USC Week 2011 by The Daily Orange

Trojan war

Syracuse travels to USC as heavy underdog in search of 1st win on West Coast since 1967

Difference of opinion

Does a win over the Trojans make Syracuse an elite Big East team? Find out inside. Page A3

courtesy of darryl oumi | southern california sports information

Hostile environment

Syracuse must contend with a raucous crowd at the LA Coliseum. Page A3

Stacking up

Check out key matchups, statistical leaders and a positional breakdown for SUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showdown with USC. Pages A4-A5

dave trotman-wilkins | staff photographer

A 2 sep t ember 15, 2 011

LAST TIME THEY PLAYED

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 34, SYRACUSE 16 AUG. 31, 1990

A talented freshman stepped onto one of the biggest stages imaginable. Marvin Graves stood front and center inside the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., as Syracuse’s starting quarterback for the 1990 season. Graves and the Orangemen were a part of the Kickoff Classic and about to take on the No. 9 team in the country — Southern California — to open the season Aug. 31, 1990. And by the time the second quarter rolled around, Graves was already laying the foundation for what would become the most prolific career ever by an SU quarterback. “He did exactly what we thought he would do as a quarterback — and that’s make things happen,” SU left guard Gary McCummings told The Daily Orange after the game. “He broke some big plays.” In fact, Graves was the only player that made things happen that day. His 191 yards and a touchdown on 15-for-30 passing dazzled fans. And his 59 rushing yards out of the option offense, not counting yards lost on sacks, were hugely impressive. But the freshman Graves couldn’t keep up with USC’s “Robo-QB,” Todd Marinovich. The Trojans’ sophomore gunslinger torched the SU defense for a then-career-high 337 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 34-16 win in front of 57,293 spectators. “We have a great quarterback here, and if he keeps passing like that, he’s going to win the Heisman (Trophy),” USC tailback Rickey Ervins said after the game. Marinovich, though just a sophomore, was the seasoned veteran. He was a Heisman hopeful entering his sophomore season in 1990. Graves, the freshman, was the future at the quarterback position for the Orangemen. He would leave SU as the program’s all-time leader in career passing yards (8,466), passing yards in a single game (425) and passing yards in a single season (2,547). He still holds those three marks today. “Marvin Graves? I think Marvin Graves was marvelous,” SU head coach Dick MacPherson said. Graves and SU hung in there with the highly ranked Trojans for the first 30 minutes of play. The quarterback made plays with his feet, juking his way through the defense to lead the Orangemen into halftime trailing only 14-10. But the second half was a different story. Graves continued to play well, but the Orangemen’s special teams floundered. A blocked punt and a fumble on a punt return led to two USC touchdowns. Marinovich made SU pay, leading the Trojans on four scoring drives in the second half to pull away for the win. Nonetheless, “Marvelous Marvin” was born. And during the next four years, he would blossom to lead the Orangemen to three bowl wins in his career. “Marvin played above and beyond the call of duty,” SU wide receiver Qadry Ismail said. “Marvin is a leader. Marvin knew what he was doing. Marvin, Marvin, Marvin, Marvin. He had great poise, and he’s going to get better. That’s the great thing about it.” — Compiled by Michael Cohen, sports editor, mjcohe02@syr.edu

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of the Art comeback Todd Marinovich uses artistic talent to climb out of downward spiral By Michael Cohen

SPORTS EDITOR

rom a dorm room in Fluor Tower on W. 34th St. in Los Angeles, Todd Marinovich began to leave his secondary mark on Southern California. Always an artist, he used what little free time he had to pursue his most healthy getaway. Using pencils and sticks of charcoal, Marinovich, then the star quarterback on the Trojans’ football team, etched murals onto the walls of the dormitory. “I went to his dorm room one time, and over his bed he had drawn on the wall with a No. 2 lead pencil. He had drawn an album cover picture of Bob Marley,” said Mark Tucker, a former USC offensive lineman and teammate of Marinovich. “I’ll never forget that. I was dumbfounded. “I asked him, I said, ‘Where the hell did that come from?’ And he said, ‘I drew this.’” The artwork spread from Marinovich’s dorm room to the rooms and apartments of his friends on campus. The Bob Marley drawing was joined by an eight-foot self-portrait of Marinovich playing quarterback. And a life-size image of a fallen angel, inspired by the Led Zeppelin song titled “Swan Song,” might still be on the wall of an apartment in downtown Los Angeles. “They charged me the deposit on the apartment when I moved out to paint the walls,” Todd said. “And I got word years later that it was still there because everyone that moved in said, ‘Don’t paint it.’ I don’t know if it’s still there, probably not, it’s been too long.” He even had a key to the art building on campus and would spend hours each night after practice painting, said SU defensive end and Marinovich’s half brother, Mikhail Marinovich. But 20 years have passed since Marinovich left Southern California after his sophomore season with the Trojans. He arrived at USC as one of the most highly touted prospects of all time. The “No. 1 top: daily orange file photo; bottom: dave trotman-wilkins | staff photographer prospect before they even had No. 1 prospects,” SU HALF BROTHERS TODD MARINOVICH (TOP) AND MIKHAIL MARINOVICH (BOTTOM, 54) both grew up playing football in California. Todd was a talented quarterlinebackers coach Dan Conley said. Bred to be a quarterback from nearly the back for Southern California, and Mikhail is a senior defensive end at Syracuse. moment he left the womb, Marinovich was groomed to be a star by his father. He never ate fast food or For Marinovich, art is what’s helped him find his way soda, worked out for hours each day and was dubbed “Robo out. At age 42 and two decades removed from his Rose BowlQB” by the media. winning stardom at Southern California, he is making it as a Two standout seasons at USC prompted the Los Angeles professional artist. The Todd Marinovich Art Gallery showRaiders to take him with 24th pick of the 1991 NFL Draft. cases some of his pieces, many of which contain USC-related But he failed multiple drug tests, with the third ultimately colors and themes. ending his career in the league. He’s also made a return to football. He works with kids ages His life went into a vicious tailspin that resulted in nine 10 and up, teaching them fundamentals of the game and the arrests, five felonies and jail time — mostly due to drugs. quarterback position. “People go through phases,” said Ricky Ervins, a former His troubled, turbulent past leaves Marinovich seeking USC running back and teammate of Marinovich. “People balance at this point in his life — a proper ratio of “work, always get mixed in the wrong things, and you just have to be family and fun.” strong enough to find your way out of it.” SEE MARINOVICH PAGE A8

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sep t ember 15, 2 011

does a win ov er usc m a k e s y r acuse a n elite t e a m in t he big e a st?

NO: Current USC team not regarded among nation’s best

YES: Win over perennial power cements SU’s status

MARK COOPER

MICHAEL COHEN

and the funky bunch

ust win, baby. It’s a mantra made famous by Oakland Raiders owner and Syracuse alumnus Al Davis. One that was likely branded into the brain of Southern California head coach Lane Kiffin during his ill-spent tenure as Raiders head coach. Winning was the only thing that mattered to the USC football program for the past decade, when the Trojans fi nished ranked in the Associated Press top 5 every year from 2002-08. When the only defi nition of a successful season was a national championship. But that’s not entirely the case anymore. “It’s important to win,” Kiffin said in his press conference previewing Syracuse this week. “And it’s important to improve as a team.” Doesn’t have the same punch. And neither does the current incarnation of these Trojans. USC fell out of the Top 25 after a two-point win over Big 10 Conference bottom feeder Minnesota and didn’t return after a win over Utah last week. So riddle me this. How does one win over Southern California — unranked Southern California — propel Syracuse into “elite Big East” status? Forget that calling a team in the Big East elite is likely an oxymoron. This win — as glorified as it would be — doesn’t put Syracuse in the upper echelon of anything. This win would be important for Syracuse, of course. The Orange hasn’t won on the West Coast since 1967 and has failed to beat the Trojans in two tries. But right here, right now, this win doesn’t mean the world. Quick trivia question: When was the last time Syracuse beat an unranked team? Look no further than last Saturday (or Thursday, Sept. 1, if you want a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent). Thus, it is important that this game is kept in perspective. It’s more important for Syracuse to be 3-0 than for it to have one win over the Men of Troy. Leaving it all on the field Saturday is one thing, but SU could still leave too much on the field. “If we let this game feel bigger than us then I feel like we’re going to get so caught up in the media and what everything else has portrayed this game to be,” SU offensive lineman Lou Alexander said. “I mean, this is just a normal week. This is just like every other week that we played. We have to just go in with the same attitude.” SU is actually facing a team that has played worse than itself the first two weeks. The Trojans have a negative-2 turnover differential. And the Golden Gophers team USC barely beat in its opener subsequently lost at SEE COOPER PAGE A7

Hallowed grounds dave trotman-wilkins | staff photographer KEON LYN will be given the challenge of covering Southern California’s star receiver, Robert Woods. Lyn and the Orange hope to pull an upset against heavily favored USC.

Syracuse travels to Southern California for game in fabled Coliseum against college football powerhouse By Zach Brown

STAFF WRITER

his weekend is a new experience for many players on the Syracuse football team. Some of them will be on their longest flight. Some of them will travel to the West Coast for the fi rst time. And all will experience 70,000-plus people cheering wildly against them at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the fi rst time. That last experience is one that many on Syracuse are craving. “The thing I like about playing on the road is it’s 60 guys against a whole town, a whole stadium,” quarterback Ryan Nassib said. “It’s just fun. When you’re in a situation like that, you get pushed into a corner, all you can do is fight your way out.” SU will go to battle against Southern California at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Coliseum, the first time the schools have met since 1990. Although both teams enter with 2-0 records, Syracuse is a 17-point underdog. The Orange hasn’t won on the West Coast since 1967 and has never defeated USC, but SU has a lot of confidence. The Orange’s undefeated start to this year and 5-1 away record last year provide SU with reason to be fearless. “I love (being) the underdog because it’s a shock when we have pulled out some good wins

versus some good teams,” linebackers coach Dan Conley said. “I believe that we’re going into this game with the same attitude.” If SU is going to pull off another road upset, it’s going to have to contain the Trojans’ passing attack, led by star quarterback Matt Barkley and wide receiver Robert Woods. Cornerback Keon Lyn has the job of covering Woods, who is tied for the lead in the country with 25 catches in just two games. The sophomore cornerback may have the toughest matchup for the Orange, but he is looking forward to the challenge. Lyn said he will follow Woods all over the field unless he moves into the slot. And he won’t have help from the rest of the secondary. Just straight up, bump-and-run man coverage. “It’s a great opportunity,” Lyn said. “The coaches have trust in a young corner like me. It’s a wonderful thing. We’re just looking to do something different with me attacking Robert Woods.” If Lyn’s physical coverage can limit Woods, it could go a long way toward quieting the USC faithful. And that could be big, as playing at the Coliseum poses a much bigger obstacle for the Orange than any of the stadiums it will travel to in Big East play. South Florida has the biggest stadium in the conference, and it still SEE USC PAGE A8

TOUGH CROWD

When Syracuse travels to Southern California on Saturday, it will likely be greeted by 70,000-plus fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Here’s a look at the biggest crowds the Orange has played in front of in the last 10 years: ATTENDANCE

107,725 106,387 83,717 83,667 80,795 80,795

DATE

Sept. 1, 2001 Sept. 12, 2009 Oct. 1, 2005 Sept. 28, 2002 Nov. 19, 2005 Nov. 22, 2008

OPPONENT

Tennessee Penn State Florida State Auburn Notre Dame Notre Dame

RESULT

33-9, L 28-7, L 38-14, L 37-34, L (3OT) 34-10, L 24-23, W

not a dime back

oug Marrone knows the feeling. It’s that supreme level of confidence that more than crosses into cockiness every time you step on the field. You know you’re going to win because, well, you’re not in the same class as the other team. “When I was at Tennessee, we played some teams, and we knew we were going to win,” Marrone said. “I don’t know if that’s arrogance or what. But we had some unbelievable players that are still playing in the NFL today. My point is, we’re not there.” In other words, one team polishes its Pinstripe Bowl trophy — the only bowl win for the program since 2001 — and the other needs a whole crew to spit-shine the hardware from two national championships and four Rose Bowl titles in that same time period. Those two programs are, of course, Syracuse and Southern California. And that’s exactly why a win for the Orange on Saturday would elevate SU to the top tier of the Big East. Both are storied programs rich in tradition and history, but the Trojans were the best team in college football during the last decade, regardless of the wins they had to vacate. Syracuse was not. Saturday is a chance to turn a corner for the SU program. It’s more than a singular nonconference game in the third week of the season. It’s a checkpoint for Marrone as he continues to “change the culture,” as former quarterback Greg Paulus put it. “This would be one of those career games,” Syracuse linebacker Dan Vaughan said. “One of those games that you think about 20 years from now you’re like, ‘Wow, I played in that game.’ We’re hoping to go out there and make it special.” A win would be special because of how many miles apart SU and Southern California have been on the college football spectrum since the turn of the century. It’s more than the 2,681 miles separating Los Angeles from the city of Syracuse. USC had seven seasons where it lost two or fewer games. The Orange had two seasons in which it won two or fewer games. The Trojans had Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Steve Smith. Syracuse had Perry Patterson, Damien Rhodes and Rice Moss. “We’re talking about USC, which is arguably, since 2003, maybe the best program in college football, and they’re still an excellent program,” Marrone said. “I don’t think anything can get you prepared to play such a storied program such as USC.” Yet it’s the same grandeur, splendor and dominance exhibited by Southern California that makes Saturday’s game so intriguing for Syracuse. It pulls to the forefront questions like: ‘What if SU pulls the upset?’ and ‘What would that mean for the program?’ It would be the biggest win for Orange SEE COHEN PAGE A6

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Woods set a program record with 17 catches in the season opener against Minnesota. He has accounted for nearly half of USC’s receptions through two games, including three of four receiving touchdowns. Lyn will likely be trailing Woods around the field for most of the game.

ROBERT WOODS WR

1 35

NICK PERRY DE

75 74

78 59 77 86

DID YOU KNOW? Syracuse Athletic Director Daryl Gross served 14 years in the Southern California athletic administration and two years on USC’s football coaching staff before coming to SU. Gross’ wife, Lael, a current assistant athletic director at Syracuse, is a former swimmer for USC. Southern California has won both meetings with Syracuse. The first one, a 16-0 Trojans victory in 1924, was USC’s first-ever Homecoming game.

Orange offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, Nathaniel Hackett’s father, was the head coach of Southern California from 1998-2000. He also worked for the Trojans as an assistant from 1976-80.

“Obviously, we’re excited to be 2-0 at this point. We’re not as excited at some of the ways that we have gotten to 2-0. We’ve made some mistakes in the past two games, and we’re looking forward to an opportunity to go out to the West Coast to play a great football team with some great coaches.”

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

44 75

“It’s a great place. It’s huge. There’s a lot of people there, and there’s ﬁght songs going, and they got a big ole horse. So it’s a really cool place, and I’m excited to have these guys go back there.” Nathaniel Hackett

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DEFENSE 96 DE WES HORTON 44 NT CHRISTIAN TUPOU 98 DT DAJOHN HARRIS 8 DE NICK PERRY 18 SLB DION BAILEY 54 MLB CHRIS GALIPPO 10 WLB HAYES PULLARD 21 CB NICKELL ROBEY 29 SS JAWANZA STARLING 7 FS T.J. MCDONALD 4 CB TORIN HARRIS

59 12 49 29

UP NEXT >>

RUTGERS

Oct. 1, noon

Advantage: Even

OFFENSIVE LINE

Southern California has the most talented offensive lineman on either team — left tackle Matt Kalil. The junior stands at 6 feet 7 inches, 295 pounds, and is a projected first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, if he declares. He also blocked Utah’s gametying field goal attempt last weekend. Syracuse’s offensive line has high expectations with four returning starters, but it has allowed four sacks this season and couldn’t pave the way for much of a rushing game against Rhode Island last weekend.

Advantage: Southern California

DEFENSIVE LINE

The Southern California defensive line has been active in its first two games. Defensive tackle DaJohn Harris and defensive end Nick Perry have combined for six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The Trojans have also held opponents to 3.2 yards per carry thus far this season. Syracuse’s strength at defensive end was diminished with the loss of Chandler Jones to injury, but the SU D-line as a whole has looked solid. Mikhail Marinovich still mans the other end position, and the Orange’s defensive tackle rotation has played well.

BEAT WRITER PREDICTIONS

4 74

MARK COOPER Southern California 34 Syracuse 10 Gus Johnson might be on the call for this one, but there won’t be a Hollywood ending. It’s another big day for Robert Woods, and Syracuse leaves Los Angeles with plenty to work on.

MICHAEL COHEN

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OFFENSE 7 QB MATT BARKLEY 26 RB MARC TYLER 40 FB RHETT ELLISON 2 SE ROBERT WOODS 9 FL MARQISE LEE 86 TE XAVIER GRIMBLE 75 LT MATT KALIL 74 LG JEREMY GALTEN 78 C KHALED HOLMES 59 RG JOHN MARTINEZ 77 RT KEVIN GRAF

SU HEAD COACH

TOLEDO

The Syracuse wide receiving corps hasn’t missed a beat through two games. Van Chew caught the game-winning touchdown in SU’s first win and had 134 yards receiving and a touchdown last weekend against URI. Alec Lemon had a career-high 10 receptions against the Rams. Southern California’s receiving game is all about one guy: Robert Woods. But he’s a good one. Woods has caught 25 of Matt Barkley’s 54 completed passes and has gone over 100 yards in both games.

Advantage: Even

Doug Marrone

Sept. 24, noon

WIDE RECEIVERS

54 18

THEY SAID IT

SU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Advantage: Southern California

The combined number of years of coaching experience in the NFL on USC’s staff — the most of any college in the nation. The Trojans’ coaches have 10 more years’ experience working in the NFL than any other college staff, highlighted by the 26-year NFL coaching career of USC assistant coach Monte Kiffin.

Last week provided a confidence boost for the Southern California running game and a setback for Syracuse’s. USC running back Marc Tyler returned from a one-game suspension and ran for 113 yards and a touchdown against Utah. SU’s Antwon Bailey was held to 43 yards on 13 carries against Rhode Island. Bailey rushed for 114 yards in Syracuse’s season opener against Wake Forest, and he will need a performance like that for the Orange to have a chance to win.

40 26

CHRIS GALIPPO MLB

RUNNING BACKS

Syracuse’s rank among Football Bowl Subdivision teams in tackles for loss per game thus far in 2011. The Orange has recorded 17 tackles for loss this season, pushing opponents back 66 yards. Marquis Spruill and Dyshawn Davis are tied for the SU individual lead with 2.5 tackles for loss.

Bailey had a setback against Rhode Island, rushing for just 43 yards on 13 carries as he struggled to break through against a stacked box. Galippo is the leader of the Trojans’ linebacking corps and will be in the middle of action throughout the game.

ANTWON BAILEY RB

Advantage: Southern California

TALE OF THE TAPE Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley is a projected first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He has thrown for at least 260 yards in each of the Trojans’ first two victories, with four touchdowns and one interception to show for it. For Syracuse, quarterback Ryan Nassib was great last week against Rhode Island, completing 78.3 percent (29-of-37) of his passes.

The last year Syracuse won a football game on the West Coast. The Orange defeated UCLA in 1967 with a score of 32-14. In SU’s most recent trip to the West Coast, the Orange fell to Washington 41-20 in 2010.

QUARTERBACKS

1967

STARTING LINEUPS

MATT KALIL LT Perry and USC have pressured the quarterback, recording six sacks in their two games this season. Perry leads the team with two sacks and three tackles for loss, and Pugh will be lined up against him in the trenches.

JUSTIN PUGH LT

BY THE NUMBERS

Saturday, 8 p.m. EST, FX Network Ball recorded two tackles in his first career start in place of an injured Chandler Jones against Rhode Island. Kalil, USC’s left tackle, is currently projected as a first-round pick in the next NFL Draft and will provide a tougher test for Ball in his second start.

TORREY BALL DE

sep t ember 15, 2 011

SYRACUSE AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

KEY MATCHUPS

KEON LYN CB

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@TULANE

Oct. 8, 8 p.m.

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

Southern California 42 Syracuse 17 Robert Woods, meet the SU secondary. SU secondary, meet Robert Woods. Now watch him catch a touchdown pass. And another. And another. USC rolls easily.

ZACH BROWN Syracuse 23 Southern California 21 Upset special: SU looked like a completely different team away from the Carrier Dome last year. And USC’s two wins have been just as ugly as SU’s.

WEST VIRGINIA

Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

LINEBACKERS

The Syracuse linebackers were unproven entering the season, but overall play at the position has been above average for the Orange. Marquis Spruill has been a force in the middle for SU, and freshman Dyshawn Davis has really impressed. Southern California’s two leading tacklers, Hayes Pullard and Chris Galippo, are linebackers.

Advantage: Even

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Syracuse’s safeties have been two of the best in the Big East so far this season. Shamarko Thomas was SU’s leading tackler against Wake Forest and tallied six against Rhode Island. Phillip Thomas intercepted two passes on Saturday. Southern California’s defense is ranked 63rd against the pass, but it has only one interception in two games.

Advantage: Syracuse

SPECIAL TEAMS

Syracuse kicker Ross Krautman was one of the best in the country last year as a freshman, making 18-of-19 field goal tries. He hasn’t had a chance to build on that this season, as his only field goal attempt in the first two games was blocked. SU punter Shane Raupers has been solid, and Jeremiah Kobena is a threat in the return game. Southern California features a walk-on punter, Kyle Negrete, and a freshman kicker, Andre Heidari. Star wide receiver Robert Woods is a threat in the return game, too.

Advantage: Syracuse

COACHING

Southern California’s coaching staff has the most NFL coaching experience of all college teams. The staff’s 48 years of pro coaching experience is led by assistant coach Monte Kiffin’s 26 years in the NFL as a defensive mastermind. Kiffins is also the father of USC’s head coach Lane Kiffin, who has coached the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Volunteers in the past. SU’s Doug Marrone is doing good things in his third year at the helm, but the Trojans’ coaching staff as a whole is stacked.

Advantage: Southern California

@LOUISVILLE

Oct. 29, TBD

@CONNECTICUT

Nov. 5, TBD

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3 THINGS Syracuse needs to do to beat USC By Mark Cooper ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

1. Generate a pass rush and rattle Matt Barkley Somebody has to hit Matt Barkley. In order for Syracuse to be in the game near the end against Southern California, somebody needs to pressure the Trojans’ quarterback to disrupt his rhythm. And that somebody won’t be defensive end Chandler Jones. SU head coach Doug Marrone called him arguably the Orange’s best defensive player, but he’s out for the second straight game with a lower body injury. “You just need other people to pick up the slack,” Marrone said in his Wednesday teleconference. The rest of the SU defense will need to generate pressure without perhaps its best pass rusher. Senior Torrey Ball will start in Jones’ place for the second straight game, but expect Brandon Sharpe and Micah Robinson to play some as well. Ball recorded a half-sack in the Orange’s season opener. But whoever lines up on the right side of SU’s defensive line will need to get past Matt Kalil to get to the quarterback. Kalil, the Trojans’ left tackle and one of the top prospects for next year’s NFL Draft, is 6 feet 7 inches, 295 pounds and is the son and brother of NFL offensive linemen. He’s a key reason why Barkley has been sacked just once in two games. “We just got to make sure that we limit the amount of plays that (Barkley) can make,” Mar-

rone said. “But he’s a great player and he has great people around him. But there’s not many people getting to him.”

2. Win the field position battle Syracuse hasn’t returned a kick or punt for a touchdown with Doug Marrone at the helm. The SU head coach admitted it’s been a long time coming for the Orange. In a game where Syracuse’s opponent, USC, is heavily favored and more athletic, a couple plays on special teams — whether they are scores or lead to scores — could make a difference. “I think you hit it right on the head when you talk about field position,” Marrone said. “I think that’s where it plays a critical part in this game. And then, we’re still waiting, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to make a play on special teams from the standpoint of a return.” Syracuse kick returner Jeremiah Kobena has been close to breaking a couple of returns early on this season. The freshman took a kick against Wake Forest for 37 yards and seemed a block or broken tackle away from being able to take it for six. The Orange hasn’t done much on punts so far this season, with Steve Rene calling for a fair catch more often than attempting a return. But Marrone credited Rene with making some tough catches in traffic. On the other side, Syracuse’s kick coverage hasn’t allowed any big returns, but it hasn’t faced USC wide receiver and kick returner Robert Woods. He took one kick back for a touchdown last season and is a menacing pres-

ence whenever he’s on the field. “They have some dangerous cats on that field now,” Marrone said. “They got guys that can catch that football, take it for touchdowns.”

3. Don’t let the crowd be a huge factor The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is an intimidating presence for Southern California’s opponents. So at Syracuse’s practices this week, the Trojans’ fight song is being amplified through speakers to prepare the Orange for the hostile atmosphere. “It’s part of my responsibility as a coach to make sure that we try to get the players used to the environment or the venue that they’re going to be playing in because we’ve never played out there before,” SU head coach Doug Marrone said. The average attendance for USC’s fi rst two games against Minnesota and Utah is right around the 70,000 mark. And this past weekend, the Trojans had twice as many fans in attendance for their game against Utah (73,821) than SU did for its win versus Rhode Island (36,421). It’s going to be a new atmosphere for most of the Orange players. One that offensive lineman Lou Alexander, a California native, said will be intense. “Growing up in Southern California I’m used to it,” Alexander said. “Heard it all the time so it’s the same thing. We’re just going to pretend that it’s our band playing for us, and I think it will help us focus more.” mcooperj@syr.edu

COHEN

FROM PAGE A3

since 2002, when a team that finished 4-8 knocked off then-No. 8 Virginia Tech 50-42 in triple overtime in the Carrier Dome. It would mean that Marrone is miles ahead of schedule on his plan to restore Syracuse to its glory-day form. Beat Southern California on the road to start the season 3-0 in just his third year at the helm? That’s a signature win that doesn’t deserve to be penned with the same ink as his so-called signature win against then-No. 20 West Virginia last year. “For this year’s team to get to 3-0 with some quality wins against an ACC team and a Pac-12 team — a team that’s arguably one of the most dominant teams of the last decade — I think that would make a statement to the country,” Paulus said. Let’s take that statement and apply it to the Big East. While Syracuse struggled with Rhode Island last week, Louisville lost to Florida International, Pittsburgh snuck by Maine and Tennessee clobbered Cincinnati. If SU finds a way to stun the Trojans and win this game, the Orange has to be looked at as the best team in the conference. So that’s why Saturday is huge for the culture of Syracuse football. Marrone and his staff have certainly improved the team by leaps and bounds, but a win over Southern California on the road would be a landmark victory. It means the culture has officially changed. Said Vaughan: “I’ve gone through in my head all week what it’s going to be like if we win, and I really can’t put it into words.” Michael Cohen is the sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at mjcohe02@syr. edu or on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

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sep t ember 15, 2 011

Scouting Southern California with defensive coordinator Scott Shafer By Mark Cooper ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Scott Shafer is part of Southern California history, to the ill will of the Trojans. The third-year Syracuse defensive coordinator held the same position at Stanford in 2007 when the Cardinal pulled one of the biggest upsets in college football history, taking down the then-No. 2 Trojans in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 24-23, and handing USC its first loss of the 2007 season. It was Shafer’s defense that made the difference in the game, too. Stanford picked off USC quarterback John David Booty four times, returning one for a touchdown. Booty was intercepted twice in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter. The first set up Stanford’s game-winning drive on offense. The second sealed the one-point win. Syracuse graduate assistant Nick Sanchez also had one of the four interceptions in the game. That Cardinal team went just 4-8, but the win

COOPER FROM PAGE A3

home to New Mexico State by a touchdown. So while there is a hint of panic in the Syracuse camp after its poor first three quarters against Wake Forest and close win over Rhode Island, the Trojans have plenty of their own problems. “I think we showed a lot of improvement from game one to two, but just the things that killed us were just turnovers,” Trojans’ left

still stands out because of the spread. Stanford was a 41-point underdog against the Trojans. The Daily Orange talked to Shafer about his win with Stanford and how his current Syracuse defense is prepping for a different USC offense.

The Daily Orange: Have you talked to the SU defense about your win at USC while with Stanford?

good quarterback? One, great weapons to throw to. I think that helps every good quarterback. But he does a good job of spotting the ball, putting the ball where it’s supposed to be thrown versus different coverage looks. Makes good decisions, seems like he gets out of bad plays and they protect him with a really good offensive line.

Shafer: A little bit but not a whole lot. Different teams, different kids. But, you know, same atmosphere and that sort of thing, so we talked about that with especially the defensive backs. And Nick Sanchez being our GA, he played really good in that victory, had an interception, fumble, that sort of thing. So he talked to the kids for a little bit. But for the most part just trying to focus in on ourselves.

What will you have to do to contain Trojans wide receiver Robert Woods?

What have you seen from USC quarterback Matt Barkley, and what makes him such a

Why did you make the decision to put cornerback Keon Lyn on Woods Saturday?

tackle Matt Kalil said. “I mean, like last game there was three times when we were inside at least the 20-yard line and we had a turnover. And those are what kill our rhythm as an offense.” No one would have said that about the dominant USC teams of the last decade. The Trojans won 35 straight games in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over six seasons. But it took a blocked field goal from Kalil as time expired last week against Utah to avoid overtime in the same venue. Under then-head coach Pete Carroll, all

USC did was kill opponents’ rhythms. They butchered defenses to the tune of 37.8 points per game over the seven-year run of top 5 status and stifled opposing offenses, holding them to 16.1 points per game. Under second-year head coach Lane Kiffin, the Trojans allowed the most total points in school history last season, 347 over 13 games. There are two Big East teams, West Virginia and South Florida, ranked in the Top 25 coming to the Carrier Dome for Friday night games later this season. Those two games will decide if Syracuse is

It starts with just focusing in on our technique. He is arguably one of the best, if not the best, wideout in the country right now. But a little scheme here, a little scheme there, change some things up, but for the most part just trying to control the controllables and focus in on what we can do well.

He’s a long-armed kid, he can really run well. He’s been in big games even though some of them were in high school. I remember when he played Miami Central when he was at Miramar. Those are the two best teams in the state of Florida at 6A, and he played lights out. So we’re hoping he can bring that style of play, that biggame atmosphere and that challenge to put him on the best receiver.

How much will the defense miss defensive end Chandler Jones, and what have you seen this week in practice from his replacements? I think all the (defensive ends) have done a nice job. Coach (Tim) Daoust has got those kids ready to go. Yeah, we’re going to miss Chandler, he’s a good football player. But it’s a great opportunity for those kids to play in a beautiful venue and play against some of the best players in the country, and it will be a lot of fun. mcooperj@syr.edu

an elite Big East team. Not this weekend. “The next game on your schedule is the biggest game and it’s the truth,” Syracuse defensive coordinator Scott Shafer said. “Outsiders will say it’s a cliché as well, but there’s a reason that there are so many clichés because they’re real and they’re true.” Despite all the pomp and circumstance, the cliché holds true this week. Mark Cooper is an assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at mcooperj@ syr.edu or on Twitter at @M_Coops_Cuse.

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MARINOVICH FROM PAGE A2

Tucker said. “And I think finally now he’s pulling out of it and getting it together a little bit.” Saturday, Mikhail and Syracuse travel to one of the places Marinovich came from, when the Orange takes on the Trojans in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. For the first time, Mikhail has the chance to play on the same field his halfbrother and father both called home during their careers for USC. As a redshirt freshman in 1989, Marinovich threw for 2,578 yards and 16 touchdowns. He led the team to a 17-10 win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, snapping a two-year losing streak in the game recruits say draws them to Southern California. “Just winning that Rose Bowl man, finally,” Tucker said. “We had gone two years without winning it. … That was huge, man. It was just getting a monkey off our back.” To get to that point, Marinovich had already emerged as a leader despite his youth. To this day, the drive he orchestrated in a come-frombehind victory at Washington State is still known as “The Drive” to USC fans. He guided the USC offense 91 yards on 18 plays in the final 3:31 and found Ervins in the end zone with four seconds left. All 18 plays were passes, and he sealed the win with a successful two-point conversion on a pass to Gary Wellman. “The look in his eyes when he was in the huddle, of how he was calling the plays, you knew we were going to win the game,” Ervins said. “There was no doubt in your mind. … I would go to war with him any time.” “There was nothing quite like that,” Marinovich added.

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That set the stage for a hype-filled sophomore season. And again, Marinovich dazzled. He left school after that sophomore year for the NFL Draft. But then the dark years of drug use, arrests and a lackluster football career set in. The first 20 years of his life were dedicated to football. The next 20 to legal problems. Now, as he enters the next part of his life, he seems to have pulled through. The dedication to art provides him with a release that doesn’t

“That’s why I think Todd had to go through that type of stuff. Now he can share his story with everyone else who is struggling along the way as well. He had went through hell. And now he is going to come out of the ﬁre.” Ricky Ervins

FORMER USC RUNNING BACK

harm his body, and his football mentorship of young quarterbacks gives him the chance to educate and develop the next generation of athletes in Southern California. “That’s why I think Todd had to go through that type of stuff,” Ervins said. “Now he can share his story with everyone else who is struggling along the way as well. He had went through

hell. And now he is going to come out of the fire.” Within the past few years, he’s returned to the sidelines of the Coliseum for USC home games. He attends three or four games a year, and he will be there Saturday in support of his half brother, Mikhail. Marinovich will be joined by his wife, son, mother and his and Mikhail’s father, Marv, at the game. Mikhail’s mother will also be in attendance. He said the family has been looking forward to this game for two years, when it was announced. As has Mikhail. “It’s awesome (to go back),” Mikhail said. “A place that my dad and brother have put it all out on the field, have bled and sweat on that field. I have a real family legacy there.” Though the half brothers are 19 years apart in age, they share a bond that extends beyond football. Marinovich said the time they spend together has little to do with the game both brothers excel at. It’s more about enjoying each other’s company. When Mikhail got married a little more than a year ago, Marinovich gave him and his wife a large mural as a wedding present. But the gift likely went beyond its physical value as an artistic piece of work. It represents Marinovich’s positive transformation in the past few years from the dark depths of prison time to his successful return to society. He’s at peace with his progress. “Really staying on track and building on what I did yesterday,” Marinovich said. “And if I do that, wherever life takes me I’m fine with that. With the way my life, the direction it’s going now, I couldn’t be more pleased and grateful for where I’ve come from. “I’m getting closer to a healthy balance.” mjcohe02@syr.edu

USC

FROM PAGE A3

has just under 28,000 fewer seats than USC’s. And last year SU left Raymond James Stadium with a win. That translates to much more noise from the Trojan faithful, but SU has prepared for that all week. Head coach Doug Marrone has blasted the USC fight song through speakers throughout offensive practices this week. Wide receiver Alec Lemon said the song has been played so much he can probably recite the entire song. And both he and Nassib said they were tired of hearing it. “Apparently, they play that fight song a lot, so I guess we’re getting ready for it,” Nassib said. “To tell you the truth, I’m sick of it already.” With this weekend’s obstacles ranging from USC’s potentially potent offense to the hordes of screaming Trojan fans, Syracuse’s task to come home with a win seems daunting. But SU has embraced the road underdog status since most of the current players arrived. Last year’s five road wins included some surprises as the Orange pulled off upsets at West Virginia and South Florida. There may be plenty of firsts for SU’s players when they travel to USC this weekend. But they plan on ending this road trip with another upset victory. Only this time, it would be in front of 70,000plus fans. “We’re the underdogs,” Lyn said. “People are looking for USC to put up big numbers on us. I love being the underdog. We’re just looking to shock the world.” zjbrown@syr.edu