Making the grade: Six games in, SU receives its report card
Grades:
QB: B
RB: B-
WR: B
TE: C+
OL: D+
DL: C
LB: B
DB: C+
ST: B
Coaching: B-
Quarterback:
Despite having a particularly rough time Saturday against Pitt, Ryan Nassib has been one of the driving forces behind an improved Syracuse offense this season. Nassib has passed for 11 touchdowns and just four interceptions through SU’s first six games. That makes him just the sixth most efficient passer in the conference, but still much improved upon the eight touchdowns and 10 picks Greg Paulus threw in the Orange’s first six games last season. Perhaps more importantly, Nassib has shown an ability to keep opposing defenses honest with the deep ball — a key component that wasn’t available at the quarterback position a year ago. Ultimately, Nassib is still a work in progress. But through his first six starts, he’s shown he’s capable of being a legitimate Big East signal caller.
Running back:
As a unit, the SU running backs have been average. The team currently sits at 65th in the nation out of 120 teams, averaging 149.3 yards per game. Delone Carter improved upon his numbers from last year, as he is averaging five yards per carry and 93.7 yards per game. But against the Orange’s two real tests this year, he struggled. Against Pitt, he never got going, amounting 38 yards on just 13 carries. And against Washington, he failed to reach the end zone. Junior Antwon Bailey has also been productive for the Orange at times, but he has been used sparingly. Overall, this is a unit that has just scraped by with the talent and ceiling it has collectively.
Wide receivers:
This unit has been an overall surprise. Van Chew has developed into a legitimate No. 1 big-play threat. Alec Lemon is a solid No. 2 possession receiver. And even as the group has suffered through a significant amount of season-ending injuries, more people keep stepping up. Marcus Sales had four catches against Pittsburgh, as well as the game-winning touchdown catch at USF.
Tight end:
Doug Marrone likes the talent he has at the tight end position, and so far the Syracuse head coach has used them without hesitation. Nick Provo (15 catches, 174 yards) has the speed and agility to cause headaches for opposing linebackers who try to cover him. He’s used that to his advantage, serving as one of Nassib’s safety valves around the first-down marker. Jose Cruz has given the Orange a blocking tight end who can also catch balls near the goal line and in short-yardage situations. And even freshman Beckett Wales has played a role this season, making the position one of the more productive on the team early.
Offensive line:
A former lineman himself, Doug Marrone knew how important the unit would be to his team’s overall success. And right now, the offensive line stands about where the Orange stands as a whole. The line has gone through the expected ups and downs. As of now, the unit is right in the middle of the pack, tied for 66th in sacks allowed. And it has paved the way for the 65th-ranked rushing attack in the nation.
Defensive line:
The defensive line has meshed well at most times this season with the secondary and linebackers in forming defensive coordinator Scott Shafer’s trademark attacking defense. The line has played well with a core front four of Mikhail Marinovich, Andrew Lewis, Bud Tribbey and Chandler Jones keeping SU’s opponents to just 124 yards on the ground per game. SU’s opposition is also being held to just 16 first downs per game, good enough for 19th in the nation. But against the two teams with high-caliber athletes this season, the line gave up 175 rushing yards on just 33 carries to Washington. And against Pittsburgh, the Orange rush failed to put any element of pressure on quarterback Tino Sunseri.
Linebackers:
The linebacker position was supposed to be the strength of the SU defense coming into the season, and so far it has not disappointed. Senior Derrell Smith leads the Orange with 51 total tackles on the season, including three tackles for loss. Doug Hogue follows with 39 tackles. But the surprise has come from freshman Marquis Spruill, who was thrust into the third starting spot. Spruill has been noticed not just for his neck roll that bulges out of the top of his jersey, but because he has two sacks and five tackles for loss this season.
Secondary:
Easily one of the most unpredictable units on the entire team, the secondary has been on quite a roller coaster ride this season. In the four SU wins, the secondary has allowed just 510 yards and one touchdown through the air. But in its two losses, it has been absolutely torched, allowing 558 yards and eight touchdowns. The difference is astounding and shows the importance of the play of the secondary. Against Pitt, the secondary missed tackles and was continually burned for big plays. If the Orange reverts back to where it was heading into last weekend, it will certainly pay dividends down the road.
Special teams:
Here is where the Orange has been rock solid all season in all elements of special teams. Case in point: Freshman kicker Ross Krautman has gone 6-for-7 with a long of 47. He also hasn’t missed a field goal from less than 40 yards. Rob Long has been, well, Rob Long, helping the Orange with punts averaging 43.6 yards. As for the return game, Mike Holmes has shown flashes of brilliance, as he has run with the ball and read blockers with vision not normally seen from a cornerback. Whenever he has touched it, it has felt like the play may break through. But still he hasn’t. Prince-Tyson Gulley has been just OK.
Coaching:
From SU’s head coach, there have been tears of joy. There have been apologies for poor play. The season has already been quite an emotional one. And there have been ups and downs on the coaching side as well. The win at USF was the high point, when, at least for a quarter, offense and defense were completely in sync. The not-even-close loss to Pittsburgh was the low point, when SU safety Max Suter said the Orange wasn’t ready to play. But overall, Doug Marrone’s plan is on the right track.
Biggest gain: Marquis Spruill
Spruill has easily been the top newcomer to the defense, leading the team in tackles for loss (5.0). He is tied for second in sacks (2.0) and fifth in tackles (29) through SU’s first five games. In the second half of SU’s season, a challenge for Spruill will be to improve his pass-coverage abilities. Despite his capabilities, he’s still far from a finished product.
Biggest loss: Aaron Weaver
The Orange has lost several players due to injury, but Weaver was the most important of the bunch. Slated to play a big role in the passing game after transferring from Hofstra when the football program was disbanded, Weaver was lost for the season with a torn ACL less than three weeks into the season. Now the Orange has been forced to use Nick Provo, Antwon Bailey and the inconsistent Marcus Sales to fill the void. The trio has played a role in the passing game, but the loss of Weaver has not gone unnoticed.
Best single play: Marcus Sales touchdown catch to beat USF
Down by three, Syracuse had driven 95 yards and needed an opportunity to punch it in the end zone. Enter Marcus Sales. The scarcely used receiver hadn’t caught a pass all season, and he was the last person expected to make a game-winning catch that would send the Orange home with a victory — its first ever against the Bulls. But his first catch of the season was the most important one of the season for Syracuse.
Biggest surprise: Van Chew
Yes, there was all the talk in the spring and the summer about Chew. He was all the rage in spring ball, thanks to his newfound peanut butter and jelly-fortified limbs and his sudden Velcro hands. Chew didn’t drop passes and was making plays. That was supposed to be only for the preseason, but it has dragged into the regular season — and then some. Chew has become the Orange’s No. 1 option in the receiving game, as Ryan Nassib has relied on Chew as consistent deep threat. Unlike receivers of recent SU past, Chew hasn’t dropped what he has even had the opportunity to get his hands on. On the year, he is averaging 75.3 yards per game, and he has caught three touchdowns.
Biggest disappointment: Alec Lemon
Lemon is the de facto winner here, as his numbers haven’t measured up to those of the No. 1 receiver everyone expected him to be this year. Everyone knew Lemon wouldn’t be the deep-threat receiver Ryan Nassib needed and Van Chew has become. But what wasn’t expected was almost half the number of receiving yards after three games than Chew. And with that, the main reason why Lemon has been the biggest disappointment is because of his lack of ability to make a big play. Sure, Lemon is tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with three, but on most big plays, Lemon hasn’t come through. Against Pitt, the nail in the coffin was his fumble in the red zone.
Best game
Syracuse 13, USF 9
In a brash defensive game that, at points, was difficult to watch, the final 10 riveting minutes in this game led SU to the biggest win of its season. The culmination was a 14-play, 98-yard drive that ended with Marcus Sales holding the ball in the end zone, giving the Orange the four-point lead it would never relinquish. And it quickly turned into the most important win under Marrone.
Worst game
Pittsburgh 45, Syracuse 14
It’s a pretty easy choice here. The Pitt game was the worst-case scenario for this team and this program. Doug Marrone knew, going into the game, the kind of opportunity it presented. For one weekend, all eyes were on the SU football program. Win and all eyes would continue to be on you. All of Syracuse and the nation would consider you contenders. The Orange lost, but in its worst-case scenario, SU was trampled. The second half didn’t matter.
Offensive MVP
Ryan Nassib
One year after it was originally supposed to happen, Ryan Nassib stepped onto the field in SU’s opener as the starting quarterback. And aside from a few struggles in SU’s past two games, Nassib has answered most of the questions that surrounded him coming into the year. From the beginning, he displayed his dynamic arm strength and surprising mobility in scrambling. And he showed what he was capable of during an elegant 14-play, 98-yard drive to beat USF.
Defensive MVP
Derrell Smith
As the Orange’s senior captain on defense, Smith has steadied the 18th-ranked total defense in the nation. Smith continues to be a tackling machine game in and game out, leading SU by far with 51 total tackles on the season. Perhaps his most memorable play of the season came when he forced a momentous fumble to lead the Orange to victory in its home opener against Maine.
