Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFB | With 2 games remaining in a long season, here are SU's 3 biggest disappointments
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Posted: 11/16/07, 12:01 AM EST Section: Sports
DE Jameel McClain
With all the preseason hoopla surrounding Jameel McClain, it's tough to fault the senior defensive end for falling short of expectations.
Then again, McClain has been noticeably quiet this year as the face of the defense that's ranked No. 110 in the nation.
After a 2006 season that saw McClain finish 18th in the nation with 9.5 sacks, he's only recorded 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss this year.
To be fair, against Miami (Ohio), he spent most of the game at linebacker. And more times than not, he has spent most of the game chasing running backs.
Still, McClain has left a lot to be desired on the field this year.
-Zach Schonbrun, asst. sports editor
The entire offensive line
All last year, the Syracuse offensive line was ripped for atrocious play. Going into this season, it's hard to image this year's unit could be called a disappointment, since it appeared the group had nowhere to go but up.
Well, believe it or not, this year's offensive line might be even worse.
Quarterback Andrew Robinson is lucky to have suffered just a cracked rib after enduring dozens of sacks and knockdowns through the season. The positive is freshmen like Jonathan Meldrum and Tucker Baumbach have talent, but who knows how long till they show it.
But hey, this time the line can't get any worse - right?
-Matt Levin, asst. feature editor
CB Nick Chestnut
Chestnut's been roasted by quick wideouts all season. Opposing receivers blow by him, setting up home run passes. Worst of all, when the junior puts himself in position to make a play, he struggles to bring down his opponent. The frustrations from his poor coverage and tackling keep piling up. Chestnut has just four pass breakups and zero interceptions this season.
Yet there's reason to be optimistic about Chestnut - he still has one more year left at SU. A year of starting experience under his belt could go a long way in making him a key contributor in 2008 - but first, let's see some improvement against Cincy and UConn.
-Matt Levin, asst. feature editor
With all the preseason hoopla surrounding Jameel McClain, it's tough to fault the senior defensive end for falling short of expectations.Then again, McClain has been noticeably quiet this year as the face of the defense that's ranked No. 110 in the nation.
After a 2006 season that saw McClain finish 18th in the nation with 9.5 sacks, he's only recorded 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss this year.
To be fair, against Miami (Ohio), he spent most of the game at linebacker. And more times than not, he has spent most of the game chasing running backs.
Still, McClain has left a lot to be desired on the field this year.
-Zach Schonbrun, asst. sports editor
The entire offensive line
All last year, the Syracuse offensive line was ripped for atrocious play. Going into this season, it's hard to image this year's unit could be called a disappointment, since it appeared the group had nowhere to go but up.Well, believe it or not, this year's offensive line might be even worse.
Quarterback Andrew Robinson is lucky to have suffered just a cracked rib after enduring dozens of sacks and knockdowns through the season. The positive is freshmen like Jonathan Meldrum and Tucker Baumbach have talent, but who knows how long till they show it.
But hey, this time the line can't get any worse - right?
-Matt Levin, asst. feature editor
CB Nick Chestnut
Chestnut's been roasted by quick wideouts all season. Opposing receivers blow by him, setting up home run passes. Worst of all, when the junior puts himself in position to make a play, he struggles to bring down his opponent. The frustrations from his poor coverage and tackling keep piling up. Chestnut has just four pass breakups and zero interceptions this season. Yet there's reason to be optimistic about Chestnut - he still has one more year left at SU. A year of starting experience under his belt could go a long way in making him a key contributor in 2008 - but first, let's see some improvement against Cincy and UConn.
-Matt Levin, asst. feature editor
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