In the Huddle: Louisville

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september 30, 2013 1

huddle in the • october 3, 2014

syracuse vs. louisville

2 octobr 3, 2014

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Hunter or hunted?

Red flags

Daily Orange beat reporters Jesse Dougherty and Jacob Klinger debate whether or not Terrel Hunt can make SU’s offense better than average in the ACC. See page 3

Penalties and other simple mistakes have killed off once-promising drives for Syracuse this season. SU isn’t getting away with anymore and must improve against Louisville.

See page 5

t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r ac u s e , n e w yor k

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Meredith Newman

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cover photo by sam maller staff photographer

october 3, 2014 3

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TERREL HUNT has delivered mixed performances for a 2-2 Syracuse team this season. B ut whether or not he possesses the capabilities to lead an injury- and penalty-plagued SU offense to relevance in the ACC this season remains to be seen. The first step to finding out is Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff against Louisville in the Carrier Dome. sam maller staff photographer

Can this Syracuse offense be above average in the ACC with Terrel Hunt at the helm?

Yes

Hunt’s done everything but score with the best of the ACC so far this year. Injuries, penalties aside, he is the man for Syracuse

S

yracuse already is a better-than-average Atlantic Coast Conference offense.

The Orange averages 450.5 yards per game, good for fourth in the ACC and just four yards per game behind Florida State.

Yep, No. 1-team-in-the-country, thoroughly-above-average Florida State. The Seminoles do score a lot more than SU, as does every team in the conference with the exception of Wake Forest. Syracuse is good at everything except avoiding drive-killing penalties and actually scoring.

It’s not a question of whether or not Terrel Hunt can lead the Orange offense to the top half of the ACC. He’s doing that right now, leading SU to all but the end zone. What’s stopping him, he’s improving on. What’s stopping the rest of the team, is fixable — especially with Hunt on the field.

He makes the slow-to-start running backs better. Every week, opposing coaches have to game plan for the physical fact that Hunt can

JACOB KLINGER

CLEAR EYES, ONE HEART run when his backs can’t find holes and his receivers can’t get open.

“You just know he’s going to stand in there,” SU wide receiver Ben Lewis said.

“He’s going to come out with confidence and you can always rely on him.”

As the rest of the Orange’s most talented offensive players drop with injuries, Hunt, the man to lead SU into ACC relevance, remains. He also runs, throws and absorbs tackles. He plays through a sore hip and leads an offense that, without him, wouldn’t be suited for a television audience.

Sure, there are cute, embarrassing stats to laugh at. Syracuse punter Riley Dixon has as many touchdown passes as Hunt this season.

see klinger page 4

No

In its current state, the success of Syracuse’s offense is out of Hunt’s hands, even if the quarterback is somewhat on his game

T

here’s a lot that Terrel Hunt can do.

He’s throwing the ball with improved accuracy, creates and extends plays with his legs and, despite two straight losses and persisting red-zone inefficiency, has been marginally effective for Syracuse.

But Hunt’s not a miracle worker. And since he can’t get Ashton Broyld, Brisly Estime and Ivan Foy on the field for Friday’s game against Louisville (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) at 7 p.m., he doesn’t have the sharpness — or offensive line, running game and receiving options — to put Syracuse’s (2-2) attack in the top tier of ACC offenses.

Syracuse is currently fourth in the conference in yards per game at 450.5. But the Orange has the 13th-best offense, out of 14 ACC teams, in points per game, and Hunt doesn’t have the weapons to make it anything more than a shell of its statistical self.

“When you take a step back and look at

JESSE DOUGHERTY

THE DOCTOR’S IN

where (Hunt) is now compared to where we were last year at this time, he’s light-years ahead,” said George McDonald, SU’s offensive coordinator. “So it’s never as good as you want it, but our job is to keep building on the positives and kind of keep trying to eliminate the negative things that we’re doing right now.”

Syracuse’s offense is easier to defend than it was a month ago, which puts even the smallest Hunt mistake under a microscope.

Ben Lewis is the only Orange receiver to have multiple receptions in all four games this season, starting punter Riley Dixon led the team in rushing against Notre Dame and Foy’s lower-body injury puts an inexperienced Michael Lasker on the offensive line.

see dougherty page 4

4 october 3, 2014

from page 3

klinger Dixon — bless his heart — was also the team’s leading rusher against Notre Dame.

But while Syracuse is without Brisly Estime and Ashton Broyld and protection in right tackle Ivan Foy, it regains Josh Parris, a player who teammates and coaches alike have singled out as having an uncanny connection with Hunt.

More than a target, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound

Just a sense of comfort.

Because this whole camp I was just putting the ball anywhere I wanted to and he was catching it. His confidence helped him a lot. He became a great player and he’s got a lot to prove, so I’m just excited to watch him do it.

Terrel Hunt su quarterback on tight end josh parris

tight end can give the Orange a calm it’s has lacked when it nears the end zone.

“Just a sense of comfort,” Hunt said Tuesday of what a healthy Parris provides.

“Because this whole camp I was just putting the ball anywhere I wanted to and he was

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catching it. His confidence helped him a lot.

He became a great player and he’s got a lot to prove, so I’m just excited to watch him do it.”

It’s hard to be excited about tight end depth chart minutiae if you’re a Syracuse fan. That lifestyle choice makes a lot of things difficult this time of year.

Hunt isn’t the one not scoring, though. If Scott Shafer and the SU coaching staff can’t get their offensive lineman to wait to move until the ball is snapped, then this isn’t a quarterback problem.

But Hunt and offensive coordinator George McDonald said they’re simplifying snap counts.

SU struggled against Villanova because Hunt punched a linebacker in the facemask. He doesn’t do that anymore. Untimely penalties and simple incompletions shut Syracuse out of games against Maryland and Notre Dame.

Still, every week, quarterbacks coach Tim Lester praises Hunt’s improving decisionmaking.

It’s important to remember that Syracuse wouldn’t have been in those games against Maryland and Notre Dame —one of the best defenses the Orange will face this year, executing its game plan to near perfection — without Hunt.

“I think it’s easy to hate a quarterback if you don’t like the quarterback,” SU offensive coordinator McDonald said.

So don’t hate the man who’s carried SU farther than anyone else this season, producing among the ACC’s best. All that’s missing from Syracuse’s offense is points. Hunt’s the one who will score them. jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_

from page 3

dougherty The Fighting Irish’s defense, a tough barometer for a developing attack, showed how the injuries cause a ripple effect. Notre Dame pushed up its corners on the Orange’s wideouts, took away the edge with its outside linebackers and left a light front to defend the ground game.

And the light front was successful — SU

Most of the time I like taking the blame because it doesn’t make my players think they didn’t do well or it kind of takes the attention off of them, the bad attention.

Terrel Hunt su quarterback

head coach Scott Shafer said his line didn’t hold its blocks long enough — as no other rusher but Dixon gained more than 29 yards.

That forced Hunt to live in the air, but long completions were followed by unexecuted screens and the rushing attack provided few wrinkles in the Orange’s zone-read scheme.

Syracuse’s first four play-action passes against the Fighting Irish went like this: incomplete, 3-yard gain, 5-yard loss on a sack, 1-yard gain.

By the fourth quarter, the Orange was

down and threw 17 times while running just once, a 7-yard scramble by Hunt that resulted in SU’s only touchdown. Three big gains of 46, 19 and 16 were attractive, but none of the 15 other throws went for more than 6 yards.

“Sometimes the chips don’t fall your way,” Hunt said of the passing game’s inconsistency against Notre Dame.

While the UND defense is top-notch, Louisville’s — as well as others on SU’s conference slate — is just as capable of handcuffing Hunt.

Louisville heads into Friday’s game with the country’s best run defense, holding opponents to 58.2 rushing yards per game, 1.95 yards per carry and just one rushing touchdown on the year.

Again, Hunt will be tested in the air because the Cardinals’ front will handle SU’s. When he has time to throw, he’ll look to Jarrod West, Adrian Flemming, Steve Ishmael and Lewis — with the last three heading into the game with a combined 46 collegiate games played and 23 collegiate receptions.

Hunt accepts that the offense is a reflection of him, even if it really isn’t.

“As a quarterback, you’re supposed to take the blame. You get the glory when you win, you take the blame when you lose.

That’s how it goes,” Hunt said on Tuesday.

“Most of the time I like taking the blame because it doesn’t make my players think they didn’t do well or it kind of takes the attention off of them, the bad attention.”

And in a way he’s right. A good carpenter never blames his tools.

But he still needs a toolset to work with. jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse

october 3, 2014 5

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SU offense looks to fix sloppy play

By Phil D’Abbraccio asst. sports editor

George McDonald had some explaining to do.

Standing in the Iocolano-Petty Football Wing on Tuesday evening for almost an hour — an eternity compared to the other interviews — the offensive coordinator took accountability for SU’s offensive flaws. He also pledged his faith in the Orange’s approach to fixing them and in the players who look to carry those solutions out.

“The hardest thing is to keep doing what you are doing,” McDonald said. “It starts with me. There’s a couple calls that I wish I could take back. Every position kind of contributed to us not executing.

“Our defense is doing a wonderful job and we’re not holding our end of the bargain.”

In its season opener, Syracuse got away with poor discipline and execution in the red zone.

But in the last two weeks, the Orange has paid the price for an abundance of penalties in and out of the red zone.

As Louisville (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) and its Top-10 defense venture to the Carrier

I understand when you get five turnovers, there has to be points. Like, frick, we got five frickin’ turnovers and we got zero points …

A lot of those mistakes are self-inflicted and that’s the kind of thing we’re trying to get out of our system.

George McDonald su offensive coordinator

Dome for a 7 p.m. showdown on Friday, SU (2-2) hopes its snap-count tweaks help the Orange clean up its act on offense as ACC play gets underway.

Since SU’s 40-3 win at Central Michigan on Sept. 13, its offense has scored just three touchdowns — all runs by Terrel Hunt. The Orange has put up plenty of yardage, but untimely penalties and other miscues have not translated well to the scoreboard.

“I understand when you get five turnovers, there has to be points,” McDonald said, referring to SU’s loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.

“Like, frick, we got five frickin’ turnovers and we got zero points.

“A lot of those mistakes are self-inflicted and that’s the kind of thing we’re trying to get out of our system.”

Through four games, Syracuse is 13th in the ACC in points per game out of 14 teams, 10th in penalty yards given away per game and thirdto-last in third-down conversion percentage.

Even with all those faults, the Orange ranks fourth in total yards per game. For SU, it isn’t a matter of getting drives going — it’s about finishing them off.

“It will all come together when we put

SCOTT SHAFER has had a reason to be frustrated in the first four games, calling the team’s penalty problem a “mental issue.” The Orange hopes to remedy this issue by changing up its snap count and calming down on the offensive line. Syracuse has committed a combined six penalties for 44 yards inside the 25-yard line. sam maller staff photographer

everything together,” running back Prince-Tyson Gulley said after the UND loss, “and we are going to be very potent.”

This season, the Orange has only scored nine touchdowns from the red zone, second-worst in

the conference. And the five penalties that have cost SU a total of 30 yards from within the opponents’ 25-yard line haven’t helped the cause.

Senior left tackle Sean Hickey said that the red-zone gaffes are sometimes a product of

trying too hard.

“Whenever you get there, everything accelerates. The defense accelerates, the fans get louder, the urgency goes up,” Hickey said after

see offense page 10

6 october 3, 2014

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Q&A: Courier-Journal beat writer discusses Louisville-SU

By Jacob Klinger asst. sports editor

Syracuse takes on Louisville on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. To learn more about the Cardinals, The Daily Orange spoke with Jeff Greer, a football beat writer from The (Louisville) Courier-Journal.

The Daily Orange: What can we expect if we see both quarterbacks entering the game?

Jeff Greer: I would be surprised if they both do. I think it’s going to be mostly Reggie Bonnafon.

He’s kind of a dual-threat-type guy. He’s skinny, but he’s really fast. He can throw a little bit, don’t get me wrong, but they kind of found out on Saturday that they can run a lot of read-option stuff with him. So I think what Syracuse should expect is to probably see more of that on (Friday) night.

The D.O.: What’s key to Louisville’s run defense?

J.G.: I think it starts with their pass rush. They really make it difficult for teams to pass on them, so obviously the run defense is the higher rated of the two. But with the ability that they have to get into the backfield, I think they kind of feed off one another. The linebackers have played really well, across the entire linebacking corps. The outside guys and the inside guys have done a good job of tackling. They’re shooting gaps, they’re getting off blocks really well. They did a great job against Miami doing that and slowing down Duke Johnson, who I covered in high school. He’s from Washington College, I think he’s one of the best running backs in the country. And they slowed him down pretty significantly. And the secondary obviously has helped … making plays and making tackles once they set the edge and kind of force guys to find other ways.

The D.O.: How well is Louisville equipped to deal with a mobile quarterback?

J.G.: I think that’s a big question going into the game. They haven’t really had to face one yet.

Miami’s quarterback Brad Kaaya was more of a passer. Wake Forest with John Wolford was more of a passer, so they really haven’t had to try to figure that out yet. I do know for a fact that is their No. 1 concern it seems like, from what the defensive guys were talking about this week was trying to figure out … if Terrel (Hunt) does step up and find a lane and get going, are they prepared to kind of limit how much space he can actually find and stuff like that. I guess the answer right now is the jury is out. That’s going to be the big thing that we’re all watching (Friday) night.

The D.O.: How largely does the 2012 game loom within this Louisville team?

J.G.: … They had 43 of the guys who are currently on the roster were on the roster two years ago.

Seventeen of them played in that game. So those guys have mentioned it, they’ve talked about it, I think they’re certainly hoping this trip up there ends with a little bit of a different result. jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_

TERREL HUNT throws a pass downfield against Maryland, intended for Alvin Cornelius. The quarterback poses a threat on the ground as well. The Courier-Journal’s Louisville football beat writer, Jeff Greer, says Hunt’s mobility is the Cardinals’ primary concern heading into their matchup with SU on Friday. spencer bodian staff photographer

october 3, 2014 7

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2014 ROSTER SYRACUSE

LOUISVILLE

1 Ashton Broyld WR

27 George Morris II RB

67 Michael Lasker OT

1 Keith Brown LB

27 Jermaine Reve S

67 Andrew Polston DT

1 Julian Whigham CB

28 Antwan Cordy CB

68 Nick Robinson OG

2 Michaelee Harris WR

27 L.J. Scott RB

68 Danny Burns OL

2 Quinta Funderburk WR

29 Devante McFarlane RB

69 Keith Mitsuuchi LS

2 James Sample S

28 Terrence Ross S

69 Jimmie Terry OL

2 Wayne Morgan CB

30 Parris Bennett LB

70 Jesse Wolf-Gould OG

3 Charles Gaines CB

29 Trumaine Washington CB

70 John Miller OL

3 Durell Eskridge FS

31 Clay Cleveland FB

71 Alex Hayes OG

3 Pat Thomas QB

30 Tae’Shawn Gibbs WR

71 Chris Acosta OL

3 Mitch Kimble QB

32 Travon Burke FB

72 Ivan Foy OT

4 Corvin Lamb RB

30 Richard Benjamin CB

72 Lukayus McNeil OL

4 AJ Long QB

33 Marqez Hodge LB

73 Jon Burton OT

5 Tyler Ferguson QB

32 Stacy Thomas DE

73 Pedro Sibiea OL

4 Brandon Reddish CB

34 Adonis Ameen-Moore RB

74 Seamus Shanley OG

5 Michael Dyer RB

33 Grant Donovan LS

74 Ryan Mack OL

5 Luke Arciniega LB

35 Dyshawn Davis LB

75 Denzel Ward OT

6 Eli Rogers WR

34 George Clements CB

75 Skylar Lacy OL

5 Austin Wilson QB

36 Alex Hodgkinson K

75 Wayne Williams NT

6 Shaq Wiggins CB

35 Anthony George K

76 Kelby Johnson OL

6 Ritchy Desir SS

38 Cameron Lynch LB

77 Keaton Darney OL

7 Reggie Bonnafon QB

36 Kevin Houchins S

78 Aaron Epps OT

7 Troy Green WR

39 Greg Tobias RB

78 Jason Emerich C

8 Ryan Johnson P

36 Luke Brohm FB

79 Jamon Brown OT

7 Oliver Vigille LB

41 Eric Anthony SS

79 Taylor Hindy OL

8 Geron Holliman S

38 Chris Miele WR

80 Charles Standberry TE

8 Steve Ishmael WR

42 Jacob Green TE

80 Tyler Provo TE

9 DeVante Parker WR

38 Royce Donovan LB

81 Cornelius Sturghill WR

8 Darius Kelly SS

42 Joe Stanard CB

81 Jamal Custis WR

10 Tyler Bruggman QB

39 Griffin Uhl - FB

82 Dontez Byrd WR

9 Brisly Estime WR

45 Zaire Franklin LB

82 Alvin Cornelius WR

10 Dominique Brown RB

40 Joshua Appleby K

83 Micky Crum TE

10 Terrel Hunt QB

46 PJ Batten TE

83 Sean Avant WR

11 Will Gardner QB

41 Jarrod Barnes S

84 Colin Holba LS

10 Josh Kirkland LB

47 Sam Rodgers LS

84 Ben Lewis WR

11 B.J. Dubose DT

42 Isaac Stewart LB

84 Gio Pascascio WR

11 Colton Moskal LB

48 Cole Murphy K

86 Adly Enoicy WR

12 Kai De La Cruz WR

44 Pio Vatuvei DE

85 Cody Swabek WR

11 Corey Winfield CB

49 Alryk Perry LB

87 Kendall Moore TE

13 Brett Nelson QB

45 John Wallace P/K

86 Matt Milton WR

12 Ryan Norton K

50 John Raymon NT

88 Jarrod West WR

13 James Burgess LB

46 Lamar Atkins LB

87 Cameron Polk WR

13 Ron Thompson DE

51 Donnie Simmons DE

89 Josh Parris TE

14 Kyle Bolin QB

47 Jon Brown K

88 Javonte Bagley WR

14 Ervin Philips RB

52 Eric Crume NT

90 Cameron MacPherson TE

15 Andrew Johnson CB

48 Deiontrez Mount DE

89 Keith Towbridge TE

15 Juwan Dowels CB

53 Nathan Hines LS

91 Isaiah Johnson DE

17 James Quick WR

49 Blake Ramsey LB

90 Johnny Richardson DE

16 Keenan Hale WR

54 Kennedy Kodua DE

92 Riley Dixon K/P

18 Gerald Christian TE

52 Nick Dawson-Brents LB

91 Trevon Young DE

16 Rodney Williams FS

55 Marcus Coleman DT

93 Micah Robinson DE

18 Ethan Horton QB

53 Jake Smith OL

92 Terry Ramsey DE

17 Jonathan Thomas LB

55 Rob Trudo OG

94 Robert Welsh DE

19 Terell Floyd CB

55 Keith Kelsey LB

93 Tae Thibodeaux - DL

19 Joe Nassib CB

56 John Miller C

95 Chris Slayton DE

19 Ja’Quay Williams WR

56 Spencer Foy DL

94 Lorenzo Mauldin - DE

20 Cordell Hudson CB

57 Omari Palmer OG

96 Jalen Harvey DT

21 Devontre Parnell CB

57 Finesse Middleton DT

95 Kyle Shortridge - DT

21 Chauncey Scissum FS

58 Hernz Laguerre LB

97 Kayton Samuels NT

22 Chucky Williams S

59 Aaron Ahner DT

96 Henry Famurewa - OLB

22 Adrian Flemming WR

58 Donnie Foster C

98 Trevon Trejo DE

23 Brandon Radcliff RB

61 Tobijah Hughley OL

97 DeAngelo Brown DT

23 Prince-Tyson Gulley RB

59 Aaron Roberts OG

99 Ryan Sloan DT

24 Zykiesis Cannon CB

62 T.C. Klausman OL

98 Sheldon Rankins DE

24 Jaston George FS

60 Sean Hickey OT

25 Josh Harvey-Clemons S

64 Gabe Ahner DT

99 James Hearns LB

25 Eric Jackson CB

63 Rony Charles DL

26 De’Eric Culver CB

65 David Noltemeyer OL

25 Jeremiah Kobena WR

65 Jamar McGloster OT

syracuse schedule Aug. 29 — vs. Villanova (W 27-26 2OT)

Sept. 27 — vs. No. 8 Notre Dame (L 31-15)

Oct. 18 — at Wake Forest

Nov. 8 — vs. Duke

Sept. 13 — at Central Michigan (W 40-3)

Oct. 3 — vs. Louisville, 7 p.m.

Oct. 25 — at Clemson

Nov. 22 — vs. Pittsburgh

Sept. 20 — vs. Maryland (L 34-20)

Oct. 11 — vs. No. 1 Florida State, noon

Nov. 1 — vs. North Carolina State

Nov. 29 — vs. Boston College

october 3, 2014 9

8 october 3, 2014

IN THE CARDS

Orange upsets No. 11 Louisville, starts 4-game winning streak to close 2012

By Phil D’Abbraccio asst. sports editor

O

utside of the Syracuse locker room, few gave the Orange a chance.

Louisville and stud quarterback Teddy Bridgewater rolled into Syracuse boasting an unbeaten record, the No. 11 rank in the nation and averages of 34 points and 430 yards per game.

“They’re not Goliath and we’re not David,” SU center Macky MacPherson said to reporters at the time, reciting what head coach Doug Marrone had told the Orange. “We’re Syracuse, we’ve lost some close games, lost some heartbreakers, we’ve beaten ourselves more than we feel like anyone else has beaten us.”

Slowly, the program’s turnaround that Marrone had been orchestrating at Syracuse was reaching its highest point.

Syracuse stunned Louisville, 45-26, on Nov. 10, 2012 before a triumphant Carrier Dome crowd of 40,312 and plenty more watching on ABC. On the Orange’s Senior Day and the class’ last game in the Dome, quarterback Ryan Nassib didn’t come close to matching Bridgewater’s numbers on the day, but commanded a well-balanced SU offense that outshone the Cardinals’ high-octane attack.

After two losing seasons in three years and a senior campaign that started 2-4, Nassib’s college career was turning around as it was winding down.

“That was exciting. It really was,” Nassib said in July. “We had a lot of good and bad memories in the Dome — more good than bad. But going out there with a bang like that against a top team, it was fun.”

After one quarter, the Orange and Cardinals were tied at 10, but SU pulled ahead in the next 15 minutes.

Nassib lofted a 13-yard touchdown pass to an open Alec Lemon with 11:57 left in the second quarter. And on SU’s next drive, Lemon hauled in a deep ball from Nassib at the 15-yard line, then cut to the middle of the field to elude one Louisville defensive back behind him and another in front.

He took it into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown, which gave Syracuse a two-score lead. And to cap off the quarter, Prince-Tyson Gulley shot through an opening in the middle of the field, then rode the sideline all the way to the end zone.

The 55-yard burst put Syracuse ahead 31-13 before the halftime whistle.

“We thrive off of momentum,” MacPherson told reporters after the game. “We thrive off of getting that first down. We thrive on tempo, out-tempo-ing defenses, getting them tired and eventually hitting that big play.”

For good measure, running back Jerome Smith added a 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Nassib tossed his final Carrier Dome touchdown to Lewellyn Coker from 3 yards out in the fourth.

Bridgewater padded his stats well — racking up 424 passing yards on three touchdowns and 36-of-49 passing — but never seriously threatened the Orange’s lead.

Adding insult to injury, Syracuse blocked a Louisville field goal in the third quarter and linebacker Dyshawn Davis picked off a Bridgewater pass that ended the quarterback’s day.

Then-Louisville head coach Charlie Strong said in his postgame press conference he was “very embarrassed” for his program.

“We knew we had a job to do and we went out there and did it,” former SU defensive tackle Jay Bromley said in July. “We went out there and took it to one of the best teams in the nation at the time.”

Lemon hugged Nassib after the final snap and later hugged then-Chancellor Nancy Cantor on the field amid the celebration.

After rejoicing among themselves, some Syracuse players turned to the crowd and called for fans to storm the field. Some did, and were promptly thrown against a wall by police officers.

But other players, like Lemon and safety Shamarko Thomas, went to the crowd.

They hopped up to the ledge between the field and the spectators and took in the moment with the fans, absorbing the beginning of the end of the Marrone Era. Syracuse finished the 2012 season on a four-game winning streak and won the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

“We always knew we were good,” former SU linebacker Siriki Diabate and current graduate assistant told reporters after the game. “We always knew that once we played mistake-free and we don’t turn the ball over, we could beat any team in the country.

“And that’s just what we did today.” pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb

(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) ALEC LEMON, a senior wide receiver in 2012, takes in the celebration of Syracuse’s regular-season upset over Louisville in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib threw three touchdowns, including two to Lemon, in his last game in the Carrier Dome.

Running back Prince-Tyson Gulley hurdles a Louisville defender to score one of his two touchdowns of the day. Louisville came into the Carrier Dome undefeated and ranked as the No. 11 team in the country, but fell to the Orange, 45-26, on Nov. 10, 2012.

Linebacker Cameron Lynch hovers over Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater, now of the Minnesota Vikings, threw for 424 passing yards but couldn’t keep Louisville’s undefeated season alive. SU’s victory kicked off a four-game winning streak that took the Orange from a 4-5 record to Pinstripe Bowl champions at the end of December. daily orange file photos

10 october 3, 2014

dailyorange.com sports@dailyorange.com

from page 5

offense the UND loss. “When urgency goes up, people tend to get so locked in on one thing and then they thought they heard the snap count, but it really wasn’t the snap count.

“They want to finish a block extra hard, but it’s a penalty.”

To resolve the Orange’s hastiness at the line, McDonald said Syracuse has made the snap count more uniform and will have more indicators of exactly when the ball will be snapped. The linemen can still be aggres-

When urgency goes up, people tend to get so locked in on one thing and then they thought they heard the snap count, but it really wasn’t the snap count.They want to finish a block extra hard, but it’s a penalty.

Sean Hickey su offensive tackle

sive while the offense keeps the same tempo, McDonald said, but the revised snap count will put the line on the same page as Hunt.

So when Syracuse is nearing the end zone against Louisville, McDonald hopes his offense’s approach will reflect the changes he’s made.

ROB TRUDO is part of an offensive line that needs to cut down on its miscues when Syracuse is in the red zone. False starts and holding calls have plagued the Orange, preventing SU from capitalizing on opportunities after long drives downfield. Offensive coordinator George McDonald said the penalties are all self-inflicted mistakes. spencer bodian staff photographer

“We all want to score points,” McDonald said, “but we’ve just got to understand that

we’ve got to hold our water, take a calm breath and let the play get started so we can actually

execute in that situation.” pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb

october 3, 2014 11

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Temple finished last season 2-10, but has already exceeded that total with a 3-1 start to 2014. Using the rallying cry “never again,” Owls head coach Matt Rhule has revitalized the program in his second season as its head coach. courtesy of temple athletics

national

Temple starts hot after rough 2013 season

By Connor Grossman staff writer

Temple wanted to erase 2013.

The Owls went 2-10 and finished with the lowest winning percentage in the American Athletic Conference. So when the Owls beat Memphis 41-21 to break a four-game losing streak and end the year on a winning note, preparation for 2014 began at 6 a.m. the next morning.

The players were given shirts that read “Never Again,” and the work done in them began with 1,000 yards of 45-pound plate pushes.

“I thought last year our players didn’t respect our brand of football and the way we do things,” said Temple head coach Matt Rhule. “So what we said was ‘Never again will we take winning lightly’ and ‘Never again will we get outworked.’”

He chided his team for not having the focus and maturity to win. Both Rhule and starting quarterback P.J. Walker were in their first year in their respective roles, and that year of experience has been integral to this season’s turnaround.

Temple (3-1) is off to a roaring start this season, with the best record in the AAC and a defense that has scored more points than it’s given up. That same unit has also given up a conference-low 48 points on the year.

But mental adjustments had to precede the

physical ones.

“Guys last year would be upset, down and mopey,” said junior linebacker Tyler Matakevich. “We would have to come out each week and be like, ‘Guys when’s our luck going to turn?’

“This year it’s not ‘Why did you do this?’ or ‘You shouldn’t of done that,’ it’s ‘Don’t worry,

We would have to come out each week and be like, ‘Guys, when’s our luck going to turn?’ This year it’s not, ‘Why did you do this?’ or ‘You shouldn’t of done that,’ it’s ‘Don’t worry, we got your back.’

Tyler Matakevich temple linebacker

we got your back.’”

Matakevich praised his head coach for forcing the team to use the “never again” mantra as a motivational tool. It became a rallying point for a team whose morale faded as the close

losses mounted last season, he said.

Better football might be an indirect result of the movement, and the returns on his investment are paying off.

“They’re significantly more mature and focused,” Rhule said. “This year they’re learning how to get better as the game goes on.”

Temple is outscoring opponents 23-0 in the fourth quarter this year. It’s a monumental improvement for a team that suffered five one-possession losses last year, and the defense has been just as effective on the scoreboard.

The unit scored on a fumble return and a 93-yard interception return in its 36-10 drubbing of Connecticut on Sept 27. The Owls have also forced an average of 2.67 turnovers per game, the best mark in college football.

The defensive side is where the turnaround had to begin for Temple, after allowing a whopping 477 yards per game last season.

“The biggest thing this year is that guys understand the defense now,” Matakevich said. “Guys know not only what their job is but the guy next to them.”

Complimenting a lockdown defense is a more experienced offense led by Walker, now in his second year taking snaps. The offense is averaging 39 points per game — good for second best in see temple page 13

12 october 3, 2014

around the acc

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As SU begins conference play against Louisville, here is a breakdown of Saturday’s matchups throughout the ACC

Virginia Tech at North Carolina, 12:30 p.m., ESPN3

Virginia Tech (3-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) travels to Durham, North Carolina, for a bout with the Tar Heels (2-2, 0-1), and one team will gets its first ACC win. The Hokies fell to Georgia Tech on Sept. 20, 27-24, and UNC lost by a score of 50-35 to Clemson last week. The Tar Heels lead the ACC in scoring offense with 40.8 points per game and Virginia Tech ranks 10th with 29.8. While VT has only surrendered 20.4 points per contest, North Carolina is last of 14 ACC teams, giving up 44 points per game.

Wake Forest at No. 1 Florida State, 3:30 p.m., ABC Wake Forest (2-3, 0-1) travels to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on the nation’s top team in Florida State (4-0. 2-0). The Seminoles pulled ahead late against N.C. State last week in an eventual 56-41 win as Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns. The Demon Deacons, the ACC’s worst offensive team, are still looking for their first conference win after relinquishing a fourth-quarter lead against Louisville last week in an eventual 20-10 loss.

North Carolina State at Clemson, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU North Carolina State (4-1, 0-1) travels to Clemson, South Carolina to take on the Tigers (2-2, 1-1) in a battle of the second- and third-best offenses in the conference. The Wolfpack fell to No. 1 Florida State last week, 56-41, despite holding a lead until the 3:24 point of the third quarter. Clemson got halfway to the century mark in a 50-35 win over North Carolina. True freshman Deshaun Watson has taken over at quarterback for the Tigers and has thrown 10 touchdowns. N.C. State’s Jacoby Brissett has thrown 13 touchdowns and only one interception.

Miami (Florida) at Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 Miami (Florida) (3-2, 1-1) travels to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech (4-0, 1-0) as the Yellow Jackets look to extend their undefeated start to 2014.

The Hurricanes are coming off a 12-point win against Duke and GT squeaked by Virginia Tech, 27-24, last week. Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas ranks fourth in the conference in total offensive yards per game by an individual, while Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson is the team’s primary threat and ranks fourth in the conference in all-purpose yards.

Pittsburgh at Virginia, 7:30 p.m., ESPN3 Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-0) ventures down to Charlottesville, Virginia, to take on Virginia (3-2, 1-0). The Cavaliers are coming off a 32-point win over Kent State, while Pitt suffered a 21-10 loss to Akron. It’s also a matchup of two of the conference’s better running backs in Pitt’s James Connor and UVA’s Kevin Parks.

Connor leads the ACC with 158.2 rushing yards per game and while Parks has only amassed three touchdowns, he still poses a north-to-south threat.

— Compiled by Matt Schneidman, asst. copy editor, mcschnei@syr.edu

october 3, 2014 13

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from page 11

temple the conference — and 342.5 yards per game.

Walker has thrown for seven touchdowns and three interceptions with 805 yards on the season.

“A lot is different from last year,” senior running back Kenneth Harper told the Philadelphia Daily News at the start of the year. “Last year we were immature ... the whole offseason, (Rhule) kept pushing us to go as hard as we can and play at a championship level.”

50

And for Rhule, the transformation isn’t necessarily about the offense, defense or a bigger victory total.

The message was that never again would a season as treacherous as 2013 repeat itself, but to ensure that the players needed to deliver an attitude and work ethic worthy of the “never again” shirts and their uniforms.

So far they have.

“People might be better than us and beat us,” Rhule said. “But never again are we going to go out there and not play Temple football.” cgrossma@syr.edu

locking down Temple’s defense was porous last season as the Owls struggled to a 2-10 finish. Here’s how the Philadelphia school has fared on defense in points allowed per game since 2003.

40

30

20

10

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

0

Sophomore quarterback P.J. Walker struggled last season, but he’s connected for seven touchdowns and 805 yards as Temple has started out 3-1. courtesy of temple athletics

MATT RHULE said his team won’t take winning lightly or get outworked ever again. The Owls wear T-shirts bearing the words “Never Again.” courtesy of temple athletics

14 october 3, 2014

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pregame playbook beat writer predictions PHIL D’ABBRACCIO louisville: 24 syracuse: 13

key players

syracuse

Not in the Cards Another battle against a brick wall of a run defense doesn’t bode well for Syracuse.

Neither do the absences of its top two receiving threats.

JESSE DOUGHERTY louisville: 27 syracuse: 20

Seeing red Syracuse hangs in the game but the Cardinals pull ahead in the fourth. A red-zone stall for the Orange naturally seals the game.

ben lewis wide receiver

picks or it didn’t happen

The junior has accounted for 11 catches in 2014, after totaling just one last season. The wide receiver — who also serves on the kick return and punt return units — will likely be called on to make more receptions on Friday.

After combining for just 11 tackles in SU’s first three games, the junior free safety had nine on Saturday, including a pick-six touchdown in the fourth quarter against Notre Dame.

HT: 6’2 WGHT: 212 YEAR: JUNIOR

durell eskridge free safe t y HT: 6’4 WGHT: 205 YEAR: JUNIOR

louisville

JACOB KLINGER louisville: 27 syracuse: 17

Loudhouse of Cards Don’t expect more than 50 total points in this game. Do expect more of them to come from Louisville.

lewie, lewie

gerod hollman safe t y HT: 6’2 WGHT: 213 YEAR: SOPHOMORE

the whole package

not actually a backup

The redshirt sophomore safety has tallied six of the Cardinals’ 10 interceptions. He’s also tied for seventh on the team with 15 tackles.

For a Syracuse team that is without top receivers Ashton Broyld and Brisly Estime, Hollman might prove to be a thorn in SU’s side.

The freshman quarterback is expected to make his second start of the year over Will Gardner on Friday. Bonnafon has thrown for 357 yards on his 30 completions, and has yet to throw an interception.

reggie bonnafon quarterback HT: 6’3 WGHT: 206 YEAR: FRESHMAN

october 3, 2014 15

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time machine

SU beats Louisville in Tokyo in 1989 regular-season finale Editor’s note: The piece below is a republication of The Daily Orange’s coverage of SU’s Dec. 4, 1989 24-12 win against Louisville in Tokyo, orginally written by Rob Guyette, a former DO editor, and edited for modern space considerations.

Syracuse University redshirt freshman quarterback Wendal Lowrey handed the ball off for the first time in an Orange uniform Sunday.

After the game, the ball was handed right back to him.

Lowrey was awarded the the game ball after he connected with Rob Carpenter for a pair of long scoring catch-and-runs in the fourth quarter as SU won the 14th annual Coca-Cola Bowl over Louisville 24–13 in Tokyo, Japan.

“The guys gave him the game ball and I think that says it all,” said a jubilant SU coach Dick MacPherson.

Lowrey was called to action in the second quarter when starter Mark McDonald went down with an injury to his right ankle.

That left Lowrey, the third string quarterback, as the leader of the SU offense.

Starter Bill Scharr was unavailable after he sprained his right thumb on Nov. 23 against West Virginia and then reinjured it last Thursday in practice.

Lowrey completed 4-of-5 passes on the day for 168 yards and two touchdowns in directing Syracuse to 17 half points.

“I was just telling myself, ‘You can do it, you can do it,’” Lowrey said. “I finally did it. It’s just a great feeling.”

“All he was waiting for was a chance,” Carpenter said. “When he finally got it, he came in and got the job done and got me the ball and I did the rest.”

The Orangemen finish the regular season with a 7-4 mark and will face Georgia, 6-5, in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 in Atlanta, Ga. The Bulldogs lost their season finale to arch-rival Georgia Tech 33-22 Saturday in Atlanta.

“All I can think of is going into the Peach Bowl at 7-4,” said MacPherson, whose Orangemen secured their third consecutive winning season.

“We deserve it and we’re going to Atlanta.”

“Obviously, coach MacPherson and Syracuse played a great game,” Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger said. “We weren’t a match for them offensively or defensively. We’re very proud for them.

We’re a little disappointed because we didn’t play as well as we could’ve.”

Syracuse took the opening kickoff and marched 74 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead as McDonald hit Rob Moore on a 46-yard scoring pass.

The Cardinals came right back to tie the game on a touchdown run by senior Carwell Gardner.

McDonald went down with an injury to his right ankle in the second quarter and was replaced

by Lowrey.

“I think when Mark McDonald went down we lost our poise a little bit,” MacPherson said. “But the big plays helped us tremendously.”

Louisville’s Ron Bell drilled a 31-yard field goal with one second left in the second quarter to give Louisville a 10-7 halftime lead.

The Orangemen enjoyed excellent field posi-

tion for the entire second half. SU started its first third quarter drive on its own 48-yard line and drove down to the 14-yard line of Louisville before the drive stalled.

John Biskup tied the game at 10-10 to cap and eight-play, 38-yard drive with 9:46 left in the third quarter. Lowrey’s 19-yard pass to Moore highlighted the drive.

Alban Brown and Terry Wooden tallied sacks on Louisville’s next possession to force a punt.

Cardinal sophomore Klaus Wilmsmeyer’s short kick gave the Orange the ball on the Louisville 47-yard line, but a fumble by Lowrey ended the SU possession.

Louisville then drove down to the Syracuse nine-yard line, setting up Bell’s 26-yard field goal attempt. Bell missed an opportunity to give Louisville the lead when his kick sailed wide right.

The third quarter ended with the score tied 10-10.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lowrey connected with Carpenter for a 64-yard touchdown pass to give SU a 17-10 lead.

The reception was Carpenter’s first catch of the day and fourth touchdown reception of the season.

SU’s Rob Thomson then recovered a David Moyler fumble on the very next play from scrimmage, but SU couldn’t capitalize on the turnover as Biskup was tackled trying to punt out of the field goal formation.

Bell’s 35-yard field goal with about six minutes left in the game capped a nine-play, 47-yard drive and reduced Syracuse’s lead to 17-13.

On SU’s next possession, Lowrey found Car-

penter all alone again for a 78-yard touchdown pass to give SU a 24-13 lead.

“We were trying to do an isolation on a linebacker,” Lowrey said. “All I did was run up in the pocket and deliver it. Rob Gardner’s 65-yard reception brought Louisville within striking distance on the Cardinals next possession, but quarterback Browning Nagle threw a pass right into the arms of SU linebacker Dan Bucey at the Syracuse five-yard line, sealing the Orangemen’s seventh win of the season.

The interception was the first of Bucey’s career.

“It wasn’ that hard,” Bucey said. “He threw it right to me. It was a bad throw on his part and I was in position.”

SU kept the ball on the ground and ran out the clock with three first downs.

Syracuse outgained Louisville 353-303 yards while Louisville racked up 17 first downs to SU’s 15.

Moore caught three passes for 72 yards and became the first receiver in SU history to accumulate more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season (1,065). Moore also moved past Scott Schwedes to become the all-time SU receiving yardage leader with 2,123 yards, 12 yards more than Schwedes.

Owens rushed 19 times for 70 yards to break the 1,000 yard plateau. For the season Owens finished with 1,014 yards putting him in fifth place on the Syracuse all time season rushing list.

This is only the seventh time an Orange back as rushed for over 1,000 yards. Owens joins the likes of Joe Morris (three times over 1,000 and all-time leading rusher with 1,372), Larry Csonka (twice) and Floyd Little in the SU record books.