Run the ball
Former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is gone, but Syracuse would be wise to heed his advice: “It’s real simple: We’re going to give him the ball until he throws up.” Hackett was speaking about Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller, but it’s an approach SU should take with Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley.

Smith and Gulley are far-off the Orange’s two most valuable assets on offense. They’re listed as co-owners of the top spot on the Orange’s depth chart released on Monday, and will be the safety valves for SU’s inexperienced quarterbacks.

This year’s Syracuse team isn’t going to win by throwing the ball 36 times a game like last year’s team did. But what it does have is a stable of capable running backs so deep that two quality backs have been relegated to kick return duty.

Smith, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, will likely get the bulk of the carries. Gulley probably won’t be too far behind, and George Morris II and Devante McFarlane, the Orange’s ball-carrying stars of the spring and summer, respectively, will see some as well, while also handling kick returns.

With uncertainty at the quarterback position, it’s not hard to imagine both Smith and Gulley topping the 1,000-yard mark.

Syracuse is going to see plenty of eight-man fronts, but without any established quarterbacks the Orange isn’t going to have any choice — it’s just going to have to try to run through them. And then try again.

Pressuring the passer
The success of the Syracuse defense hinges almost solely on getting to the quarterback. Defensive tackle Jay Bromley said when the Orange brings at least five players on the rush they should get into the backfield within three seconds. If not, SU’s questionable secondary will get burned.

The Orange ranked 62nd out of 120 Division-I teams in passing defense last season, allowing more than 3,000 yards through the air. Now without star safety Shamarko Thomas, starters Durell Eskridge and Jeremi Wilkes are Syracuse’s last line of defense. It is possible defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough uses heavy doses of three-cornerback sets to keep Keon Lyn, Ri’Shard Anderson and Brandon Reddish on the field.

Regardless, SU’s blitz packages will have a lot of pressure on them this season.
Most of that onus falls on the front four. Considering linebackers Dyshawn Davis, Marquis Spruill and Cameron Lynch are just about as complete a linebacking corps as there is in the Atlantic Coast Conference, it will be up to Bromley and three new starters to create opportunities for the backers to get into the backfield.

Junior defensive ends Micah Robinson and Robert Welsh, and junior defensive tackle Eric Crume have a combined one-start between the three of them. None of them stepped up as a secondary threat in training camp. While Bromley said the group looked solid throughout training camp, solid might not be enough against ACC competition.

Smart quarterback play
Ryan Nassib ain’t walking through that door. He’s gone, and so is Syracuse’s high-octane, pass-first offense. This year, the offense will be all about the run, and that means the quarterback should not be taking any risks.

Sure, throw the deep ball every once in a while to keep the defense honest. Maybe run a trick play here and there. But for the most part, keep it simple. Short passes to Jarrod West and Beckett Wales should do the trick.

If Syracuse is going to win games, it will be because of its running backs and defense. The passing attack just needs to be solid and mistake free. Head coach Scott Shafer said Drew Allen can throw the ball 70 yards in the air. That may be true, and Allen may be a reliable option, but his No. 1 priority should still be to play it safe and not make mistakes.

During training camp, Allen threw a couple ill-advised passes in an 11-on-11 scrimmage. It was the preseason, but Allen has a better chance of being the yearlong starter if he doesn’t force throws that aren’t there.

Last season Nassib threw 471 passes. That’s about 36 per game. This year, whether it’s Allen or Terrel Hunt calling the shots, that number should dip to around 25 or 30.

This year, the number of rushes should always be more than the number of passes. If Syracuse can do that, while keeping the defense on its toes at the same time, it should have a chance to finish around .500.

—Compiled by David Wilson, sports editor, dbwilson@syr.edu, Stephen Bailey, asst. sports editor, sebail01@syr.edu, Trevor Hass, asst. sports editor, tbhass@syr.edu

Published on August 26, 2013 at 11:40 pm