Break up the Orange!

No?

Not yet?

Well if not now then when?

Every Syracuse Orange fan (or at least every reasonable fan) is looking at this team right now thinking the same thing.

“This team is 4-1. It is three wins away from making a bowl game barring something DRASTIC. This is a team that was 1-10 not too long ago. I want to get excited but it beat Akron, Colgate and Maine. Was the South Florida win really all that good? How good is this team really?”

It’s a reasonable sentiment to have. The Orange is a team that has its fair share of issues and could very well be 4-4 after its next three games which would be a sobering reality for fans at that point. BUT, don’t let that detract from what this team has done so far. I don’t care if Syracuse won all four games against you, your brother and 30 more of your closest friends. This is a team that was awful not too long ago. Doug Marrone has come in and brought this team further than it has been in a while and quicker than anyone expected. Syracuse can lose every game for the rest of the season and it would not matter. Get excited Orange fans. Make sure that Dome is packed on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Panthers because this is the (newest) biggest game of the season.

The most popular preseason pick to win the Big East has struggled to start the season. Pittsburgh is 2-3 overall with its two wins coming against New Hampshire and Florida International. The three losses have come to Utah in OT, to Miami (FL) big and Notre Dame last week. What can you gauge off that schedule? I’m not going to put Syracuse in the same class as Utah, Miami (FL) or Notre Dame but Pittsburgh is there for the taking on Saturday for the Orange.

Remember when I gave you my season preview for the Orange and said one of the biggest questions will be how Ryan Nassib performs under center? A new QB on any team can be disastrous or actually pretty good. Nassib has been the latter this year. Tino Sunseri has been the former for the Panthers. It’s tough to make a definitive statement about a quarterback overall based on five games but since we’re only worried what happens on Saturday, Tino Sunseri stinks. He’s thrown for five touchdowns in five games and the best wide receiver in the Big East, Jonathan Baldwin is being under utilized because of it. In the 31-3 loss to the Hurricanes, Sunseri went 8 of 15 for 61 yards and it should’ve been worse. Could he be better? Sure. But right now he stinks and if you’re an Orange fan that’s great. But about that running game…

Dion Lewis came into the season as a darkhorse Heisman favorite. He’s followed up a great freshman season with a sophomore year that’s hardly been surprising. Teams have tried to focus on stopping the run and Lewis hasn’t run for more than 100 yards in any game and has only run for two touchdowns. But the Panthers running attack is no longer just about Dion Lewis. Ray Graham stepped in for the second game of the year and ran for 115 yards on nine carries against New Hampshire. He ran for 277 yards and three scores against Florida International. I know Florida International isn’t any good but 277 yards is absurd against any team.

The key this week is the same as it was against South Florida. If the Panthers are going to beat the Orange at the Dome on Saturday, then let it be because Tino Sunseri has his best game of the season. If that’s what ends up happening then so be it. You shrug your shoulders and move on. Scott Schafer and that Syracuse defense will pressure Sunseri and blitz and blitz and blitz again. Ray Graham and Dion Lewis will fight for every yard on Saturday and if they are successful enough to win going that route I’ll be shocked. Syracuse plays quickly defensively and they’ll force Pittsburgh to play quickly. If you force Sunseri’s hand he will make a mistake and Syracuse’s defensive backfield, while not stellar, will certainly be good enough to take advantage. I’m worried about what happens on the other side of the ball though.

South Florida was successful far too often getting to Ryan Nassib last week and forcing him out of the pocket to make a play. Pittsburgh will be without stud defensive end Greg Romeus but that doesn’t make me feel any better about the Orange offensive line protecting Nassib. For as great as the Syracuse defense has been, the offense needs to get on the scoreboard more if it’s going to move to 5-1. And if it does that, then not only can Syracuse fans get excited, I’ll be leading the party.

Syracuse was 0-5 against South Florida going into the game on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Now make it 1-5.

Was it easy? No. Was it pretty? Absolutely not. But when you’re not that far removed from a 1-10 season a win by any means is a win you’ll take. More than that, this win puts the Big East on notice. Syracuse is not to be taken lightly all season.

Expectations going into the season were to finish ahead of Louisville in the battle for last place. After a 13-9 win in Tampa, a bowl berth seems more like an expectation. On the road in a place where Syracuse has never won, it stayed in the game long enough for a late touchdown to secure a victory and a 4-1 start. The win to open the Big East season can be credited in large part to the performance of Defensive Coordinator Scott Schafer and this defense.

I said before the game the key would be how Syracuse deals with South Florida QB B.J. Daniels and the Bulls running game. The Orange blitzed, blitzed and blitzed again forcing Daniels into throwing two picks and holding South Florida to only 95 yards on the ground on 37 carries. If South Florida was going to beat Syracuse, you wanted it to be through the air. The Orange stifled the Bulls in both facets of the game and it paid dividends as the game wore on. Daniels never looked comfortable in the backfield getting sacked four times. He couldn’t do anything with his legs and it’s a credit to Schafer’s gameplanning and the talent Syracuse has on that side of the ball. It’s a fast squad and this is what it could bring to the table every week. I’ve said more than a few times that Syracuse will be in every game this season because of the defense alone. It wasn’t the case against Washington but Syracuse won this game in South Florida because of its defense.

If the defense wasn’t as good as it was though Syracuse would have lost this game. Doug Marrone has said on numerous occasions this team needs to learn how to win. The defense helped them do that Saturday despite more than a few miscues on special teams and an offensive line that was porous at best. The special teams miscues you can fix. With ever week that passes by though, this may be the best the offensive line can do this season. With games against Colgate and Maine you can gather a group of five friends and do well enough in protection. The Bulls did almost whatever they wanted on the defensive line to get to Ryan Nassib and that was without doing much in the way of blitzing. This has been a problem all season and it just seems like the only way the line can get better is with the appropriate amount of reps it seems like. It may seem a bit too simple but the only other explanation will be that the line just isn’t that good. If you’re willing to give up on the line already then that’s one thing but we’re only five weeks into the season. It has to get better right? Right?

On the more positive end of things the offense was effective running the ball. The Orange was not able to cash in on the ground despite its success but no rushing touchdowns does not a good day depend on. Delone Carter ran for 105 yards on 26 carries and Antwon Bailey added another 81 yards on nine carries. Not only did the run game give Syracuse almost 200 yards on the ground total but when the offense was sputtering, the run game became vital. If the run game isn’t working and the defense had to continue to work on short fields, South Florida would’ve scored. No defense can stop an offense from getting into the end zone that often if it always has to defend a short field. The offense wasn’t great Saturday. But it was good enough while the defense shone through.

So Syracuse is 4-1. If the Orange go 3-4 for the rest of the year, it’s going to a bowl game. Take that a step further. Next week Syracuse plays Pittsburgh at home and the Panthers will be without defensive end Greg Romeus with a novice QB under center in Tino Sunseri. If the Orange can beat South Florida in Tampa after going 0-5, why can’t it be Pittsburgh? Just how far can this Syracuse team go?

The Big East season is finally upon us.

What does it mean?

At this point you could legitimately make the argument that six of the eight teams in the conference could win the league. If Syracuse beats South Florida convincingly enough this week in Tampa you could add the Orange to that list as well. Would I pick them to beat West Virginia with a win? Probably not. But the main point here is that the whole league has been so wide open that Louisville may be the only team with no chance of winning at all.

But it all starts with South Florida less than 24 hours from now. It’s hardly going to be easy for the Orange as well. Syracuse has never beaten South Florida. Ever. On top of that, Syracuse has led for a grand total of four minutes and 12 seconds in all the games combined. 4:12. It’ll take at least 10 times that long for me to properly put together this column. The last time they took a lead against the Bulls came four years ago. The games of late haven’t even been close. South Florida has beaten Syracuse by an average score of 35-11. It’s been that bad.

But it’s not hopeless.

Granted, a lot of my analysis to follow comes served with a nice scoop of faith. When you have been dominated by one team as much as Syracuse has by South Florida, to break that streak you need a few things to bounce your way. To win a game like this, some of it goes beyond talent.

Speaking of talent, South Florida is missing a lot of it. Gone from last year’s squad to the NFL is Jason Pierre-Paul, Nate Allen, Jerome Murphy, Carlton Mitchell, George Selvie and coach Jim Leavitt. The team is missing a lot of pieces and doesn’t seem to be in that much of a different spot than Syracuse in the early season. The Bulls have a 3-1 record and are tied atop the Big East with Syracuse and West Virginia. More than that though, the Bulls have its fair share of questions.

Under new coach Skip Holtz the debate is whether or not he’s made the offense too conservative. Syracuse would love for the Bulls to continue that pattern but forcing them out of their preceived conservative nature may not matter. South Florida is 31^st in the country averaging almost 200 yards a game on the ground. Moise Plancher, Demetris Murray, Marcus Shaw and quarterback B.J. Daniels all have more than 100 yards rushing with Plancher, Murray and Daniels as the main threats.

This is the key to the game. Ryan Nassib’s performance offensively in his first Big East game is important. Delone Carter’s role in the offense is worth paying attention to. The defensive backfield will need to prevent the big play when B.J. Daniels puts the ball in the air. But the key is the South Florida running game and what that Syracuse defensive front 7 can do to stop it. Daniels has a nice arm, not a great one though. What makes Daniels dangerous is his ability to take off and run.

Daniels will get blitzed again and again and again by the Syracuse defense. It’s going to have to. If South Florida beats Syracuse, let it be because Daniels had an amazing day through the air as opposed to on the ground. If that ends up being the case so be it. But if Daniels & Co starts to have success on the ground things can get out of hand quickly. Remember this Syracuse defense gave up 200 plus yards rushing to Colgate two weeks ago. Not the toothpaste.

Could Syracuse stop the Bulls ground attack and come out of South Florida with a win? Its certainly possible. This defense has the players to do it. But it will not be easy. Syracuse has never beaten the Bulls in part because it hasn’t handled their dual threat QB very well over the years. This year is no different. B.J. Daniels can cause Syracuse all sorts of problems. But this is a different South Florida team. Why not now to break the losing streak?

Syracuse 42 Colgate 7. Delone Carter reminded everyone he’s one of the best running backs in the conference with a four touchdown performance. Ryan Nassib managed the game well enough for a win. The defense allowed only seven points and Syracuse is 3-1. This was the 2^nd FCS win in consecutive weeks so that will be the extent of my analysis on that game as Syracuse now heads into the bye week before starting Big East play.

But at 3-1 what do we know about Syracuse? Sure a 3-1 record is nice and it’s not something supporters have been used to of late. But how good is this team? Delone Carter just ran for four touchdowns in a game. Ryan Nassib threw for five touchdowns in the game before that. The Orange defense is sound if nothing else and could keep this team in every game for the rest of the year. 

So what does that mean moving forward? Can Syracuse finish 2^nd in the Big East? Can the Orange get to that seven win mark and make a bowl game? Can the team finish at 3-9 and not win another game for the rest of the year? In a word, yes. As I type I don’t know for sure where this team is going. There are major holes with this team that drive me toward picking disaster but on the other hand Syracuse could finish as high as 2^nd in the Big East. So I’ll make the case for both and let you decide where this team is headed with the Big East play getting underway in less than two weeks.

Why Syracuse Could Finish 2^nd in the Big East

Let me get this out of the way first. Why did I say 2^nd as opposed to winning the Big East? Syracuse isn’t THAT good, even if it plays its best football the rest of the year. West Virginia went down to LSU and played the Tigers close. No one else in the Big East could do that right now. Look at the rest of the Big East right now. Who is the 2^nd best team in the conference?

Pittsburgh? Well the Panthers looked awful against Miami at home. They have a quarterback who looks completely lost under center and Dave Wannstedt as their coach which is always going to hurt you before it helps.

Cincinnati? It looked better against Oklahoma last week but its 1-3 overall and its one win comes against the powerhouse Indiana State. The transition from Brian Kelly to Butch Jones has been anything but a smooth one.

The preseason consensus top three in the Big East going into the season has turned into West Virginia and everybody else. I started the season wondering if Syracuse could pull out games at South Florida and Rutgers to get to 6 wins. Now? No team in the conference is better than Syracuse’s 3-1 mark and you could make the case the Orange could beat Rutgers, South Florida, Connecticut and Louisville while at the very least drawing a split against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Is it because Syracuse is that good or because the rest of the Big East is just that bad? Well, both really. And if you’re an Orange supporter does it really matter?

Beyond semantics, this team does have some solid talent. Delone Carter is no worse than a top three running back in the conference. The weapons in the receiving core from Alec Lemon and Van Chew to Nick Provo and Jose Cruz are all sound and more than capable of having a big day when called upon. Then there’s the man behind center Ryan Nassib. Level of competition aside, Nassib’s demonstrated the ability to manage the game and at times be very successful doing it; he had five touchdowns against Maine. In the game against Washington, Nassib’s numbers don’t look great. He went 17 for 35 for 202 yards, one touchdown and an interception. But those numbers are a bit misleading. A fumbled punt return led to one Huskies score and more than a few defensive miscues forced Nassib to put the ball in the air on virtually every play. Washington would certainly contend for the Big East title if it were in the conference.

Defensively this team is capable of being just good enough. Fortunately or unfortunately in the Big East that’s all you need to have a pretty successful year. The front seven that finished tops in the conference in rush defense last year looks capable of doing just as well this season even without defensive tackle Art Jones. I’ve said it many times before; this unit will keep Syracuse in every game this year. There’s no need to be spectacular, just sound. This defensive unit is capable of doing that.

Why Syracuse Could Implode and Finish 3-9

You don’t just walk away from almost a decade’s worth of mediocre or worse football. It takes time to rebuild a program back up to even middling respect let alone enough to win a conference title or even finish in the top 2. Doug Marrone has done nothing but good things since he’s arrived at Syracuse. This is the man’s dream job so to question his passion would be foolish. But this is only his second year as the head man. A dramatic turnaround of these sorts of proportions would be tremendous but highly unlikely.

More than that, Syracuse has three question marks at some of the most important positions on the field that could consistently cost them for the rest of the year. Sure, Ryan Nassib has been better than expected to this point of the season. But his three wins have come against Akron, Maine and Colgate. It’s far from a murderer’s row of opponents. Now he heads into a Big East schedule where everyone’s had a month to scout him. You think South Florida isn’t looking ahead to its game with Syracuse with Florida Atlantic coming up? Nassib will have to demonstrate an ability to adjust on the fly because teams will catch up with him and fluster him. Unfortunately even if he plays beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, it may not matter if the guys up front don’t protect him.

Before the season Ryan Bartholomew was on the Rimington Award watch list as one of the top centers in the country. Unfortunately for Syracuse and its fans the talent wasn’t spread out a little bit more evenly along the offensive line. Anyone who watches the sport on either a pro or collegiate level can tell you how important winning the battle on the line is. If the offensive line isn’t sound then you’re going to have a lot of problems. Couple the issues up front with a green quarterback and it could spell disaster.

The third big issue that has to concern you as an Orange fan is the defensive backfield. It’s only four games into the season but Jake Locker did what he wanted to that secondary throwing for almost 300 yards and four touchdowns. Jamaal Kearse was the recipient of three of those touchdowns and had 179 yards receiving. The defensive backfield can be had this year. If the front seven can’t get any pressure or rattle the opposing quarterback, I’m weary of relying on the defensive backs to consistently play well enough in coverage.

As is the case for most everything in life, the truth as to where Syracuse will finish this season lies somewhere in between. It would be just as surprising for the Orange to finish 2^nd as it would for them to implode and go 3-9. Are either possible though? Absolutely. That’s what happens when you start the season with wins against Akron, Maine and Colgate. It’s been a fun season to this point for Doug Marrone’s group but there are still just as many questions as there are answers with Big East play coming up.

What did we learn from Syracuse last week against Maine? It’s not good enough to sleepwalk through a half of football. What else did we learn? Not much. Remember, Maine is a FCS team for a reason. But from one to another we go and an old rival as well as Syracuse takes on Colgate at the Dome at 3:30 pm on Saturday.

Like Maine last week, the Orange should handle Colgate but they certainly can’t afford to sleepwalk through a half again. This season the Red Raiders beat Monmouth by a point and lost to Furman by 30. But they’ve been one of the better FCS teams sporting a 25-9 record over the last three seasons. They finished 3^rd in the FCS in rushing as a team last year averaging nearly 250 yards a game. Without last year’s leading rusher Jordan McCord the team hasn’t missed a step. Early on this season Colgate is 2^nd in the Patriot Conference in rushing with more than 220 yards a game. Like Maine last week Colgate also has a running back worthy of Syracuse’s attention in Nate Eachus who is averaging almost 140 yards a game. The Syracuse defense has been stout more often than not this season and there’s no reason to think they shouldn’t be as successful.

On the other side of the ball Colgate is also tops in the conference in pass defense allowing 151 yards through the air a game. Like its rushing attack, Colgate’s pass defense has been a solid one. It was 2^nd in the conference last year allowing just under 200 through the air. Ryan Nassib won’t have as easy of a time against Colgate as he did against Maine with his five touchdowns. It’s hard to imagine he won’t have another good day based on what we’ve seen from him to this point.

So what should you expect to see from the Orange against Colgate? The tough part about FCS games is that they’re just that. FCS games. It’s against inferior opposition and while the win is all well and good, there are no big themes to take away from the game. Ryan Nassib should put on another solid if not spectacular performance. I would like to see Delone Carter have a big day. You know he’s capable of it and you know he’s a good back. A big game from Mr. Ohio certainly wouldn’t hurt matters though with South Florida a couple of weeks away. The defense should look like it can win a game or two in the Big East on its own. The worries about the offensive line will still persist regardless of what happens here until Big East play gets underway. The games against Maine and Colgate give the line a chance to build more chemistry and become more of a unit. But you can’t look at it as any more than that.

For as much as I’m downplaying this game as just another FCS tuneup, it’s really an important game for Syracuse. At 3-1 the Orange would have a very realistic shot at finishing 6-6 and maybe even 7-5. For those who have been paying attention to the program at any point during the Greg Robinson, that’s an exciting thought. 7-5 means a bowl game. Even 6-6 could be a bowl game. So while the Colgate game on its own is nothing to go too wild about, in the grand scheme of things a win here could go a long way toward getting Syracuse moving in the right direction in the Big East.

Syracuse Head Coach Doug Marrone said the Orange was a team that wasn’t good enough to overlook Maine. With Marrone coming out with that statement before the game one would assume the team would take heed and jump on the Black Bears of Maine early.

Not so much…

Down 14-7 with a sputtering offense in the middle of the 2^nd quarter Orange nation was in a tizzy for its home opener. Maine was brought in here for a win. Up 17-14 going into the half courtesy of a very close touchdown pass to Jose Cruz on 4^th and Goal, Syracuse was granted a reprieve albeit a slight one. It was enough though as Syracuse came out for the 2^nd half looking like the team it was supposed to against a mediocre FCS side.

In my preview column I said the only thing that matters in this two-game FCS stretch is the win. As long as Syracuse was 3-1 going into the bye week before South Florida that is all you could ask from this side. I stand by that despite the performance early on from the Orange. Who’s going to remember being down 14-7 to Maine early if the Orange has a six or seven win season? No one that’s who. Now, if the Orange finishes 3-9 then that’s a different story. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it as the cliché goes.

You can only take so much from a win over Maine. It’s nice to see a good stat line from Alec Lemon and Van Chew. It’s good to see Nick Provo and Jose Cruz contribute the first game after Aaron Weaver goes down for the season with a torn ACL. But there isn’t anything definitive you should take out of their performances. There are two things you should take from this game. I told you about the start of the game earlier. You also have to come away from this game thrilled with Ryan Nassib’s performance. He’s certainly been a serviceable quarterback so far this year punctuated against Maine with five touchdowns and 260 yards through the air. The more you see him under center a perceived weakness coming into the season is becoming if not a strength, at least not the hole you thought he would be.

A game against an opponent like Maine is always tough because how excited should you actually get? A win is always nice yes. But it’s Maine. Coming away from this game you should take three things. Syracuse is far from perfect, which should be obvious. Ryan Nassib isn’t someone you should be worried about under center (though the offensive line is a different story). Most importantly, this team is 2-1.

After a 1-1 start to the season with a win against Akron and a loss out west against Washington, Syracuse comes home for its home opener against FCS opponent Maine Saturday night at 7:15 pm. It’s the first of two FCS opponents for the Orange as they take on Colgate next week. Before we get into the game itself, a quick update on some team news for Syracuse.

Aaron Weaver is out for the year after an ACL tear sustained in practice. It’s a tough loss for a team that’s already lost more than its fair share of players for the year all over the roster. But Jose Cruz and Nick Provo have shown they can step in for Weaver.

When Marcus Sales gets back into the lineup depends on Marcus Sales. The local product was supposed to be the top returning wide receiver from last year but according to Coach Marrone he hasn’t shown enough consistency in practice to get on the field for games. With the home opener on Saturday and Colgate at home after that before Big East play, this could be a perfect opportunity for Sales to get playing time before Big East play gets started. In addition, Marrone has said he’s looking for a 4^th wide receiver and who better to step up then Sales? Now on to Maine…

I couldn’t have been the only one who was surprised Maine had a football program. I knew about hockey but to be fair my “extensive” sports knowledge with Maine starts and really ends with Julie “The Cat” Gaffney (you can’t begin to imagine how much time I wasted watching old clips from the Mighty Ducks movies looking for that). But Maine does have more of an extensive history than many would think. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu started his collegiate career with the Black Bears before going to USC and Seattle from there. Jovan Belcher of the Chiefs, Stephen Cooper of the Chargers and Mike DeVito of the Jets are a few of other names to play for the Black Bears.

As for the current team, they also started the season 1-1 losing to Albany 3-0 and beating Monmouth in Week 2 on the road. Over the last few years Maine has been an up and down team overall finishing the 2009 season with a 5-6 record after going 8-5 in 2008 and 4-7 the year before that. This year’s squad isn’t anything to write home about anywhere with the exception of Jared Turcotte. After missing all of last season the junior running back has rushed for 236 yards in two games and is going to be the big force offensively for Maine if it’s to be successful.

With Maine and then Colgate on the schedule the next two weeks Syracuse is afforded a luxury rarely seen outside of a SEC out of conference schedule. The Orange are certainly an improved team. The first two weeks of the season showed us that. But two FCS opponents gives the Orange a chance to fix holes on the team headed into Big East play. Of course starting a season 3-1 never hurt anyone either. But the problems Syracuse have to fix this week will be the same as next week and very well could be the same issues all season.

Defensively Syracuse is far from perfect but I consider the game against Washington more of an aberration than a sign of things to come. This unit will keep the Orange in games all season. The issues are offensively and more specifically the offensive line. Ryan Nassib’s development and progression revolves around how well he’s protected. Akron got in his face seemingly at will. Washington was in Nassib’s face way too often too. Against Maine and Colgate the Orange offensive line has a golden opportunity to get its issues in order before conference play. As a fan you can’t have too many other complaints to this point. More depth at the skill positions would be nice but we’re nitpicking when it comes to a team that’s working its way up to mediocrity.

The goal for Syracuse the next two weeks is simple. Win. That’s it. It doesn’t really matter by how much. It doesn’t really matter how they do it. Anything less than 3-1 going to Tampa on October 9^th for South Florida would be disastrous.

Washington 41 Syracuse 20

Yes it’s an ugly scoreline. Yes Syracuse turned the ball over twice, committed 10 penalties and after about 13 minutes in the 1^st quarter, Washington took over. But it’s not nearly as bad as it seems.

No really I promise. Allow me to explain.

Things started off well for the Orange jumping out to a 10-0 lead thanks to Ryan Nassib’s 28-yard TD run and a Ross Krautman field goal. Syracuse stifled the Jake Locker led attack and things were looking surprisingly up. Offensively Nassib continued to look confident under center and even made some of his better throws moving out of the pocket. His completion percentage may yell mediocre to you as he completed less than 50% of his throws but once the game got out of hand late Nassib was forced to make throws he otherwise wouldn’t have (at least we hope). I’ll say the same thing about Nassib this week as I did last week after the win over Akron. If he gets time to throw the ball (more on that later) Nassib can be serviceable enough for this team to have a good season. The success goes beyond Nassib as well offensively. Delone Carter had 91 yards on 18 carries, a 5-yard per carry average, and more than that the commitment and success of the run game will give Nassib more time to develop and come along while the Orange prepare for Big East play.

“Lutfi, did you watch this game? We lost 41-20! We weren’t even close! Who cares about the rest of this?”

Fair point good sir or lady and while a win would’ve been nice, a loss even in the fashion Syracuse lost, is hardly the end of the world. Even for those fans who have the loftiest of goals for the Orange, look at the teams they’ll be playing in the Big East. Everyone is 1-1 with the exception of West Virginia and it needed a miracle late comeback to beat Marshall in overtime and Rutgers who didn’t exactly look like world beaters against Florida International. The point being Washington was a game to test where Syracuse was as a program. There are still things that need to be worked on. We knew that going into the season. Would fans have rather seen a closer game, even if it were a loss? Of course. But for an Orange side still developing the goal isn’t to necessarily look for these wins but rather take as much as possible moving forward.

So what do the Orange need to improve upon? Well a 41-20 scoreline would indicate the defense would need the most tending to. Washington super-QB Jake Locker went 22 for 33, threw for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns torching the Syracuse defensive backfield time and again. But I attribute that more to Jake Locker being Jake Locker. Remember, this is the QB that’s going to be the #1 overall pick in the 2011 Draft and could have been #1 overall this past year. When Syracuse played zone he found the holes, when they played in man coverage he found the advantageous matchup. He’s just that good and Syracuse’s defense could not keep up. And you know what? That’s not that bad of a thing.

Syracuse found some success stifling Locker when they pressured him but they couldn’t be expected to consistently go after the quarterback when doing so would just lead to Locker exposing even bigger holes beyond the pressure. I don’t take much from RB Chris Polk’s 117-yard performance on the ground because if you take away the one touchdown run for 52 yards he had 65 yards on 19 carries. You’ll live with that 10 times out of 10 if you’re the Orange.

What should concern you though is for as sound as the unit was against Akron, there were too many instances of mental lapses on all three units. I mentioned the 10 penalties earlier which is just something that couldn’t happen if Syracuse were to win this game. Defensively there were at least two missed tackles I counted on the Jermaine Kearse 57-yard hitch touchdown to start the 2^nd half. The entire game turned in the 2^nd quarter for Syracuse after Washington kicked its 2^nd field goal to make it 10-6. On the ensuing kickoff Prince-Tyson Gulley fumbled the ball and Washington recovered. Against a quarterback like Locker you’re going to pay for those mistakes and pay the Orange did. A few plays as opposed to being up 10-6, Syracuse was down 13-10 after the Jermaine Kearse 5-yard touchdown reception. There were even instances of simpler mental lapses in this game as well. Before attempting a 32-yard field goal, Justin Pugh was called for offsides on the offensive line pushing the attempt back five more yards. Ross Krautman still made the kick to make it 27-13 Washington, but its those mistakes that are the difference between a team competing with Louisville for last place and potentially getting to .500 or better for the season. And about that offensive line…

For as well as I said Ryan Nassib played earlier, and he did, he could certainly use some help from his offensive line. Once again Nassib was forced out of the pocket on way too many occasions and they’re just not circumstances he can be reasonably expected to succeed under time and again. This team goes as that offensive line goes and unfortunately the next chance for the unit to prove itself may not come until Big East play comes around.

So was the game fun to watch as a Syracuse fan? Not unless you like inflicting that sort of punishment on yourself no. But is it time for doom and gloom and thoughts of what another one win season will feel like? Of course not. There are still a lot of questions to be answered about this team and even more football to be played.

Everyone has a prediction of what may or may not happen every year. By the end of the season? Most of us are proven to be comically wrong. I started this season telling you that six wins would be the magic number for this Syracuse football program. Four wins were the worst case scenario. Five wins would be the expectation but six is the benchmark. At the time it seemed like it would take a perfect storm for the Orange to get to six. But it is a good thing games aren’t played out on paper because it is only week 2 and Syracuse is already faced with a game that could decide its season against Washington.

I say that for a combination of reasons, not the least of which is the performance last week against Akron. Yes, I understand it’s Akron and the Zips will have all sorts of issues this year. But this is what we pulled out from the first game.

Give Ryan Nassib time and at the very least he’s capable under center. He earned Big East player of the week honors with his 229 yard, two touchdown performance last week.

The receiving corps will provide Nassib with plenty of sound options if the running game is slowed. Seven different players caught a pass on Saturday led by Van Chew and Alec Lemon with eight catches and 128 receiving yards combined.

The defense can keep the Orange around in every game this year. It blitzed effectively when the situation called for it and played sound defense when only the front four rushed the passer. It’s a fun unit to watch.

Put those three things together, add in a bit of good luck (like every team needs throughout the year) and you have the makings of a bowl team. The Orange would need seven total wins to make a bowl since only one of the two FCS opponents, Maine and Colgate, on the Syracuse schedule would count toward the bowl win total. But after last week in Akron, the Orange have people believing that head coach Doug Marrone is moving things in the right direction. A win over Washington and the fighting Jake Lockers should put the Orange at 4-0 going into Big East play.

As for the Huskies and the game in Seattle on Saturday at 7pm ET I’m hardly breaking any news by saying it starts and ends with quarterback Jake Locker. If you haven’t heard about the accolades heaped upon him to this point I’ll keep it simple. Had he decided to turn pro at the end of last year, he would’ve been the first player taken in the NFL Draft. He’s the guy that makes the offense go and has been the center to a Huskies revival along with head coach Steve Sarkisian over the last few years.

Washington lost its first game of the season against BYU but if Syracuse is going to pull off the upset it’s going to have to start with its defense. Locker’s almost as potent with his feet as he is with his arm leading the team with seven rushing scores last year. It will be on the front seven to stifle the ground attack between Locker and RB Chris Polk who finished last season with more than 1100 yards rushing and five scores.

When Locker drops back he’ll have his top WRs from last season to get the ball to. Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar combined for more than 1400 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. The weapons are there offensively for Washington to do as it pleases. If the defense can’t stifle the attack it won’t matter what Nassib and Co. get done on the other side of the ball.

When it comes to the Syracuse offense against the Washington defense, Nassib will certainly face a tougher unit compared to last week, but it will hardly be unmanageable. The Huskies finished last is season ranked no higher than third in the Pac-10 in any defensive category (tackles for loss) and actually finished 8^th or worse rush defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense. Washington followed that up with a performance against BYU in which BYU QBs threw for 262 yards and two scores while the rushing attack found the end zone twice as well. None of these numbers are particularly egregious. But none of them are particularly impressive either. Nassib will have ample opportunity to perform well this week. But are you at a point where you can rely on him to win a game for you going across the country in hostile territory? Even the most ardent of Syracuse fans should have their doubts.

The key in this game is the Syracuse front 7 against Jake Locker. Against Akron the Syracuse defense dialed up the blitz effectively when it needed it. It played sound defense at all three levels and really didn’t let Akron get going all night. The Orange front 7 needs to have the same success getting to Locker as it did against Akron. Doug Hogue and Derrelle Smith need to keep Locker in the pocket and prevent from scrambling out on broken plays. The defensive backs will have an easier time in coverage if Locker’s timing is thrown off. Against a QB of Locker’s caliber with the weapons he has in the receiving corps and handing off to Polk, you may not stifle the offense entirely. But this game will dictate what your expectations and predictions should be for the rest of the year.

Syracuse is 1-11-1 playing on the West Coast or in Texas since 1964. If this is truly a season of change, the Marroniacs will come back from the West Coast happy and 2-0.

You’ve read and will continue to read your fair share of postgame commentaries and wrap ups following Syracuse’s 29-3 win over Akron in the first game of the season. So instead of just telling you what you already know or have already read, allow me to offer you my running commentary from the game.

Pregame – Doug Marrone either looks tremendous with his visor or very uncomfortable, I haven’t quite decided.

Pregame – As is the case with every young QB in his first big start, Nassib needs to start off well otherwise Syracuse could be in trouble early.

Opening Kickoff – Prince-Tyson Gulley might have the best name in the history of names. He may do nothing this year but I’ll pay attention just because I have fun saying his name. You know you do as well.

First SU Possession – Someone needs to tell the play-by-play guy it’s pronounced Paw-lus not POW-lus. Did he watch a Duke basketball broadcast in the last 4 years?

1^st Quarter 14:54 – And the first play of the new season is a handoff to Delone Carter for a few yards. Personally I bet flea flicker to Van Chew.

1^st Quarter 14:54 – Broadcast team said Akron have very active linebackers. What does that mean? Their defensive line never makes any stops.

1^st Quarter 14:14 – Nassib’s first pass attempt on a rollout right from the bunch formation goes for an incompletion thanks to pursuit from the Akron LB. Maybe it’s the last few years of following Syracuse football that’s turned me into an expect the worst guy but I’m just glad Nassib didn’t fumble or throw a pick.

3^rd & 6 1^st Quarter – And we have Nassib’s first completion over the middle to Alec Lemon to convert for the 1^st down. I bring this up for a couple of reasons. When a QB is in his first year, people focus primarily on his performance and block out everything else. But Doug Marrone and the coaching staff are just as vital to his success as his own performance. Good call on the play going over the middle and picking up the 6 for the 1^st down.

3^rd & 3 1^st Quarter 12:57 – Another 3^rd down conversion and this has been the most impressive throw by Nassib in the early going. It wasn’t the prettiest sure but to check down to Antwon Bailey and get the first down shows you Nassib’s confidence in the pocket.

1^st Quarter 12:01 – Nassib getting out of the sack on 1^st down and completing a pass gives me good feelings all over.

1^st Quarter 10:50 – How much credit could Tyrone Wheatley possibly get being the RB coach for this team?

3^rd & 6 1^st Quarter 10:10 – Aaron Weaver scores the first TD of the season on a slant pattern over the middle. Nassib makes the simple throw here as Weaver makes the catch in stride. The offense converts three 3^rd downs on the drive and scores the touchdown. Hard to be anything but positive five minutes in.

1^st Quarter 9:56 – First Akron offensive possession with QB Patrick Nicely. Am I the only one that feels odd about that name? Nicely? Really? It’s like Shaky Smithson returning punts for Utah. He fumbled on a return against Pittsburgh Thursday

1^st Quarter 8:20 – This is what I mean about Nicely. He threw a ball to Jeremy LaFrance that came a yard short of the first down. I have this incredible urge to pat him on the back and say it’s ok Nicely, you’ll get them next time.

1^st Quarter 8:20 – First Akron Possession – 3 plays – 8 penalties. Approximately of course.

3^rd & 7 1^st Quarter 7:07 – Another 3^rd down conversion as Nassib is run out of the pocket and runs for the 1^st. Good decision making from Nassib though it’s only the 1^st quarter and he’s being forced out of the pocket a bit more than you’d like to see.

2^nd & 13 1^st Quarter 5:43 – Potentially huge play for Syracuse only just broken up by Akron DB. Carter had picked up the corner blitz on Nassib’s blindside beautifully and Jose Cruz was running free. So close

3^rd & 13 1^st Quarter 5:20 – I haven’t figured out yet whether it’s the Syracuse offensive line that’s the issue or Akron’s pressure but Nassib’s on the run too often in the 1^st.

1^st Quarter 4:04 – “Can’t make the club in the tub.” ESPN Broadcast team. You also can’t make broadcast television dropping lines like that on us.

1^st Quarter 3:48 – Akron’s offense has been on the field for maybe 45 seconds. The Syracuse defense hasn’t had to do much.

1^st Quarter 2:50 – Delone Carter has his best run of the day on an option play. It seems like Akron has said to itself, “We may lose. But it’ll be because Ryan Nassib beat us.”

1^st Quarter 1:00 – Focusing on the run for their latest possession and Syracuse is forced to punt. Remember that line because you’ll probably see it every game this year. Anybody but Carter for opposing defenses.

1^st Quarter 0:02 – Nicely completes a pass resulting in a 1^st down showing Akron’s offense is capable of something. What specifically? Not sure yet. But something.

End of the 1^st Quarter

Syracuse 7 Akron 0

Start of the 2^nd Quarter – There are Marroniacs? Where can I join?

3^rd & 3 2^nd Quarter 13:32 – After converting on one first down, Akron falls short and here’s where you can see what Syracuse’s defense has done. It has been a sound unit overall to this point without the really flashy play necessarily.

2^nd Quarter 13:16 – 47-yard completion from Ryan Nassib to Van Chew on Syracuse’s first offensive possession of the 2^nd quarter. Look at that arm from Nassib…great catch too.

3^rd & 5 2^nd Quarter 12:05 – Again the Akron pressure comes through and this time gets to Nassib for the sack. Nassib looks confident. He’s made a few good throws and some very good decisions. But he can’t do much if you don’t protect him.

2^nd Quarter 11:18 – Ryan Lichtenstein hits from 47-yds to put Syracuse up 10-0. Makes you feel good to know he has the leg if need be.

2^nd Quarter 10:23 – Nicely hits the FB out of the backfield for their best play of the game….and then it gets called back for illegal formation. A personal foul penalty on Syracuse gives them the 1^st down but Akron is having all sorts of issues offensively.

2^nd Quarter 8:41 – Nicely steps up in the pocket and takes off when nothing develops around him and Max Suter steps up to stop him short of the 1^st down. If you’re a fan of the Orange the defense will be fun to watch all year. It doesn’t look like a unit that will ever beat itself.

2^nd Quarter 8:06 – Mike Holmes looks like he’s fielding punts not because he’s good at it or wants to but because Coach Marrone asked him to step up and he said yes.

2^nd Quarter 7:52 – I can see the questions now. Is Delone Carter really as good as we thought he was? The answer is and will be a definitive yes. Carter will be on and off the whole season as opposing defenses dictate because you better believe if Akron’s main focus is stopping the run, so will everyone else’s.

2^nd Quarter 7:06 – Add Van Chew to the list of fun names on this team. Better than Prince-Tyson Gulley? No. But fun nevertheless.

2^nd Quarter 6:40 – Are you allowed to make references to the Dirty South during a broadcast? Don’t think I didn’t catch that Je’Rod Cherry.

2^nd Quarter 4:37 – Love Nassib’s confidence under center. Not the biggest fan that he’s running around too often with the lack of protection from this offensive line.

2^nd Quarter 4:00 – Antwon Bailey fumbles after a reception out of the backfield and recovered by Akron. It’s not great obviously but the way this Akron offense has performed I’m not too worried.

2^nd Quarter 3:52 – And the first play after the turnover Syracuse comes on a jailbreak blitz seemingly and forces Nicely to throw it away.

2^nd Quarter 3:40 – Syracuse blitzes Nicely twice, forcing him to throw the ball away and then an incomplete on 3^rd down and the ball is going back to Syracuse. I’m pretty sure I had that one.

2^nd Quarter 3:29 – With every punt I’m becoming more convinced that Mike Holmes was handed the punt return duties 10 minutes before the game.

3^rd & 2 2^nd Quarter 2:33 – Another 3^rd down and another conversion for Nassib and the offense. It’s the KISS method and it’s brilliant in its simplicity. Hitting Aaron Weaver over the middle.

2^nd Quarter 1:41 – This offensive line is going to be an issue all year if Akron is having the success the way it is. Another fumble recovery and you can’t really blame Nassib on this one.

2^nd Quarter 1:39 – Akron has more penalties than yards it seems like.

2^nd Quarter 1:21 – Great job by the Syracuse defense forcing Akron into a FG after the Nassib fumble. Notice how the defense is performing as well. When it needs to step up and make a play, here comes the blitz and the pressure. Fun to watch.

2^nd Quarter 1:13 – Lets see what the offense does with plenty of time left, two timeouts and at their own 35. They could get three points if they push the issue.

2^nd Quarter 0:06 – Van Chew with a GREAT diving catch at the end of the half for the touchdown! Forget three points, Syracuse ran the 2-minute offense to perfection with Nassib under center and a great way to go into the half. Syracuse 17 Akron 3.

End of the 1^st Half

Syracuse 17 Akron 3

Quick Observations –

Ryan Nassib’s 1^st Half line – 11 of 18 for 171 yards and 2 TDs. Can’t do much better than that.

Nassib looks like Ryan Phillippe. I have yet to decide whether that’s a good thing.

This defense has been a lot of fun to watch.

Mike Holmes has been terrifying to watch field punts.

3^rd Quarter 14:51 – 2^nd verse same as the first. The Syracuse defense gets after Alex Allen after the handoff for a big loss to force 2^nd & 23 on Akron’s first offensive play in the 2^nd half.

3^rd Quarter 13:40 – 3 plays, 2 incompletions, 1 big loss on a run and Syracuse is getting the ball back.

3^rd Quarter 13:31 – Mike Holmes didn’t botch a punt return!

3^rd Quarter 13:12 – Syracuse is having the most success in the run game off trickery and gimmick plays and that’s not a bad thing. You need to be able to mix both the run and pass up and when the run isn’t working you have to figure out ways to get it going.

3^rd Quarter 11:53 – Another first this season for Ryan Nassib, his first INT. I’m not worried about what Akron’s going to do offensively. They’ve looked inept. But for Nassib, that’s a throw he won’t make when the season goes on. The LB baited him on that throw and with more experience Nassib will know to look elsewhere.

3^rd Quarter 10:50 – Akron now 0 for 8 on 3^rd downs. Syracuse came from the edges on the line on a rush and the coverage was tight behind them. This unit is going to keep Syracuse in every game the whole year.

3^rd Quarter 10:39 – Somebody put Prince-Tyson Gulley back there on punts please. Mike Holmes seems doomed ot have something go wrong for him back there consistently.

3^rd Quarter 9:12 – Rob Long with a 71-yard punt. In other news Rob Long has been signed by AC Milan. One of those statements isn’t true.

3^rd Quarter 7:41 – Alex Allen with the best play for Akron on the offensive side running off the left tackle. What’s the saying? Even a blind squirrel finds a nut?

3^rd Quarter 4:50 – Mike Holmes with a positive moment! The Orange get a great hold by the defense after the Allen run. Three plays and 8 yards including a stop on a run right on a 3^rd and 2. Then the blocked FG attempt returned for 6 by Mike Holmes. Syracuse 23 Akron 3.

3^rd Quarter 4:00 – Akron on offense and Derrell Smith comes through clean off the edge on a rush nearly getting the sack. That’s one of the few plays in football that are great to watch. If you’re a fan of the offensive side you’re screaming, “Look out!” If you’re on defense you’re saying, “Get him!”

3^rd Quarter 2:53 – Mike Holmes looks like he has no concept of where the ball is going to land on the punts and has no clue where to field it.

End of the 3^rd Quarter – Syracuse 23 Akron 3. It was a quarter for the Syracuse defense to shine. The Mike Holmes blocked FG returned for a TD, the rushes from the front 7, the defensive back playing well in coverage. Nothing to write home about on the other side of the ball but defensively this team is going to really have some great moments all year.

4^th Quarter 14:17 – Akron putting a bit of a drive here offensively for the first time all game. Even with a 20 point lead against Akron, this defense can’t afford to lift their foot off the gas much, if ever this year.

4^th Quarter 13:10 – Akron with 106 yards of total offense going into the quarter. That’s not good.

4^th Quarter 12:00 – Two minutes after saying Akron was putting together a good drive, Syracuse puts the clamps down to force a punt. Also of note, Mike Holmes gets out of the way of a punt and lets it go into the end zone for a touchback. Well done sir.

4^th Quarter 10:21 – I haven’t made many mentions of Nassib and the offense here in the 2^nd half because there hasn’t been much to talk about. But Nassib just made another great decision throwing the ball down the field to a wide open Van Chew. The pass was incomplete but a pass interference call gives Syracuse a new set of downs.

4^th Quarter 8:37 – Nassib with another nice throw off play-action to Nick Provo for a big gainer. His experience and confidence will make this season a lot different than it would be normally if Nassib were your regular first year QB.

4^th Quarter 7:50 – Touchdown Syracuse! Delone Carter goes around the right side with a dive forward to put Syracuse up 29-3 in the 4^th quarter. He hasn’t had the best game numbers wise but it’s a solid performance on the whole. Remember too, if you’re going to get performances like that out of Ryan Nassib all season, you may not need much more than this from Carter.

4^th Quarter 7:50 – I’m relatively certain you or I could do a better job kicking the PAT. 2 missed so far in this game.

4^th Quarter 7:02 – Mike Holmes fielded a punt cleanly on a fair catch. We need to document these moments.

4^th Quarter 4:32 – Rob Long with a punt of 59 yards. In other news Manchester City has come in to try and outbid AC Milan for Long’s services.

4^th Quarter 0:39 – Who knew Ryan Nassib had some wheels?

Final Score

Syracuse 29 Akron 3

You can’t ask for much more out of Syracuse in its first game of the season. Ryan Nassib looked great under center when he had protection. The run game will always be there for Nassib to fall back on. Van Chew and Alec Lemon are very capable receivers and Jose Cruz, Aaron Weaver and even Nick Provo provide options for Nassib in the passing game out of the secondary. The only worry like I said before is that offensive line. Too many times Nassib was on the run and this is against Akron. It’s only going to get tougher from here save for Maine and Colgate. On the defensive side this unit will keep the team in games all season. It played sound football on all three levels and can get after the ball when the situation calls for it. One down. Five to go for the Marroniacs.