Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFB | Offensive line struggles to keep QB upright
By Matt Levin
Posted: 10/14/07, 10:56 PM EST Section: Sports
Ryan Durand limped off the field midway through the second quarter. The junior guard and anchor of the Syracuse offensive line merely sprained his ankle. The rest of the offensive line looked hopelessly crippled.
The Rutgers defenders pushed past the SU linemen to sack Andrew Robinson five times, and the Syracuse quarterback thumped the turf several more times as Scarlet Knight defenders were constantly in his face. And an effortlessly blocked punt by Rutgers signaled another low point for the offensive line in the Orange's 38-14 loss Saturday in the Carrier Dome.
The line performed adequately until the loss of Durand, the only Orange lineman to start every game at the same position during the past two seasons. The drive following Durand's departure featured some of the worst pass protection the Orange had seen all year.
"There was a couple breakdowns we didn't catch - blitzes, they were faking a little more," freshman offensive tackle Jonathan Meldrum said. "We tried to pick up on it. We did as much as we could, especially with one of our main players getting hurt."
Backup center Marvin McCall struggled early on to replace Durand at tackle. Robinson dealt with pressure up the middle while moving Syracuse near field goal range. But the line completed its meltdown on a first-and-10 at the Rutgers' 34.
Rutgers freshman safety Joe LeFeged rocketed by offensive tackle Larry Norton and blindsided Robinson. The ball popped loose and ended Syracuse's chance of scoring before the end of the half, as the Orange went into the locker room 24-14.
While the Syracuse offensive line strained to lay down blocks, the Rutgers defense would have no trouble pulling off the biggest block of the game. Trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, cornerback Devin McCourty burst past SU blockers to bat down a Rob Long punt. The ball rolled to the SU 1-yard line, setting up the game-tying touchdown.
The Rutgers defenders pushed past the SU linemen to sack Andrew Robinson five times, and the Syracuse quarterback thumped the turf several more times as Scarlet Knight defenders were constantly in his face. And an effortlessly blocked punt by Rutgers signaled another low point for the offensive line in the Orange's 38-14 loss Saturday in the Carrier Dome.
The line performed adequately until the loss of Durand, the only Orange lineman to start every game at the same position during the past two seasons. The drive following Durand's departure featured some of the worst pass protection the Orange had seen all year.
"There was a couple breakdowns we didn't catch - blitzes, they were faking a little more," freshman offensive tackle Jonathan Meldrum said. "We tried to pick up on it. We did as much as we could, especially with one of our main players getting hurt."
Backup center Marvin McCall struggled early on to replace Durand at tackle. Robinson dealt with pressure up the middle while moving Syracuse near field goal range. But the line completed its meltdown on a first-and-10 at the Rutgers' 34.
Rutgers freshman safety Joe LeFeged rocketed by offensive tackle Larry Norton and blindsided Robinson. The ball popped loose and ended Syracuse's chance of scoring before the end of the half, as the Orange went into the locker room 24-14.
While the Syracuse offensive line strained to lay down blocks, the Rutgers defense would have no trouble pulling off the biggest block of the game. Trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, cornerback Devin McCourty burst past SU blockers to bat down a Rob Long punt. The ball rolled to the SU 1-yard line, setting up the game-tying touchdown.
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