In the Huddle | Syracuse vs. UConn

IN THE

October 19-21, 2012

UConn AT Syracuse

HUDDLE A publication of

g n i p p i T oint p

rk, a m y fwa At hal se faces Syracu in situation t u must-w Connectic t agains ge season a to salv

Heightened intensity Syracuse continues to commit turnovers on offense and is still lacking big plays from its defense. Page 3

Return trip Former SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni returns to

the Carrier Dome on Friday. But he’s focused on the game as the head of Connecticut football, not his storied career with the Orange. Page 4

Watching tape At which positions is Syracuse stronger than the Huskies heading into Friday’s game?

Page 6

Big East power rankings The Big East has three ranked teams in Louisville,

Rutgers and Cincinnati. So what school has proven to be the best and what program remains at the bottom? Page 13

2 october 19 -21, 2 01 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

nate shron | staff photographer

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 Copy Chief Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Photo Editor Design Editor Design Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor

Ryne Gery Ankur Patankar Cheryl Seligman Jon Harris Chris Iseman Chase Gaewski Allie Berube Luke Rafferty Jacob Klinger David Wilson

Mark Cooper EDITOR IN CHIEF

Laurence Leveille

General Manager IT Director IT Assistant Advertising Manager Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Representative Advertising Designer Advertising Designer

MANAGING EDITOR

Peter Waack Mike Escalante Alec Coleman Kelsey Rowland Joe Barglowski Allie Briskin William Leonard Sam Weinberg Olivia Accardo Abby Legge

Advertising Designer Advertising Intern Advertising Intern Advertising Intern Business Intern Circulation Manager Circulation Circulation Circulation Circulation Circulation Digital Sales Special Projects Special Projects

Yoli Worth Jeanne Cloyd Carolina Garcia Paula Vallina Tim Bennett Harold Heron Michael Hu Alexandra Koskoris Arianna Rogers Suzanne Sirianni Charis Slue Lauren Silverman Rose Picon Runsu Huang

TODAY

H62| L52

TOMORROW

SUNDAY

H61| L45

H58| L46

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

nate shron | staff photographer (FROM LEFT) SIRIKI DIABATE, JAY BROMLEY, BRANDON SHARPE and the Orange defense are focused on improving the team’s minus-10 turnover margin.

Security

breach

By Chris Iseman

A

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

lec Lemon called it the worst feeling ever.

After a sloppy, mistake-filled loss to Rutgers, Syracuse took a silent bus ride home. A winnable game slipped away from the Orange, and the whole team knew it. The frustration

level and disappointment were high. As the bus approached Syracuse, the Orange approached a crossroads in its season.

Syracuse (2-4, 1-1 Big East) hosts Connecticut (3-4, 0-2) in the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. Friday and will look to correct the mistakes that cost it a game to the Scarlet Knights. The Orange’s schedule becomes

FUMBLING AWAY OPPORTUNITIES

Syracuse has continued to shoot itself in the foot by failing to take care of the football, costing the Orange important games. Here’s a look at some of Syracuse’s turnover statistics: STATISTIC

Turnover margin Turnovers lost

NUMBER

-10 15

BIG EAST RANKING

T-7th T-7th

NATIONAL RANKING

T-115th T-101st

Syracuse focuses on taking care of football as turnovers continue to plague team increasingly difficult after this week, with four of its last five games on the road. Syracuse’s focus this week has been on turnovers, a problem that continues to plague the team. Much of SU’s season depends on if it can improve its turnover margin and hold onto the football, or in the case of the defense, force more mistakes.

“Lack of focus, our mentality maybe changed a little bit, maybe people weren’t playing with confidence, I’m not too sure,” Lemon said. “We need to come back with the confidence that we’ve had in the past, and go out there and play the game we know how to play.”

Head coach Doug Marrone said Monday that there needs to be a “heightened intensity” on taking

SEE UCONN PAGE 9

3

4 october 19 -21, 2 01 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

AWAY ON BUSINESS

After being fired 8 years ago by SU, Pasqualoni makes first trip back to Carrier Dome

F

By Jacob Klinger ASST. COPY EDITOR

or 18 years, Paul Pasqualoni was at the center of Syracuse football.

He spent four seasons as the linebackers coach and 14 more as the head coach. He presided over some of the most successful seasons in program history, but his tenure ultimately ended with his firing in 2004.

On Friday night, he will walk out on the Carrier Dome turf for the first time as an opposing coach, trying to orchestrate SU’s fifth loss of the season from the Connecticut sideline.

Pasqualoni, in his second season at UConn, concedes that his time at Syracuse was special, and that he still holds his former players, coaches and administrators in high regard. Yet game day is no to time for sentimentality.

“This is a business trip and my focus and really all I can see is getting ready to play this game,” Pasuqaloni said during the Big East coaches’ teleconference on Monday.

His emotions aside, Pasqualoni’s name is synonymous with happier days for SU football.

He is the second-winningest coach in the program’s history with a record of 107-59-1. He led Syracuse to four Big East titles and a 6-3 record in bowl games, which included appearances in the Fiesta, Orange and Gator Bowls.

While Pasqualoni is remembered for some of the best moments in the history of the program, his firing is a point of contention. Those he coached recall a straightforward approach that shaped their lives.

His former players and fans also remember a Top-10 Syracuse program taking on some of the nation’s best.

On Nov. 21, 1992, defending national chamAndre Fontenette pion Miami FORMER SU WIDE RECEIVER entered the Carrier Dome undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. They left the same way, but barely.

No. 8 SU nearly came back from a 16-0 deficit and a first half in which the Orange’s total offense amounted to minus-1 yard. In and out of the huddle, quarterback Marvin Graves vomited throughout the game. His last-second pass found tight end Chris Gedney at the Miami 3 yard line, but Casey Greer tackled him torturously close to the goal line.

“He’s the kind of guy that looks you in the eye when he talks and he knew what he was talking about. He made me feel like I had no choice but to go to Syracuse. I’d be stupid if I didn’t.”

SEE PASQUALONI PAGE 19

daily orange file photo PAUL PASQUALONI coached Syracuse for 14 seasons from 1991 to 2004. The coach went 107-59-1, leading the Orange to four Big East championships and six bowl wins.

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

5

ziniu chen | staff photographer SHAMARKO THOMAS and the Orange will face a UConn offense that ranks 111th in points scored per game and 115th in rushing yards inside the Carrier Dome on Friday night.

Thomas says SU defense will need to capitalize on suspect UConn offense

By Michael Cohen STAFF WRITER

Shamarko Thomas rebounded nicely following his vicious collision against Pittsburgh two weeks ago to put forth a solid effort in Syracuse’s loss to Rutgers over the weekend. Thomas currently ranks tied for third on the team in tackles with 24, but it’s his hard-hitting mentality and constant hustle that arguably contribute just as much to the defense.

The media caught up with Thomas during the weekly interview session to discuss Friday’s game against Connecticut, the overall mental state of the team following a disheartening loss and any outside distractions for a team that has lost two of its last three games.

Q: On the defensive side of the ball, does that give you guys kind of an added pressure to try to take the ball away, whether it’s through the air or by taking it away from the ball carrier?

Thomas: I don’t say pressure, because that’s our job. That’s our job to try to get turnovers and create more plays for the offense to get on the field or score for the offense. So it’s really not pressure, it’s just us going out there and getting our job done and doing more.

Q: After a couple games this year head coach Doug Marrone has said in the press conference that he has to get the players to play better, he needs to

do a better job, it’s his fault that the mistakes are happening. What do you think when he kind of puts all that blame on himself?

ST: He’s a great man, so he’s going to take all the blame, man. He don’t want it to be all on the athletes, and then we’re getting all the people saying we’re not good, or the offense is not good, defense is not good, special teams. But it’s really not about him, man. He don’t step on the field. All he could do is coach us, and we have to go out there and do the work.

Q: Is there an extra sense of urgency on Friday with this game being a chance to get above .500 in Big East play again and kind of kick off the second half of the season?

ST: It’s not a sense of urgency, it’s just we’ve got to win. That’s the bottom line. We’ve got to come out there and win, man. Just come out there and perform better than we did last week.

Q: Connecticut’s quarterback has more interceptions than touchdown passes — what have you guys seen on film about him that maybe makes him someone who could be an easy target?

ST: He stares down his receivers. He’s got two good receivers — one’s not a receiver, it’s a tight end, but he uses him as a receiver — No. 94 and No. 8. And he stares them down, and that’s creating great opportunities for defensive backs to lock in to it.

Q: The last two games the defense has done a great job limiting the opposing offense, but you don’t seem to create as many turnovers as your opponents have. What can you do to change that?

ST: That’s what we’ve got practice for. Just going to practice and work on those turnovers. Get (interceptions in practice), rip the ball out when we can do that against the running backs and just focus on the little things, and it will help us out with the bigger things.

Q: Talk about the frustration level of the team as a whole after dropping the last game and losing two out of your last three. Where is the mindset of the team going forward?

ST: It’s definitely frustrating because we’ve got a lot of talent, man. And we see what we can do on the field when we don’t make no mistakes. So it’s definitely frustrating, but we wash all that away.

All the losses, we throw it away. You can’t dwell in the past.

Q: Do you hear the stuff fans and the media say about coach Marrone being on the hot seat and stuff like that?

ST: Yeah, definitely. That’s what pushes us. You’ve definitely got to — I don’t say nothing about it because people don’t know what’s going on on the inside. You all just see what’s on the outside. I look at it just for motivation. mjcohe02@syr.edu

6 october 19 -21, 2 01 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

AROUND THE BIG EAST Delaware State and Fordham. Cincinnati has also defeated Virginia Tech and Miami (OH).

Cincinnati’s five wins have come in four home games and a neutral-site over VT. The Bearcats hit the road this weekend to take on Toledo.

Panthers lean on running game early on Pittsburgh has struggled out of the gate in conference play — losing its first three Big East games — but it hasn’t been from lack of balance in the running game. The Panthers ground attack is led

by Ray Graham, who has come back from missing half of last season due to injury to average 4.6 yards per carry through Pitt’s first six games. Graham has rushed for 439 yards and four touchdowns.

Complementing Graham is freshman Rushel Shell, who is averaging 5.2 yards per carry on 63 carries. Sophomore Isaac Bennett has also added three scores on the ground for Pittsburgh.

Still, the Panthers have dropped conference decisions to Cincinnati, Syracuse and Louisville to quickly fade in the conference race.

Weekend Slate

Saturday No. 19 Rutgers at Temple, Noon

courtesy of mitchell leff | temple athletic communications STEVE ADDAZIO and the Temple Owls are off to a surprising start in their first season back in the Big East. Temple is 3-2 overall but is undefeated in its two Big East games.

Big East news and notes Daniels having up-and-down senior season South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels has continued to demonstrate his explosive big-play capability, but he’s also struggled in the Bulls’ four-game losing streak. Daniels has completed a pass of at least 34 yards in all six of USF’s games so far, and he has thrown for three touchdowns on three separate occasions. He has also rushed for four touchdowns on the year.

His completion percentage has regressed this year, though, dropping from 58.9 in 2011 to 56.0. He has also thrown eight interceptions to contribute to South Florida’s 2-4 start.

Bridgewater shines during Louisville’s unbeaten start

CNY Largest Single Attraction Haunted House

Join us

every Fri and Sat throughout Oct.

After a much-praised freshman season, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater rode into his sophomore campaign facing great expectations.

So far, the sophomore has exceeded them, raising his completion percentage from 64.5 in 2011 to 71.8 in 2012. Bridgewater has thrown for nine touchdowns and only three interceptions.

He completed more than 76 percent of his pass attempts in each of Louisville’s first three games.

Bearcats open season on high note Cincinnati has taken advantage of a soft schedule to jump out to a 5-0 start in 2012. After opening the year with a 34-10 conference victory over Pittsburgh, the Bearcats have won four consecutive nonconference games, including two against Football Championship Subdivision foes

In a battle for first place in the Big East, Rutgers looks to keep its record clean against Steve Addazio’s gritty Temple squad. Both teams are coming off wins last week: Rutgers over Syracuse, and Temple over Connecticut.

The experienced Rutgers defense is sure to make things difficult for junior quarterback Chris Coyer and the Temple offense. The Owls need to play close to perfect, even with a home crowd, to emerge victorious.

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m.

A trip to Buffalo might be just what the struggling Panthers need. Pittsburgh has played competitive football lately, but it came up short in its last two games, losing to Syracuse 14-13 on Oct. 5 and Louisville 45-35 last week.

The 1-5 Bulls were listless in last week’s 45-3 loss at Northern Illinois and shouldn’t pose a serious threat for the Panthers.

South Florida at No. 16 Louisville, 3:30 p.m.

B. J. Daniels and his team came into the season expecting to compete for a Big East title, but they are still searching for their first conference victory. South Florida has lost four consecutive games, and its only Football Bowl Subdivision win came at Nevada by one point.

Although undefeated, Louisville has struggled at times this year, escaping Florida International and Southern Miss with one-possession victories before beating Pittsburgh 45-35.

No. 21 Cincinnati at Toledo, 7 p.m.

Cincinnati has rode a soft schedule to an undefeated record so far, but will face a stiff test against the Rockets of the Mid-American Conference.

Toledo has won six in a row after a season-opening overtime loss at Arizona. The Rockets have scored 102 points in their last two games combined.

Expect a shootout.

—Compiled by Kevin Prise, staff writer, kmprisei@syr.edu

Ticket Booth Opens 7-10 PM

Tickets $12 4816 State Route 49, Fulton NY 13069 Visit

www.FrightmareFarms.net for student discounts

Oct. 28th

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

Around the nation 2013 SEC schedule released

The Southeastern Conference announced its 2013 schedule on Thursday. The conference is calling the slate a “bridge” schedule. Alabama will travel to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas A&M for the first time in 25 years. The Crimson Tide will travel to Lubbock on Sept. 14, 2013, and host Louisiana State on Nov. 9, a game that has become an annual must-watch matchup with conference and national championship implications. Other notables include South Carolina’s annual matchup with Georgia being pushed back to the second week of the season and the Gamecocks’ matchup with Florida being pushed back to Nov. 16. South Carolina is the only team to play three consecutive road games with a three-game stretch in October against Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri. The SEC championship will be held Dec. 7 in the Georgia Dome.

South Carolina RB’s status uncertain Marcus Lattimore has been a major reason for No. 9 South Carolina’s 6-1 start, but they could be without him on Saturday. The Gamecocks running back missed practice on Wednesday with a bruised hip and may not start when South Carolina faces No. 3 Florida and fellow SEC elite running back Mike Gillislee. Lattimore is sixth in the SEC with 584 rushing yards and tied for

courtesy of scott weaver | k-state athletics communications COLLIN KLEIN is set to lead No. 4 Kansas State against its new conference rival, West Virginia, Saturday. Klein is expected to take part in a shootout with WVU’s Geno Smith.

7

conference lead with 10 rushing touchdowns.

Head coach Steve Spurrier is expected to discipline defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles. The defensive tackle punched Louisiana State center P.J. Lonergan in the facemask during the Tigers 23-21 win over the Gamecocks. Spurrier didn’t elaborate on what the punishment will be, but Quarles could miss Saturday’s game due to an injured shoulder.

Notre Dame QB likely to play Everett Golson suffered a concussion late in No. 5 Notre Dame’s 20-13 overtime victory over then-No. 17 Stanford. The Fighting Irish quarterback returned to practice on Wednesday and is expected to play Saturday against Brigham Young. Golson has split time at quarterback with Tommy Rees this season. Rees would start if Golson isn’t ready to go.

Alabama QB, too AJ McCarron injured his knee in Alabama’s 42-10 victory over Missouri. Initial reports said the Crimson Tide quarterback tore his meniscus, but head coach Nick Saban reported Monday that it was just a bruise. McCarron hasn’t missed any practice this week, but he’s been wearing a brace and is expected to play Saturday against Tennessee.

SEE NATION PAGE 18

8 october 19 -21, 2 01 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

LAST TIME THEY PLAYED Connecticut 28, Syracuse 21 Nov. 5, 2011

The Syracuse defense intercepted quarterback Johnny McEntee twice and recovered three fumbles in the first half against Connecticut.

But the Orange was unable to capitalize, failing to score off any of UConn’s five turnovers through the first 30 minutes.

When it was all said and done, Syracuse’s inability to score points off turnovers cost it in a 28-21 loss to the Huskies in front of 38,769 at Rentschler Field in 2011. The Orange lost its second straight game, falling to 5-4 on

the season and 1-3 in Big East play. Meanwhile, Connecticut improved to 4-5 and 2-2 in the conference. Both teams would end up finishing the season at 5-7, one win shy of an elusive bowl berth. For Syracuse, the UConn game and its season — dropping its last five games after starting 5-2 — were full of lost opportunities.

“I think it’s just when you think about, the defense got a turnover, we need to score now, instead of just focusing on that first play and then the second play,” SU wide receiver Alec Lemon said after the game. “And then that first first down and turning that into a good drive.”

But UConn wasn’t the only team making the mistakes, as the Orange offense turned the ball over three times.

“You’ve got to make plays; we weren’t able to

make plays,” Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone said after the game. “We wound up turning the ball over, too.”

After the Huskies took an early 7-0 lead in the first half, Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib and running back Antwon Bailey botched a handoff on the Orange’s second play of its first drive. The ball bounced off Bailey in the backfield and eventually ended up in the arms of UConn linebacker Jory Johnson.

“It was ... the handoff was ... it just didn’t happen,” said Bailey, who was held to just 50 yards on 16 carries.

The Syracuse defense was there to bail out the mistake-prone offense throughout the game.

McEntee threw his first interception of the day to safety Phillip Thomas. But once Syracuse got the ball back, the offense didn’t make much progress.

Defensive end Chandler Jones jarred the ball loose from UConn running back Lyle McCummings early in the second quarter. But when the offense got back on the field, Nassib missed a throw on third-and-5 that would have kept the possession alive.

The quarterback finished the first half 7-of17 with a touchdown and an interception. All

that against Connecticut’s 106th-ranked pass defense.

“He came out, the balls were sailing on him, he had a couple guys open and just missed them,” SU offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said.

In Syracuse’s five first-half possessions following a Connecticut turnover, the Orange only managed 62 yards on 21 plays.

The offense came alive in the second half, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions.

But the Connecticut offense matched Syracuse score for score. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies did what the Orange couldn’t throughout the game: the team capitalized on a turnover.

With the game tied at 21 in the final quarter, Nassib made a throw to the right sideline intended for Lemon. The ball instead found Connecticut linebacker Sio Moore. And the Connecticut offense eventually turned the interception into the game-winning score.

“Any time the defense does a great job like that, you got to capitalize on the turnovers,” Hackett said. “We didn’t today. We didn’t capitalize at all.”

—Compiled by Jon Harris, asst. sports editor, jdharr04@syr.edu

TALE OF THE TAPE QUARTERBACK

While he’s struggled over his past few games, Ryan Nassib is still a much better quarterback than Chandler Whitmer, who’s in his first year as starter. Nassib has thrown for more than

1,900 yards while Whitmer has thrown for just more than 1,500.

Advantage: Syracuse

RUNNING BACK

Connecticut has a strong running back seem-

Hey Hungry D.O. Readers!

The D.O. is now offering The Menu Guide!

The Menu Guide is a booklet containing full page menus from these 15 local restaurants:

ingly every season, and that continues this year. Lyle McCombs has rushed for 484 yards for the Huskies, while Jerome Smith has 355 for Syracuse.

Advantage: Connecticut

WIDE RECEIVERS

This one is easy. Syracuse has three receivers — Marcus Sales, Jarrod West and Alec Lemon — who all have more catches per game than UConn’s top target Geremy Davis.

Advantage: Syracuse

TIGHT ENDS

Beckett Wales and David Stevens are a formidable tandem for Syracuse. Together, they’ve combined for 203 yards. Connecticut’s starter, John Delahunt, only has 154 yards receiving.

Advantage: Syracuse

OFFENSIVE LINE

Syracuse’s offensive line has thrived this season, especially since the return of left tackle Justin Pugh. Opponents have only sacked SU quarterback Ryan Nassib 11 times. Chandler Whitmer, though, has been brought down 20 times this season as his line repeatedly let him down.

Advantage: Syracuse

DEFENSIVE LINE

Discover a new restaurant, order something different from your favorite restaurant, whatever you choose to do, the Menu Guide gives you a booklet full of options to keep on hand when you need dining inspiration.

Distribution begins Wednesday, October 17th and will continue at major distribution spots until all 11,000 copies are gone.

STARVE NO LONGER! CHECK OUT THE MENU PAGES!

The defensive line has been the strong suit of this Syracuse team. Defensive tackles Jay Bromley and Deon Goggins have owned the trenches, helping to contain opposing running backs and to create pressure in the pocket.

UConn defensive end Trevardo Williams leads the Big East with 7.5 sacks.

Advantage: Syracuse

LINEBACKERS

Connecticut boasts the leading tackler in the conference in Yawin Smallwood. Smallwood, who has 75 tackles, is joined by Jory Johnson

and Sio Moore, who average the fourth-most and 13th-most stops in the league, respectively.

Together, they form the core of a dominant defense. Meanwhile, Siriki Diabate, Marquis Spruill and Dyshawn Davis have been a reliable group for SU thus far.

Advantage: Connecticut

SECONDARY

UConn has the No. 1 pass defense in the Big East, limiting opponents to a 49.5 completion rate and 161.6 yards per game. Dwayne Gratz has nine pass defenses, including two interceptions to pace the unit. Syracuse is right behind UConn in the conference, but the Orange secondary has been burned for big plays throughout the season.

Advantage: Connecticut

SPECIAL TEAMS

UConn has been far from spectacular on special teams, but it gets the slight edge as it’s an area that’s haunted Syracuse all year. SU kicker Ross Krautman is 4-of-9 this year and punt returns have been an adventure for Steve Rene.

For the Huskies, kicker Chad Christen has gone just 7-of-14 on field goals, and the team is in the middle of the pack in the league in kickoff and punt returns.

Advantage: Connecticut

COACHING

Doug Marrone has endured a tough season through six games, reflecting on the mediocre performance of his program in his four years at the helm. Turnovers and mental mistakes have been constants this year, something Marrone views as a reflection of the job he’s done.

On the other side, Paul Pasqualoni hasn’t been any better. The Huskies offense is among the worst in the country. UConn also lost to Western Michigan and struggled to beat a Buffalo team that is currently 1-5.

Advantage: Push

@dailyorange

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

UCONN FROM PAGE 3

care of the football. Through six weeks, that’s been lacking. The numbers are ugly. Syracuse is tied for 115th in the country in turnover margin out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams at minus-1.67 per game.

Rutgers took advantage of the Orange’s turnover weakness last weekend, and the Huskies will look to do the same on Friday. UConn has a strong defense under the tutelage of head coach Paul Pasqualoni, who’s considered a defensive guru. The Huskies, third in the Big East in scoring defense, will look to strip the ball away on any chance they get.

Syracuse spent this week working on additional ball security drills, where the scout team defense was told to do everything it could to force a turnover. The offensive players must hold onto the ball, and the defense won’t stop trying to get a takeaway until the whistle blows.

“We’ve got to tighten that ball,” Lemon said.

“When you’re holding that ball, you’re holding the whole team in your hands.”

But the turnovers aren’t only on the ball carriers.

Quarterback Ryan Nassib has thrown eight interceptions this season. He threw nine interceptions all of last season, and a total of eight in 2008. Nassib said Tuesday that has a lot to do with Syracuse’s new-look offense. The Orange quarterback is taking more chances downfield. In previous years, he might have checked down rather than take a shot and throw deep.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go our way,” Nassib said. “That’s just the nature of the beast.”

Lemon said the players remind one another to play with confidence and protect the football.

He said even when they see each other around campus they discuss it. They reinforce it in the locker room and during practice.

“Anyone who touches the ball, they have to have a heightened awareness of the situation at hand,” center Macky MacPherson said. “We have a (minus-10) turnover ratio right now.

That’s terrible. And we know that and that’s something we’re working on.”

And now the defense is getting in on the act.

The Orange has only recovered two fumbles and forced just five turnovers. Syracuse spent a lot of time improving its tackling, so forcing turnovers was not emphasized until the tackling got better. Now that’s starting to change.

Marrone said turnover margin is a team category. Every player has to contribute.

Still, it’s the offense that has much of the responsibility.

“From the players’ standpoint, it’s the focus,” Marrone said. “And knowing how to take a hit, how to go down with the ball, how to cover it up in traffic, knowing when to go down at times.”

He said the coaches tell players that at times, they have to go down. After the first defender makes contact, often another will come in to try to strip the ball away from the ball carrier. Going down before that happens is key.

Turnovers are at the root of Syracuse’s disappointing season so far. As the turnovers pile up, the frustration builds. In the hours after the loss to the Scarlet Knights, the frustration hit its peak.

It’s easy to see what the problem’s been. The Orange’s season depends on it being corrected.

“We’re just really hurting ourselves,” Nassib said. “We’re confident if we can fix ourselves, then teams will have a much harder time stopping us.” cjiseman@syr.edu @chris_iseman

Need a little company?

Let our beat writers fill the void.

Watch “On the Beat” to see what our beat writers have to say about the game... ...and to feel like there are two more people in the room.

see dailyorange.com

9

10 o c t o b e r 1 9 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

KEY MATCHUPS

SIRIKI DIABATE MLB

JUSTIN PUGH LT

PRINCE-TYSON GULLEY RB

MARCUS SALES WR

LYLE MCCOMBS RB

TREVARDO WILLIAMS DE

YAWIN SMALLWOOD ILB

DWAYNE GRATZ CB

Smallwood is the leader of a dominant UConn defense. The linebacker, who is first in the Big East with 75 tackles, will be on Syracuse’s radar as it tries to get its offense going Friday.

Gulley is one of SU’s top threats coming out of the backfield as a rusher and receiver, and he’ll need to be prepared for Smallwood and the tough Huskies defense.

The number of wins Connecticut head coach Paul Pasqualoni earned in his 14-year tenure at Syracuse. Since Pasqualoni was fired after the 2004 season, SU has gone a combined 29-61 in four seasons under former head coach Greg Robinson and the last four under current head coach Doug Marrone, including this year.

STARTING LINEUPS

35 9

18

10

85

89

13

96

91

16

This will be the ninth meeting between UConn and Syracuse. SU first played the Huskies in 2004, defeating them 42-30 in Paul Pasqualoni’s final season at the helm. Connecticut has won the last five meetings, outscoring the Orange 176-79.

28

67

75

PITTSBURGH ON OFFENSE

The turnover margin for Syracuse this season. The Orange is tied for 115th out of 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

3 56

59

55

7 60

85

5

45

12

23

SU CENTER

UP NEXT >>

RYNE GERY Syracuse 20 Connecticut 7 SU comes out on top again in a Friday night matchup.

MICHAEL COHEN Syracuse 16 Connecticut 10 In addition to Nate Dogg, today we pour one out for Jim Calhoun.

THEY SAID IT

Macky MacPherson

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS

SYRACUSE ON OFFENSE

Connecticut is tops in the Big East in total defense, allowing just 261 yards per game.

The next best is Rutgers with 319.5. Syracuse will be the best offense UConn has faced statistically as the Orange has racked up 445.5 yards per game, good for second in the conference.

“Anyone who touches the ball, they have to have a heightened awareness of the situation at hand. We have a (minus-10) turnover ratio right now. That’s terrible. And we know that and that’s something we’re working on.”

The number of sacks by Connecticut this season, pacing the Big East in the category. The Huskies have also allowed the most sacks with 20 for a loss of 94 yards.

-1.67

33

59

21

6

15

48 53

5 15

4

72 69 50 63 77

DID YOU KNOW?

The number of passing yards SU quarterback Ryan Nassib has averaged this season. He is the only quarterback in the Big East averaging more than 300 yards per game and ranks eighth in the nation.

11

10 47 43

Connecticut offensive coordinator George DeLeone spent 20 years as part of the Syracuse program under former head coaches Dick MacPherson and Paul Pasqualoni. DeLeone served as the team’s offensive coordinator for 15 years, the defensive coordinator for one year and the associate head coach for seven years.

318

21

Gratz is UConn’s top cover corner. He has broken up nine passes this year to go with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Sales has been the most consistent and dynamic playmaker this year, hauling in 37 passes for 545 yards and five touchdowns.

He’ll be crucial to the Orange’s success moving the ball downfield against the Huskies on Friday.

Connecticut’s offense is among the worst in the country. The Huskies rank 107th in total offense with 320.6 yards per game and are tied for 109th in scoring offense with 19 points per game. The team has scored 24 points three times while scoring a combined 24 points in three of its losses.

107

FRIDAY, 8 P.M., ESPN

28

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

BY THE NUMBERS

SYRACUSE VS. UCONN

McCombs is second in the Big East with 134 rushing attempts. Though he only averages 80.7 yards per game, the running back is the key to the Connecticut offense. Diabate is coming off a big game against Rutgers, in which he made a season-high 13 tackles to help contain the conference’s leading rusher in Jawan Jamison.

Williams has terrorized opposing offensive lines all season, tallying 7.5 sacks in seven games — sixth best in the nation. The 6-foot-2-inch, 233-pound end will provide a major challenge for Pugh and the SU offensive line in giving quarterback Ryan Nassib enough time to get the ball downfield.

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

CONNECTICUT OFFENSE 10 QB CHANDLER WHITMER 43 RB LYLE MC COMBS 47 FB REUBEN FRANK 6 WR MICHAEL SMITH 85 WR GEREMY DAVIS 89 TE JOHN DELAHUNT 72 LT JIMMY BENNETT 69 LG STEVE GREENE 50 C TYLER BULLOCK 63 RG ADAM MASTERS 77 RT KEVIN FRIEND

AT SOUTH FLORIDA Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

SYRACUSE DEFENSE 10 DE MARKUS PIERCE-BREWSTER 96 NT JAY BROMLEY 13 DT DEON GOGGINS 91 DE BRANDON SHARPE 11 SLB MARQUIS SPRUILL 18 MLB SIRIKI DIABATE 35 WLB DYSHAWN DAVIS 4 CB BRANDON REDDISH 21 SS SHAMARKO THOMAS 28 FS JEREMI WILKES 9 CB RI’SHARD ANDERSON

SYRACUSE OFFENSE 12 QB RYAN NASSIB 45 RB JEROME SMITH 23 RB PRINCE-TYSON GULLEY 5 WR MARCUS SALES 15 WR ALEC LEMON 85 TE BECKETT WALES 67 LT JUSTIN PUGH 75 LG ZACK CHIBANE 59 C MACKY MACPHERSON 55 RG ROB TRUDO 60 RT SEAN HICKEY

AT CINCINNATI

Nov. 3, TBD

CONNECTICUT DEFENSE 48 DE TREVARDO WILLIAMS 53 DT RYAN WIRTH 59 DT SHAMAR STEPHEN 56 DE ANGELO PRUITT 3 OLB SIO MOORE 33 ILB YAWIN SMALLWOOD 28 OLB JORY JOHNSON 5 CB BLIDI WREH-WILSON 16 S BYRON JONES 15 S TY-MEER BROWN 7 CB DWAYNE GRATZ

CHRIS ISEMAN Syracuse 24 Connecticut 21 Turning over a new leaf.

VS. LOUISVILLE

Nov. 10, TBD

11

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

13

BIG EAST POWER RANKINGS Halfway through the college football season, the Big East has three teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Louisville sits at 6-0 and is ranked No. 16 to lead the conference.

Rutgers (6-0) is No. 19 and No. 21 Cincinnati remains unbeaten at 5-0. The three ranked teams in the Big East is one more than the Atlantic Coast Conference — Florida State (6-1) is No. 12 and Clemson (5-1) is No. 14 — which Syracuse and Pittsburgh will be joining next season. But at least for six more games, the Big East remains intact.

The Daily Orange ranks the teams in the Big East according to their performances so far.

1. Louisville (6-0, 1-0 Big East) Coming off a 45-35 win on the road against Pittsburgh, the Cardinals deserve the top spot in the Big East. Sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been exceptional, as he’s completing almost 72 percent of his passes and has nine touchdowns and three picks on the year. Senorise Perry and Jeremy Wright have combined for more than 1,000 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.

Louisville, the favorite coming into the season, is simply the most balanced offensive team in the conference.

2. Rutgers (6-0, 3-0) The Scarlet Knights didn’t look pretty against Syracuse, but the team did what it needed to do to remain unbeaten. The running game

was stagnant all day long as star tailback Jawan Jamison was held to just 64 yards on 28 carries. The defense really solidifies Rutgers as the No. 2 team in the Big East, as the unit is allowing just 11.5 points per game, good for third-best in the country.

3. Cincinnati (5-0, 1-0) The Bearcats are the weakest of the undefeated teams in the Big East right now. Two of its wins are against Football Championship Subdivision competition and the team’s biggest win came against Virginia Tech — amid a down year — in the waning seconds of the game. It’ll be easier to get a good read on just how good the Bearcats are once they face better competition. Enter high-scoring Toledo (6-1) this weekend and unbeaten Louisville on Oct. 26.

4. Temple (3-2, 2-0) The Owls were expected to be the bottom-feeder of the Big East, struggling to compete in their first season in a conference where they’ve already had one go-around. But Temple already beat a

perennially talented yet underachieving South Florida team and Connecticut, which has one of the top defenses in the conference. But Rutgers will likely bring the Owls back down to reality on Saturday.

5. Syracuse (2-4, 1-1) The Orange is just the best team in a terrible second half of the conference. Syracuse still struggles to force turnovers and make big plays. Quarterback Ryan Nassib caught national attention through the first two games of the season because of gaudy passing numbers. But he has since cooled off. And the slow-starting Orange seems more content with losing opportunities than cashing in on them.

6. Connecticut (3-4, 0-2) Great defense.

Terrible offense. The Huskies are letting in 16.3 points per game but are only scoring 19 points per game, good for 111th in the country. In any other major conference, the Huskies would be dead last. Luckily for them, they’re in the Big East.

7. Pittsburgh (2-4, 0-3) There’s really not much to say here.

The Panthers started off the season with a 14-point loss to Youngstown State. Then, Pitt got blown out

by Cincinnati. And in the next two games, it upset then-No. 13 Virginia Tech 35-17 and blew out Gardner-Webb. The Panthers then lost to Syracuse and Louisville in back-to-back weeks.

Pitt is definitely relieved to see Buffalo on the schedule this weekend.

8. South Florida (2-4, 0-2) Every year, South Florida comes into the season with high expectations behind quarterback B.J. Daniels. And every year, the Bulls disappoint. The team has lost four straight games and its only wins came against Chattanooga and a one-point nail biter against Nevada. Don’t expect to be impressed with South Florida this Saturday against Louisville.

—Compiled by Jon Harris, asst. sports editor, jdharr04@syr.edu

@dailyorange.com

14 o c t o b e r 1 9 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

HEISMAN

HOPEFULS

Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State

96-of-159, 1,271 yards, 11 TDs 4 INTs 129 carries, 912 yards, 9 TDs The Ohio native appears to be growing into the season while his competition continues to fade.

Miller needs a marquee performance to really cement his place atop the Heisman free-for-all.

Leading the team in its 63-38 win over then-No. 21 Nebraska is the closest thing to it. Purdue shouldn’t trouble the sophomore standout, but No. 7 OSU must keep winning and Miller can leave no doubt if he wants to be lifting the golden stiff-arming trophy in New York this winter.

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

195-of-259, 2,271 yards, 25 TDs 0 INTs 28 carries, 71 yards, 1 TD The entire WVU team looked pathetic last week against Texas Tech. Though Smith can only control the offense, he should expect little help from the defense in keeping the Mountaineers in the national spotlight. It may be unfair that Heisman voting tends to shake out in such a way, but so is Dana Holgorsen’s offense. The No. 4 Kansas State Wildcats present an opportunity and a potential body blow. Smith needs to resume putting up gaudy numbers for at least his own sake.

GENO SMITH

QB, West Virginia

141-of-169, 1,728 yards, 20 TDs, 0 INTs 20 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD

Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State

79-for-118, 1,074 yards, 7 TDs 2 INTs 98 carries, 510 yards, 10 TDs This week Klein lacks the obscene numbers of his opposite number, Smith. But he is a dual threat going up against just a three- or fourman rush and tragically comic secondary. The Wildcats should run all over West Virginia, opening up acres of space for Klein. This may be the game where he makes himself the Heisman favorite. At the very least, he and Smith appear to be dueling for poll position right now.

De’Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon 53 rushes, 402 yards, 6 TDs 23 catches, 209 yards, 3 TDs

These numbers have come from a player who does not start. His presence in the Heisman discussion underlines an already shaky race.

Regardless of his position for the Ducks, Thomas is the most electrifying talent in the country right now. His 9.2 yards per carry defy logic, but a breakout game against the ninth-best defense in the country would go a long way toward making him a more serious contender.

Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame

DE’ANTHONY THOMAS RB, OREGON

53 rushes, 402 yards, 6 TDs, 23 catches, 209 yards, 3 TDs

courtesy eric evans | oregon athletics DE’ANTHONY THOMAS continues to come off the bench and make enough of a difference for Oregon to keep his name in the Heisman conversation. Through six games Thomas was averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Thomas splits carries with Kenjon Barner.

59 tackles, 6 interceptions, 4 fumbles recovered Te’o shows no signs of slowing down. Last weekend, he recorded 11 tackles against then-No. 17 Stanford. Winning the Heisman as a linebacker won’t be easy and Brigham Young holds little national relevance. This is just another week where Te’o has to put up great numbers, a better performance and keep the Fighting Irish undefeated. The biggest danger to that stat is ND’s schedule. Next week the Irish face fellow Top-10 team Oklahoma on the road. Te’o must lead the team away from looking ahead.

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

POLLS

QUICK HITS

BCS STANDINGS POINTS PER GAME 1. ALABAMA

2. FLORIDA

6. Louisiana State 7. South Carolina 8. Oregon State 9. Oklahoma 10. Southern California

3. OREGON

11. Georgia 12. Mississippi State 13. West Virginia 14. Florida State 15. Rutgers

4. KANSAS STATE

16. Louisville 17. Texas Tech 18. Texas A&M 19. Clemson 20. Stanford

5. NOTRE DAME

21. Cincinnati 22. Boise State 23. Texas Christian 24. Iowa State 25. Texas

POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME RUSHING YARDS GAINED PER GAME PASSING YARDS GAINED PER GAME

AP TOP 25

TOTAL OFFENSIVE YARDS PER GAME RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME

1. ALABAMA (60)

2. OREGON

6. Louisiana State 7. Ohio State 8. Oregon State 9. South Carolina 10. Oklahoma

3. FLORIDA

11. Southern California 12. Florida State 13. Georgia 14. Clemson 15. Mississippi State

4. KANSAS STATE

16. Louisville 17. West Virginia 18. Texas Tech 19. Rutgers 20. Texas A&M

5. NOTRE DAME

21. Cincinnati 22. Stanford 23. Michigan 24. Boise State 25. Ohio

USA TODAY

1. ALABAMA (59)

2. OREGON

6. Louisiana State 7. Oklahoma 8. South Carolina 9. Southern California 10. Florida State

3. KANSAS STATE

11. Oregon State 12. Georgia 13. Clemson 14. Louisville 15. West Virginia

4. FLORIDA

16. Mississippi State 17. Rutgers 18. Cincinnati 19. Texas A&M 20. Texas Tech

5. NOTRE DAME

21. Texas Christian 22. Boise State 23. Stanford 24. Arizona State 25. Michigan

PASSING YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME

19 16.3 100.1 220.4 320.6 99.4 161.6 261

Follow @DOSports for in-game updates

22.8 25.7 127.5 318.8 446.3 136.2 199.3 335.5

15

16 o c t o b e r 1 9 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

NUMERICAL ROSTERS NO.

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

NAME

Ashton Broyld Quinta Funderburk Wayne Morgan Durell Eskridge Brandon Reddish Marcus Sales Ritchy Desir Oliver Vigille Keon Lyn Ri’Shard Anderson Terrel Hunt Markus Pierce-Brewster Marquis Spruill Ryan Nassib Deon Goggins John Kinder Alec Lemon Keenan Hale James Jarrett Charley Loeb Siriki Diabate Ryan Lichtenstein Joe Nassib Mitchell Piasecki Greg Tobias Julian Whigham Shamarko Thomas Adrian Flemming Prince-Tyson Gulley Jaston George Jeremiah Kobena Myles Davis George Morris III Jeremi Wilkes Devante McFarlane Steve Rene Clay Cleveland Travon Burke Dan Vaughan Adonis Ameen-Moore Dyshawn Davis Christopher Clark Ross Krautman Cameron Lynch Dom Anene Zachary McCarrell Lewellyn Coker Jacob Green Franklin Santos

POS.

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

HT

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

WT

222 190 191 198 183 192 179 224 194 187 215 248 224 227 274 187 204 190 206 214 216 164 177 253 169 180 206 196 192 164 179 225 195 189 195 180 226 234 219 239 212 158 161 225 234 202 227 240 177

CLASS

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

Assisted Living Adult Family Care Home Your stay includes: • Meals (including snacks) • 24hr supervision • Personal care

We provide: • Long-term/short-term • Monitor medication • Respites & hospice care

Occupancy for private & semi-private rooms available. Carpeted!

Single family ranch-style home. House is licensed by NY State.

Will provide personal care, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

For further information, call (315) 299-6338

NO.

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 55 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 67 68 70 70 72 74 75 76 77 78 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 92 93 94 95 96 97 97 99

NAME

Jerome Smith Jonathan Fisher Sam Rodgers Carl Cutler Ryan Norton Femi Aliyu Donnie Simmons Eric Crume Lucas Albrecht Rob Trudo Omari Palmer Macky MacPherson Sean Hickey Eric Morris Andrew Phillips Ryan Sloan Daniel Anyaegbunam Justin Pugh Nick Robinson Marcus Coleman Jesse Wolf-Gould Ivan Foy Seamus Shanley Zack Chibane Kyle Knapp Lou Alexander Jason Emerich Ron Thompson Louie Addazio Alvin Cornelius Max Beaulieu Ben Lewis Beckett Wales David Stevens Kyle Foster Jarrod West Josh Parris James Washington Brandon Sharpe Riley Dixon Davon Walls Micah Robinson Robert Welsh Josh Manley Jay Bromley Macauley Hill John Raymon Zian Jones Dontez Ford

POS.

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

HT

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

WT

217 209 223 251 181 226 242 306 267 282 311 286 287 227 268 311 274 297 270 259 315 311 260 298 262 314 270 256 245 186 239 197 230 231 207 202 252 218 255 205 310 270 259 269 290 198 319 315 198

CLASS

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

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

NO.

3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 46 47

NAME

Sio Moore Deshon Foxx Ricky Gutierrez Blidi Wreh-Wilson Michael Smith Jhavon Williams Dwayne Gratz Shakim Phillips Kamal Abrams Chandler Whitmer Scott McCummings Casey Cochran David Stevenson Chad Christen Jazzmar Clax Ty-Meer Brown Byron Jones Blaise Driscoll Bobby Puyol Kenrick Mattison Johnny McEntee Ellis Marder Denzel Allen Joseph Williams Andrew Adams Wilbert Lee Graham Stewart Martin Hyppolite Eric Brainard Tyree Clark Jory Johnson Taylor Mack Obi Melifonwu Nick Williams Jefferson Ashiru Yawin Smallwood David Kenney Martin Tartaglino Wyatt Vinci Michael Osiecki Jeremy Claflin Alex Kantor Jordan Floyd Brendan Battles-Santos Brandon Steg Justin Wain Lyle McCombs Max DeLorenzo Elijah Norris Christopher Matteis Marquise Vann Reuben Frank

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

POS.

LB WR WR CB WR CB CB WR WR QB QB QB CB K/P FB/LB S DB QB K DB QB S WR TB S S LB RB RB CB LB CB S WR LB LB S FB LB/FB FB S DB S DE LB P RB RB DE FB LB FB

HT.

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

WT.

229 167 162 190 201 173 198 200 179 191 224 214 173 202 250 193 192 189 182 175 208 192 185 201 186 204 227 214 187 183 227 170 199 184 227 235 195 218 223 228 186 185 207 248 226 190 166 213 231 230 224 239

CLASS

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

NO.

48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 58 59 60 62 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 89 90 91 92 93 93 94 95 96 96 97 98 99

NAME

Trevardo Williams Sean McQuillan Tyler Bullock Tim Willman Ryan Donohue Ryan Wirth Omaine Stephens Jon Hicks Angelo Pruitt Zach Taylor Wesley Hopkins Jonathan Louis Shamar Stephen Tyler Samra William Oldach Adam Masters Gus Cruz Dominick Manco Adam Mueller Bryan Paull Steve Greene Kyle Bockeloh Richard Levy Jimmy Bennett Alex Mateas Paul Nwokeji Xavier Hemingway Zach Rugg Kevin Friend Dalton Gifford Justin Kadow Neil Shortell John-Luke Bogue Frank Guardi John Green Tebucky Jones Geremy Davis Cole Wagner James Horan John Delahunt Julian Campenni Jesse Joseph Mykal Myers David Goodrich Sujay Trivedi Ryan Griffin Kenton Adeyemi Andreas Knappe Spencer Parker B.J. McBryde Ted Jennings Sean Marinan

POS.

DE TE OG DT LB DT LB LB DT LB DL DE DT OG LS OT OG LS LS C OG C OT. OT OG OT OT OG OT OT DL TE WR WR WR WR WR P TE TE DT DE DT K WR TE DT DL TE DE DE DE

HT.

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

WT.

233 238 302 270 242 271 214 235 296 196 265 259 317 291 280 298 306 239 225 298 309 284 317 309 293 261 262 298 295 297 198 250 165 182 178 185 214 211 230 243 281 259 301 172 180 247 259 280 218 301 254 253

CLASS

Sr. R-Fr. R-Jr. R-Jr. Sr. R-Sr. Fr. Fr. R-So. Fr. Fr. R-So. R-Jr. Fr. Fr. R-Sr. R-So. R-Fr. Jr. R-So. R-Jr. Fr. Fr. RS Sr. R-So. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. R-Jr. R-Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. R-So. R-So. R-Jr. Fr. R-Sr. R-Fr. Sr. Fr. R-Fr. Jr. R-Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Sr. R-So. R-Sr. Fr.

17

18 o c t o b e r 1 9 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 2

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Idaho State coach accused of pushing player

NATION FROM PAGE 7

‘Nap time’ for Northwestern Northwestern started slow in its 22-13 win against Boston College on Sept. 15. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald attributed that to fatigue caused by the 3:30 p.m. start. The solution for that: nap time. With another 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday against Nebraska, Fitzgerald is planning on a mandatory 10:30 a.m. nap to keep his Wildcats fresh when they take on the Cornhuskers.

The Pocatello Police Department and Idaho State campus police are looking into an Oct. 3 incident in which Bengals head coach Mike Kramer pushed wide receiver Derek Graves during practice. The senior fell to the ground after being pushed and has been suffering from neck spasms since the incident. He has yet to be cleared for Saturday’s game against Northern Colorado.

Penn State not renewing AD’s contract Tim Curley’s contract as Penn State athletic director ends in June, which will be the end of Curley’s tenure at PSU. The athletic director has been on leave since being charged with perjury last year in relation to the allegations against former Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Injured Tulane safety issues statement Tulane safety Devon Walker fractured his spine making a tackle in the Green Wave’s 45-10 loss to Tulsa on Sept. 8. In a written statement released Wednesday by the Tulane athletic department, Walker thanked everyone who has been supportive during his healing and has helped him “keep on pushing” through his recovery.

Giselle Schlegel Alex Weiss Mollie Pleet

They all received scholarships from the SU Chapter of Golden Key last year.

Remember that invitation you received to join Golden Key? Maybe you could be our next scholarship recipient. Join today!

For information contact Josh Spaulding, President, at jwspauld@syr.edu

Another violation for LSU corner?

Suspended Louisiana State cornerback Tyrann Mathieu may have blown his chance to return to the Tigers. According to a Sports Illustrated report, Mathieu may have broken NCAA rules by allowing his likeness to be used on a flyer promoting a nightclub. The “Honey Badger” was suspended by LSU in August for failing a drug test just months after he was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Vintage. New. Men’s. Women’s.

Clothing. Jewelry. Accessories.

Wigs. 100’s of Hats. Costumes.

Tues - Sat 11:30 - 8:00

Tennessee vs. No. 1 Alabama Tennessee came into the season with lofty expectations, but after back-to-back losses to then-No. 5 Georgia and then-No. 19 Mississippi State, even making a bowl game could be an uphill battle for the Volunteers.

They run the risk of falling below .500 for the first time this season against Alabama, which may have its best team of this current dynasty.

The defense is once again great, but one position UT was supposed to have the advantage at was quarterback with Tyler Bray, but the Crimson Tide’s quarterback AJ McCarron has been one of the best in the nation this year giving Alabama an offense that can at least somewhat compare to its defense.

Texas Christian vs. No. 18 Texas Tech Texas Christian joined the Big 12 to gain respect. Halfway through its first season there, that respect hasn’t come. The Horned Frogs are off to a 5-1 start and just held Baylor’s explosive offense that hung 63 on then-No. 9 West Virginia to just 21 points, yet they remain unranked.

Slowing down another potent offense in Texas Tech could bring them a step closer to that. While TCU likely won’t be playing in a Bowl Championship Series bowl this year, a win could give it momentum heading into a brutal end of the season stretch featuring four ranked teams.

No. 20 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 Louisiana State Johnny Manziel has taken the nation by storm and become a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. The redshirt freshman quarterback nicknamed “Johnny Football” has already repeatedly broken the SEC single-game record for total offense.

But what Saturday’s game could come down to is the defense. Everyone knows about Louisiana State’s elite defense anchored by defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, but Damontre Moore is an emerging star on the Aggies defensive line.

No. 17 West Virginia vs. No. 4 Kansas State Not only will Saturday’s matchup in Manhattan, Kansas, give the winner an inside track to the Big 12 championship, but it also could give the winner’s quarterback an inside track for the Heisman. Geno Smith still has a commanding lead in most statistical categories, and thus remains the favorite, but Collin Klein’s Wildcats look like the more complete team right now.

Like most Big 12 matchups, this one should be a shootout with two of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and two defenses that leave plenty to be desired.

No. 3 Florida vs. No. 9 South Carolina An injury to star South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore could completely change the complexion of this game, and in turn the SEC as a whole. With him in the lineup, Florida would have had a tougher time holding on to its unbeaten record. But if Lattimore doesn’t play, No. 1 Alabama may have its toughest challenger.

Star Gators running back Mike Gillislee, paired with an elite defense, would allow UF to grind it out with the Crimson Tide, but it has to get past the Gamecocks first.

—Compiled by David Wilson, asst. copy editor, dbwilson@syr.edu

Like moving pictures?

Check out “On the Beat” see dailyorange.com

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

october 19 -21, 2 01 2

PERSPECTIVES

PASQUALONI

by david wilson | asst. copy editor

FROM PAGE 4

Will a loss to UConn make this season a lost cause?

“I don’t think it’s totally a lost cause, but I think that it’s definitely not good, but I think that we can maybe bring it back.”

Margaret Clevenger

“I would say it doesn’t look good, and I’ve seen much better teams here at SU than this year.”

Brandon Kidd

JUNIOR, PSYCHOLOGY

JUNIOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICY

Kevin Forney remembers. A season ticket-holder since the Carrier Dome opened in 1980, he was one of 49,857 in attendance.

“I just remember it was over 40,000 people and going nuts,” he said.

Representatives from the Fiesta Bowl were among the 49,857 as well. Impressed by SU’s effort, they extended an invitation to the Orange. Syracuse went on to defeat No. 10 Colorado 26-22.

Wins against the elite programs were not so rare then. The Big East was a better conference and SU was a better team, regularly finishing with nine wins while doing battle with powers like Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College.

“We weren’t playing Miami of Ohio and Northwestern and all them bulls**t teams that we play now that we can’t beat,” Forney said.

“So that’s what’s frustrating about being a Syracuse fan is we can’t beat these secondstringers that we would never think about playing back in the ’90s.”

Andre Fontenette followed Pasqualoni into the coaching profession. Today, he is preparing Campbell for homecoming as their wide receivers coach.

But just a little more than 10 years ago, Pasqualoni was recruiting the wide receiver.

Pasqualoni told Fontenette about where he saw the Churchville-Chili High School star fitting into the team. Pasqualoni told Fontenette he’d be a two-year starter, and he was.

CONTROVERSIAL EXIT “I think so. I thought we lost it a while ago. I like SU and I actually live here, so all I hear about is SU, but I really don’t really have too much faith in this team.”

Jaquan Green

FRESHMAN, BUSINESS

“Yeah, I think we need to start focusing on next season and maybe consider a coaching change up top. The pieces are definitely there, they just haven’t been able to produce anything.”

Joel Cohen

JUNIOR, POLICY STUDIES

On Dec. 29, 2004, new athletic director Daryl Gross, who had been on the job for less than two weeks, fired Paul Pasqualoni, following a 6-6 season and a 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in the Champs Sports Bowl. In 2002, the Orange went 4-8, which was Pasqualoni’s only losing season. His firing came only three weeks after new chancellor Nancy Cantor had issued a public vote of confidence for him to return for the final year of his contract.

Pasqualoni left SU with a 107-59-1 record that he had compiled over 14 seasons.

19

“He’s the kind of guy that looks you in the eye when he talks and he knew what he was talking about,” Fontenette said. “He made me feel like I had no choice but to go to Syracuse. I’d be stupid if I didn’t.”

The Orange went 20-17 in Fontenette’s four years of playing — he redshirted his freshman year. Those four years also marked the end of his tenure at SU. On Dec. 29, 2004, athletic director Daryl Gross announced Pasqualoni’s firing. The team was just eight days removed from a 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in the Champ Sports Bowl, bringing its record to 6-6.

The players were shocked, Fontenette said, and the decision was received by fans as Gross wanting to appoint his own head coach, Forney said.

Gross was not made available for comment.

“We will maintain our vision of hiring a head coach that will get Syracuse football back to national prominence,” Gross said in the press conference announcing the decision.

SU is 29-61 since Pasqualoni’s firing.

The last days of the Pasqualoni era were far from his best. In Monday’s teleconference he expressed doubt regarding how the Carrier Dome crowd would receive him.

But Forney, citing Pasqualoni’s success coaching teams led by stars Donovan McNabb, Dwight Freeney and James Mungro, looks back on his tenure fondly.

“Anybody who’s followed Syracuse football for any amount of time that knows anything about anything would stand on their two feet and give him a standing ovation,” Fontenette said. “He’s put a lot of his time and effort and pretty much his whole career into that university. I think they’d be stupid not to acknowledge that.” jmklinge@ syr.edu @MrJacobK