Midway through Syracuse’s first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Orange is 3-3, coming off its first-ever conference victory – a 24-10 win over North Carolina State. Beat writers Stephen Bailey, Trevor Hass and David Wilson provide their mid-season grades for each position.

Quarterbacks
With the Drew Allen era a distant memory, Terrel Hunt has stepped in and been solid for Syracuse. After torching Wagner and Tulane, Hunt has struggled with throwing the ball against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. His ability to scramble and pick up yardage has been key, though, and will be critical against Georgia Tech.

Bailey: B-

Hass: B

Wilson: B

Wide receivers
Coming into the season, the Orange needed a wide receiver to step up. So far, no one has. The group went without a catch against then-No. 3 Clemson two weeks ago, and caught only four balls against North Carolina State. Jarrod West broke out against Wagner, but has been otherwise quiet. He seemed to be off the field for more plays than usual against the Wolfpack.

Bailey: D-

Hass: D+

Wilson: D

Running backs
The Syracuse ground game has improved through each contest this season. Led by Jerome Smith’s 482 yards and eight touchdowns and Prince-Tyson Gulley’s 316 and four, the Orange is third in the ACC in rushing yards per game. Devante McFarlane has proven a reliable speed option while George Morris II is expected to miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

Bailey: A-

Hass: A

Wilson: A-

H-Backs
Ashton Broyld and Brisly Estime are two of the Orange’s most talented playmakers. Broyld has emerged as Hunt’s favorite target, using the uniqueness of the H-Back position to get open frequently. Estime has slowly eased into the role as SU’s second H-Back. He’s been inconsistent, dropping catchable balls, but he’s also snared some difficult throws.

Bailey: B+

Hass: A-

Wilson: B+

Tight Ends
Beckett Wales was bugged by an ankle injury early in the season. Kendall Moore, who came to Syracuse as an offensive lineman, caught a touchdown pass against Northwestern. The Orange’s tight ends all have size and good hands, but none of them have shown the ability to get open consistently.

Bailey: C+

Hass: C-

Wilson: D+

Offensive Line
Macky MacPherson and Sean Hickey are two of the best linemen in the ACC. The line has done a stellar job of late opening holes for Smith and Gulley, who dominated against Clemson and North Carolina State. Rob Trudo and Ivan Foy’s athleticism has been an asset for SU as well.

Bailey: B+

Hass: A-

Wilson: B

Defensive line
Jay Bromley has helped the line to exceed expectations through six games. His six sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles are big reasons why Syracuse is ranked second in the conference against the run, allowing 120.3 yards per game. First-year starting defensive ends Robert Welsh and Micah Robinson have played well, too.

Bailey: B

Hass: B+

Wilson: B-

Linebackers
An ankle sprain has Dyshawn Davis’ level of effectiveness questionable going forward, but Josh Kirkland stepped up nicely in Davis’ absence, who is currently day-to-day. Marquis Spruill and Cameron Lynch have been two of Syracuse’s most consistent playmakers this season, combining for 57 solo tackles and anchoring the defense.

Bailey: A-

Hass: A-

Wilson: B

Cornerbacks
The loss of Keon Lyn leaves a gaping hole in the Syracuse secondary. Ri’Shard Anderson and Brandon Reddish have also struggled against No.1 receivers as SU has allowed 268 passing yards per game, which is the most in the ACC. The cornerbacks have shown improvement lately, as Julian Whigham and Wayne Morgan grow accustomed to their expanded roles.

Bailey: C-

Hass: B-

Wilson: C

Safeties
While Durell Eskridge is coming off arguably the best game of his Syracuse career, the Orange safeties have struggled against the deep ball. Eskridge followed three different Clemson receivers into the end zone during SU’s ACC debut, while Jeremi Wilkes’ most glaring gaffe came in the season opener against Penn State when he allowed wide receiver Allen Robinson to run by him for a 51-yard touchdown.

Bailey: C+

Hass: C+

Wilson: C+

Kickers
Syracuse lost one of its most experienced players when Ross Krautman’s season ended prematurely due to a hip-related injury. Since then, Ryan Norton has stepped up and tried to fill the void. He’s 17-of-18 on extra points and 4-of-6 on field goals, with his long being a 34-yarder against Wagner.

Bailey: C

Hass: B-

Wilson: C+

Punters
Riley Dixon’s 75-yarder was the longest in Syracuse history. That speaks for itself. Otherwise, Dixon has been average, but that punt was one of the highlights of an otherwise lopsided SU-Clemson game. Dixon has booted 10 of 29 punts inside the 20-yard line and is averaging 43.4 yards per punt.

Bailey: B+

Hass: B+

Wilson: A-

Return men
Morris had been the main man on kickoff duties, but an upper-body injury has moved McFarlane into the primary role. Gulley filled in for Morris against NC State on Saturday. Ritchy Desir has been reliable in the punt game, showing confidence in catching the ball on the run.

Bailey: B

Hass: B

Wilson: A-

Shafer
A bevy of new challenges met Scott Shafer when he took over as head coach. A new conference, a largely new coaching staff and a new quarterback were among them. Shafer has responded well. The Orange picked up its first ACC win last week after getting pummeled the week before, and is back at .500.

Bailey: B

Hass: A-

Wilson: B

Published on October 16, 2013 at 12:26 am