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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Preseason Primer: Syracuse
7/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
GopherSports.com will provide Minnesota Football fans with a primer on the Gophers’ four non-conference opponents as we wind down the weeks toward the beginning of preseason camp. Up first is the season-opener Sept. 5 at Syracuse.
There’s No Place Like Home:
| The Syracuse File | |
| Head Coach | Doug Marrone |
| Coach's Record | First Season |
| 2008 Record | 3-9 |
| Home/Away/Neutral | 2-4/1-5/0-0 |
| Starters Returning/Lost | 14/8 |
| Letterwinners Ret./Lost | 46/17 |
The Gophers and Orange have faced off just twice in their respective histories, playing a two-game series in the mid-1990s. The home team won both matchups, with Minnesota falling on the road in 1995 and avenging that loss the next season.
Gopher Moment: 
Freshman Tyrone Carter burst onto the national scene in just the third game of his career. In front of a national television audience on ESPN2, Carter scored on a pair of fumble recoveries just 56 seconds apart to help lead the Gophers to a 35-33 upset win over No. 23 Syracuse.
Series History: 
Series tied 1-1. 1995: Syracuse 27, Minnesota 17 - Syracuse, N.Y.; 1996: Minnesota 35, No. 23 Syracuse 33 - Minneapolis, Minn.
Syracuse Season Outlook: 
| 2008 Syracuse Statistics/Rankings | |||
| | Stat | NCAA | Big East |
| Scor. Off. | 18.1 | 108 | 8 |
| Tot. Off | 270.2 | 114 | 8 |
| Rush Off. | 148.7 | 55 | 5 |
| Pass Off. | 121.5 | 113 | 8 |
| Scor. Def. | 32.7 | 101 | 8 |
| Tot. Def. | 414.5 | 101 | 8 |
| Rush Def. | 189.4 | 101 | 8 |
| Pass Def. | 225.1 | 83 | 7 |
The Orange was 3-9 overall and 1-6 in Big East play during 2008, prompting the hire of a new head coach. Doug Marrone is a Syracuse alum and was brought back to try to right the ship in upstate New York.
In his first season leading the Orange, Marrone will have 14 starters returning from last year’s squad. The number of returning starters jumps to 15 if 2007 starter Mike Williams (more on him later) is counted. Syracuse has 20 players listed as either juniors or seniors on its pre-spring depth chart, so experience won’t be an issue.
There has been no indication that Syracuse is looking to join the Big Ten Conference. But through the first few weeks of the season, Big Ten staffers may as well include the Orange in the league’s standings. Syracuse opens the season with Minnesota, then goes on the road to face Penn State and then returns home to host Northwestern in the first three weeks of the season.
Syracuse Offensive Player to Watch: Wide Receiver Mike Williams
The most intriguing player on the Orange offense might be former Duke basketball player and current Syracuse QB Greg Paulus. But Williams has the best chance at making a huge impact for the Orange.
Williams sat out the 2008 season. In fact, he wasn’t even enrolled at SU last year. But the 6-foot 2-inch, 204-pound junior is on track to be back on the field this fall. As a sophomore in 2007, Williams tied a Syracuse school record with 60 receptions and racked up 837 yards and 10 scores. He has a current streak of nine consecutive games with a touchdown reception, which is also an SU record. Of Williams’ 60 receptions in 2007, 39 went for either a first down or a touchdown.
Williams earned Second-Team All-Big East honors as a sophomore in 2007. His 461 yards receiving led the team during his freshman season of 2006.
Syracuse Defensive Player to Watch: Defensive tackle Arthur Jones
Jones is on pace to finish his career as one of the best defensive linemen ever to play at Syracuse. He is sixth on SU’s career tackles for loss record list (31.5) and ranks 13th in career tackles by a defensive lineman with 126. Jones was a first-team All-Big East selection last season.
Jones’ 13.0 tackles for loss in 2008 is the 11th best in Syracuse history. Last season at Notre Dame, he finished with 4.0 tackles for loss, tying his career best, and recorded a personal best 15 tackles. That effort vs. the Irish earned him an a Big East Defensive Player of the Week award and an ESPN College GameDay ‘Helmet Sticker.’
Other Key Syracuse Players:
QB Cameron Dantley; WR Donte Davis; FS Mike Holmes; P Rob Long; C Jim McKenzie; LB Mike Mele; QB Greg Paulus; LB Derrell Smith
Syracuse Offense At A Glance:
The Orange averaged just more than 18 points and 270 yards of total offense per game in 2008. Both marks ranked at the bottom of the Big East.
But Syracuse and new offensive coordinator Rob Spence return seven starters from last year’s offensive unit. As mentioned above, that number burgeons to eight with the inclusion of wide receiver Mike Williams.
Spence comes to Syracuse from Clemson, where he served as offensive coordinator for the past three-plus years. In 2006 and 2007, Spence’s Tiger offenses set school records for single-season scoring -- and led the Atlantic Coast Conference as well.
The preseason information on Syracuse says the Orange offense will be run out of multiple formations. Spence has a history of being very balanced on offense. Clemson was the only ACC offense to rank in the top four in rushing, passing and total offense each year from 2005-08.
Syracuse Defense At A Glance:
Much like the Orange offense, the Syracuse defense was at or near the bottom of the Big East in most statistical categories. SU allowed nearly 33 points and 414.5 yards per game in 2008.
Also much like its offensive counterpart, the Orange defense returns seven starters. That’s a good base of experience to build on for new defensive coordinator Scott Shafer. Shafer comes to Syracuse from Michigan, where he was the defensive coordinator in 2008. He served as the D.C. at Stanford in 2007. At Stanford, Shafer’s defense helped the Cardinal improve from 1-11 in 2006 to 4-7 in 2007, including an upset of top-ranked USC.
The Orange’s preseason prospectus says Syracuse’s defense will be multiple in its formation. But it is almost a certainty that Shafer’s philosophy will be aggressive and attack-oriented. In 2006, when Shafer was the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan, the Broncos led the nation in interceptions (26) and sacks (46), while finishing 11th in the nation in total defense.
Game Implications: 
It’s the season-opener for both squads. Minnesota will be looking to open the season with a win for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Gophers also want to head into the opening of TCF Bank Stadium the next week with a full head of steam. Syracuse will be playing for the first time under head coach Doug Marrone and will be fired up to get him a win in his first outing. The Orange will also be looking to get rid of the bad taste in their mouths after last season’s 3-9 finish.
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