Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFB | Blown away: Iowa rolls over Syracuse with dominating first half
By Zach Schonbrun
Posted: 9/9/07, 12:30 AM EST Section: Sports
The problems for SU seemed incalculable. There was the mirage of an offense. Syracuse didn't record a first down until with 9:33 left in the third quarter. It had one total yard of offense at halftime, two field goal attempts blocked, at least seven dropped passes, six sacks, six penalties and 24 rushing yards.
There was the ghost of a defense. Christensen, in just his third career start, cut up SU's secondary. Two of his first seven passes went for touchdowns-one a 52-yard completion to Moeaki, the other a 36-yard screen to running back Albert Young.
Together, there was no stopping Iowa on this night.
"There's going to be times like this," Brinkley said. "There's going to ups, downs, good games and bad games. Just have to keep on working."
SU quarterback Andrew Robinson had trouble finding his receivers and staying away from pressure. He didn't complete a pass until 6:44 in the second quarter and was zero for his first six attempts. The running game was impossibly worse, playing most of the game in negative yardage and without a run longer than 14 yards.
The game unraveled on Iowa's second drive of the game. After a flag on Syracuse's Jake Flaherty for a late hit out of bounds brought the ball up to Iowa's 40, Christensen found a wide open Moeaki up the seam of the defense. Moeaki broke attempts at tackles by Orange defensive backs Dowayne Davis and A.J. Brown to scamper into the endzone for a 52-yard score.
"It was a breakdown in communication with everybody," Fields said. "We got to do a better job at minimizing that play."
On the ensuing Syracuse drive, Hawkeyes' linebacker Mike Humpal picked off Robinson's pass and capitalized on its field position: a 36-yard screen pass to running back Albert Young gave Iowa a 14-0 lead in 10 minutes.
"I can't tell you why they penetrated us in the running game the way they did in the first half," Greg Robinson said. "I thought going into the game we were going to block them some. And in the first half I didn't see that."
After last Friday night's home meltdown to Washington saw the Orange allow 302 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, Saturday's game witnessed 290 yards allowed in the air and four passing touchdowns.
This leaves Syracuse with even more questions to be answered than last weekend.
"I told them there's no time to feel sorry for yourself," Robinson said. "Coaches and players alike. It's time to get right back to work and get going. What is, is. It's time to get things fixed. Baby steps, that's what we have to do. They know it. They're hurting."
There was the ghost of a defense. Christensen, in just his third career start, cut up SU's secondary. Two of his first seven passes went for touchdowns-one a 52-yard completion to Moeaki, the other a 36-yard screen to running back Albert Young.
Together, there was no stopping Iowa on this night.
"There's going to be times like this," Brinkley said. "There's going to ups, downs, good games and bad games. Just have to keep on working."
SU quarterback Andrew Robinson had trouble finding his receivers and staying away from pressure. He didn't complete a pass until 6:44 in the second quarter and was zero for his first six attempts. The running game was impossibly worse, playing most of the game in negative yardage and without a run longer than 14 yards.
The game unraveled on Iowa's second drive of the game. After a flag on Syracuse's Jake Flaherty for a late hit out of bounds brought the ball up to Iowa's 40, Christensen found a wide open Moeaki up the seam of the defense. Moeaki broke attempts at tackles by Orange defensive backs Dowayne Davis and A.J. Brown to scamper into the endzone for a 52-yard score.
"It was a breakdown in communication with everybody," Fields said. "We got to do a better job at minimizing that play."
On the ensuing Syracuse drive, Hawkeyes' linebacker Mike Humpal picked off Robinson's pass and capitalized on its field position: a 36-yard screen pass to running back Albert Young gave Iowa a 14-0 lead in 10 minutes.
"I can't tell you why they penetrated us in the running game the way they did in the first half," Greg Robinson said. "I thought going into the game we were going to block them some. And in the first half I didn't see that."
After last Friday night's home meltdown to Washington saw the Orange allow 302 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, Saturday's game witnessed 290 yards allowed in the air and four passing touchdowns.
This leaves Syracuse with even more questions to be answered than last weekend.
"I told them there's no time to feel sorry for yourself," Robinson said. "Coaches and players alike. It's time to get right back to work and get going. What is, is. It's time to get things fixed. Baby steps, that's what we have to do. They know it. They're hurting."
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
david speer
posted 9/09/07 @ 1:36 AM EST
Could we be any worse??? What has happened to the football program at the Cuse? Robinson could not call an effective offensive game plan if his life depended on it. (Continued…)
Larry Spector
posted 9/09/07 @ 3:25 AM EST
Syracuse 2007 football season so far--oy vay!!!
roger
posted 9/09/07 @ 3:41 AM EST
In Zach Schonbrun's coverage of the Syr/Iowa game he quotes both coach Greg Robinson and quarterback Andrew Robinson. By the end of the story he gives attribution to "Robinson. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 9/09/07 @ 10:02 AM EST
"Obviously there's something in there that isn't going right," Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said. "That's what we got to continue to evaluate."
I thought the time between last years terrible season and the beginning of this year would be enough time to evaluate. (Continued…)
mcneebus
Scott McNealus
posted 9/09/07 @ 2:20 PM EST
After last weeks debacle against Washington, Greg Robinson said his team would "play better" this week.
I'm not sure how much more "better" football I can take. (Continued…)
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