2008 Syracuse Orange - Recruiting Class

Syracuse Orange 2007 Head Coach: Greg Robinson

Syracuse Orange

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Averin Collier RB 5-10 200 Churchville, N.Y., Churchville-Chili HS
Enrolled January 2008 … High School: 2007 SuperPrep All-American … 2007 Prep Star Top 135 Dream Team selection … Rated as the 24th-best athlete by Rivals.com … Rated 21st-best in the East by Scout.com … Ranked the 12th-best running back by Scout.com … Selected to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Team … 2007 Football NYSSWA All-State Class AA First-Team Offense selection … Monroe County All-Star … As a senior, registered 1,170 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 95 carries … Named Rochester area 2006 Player of the Year after gaining 1,547 yards on 193 carries and scoring 20 touchdowns

Potential Instant Impact Players

Romale Tucker LB 6-4 225 Washington, D.C./Frank W. Ballou HS/Milford Academy
Milford Academy: 2007 Prep Star All-East Region selection  … Rated the 27th-best strongside linebacker by Scout.com  … Registered 18 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery in 2007 … Coach: William Chaplick … Attended same prep school as current SU football student-athlete Jermaine Pierce and Darnell Pratt … High School: Earned 2006 Prep Star All-Atlantic accolades after posting 92 tackles, including 65 solo stops, 10 sacks and one interception … Also named to the Washington Post DCIAA All-League Team … Recorded 30 solo tackles, 16 assisted tackles, 15 sacks and one fumble recovery as a junior

Mikhail Marinovich DE 6-4 222 San Clemente, Calif./JSerra Catholic HS/Milford Academy
Enrolled January 2008 … Milford Academy: 2007 Prep Star Prep School All-American … Ranked 46th on Scout.com Prep School Top 50 list … Made 33 tackles, including 20 solo, forced two fumbles, had 11 tackles of loss and set school record with 15 sacks … Coach: William Chaplick … Attended same prep school as current SU football student-athlete Jermaine Pierce and Darnell Pratt … High School: 2006 Max Emfinger All-American after recording in 45 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end … First-team all-league … Set school record with six sacks in one game … Team MVP for two seasons

Rest of the Class

Ian Allport	OL	6-4	300	Pulaski, N.Y./Pulaski Central HS
Antwon Bailey	ATH	5-8	196	Landover, Md./Saint Johns College HS
Cory Boatman	DE	6-2	260	Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel HS
Van Chew	WR	6-1	165	Manassas, Va./Centreville HS
Averin Collier	RB	5-10	200	Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili HS
Carl Cutler	TE	6-1	234	Norwich, Vt./Hanover (NH) HS
Trey Fairchild	WR	5-11	185	Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman HS
Dorian Graham	CB	5-11	185	Plantation, Fla./St Thomas Aquinas
Jeremiah Harden	RB	5-9	188	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St Thomas Aquinas
Tyrell Harris	CB	6-1	190	Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt HS
Michael Kay	OL	6-1	280	Capitol Heights, Md./C.H. Flowers HS
Shane Kimmel	LB	6-1	238	Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock HS
Nick Lepak	OT	6-4	318	Auburn, N.Y./Auburn HS
Jarel Lowery	DT	6-3	285	Paterson, N.J./Paterson Catholic HS
Grant Mayes	CB	5-10	180	Roselle, N.J./Seton Hall Prep
Ryan Nassib	QB	6-3	215	West Chester, Pa./Malvern Prep
DeAndre Preaster	WR	6-3	200	Utica, N.Y./Proctor HS
David Stevens	TE	6-4	220	Short Hills, N.J./Milburn HS
Dan Vaughan	DE	6-2	221	Gibsonia, Pa./Pitt. Central Catholic HS
Austin Wallis	K	5-10	170	Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North HS

- 2007 Syracuse Season
- 2007 Syracuse Preview
- 2006 Syracuse Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2006 Record: 2-10

Aug. 31 Washington L 42-12
Sept.8 at Iowa L 35-0
Sept. 15 Illinois L 41-20
Sept. 22 at Louisville W 38-35
Sept. 29 at Miami Univ. L 17-14
Oct. 6 West Virginia L 55-14
Oct. 13 Rutgers L 38-14
Oct. 20 Buffalo W 20-12
Nov. 3 at Pitt L 20-17
Nov. 10 South Florida L 41-10
Nov. 17 at Connecticut L 30-7
Nov. 24 Cincinnati L 52-31

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Will all the experience finally turn into production? The Greg Robinson era has been an unmitigated disaster, but he's being given one more shot with seven starters returning on offense, eight back on defense, and both kickers. Andrew Robinson is considered a potentially big-time quarterback prospect, and he has a burgeoning star receiver in Mike Williams to throw to. The running game should get a huge boost with Curtis Brinkley (broken leg) and Delone Carter (hip) expected to be back this spring after getting knocked out last year.
Why to be grouchy: Do you really believe in Greg Robinson? The hope and prayer is for a Rich Brooks-like situation at Kentucky where everything comes together at once after years of building, but that's a big hope for a team that rarely showed signs of being competent. Yeah, there were injuries, and several players needed experience, but the offense was still abysmal scoring fewer than 17 points or fewer in eight games.
The number one thing to work on is: Line play. The O line got no push whatsoever for the nation's second-worst running game and allowed 54 sacks, the second most in the country. Robinson is supposed to be a defensive coach, yet the Orange were dead last in the Big East in scoring, passing, rushing and total D. SU was 118th in the nation in sacks generating just nine. Nine.
Biggest offensive loss: WR Taj Smith
Biggest defensive loss: S Joe Fields
Best returning offensive player: WR Mike Williams, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: NT Arthur Jones, Jr.

2007 Recap
Recap: The Orange maintained, even enhanced, its growing reputation as the worst program in the Big East, going 2-10 and winning just a single league game.  There was very little to cheer about at Syracuse, which lost 10 games for the second time in three years, and was routinely abused at the point of attack on both sides of the ball.  For Orange fans hoping to see a head or two roll in December, even that didn’t go their way, as beleaguered head coach Greg Robinson was given another year to get the program back to respectability.    

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Mike Williams

Defensive Player of the Year: NT Arthur Jones

Biggest Surprise: The Orange sure weaved a doozy of an upset on Sept. 22, flooring heavily-favored Louisville in one of the biggest upsets in Big East history.  Syracuse nabbed its first win of the season behind sophomore QB Andrew Robinson, who turned 17 completions into 423 yards and four touchdown passes.

Biggest Disappointment: The Orange’s encore to picking off Louisville?  Losing to Miami University, 17-14, the following weekend in a listless effort that encapsulated why the program is in such a state of disrepair.  Syracuse got out gained 436 to 302, fumbling an opportunity to build on the school’s flashiest win this decade.

Looking Ahead: Well, on a positive note, Robinson’s return for 2008 means the players won’t have to spend a chunk of the offseason, learning a new staff, a new offense, and new terminology.  Although the Orange is a mess in the trenches, the skill position players offer a hint of hope, especially if touted RB Delone Carter can make it all the way back from a dislocated hip.     

Nov. 24
Cincinnati 52 ... Syracuse 31
Cincinnati cranked out 544 yards of total offense and sacked Syracuse quarterback Andrew Robinson 11 times, but needed a 16-yard fumble recovery for a score as part of a 17-0 run to put the Orange away. Ben Mauk had a career day with 431 yards and four touchdown passes including three to Marcus Barnett from 33, eight and 18 yards out. SU kept up the pace for three quarters with Robinson bombing away for 419 yards including a 78-yard play to Taj Smith on the first play of the second half. The two teams combined for 859 passing yards and 21 penalties.
Player of the game: Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk completed 29 of 42 passes for 431 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Ben Mauk, 29-42, 431 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Butler Benton, 9-63. Receiving: Marcus Barnett, 11-127, 3 TD
Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 29-47, 419 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Doug Hogue, 8-30. Receiving: Mike Williams, 9-160, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Whatever happens with the coaching staff, the pieces are in place for a potential juggernaut of a passing game next year. Andrew Robinson, with some more work and a lot of seasoning, is a keeper, while Mike Williams is one of the nation's best kept receiving stars. Of course, the team is going nowhere fast until the defense starts to play far, far better and the offensive line is created from scratch. The SU front five allowed 11 sacks and did nothing for the running game. Until the linemen start to show up, the program isn't going to make any major strides.

Nov. 17
Connecticut 30 ... Syracuse 7
Connecticut got up to a 30-0 lead with Tyler Lorenzen connecting with Terence Jeffers for a 63-yard touchdown early in the first and Andre Dixon sand Donald Brown each running for scores. The defense got into the act in the second half with Danny Lansanah picking off a pass and taking it 49 yards for a touchdown. SU finally got on the board with a two-yard Mike Williams catch for its only points of the game. The Huskies finished the year unbeaten at home.
Player of the game: Connecticut RB Donald Brown ran 22 times for 99 yards and a touchdown and caught a pass for 11 yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Cameron Dantley, 7-17, 61 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Doug Hogue, 12-65. Receiving: Mike Williams, 6-24, 1 TD
Connecticut - Passing: Tyler Lorenzen, 16-24, 213 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Donald Brown, 22-99, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Dixon, 4-40
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The problem with Syracuse hasn't just been the losses, it's been the lack of improvement. The offense has never been able to find itself all year, and now it's truly lost as it tries to figure out which quarterback to possibly commit to for the next few years. The defense made some decent adjustments in the second half against Connecticut, but with no offense, there wasn't any hope of making it interesting. With Cincinnati to close down yet another miserable season, the entire program needs something it can hang its hat on going into the off-season. There has to be something positive to get excited about.

Nov. 10
South Florida 41 ... Syracuse 10
South Florida outrushed Syracuse 346 yards to 15, and held on to the ball for almost 46 minutes, as Mike Ford ran for 134 yards with two one-yard scores, and Matt Grothe ran for a five-yard touchdown and threw for scores to Carlton Mitchell from 15 yards out and Taurus Johnson from nine yards away. Syracuse was down 20-0 before getting a 50-yard Patrick Shadle field goal with three seconds to play. The Orange only got into the end zone on a three-yard Mike Williams touchdown catch.
Player of the game: South Florida RB Mike Ford ran 28 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Cameron Dantley, 21-38, 276 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Max Suter, 3-11. Receiving: Mike Williams, 8-99, 1 TD
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 15-22, 181 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Ford, 28-134, 2 TD. Receiving: Carlton Mitchell, 6-61, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Syracuse appeared to be getting better as the season was going on, at least a little bit, playing Pitt hard last week, and then came the home clunker to South Florida to cement the team's fate in yet another clunker year. The running game continues to be non-existent, while the passing attack hasn't done nearly enough to get the offense moving. To have a chance to be competitive at UConn next week, the run defense will have to be night-and-day better than it was this week.

Nov. 3
Pitt 20 ... Syracuse 17
Pitt broke open a 10-10 tie with a one-yard LeSean McCoy touchdown run and a 32-yard Conor Lee field goal in the fourth, and then had to hang on, as Mike Williams caught a three-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 to play. After stopping McCoy on a fourth and one, SU got the ball to midfield in the final minute, but a fourth down pass was incomplete. The two teams combined for just 559 yards and converted just six of 30 third down conversion chances.
Player of the game: Pitt RB LeSean McCoy ran 31 times for 140 yards and a touchdown, and caught five passes for 12 yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Cameron Dantley, 15-27, 189 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Max Suter, 6-27. Receiving: Mike Williams, 8-81, 1 TD
Pitt - Passing: Pat Bostick, 21-30, 153 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: LeSean McCoy, 31-140, 1 TD. Receiving: Oderick Turner, 5-54, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Is this the end of the Andrew Robinson era for this year? With the SU starting quarterback getting benched at halftime of the loss to Pitt, and a nice performance from Cameron Dantley in relief, the idea is to find a spark from somewhere. The receiving corps is playing well, and it has to with no production from the running backs. The offensive line continues to be an issue, allowing six sacks to Pitt and only averaging one yard per carry. That's not a plus with South Florida and Connecticut up next.

Oct. 20
Syracuse 20 ... Buffalo 12
Mike Williams and Taj Smith each caught 113 yards worth of passes, and the defense held Buffalo to four A.J. Principe field goals, as Syracuse came away with just its second win of the season. SU's Doug Hogue ran for 83 yards with a six-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the first half. UB fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Andrew Robinson found Mike Williams for an 11-yard touchdown with 15 seconds to play, and SU had a 17-3 halftime lead. Principe connected from 31, 33, 29 and 32 yards out for the Bulls.
Player of the game: Syracuse WR Mike Williams caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 32-48, 286 yds
Rushing: James Starks, 20-62. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 10-91
Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 15-28, 265 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Doug Hogue, 24-83, 1 TD. Receiving: Mike Williams 7-113, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Buffalo is playing well, so while the win might not seem like that big a deal, it's huge for a SU program in desperate need of something to hang its hat on. For the first time all year, the passing game got both Taj Smith and Mike Williams involved in the attack enough to keep a defense on its heels, and while Andrew Robinson only threw for 265 yards, he did enough to get the win. Now SU needs to get a little momentum. A win over Pitt is a must before having to deal with South Florida.

Oct. 13
Rutgers 38 ... Syracuse 14
Rutgers gained 538 yards of total offense, but it took a little while to get rolling. Syracuse scored the first 14 points of the game on a 16-yard Mike Williams touchdown catch and a 15-yard Curtis Brinkley run, and then it was all Rutgers, scoring 38 unanswered points with Ray Rice scoring three short touchdowns and Mike Teel connecting with Kenny Britt from 42 yards out and Kevin Brock from 32 yards away.
Player of the game: Rutgers RB Ray Rice ran 36 times for 196 yards and three touchdowns, and caught four passes for 29 yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 15-32, 158 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 16-98, 1 TD. Receiving: Jawad Nesheiwai, 4-81
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 20-29, 310 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 36-196, 3 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 6-176, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Just when it seemed like Syracuse was going to do something special. Just when it seemed like it was going to give Rutgers a hard time. Splat. Nothing from the running game. Less from the passing attack. Nothing from the D line. Good night. The Orange has to find something that works and stick with it, but it can't keep doing the same things and getting blown out week after week. Buffalo is up next, and if SU loses that, it's really time to cash in the season and be ready to start fresh with a new coaching staff.

Oct. 6
West Virginia 55 ... Syracuse 14
With a balanced attack, West Virginia rolled for 486 yards and the easy win, getting up 31-7 at halftime and continuing a run of 334 straight points through the third quarter. Pat White threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Darius Reynaud and ran for a one-yard score before leaving with an injury, and Owen Schmitt barreled in for two short touchdowns. The Mountaineer defense also got in the act with a 19-yard Kellen Dykes interception return for a score. The Orange only gained 202 yards with most coming on a 61-yard Mike Williams touchdown late in the third quarter.
Player of the game: West Virginia QB Pat White completed 12 of 15 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, and ran 14 times for 89 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 5-15, 100 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 18-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Mike Williams, 2-72, 1 TD
West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 12-15, 148 yds, 1 TD  
Rushing: Pat White, 14-89, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Reynaud, 6-48, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense is regressing. About now, there should be something the attack can count on, but against West Virginia, there wasn't any running game, 62 of the 108 passing yards came on one play, and there were only 11 first downs. At this point, with the season in the tank, QB Andrew Robinson has to let it rip. The receiving corps is one of the team's strengths, and now it needs to be about building towards the future and seeing what he can do when he gets to throw it 35 times a game, ever game. Granted, it didn't work against Miami University, but something needs to change.

Sept. 29
Miami University 17 ... Syracuse 14
Cory Jones ran for two touchdowns, and Trevor Cook hit a 19-yard field goal, after Syracuse came up with a goal line stand late in the fourth, to come up with a shocking win. The Orange fought back late, stuffing MU three times on the one line to force the Cook field goal, and then answering with a 28-yard Taj Smith touchdown catch with just over four minutes to play. SU had one last shot, but couldn't get further than its own 13.
Player of the game: Miami RB Cory Jones ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and had three receptions for 21 yards.
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 17-36, 236 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 12-36. Receiving: Taj Smith, 6-81, 1 TD
Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 13-26, 150 yds, 3 INTs
Rushing: Cory Jones, 12-125, 2 TDs. Receiving: Dustin Woods, 6-95
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... How could the offense be so good against Louisville, and then do nothing against Miami University for extended stretches. This weren't the Miami Hurricanes, but SU could only manage 66 rushing yards. QB Andrew Robinson came up with the big plays, but not the consistent ones, converting three of 13 on third downs. This was a disastrous step back after all the goodwill built up by the win over the Cardinals, and now comes West Virginia and Rutgers. Uh oh.

Sept. 22
Syracuse 38 ... Louisville 35
In a wild game, Syracuse QB Andrew Robinson bombed away with a 79-yard touchdown pass to Taj Smith on the opening play, connected with Smith again in the third quarter for a 60-yard score, and threw two other touchdown passes to pull off the shocker. The Orange answered Louisville's first score, a four-yard Scott Kuhn touchdown catch, with a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Max Suter. The Cardinal offense roared in the second half, with Brian Brohm throwing three of his four touchdown passes, including a five-yard scoring strike to Patrick Carter in the final minute, but Syracuse recovered the onside kick. The two teams combined for 1,093 yards of total offense, 978 passing yards, and 23 penalties for 201 yards.
Player of the game ... The quarterbacks. Syracuse QB Andrew Robinson completed 17 of 26 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns, and in a losing cause, Louisville QB Brian Brohm completed 45 of 65 passes for 555 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions.
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 17-26, 423 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 23-53 Receiving: Mike Williams, 5-83, 1 TD
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 45-65, 555 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Anthony Allen, 18-66  Receiving: Harry Douglas, 12-205, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Thank you Louisville for helping get the offense rolling. It wasn't consistent, and there wasn't any semblance of a running game, but when the passing game is clicking like it was this week, with Andrew Robinson averaging a ridiculous 24.9 yards per pass, the wins will come. The Louisville offense will rip everyone apart, and the Orange secondary struggled way too much, but it'll all be glossed over this week after the biggest win in the Greg Robinson era. Now the offense has to build on this. Middle Tennessee wasn't able to do anything after the big performance against the Cardinals, and that can't happen to the Orange. With Miami University up next, there's no excuse to not keep the momentum rolling.

Sept. 15
Illinois 41 ... Syracuse 20
Illinois jumped all over Syracuse with a 20-3 lead on a 22-yard touchdown catch from Jeff Cumberland and a two-yard Rashan Mendenhall scoring run. The Orange appeared to get back into the game halfway through the third quarter on a two-yard Jeremy Sellers run, but the Illini put it away on a ten-yard Juice Williams run and two scores from Mendenhall on runs from 50 yards and one yard. The Illini outgained SU 508 to 286.
Player of the game ... Illinois RB Rashad Mendenhall ran 16 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns and caught three passes for 20 yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 17-26, 208 yds
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 18-54  Receiving: Curtis Brinkley, 4-89
Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 13-18, 97 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rashad Mendenhall, 16-150, 3 TD  Receiving: Arrelious Benn, 4-26
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The problems keep stemming from the offensive line that isn't doing much of anything right. Illinois has a decent defensive line, but it's not so good that it should've dominated like it did. SU was only able to manage 1.9 yards per carry and allowed five sacks, while the defensive line got shoved around and struggled against the Illini runners. This should be an Orange team built around coming back, with a good receiving corps and promising passing QB in Andrew Robinson, but it hasn't happened yet. It all has to be geared up for Louisville next week.

Sept. 8
Iowa 35 ... Syracuse 0
Iowa had few problems with the Orange as Jake Christensen threw four touchdown passes with three to Tony Moeaki, Damian Sims ran for a one-yard score, and the defense allowed just 103 yards of total offense. Even the SU special teams had problems getting two field goals blocked. Moeaki took a pass 52 yards for the first score, and then Albert Young put the game well out of reach in the first quarter on a 36-yard touchdown. The Hawkeye defense came up with six sacks, with three coming from Bryan Mattison.
Player of the game ... Iowa TE Tony Moeaki caught eight passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Jake Christensen, 23-32, 278 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Damian Sims, 12-62 yds, 1 TD  Receiving: Tony Moeaki, 8-112, 3 TD
Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson, 7-20, 79 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 12-36  Receiving: Taj Smith, 3-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Syracuse has to get better play from the lines in a big hurry or the season will go into the tank before it even gets started. Iowa had its way with the Orange offensive line, while the SU skill players never had room to move. With Illinois up next, the defense has to show some sign of life against the run, while the offense needs an identity. But to get one, the line has to jell, come up with different blocking schemes, anything to give QB Andrew Robinson time. The Big East season could get very ugly, very quickly if the the coaching staff doesn't do something drastic.

Aug. 31
Washington 42 ... Syracuse 12
Washington's Louis Ranking tore off touchdown runs from 13, 47 and 20 yards out and Jake Locker added scoring dashes from one and eight yards on the way to a stunning blowout. Syracuse managed two 42-yard Patrick Shadle field goals in the first half and got a ten-yard Mike Williams scoring grab late in the fourth, but the run defense couldn't handle the Huskies, who outgained the Orange 302 yards to eight on the ground.
Player of the game: Washington RB Louis Rankin ran 17 times for 147 yards and three touchdowns and caught two passes for ten yards
Stat Leaders: Syracuse - Passing: Andrew Robinson 20-32, 199 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Derrell Smith, 5-19. Receiving: Taj Smith, 5-33
Washington - Passing: Jake Locker, 14-19, 142 yds
Rushing: Louis Rankin, 17-147, 3 TD. Receiving: Anthony Russo, 5-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Orange needed a good first home game to give the struggling program some confidence, and it got run over, around and through by the Washington ground game. The biggest problem? The lines. The O line didn't do nearly enough to give Andrew Robinson some time, and the defensive line got shoved all over the place against the Husky front five. Robinson was a bit off all game long, mostly because he was under pressure, and there was no ground game whatsoever. Against Iowa next week, the offense has to find one thing it can do relatively well. Nothing worked against the Huskies.