In The Huddle: Sept. 23, 2011

Toledo AT Syracuse

IN THE

September 23-25, 2011

HUDDLE A publication of

Present danger

Syracuse must rebound from a disappointing loss to USC by taking care of upsetminded Toledo

2 sep t ember 23-25, 2 011

GA M EDAY W EEK E N D

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Editor’s note:

T H E I N DE PE N DE N T S T U DE N T N E W SPA PE R OF S Y R ACUSE , N E W YOR K

Sports Editor Presentation Director Photo Editor Copy Chief Asst. Presentation Director Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Photo Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor

Michael Cohen Becca McGovern Brandon Weight Laurence Leveille Ankur Patankar Mark Cooper Ryne Gery Stacie Fanelli Stephen Bailey Andrew Tredinnick

Dara McBride

Amrita Mainthia

EDITOR IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

General Manager IT Director IT Manager Circulation Manager Advertising Designer Advertising Designer Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Classifieds Manager Circulation Circulation Marketing Manager Student Business Manager Business Intern

Peter Waack Mike Escalante Derek Ostrander Harold Heron Cecilia Jayo Yoli Worth Bianca Rodriguez Kelsey Rowland Andrew Steinbach Yiwei Wu Michael Kang Joyce Placito Olivia St. Denis Assel Baitassova Brooke Williams Tim Bennett

Dear readers, This In the Huddle is the first edition of a series of football extras The Daily Orange will distribute for the 2011 football season. We use these special issues to provide you with an in-depth look at each and every Syracuse home football game. Inside, you will find a complete breakdown of SU’s showdown with Toledo on Saturday. This includes insight from tight end Nick Provo and linebacker Dyshawn Davis, a summary of key matchups and predictions from our three beat writers. You can also catch up on the most important news and notes from the Big East and around the country, plus check out the leading Heisman Trophy candidates. Ultimately, our hope is for you to get the most out of your game day experience.

Enjoy the game!

Sincerely, Michael Cohen Sports Editor

WEATHER TODAY

H75| L62

TOMORROW

SUNDAY

H78| L64

H78| L64

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nate shron | staff photographer ryan nassib (12) is three games into what’s shaping up to be the most efficient season of his career. SU’s senior quarterback has completed 74-of-102 passes this season.

Doing his part Nassib carries offense early in season without reliable running game

By Michael Cohen

T

Sports Editor

he four check-down passes embodied Ryan Nassib’s improvement. On Syracuse’s opening drive against Southern California, Nassib continually dumped the ball off to running back Antwon Bailey as a last resort when receivers were covered downfield.

Four times on the 12-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a field goal, Bailey acted as an escape valve. He turned possible sacks into positive yards, including chunks of 20 and 14 that sliced into the Trojans’ defense.

“I think he threw to Antwon three or four times on that drive and that was his last read,” said Syracuse offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. “So he went all the way around the horn and trusted Antwon and got it to him. He’s done a lot better at just believing in the progression and believing in the system.”

Nassib’s belief in the system — combined with hours of film study — has transformed his game through the first quarter of the 2011 season. The inconsistency of a year ago has vanished, leaving a polished passer who is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the nation. His drastic improvements have kept the Orange (2-1, 0-0 Big East) afloat so far this year, as the running game, led by Bailey, has fluctuated between decent at best and ineffective at worst.

Saturday, Syracuse welcomes a Toledo (1-2, 0-0 MAC) team to the Carrier Dome that pres-

ents a similar 4-4 defensive scheme as Rhode Island. With a slew of defenders around the line of scrimmage, the Orange might need a heavy dose of Nassib throwing the ball to avoid a twogame losing streak (noon, Big East Network).

Hackett attributed Nassib’s elevated game to his increased comfort level as the SU quarterback. During the course of his career at Syracuse, Nassib was forced to learn three different offensive systems — something that would slow the growth of any quarterback.

But 2011 marks the first time in his career he is playing within the same scheme and playbook for consecutive seasons.

“When he goes back there, he knows exactly what he’s got to do,” Hackett said. “He understands his drop, he understands where his No. 1 is, he understands where his No. 2 is — and that really helps him. Last year, it was a new system and his third system he’s ever had.”

As a result, he has more than carried the SU offense through three games. His 726 passing yards constitute less than 74 percent of the yards gained by the Orange this season.

And against Rhode Island, his passing yards accounted for an unreal 89.9 percent of Syracuse’s offensive total.

But the whole product is a horribly imbalanced Syracuse offense. For a team led by a head coach in Doug Marrone and an offensive line coach in Greg Adkins, who pride themselves on smashmouth football, this year’s SU attack seems foreign. see toledo page 11

Perspectives

4 sep t ember 23-25, 2 011

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compiled by stephen bailey and stacie fanelli | the daily orange

Did Syracuse’s loss to Southern California last weekend change your perception of the SU football team, or is USC just too good for the Orange right now?

“I would definitely say that USC is a little above our playing level, but I think that we’re actually doing well for our conference right now.”

“I think that Syracuse is still “That was awful. That was awful. I was not proud of my Orange that day.” unlike USC. They’re on a Devon Harris different level than Syracuse.” sophomore musical theater major

Harrison Laifer

Connor Shapiro

“I think right now, currently, USC is a little better than what Syracuse is, but I think the program is on the rise.”

Jeremy Levenson

junior in the School of Information Studies

freshman sport management major

sophomore biology major

“USC is too good for the Orange right now.”

“I think we’ve had a little bit of setbacks, but other than that I think we showed what our offense Peri Casella has to offer.” Ryan Williams

“It didn’t change my perception.

I just think that we probably Josh Shuriff need to work harder.”

freshman health and exercise science major

freshman business management major

freshman architecture major

“No, it didn’t change my perception. I don’t think that they’re too good. I just think that we need to work harder.”

Sabrina Cammock

freshman biology major

6 sep t ember 23-25, 2 011

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Last time they played Syracuse 34 Toledo 7 Walter Reyes had a wide smile on his face when he struck the Heisman pose after Syracuse’s win over Central Florida. And a week later, when the Orangemen played Toledo, Reyes further bolstered his case for the Heisman Trophy.

The SU running back followed up a 241-yard, four-touchdown UCF game with 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns against the Rockets.

Reyes gave credit to his offensive line for opening up gaping holes to run through following the game.

“The (offensive line) makes holes about this big,” Reyes said in an article published by The Daily Orange on Sept. 29, 2003. “At first, I’m expecting to get hit and then it’s like, ‘Oh, here we go.’”

With the help of his offensive line, Reyes led Syracuse to a 34-7 throttling of Toledo.

Reyes couldn’t be contained, busting out for two touchdown runs of 61 yards and 43 yards in length. The Orangemen combined its fierce running attack that went for 303 yards on 47 carries with a stingy pass defense to easily beat the Rockets.

After the win over Toledo, Reyes led the nation in rushing with 170.3 yards per game

and scoring with 15.5 points per game. He finished the year with 1,347 yards rushing, 975 receiving and 20 touchdowns rushing on the season.

The Orangemen improved to 3-1 after stifling the Rockets. The Syracuse defense was prepared for Toledo’s short passing scheme.

The Rockets were only able to gain 57 yards on 13 screen plays.

Syracuse defensive coordinator Chris Rippon recognized Bruce Gradkowski’s tendency to throw the short pass. Gradkowski threw the ball 50 times, but the Orangemen held the Toledo quarterback to just 5.1 yards per pass.

“Their passing game is really more like a running game,” Rippon said to The Daily Orange after the game. “It’s a lot of short passes, a lot of screen passes.”

The Orangemen controlled the clock, running 39 plays before halftime. Reyes’ ability to break free for big plays even astounded his teammates. The nearly 36,000 fans in the Carrier Dome took notice, too, giving him a standing ovation.

“He just bursts through that hole, and it opens like the Red Sea,” tight end Lenny

Cusumano said to The Daily Orange after the game. “Walter gets up in there, the hole opens up and he takes it to the house. It’s just unbelievable the way he hits that hole.”

Toledo only mustered one touchdown in the third quarter, and by that time the Orangemen were already out in front 27-0.

“I can’t say that we anticipated that they would only score seven points,” SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni said to The Daily Orange after the game. “But one of the objectives on defense was to bend, slow it down and try not to break.”

Reyes was able to outrun the whole Rockets’ defense on his two touchdowns. Despite overextending his quad on one play, the Orangemen continued to feed Reyes the ball rather than turn to backup Damien Rhodes. The Rockets were unable to find a remedy for the Orangemen running attack.

“We tried to run blitz on those short-yardage plays and make a big play,” Toledo head coach Tom Amstutz said to The Daily Orange after the game. “He made some moves, found a hole and just took off.”

— Compiled by Andrew Tredinnick, asst. copy editor, adtredin@syr.edu

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nate shron | staff photographer nick provo (80) had a breakout game against Southern California on the road last Saturday. With wide receiver Van Chew receiving the bulk of the attention from the USC defense, Provo found openings and hauled in eight passes for a team-high 85 yards.

Q&A with Syracuse tight end Nick Provo

By Zach Brown Staff Writer

Syracuse tight end Nick Provo had a quiet first two weeks in 2011 thanks to a couple drops and not many targets from quarterback Ryan Nassib.

That changed against USC. The senior led the Orange with a career-high eight catches for 85 yards. He has now caught a pass in 16 straight games.

The Daily Orange caught up with Provo to talk about his performance this season and what SU’s offense plans to do this week against Toledo.

The Daily Orange: In the first two games, you had a couple drops, not a whole lot of targets. What changed against USC to allow you to have eight catches?

Provo: It was mainly the defense. (USC) plays a little different defense, kind of let the tight end run free, and that was a big part of having eight catches. The first two games, especially Rhode Island, they tend to cover up the tight end a lot, which was kind of rough for me. But it happens.

Toledo plays a similar style of defense to Rhode Island, so do you expect less targets again this week?

Hopefully not. We’re putting in some new personnel to try and spread me out to try to get me the ball more so I don’t end up with just one catch. Hopefully, I’ll end up with some more catches.

Against Rhode Island, the focal point of the offense was the passing game. Is it going to be the same type of game plan?

Actually, pretty much we want to run the ball.

We want to run the ball a lot. That’s what (offensive coordinator Nathaniel) Hackett’s been saying. But we can get to the game and that could change. I really don’t know.

Is that a matchup thing or is it just something going into the game you guys want to do?

Just going into the game we want to do. We haven’t run the ball well the last couple games.

Pretty much we’ve got to get our running game.

It’ll help out the passing game and everything else.

What’s been the biggest obstacle to getting running back Antwon Bailey going in some of

dailyorange.com

these games?

Pretty much just getting a good blocking scheme down. We don’t have as many plays in as we had the first couple weeks. Pretty much we just want to perfect those plays. We don’t have an extra load in. We’re just going to perfect the plays that we have in.

Ryan Nassib is ninth in the country in completion percentage, completing more than 70 percent of his passes. He’s gotten Big East honors every week. Is this the best that you’ve seen him play and what’s made him so successful?

He’s grown up a lot from last season.

This is the best I’ve ever seen him play. Just learning the offense, being more confident, and being with the receivers and tight ends and running backs for a while has made him more comfortable. zjbrown@syr.edu

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RE  RE 

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KEY MATCHUPS

KEON LYN CB

ERIC PAGE WR

ANTWON BAILEY RB

ALEC LEMON WR

101

1

26 7

DESMOND MARROW CB

11

95 11

13

96

Toledo had a 35-game winning streak from 1969-71, the second-longest in NCAA football history.

10

Ryan Nassib completed his last 11 passes against Rhode Island and started with 11 straight completions against Southern California. That streak of 22 completions in a row was four shy of the Football Bowl Subdivision record, set by Aaron Rodgers in 2004.

72

97

2

12

TOLEDO ON OFFENSE

36.84

The percentage of third downs Syracuse has converted this year. SU has converted on 14 of its 38 attempts.

That’s 83rd in the nation.

15

67

SYRACUSE OFFENSE 12 QB RYAN NASSIB 29 RB ANTWON BAILEY 49 FB ADAM HARRIS 82 WR VAN CHEW 15 WR ALEC LEMON 80 TE NICK PROVO 67 LT JUSTIN PUGH 75 LG ZACK CHIBANE 59 C MACKY MACPHERSON 66 RG ANDREW TILLER 74 RT MICHAEL HAY

72.6

5

52

94 75

“(Toledo) plays a 4-4 defense, single high safety, similar to what Rhode Island played. Obviously, we had some struggles against them, so we have to do a better job the second time around.”

The completion percentage for Ryan Nassib through three games. He has completed 74-of-102 passes, good for ninth in the country.

TOLEDO DEFENSE 97 DE MALCOLM RILEY 94 NT JOHNIE ROBERTS 52 DT JOHNATHAN LAMB 23 DE T.J. FATINIKUN 10 LB CHARLES RANCIFER 49 LB TERRELL ANDERSON 38 LB ROBERT BELL 2 CB TAIKWON PAIGE 29 SS JERMAINE ROBINSON 5 FS DIAUNTAE MORROW 3 CB DESMOND MARROW

59 12 49 29

23 66

3 74

RUTGERS

Oct. 1, noon

80

82

SYRACUSE ON OFFENSE

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS MARK COOPER Syracuse 27 Toledo 23 This isn’t Akron, that’s for sure. But Syracuse has enough rocket fuel to get past Toledo. The Orange will go full speed ahead into Big East play.

MICHAEL COHEN

TOLEDO OFFENSE 4 QB AUSTIN DANTIN 24 RB ADONIS THOMAS 7 WR KENNY STAFFORD 11 WR BERNARD REEDY 12 WR ERIC PAGE 9 TE DANNY NOBLE 74 LT MIKE VANDERMEULEN 78 LG PHILLIPKEITH MANLEY 67 C ZAC KERIN 75 RG GREG MANCZ 72 RT JOHN MOROOKIAN

SU LINEBACKER

UP NEXT >>

9

49 38

THEY SAID IT

Dyshawn Davis

8

The number of receiving yards Toledo’s Eric Page had against Ohio State on Sept. 10. The Buckeyes’ passing defense ranks 17th in the country.

24

29

“Right now, this week, this is where we see ourselves as a team. Where do we stand? How hard can we work? How hard do we want it? How bad do the seniors want it? This win is not really easy. It’s going to come down to who wants it.”

54

4

DID YOU KNOW?

SU HEAD COACH

145

33

74 78 67 75

TERRENCE OWENS QB

Doug Marrone

The national ranking for Syracuse in passing defense. The Orange ranked seventh in the country in this category a year ago.

21

35

Alec Lemon’s touchdown toss to Van Chew against the Trojans was the first time a Syracuse non-quarterback threw for a score since 1997, when Kevin Johnson did it against West Virginia.

The number of years in a row Toledo has beaten a Bowl Championship Series conference team. Syracuse is the last BCS school on the Rockets’ schedule this season.

STARTING LINEUPS

Owens is the younger of Toledo’s two quarterbacks, and Austin Dantin might not even play after suffering a concussion last week. Thomas had two picks against Rhode Island and will be looking for more against sophomore Owens.

PHILLIP THOMAS FS

5

Saturday, noon, Big East Network

ROBERT BELL LB Toledo’s corners are the second and fourth leading tacklers on the team. That likely means they give up a lot of completions. If Lemon can break a tackle or two, he could be in for a big day.

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BY THE NUMBERS

TOLEDO AT SYRACUSE

SU is going to have to figure out how to limit the opposing team’s stud receivers at some point. USC’s Robert Woods didn’t have a monster game with Lyn on him, but it wasn’t a shutdown performance by any means. Look for some double coverage help from linebacker Dom Anene this week.

Syracuse wants to establish the running game against Toledo, something the Orange hasn’t done in its last two contests. Bell is in his first year as a starter but leads the Rockets in tackles with 22 on the season.

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@TULANE

Oct. 8, 8 p.m.

SYRACUSE DEFENSE 54 DE MIKHAIL MARINOVICH 13 NT DEON GOGGINS 96 DT JAY BROMLEY 95 DE TORREY BALL 33 SLB DAN VAUGHAN 11 MLB MARQUIS SPRUILL 35 WLB DYSHAWN DAVIS 26 H CB KEVYN SCOTT 21 SS SHAMARKO THOMAS 1 FS PHILLIP THOMAS 8 CB KEON LYN

Toledo 35 Syracuse 27 As Eminem said, “Earth calling, pilot to co-pilot. Looking at the life on this planet, sir, no sign of it.” The Rockets take advantage of a Syracuse team that will come out sluggish after a deflating loss to Southern California.

ZACH BROWN Toledo 31 Syracuse 24 SU hasn’t shut down a No. 1 receiver yet this season and the explosive Eric Page comes to the Dome this week. The Orange salvages a respectable score, but the game won’t be as close as the scoreboard says.

WEST VIRGINIA

Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

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Limited time offer. Availability, prices, participation, delivery areas, and charges, and minimum purchase requirement may vary. The Pizza Hut name, logos, and related marks are trademarks of Pizza Hut Inc.

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AROUND THE BIG EAST

WEEKEND LINEUP

STANDINGS

1 1 3 4 4 4 7 8

South Florida 3-0

Thursday

CINCINNATI 44, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 14 Cincinnati picked up its second straight win on Thursday, defeating North Carolina State 44-14. Zach Collaros threw for 263 yards and

West Virginia 3-0

two touchdowns in the win to lead the Bearcats offense. It was the third multi-touchdown game for Collaros this season as the Bearcats improved to 3-1. Cincinnati’s defense also played a key part, forcing the Wolfpack into a completely one-dimensional approach. NC State’s finished with negative 26 yards on the ground. The Bearcats also forced three turnovers on defense, converting two interceptions into 14 points in the first half.

Cincinnati

Saturday

3-1

NOTRE DAME (1-2) AT PITTSBURGH (2-1), NOON, ABC

Louisville

The Panthers go into Saturday hoping to avenge last season’s 23-17 loss to Notre Dame. Running back Ray Graham, who is averaging a whopping 139.7 yards per game this season, will lead the charge for Pittsburgh. He has already found the end zone six times this season and looks to increase that total Saturday.

2-1

Pittsburgh

NO. 2 LOUISIANA STATE (3-0) AT NO. 16 WEST VIRGINIA (3-0), 8 P.M., ABC

2-1

The LSU defense held then-No. 3 Oregon’s prolific spread offense to just 27 points in its season opener. The Tigers have also held Northwestern and then-No. 25 Mississippi State to a combined nine points. The Mountaineers are averaging 42 points per contest in 2011 behind quarterback Geno Smith. He has already thrown for more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. Something’s got to give in this primetime matchup.

Syracuse 2-1

TEXAS EL-PASO (2-1) AT NO. 18 SOUTH FLORIDA (3-0), 7 P.M., ESPN3

Rutgers 1-1

The Bulls will take the field at the friendly confines of Raymond James Stadium as 29-point favorites Saturday. In their 70-17 beat-down of Florida A&M, the Bulls racked up 745 total yards. Quarterback B.J. Daniels threw for four touchdowns and Darrell Scott ran for another three. If the Miners can’t contain the potent Bulls offense, UTEP head coach Mike Price and company will be in for a long night.

Connecticut 1-2

OHIO (3-0) AT RUTGERS (1-1), 2 P.M., ESPN3

The Scarlet Knights could be in for a challenge against Ohio.

The undefeated Bobcats are coming off a 44-7 thrashing of Marshall this past weekend and currently rank 22nd in the nation in scoring offense. Ohio has scored 39.3 points per game and is 23rd in the nation in total offense with 467.3 yards per game. In that victory over the Thundering Herd, Tyler Tettleton threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns in just his third career start. Against Rutgers, he looks to build on that career performance and lead Ohio to its first 4-0 start since 1976.

CONNECTICUT (1-2) AT BUFFALO (1-2), 6 P.M., SNY

The Huskies played poorly in the fourth quarter of their last two games against Vanderbilt and Iowa State. Last year’s Big East champions opened the season with a dominating 35-3 win over Fordham but have struggled since. In a rebuilding year under first-year head coach Paul Pasqualoni, Connecticut is having a hard time finding its stride.

SCHOOL

PASS YARDS/GAME

Geno Smith

West Virginia

336.0

B.J. Daniels

South Florida

289.7

Ryan Nassib

Syracuse

242.0

Tino Sunseri

Pittsburgh

219.3

Will Stein

Louisville

205.0

NAME

SCHOOL

RUSH YARDS/GAME

Ray Graham

Pittsburgh

139.7

Lyle McCombs

Connecticut

101.7

Darrell Scott

South Florida

87.0

Isaiah Pead

Cincinnati

Antwon Bailey Syracuse

85.7 68.0

RECEIVING

NAME

courtesy of west virginia athletic communications

RUSHING

PASSING

Statistical Leaders

NAME

SCHOOL

Mohamed Sanu Rutgers

RECEIVING YARDS/GAME

93.5

Van Chew

Syracuse

80.0

Devin Street

Pittsburgh

78.7

Tavon Austin

West Virginia 78.7

D.J. Woods

Cincinnati

77.3

— Compiled by Stephen Bailey, asst. copy editor, sebail01@ syr.edu

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sep t ember 23-25, 2 011

NEWS NOTES AND

West Virginia will depend on Smith’s arm against Louisiana State

On Saturday, quarterback Geno Smith will lead No. 16 West Virginia against No. 2 Louisiana State and its vaunted defense. LSU has one of the best defenses in the country, holding opponents to 12 points per game, 47.7 rushing yards per game and 207.7 total yards per game. The Tigers have forced a turnover or a three-and-out on 19 of 39 defensive possessions so far this season.

They haven’t even allowed a run longer than 15 yards.

And with the Mountaineers run game currently operating in low gear, Smith and his wide receivers will likely carry the offensive load. Freshman Vernard Roberts leads the team with a measly 112 yards through three games. In its matchup with Norfolk State earlier this season, WVU rushers had six chances to score from the 1-yard line and fell short on each and every one of them.

But Smith has made up for it by completing passes at nearly a 70 percent clip this season. He leads the conference with 336 passing yards per game. He has already thrown seven touchdowns and has been picked off just once. Tavon Austin, arguably his favorite target, leads the team with 20 receptions and 236 receiving yards. In last week’s 37-31 win over Maryland, the pair connected 11 times for 122 yards. They’ll need to be on the same page again Saturday night if the Mountaineers want to spoil LSU’s first-ever visit to Morgantown, W.Va.

Connecticut tries to halt skid

From the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in the Bowl Championship Series to a 1-2 start against three unranked opponents, Connecticut has changed quite a bit in less than nine months.

Head coach Randy Edsall, who built the team

TOLEDO FROM PAGE 3

The Orange has thrown 103 passes so far in 2011, compared to just 76 rushing attempts.

Marrone attributes the imbalance to having to play from behind against Wake Forest and USC. This meant Nassib had to throw the ball more frequently.

“If you throw the ball and lose, you should have run it. And if you run the ball and lose, you should have thrown it,” Marrone said in a teleconference Wednesday. “I hate to say that and our goal as coaches is to be balanced, but at the end of the day, I think it’s the same thing.

We’re trying to win football games any way we can.”

Saturday could require another heavy dose of Nassib against Toledo. The Rockets defense loads the box with at least eight defenders on every play, which makes running the ball extremely difficult.

The Orange players and coaches are expecting pressure from Toledo, meaning Nassib will have to get the ball out of his hands quickly and accurately — one of his strengths this season.

Nassib’s completion percentage has skyrocketed from a less-than-mediocre 56.4 percent in 2010 to an impressive 72.5 percent this year.

That’s good enough for ninth-best in the country among Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks.

“From the mistakes I made last year, I’m making a lot less of them now,” Nassib said.

“That film from last year, it’s really hard for me to watch because I left a lot out there.”

Syracuse players and coaches hope previous experience against the uncommon 4-4 defense is something that will help them Saturday.

AROUND THE BIG EAST

up from a mediocre Division I-AA program, moved on to Maryland. Quarterback Zach Frazer graduated, and last year’s starting running back Jordan Todman was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.

This year, former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni has taken over for Edsall.

Junior quarterback Johnny McEntee and freshman running back Lyle McCombs don’t have the experience to compare with the 2010 starters. The inexperienced Huskies have lost to Iowa State and Vanderbilt, and McEntee has thrown zero touchdowns and four interceptions.

Against Buffalo this Saturday, the Huskies have a chance to gain some confidence and move to .500.

Pittsburgh secondary under fire

Pittsburgh is 2-1 this season, but its weak pass defense arguably cost the team one game and could easily cost them another against Notre Dame on Saturday.

The Fighting Irish aren’t afraid to put the ball in the air. Starting quarterback Tommy Rees has thrown for 772 yards and six scores. And the fact that the Panthers defense is second-to-last in the nation in pass defense will only entice ND coach Brian Kelly to let Rees take shots downfield.

In the Panthers second game, Maine quarterback Warren Smith threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns as the Football Championship Subdivision Black Bears narrowly missed pulling the upset. Then Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg tore apart the Panthers secondary last weekend, tossing three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to erase a 17-point deficit.

The Pitt secondary will need to improve if it wants to keep Rees and the Irish out of the end zone.

They’ve studied game tape from Rhode Island extensively, trying to find ways to pick apart the high-pressure scheme they saw against the Rams.

Nassib was nearly perfect against Rhode Island, throwing for 318 yards and three touchdowns. But the offense was completely onedimensional.

Though it’s not ideal, Adkins says the team simply has to take what the defense gives it and hope to exploit it.

“Rhode Island basically forced us to throw the football with the looks that they gave us,” Adkins said. “They pretty much took us out of all the run game. You’ve got to do what’s asked and what the defense gives you. And, unfortunately, it’s been a little more of the throwing aspect that we’ve had to do.” mjcohe02@syr.edu

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SYRACUSE NO.

1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 37 38 39 40 41 41 42

NAME

Phillip Thomas Olando Fisher Durell Eskridge Brandon Reddish Marcus Sales Ritchy Desir Terrel Hunt Jonny Miller Oliver Vigille Corey Edsall Keon Lyn Ri’Shard Anderson Dorian Graham Marquis Spruill Ryan Nassib Deon Goggins John Kinder Alec Lemon Shu Mungwa Keenan Hale James Jarrett Charley Loeb Siriki Diabate Nick Raven Ryan Lichtenstein Mitchell Piasecki Shamarko Thomas Adrian Flemming Prince-Tyson Gulley Jatson George Jeremiah Kobena Kevyn Scott Nathaniel Forer Joe Nassib Greg Tobias Jeremi Wilkes Antwon Bailey Steve Rene Clay Cleveland Travon Burke Dan Vaughan Tombe Kose Dyshawn Davis Adonis Ameen-Moore Ross Krautman Chris McKenzie Cameron Lynch Dom Anene Zachary McCarrell Shane Raupers Donnie Simmons Shane Kimmel

POS.

FS SS FS CB WR CB QB QB LB QB/P CB CB WR LB QB DT QB WR SS WR SS QB LB TE K FB SS WR RB CB WR CB QB CB RB FS RB RB FB RB LB FB LB RB K FS LB LB LB P DE FB

HT.

5-11 5-10 6-2 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-3 5-11 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-4 5-10 6-4 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-3 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-11 6-3 5-9 5-10 5-9 5-7 5-7 6-0 6-1 6-2 5-9 6-3 5-10 5-7 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-9 6-2 6-1

WT.

190 207 196 179 183 168 203 212 212 211 190 189 185 216 229 272 181 202 207 185 202 212 210 230 161 252 208 196 181 159 180 208 228 170 169 189 201 176 236 253 219 240 213 244 155 206 223 224 188 184 226 232

CLASS

Jr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr Fr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr, Fr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Gr. Fr. So. So. So. Sr. So. So. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr. Jr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr.

NO.

43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

NAME

Mario Tull Jerome Smith Jonathan Fisher Sam Rodgers Carl Cutler Adam Harris Femi Aliyu Eric Crume Ollie Haney Lucas Albrecht Mikhail Marinovich Rob Trudo Cory Boatman Lewellyn Coker Macky MacPherson Sean Hickey Eric Morrs Andrew Phillips Ryan Sloan Jarel Lowery Andrew Tiller Justin Pugh Nick Robinson Jesse Wolf-Gould Ivan Foy Nick Lepak Michael Hay Zack Chibane Ian Allport Lou Alexander Kristofer Curtis Nick Provo Louie Addazio Van Chew Max Beaulieu Michael Acchione Beckett Wales David Stevens Kyle Foster Jarrod West Thomas Trendowski Cayden Feifer Brandon Sharpe Riley Dixon Robert Welsh Micah Robinson Daniel Anyaegbunam Torrey Ball Jay Bromley Macauley Hill Kyle Ishman Chandler Jones

POS.

RB RB P LS FB FB LB NT NT DT DE C NT LB C OT LS OT DT OG OG OT OT OL OG OG OT OG C OG OT TE TE WR TE WR TE TE WR WR TE WR DE K/P NT DE DT DE DT WR WR DE

HT.

6-0 5-11 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-6 5-9 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-3 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-5

WT.

207 213 209 215 250 248 215 332 290 255 253 300 281 218 269 282 227 279 324 309 334 292 295 321 318 363 283 293 296 331 291 249 241 175 240 174 253 231 207 204 242 169 245 202 260 252 288 253 280 198 181 265

CLASS

So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. R-Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Gr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Gr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. So. R-Sr. Jr. Jr. Fr. So. So. So. Sr. So. Fr. So. Sr.

sep t ember 23-25, 2 011

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

TOLEDO NO.

2 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 17 17 19 20 20 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42

NAME

Bill Claus Terrance Owens Taikwon Paige Desmond Marrow Ryan Casano Austin Dantin Diauntae Morrow Byron Best Kenny Stafford James Green Corey Smith Danny Noble David Alvey Charles Rancifer Devin Brown Bernard Reedy Eric Page Cordale Scott Anthony Washington Justin Olack Jayrone Elliot Ryan Gannon Dwight Macon Joseph Missler Cassius McDowell Robert Carmona John James Zach Rogers Ross Madison David Fluellen T.J. Fatinikun Morgan Williams Adonis Thomas Kishon Wilcher Jimmy Davidson Keith Suggs Darius Reeves Ethan Kagy Jermaine Robinson Ben Pike James Gordon Dan Molls Junior Sylvestre Chris Dukes David Pasquale Vince Penza Cheatham Norrils Ibrahim Yayah Robert Bell Trent Voss Zac Rosenbauer Gabe Gilbert

POS.

P QB CB CB PK QB SS CB WR WR P TE PK LB WR WR WR WR DB WR DE QB QB DB WR WR CB WR DB RB DE RB RB CB WR CB RB S S DL LB LB DB CB RB P DB CB LB LB DL LB

HT.

6-0 6-4 5-11 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-0 5-9 6-4 6-3 5-8 6-5 6-3 6-3 5-9 5-9 5-10 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-0 5-11 5-9 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-10 5-7 6-4 5-10 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-2 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-1

WT.

189 180 185 210 178 200 199 200 204 200 175 248 185 217 175 175 180 220 175 210 220 190 200 195 180 200 163 195 193 215 250 215 185 168 201 175 202 192 188 266 210 222 195 182 232 201 185 175 227 210 255 210

CLASS

Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. RFr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. Jr, Jr. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. RFr. RFr. RFr. So. Fr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. So. Jr. So. RFr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. RFr. Fr.

NO.

43 44 45 45 46 47 48 49 51 52 54 55 56 57 60 61 62 63 64 65 67 68 70 72 73 74 75 76 78 79 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 93 94 94 95 96 97 98 99

NAME

Mark Singer Jordan Barnes Graham Miller Matt Wall Hank Keighley Noah Key Dawalyn Harper Terrell Anderson Derek Batt Johnathan Lamb Jeff Myers Ray Bush Josh Hendershot Robert Lisowski A.J. Lindeman Erik Carlson Mark Mattraw Paul Wisniewski Ethan Wirth Chase Nelson Zac Kerin Kyle Cameron Ben Steele John Morookian Stone Monarch Mike VanDerMeulen Greg Mancz Samuel Cherry Phillipkeith Manley Fadi Farha Jeff Moore Colby Kratch Julian Bellinger Sam Gaymon Christian Smith Jeremiah Detmer James Datz Jake Dunbar Jerome Jones Collin Perchinske Grant Pleasant Andre Sturdivant Danny Farr Phil Lewis Colin McHugh Johnie Roberts Clay Simpkins Jared Strait Ayoub Hamidah Malcolm Riley Elijah Jones Keenen Gibbs

POS.

S LB CB LS DE DB LB OLB LB DT OL LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL C DL OL LS OL OL OL OL OL WR TE WR S DE PK P P TE TE DE DL DT DL LS DL PK TE DL DL DT DE

HT.

6-1 6-1 5-9 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-8 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-5 5-10 6-7 6-5 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-1 6-3 6-2 5-8 6-1 5-10 6-7 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-2 5-11 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-2 6-3

WT.

194 240 187 218 250 180 220 215 210 295 280 220 275 292 300 283 255 295 280 345 294 280 250 301 205 304 280 302 309 293 175 245 175 199 260 170 186 188 240 265 230 265 295 285 211 280 165 246 260 281 295 260

CLASS

Sr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. RFr. Sr. Fr. Sr. RFr. RFr. RFr. RFr. Jr. So. RFr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. RFr. So. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr, Jr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. RFr. Fr. Jr. Unk Sr. Sr. RFr. Jr. RFr. Sr. So. Fr.

13

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AROUND THE NATION

HEISMAN HOPEFULS ANDREW LUCK, QB, STANFORD 57-of-85, 786 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT

Luck has been on everyone’s Heisman Trophy watch since he decided to forego the NFL Draft and return to Stanford this season. With heightened expectations, Luck has answered the call. Luck has thrown for 786 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception through three games this season for the undefeated No. 5 Cardinal. Luck has led the Cardinal to three victories, each coming by no less than 27 points.

courtesy of baylor athletic communications

ROBERT GRIFFIN III, QB, BAYLOR

DENARD ROBINSON, QB, MICHIGAN 27-of-55, 531 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT 50 carries, 370 yards, 2 TD

41-of-49, 624 yards, 8 TD, 0 INT 18 car, 125 yards, 0 TD

It didn’t take long for Griffin to prove that he should be part of the Heisman conversation. In the season opener against then-No. 14 TCU, Griffin threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns as the Bears upset the Horned Frogs 50-48. Behind the arm of Griffin, Baylor has scored 98 points through two games so far this season. Griffin is 41-of-49 for 624 yards and eight touchdowns in his first two games, completing passes at an unheard of 83.7 percent clip. If Griffin is able to keep up this freakish pace, look for the Bears to become a dark horse in the Big 12 this season, and look for Griffin to remain among the top Heisman candidates until the end of the season.

“Shoelace” Robinson is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks to ever play college football. Robinson has kept up his torrid pace from a season ago, throwing for 531 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for another 352 yards and two touchdowns through Michigan’s first three games. Robinson threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the fourth quarter of a 35-31 comeback victory against Notre Dame two weeks ago. Robinson was clutch late, completing a 16-yard touchdown to Roy Roundtree with two seconds remaining in regulation. But he has struggled a bit with accuracy, completing just 49 percent of his passes and throwing three picks in the win over the Irish. He became the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,500 yards and rush for 1,500 yards in a single season last year. Defenses know what they are in for when they face Robinson, but they simply have trouble stopping him.

MARCUS LATTIMORE, RB, SOUTH CAROLINA

LANDRY JONES, QB, OKLAHOMA

Lattimore has been the savior for South Carolina this season. The sophomore leads the nation with 534 yards rushing and has scored seven touchdowns to go with it. The Gamecocks’ running back is on pace to surpass his stellar freshman campaign through only three games this season. Lattimore ran for 1,197 and 17 touchdowns a year ago.

He came up big in South Carolina’s contest with Georgia two weeks ago, rushing for 176 yards on 27 carries. His lone touchdown gave the Gamecocks the lead with 3:28 remaining in the fourth quarter and provided the knockout blow in a 45-42 victory. Last week, he scored all three South Carolina touchdowns, saving the Gamecocks from an upset bid against Navy. He rushed for 246 yards in the narrow 24-21 win.

The starting quarterback for the No. 1 team in the land always seems to be recognized as a threat to capture college football’s highest honor. Jones has yet to disappoint OU fans this season. Jones has thrown for 574 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games, including a win over then-No. 5 Florida State. The quarterback’s aptitude to win is something that makes him one of the most valued quarterbacks in the country. Despite throwing for just 199 yards against FSU last weekend, it was his play down the stretch that impressed. With the game tied 13-13, Jones took the Sooners 83 yards down the field, completing 5-of-6 passes on the drive. Jones hooked up with Kenny Stills for a 37-yard touchdown that allowed the Sooners to keep the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

87 carries, 534 yards, 7 TD

GAMES

WEEK

53-of-74, 574 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

— Compiled by Andrew Tredinnick, asst. copy editor, adtredin@ syr.edu

OF THE

NO. 7 OKLAHOMA STATE (3-0, 0-0 BIG 12) @ NO. 8 TEXAS A&M (2-0, 0-0 BIG 12), 3:30 P.M., ABC

NO. 14 ARKANSAS (3-0, 0-0 SEC) @ NO. 3 ALABAMA (3-0, 0-0 SEC), 3:30 P.M., CBS

NO. 11 FLORIDA STATE (2-1, 0-0 ACC) @ NO. 21 CLEMSON (3-0, 0-0 ACC), 3:30 P.M., ESPN

NORTH CAROLINA (3-0, 1-0 ACC) @ NO. 25 GEORGIA TECH (3-0, 0-0 ACC), NOON, ESPN

National title hopes are already at stake for the Cowboys and Aggies in this Big 12 showdown.

The first matchup between top-10 teams in College Station, Texas, since 1975, will give the winner an impressive victory and a clear path to compete with No. 1 Oklahoma for the conference title. The game will likely become a shootout as Oklahoma State and Texas A&M boast potent offenses led by their quarterbacks. For the Cowboys, Brandon Weeden leads the nation in passings per game with 384.7 to go with a 73 percent completion rate.

Ryan Tannehill made the transition from wide receiver to quarterback after Jerrod Johnson turned the ball over five times in the Aggies’ 38-35 loss to the Cowboys last season. Tannehill has made it look easy, going 7-1 as the starter dating back to 2010, which included a win over Oklahoma.

With star quarterback Ryan Mallett moving on to play for the New England Patriots of the NFL, Arkansas is relying on inexperienced redshirt junior Tyler Wilson to lead the offense. Wilson came into the season having never started a college game, and it has showed at times this season. Last week in a 38-28 win over Troy, Wilson threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown to go with four three-and-outs in the second half. This week, Wilson will be tested by one of the top defenses in the country, as Alabama is ranked second in the nation in scoring defense. The Crimson Tide has held opponents to six points per game, allowing just two touchdowns and a fi eld goal. That stingy defense will make it tough for the Razorbacks to pull off the upset.

This conference matchup will be a battle between Georgia Tech’s option attack on offense and North Carolina’s tough rush defense. The Yellow Jackets currently lead the nation in points per game with 59.3, rushing offense with 427.7 yards per game and total offense with 675.3 yards per game.

Georgia Tech is also coming off a historic 66-24 win over Kansas, in which it set program records with 604 yards rushing and 768 total yards. Head coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack will be challenged by North Carolina — its toughest opponent so far. The Tar Heels have held opponents to 76.67 yards per game on the ground in 2011, good for No. 16 in rush defense in the nation.

Something will have to give.

X-factor: Texas A&M’s front seven — In

— Like Arkansas, Alabama has an unproven quarterback in redshirt freshman A.J. McCarron. But with its dominant defense, all McCarron should have to do is turn and hand the ball to Richardson to secure the win. Richardson is one of the top running backs in the nation, and he should help the Crimson Tide control the game and keep the clock running with a lead. He is tied for the most touchdowns in the nation with eight and has the ability to break big runs.

If he can rush for his average of 6.3 yards per carry and find the end zone a couple of times, Alabama will be in good position for a conference victory

Clemson is fl ying high after its 38-24 upset victory over defending national champion Auburn last Saturday. The Tigers have enjoyed home-field advantage in each of their first three games and now welcome another ranked opponent in Florida State to Death Valley. The Seminoles have lost four straight games at Clemson, having last won there in 2001. FSU is aiming to break that streak this Saturday, but it may not have starting quarterback E.J. Manuel to lead the offense. Manuel has a left shoulder injury, and redshirt freshman Clint Trickett will likely fill in for him. Clemson has more certainty at quarterback with Tajh Boyd, who has been impressive this season. Boyd has passed for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns, while only throwing one interception. They are the only two ranked teams in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference, so the winner of this game will have the edge to reach the conference title game.

just two games, the Aggies have recorded 11 sacks, making them tops in the nation with 5.5 sacks per game. Weeden has only been sacked three times all season, so getting pressure on the Heisman Trophy candidate will be key. Weeden committed three turnovers in the first half of last year’s matchup, and Texas A&M jumped out to a 14-0 lead. But he eventually settled in and led the Cowboys to victory.

Weeden gets the ball out quick, so it will be a challenge for Texas A&M to generate the same type of pressure it did in its first two victories.

If the front seven can get to Weeden, the Aggies should make it interesting. On the other side, A&M is one of five teams in the country that has yet to give up a sack.

X-factor: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

X-factor: Clint Trickett, QB, Florida State

— If Manuel can’t play, the offense will rely on Trickett under center. The redshirt freshman has played with confidence during the time he has seen in all three games for the Seminoles. He has thrown four touchdowns and completed 60.9 percent of his passes, including a 56-yard touchdown strike that tied Oklahoma in the fourth quarter of last week’s 23-13 loss. If FSU wants to end its losing streak in Death Valley, Trickett will have to keep his composure in the pocket.

X-factor: Orwin Smith, RB, Georgia Tech — Smith has been an electrifying playmaker in the triple option this season. Playing the A-back position, Smith runs the ball and serves as a receiver. Though he has just 12 carries in three games, he is fourth in the conference with 270 yards rushing. Against Kansas, he had a 95-yard touchdown run — the longest play in school history. Smith has also found the end zone from 77 and 67 yards out. He also recorded more than 100 yards as a rusher and receiver against Kansas on just seven total touches. North Carolina will have to contain him to have a chance on the road.

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

NEWS NOTES AND

Michigan head coach Brady Hoke will welcome San Diego State, his former team, to Michigan Stadium on Saturday to face his No. 22 Wolverines. Hoke actually helped schedule this game during his two-year stint with the Aztecs. It creates an intriguing matchup for Hoke, who told his players he was leaving San Diego State through a text message rather than in person. After going 4-8 in his first season at SDSU, Hoke turned the program around last year, as it finished 9-4 and defeated Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. The Aztecs have built on that success under first-year head coach Rocky Long, starting this season 3-0 and beating Washington State to snap a 23-game losing streak to Bowl Championship Series opponents.

The NCAA will investigate Oregon for its use of recruiting services. The program received a formal notice last week and announced the news before the Ducks’ game against Missouri State last Saturday.

Head coach Chip Kelly said after the game that Oregon will “fully cooperate with the NCAA,” according to the Associated Press.

The investigation stems from reports that Oregon paid Willie Lyles and Houston-based Complete Scouting Services $25,000. The payment came in 2010, just one month after the Ducks received a commitment from a coveted running back from Texas named Lache Seastrunk — who transferred to Baylor this fall.

Oregon State wide receiver James Rodgers has been medically cleared for action Saturday against UCLA. The senior had two knee surgeries after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament five games into the 2010 season against Arizona and was given a fifth year of eligibility. Rodgers was a dynamic

around the nation

player before the injury, leading the Beavers in receiving and second on the team in rushing in 2009. Last year, before his injury, he ranked sixth in the nation with 176.75 all-purpose yards per game. He is already Oregon State’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 5,784. He and his younger brother Jacquizz Rodgers, now on the Atlanta Falcons, were quite a tandem when healthy.

Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill will continue coaching despite enduring seizures in the last 10 days. Kill suffered a seizure on the sideline during Minnesota’s game against New Mexico State on Sept. 10. He was taken out on a stretcher and spent five days in the hospital. Kill then rejoined the team and coached the Golden Gophers to a win over Miami of Ohio last week, and he plans to be on the sidelines for the North Dakota State game this Saturday. Kill also had seizures during his tenures at Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois, and he said doctors are adjusting his medication to control the seizures.

Former rapper Luther Campbell filed a lawsuit against former University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro on Tuesday. Campbell claims he was “slandered and defamed” by Shapiro in a Yahoo Sports report. The report revealed Shapiro, who is serving 20 years in federal prison for his role in a Ponzi scheme, gave Miami athletes gifts ranging from cars to money from 2002-10. Shapiro called Campbell “the first uncle who took care of players” in the report. Campbell’s lawsuit claims that statement falsely accused him of taking part in illegal activity.

— Compiled by Ryne Gery, asst. sports. editor, rjgery@ syr.edu

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QUICK HITS POINTS PER GAME

7

Sun

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 TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME

31.7 29.7 140.7 282.3 423 136.3 278 414.3

24.7 27 76.7 251.3 328 122.3 268.7 391