FB 6-1 232 So.46 Nick Cvetic TE 6-5 256 Sr.48 Chris DiMassa LB 6-1 239 Sr.49 Trey Hunsucker LB 5-11 210 Sr.50 Harlan Abeshouse OL 6-2 272 So.53 Lamont Sonds DE 6-2 251 Sr.55 Joseph Semanchik DL 6-2 245 Fr.57 Ryan Freeman OL 6-3 260 So.58 Bryce Mongeon DE 5-11 228 Jr.59 Jakarri Hamlin DT 6-1 270 Jr.61 Brian Merrifi eld OT 6-3 285 Jr.62 Andrew Woizesko OG 6-1 284 Sr.63 Tyler Danielsen DL 6-1 283 So.64 Michael Kastner OL 6-4 255 Fr.65 Greg Kafaf DL 6-0 277 Jr.66 Michael Watts DT 6-2 255 Fr. 67 Chris Horner OL 6-3 275 So.68 Brandon Reaney-Graham DT 6-2 260 Fr.69 Kevin Morgan C 6-0 295 Jr.71 Andrew Scarmardo OL 6-5 285 Fr.72 Brian Crockett OL 6-3 341 So.74 Ryan Risch OL 6-6 302 So.75 Craig Capodiferro OL 6-6 294 So.76 Zack Szabo OT 6-4 272 Sr.77 James Germano OG 6-3 286 Sr. 78 Michael Laskowski OL 6-2 270 Fr.79 Vittorio Ottanelli OT 6-4 282 Jr. 81 Andy Kavanagh LB 6-0 202 Jr.82 Adam Lock LB 6-2 229 Jr.83 Ryne Morrison WR 5-11 175 Fr.84 Daniel Cason WR 6-3 180 Fr.85 Zach Smith DE 6-2 238 Sr.86 Siddiq Cornish WR 6-4 190 Fr.87 Andrew Burgess PK 6-0 160 Fr. 88 Evan McCrea WR 6-1 195 Fr. 89 Chris Looney WR 6-3 201 So.90 Marcus Hudnell LB 6-3 219 Sr. 92 Andy Heagle PK 6-0 155 So. 93 Jon Pozerycki FB 6-0 233 Sr. 94 Matt Johnson DE 6-3 238 Jr. 96 Colin Flynn FB 6-1 231 Sr. 98 Shane Wilson DL 6-2 234 Fr. 99 David Joyce DL 6-2 220 Fr.

3

21Dominate with the offensive line

Sure, there have been glaring weaknesses with regards to many facets of the team through three games. There were the discipline issues last Saturday. There have been the muffed kick returns. There has been the subpar play of the defense as a whole.

But moving forward there is, perhaps, no aspect of this team that needs to get on page — and get on page faster — than the offensive line. In the Orange’s only real test this year against Washington, its weaknesses were on full display.

And in its last game, a home opener against an FCS school, the line did not dominate. Against these schools, domination should be an afterthought if fans are to expect SU to perform well in Big East play. It is not out of the question, and this is the last chance to try to prove it before conference play begins.

Justin Pugh has played better than expected, but the rest of the offensive line has been under-whelming until this point this year. Against the Huskies, the Orange averaged only 3.6 yards per rushing attempt. As for Ryan Nassib, the quarterback was sacked three times.

In its other games, and at times against the Huskies, SU has proved it has the chops to be a solid-to-good pass protection unit. The big bodies of Michael Hay, Zack Chibane, Andrew Tiller and Pugh have been able to provide the fl anks to Ryan Bartholomew’s point man to cre-ate an imposing pocket.

It’ll be imposing again Saturday. Now the run-blocking needs to catch up or Delone Carter will struggle even more in two weeks in Tampa. Speaking of Delone Carter…

Delone Carter needs to break freeJust over 80 yards a game isn’t bad for a

running back. Especially a running back who hasn’t been with the team for four months. But this is Delone Carter. This is the guy who many thought would be the man for the entirety of the Syracuse team this year.

This is the guy who the entire Louisville defense voted as the hardest Big East running back to face. Tougher than Dion Lewis. Tougher than Noel Devine.

This is the guy who, at his best, puts fear in defenders and makes people think that on every single play, he can break it for 30 yards because of the sheer fact that no one can bring him down alone.

But so far in 2010, whenever Carter has touched the ball, it hasn’t been a feeling of when he will break a long run. Carter hasn’t come across as a back who can go into the end zone on any play. Carter hasn’t dragged entire defensive lines with him on the regular. Carter hasn’t been Carter. Carter hasn’t been the man.

Yes, we probably should have expected some-what of a slow start for Carter after he was gone for the summer. Yes, the run-blocking has shep-herded entire defensive lines in his direction a slew of times more than they should have. They haven’t been opening holes for him.

But performances of 3.5 yards per carry against Akron aren’t going to cut it. Some of the fault is on the offensive line, but Carter needs to average more than fi ve yards per touch Saturday. He needs to break out for a few 15-plus yard runs. He needs to start carrying entire FCS defensive lines by his biceps. That will be the proof of a Delone Carter who is ready for the Big East.

That means any.Derek Session can’t happen again. An FCS

wide receiver about to break a game wide open and give an FCS school a 21-10 lead with four minutes remaining in the fi rst half at the Carrier Dome, can’t happen again. Because if it happens again, well, the short-term ramifi -cations will be six points. Doug Rosnick won’t drop it.

The long-term ramifi cations, well, they won’t temporarily tickle. They’ll sting. Big East play won’t be pretty.

Thanks to the way they played against Washington — 12.7 yards per completion and allowing four touchdowns to the Huskies — and in the fi rst half against Maine, this sec-ondary looks shaky heading into Big East play. They have the talent to shut good quarterbacks down. But so far this year, they also have

had the tendency to slip up on plays here and there.

Slipping up on plays here and there won’t work in Tampa. They can’t occur this Satur-day. They shouldn’t occur this Saturday.

The Raiders — a team that lost 45-15 to Fur-man — have one receiver who has made more than two catches on the year: Rosnick.

Then they have, well, nothing.No one can, here and there, burn the SU

secondary Saturday. No one can be allowed to drop a surefi re touchdown, a touchdown that would have injected a feeling of “Here we go again” into the Dome.

Because if something burns Syracuse again this weekend, there will be a sense of “Here we go again” from seven days before. And as for conference play, there will be nothing to expect but “Here we go again.”

That feeling can’t happen.—Compiled by Asst. Sports Editor Tony Olivero

1 2 s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0 S P O R T S @ D A I L Y O R A N G E . C O M

Not let any big-play passing game come to fruition.

matthew ziegler | staff photographerDELONE CARTER has been Syracuse’s work horse on the ground this season and cur-rently leads the Orange with 247 yards rushing and a touchdown on the year.

3 things Syracuse needs to do against Colgate in its tuneup prior to Big East play

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Quick hit statistics

SyracuseColgatepoints per game

points allowed per game

rushing yards gained per game

passing yards gained per game

total offensive yards per game

rushing yards allowed per game

passing yards allowed per game

29.019.3130.7

237.7368.3

98.7

177.3

22.537.0226.5

115.5342.0

226.5

151.0

s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0 15s p o r t s @ d a i l y o r a n g e . c o m1 4 s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0 s p o r t s @ d a i l y o r a n g e . c o m

46 14

28

12

85 87

starting lineups

Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3

26

32

11756174 77 798

33

5199 94 54

32 25 11

241

28

82

85

48 42

25

65 5321

707567 66 74

1282

3

15

colgatE at SyracuSE

COLGATE OFFENSE11 QB Greg Sullivan32 RB Nate Eachus33 FB Gigi Cadet8 WR Doug Rosnick14 WR Jonathan Mputu46 TE Nick Cvetic74 LT Ryan Risch61 LG Brian Merrifield75 C Craig Capodiferro77 RG James Germano79 RT Vittorio Ottanelli

COLGATE DEFENSE85 DE Zach Smith65 DT Greg Kafaf63 DT Tyler Danielsen53 DE Lamont Sonds48 LB Chris DiMassa42 LB Patrick Friel82 LB Adam Lock12 CB Coree’ Moses21 CB Kenny McKenzie28 FS Mike Barry25 SS Demitri Diamond

63

SYRACUSE OFFENSE12 QB Ryan Nassib3 RB Delone Carter15 WR Alec Lemon82 WR Van Chew87 WR Aaron Weaver85 TE Jose Cruz67 LT Justin Pugh75 LG Zack Chibane70 C Ryan Bartholomew66 RG Andrew Tiller74 RT Michael Hay

SYRACUSE DEFENSE54 DE Mikhail Marinovich94 NT Bud Tribbey51 DT Andrew Lewis99 DE Chandler Jones11 SLB Marquis Spruill25 MLB Derrell Smith32 WLB Doug Hogue6 CB Da’Mon Merkerson35 CB Mike Holmes24 SS Max Suter1 FS Phillip Thomas

65

853

37

by the numbers

The number of times Syracuse has faced Colgate, a series that dates back to 1891. The 65 matchups are second only to SU’s 70 dates with Penn State.

The number of different receivers Ryan Nassib has completed a pass to this season.

Receivers to whom Nassib has thrown a touchdown pass.

The number of running backs that have rushed for more than 100 yards in the past 15 games against SU: Pittsburgh’s Dion Lewis, Con-necticut’s Jordan Todman and Washington’s Chris Polk.

Points per game given up by the Colgate defense in two games this season.

ANDREW L. JOHNSyracuse 42Colgate 17

beat writer predictions

BRETT LOGIURATOSyracuse 37Colgate 17

A 3-1 start looks really good. But it’s nothing more than expected. The true measur-ing stick will come from how efficient and disciplined the Orange looks.

The Orange will be off to its best start since 2003. That much, we will know. What we won’t know for another two weeks is the true caliber of this Syracuse team.

did you know?

key matchups

Derrell SmithlB

nate eachuSrB

Colgate will run, run, and run the ball against the Syracuse defense. With 279 yards of rush-ing in two games this season, Eachus is a legiti-mate threat out of the backfield.

Doug hougelB

greg SullivanqB

As a change of pace to Eachus, Raiders quarterback Sullivan will also look to run. On defense, the matchup to look for will be the Colgate backfield against SU’s front seven. If the Orange contains these two, it will be in good shape.

juStin pughot

lamont SonDSlB

Especially against teams like Maine and Col-gate, the young, inexperienced offensive line needs to grow up. It only has one more game to do so before the real tests start. As the protec-tor of Ryan Nassib’s blind side, Pugh needs to start help keep Nassib in the pocket.

nick provote

aDam lock te

Provo established himself as a receiving option in last week’s victory over Maine. Against Col-gate, he’ll look to continue to spread the field as a quick, strong option from the tight end spot.

they said it

uP NExt >>

“It is important. Winning is important for this program. The winning, you would hope goes ahead and builds confidence. It is important for us to go out and win and concentrate on what we have to do.”

Doug MarroneSU HEAD COACH

Colgate’s visit to the Carrier Dome marks the first time it has faced an FBS oppo-nent since 2003.

SU senior cornerback Da’Mon Merkerson and Colgate sophomore offensive line-man Brian Crockett both attended St. Mary’s High School in Passaic, N.J.

“I think any team that suits up in any sport and plays a team goes in with the expectation to win.”

David RoachCOLGATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

pittsburghOct. 16

@ west virginiaOct. 23

@ cincinnatiOct. 30

louisvilleNov. 6

@ south FloridaOct. 9

And so the Civil War returns, and not a single player will get as fumed about the opposition as Ted Gregory, John Dominic or Brian Smith. Syracuse rolls, again. One more step to bowl talk.

TONY OLIVEROSyracuse 44Colgate 10

Roach said. “If we do, then (Colgate) would want to play one FCS team per year. And we would think about playing Army, Navy, Duke and maybe, occasionally, Syracuse.”

From desperation on one end of the phone to a potential program alteration on the other. Upon adding Colgate to the schedule, Syracuse had nothing to gain and everything to lose.

That all changed this week when, by some miracle — actually, by the ineptitude of FBS

college football teams — SU’s road to a bowl may have been repaved.

With an additional bowl on the schedule this season, there is concern there will not be enough traditional bowl-eligible teams to fi ll all the spots. This led the NCAA to consider two options: adding fi ve-win teams, or six-win teams with two wins over FCS teams, to the bowl fi eld.

Nick Carparelli, the chair of the NCAA committee that would determine the next step, said Thursday that discussions are still ongoing. Still, there is apprehension on the committee’s part.

“That’s just the current rule as it is,” Car-parelli said of the six wins against non-FCS opponents currently needed for bowl-eligibil-ity. “As you know, all NCAA rules are voted on by the entire membership. … So there’s a reason it’s there.”

Four games in, off to the best start in seven years, we still won’t know much about the current Syracuse football team at the end of Saturday. The team will be 3-1, with the entire Big East and the other relevant non-confer-ence opponent Gross managed to schedule — Boston College — still left on its slate.

But if the season shakes out like it should across the nation, Syracuse will be one-half of

the way to that illustrious bowl appearance. Gross did not return multiple calls for com-ment for this story. But Syracuse’s path to a bowl thus far brings up another point Gross mentioned three years ago.

“Some people have the model to play some bad people to get into the bowl game,” he said then. “But if your goal is to just get to the bowl game, that’s fi ne. I can fi gure out a way to do that, too. I think we want a bigger picture, too.”

Brett LoGiurato is an assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occa-

sionally. He can be reached at [email protected].

S P O R T S @ D A I L Y O R A N G E . C O M16 s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0

“I think I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) is very considerable. I wouldn’t want to see two I-AA’s on our schedule. But I think one is more than reasonable, especially when we’re growing this program.”

Daryl GrossSYRACUSE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

IN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY ORANGE ON NOV. 8, 2007

LOGIURATOF R O M P A G E 6

s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0 1 7s p o r t s @ d a i l y o r a n g e . c o m


Alec Lemon, Syracuse’s sophomore receiver, has been an integral part of SU’s offense since arriving on campus. As a freshman in 2009, Lemon was second on the team in receptions, with 29, for 295 yards and a touchdown.

Now Lemon has established himself as one of Ryan Nassib’s favorite targets. Through SU’s first three games, Lemon already has 12 recep-tions for 141 yards and a team-leading three touchdown catches. Last week against Maine, Lemon caught two touchdown passes after dropping his first couple of passes.

Heading into the weekend, Lemon spoke openly to the media about his most recent performance, his chemistry with Nassib, and how the receiving corps plans to cope without Aaron Weaver, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

On how it felt to catch two touchdown passes against Maine

Lemon: It feels good. It’s like a relief after coming off a slow first couple games. It’s always good to get into the end zone.

On getting the two touchdowns after having a few drops early in the game

I felt like I owed it to the team (after) starting off kind of slow with those couple of drops. I had to make it up to the team and get some in the end zone.

On the outlook around the team after coming off of a win and trying for two in a row

You know, you come into the office ready to work, just like you do every week. It doesn’t matter who you play, we’re just going to go out ready to play Saturday. That’s what we’re build-ing up to. It’s always good to build off a win, get that momentum going and continue that momentum going into the Big East.

On the chemistry he has with quarterback Ryan Nassib

I kind of felt like it took us awhile, but now that we got a couple in the end zone, it feels good. It feels like we have chemistry, and we can build from that. It feels good having that

connection with your quarterback, being on the same page with one another, and we just grow from that.

On the slow start against MaineWe weren’t nervous, we were just kind of

surprised because we don’t start like this. Then that’s when we just relaxed, slowed down and realized that we need to get back to what we do. … Maybe it was some jitters, but we got over it and got the ‘W.’

On Nick Provo and his importance in the passing game with Aaron Weaver out

Nick has always been a threat and a weapon for us. We just have so many other good athletes on the field that we’re just spreading (the ball) around. Now that we need that third receiver, he’s just showing what he can do. He did that Saturday. … He’s a bigger guy, and he can run. That’s one good thing. You wouldn’t expect him to run as fast as he can — and he can run some

people over — so we’ve got a big, physical, fast receiver out there.On this being the last game before the bye week and the opening of Big East play

We can just use this game and this team as a chance to work on the things that we need to work on and get back on the same page. … But we’re going to approach it like we approach every week, whether it’s Big East or non-confer-ence, and go out there and play the best we can.

[email protected]

Q & A with Alec Lemon


AlEc lEMON enters the weekend as one of ryan Nassib’s favorite targets in the passing game. through Syracuse’s first three games, the sophomore receiver is second on the team in receptions (12) and receiving yards (141) and first in touchdown catches (3).

dailyorange.com


Around the Nation

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise stateIf the Broncos go undefeated, Kellen Moore will be a big reason why. The left-handed quarterback will surpass 10,000 career passing yards if he remains healthy in 2010. Through two games, Moore has 585 yards through the air and five touchdowns. With only one inter-ception, his quarterback rating is above 155. Fortunately for Moore, he has arguably one of the best receiving groups in the nation. Aus-tin Pettis and Titus Young, both of whom had 10 or more touchdown receptions in 2009, are back flanking Moore this season.

ryan Mallett, QB, arKansasIn last weekend’s win over Georgia, Mallet led his team on a three-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to take the lead with 15 seconds left. On a national stage, he showed voters and, perhaps more signifi-cantly, NFL scouts that he has what it takes to play quarterback at the next level. Mallet leads the nation in passing yards with 1,081 through three games. His nine passing touchdowns are third best in the country. Arkansas’ offense this year is simple: Let Mallet throw. If he can keep it up, he may well win the Heisman Trophy.

andrew lucK, QB, stanfordIn his team’s three games this season, Luck has been incredibly pre-cise. He’s racked up 674 passing yards and 10 touchdowns without throwing a single interception. His quarterback rating of 192.31 is good for fourth-best in the nation. His success is due in part to solid play from his offensive line. Luck has been sacked just once this season. In his last game against Wake Forest, Luck accounted for five total touchdowns. He’s arguably the Pac-10’s best quarterback this season.

—Compiled by Asst. Copy Editor Michael Cohen

denard roBinson, QB, MichiganRobinson’s dual-threat ability has brought life to Ann Arbor, Mich., this season and might be saving Rich Rodriguez’s job. Through three games, he has already racked up 1,230 total yards by him-self. He leads the nation in rushing, running backs included, with 559 yards. His quarterback rating is up nearly 70 points from last season to 159 in 2010. As a byproduct of Robinson’s stellar play, the Wolverines have risen from unranked at the beginning of the season to No. 21 in the country after a 3-0 start.

HEISMANwAtcH

terrelle Pryor, QB, ohio stateLast year’s Rose Bowl MVP left Buckeye fans hungry for the start of the 2010 season last January. Three games into the season, Pryor hasn’t disappointed. OSU is 3-0, and Pryor is protecting the football. He has thrown for 715 yards and 6 touchdowns, but more impor-tantly, he has just two interceptions. A dual threat in his own right, although not quite explosive as Robinson, Pryor has also run for 165 yards and two scores. His next big test will be a tough Wisconsin defense in Madison on Oct. 16.

Five players to watch this weekend

courtesy of ohio state athletic communications

courtesy of university of michigan photo services


AP ToP 25

Rank School RecoRd

1 Alabama (53) 3-02 Ohio State (5) 3-03 Boise State (1) 2-04 Texas Christian 3-05 Oregon 3-06 Nebraska 3-07 Texas (1) 3-08 Oklahoma 3-09 Florida 3-010 Arkansas 3-011 Wisconsin 3-012 South Carolina 3-013 Utah 3-014 Arizona 3-015 LSU 3-016 Stanford 3-017 Auburn 3-018 Iowa 2-119 Miami (Fla.) 1-120 USC 3-021 Michigan 3-022 West Virginia 3-023 Penn State 2-124 Oregon State 1-125 Michigan State 3-0

GAMESOF THENo. 1 AlAbAmA AT No. 10 ArkANsAsLast year’s Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram saw his first action of the season last week when Alabama demolished Duke 62-13. Ingram had just nine carries, but still ran for 151 yards and two scores. The addi-tion of Ingram should help the Crimson Tide manage the clock against Arkansas and keep the ball out of quarterback Ryan Mallet’s hands. Mallet has been on fire this year for the Razorbacks with 1,081 passing yards in just three games.Player to watch on Alabama: WR Julio Jones — Jones is one of the best receivers in all of college football. His 248 yards is 78 more than any other wide receiver on the ‘Bama team. He is the most reliable target for quarterback Greg McElroy.Player to watch on Arkansas: WR Joe Adams — Mallet needs someone to throw to, and Adams has been his best deep threat this year. The junior wideout is averaging more than 20 yards per reception this sea-son, including an 85-yard touchdown. His 344 receiving yards is good for fifth in the nation.

No. 12 souTh CAroliNA AT No. 17 AuburNSouth Carolina already has a dominant win over a ranked opponent in then-No. 22 Georgia in Week 2. In a year in which Florida isn’t as powerful as it has been, perhaps the Gamecocks could make a run in the SEC. A win against the Tigers on Saturday would be a big step in the right direction. Auburn is coming off a come-from-behind win against Clemson in overtime. Dual-threat quarter-back Cameron Newton has more than 830 total yards so far this season.Player to watch on South Carolina: RB Mar-cus Lattimore — He could be the nation’s best freshman tailback in 2010. He is averag-ing more than 110 yards per game on the ground and already has five touchdowns. Against a Top 25 team in Georgia, Lattimore gashed the Bulldogs for 182 yards and two scores.Player to watch on Auburn: RB Michael Dyer — If Lattimore is not the best freshman running back in the country, perhaps Michael Dyer is. Through three games, Dyer has aver-aged an impressive 5.4 yards per carry and 71 rushing yards per game. He and Newton have already combined for more than 500 yards rushing.

No. 24 oregoN sTATe AT No. 3 boise sTATeAfter Boise State’s season-opening win over then-No. 10 Virginia Tech, this could be the last ranked opponent the Broncos will face. That means the last chance to make a statement and plead its case for a chance to play in the national championship if it runs the table. Oregon State’s only loss this year came in the opening game of the season to No. 4 TCU. This game has all the makings of a high-scoring shootout on the blue turf of Boise.Player to watch on Oregon State: The Rod-gers brothers — Running back Jacquizz is one of the most elusive in the nation. After back-to-back seasons of more than 1,200 yards on the ground, he’s looking for similar success in 2010. His brother, James, is the team’s leading receiver with seven catches for 102 yards.Player to watch on Boise State: QB Kellen Moore — One of the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy, Moore hasn’t disap-pointed through his team’s first two games. After a dramatic win against then-No. 10 Virginia Tech, the junior put up 370 yards and two touchdowns against Wyoming. With two outstanding wide receivers in Titus Young and Austin Pettis, Moore can be counted on to put up big numbers week in and week out.

No. 5 oregoN AT ArizoNA sTATeThe Ducks have rolled over all three of their opponents this year, with an average margin of victory of 59 points per game. But the Sun Devils are no slouch. Its only loss came on a blocked extra point, resulting in a one-point loss to No. 11 Wisconsin. Arizona State has put up more than 460 yards of offense per game, despite a 2-1 record. Oregon will be tested on the road in its first Pac-10 game of the season.Player to watch on Oregon: The entire offense — In three games this season, the Ducks have not scored fewer than 48 points. Its 381 rushing yards per game is second in the country. The team’s freakish scoring average of 63 points per game leads the nation. Six different players have at least 75 rushing yards, and 15 different receivers have caught a pass.Player to watch on Arizona State: QB Ste-ven Threet — Through three games, Threet sits 15th in the nation in passing yards at just more than 280 per game. On Saturday, he will face the challenge of managing the clock while also putting points on the board for the Sun Devils. The less time Oregon’s offense is on the field, the better.

—Compiled by Asst. Copy Editor Michael Cohen

wEEk

s p o r t s @ d a i l y o r a n g e . c o m2 0 s e p t e m be r 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 0

Ah, the bubble.How funny it has been and, perhaps

will be, for Syracuse. It all comes full circle.

Get ready for its return … three months early. Only this incarnation of the bubble is reserved for much worse teams. One of those teams could be — and it looks like it will be — Syracuse. Now it just remains to be seen just how situated Otto will be on this prolate spheroid-shaped bubble. After Saturday, SU may only need three more wins in eight games.

And this bubble, if it turns out to make an appearance come December for teams includ-ing Syracuse, may speed up the process for a true March-like bubble for college football’s FBS postseason. A bubble this December, consisting of teams that win 42 percent of their games, may be just that embarrassing. But probably not.

It should be.As for the bubble, it’s fickle. It really is for

Syracuse fans. For two decades, it was kind to Syracuse basketball. And then, well, 2007 happened. South Alabama happened. And then, 2008 happened. Just ask Eric Devendorf. Just ask Jim Boeheim.

And in 2010, this might be happening, again. With the other Syracuse team.

In the last three days, it has been written

about ad nauseum. Due to three (supposedly unforeseen) reasons, NCAA teams with 5-7 records and/or two wins over Football Cham-pionship Subdivision opponents will have a chance to play in the postseason. The three reasons:

- The NCAA’s bump up from 34 to 35 bowl games.

- USC — the same USC Daryl Gross emi-grated from — vacating an extra bowl spot for a team due to its postseason ban.

- FCS schools beating FBS schools at a higher rate this season as opposed to last season. FCS schools have already beaten the FBS six times, meaning the FBS will, at most, only have 84 wins over the FCS. Five down from last year’s 89.

Those five may mean a lot. They may mean the postseason for Syracuse.

But with the Orange’s history when it comes to the bubble, could we have predicted a perfect storm any different from the one that might accompany Doug Marrone and his team come Boston College postgame?

And with Orange football’s recent “are you

blogs.dailyorange.com/sports | blog

t o n y o l i v e r o

purify the colors

what a surprise: here comes the bubble, only this time with su football

see next page

Syracuse? In a bowl game? With fewer than seven wins? It could happen. And that’s why the team, and its fans, should be excited.

NCAA football is just getting better and bet-ter by the day. It’s not like there’s an arbitrary computer system that decides the most important matchup in college football every year. (Oh, right.) It’s not like there’s only one really meaningful col-lege football game every year. (Oh, right.)

It’s funny, how this little possibility of more teams playing in bowls developed. It happened because the powers that be decided it might be nice to expand to one extra bowl game — from 34 to 35. You know, because there aren’t enough meaningless bowls that come around every year. When ESPN stretches them out … Every. Single. Day. Just so the diehards of diehards in Wyoming, Idaho and Southern Methodist can cheer on their teams! While the rest of us suffer through a night of pushed-back SportsCenter.

Oh, but now the NCAA has taken it one step further. And it’s a delight. Because of the FBS’ ineptitude — er, parity — when it comes to playing FCS teams, bowl games just got a lot more fun.

Last season, FBS teams only lost fi ve games against FCS teams. This season, they have already lost six. What does that mean? More teams in bowls that wouldn’t ordinarily qualify for them!

Which, of course, brings us to Syracuse. At least the Orange has taken care of business against the lone FCS team it has played, beating Maine last week, 38-14. And because of that, SU is about to be rewarded. (Well, assuming it beats Colgate this weekend.)

How’s that for a booby prize? Beat a team that’s nowhere near your talent level, and get to a bowl for the fi rst time in six years! Because now that the NCAA will likely have no other options than to open up bowl spots to teams that wouldn’t normally be qualifi ers, Syracuse is in line to be a benefactor.

Ordinarily, the Orange would have to win seven games to get to a bowl, or six games against non-FCS opponents. But now that its FBS counterparts are more inept than they’ve been recently — and because USC got itself into a little bit of trouble this past summer — SU would only need six wins, or fi ve against non-FCS teams, to make it to a bowl under the new guidelines.

“I know those things are out there, but I have not even put a thought to that,” SU head coach Doug Marrone said in his weekly teleconfer-ence Wednesday. “We’re concentrating right now on winning our next game, and really win-ning our third game of the season out of four opportunities. I don’t look at things that way.”

But Marrone and the rest of the Syracuse players and coaching staff should be ecstatic. The fans should be ecstatic. Because even though SU will likely be in one of those bowls that just pushes back the Neil Everett-Stan Ver-rett comedy hour for the rest of the nation, it’s a bowl, right?

Bowl fever, if I’ve ever seen [email protected]

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serious” history in the Greg Robinson days, and its recent history (or, er, lack thereof) in the postseason, should we have expected any more deviant of a situation for this team to confront — and maybe creep into a bowl with — come the end of the season? With the history of the program in the Robinson days, this football program would be the football program to get to its fi rst bowl since 2004, thanks to this kinky of

a situation.And when you fuse the feelings of the Robin-

son days with the trials and tribulations Boe-heim and SU basketball had with the bubble, with the fact that Gross came from USC, and then with the actual situation itself, it is exactly what this has become for SU: kinky.

Twisted. Tangled.So with a win over Colgate and then a win

over Louisville and any other Big East team,

Syracuse will enter the Carrier Dome on Nov. 27, ready to face Boston College … on the bubble. It will be returning in that different shape, ready to make the Orange and Orange fans excited, nervous and begrudgingly nostalgic at the same time. Fans don’t want to remember the South Alabama Jaguars. The six-year hiatus will put a pressure on this team to not have that bubble pop. More so than almost any other team that will be vying for a bowl.

Lips will be bitten. Teeth will be chattering. The nerves will be there.

Thanks to, ah, the bubble. The bubble that loves to inhabit the Dome.

We shouldn’t have expected anything else.T-minus nine weeks until we see if the Dome

bubble bursts. [email protected]

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Syracuse? In a bowl game? With fewer than seven wins? It could happen.

With 35 bowl games slated for the 2010 postseason, the NCAA is looking at a situation in which a team with a losing record might actually get an invite to one of them. Though six wins has been the minimum requirement in years past, that could change this year if there aren’t 70 teams that meet that require-ment and fi ll those slots.

NCAA offi cials have begun discussing the possibility, which has led to further discus-sion about whether or not that would be good for college football.

After thinking about that question for a split second, I’m disgusted it even has to be asked. Seriously, does anybody really want to see Vanderbilt vs. Washington State? While we’re at it, let’s go out and catch a Clippers-Nets game, too. Give me a break. The very thought of it is just absurd. It’s a blatant message the bottom line is more important than putting together the best possible college football matchup. It’s saying watering down what should be the best games of the year is acceptable.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s a good thing if you have a losing record and you’re going to a bowl,” San Diego State athletic director Jim Sterk told The San Diego Union Tribune. Sterk has previously served on the NCAA bowl subcommittee. “I don’t think that’s good for college football.”

No contingency plan is currently in place if fewer than 70 teams were to become bowl-eli-

gible, but the NCAA is exploring its options. It has kept its fi ngers crossed, hoping it wouldn’t need one. But as the weeks continue and more and more FCS teams upset potential FBS bowl teams, the likelihood grows. That’s just not something the NCAA envisioned. Oops!

An option is being explored that would allow two wins against FCS squads to count toward bowl eligibility. Currently, only one win against an FCS team counts toward get-ting to a bowl game.

That could be where Syracuse comes in. Though SU head coach Doug Marrone and his players and staff have maintained the goal is seven or more wins, it has to be of some comfort that both of their games against FCS schools, assuming they win Saturday, would count toward bowl eligibility.

Bowl games have always been about two things: money and rewarding teams for hav-ing a winning season. Now the NCAA might be eliminating half of that equation. If the NCAA does so, it signifi cantly takes away from the competitive nature of the game. It would take away from the excitement on the fi eld and in the stands. The thrill of knowing every game, every snap, really does count. Because nobody wants to see the Clippers vs. the Nets.

[email protected]

A N D R E W L . J O H N

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ORANGE, FANS SHOULD BE ECSTATIC FOR INCREASED BOWL POSSIBILITY ... RIGHT?

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In anticipation of vacant bowl spots, NCAA considering expanding fi eld

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Around the Big East

Thursday

No. 19 MiaMi (Fla.) 31, Pittsburgh 3The Big East’s struggles continued Thursday night, as Pittsburgh was blown out on its home field by Miami. The Panthers (1-2) mustered just 11 first downs and turned the ball over three times in a game that was never really close. Running back Dion Lewis, whose 1,799 yards rushing last season propelled him into Heisman Trophy consideration entering the season, continued to struggle. His 12 carries for 41 yards Thursday give him just 143 yards through three games on just 3.0 yards per carry.

Saturday

CoNNeCtiCut (1-2) vs. buFFalo (1-2) noon, ESPN3The Huskies, coming off a loss to Temple, welcome another MAC opponent into East Hart-ford, Conn., in the Bulls. It’s the first time the two teams have met since the 2009 Interna-tional Bowl, during which UConn rolled, 38-20. The Huskies don’t have International Bowl MVP and now-Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown anymore, but Jordan Todman has ran for 448 yards and five touchdowns in UConn’s first three games, at a clip of 7.3 yards per carry.

rutgers (2-0) vs. North CaroliNa (0-2)3:30 p.m., ESPNUThe Scarlet Knights come off its bye week looking to make a statement about where it stands in the Big East against UNC. The Tar Heels have been close, but not close enough to picking up big victories in its first two games, losing heartbreakers against LSU and Geor-gia Tech. Rutgers has only played Norfolk State and Florida International, so UNC will be its toughest opponent to date. The last time these two teams met, the Tar Heels won 44-12 in Piscataway, N.J.

CiNCiNNati (1-2) vs. No. 8 oklahoMa (3-0)6 p.m., ESPN2The Bearcats are one of five Big East teams that have yet to defeat an FBS opponent. Satur-day, UC will get one of the best in the country in Oklahoma. Not too much has gone right for Cincinnati this season, a team that leads the NCAA in sacks allowed. The Sooners weren’t too kind of an opponent in the teams’ only other meeting in history, defeating the Bearcats 52-26.

south Florida (1-1) vs. WesterN keNtuCky (0-3)7:05 p.m., ESPN3The Bulls hope to get back on track this week against Western Kentucky. South Florida lost two weeks ago to Florida in a game in which quarterback B.J. Daniels completed just 5-for-20 passes with four interceptions. Western Kentucky should be a nice game to right the ship, as the Hilltoppers have lost all three of its games by an average of just over 30 points.

No. 22 West virgiNia (3-0) at No. 15 lsu (3-0)9 p.m., ESPN2The Mountaineers, and quarterback Geno Smith, travel down to the Bayou for a prime-time matchup that could determine if WVU is worthy of national-title consideration. West Virginia jumped out to a four-touchdown lead in defeating Maryland last week, and a quick start in Baton Rouge, La., could be critical. No team outside the SEC has defeated LSU at home since UAB in 2000.

pas

sin

g

ru

sh

ing

rec

eiv

ing

statistics LeaDersName School PaSSYardS/Game

Geno Smith West Virginia 266.7

Ryan Nassib Syracuse 230.3

Tino Sunseri Pittsburgh 229.5

Zach Collaros Cincinnati 219.7

Adam Froman Louisville 211.3

Name School ruShYardS/Game

Jordan Todman Connecticut 149.3

Noel Devine West Virginia 118.0

Bilal Powell Louisville 109.3

Delone Carter Syracuse 82.3

Joe Martinek Rutgers 68.5

Name School receiviNGYardS/Game

Tavon Austin West Virginia 93.7

Van Chew Syracuse 91.7

D.J. Woods Cincinnati 88.0

Jon Baldwin Pittsburgh 85.5

Doug Beaumont Louisville 81.3

WeeKenDLineup

courtesy of west virginia athletic communications

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106 Walnut Place Syracuse, NY 13244 / 315.443.3471 / suabroad.syr.edu

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Fall Study Abroad FairSaturday, September 25th 10 am-12 pm, Maxwell Foyer

Learn about opportunities to study around the globe, and meet with Dr. Erika Wilkens-Sözen, director of our new center in Istanbul!

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AROUND THE CONFERENCE NEWS AND NOTES

Powell turning heads for LouisvilleIt’s no surprise Louisville’s strength on offense this year is running the football. After all, running back Victor Anderson was the Big East rookie of the year in 2008 when he ran for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns.The surprise is it isn’t Anderson who’s shoul-dering the load for the Cardinals. It’s his part-ner in the backfi eld, senior Bilal Powell. Powell has ran for 328 yards on 52 carries through three games — a rate of 6.3 yards per carry, good for second in the Big East among those with at least 25 carries. It’s even more impressive, considering he ran for just 392 yards on 108 carries last season. In a Big East conference that looks like it could be up for grabs this season, he and Louisville could surprise some folks. They proved that by almost upsetting Ore-gon State in Corvallis, Ore., last week, losing by just a touchdown.“We still have a long ways to go,” Cardi-nals head coach Charlie Strong said in the Big East coaches teleconference Monday. “We still have a lot of improvement. We’ve played three games, we’re 1-2. … It’s putting together 60-minute games from all three phases. That’s what we haven’t been able to do yet.”

West Virginia’s newest breakout star can do everythingWest Virginia sophomore Tavon Austin was recruited as a running back, and head coach Bill Stewart still expects him to be a running back after current starter Noel Devine gradu-ates. But he’s doing his best wide receiver

impression for the Mountaineers this sea-son.Austin, who owns the Maryland state high school records for points, touchdowns, total offensive yards and rushing yards, burned his home state team last Saturday. He caught seven balls for a career high 106 yards and two touchdowns as WVU cruised past the Terps 31-17. Austin — thought of by some as a candidate for a breakout year before the season — leads the Big East in receptions (21) and yards (281).Despite all of that, the team believes his true calling will be at running back. Scary thought.“Oh, I can tell you (a permanent move to wide receiver) is not going to happen,” Stew-art said Monday, “unless we get Superman coming here. Aw, I shouldn’t say that. He’ll play both sides, both positions, running back and wide receiver.”

Romeus’ season not going as plannedPittsburgh defensive end Greg Romeus — last season’s Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year — has had as rough a start to the season as anyone in college football. He had surgery last Thursday to repair a disc in his lower back, which will keep him out indefi -nitely. On Sunday, he was notifi ed his mother passed away after a battle with cancer. “I think you know how much he means to our program, and personally, my feelings toward him,” Panthers head coach Dave Wannstedt said in the Big East coaches teleconference Monday. “It’s been a tough month, month and a half for him, to say the least, and he did have the successful back surgery a week ago. … The last third of the season or so, we’ll see if we can get him back for us.”

—Compiled by Asst. Copy Editor Mark Cooper

dailyorange.

WEEKENDLINEUP

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Tale of the tapeA position-by-position breakdown of Saturday’s game

sport

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QuarterbacksRyan Nassib leads the Big East with eight touchdown passes. Through three games, he looks like the quarterback of the now and the future for Syracuse. The SU offense has run through him. Col-gate’s Greg Sullivan has passed for 231 yards in two games. Yeah, this is not a passing team.

Advantage: Syracuse

running backsThis is Colgate’s bread and butter. Sullivan has rushed for more than half the yardage he has thrown for. And Nate Eachus averages 4.8 yards per carry. The Orange’s rushing game has been slow to devel-op thus far. Still, Delone Carter came into this season as SU’s go-to guy on offense, and after three games, that hasn’t changed — yet.

Advantage: Syracuse

Wide receiversSU’s receiving corps took a big hit, seemingly, when it lost Aaron Weaver for the season last week. Big deal. The unit went out and helped tear up Maine in the second half last week. With Van Chew, Alec Lemon and tight end Nick Provo, the Orange still has a trium-virate of receiving threats. Colgate? Well, yeah, this is not a passing team.

Advantage: Syracuse

tigHt endsProvo is the downfield receiving threat. Jose Cruz is the blocker who can catch short passes, like the momentous touchdown he had at the end of the first half against Maine. Colgate’s Nick Cvetic is the only tight end on the stat sheet for the Raiders — with one catch for 22 yards.

Advantage: Syracuse

OFFensive LineRyan Nassib can run. Who knew, coming into the season? We found out because the unit protecting him has flushed him out of the pock-et much more than he probably has liked. And it has been unable to pave the way for a breakout game from Carter thus far. Colgate’s offensive line probably doesn’t match up talent-wise, but it has done its job in establishing the Raiders’ ground game.

Advantage: Even

deFensive LineSU defensive end Chandler Jones broke out with a monster game last week against Maine, recording two sacks totaling 15 yards lost. He had seven tackles. Oh, and he forced two fumbles. Mikhail Marinovich has been unspectacular thus far in not recording a tackle, but head coach Doug Marrone said it has more to do with teams not running to his side. Colgate’s Lamont Sonds is a force with three sacks on the year, but this one stays with the pattern.

Advantage: Syracuse

LinebackersThis unit is Syracuse’s strength on defense. Led by seniors Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith, the unit is perhaps the best in the Big East. Freshman Marquis Spruill has been solid thus far, and fellow frosh Malcolm Cater made noise with his performance against Maine. Colgate has allowed 519 yards of rushing in two games, and it starts with this unit.

Advantage: Syracuse

secOndaryAnd here we meet the shakiest part of SU’s defense thus far. The unit’s miscommunication almost led to a touchdown that would have given Maine a 21-10 lead last Saturday, but receiver Derek Session dropped the pass. Still, Colgate’s secondary has yet to face a coherent passing game, and it’ll be in for a wake-up call when it takes the field Saturday.

Advantage: Syracuse

speciaL teamsSU has the best punter in the Big East in Rob Long. Mike Holmes provid-ed a spark with a long punt return last weekend. Prince-Tyson Gulley has been decent out of the kick return slot. If this game was close, the kicking game is what should worry Syracuse fans. Luckily, this game won’t be close.

Advantage: Syracuse

cOacHingIn terms of pure experience, Biddle gets the nod here. Hired by Colgate before the 1996 season, Biddle turned around a perennially losing team that hadn’t had a winning season since 1990. Now the Raiders are a perennial contender in the Patriot League. In essence, Biddle did the job at Colgate that Doug Marrone hopes to do at Syracuse in the near future.

Advantage: Colgate

-Compiled by Asst. Sports Editor Brett LoGiurato

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Or

Volunteer to help:- A variety of tasks including: registration, representing, silent auction items, running bids, etc.

them.”As Marrone and members of his staff who

were close to the program during the days of the rivalry have emphasized, Saturday’s game will be another step in restoring the proud traditions of Syracuse football. Another step in bringing back what has been lost over the years. And Colgate is a part of that. Even 23 years removed.

“Every team has my respect,” running back Antwon Bailey said Thursday. “(But) because of the history and the rivalry and what the coaches have been telling us, it gives us a dif-ferent level of respect for those guys.”

Syracuse will be looking for its best start since 2003, when it started 3-1 before losing 51-7 at Virginia Tech. The Orange is hoping to use this game as an opportunity to enter the bye week with some momentum before opening Big East play in two weeks.

But before looking too far ahead, Bailey and his teammates have some business to take care of. They don’t want to be the team that ends SU’s winning streak in the series with the Raiders.

“One thing that sticks out is that they lead the series,” Bailey said. “That’s something that we’ve got to get back on our end, and it starts with this game on Saturday. There’s no taking this game lightly.”

Yet it might be easy for the Orange to see this as “just another FCS team.” The Orange dropped 38 points on Maine last weekend, and that was after a slow start. Colgate has allowed an average of 37 points per game. To Monmouth and Furman.

Syracuse proved last week it could play a horrendous first half of football at the Dome against Maine, another FCS team, and still come away with a three-touchdown win. It’s something that would tug on any team, espe-cially before a bye week.

Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas doesn’t see things that way. He’s been well-briefed in the history and importance of Syracuse-Colgate. For Thomas and his teammates, it’s the tradi-tion and the history of the rivalry that makes overlooking this game impossible.

“Coach Marrone, he respects this series,” Thomas said. “And with him as our coach, we respect this series, too. We’ve learned a lot about the history of this series and (Colgate) has our respect, and we’re looking forward to being a part of this rivalry.

“With all the tradition between Syracuse and Colgate, it’s a good series. … Because we respect Colgate, we feel like we have to approach this week like any other week.”

And by approaching the game like every other week, the Orange puts itself in a position to not only get to 3-1 heading into the bye week, but also restore something that had fallen by the wayside. Something that was lost from its storied past.

“They’re a team from up the road, so that’s just another thing we’re thinking about as we renew this series, or rivalry if you want to call it that,” Bailey said. “It’s a big deal. It’s definitely a big deal. … We want to be the best team in New York, so that’s definitely in the back of our minds.”

Naturally, a lot of that comes from Mar-rone. The respect for Colgate is exuded in the reverence Marrone has when referring to his down-the-road counterparts.

That’s why Marrone speaks about Colgate with respect. Even now, Marrone respects the way Colgate coaches. The way Colgate plays. The way Colgate fights. Not just then, but now.

“They have a great system, they really do,” Marrone said. “We have to be very sound in what we do. They play extremely hard, they’re extremely well-coached, and they have an excellent system with what they do.”

Syracuse will be celebrating Legends Day at the Dome Saturday, honoring the 1984 Orange-men squad who shocked then-No. 1 Nebraska, 17-9. With that, several of SU’s past football greats will be in attendance. Many of them remember the Colgate rivalry from playing the Raiders in 1982.

And it’s a rivalry that has been renewed — finally.

“There are a lot of good things going on with Syracuse and Colgate,” Marrone said. “It is Central New York.”

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