Syracuse Football

What is going on here? The Syracuse playbook is a Nintendo 64 game and Coach Marrone hasn't defeated Louisville or UConn in the last two seasons.

After this weekend's torture, Syracuse fans are assuredly thinking that the game against West Virginia was a fluke and that this team may be one of the worst five win teams in the nation.

What is so disheartening is the hype and enthusiasm that surrounded this team two weeks ago. After the West Virginia win, even yours truly had bought tickets for the Orange Bowl.

One thing at a time. Looking back on the past two losses, the Orange have issues in every fact of their game.

The offense is out of sync and cannot sustain any meaningful drive. This is partially due to the offense's lack of execution, but the offensive strategy has to be called into question. Nate Hackett's play-calling has to be criticized as UConn shut down the Orange offense by simply knowing what was coming off of the pre-snap read.

The defense has been suspect all season, but they have been able to force turnovers and give the offense a chance to score. These past two weeks, they have looked atrocious against the run. In fact, Syracuse should just step to the side and allow USF to run it up the middle until Phillip Thomas or Sharmarko Thomas makes the touchdown-saving tackle.

Anyhow, this brings to mind Denny Green and we must ask, is Syracuse really the West Virginia world beaters or the basement dwellers of the Big East?

In reality, "They are who we thought they were!"

Going into the season, the reasonable expectation for this team (via SB Nation) was a bowl for top half Big East teams at best, at worst the Beef O' Brady bowl. After Syracuse struggled against Wake Forrest, Rhode Island, Toledo and Tulane, the thoughts dramatically shifted to "luckiest" or "worst" four-win team in the FBS.

West Virginia clouded the logic that every fan should have seen with this team at that point in the season: Syracuse is just not as good as last season (via SB Nation).

The offense is talented but relying on unproven players to help Ryan Nassib make plays. The defense has the potential to be really good—next year. Special teams units for rebuilding programs are always hit or miss, and this season the Orange just miss.

This team, on balance, is young and needs mentoring and development. The talent just simply isn't there for the Orange to dominate Big East opponents.

Can the Orange make it to the Pinstripe Bowl? Yes. They have the potential to play like they did against West Virginia every week and win, even if USF, Cincy and Pitt all play their best football.

Could the Orange miss a bowl game? Yes. USF has talent, Cincinnati is playing amazing football and Pitt is a tough team to beat at home.

All that matters for the Orange is to not overlook USF and realize that this week's homecoming game may very well define how this team is remembered at the end of the season.

Just by looking at the Syracuse Orange's players and coaches after their game against the UConn Huskies, it was painfully obvious what had happened.

"The Syracuse coaches look like they want to die."

That was the astute observation my girlfriend made as she also lived through the agony that was the Orange's 28-21 loss to the Huskies.

This game continued to highlight the woes of a Syracuse squad that is struggling to find consistency and success against "inferior" opponents.

First the defense—five forced turnovers is an amazing feat, regardless of the opponent. Phillip Thomas continued to impress with his two interceptions, but the odd fact was that the defense otherwise looked ordinary at best. They allowed 28 points, 14 of those in the fourth quarter.

How UConn gained those points is what is even more worrisome.

UConn gained 198 yards on the ground, averaging more than three yards per carry and consistently confusing the aggressive Orange defense with option runs. Scott McCummings stole the show in the fourth quarter, making Dyshawn Davis look silly on what would be the game-winning touchdown.

Granted, the special teams and and offensive units did not give the defense much help, but the fact of the matter is that the Syracuse defense, which was able to shut down West Virginia's high-powered attack, allowed a team to literally run them into the ground for the second straight week.

But everyone knew this defense is young and would have issues all year. The savior has been the offense. Last week's performance could be credited to the tremendous defense Louisville possesses (just ask the Mountaineers), but this week was inexcusable.

Quarterback Ryan Nassib is being left on his own when it comes to making plays.

Either the offensive line missed rushers, the receivers could not get separation, or when finally open these same receivers dropped passes. Alec Lemon seemed to revert to last season's form and drop a pass that would have kept a scoring drive alive after Nassib bought time in the pocket toward the end of the first half.

Nick Provo continued to show why he should win the Mackey Award for best tight end in the country, but UConn eventually learned to double-cover and bump him at the line in order to force Nassib's throws to other players. In the fourth quarter, this led to an interception that resulted in UConn's game-winning touchdown.

While both interceptions were Nassib's fault, the rest of the offense did little to deter his reckless habits.

Antwon Bailey could not get any consistent rushing attack going, and eventually after being burned twice on the goal line, UConn learned how to stop the double-reverses of Syracuse, which were the only way Nassib could buy time or get a successful run.

Overall, the offense struggled mightily again, and this is a real concern for a unit that has looked solid all season. With the defense looking soft and bowl eligibility looking all the more elusive, head coach Doug Marrone has a short week to prepare his team for their homecoming game against South Florida in what should be a win.

However, if the Orange continue to play this poorly, Syracuse fans could be in for a painful game this Friday night.

The expectations were there. The hope and optimism of a team and fan base frustrated by years of futility were supposed to come to an end after a monumental win last Friday.

That all came crashing down in about three hours today as Louisville defeated Syracuse.

The Orange allowed freshman quarterback Tony Bridgewater to settle in early and compete two early touchdown drives to give Louisville and early 14-0 lead. In both of these drives, the secondary got beat, especially Keon Lyn, who misplayed a ball and got juked out of his shoes on the same touchdown play.

That was all the offense the Cardinals needed as the Syracuse Orange attack that decimated West Virginia sputtered, stalled and failed against this top ranked Louisville unit.

The offense recorded an abysmal 246 total yards of offense with 84 yards on the ground. Ryan Nassib was pressured all day, overthrowing receivers and never finding a way to make the big play. His total of 162 yards throwing only looks worse when looking deeper and realizing he only averaged 4.5 yards a reception.

They key to this game was that Louisville played hard and won the battle of the trenches. Roused by the return of Anthony Conner to the locker room after breaking his neck last week, the Cardinals simply wanted this win more than Syracuse.

Overall, in an unpredictable Big East, Syracuse is not playing consistent enough football to contend for a title. While Syracuse showed last week they have the potential to defeat more talented and hyped teams, this week they showed that those kinds of performances cannot be expected week after week.

The Orange likely just lost their chance at an Orange Bowl birth and a national ranking with this kind of performance. Coach Marrone’s squad needs work going into the final stretch of games, as Syracuse still needs a win to be Bowl eligible.

While going to a bowl is still a victory for a program that has not gone to back-to-back bowls in over a decade, this team had higher expectations in a lackluster conference. But it’s time for fans and the team to stop looking towards the bowl season and start looking at UConn.

Another performance like this could derail the Orange’s season for good.

While for the second straight week Syracuse was absent from the BCS discussion, they are starting to make some noise.

The Orange received 57 votes in the Harris poll and 10 in the coaches poll, both used in the BCS equation. Furthermore, Syracuse received 40 votes in the AP poll, setting the Orange up to make a top 25 appearance with wins over the next two weeks. 

With WVU being the only ranked Big East team, it will be interesting to see where Syracuse, Rutgers and WVU fall in relation to each other, especially after this weekend’s game between the Scarlet Knights and Mountaineers.

Most importantly, with that upset win over West Virginia, Syracuse’s bowl outlook becomes much more optimistic.

The best-case scenario for the Orange now looks much more obtainable. With Rutgers falling to Louisville and USF falling to Cincinnati, Syracuse now sits tied for 3^rd place in the Big East standings. However, to use a phrase from former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, the Orange are in control of their own destiny.

Well almost.

If the Orange win out for the rest of the season, they will finish second in the Big East. If Rutgers loses one more game (they face WVU this week in New Jersey) then the Orange can run the table and take the Big East.

Why is this suddenly so attractive?

UConn looks absolutely horrible this season and their only Big East win came over a USF team that is falling apart at the seams. Louisville was thrown into that horrible group before this past week, but a win against Rutgers should motivate the Orange to work hard in practice this week. Pitt and Cincinnati are both legitimate contenders as well, but they both utilize the spread offense West Virginia has perfected and sputtered against the Orange. Furthermore, Cincinnati and USF come to the Dome to play their games.

That means that the only foreseeable obstacle for a Syracuse BCS bowl birth is Pitt in the last game of the year, pending they don’t lose to either the Bearcats or Mountaineers. The reason this seems so likely is because Syracuse brought out all of their potential on Friday.

The secondary is good enough as a unit to shut down anyone thanks to great safety play with Shamarko and Phillip Thomas, the defensive line under Chandler Jones can dominate, and Ryan Nassib and Antwon Bailey lead a balanced offensive attack that methodically moves on anyone.

Ultimately, if the Big East continues as is, Syracuse can run the table all the way until Pitt, who I could see upsetting the Orange in the season finale in Pittsburgh. Even then, West Virginia should be able to win the Backyard Brawl in Morgantown. Even if Pitt also runs the table, the Orange should still finish second or third in the Big East, earning a spot to the Camps Sports bowl or Belk Bowl.

The wild card will be Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish get an invite to the Champs Sports bowl pending a 7 win season, though that is looking dubious with games against Stanford, Wake Forrest, and yearly upset Navy still to come.  Even then, the Orange’s resume will be much more impressive for either bowl and should create the better matchup, regardless of how well Notre Dame fans travel.

So yes Orange fans, get the sun tan lotion out, there’s going to be a winter break trip down to Florida.

No one could have ever predicted this. This was the dream outcome after Oliver Luck’s comments, WVU’s smug attitude after an LSU whooping and a Syracuse team fighting for their bowl life.

With this win, and I kid you not, Syracuse has just gone from a potential Big East doormat to now a potential Big East champion. How can I say that? This game showed what Syracuse can do if they play their game for an entire game.

Doug Marrone looked like the Zen Master, realizing that West Virginia’s style could be just as much of a disadvantage as it is an advantage. Syracuse purposefully played methodically and conservatively on offense, relying on basic execution to win each individual play.

With an offensive line that looked superb, Ryan Nassib was able to hand the ball to either Antwon Bailey, Jerome Smith or Adonis Ameen-Moore and saw the backsides of these players either plunge forward with success or dash and weave through a confused West Virginia defense. 

Even better for Nassib, Nick Provo showed why he is mentioned in Mackey Award discussion, hooking up three times for scores. All of this led to 35 minutes of possession, leaving a tired WVU defense on the field and an unbalanced and miffed offense scratching their heads on the sideline.

But we all knew the offense could be good.

What made this game so amazing and so promising was how special teams and defense stepped up. To the special teams, Syracuse needed sound coverage to ensure Geno Smith had a long field to work with.

That goal was achieved all but once.

The second goal was to make the big play. And with one amazing streak and cross-field cut, Dorian Graham continued to evolve into a game-breaker for the Orange. Even better? No blocked PATs and no mindless penalties.

Though for anyone watching the game, the star unit was the defense. There were questions in the secondary, questions on the line, heck even questions if this unit could keep WVU to less than 30 points.

Marrone’s bread and butter came to play and fed off one of the loudest and rowdiest crowds in the recent memory of Syracuse football (announced 45,000).

Chandler Jones led from the front, finishing the day with six tackles and two sacks. With Jones’ presence in the pass rush, suddenly the linebackers became more effective in run stuffing, and the secondary was able to confuse Geno Smith with their zone coverage.

Smith may have finished with 338 passing yards, but Syracuse’s secondary was at its best while retaining its trademark, bend don’t break, while shutting down Smith with big plays, such as a goal line interception with under three minutes to go in the second.

Phillip Thomas lived up to the hype, leaving the game hurt but coming back to pick off Geno Smith and was a force in both the open field and backfield.

Overall, the Orange came to play tonight and showed the world (OK, maybe just the U.S.) that they can play with the best of them. The Orange showed all that matters is what is in the W column. Wake up, Big East and BCS, the Orange are coming.

 *With Rutgers’ loss to Louisville, Cincinnati is the only unbeaten team in Big East play. Is it unrealistic to think that Syracuse can run the table and Rutgers loses one more...? Tune in Sunday night for the Syracuse BCS buster!

This week, the Syracuse Orange will play their biggest game of the season against 15^th ranked West Virginia in a battle for Big Supremacy. For all players, playing on ESPN Friday night is enough to “get up for this game,” in the words of Mikhail Marinovich.

For Phillip Thomas, this game is even more personal. Thomas is the leader of the Syracuse secondary, a unit that has epitomized a bend-don’t-break philosophy all year. “It’s a lot of motivation,” says Thomas when you consider another fact: Both he and Geno Smith hail from Miami. In fact, a good number of players will get reunited with Geno Smith this weekend. “Me, Keon Lyn, Ri‘Shard Anderson, we’re all going to go out there and be our defense and continue to play as a unit.”

But this game will more than likely stir memories for Phillip Thomas, a young man who is no stranger to tragedy. In fact, it is his past that has driven him to be successful in the here and now.

Growing up, Phillip lost a lot of people close to him. What was worse was how early he lost them. His father, Michael Byrd, was a gangster who died when Phillip was still a kid. Needless to say, being surrounded by this lifestyle meant Phil had to fight to survive.

But Phillip said he had figured it out by then.

Goes to show how street smart Phillip was and still is. He learned all of that when he ran with gangs in Miami. Phillip was frequently in trouble for starting fights, once went to a juvenile detention center for being with a friend who stole a watch and “numerous things I regret.” In fact, he had done all of this after living a stint without a home.

Things changed with a visit from Scott Schafer and a scholarship offer to Syracuse. Throughout all of Thomas’ life, his aunt, with whom he has had a hot and cold relationship ever since she adopted him, had found football as a way to channel Thomas’ anger, hurt and fight.

Thomas was a standout player in an area full of future D1 stars, and after some time, he along with players like Geno Smith made it big to play Saturdays. One of those Miami players was Jasper Howard, the former UConn player who was fatally stabbed in 2009. Once again, Thomas was faced with tremendous loss. His Facebook page is devoted to how much of an impact Taylor had on the young safety.

Through all of this adversity, Thomas has greatly matured and become a leader on the Syracuse defense. "With the opportunity Cuse gave me to come to college and make something out of my life, I had options and could say no to the bad and yes to the good." This season, Thomas’ team, which is leading 46 tackles and three interceptions, has gained national attention, earning 1^st Team all Big East midseason honors, and putting him on the national radar. “I’ve tried to perfect my tackling, and I want to continue to get better as an individual and contribute to my team as a unit.”

He's even found his "lucky charm," a "girl from JMU who puts a smile on my face...been playing A++ game since talking to her."

If Thomas continues to improve and shows it on the ESPN stage this Friday night, he can continue to move on from his past and get another fateful call: This time from the NFL.

As the Syracuse Orange comes off its bye week, through luck, bad calls and five defibrillators later, a 4-2 record has the Orange squarely in bowl contention.

This is largely due in part to the offense.

In all four of Syracuse’s wins, the offense was a huge reason Doug Marrone’s team has come away victorious. The one time the defense shut down an opponent, the offense literally threw the game away to Rutgers.

This is what has to be kept in mind when evaluating the Orange at both the metaphorical and actual midterm: consistency is a word the Orange may know, but not one it acts upon. Therefore, the Orange offense is given a satisfactory mark with an overall grade of a B-.

Offensively, Syracuse is middle of the pack based purely on numbers. The 26.7 points/game is 73^rd in the nation with the passing per game in the same range (220.3 for 71^st), while the rushing is in need of improvement (113.2 for 99^th). 

Looking at the film, the Syracuse offense is much more redeeming. Quarterback Ryan Nassib is the star of the team, managing the game flawlessly early in the season racking up 1,294 yards and 11 touchdowns. Nassib has struggled in recent weeks, but whether this is a result of nicks, constant pressure or a combination of both, it does not really matter at this point.

What does matter is that he needs to keep playing well if the Orange offense wants to be anywhere near effective against Big East competition. Unfortunately, he is not getting much help from many, including his receivers.

Nick Provo has been Nassib’s most consistent target and has been recognized for his efforts with Mackey Award contention. Provo is averaging 12 yards a catch and has two touchdowns so far, with more sure to come as Nassib’s receiving corps has yet to entirely show up since Week 1.

Alec Lemon has been as consistent as they come, snagging 30 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns, all team leads. However behind him, Van Chew has become as cold as a Syracuse winter. After grabbing 15 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns the first three weeks, he has failed to find the end zone on five catches for a mere 59 yards since.

Dorian Graham came on strong against Tulane and can offer a nice alternative to Chew, but one performance against the Green Wave won’t turn too many heads…yet.

Of course Syracuse wants to run the ball and the loss of Prince Tyson-Gulley only means Antwon Bailey gets more work this season. The senior has already rushed for 533 yards and five scores, averaging 4.5 yards a carry. These numbers are just more proof that the “A-Train” is ready to roll for both the flashy and tough yards in an effort to balance Nassib’s air attack.

However, neither of these athletes will get to shine if the offensive line continues to struggle. Week in and week out, the Orange line has failed to consistently win the battle in the trenches and the entire offense has suffered because of it. Nassib’s displeasure is beginning to show as the line has essentially limited the game plan to short throws and misdirection runs.

To be frank, if the Orange offense is going to improve, it must start up front and eventually trickle back to the rest of the unit. Hopefully, the bye week offered time to iron out issues as this unit will need their A-game to take down West Virginia.