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The Daily OrangeFB | In order to salvage its season, Syracuse needs these 3 players to step up
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Posted: 9/19/08, 12:22 AM EST Section: Sports
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As good as the junior quarterback looked against Akron, he was sloppy - at best - against No. 16 Penn State. Dantley went 13-for-32, throwing for 110 yards in the 55-13 Syracuse defeat.
Of course, no Orange player looked very capable against the Nittany Lions. But Dantley is held to a higher standard. He was bought into this offense - in place of struggling incumbent Andrew Robinson - to be a difference maker. To add a different dimension to the SU's otherwise bland attack.
He did that against Akron. Dantley's efficiency kept the Zips defense honest and allowed the Orange rushing game - the true strength of the offense - to kick into gear. And when the former walk-on needed to make throws, he did. Like in the fourth quarter, when he rolled right and fired a 15-yard dart to tight end Nick Provo for a touchdown.
Those sorts of plays are why the Syracuse coaching staff made the switch at quarterback. Now, Dantley needs to flash that talent more consistently.
-John Clayton, sports editor
Bruce Williams
After all the fuss last week about Williams moving from wide receiver to free safety, to bolster the struggling defense, it looked like he fit right in the with the rest of SU's struggling secondary against Penn State last Saturday. Outside of his fumble recovery in the first quarter, Williams looked shaky.
No doubt, the senior captain is a veteran presence, and his experience should help some of the younger guys, but if Syracuse is going to win games, he has to play well on the field. Leadership is not enough anymore. Williams will be the starting free safety the rest of the year, so it will benefit the Orange if he improves right away.
As a safety last season, Williams made 11 tackles and had an interception. That would look pretty good on this defense right now.
-Jared Diamond, staff writer
Art Jones
Jones is the best player on the defense - one of Syracuse's few pro prospects - and he will have to perform even better than last season, when he had 17 1/2 tackles for loss.
The junior defensive tackle has been pretty good so far, with four tackles for loss and a sack, but the Orange's pass rush has been inconsistent. Through three games, opposing quarterbacks have generally been able to sit back in the pocket and pick apart Syracuse's desolate secondary.
One way to make up for struggling defensive backs is by getting consistent pressure up front. Jones, who has been more of a run stopper than a pass rusher in his collegiate career (one sack in 2007), will have to do even more if the Orange has a chance to right this sinking ship.
-Jared Diamond, staff writer
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Olin MacGregor
posted 9/19/08 @ 1:28 PM EST
"dreamy" .. images that are fleeting and blurry .. like what one conjures up while feeling a breeze from an overhead room fan -- just as you fall asleep . (Continued…)
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