Cards Seek Payback Against Orange
Fresh off a stirring 24-20, payback victory over the South Florida Bulls last weekend, the Louisville Cardinals head to New York looking for remuneration for another embarrassing defeat suffered in 2007. They’ll be welcomed by a Syracuse program in complete shambles, but once again playing for the future of their head coach’s tenure with the Orange. Can the Cards check another revenge game off their list? Will Syracuse unload another unexpected offensive bonanza on Steve Kragthorpe and company? We get to know the Orange Behind Enemy Lines.
Syracuse Orange (1-6, 0-3 Big East)
Head Coach: Greg Robinson (8-34 career at SU, 8-34 overall)
2007 Record: 2-10, 1-6 Big East Conference
Returning Stat Leaders: RB Curtis Brinkley (371 rushing yards, 2 TD, 149 receiving yards), QB Andrew Robinson (2,192 yards, 13 TD – BENCHED), LB Jake Flaherty (95 tackles), S A.J. Brown (2 INT), DT Arthur Jones (17.5 TFL, 1 sack)
Other Key Returnees: QB Cameron Dantley, OT Corey Chavers, OG Ryan Durand, CB Mike Holmes, C Jim McKenzie, LB Jerrell Smith, LB Mike Mele
Key Losses: S Joe Fields, LB Jameel McClain, WR Taj Smith
What They’re Saying
While the Louisville Cardinals enjoy a revival of their conference title hopes and football season, it would appear that the Syracuse Orange are all but ready to pack in another forgettable fall in central New York. At a dismal 1-6 this year (0-6 vs. I-A opponents) and 8-34 in three-plus seasons under head coach Greg Robinson, the Orange fan base has understandably turned its attention away from the remaining schedule and toward its promising men’s basketball team and – even more immediately - who might be the next man in charge of ‘Cuse football. But before the SU athletic department makes any decisions about how (and not if) Robinson’s tenure will come to close, they must first welcome a resurgent Cards team to the Carrier Dome Saturday night.
And while Louisville harbors newfound optimism in its program and excitement about its emerging talent, it appears hope is just another four-letter word used when talking about Syracuse football. Ranked in the bottom 15 of eleven major NCAA statistical categories, including total offense (110th of 119 I-A teams), total defense (105th), scoring offense (110th), and scoring defense (110th), Syracuse has struggled to regain an identity and the not-so-long-ago success once common in the days of ‘Cuse stars like Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, and Dwight Freeney. It’s one of just many problems exacerbated during the Robinson Era.
“Robinson had the misfortune of entering the Big East at a time other programs were rising,” says Brent Axe, blogger for The Post-Standard as well as radio host of “On the Block” on ESPN Radio 1260 in Syracuse. “Rutgers, UConn, and other programs finally got their act together and took away huge recruiting bases in New Jersey and Connecticut. Syracuse used to own those states. Now they struggle to get the scraps left over from those schools and others like Penn State, Temple (wow I just said Temple), Pitt, etc. I have heard horror stories about how this coaching staff has recruited and the connections they have lost among high school coaches in the Northeast.”
Lost recruiting grounds, in addition to a failed attempt to bring the West Coast offense to the Empire state and the inexplicable struggles to develop a strong defense (Robinson was defensive coordinator on both of Denver’s Super Bowl champion teams), are certainly all symptoms pointing to a change at the top sooner rather than later. But perhaps more damning this season would be the losses of several key Orangemen to a variety of issues. Stand-out WR Mike Williams, CB Nick Chestnut, and DE Brandon Gilbeaux were all projected starters lost to academic issues in the offseason. WR Taj Gibson, a talented playmaker in 2007, opted to turn pro early rather than finish his senior season. And in more recent weeks, LB Mike Stenclik has become an auspicious missing piece with rumors swirling about post-concussion syndrome and the end of his Orange career.
“The loss of Smith and Williams turned the offense upside down,” says Dave Rahme, beat writer for The Post-Standard. “The two combined for 104 receptions and 15 touchdowns last season. With Mitch Browning coming in to run the offense, SU was going to get back to establishing a solid ground game, and Smith and Williams were going to be able to force opposing defenses to play it honest in the secondary and not stack the box. They would also give the Orange a potent one-two deep threat.”
“Their absence, the loss of sophomore Dan Sheeran in camp to a broken leg, and the switch of Da’Mon Merkerson from wideout to cornerback (his natural position) left the team with eight receptions (all by Lavar Lobdell) returning from last season. In short, the group went from the strongest on the team to the weakest in a blink of an eye.”
“Stenclik has tons of upside and it is a shame what he’s going through now,” adds Axe. “I have heard the concussion issues as well, but it would be easier to get the codes to Fort Knox than getting any confirmation on injuries these days.”
In the absence of so much talent, one bright spot for each side of the ball has been RB Curtis Brinkley on offense and DT Arthur Jones on D. Brinkley is the lone feel-good story coming out of the ‘Cuse locker room, overcoming a myriad of injury and personal issues to establish himself as one of the Big East’s best runners in 2008. After managing just 968 yards in his first three years while undergoing two knee operations and missing the final four games of 2007 with a broken leg, Brinkley has been a model of consistency and production for the Orange in 2008. The senior back has already rolled up 733 yards rushing and scored four times while posting a 100-yard afternoon in five of the Orange’s seven games.
“Mitch Browning has a lot to do with it,” says Axe. “He helped develop Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney and had some high powered running games at Minnesota.”
“It is hard to describe his running style,” says Rahme. “He would like you to think it’s similar to Brian Westbrook, the tailback for the Eagles. It fits in that both play bigger than their size and are not afraid to lower the shoulder and get an extra yard or two and are very dangerous if they get into space. Not great pure speed but great balance and ability to cut on a dime (more important in a tailback anyway). He admits that he and Robinson have had a rocky relationship over the years, but he has been a model of leadership and productivity this season and gets his yards despite SU’s lack of a vertical passing game.”
On the other side of the ball, Jones has been a one-man wrecking crew in a scheme that has otherwise failed to produce positive statistics of any kind. After a highly successful sophomore campaign in which he ranked 18th in the country by racking up 17.5 tackles for loss, Jones has shed routine double- and triple-teams from opposing offensive lines to tack on another six in 2008 to go with his 22 tackles and one sack.
“Jones is both quick off the snap and can overpower you. The total package,” sys Axe. “He has made a lot of people look silly this year. This guy could absolutely put his name in the draft this year and get selected. He is drawing a lot more attention this season from opposing offensive lines and still has 6 tackles for a loss.”
Still, neither player’s continued solo achievements have helped the team enjoy much more than moral victories (against Pittsburgh and West Virginia). Former QB Andrew Robinson, who cut Louisville up last season for 423 yards and 4 TD’s, inexplicably developed a hitch in his mechanics during the summer that ultimately gave way to back-up Cameron Dantley taking the starting job. Dantley has fared little better, throwing for just 882 yards and 7 TD, which leaves the signal caller job up for grabs as the season hits the home stretch.
“The coaches like Dantley’s ability to escape the pocket and he has a much stronger arm than Robinson,” says Axe. “That said, Dantley has really struggled the last two games. It is very possible we could see Robinson in this game. Greg Robinson has not committed to the idea Dantley has a firm hold on the job. Even if Dantley starts, Robinson could be on red alert to come in the game.”
Either way, it is unlikely the ‘Cuse quarterbacks will be able to put up big statistics without a game-breaker to throw to down the field. Without Williams and Smith to stretch the defense, the Orange have wilted to 108th in passing offense while putting up just 141.1 yards per game through the air.
“Donte Davis, who missed last season with a broken thumb (sustained trying to catch a pass from Cam Dantley in preseason camp) is probably the go-to guy,” says Donnie Webb, another of The Post-Standard’s talented writers and the paper’s Syracuse football man since 1989. “Lavar Lobdell has an NFL body but lacks consistency. The freshmen - Marcus Sales and Van Chew - have made some plays. And the Orange love to throw the ball on bootlegs to the tight end, Mike Owen, and the fullback, Tony Fiammetta.”
Defensively, Syracuse has looked to its youth to provide a solid foundation for the next couple of years while leading the team early in their careers. Sophomore LB’s Mike Mele (50 tackles) & Derrell Smith (43 tackles) and sophomore CB Mike Holmes (44 tackles) account for three of the top four tackle totals for the Orange while Smith has added 5 tackles for loss on the season.
“Smith has been a lot of fun to watch,” says Axe. “The coaching staff even lined him up at defensive end the last two games to counter the speed presented by West Virginia and South Florida and he responded big. He is going to be a star. He has a true sense of getting to the ball and making plays.”
“Mele has a motor that runs 100 MPH at all times and will only get better. He leads the team in tackles even though he has struggled with some injuries as well which slowed him down a tad.”
All glimmers of hope, no doubt, but not bright enough to save their coach’s job. With a loss Saturday to Louisville, in fact, they may put the final nail in his orange-draped coffin.
More from Our Orange Spies
* You know your program isn’t enjoying acceptable levels of success when your stand-out player wears a single-bar face mask and a soccer cleat. Yet when asked who has been a source of optimism for the Orange, all our spies are quick to tout the play of K Patrick Shadle. The senior has been among the best in the Big East, booting 11 of his 12 field goal attempts through the uprights and sending his lone miss crashing off the post.
“I know he is ‘only’ the kicker, but Patrick Shadle has been money,” says Axe. “Given the amount of times the offense will come up short, it is nice to know you count on something as a SU fan.”
Adds Webb, “Pat Shadle is having a monster season. He’s probably the team MVP at this point. He’s missed one field goal, and that was a 51-yarder against Northwestern that hit the left upright.”
* More in-depth commentary from our guys on the Syracuse D…
Axe: “Say all you want about Greg Robinson, he is supposed to know defense. But his team can’t even get the basic fundamentals down. They are constantly missing tackles and out of position. There is one play that stands out in that department vs. South Florida in their last game. USF was on the 3 yard line and broke the huddle with one wide receiver split right. Syracuse put all 11 guys in the middle of the field and no one even thought to go defend the ONE receiver split out. I mean, the guy was on an island and Syracuse had plenty of time to adjust to it. You should have seen the reaction from Grothe. It was on the level of ‘Are you serious right now with that defense?’ Easiest touchdown pass ever for Matt Grothe. I mean, it is only one example, but how the hell does that happen? And that is just one example of many head scratchers on that defense.”
Webb: “The secondary is woefully inexperienced and they’ve gone through a ga-jillion lineups. The linebackers are slow and don’t make enough plays. Every team double-teams Arthur Jones, so his contributions are minimized. They can’t rush the passer. They’re not a good tackling team. They’re not good at anything, really.”
Rahme: “You build a defense from the front back, and none of the players you mentioned (Mele, Holmes, Smith) plays up front. I like Derrell Smith’s potential as an outside linebacker. Mike Holmes is having a bit of a sophomore slump, but I believe he will be a solid corner. Mike Mele is too small to play inside linebacker in SU’s scheme. He is listed at 6-0, 218, and I believe that is a stretch on both counts. Frankly, I don’t believe SU fans are excited about anything these days. They have been subjected to four seasons of some really bad football. The team lost by an average score of 43-14 at home last season. It lost to Akron at home this season. It was tested severely by I-AA Northeastern in its only victory. There may be fewer than 25,000 fans in the Carrier Dome on Saturday. It is tough to be an SU football fan these days.”
* More from Rahme on the Robinson Era:
“You’d need a book to fill the reasons why Robinson has directed the team to the worst four-year stretch by far (8-34) in its 116-year history. He was hired to be a clone of his good friend Pete Carroll, but Syracuse is not Southern Cal. Unlike Carroll, Robinson arrived with no previous head coaching experience. His first offensive coordinator (Brian Pariani) had never been a coordinator before. Three of his assistant coaches had been graduate assistants who were getting their first shot. Despite these handicaps, Robinson tried to reshape a team that had been built for power running and an element of option football and tried to turn it into a pro-style West Coast attack overnight. Big mistake.
While the team was on a downward bent under Paul Pasqualoni (now DC of the Dolphins), Coach P and longtime assistant George DeLeone (now the OL coach with the Dolphins) had built great relationships with high school coaches throughout the Northeast. Many of those coaches were miffed at the way Pasqualoni was fired (a public news conference announcing his return, followed three weeks later by his dismissal).
The biggest mystery with Robinson has been the team’s defensive struggles. He arrived as a guru with two Super Bowl rings won as DC of the Broncos, and his first defense at SU was much improved. Yet, he inherited five future NFLers from Pasqualoni on that unit and the team still went 1-10. Since then the defense has been horrible, unable to stop either the run or the pass. That, more than the three offensive coordinators Greg has employed in his four seasons, will likely be most responsible for his dismissal.
As for players of the caliber you used as examples, it should be noted that none was highly recruited coming out of high school. McNabb’s only options at quarterback were SU and Nebraska, and the Huskers still had Tommie Frazier. Hard to believe it was only a decade ago that most D-I schools would ask a black quarterback to switch positions. SU was an exception, an advantage it no longer enjoys, thanks in large part to the success of… Donovan McNabb. Dwight Freeney was offered by none of the big players (if memory serves, maybe BC and Wake), and ditto for Marvin Harrison. Identifying diamonds in the rough and developing them into future NFL stars is an inexact science, but it held the key to SU’s success in the past and now is paying dividends at places such as West Virginia, Connecticut and Cincinnati.
SU, once a terror to opposing teams due to its quirky freeze-option offense, is now being burned by teams running the next generation of the attack - the spread no huddle - while employing a conservative pro style scheme with at-best average athletes.”
