In The Huddle, Sept. 30, 2011

Rutgers AT Syracuse

A publication of

IN THE

September 30-October 2, 2011

HUDDLE

Limping in Despite 3-1 start, SU enters conference play with injury-riddled roster

dave trotman-wilkins | staff photographer

Black and blue Syracuse must overcome a multitude of

health problems to defeat Rutgers. Page 3

Performance review Beat writers Michael Cohen and Mark Cooper rank the Big East

from top to bottom heading into week five of the season. Page 5

Get ready Starting lineups, key matchups and beat writer predictions will prepare you for the game. Pages 6-7

2 sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

GA M EDAY W EEK E N D

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

WEATHER 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

TODAY 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

H68| L46

TOMORROW

H51| L42

SUNDAY

H63| L50

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

3

Last time they played SYRACUSE 13 RUTGERS 10 NOV. 13, 2010

dave trotman-wilkins | staff photographer PRINCE-TYSON GULLEY (23) is one of multiple Syracuse players banged up going into the team’s Big East opener against Rutgers on Saturday. Head coach Doug Marrone closed practices to the media this week as the Orange dealt with the injuries.

Playing hurt Syracuse must overcome slew of injuries as it opens Big East play against Rutgers

I

By Zach Brown STAFF WRITER

n his 19 years of coaching with seven different teams, Doug Marrone can think of just one season in which he had to deal with a worse injury situation than the one facing his Syracuse football team right now.

As the offensive line coach for the New York Jets in 2005, Marrone watched the team’s top two quarterbacks suffer shoulder injuries just seven plays apart. That left the Jets with third-string quarterback Brooks Bollinger and 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde, signed once the injuries hit.

“That’s very difficult,” Marrone said of that season. “We didn’t have a very good year. That was probably the only time that’s occurred.”

This week, Marrone’s Orange (3-1) is dealing with multiple injuries to key players as it prepares to start Big East conference play with a game against Rutgers (2-1) on Saturday at noon in the Carrier Dome. The bumps and bruises have been piling up for SU since preseason camp, and the Orange faces a rough start to conference play if it doesn’t overcome the injury bug quickly.

This week, Marrone chose to close the team’s practices and not allow players or assistant coaches to talk to the media. The injuries have

prevented the Orange from adding to their playbook this week and have affected how the team prepares for its conference opener.

“It’s very difficult right now what we’re doing with the game plan,” Marrone said. “We’ll probably take some stuff out, and, unfortunately, it’s very difficult to add stuff. It kind of gets you in a little bit of a bind because if you don’t do enough, it can get ugly quick.”

The defensive side of the ball has suffered most of the Orange’s injuries. Defensive end Chandler Jones has not played since the season opener against Wake Forest due to a lower body injury. Middle linebacker Marquis Spruill played sparingly against Toledo last weekend.

And in the secondary, seemingly every player who’s seen action has suffered some kind of injury. Strong safety Shamarko Thomas did not play against the Rockets due to a lower body injury. The other three starters — Phillip Thomas, Kevyn Scott and Keon Lyn — all were hurt during preseason camp and have left games hurt this year for portions of time.

Offensively, the biggest injury the media was made aware of was to running back PrinceTyson Gulley, who had a breakout performance against Toledo with 10 carries for 66 yards.

“What’s more difficult in college than SEE RUTGERS PAGE 12

Anthony Perkins rolled his helmet across the Rutgers turf in front of the end zone. Syracuse was finally going bowling.

In head coach Doug Marrone’s second season, he saw his vision come to fruition when Ross Krautman kicked a 24-yard field goal with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The field goal sealed a 13-10 SU victory over Rutgers in front of 49,911 at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., last season. The victory gave the Orange a 7-3 record and clinched the team’s first bowl berth since 2004.

Krautman supplied SU with just enough points to get the win. The freshman kicker also drilled a career-long 48-yarder with 3:19 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 10-10. And a 66-yard drive late in the game placed Krautman directly in the spotlight. Krautman remained calm and cool to send the kick through the uprights.

“I’m off on my own,” Krautman said to The Daily Orange on Nov. 13, 2010.

Ryan Nassib was sacked six times as the Syracuse offense struggled to find the end zone.

The Orange defense limited Rutgers to 280 yards on 73 plays and sacked RU quarterbacks Tom Savage and Chas Dodd twice apiece. Syracuse turned the ball over three times and RU lost the ball once.

After the Scarlet Knights struggled to score in the first half, RU head coach Greg Schiano benched the freshman Dodd in favor of Savage in the second half. Savage supplied some energy, leading an eight-play, 85-yard drive to put Rutgers in front 10-7 in the third quarter.

SU couldn’t put much together offensively, picking up just 242 yards prior to the gamewinning drive. And the Orange’s incompetence on offense was driving Marrone mad.

“I kept thinking, ‘Why is this happening?’”

Marrone said. “‘Why can’t we go out there and execute?’”

In an ugly game, the specialists played a crucial role. SU punter Rob Long averaged 44 yards on his consistent line drive punts.

Krautman made each of his two field goal attempts and Rutgers kicker San San Te was 1-of-3.

Long explained that the important thing wasn’t drilling his punts deep, but limiting any possible negative outcomes.

“It wasn’t about the punts this game,” Long said. “It was about not getting one blocked.”

And the end result rested on the shoulders of Krautman, who delivered one of the season’s defining moments.

Long knew how important Krautman’s kick and the victory were for the Orange. After Marrone spent months stressing the goal of attaining a winning season and a bowl berth, SU’s objective was finally met.

Said Long: “Everybody knows what it means when he made that.”

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

4 sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

Perspectives compiled by stephen bailey and stacie fanelli | the daily orange

Should Syracuse have vacated its win against Toledo because the referees made a mistake?

“There’s no way that you should have to vacate a win. The Detroit Tigers guy (Armando Galarraga) had a perfect game thrown away. It’s not like they gave him a perfect game. If an ump made a mistake or a ref made a mistake, you don’t change it.”

Steven Kozar

“I don’t think so because it’s not Syracuse’s fault. It’s the ref’s fault for making the mistake. I think if anything, they should try to replay from that point.”

“It’s not our fault that the refs made the mistake, so we shouldn’t have to vacate the win.”

Tyler Wasserman

“Honestly, the refs make bad calls all the time. They’re part of the game.”

Sarah Gleason

Ryan Vinson

Sophomore undecl ared major in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Amanda Quigley

Sophomore finance and television, radio and film major

Sophomore sport management major

Senior sport management major

“I’m a huge fan of Syracuse football, and basically, even if refs call a sucky game, refs call sucky games in the Super Bowl.

If we won, we won. It’s a win. It doesn’t really matter whether or not the refs made a bad call. In the end, we won.”

Junior biology and television, radio and film major

“No, because that’s not their fault. They had no choice.”

Chris Proctor

Freshman health and exercise science major

DO

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

sports.dailyorange.com

W

e’re one-third of the way through the regular season, and despite a 3-1 record Syracuse is hurting. Head coach Doug Marrone made it clear that his team is literally limping into the start of Big East play this weekend against Rutgers due to injuries.

But overall, the conference that has been the laughing stock of the Bowl Championship Series lately is off to a strong start in the 2011 season. All eight teams are at .500 or better, with South Florida and West Virginia ranked in the Top 25.

With week five comes the beginning of conference play for most teams, in which the mad scramble of Big East play begins. Here’s to another league champion with four or more losses. And here is my Big East hierarchy, prior to Thursday’s South Florida-Pittsburgh game:

1. South Florida (4-0)

MICHAEL COHEN

LAST WEEK: W VS. TOLEDO, 33-30 (OT) THIS WEEK: VS. RUTGERS

not a dime back

2. West Virginia (3-1) LAST WEEK: L VS. NO. 2 LOUISIANA STATE, 47-21 THIS WEEK: VS. BOWLING GREEN

In four games, quarterback Geno Smith has already thrown for more than half of his total yards last season. Welcome to Dana Holgorsen’s high-powered offense. The first-year head coach has this team looking like one of the best in the league despite a slipup against LSU.

3. Cincinnati (3-1)

THIS WEEK: @ PITTSBURGH

LAST WEEK: W VS. NORTH CAROLINA STATE, 44-14

T

he Big East is better than it was last year.

I will stand by that. The results haven’t been great for the conference against other Bowl Championship Series conferences so far this year — a 6-8 record when counting the two games against Notre Dame — but the performances, even in losses, have improved. West Virginia battled back after falling behind early against Louisiana State. South Florida beat Notre Dame.

Rutgers almost beat North Carolina.

Conference play begins this week, and two Big East teams are ranked in the Top 25. As long as the conference can maintain that, it’s a relatively successful regular season on the field.

Here are my power rankings, as of Wednesday (before the South Florida-Pittsburgh game):

1. West Virginia (3-1) LAST WEEK: L VS. NO. 2 LOUISIANA STATE, 47-21 THIS WEEK: VS. BOWLING GREEN

West Virginia had the top spot in the Big East power rankings locked down going into last weekend, even with South Florida’s hot start.

A loss to the No. 1 team in the nation shouldn’t change that, so they are still the top team to me. There may not be a defense in the Big East that can stop Geno Smith in head coach Dana Holgorsen’s air-raid offense.

2. South Florida (4-0) LAST WEEK: W VS. UTEP, 52-24 THIS WEEK: @ PITTSBURGH

South Florida is the lone undefeated Big East team and the highest-ranked team, so the Bulls do have a good case for No. 1. B.J. Daniels is having a crazy, good season, and Darrell Scott is playing like the No. 1 running back recruit he was supposed to be at Colorado.

3. Syracuse (3-1) LAST WEEK: W VS. TOLEDO, 33-30 (OT)

try with 16 forced turnovers. Looks like Zach is saved by the bell this season.

4. Syracuse (3-1)

LAST WEEK: W VS. UTEP, 52-24 The resurgence of B.J. Daniels turns the Bulls into a legitimate conference favorite, especially considering the team scores 45.5 points per game this season. The 4-0 start has USF on the verge of cracking the top 15. Is there a new best team in Florida?

WEEK 5 POWER RANKINGS

THIS WEEK: @ MIAMI (OHIO)

We all knew quarterback Zach Collaros was good, but who knew this defense could play well. A unit that was torched week after week last season is suddenly tied for first in the coun-

MARK COOPER

and the funky bunch

The Orange is 3-1* heading into conference play following an error by officials during last week’s game against Toledo. Quarterback Ryan Nassib has been impressive in 2011, but SU is decimated by injuries at the worst possible time. This weekend could be a skeleton crew against the Scarlet Knights.

5. Rutgers (2-1) LAST WEEK: W VS. OHIO, 38-26 THIS WEEK: @ SYRACUSE

Rutgers has arguably the conference’s most impressive nonconference performance, other than USF’s win at Notre Dame, when it nearly beat North Carolina on the road. Mohamed Sanu averages 12 receptions per game and already has four receiving touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights. He’s Robert Woods-good.

6. Pittsburgh (2-2) LAST WEEK: L VS. NOTRE DAME, 15-12 THIS WEEK: VS. NO. 16 USF

5. Rutgers (2-1) LAST WEEK: W VS. OHIO, 38-26 THIS WEEK: @ SYRACUSE

Rutgers, I’m impressed. The Scarlet Knights have played extremely well through three games after pummeling their FCS opponent, losing a close game against North Carolina and beating a solid Ohio team by double digits.

There’s probably a good bet they’ll exceed last year’s four-win total.

6. Pittsburgh (2-2) LAST WEEK: L VS. NOTRE DAME, 15-12 THIS WEEK: VS. NO. 16 SOUTH FLORIDA

Maybe Dave Wannstedt was just a scapegoat

THIS WEEK: VS. MARSHALL

The Cardinals are perhaps the hardest team to get a read on this season. They squeaked out a win over Murray State — yes, Murray State — in week one, then lost to Florida International.

A win over Kentucky two weeks ago was a nice rebound, but this team needs to be stronger.

8. Connecticut (2-2) LAST WEEK: W @ BUFFALO, 17-3 THIS WEEK: VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN

From conference champion to Big East basement, it’s been a rough start to the year for the Huskies. New head coach Paul Pasqualoni inherited very little to work with, and losses to Vanderbilt and Iowa State showed how bad this year’s team will be. Paging Jordan Todman. mjcohe02@syr.edu, @Michael_Cohen13

At least Paul Pasqualoni has decided on a quarterback — for now. Johnny McEntee played the majority of last week’s game against Buffalo, so maybe he has won the three-quarterback battle.

Still, 17 points against Buffalo is tough to stomach for a team that was in the Fiesta Bowl last year.

LAST WEEK: BYE THIS WEEK: VS. MARSHALL

THIS WEEK: @ MIAMI (OHIO)

LAST WEEK: BYE

7. Louisville (2-1) The loss to Florida International was pretty bad.

The win over Kentucky, decent. Louisville’s a question mark right now because freshman Teddy Bridgewater might get his first career

The Bearcats can score with the best of them, putting up totals of 72, 59 and 44 points in their three wins. But can they win on the road?

Tennessee hung 45 on UC in its only road game.

Cincinnati’s next test on the road doesn’t come until Oct. 22 at South Florida.

7. Louisville (2-1)

start this weekend against Marshall. He could be a difference-maker that propels the Cardinals into the upper echelon of the conference.

Syracuse and Cincinnati are very close for third, but SU’s best win (Wake Forest) trumps the Bearcats’ best win (North Carolina State). The Big East as a whole has many good quarterbacks this year. Ryan Nassib might be the most accurate.

LAST WEEK: W VS. NORTH CAROLINA STATE, 44-14

The Panthers are taking more time to adjust to new head coach Todd Graham’s run-and-gun system than anticipated. Two opening wins against Buffalo and Maine weren’t impressive, but a win over the best team in the conference this weekend would certainly show Pitt is for real in 2011.

and not the real reason for Pittsburgh’s frequent disappointments. The Panthers have failed in tests against Iowa and Notre Dame, twice blowing leads. Ray Graham is putting up huge numbers at running back, but Tino Sunseri hasn’t played well at quarterback.

THIS WEEK: VS. RUTGERS

4. Cincinnati (3-1)

5

8. Connecticut (2-2) LAST WEEK: W @ BUFFALO, 17-3 THIS WEEK: VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN

mcooperj@syr.edu, @M_Coops_Cuse

6 sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

KEY MATCHUPS

RUTGERS AT SYRACUSE

Syracuse has been burned in previous weeks

by Chris Givens, Robert Woods and Eric Page.

Sanu is coming off a Big East-record 16 catches against Ohio last week. He’s a bigger target at 6 feet 2 inches, 215 pounds, so expect SU’s more physical cornerback, Scott, to cover him.

KEVYN SCOTT CB

RYAN NASSIB QB

DYSHAWN DAVIS LB

MOHAMED SANU WR

DURON HARMON SS

SAVON HUGGINS RB

.882

The completion percentage for Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib in the fourth quarter and overtime this season. Nassib is 30-of-34 in that timeframe for SU and completed 16-of-16 passes in the fourth quarter and overtime of Syracuse’s first two games against Wake Forest and Rhode Island.

Saturday, noon, Big East Network Nassib has been spectacular for the Orange this season, throwing nine touchdowns to just one interception and completing 30-of-34 passes in the fourth quarter and overtime. Harmon has been a key figure for Rutgers on defense, intercepting three passes and taking one back for a touchdown.

STARTING LINEUPS

1 35

A matchup of two true freshmen here. Huggins is much more highly touted, but Davis has had better results on the field this year. Huggins, the highest-rated recruit to ever come to Rutgers and the No. 1 player in New Jersey in last year’s class, is listed as the starter but has averaged less than two yards per carry this year.

8

95

11

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, in his 11th season, has coached 125 games with the Scarlet Knights, which is by far the most of any Big East coach at his current position. Doug Marrone has coached the second-most games in the conference, with 29 at the helm for the Orange.

Schiano is also just the fourth coach in Big East history to coach 10 seasons at

6

1.000

RUTGERS ON OFFENSE

15

67

75

THEY SAID IT “I’m not sitting here saying, ‘Woe is me’ worrying about this football team. I’m just saying that we have some tough decisions to make and that we’re going to go out there and fight.”

SYRACUSE OFFENSE 12 QB RYAN NASSIB 29 RB ANTWON BAILEY 49 FB ADAM HARRIS 82 X WR VAN CHEW 15 Z 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

RUTGERS DEFENSE 90 DE MICHAEL LARROW 91 DT JUSTIN FRANCIS 94 DT SCOTT VALLONE 51 DE MANNY ABREU 20 LB KHASEEM GREENE 42 LB STEVE BEAUHARNAIS 37 LB JAMAL MERRELL 25 CB BRANDON JONES 32 SS DURON HARMON 4 FS DAVID ROWE 11 CB LOGAN RYAN

SU head coach Doug Marrone’s career winning percentage against Rutgers. Syracuse has beaten the Scarlet Knights in each of the past two seasons under Marrone’s guidance.

8

The amount of fumbles recovered by Rutgers this year, tied for the most in the country. The Rutgers defense ranks in the Top 10 nationally in tackles for loss (second) and sacks (third).

42 37

90 91

11

Last year, Syracuse’s 13-10 win over Rutgers clinched bowl eligibility for the Orange for the first time since 2004. SU won on a game-winning field goal by Ross Kraut-

“I think it’s a very well-rounded team. You can tell they take on coach Marrone’s personality. They’re tough, blue-collar. They remind me of us. They play extremely hard. It’s going to be a great football game.

It’s going to be a tough road test for us in the Dome. Get loud. We need to go up there and play Rutgers football. I expect them to play Syracuse football. It should be a great college football game.”

10

The Syracuse school record for touchdowns scored in a game, set in 1998 when the Orange blasted Rutgers 70-14. SU’s quarterback that day was Donovan McNabb.

32

20

the same school.

SU HEAD COACH

10

26

38 28

4

Doug Marrone

54

19

DID YOU KNOW?

Other than star wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, no Rutgers player has caught more than fi ve passes this season. Sanu has hauled in 36 of the Scarlet Knights’ 62 completions. Fullback Joe Martinek is second on the team with five receptions.

33 13

96

Rutgers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu’s average number of receptions per game, tops in the nation. Sanu set a Big East and Rutgers record with 16 receptions last weekend against Ohio.

66 70 59 55 72

81

KHASEEM GREENE LB

man.

12

21

Greene moved from free safety to linebacker last spring and is the Scarlet Knights’ leading tackler this fall with 23 in three games. Provo has come on strong for SU in the last two weeks, with 139 yards receiving and a touchdown in two games.

NICK PROVO TE

BY THE NUMBERS

51

94 59 12 49 29

66

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS

25 74

80

MARK COOPER Syracuse 21 Rutgers 13 Syracuse beats Rutgers for the third straight year. But the bigger question is: Will more students use free tickets to see New Jersey’s college football team or to see Jersey Shore’s Deena during Midnight Madness?

82

SYRACUSE ON OFFENSE

MICHAEL COHEN

RUTGERS OFFENSE 19 QB CHAS DODD 28 RB SAVON HUGGINS 38 FB JOE MARTINEK 6 WR MOHAMED SANU 81 WR MARK HARRISON 10 TE D.C. JEFFERSON 66 LT ANDRE CIVIL 70 LG DESMOND WYNN 59 C DAVID OSEI 55 RG BETIM BUJARI 72 RT KALEB JOHNSON

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

Greg Schiano

RUTGERS HEAD COACH

UP NEXT >>

@TULANE

Oct. 8, 8 p.m.

WEST VIRGINIA

Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

@ LOUISVILLE

Oct. 29, time TBD

Rutgers 16 Syracuse 13 Who knows what kind of mix-n-match Syracuse team we will see this weekend. If anyone from the secondary is out, SU won’t be able to cover Mohamed Sanu. SU gets burned by another outstanding receiver.

ZACH BROWN Rutgers 20 Syracuse 17 There’s going to be a point when all these injuries become too much for Syracuse to overcome. I say it’s this weekend against the Scarlet Knights.

7

8 sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

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 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 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 Greg Tobias Shamarko Thomas Adrian Flemming Prince-Tyson Gulley Jaston George Jeremiah Kobena Kevyn Scott Nathaniel Forer Joe Nassib 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 RB SS WR RB CB WR CB QB CB 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 5-10 6-3 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-11 6-3 5-9 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.

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

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. So. Jr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Gr. Fr. 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 Morris 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.

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

RUTGERS NO.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 32 33 33 34 35 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 41 42 43 44 45 46

NAME

San San Te Gareef Glashen Darrell Givens David Rowe Timothy Wright Mohamed Sanu Quron Pratt Max Issaka Rashad Knight Tejay Johnson D.C. Jefferson Logan Ryan Marcus Cooper Tyler Bellia Ka’Lial Glaud Paul Hamersma Miles Shuler Gary Nova Mike Bimonte Stephen Belichick Brandon Coleman Jeremy Deering Chas Dodd Khaseem Greene Lorenzo Waters Jawaun Wynn Jawan Jamison Mason Robinson Brandon Jones Johnathan Aiken Wayne Warren Savon Huggins Jordan Thomas Edmond Laryea Ben Martin David Milewski Duron Harmon Jawann Westerman Anthony Milito Paul James John Clarke Shane Meisner Travis Patterson Jamal Merrell Joe Martinek Paul Canevari Sean Barowski Rob Horrell Robert Joseph Steve Beauharnais Nick DePaola Sam Bergen Kevin Snyder Dallas Whitaker

POS.

PK DB DB DB WR WR WR DE DB WR TE DB DB QB LB QB WR QB QB LS WR RB QB DB DB WR RB DB DB DB DB RB DB LB RB LB DB WR LB RB DB LB RB LB FB FB FB LS FB LB LB LB LB LB

HT.

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

WT.

178 181 184 195 221 215 185 255 192 186 258 190 187 225 230 177 170 210 215 185 220 205 200 220 195 210 198 185 186 186 205 200 190 223 186 231 201 177 248 195 174 250 205 220 220 220 236 189 220 235 205 235 225 210

CLASS

5th-Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. So. So. Sr. So. So. So. 5th-Sr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Jr. 5th-Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Jr. 5th-Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. Fr.

NO.

46 47 48 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 93 94 95 95 96 97 98 99

NAME

Michael Burton Patrick Kivlehan Griffin Murray Marcus Thompson Myles Jackson Quentin Gause Manny Abreu Eric LeGrand Justin Mills Betim Bujari Marvin Booker Frank Quartucci Fred Overstreet David Osei Caleb Ruch Bryan Leoni Chris Fonti Nicholas Libonati Dallas Hendrikson Andre Civil Hugh Ahern Matt McBride Desmond Wynn Devon Watkis Isaac Holmes Kaleb Johnson Desmond Stapleton Keith Lumpkin Antwan Lowery Marquise Wright Art Forst Taj Alexander Jorge Vicioso Phil Lewis Mark Harrison J.T. Tartacoff Beau Bachety Robert Jones Tyler Kroft Kyle George Malcolm Bush Paul Carrezola Michael Larrow Justin Francis Jamil Merrell Nick Borgese Djwany Mera Scott Vallone Nick DeLouisa Kenneth Kirksey Anthony DiPaula Justin Doerner Daryl Stephenson Al Page

POS.

FB DB LB DE DE LB DE DT LB OL LB OL LB OL OL OL OL OL C OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL OL DL OL WR WR WR TE LS TE DE TE TE DL DL DL PK DE DT PK DL P P DL DL

HT.

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

WT.

232 211 219 260 230 224 260 275 228 290 240 300 223 280 298 270 308 285 295 275 289 294 295 316 272 298 280 292 301 295 310 290 296 193 230 191 259 210 220 251 245 241 265 275 255 178 260 275 196 270 190 200 280 280

CLASS

So. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. 5th-Sr. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Jr. 5th-Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. 5th-Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. 5th-Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. So. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. 5th-Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr.

9

10 s e p t e m b e r 3 0 - o c t o b e r 2 , 2 0 1 1

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

AROUND THE BIG EAST STANDINGS

1 2 2 2 5 5 7 8

Pittsburgh 3-2 (1-0)

Cincinnati 3-1 (0-0)

Syracuse 3-1 (0-0)

THURSDAY Pittsburgh 44, No. 16 South Florida 17

In desperate need of a win, Pittsburgh punished the South Florida defense with a dominant running game in a 44-17 win on Thursday. Pitt running back Ray Graham sped down the field with ease on most drives, rushing for 226 yards on 26 carries. The Panthers snapped a two-game losing streak, while the Bulls suffered their first loss of the season.

SATURDAY Cincinnati (3-1, 0-0 Big East) @

Miami (Ohio) (0-3, 0-1 Mid-American Conference), 1 p.m., ESPN3

22 West Virginia 3-1 (0-0)

Louisville 2-1 (0-0)

Rutgers 2-1 (0-0)

Connecticut 2-2 (0-0)

16 South Florida 4-1 (0-1)

Quarterback Zach Collaros and the Bearcats have scored more than 100 points in their last two games and look to carry that offensive momentum into Oxford, Ohio, Saturday afternoon. Cincinnati is coming off back-toback thrashings of Akron and North Carolina State and could easily earn a blowout victory for the third straight week. The Bearcats beat Miami 45-3 last year. Miami enters the game having the 38th-ranked total defense in the nation, allowing an average of 333.3 yards per game. Last week, Bowling Green put up 37 points on the RedHawks. Their defense will have to be better on Saturday for a chance to stop Collaros and company.

Marshall (1-3, 1-0 Conference USA) @ Louisville (2-1, 0-0 Big East), 3:30 p.m., Big East Network

The Cardinals earned a 24-17 victory over Kentucky in their last game, but starting quarterback Will Stein suffered a shoulder injury early in the second quarter. His status is uncertain for Saturday’s matchup against the Thundering Herd, but luckily for Louisville, the Cardinals have an adequate backup.

Freshman Teddy Bridgewater proved he can

hold his own when he filled in for Stein against the Wildcats.

He completed 10-of-18 passes, throwing for 106 yards and two touchdowns. The Thundering Herd will look to avoid its third straight loss, having allowed a combined 74 points in its last two contests.

Western Michigan (2-2, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) @ Connecticut (2-2, 0-0 Big East), 3:30 p.m., Big East Network

STATISTICAL LEADERS Passing NAME

SCHOOL

Geno Smith B.J. Daniels Ryan Nassib Tino Sunseri Will Stein

West Virginia South Florida Syracuse Pittsburgh Louisville

Rushing NAME

Ray Graham Isaiah Pead Lyle McCombs Darrell Scott Antwon Bailey

SCHOOL

Pittsburgh Cincinnati Connecticut South Florida Syracuse

PASS YARDS/GAME

367.8 267.8 234.8 205.8 205.0

RUSH YARDS/GAME

127.0 106.0 91.5 87.0 79.5

The .500 Huskies look to nab a winning record heading into Big East play. Last year’s conference champions have shown the potential to limit Receiving NAME SCHOOL RECEIVING YARDS/GAME some opposing offenses, holdMohamed Sanu Rutgers 121.0 ing Buffalo and Fordham to Tavon Austin West Virginia 105.8 just three points each. HowStedman Bailey West Virginia 86.0 ever, the Huskies defense has Van Chew Syracuse 69.8 been inconsistent, allowing 24 Ivan McCartney West Virginia 67.5 points each to Vanderbilt and Iowa State. And it could be in top receivers to throw to in Tavon Austin, it’s for another long day against hard to imagine the Bowling Green defense Western Michigan. The Broncos have tal— the same defense that allowed 28 points lied more than 20 points in each of their last to Wyoming — keeping Smith and the Mounthree games, including a 44-point outburst taineers offense in check. against Central Michigan on Sept. 17.

Bowling Green (3-1, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) @ No. 22 West Virginia (3-1, 0-0 Big East), 3:30 p.m., Big East Network Geno Smith has led an explosive Mountaineers offense with 1,471 passing yards and nine touchdowns through four games this season. No. 22 West Virginia’s lone blemish of the season came to No. 1 Louisiana State last week. Against one of the best defenses in the country, WVU scored three touchdowns and Smith threw for a schoolrecord 463 yards. With one of the country’s

NEWSANDNOTES McEntee establishing himself as starter

Johnny McEntee separated himself from the three-quarterback shuffle at Connecticut.

The Huskies started the year with four quarterbacks, with one career start among them competing for the starting spot. After throwing the ball only 12 times in UConn’s season opener against Fordham, he saw increased attempts and completions in the following two weeks and took almost all of the snaps in last week’s 17-3 win over Buffalo.

McEntee completed 12-of-21 passes against the Bulls for a career-best 213 yards and two touchdowns — the first and second of his career. And McEntee has proven capable of taking shots down field. After hooking up for a 64-yard gain earlier in the Buffalo game, McEntee found wide receiver Nick Williams on a crossing route late in the 4th quarter for a 49-yard touchdown.

Banged-up Cardinals take advantage of bye week

After winning a hard-fought battle with Kentucky on Sept. 17, the Cardinals bye week could not have come at a better time. Many key players were injured, including starting quarterback Will Stein, who suffered a shoulder injury early in the second quarter against the Wildcats.

The Cardinals do have a somewhat proven backup in freshman Teddy Bridgewater — who threw for two touchdowns against Kentucky — but they may not need to throw the young signal-caller into the fire against Marshall.

Center Mario Benavides, a starter in 2010, has yet to appear in a game this season after injuring his ankle in training camp.

Strong said Benavides may see his first action of the year Saturday.

Cincinnati prepares for Battle of the Victory Bell

Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) have one of the most historic rivalries in college football, facing off for more than a century. The first official matchup was Dec. 8, 1988, and there have been 114 matchups since then, with the RedHawks leading the all-time series record 59-49-7. For the Bearcats, rivalry games are nothing new. In fact, the Battle for the Victory Bell is just one of three rivalry games Cincinnati plays annually. UC also has rivalries with Big East opponents Pittsburgh and Louisville.

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

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

sep t ember 30 - october 2 , 2 011

around the nation

GAMES WEEK OF THE

No. 3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) @ No. 12 Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC), 8 p.m., CBS

Florida and Alabama have both started the season undefeated behind prolific rushing attacks and stout run defenses. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps power a run game for the Gators that leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing with 259 yards per game.

The Crimson Tide features the tandem of Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy, and averages 230.8 yards on the ground — good for second in the conference. Both teams boast top-five run defenses in the country. This one may come down to which team can contain the other’s rushing attack.

No. 8 Nebraska (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten) @ No. 7 Wisconsin (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten), 8 p.m., ABC

This game could be a preview of the firstever Big Ten championship game in December. If Nebraska wins the Legends division and Wisconsin takes the Leaders division, they would match up in the conference title game. The winner of the game Saturday also has a clear path to an undefeated regular season, making it a national title contender.

Nebraska has just one current ranked team left on its schedule — No. 19 Michigan. And Wisconsin’s lone ranked opponent is No. 24 Illinois. Both teams have been impressive thus far with quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Taylor Martinez leading the way. Both are considered dark horses for the Heisman Trophy early in the season.

No. 13 Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC) @ No. 11 Virginia Tech (4-0, 0-0 ACC), 6 p.m., ESPN2

After a weak stretch of four games to open the season, Virginia Tech will be tested against Clemson. The Tigers have already beaten then-No. 21 Auburn and then-No. 11 Florida State in high-scoring affairs. Clemson has relied on its offense to carry the team to wins in both games, racking up nearly 1,100 yards of offense. Quarterback Tajh Boyd is the top quarterback in the Atlantic Coast Conference, leading the league with 1,255 yards and throwing for 13 touchdowns to just one interception. Virginia Tech relies on its trademark tough defense as it leads the conference in sacks and is second in interceptions in 2011.

No. 14 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1 Big 12) vs. No. 18 Arkansas (3-1, 0-1 SEC), 12 p.m., ESPN

Texas A&M will soon be matching up with Arkansas as a conference rival in the Southeastern Conference. But for now, the Southwest Classic being played at Cowboys Stadium is just a chance for each team to get back on track after losing to top conference competition last week. The Aggies suffered a crushing loss to then-No. 7 Oklahoma State, blowing a 20-3 halftime lead to lose 30-29.

The Razorbacks were dominated by No. 3 Alabama 38-14. The matchup is the third annual game being played between the two, with Arkansas winning the previous two.

NEWS ANDNOTES Criminal charges against Louisiana State quarterback Jordan Jefferson stemming from a bar fight have been reduced to a misdemeanor.

The news led to the end of his suspension from the team, as head coach Les Miles said he and linebacker Josh Johns — who was also involved in the incident — would be back at practice Thursday. The Tigers didn’t miss a beat without their starting quarterback, going 4-0 and rising to the No. 1 ranking behind Jarrett Lee. Miles said Lee will remain the starter, but Jefferson will see time because of his running ability.

Boise State’s rise as a perennial Bowl Championship Series buster is surrounded by questions after the NCAA imposed additional sanctions on the program. The Broncos football

staff set up impermissible summer housing and transportation for 63 recruits from 200509, violations of NCAA rules. The school will appeal the football sanctions, but accept

11

ones in tennis and track. School president Bob Kustra said it was tough for Boise State to keep up with compliance rules due to the football program’s unprecedented growth in the last decade from Division II to BCS contender.

Southern California head coach Lane Kiffin is also dealing with the NCAA because of violations committed while he was at Tennessee.

Willie Mack Garza, an assistant with the Volunteers at the time, paid for a top recruit and his mother’s airfare to Knoxville, Tenn., for an unofficial visit. Garza had followed Kiffin to USC but resigned on Sept. 1. The recruit, Lache Seastrunk, is also at the center of an investigation at Oregon, where he committed and spent one season before transferring to Baylor. In this case, Garza sent the money to Willie Lyles, a talent scout who is also a major figure in the Oregon case.

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

HEISMAN HOPEFULS

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

57-of-85, 786 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT Luck’s presence on everyone’s Heisman list isn’t going to change until the Cardinal loses a game. After passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona in the third week of the season, No. 6 Stanford sat idle last week. Luck could do nothing to hurt his candidacy. His success in 2011 has been a bit unconventional, completing six of his eight touchdown passes to one of his three tight ends.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

70-of-82, 962 yards, 13 TDs, 0 INTs 24 carries, 167 yards, 1 TD Who can stop Robert Griffin? Griffin has thrown more touchdown passes (13) than incompletions (12) through three games this season. He has single-handedly made No. 15 Baylor a contender in the Big 12 conference. With Griffin leading the way, the Bears have the No. 2 total offense in the nation. He has yet to throw an interception, and he has passed for 320.7 yards per game. The big question is whether or not Griffin can keep the offense rolling in its first road test of the season against Kansas State this weekend.

Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

107 carries, 611 rushing yards, 8 TDs 12 receptions, 139 receiving yards, 1 TD Last week was the first week that Lattimore was partially contained. He still gained 77 yards rushing and 73 yards receiving to go with a pair of touchdowns, though. Lattimore wasn’t asked to do much, as South Carolina’s defense held Vanderbilt to 77 yards of total offense in its 21-3 victory. It wasn’t an earth-shattering performance for Lattimore, but he proved he could make plays in a variety of ways.

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

83-of-105, 995 yards, 12 TDs, 2 INTs Kellen Moore has to take advantage of every marquee matchup on No. 4 Boise State’s schedule. And he has to put up big numbers against inferior opponents. So far, he’s done it. Against then-No. 19 Georgia, Moore threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Broncos to a 35-21 victory. The next week against Toledo, Moore threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

Moore added four more touchdowns against Tulsa last week, bringing his totals to 995 passing yards and 12 touchdowns in three games. The staggering output will have to continue if he hopes to win the Heisman Trophy out of the Mountain West Conference.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

67 carries, 441 yards, 8 TDs 9 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD It’s never easy replacing a Heisman Trophy winner. But No. 3 Alabama hasn’t skipped a beat with Trent Richardson carrying the load in Mark Ingram’s place. Richardson has been the focal point of the Crimson Tide offense through four games. He ran 17 times for 126 yards and caught 3 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown in last weekend’s huge conference matchup against then-No. 14 Arkansas. Richardson has accounted for almost half of Alabama’s touchdowns this season, scoring nine of the team’s 19. This weekend will be a good barometer for Richardson as Alabama travels to Gainesville, Fla., to face No. 12 Florida.

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

12 s e p t e m b e r 3 0 - o c t o b e r 2 , 2 0 1 1

SPORTS@ DA ILYOR A NGE.COM

RUTGERS FROM PAGE 3

maybe at the next level is that when these young players become injured, you have to kind of coach them through the injury,” Marrone said. “Not that they ever jeopardize themselves, but a lot of these players have never truly been injured before playing at this high level.”

The injuries have affected the Orange’s ability to prep for Rutgers. SU hasn’t added new packages or plays this week because of the lack of personnel. The coaches also haven’t game-planned as much as normal for red-zone, goal-line and short-yardage situations.

But the health issues haven’t forced SU to slow down practice. Marrone said it was too early in the season to do that despite all the injuries.

“You need to practice to get better,” he said.

“Then you put other people in there and they have to practice at full speed to get the continuity going. And you just have to go.”

But with all these injuries, opportunities have opened up for some of SU’s younger players. And the head coach said that is the biggest positive to take out of this situation.

Freshman linebacker Cameron Lynch had a career-high eight tackles and his first sack against Toledo. His playing time has increased each game. Defensive ends Torrey Ball and Brandon Sharpe have combined for 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks in taking over for Jones.

“You have some younger kids or maybe older players that finally get a shot that are able to get up there and go and play,” Marrone said.

In the secondary, the backups have been taking reps since the injuries started piling up in preseason camp. Brandon Reddish and Jer-

“It’s very difficult right now what we’re doing with the game plan.

We’ll probably take some stuff out, and, unfortunately, it’s very difficult to add stuff. It kind of gets you in a little bit of a bind because if you don’t do enough, it can get ugly quick.”

Doug Marrone

SU HEAD COACH

emi Wilkes have seen significant playing time already this season. Marrone said freshman corner Ritchy Desir also has a good chance of getting in the game against the Scarlet Knights this week.

“We did a good job in camp rotating a lot of guys,” the redshirt senior Scott said earlier this year. “We became used to playing with Jeremi Wilkes at safety or Phillip Thomas or Olando Fisher. We had a lot of rotation going throughout camp.”

Marrone added that even with all the adversity coming through these injuries, the Orange’s goal this week doesn’t change. Especially since it’s the conference opener.

“It could be any team in the Big East that we’re playing and it would be a big week,” he said. “Each week’s a big week because it gives us an opportunity to win.” zjbrown@syr.edu