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2009 Syracuse NCAA Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

syracuse 7109 A nice win over Notre Dame last season gave Orange fans something to cheer about. It was about time. The Orange finished the 2008 season 3-9, including 1-6 in Big East play, and have only won a total of 10 games over the last four seasons. First year head coach Doug Marrone comes in to start the rebuilding process, but it’s going to take some time. Syracuse is listed at +5,000 to win the 2009 Big East Championship.

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Offense – The offensive line has been, and will continue to be, a problem, but head coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Rob Spence will try to alleviate that problem by installing a no-huddle spread attack this season. This offense will seek to catch the defense off guard with its fast paced play, to take advantage of Syracuse’s skill players, and to take some of the pressure off the offensive line to win the trench war. Even if Syracuse isn’t making headlines in the Big East, wide receiver Mike Williams figures to be making highlight reels. The playmaking speedster returns after a year long academic sabbatical to give the Orange a much-needed touchdown threat. The Orange also boast a nice tailback tandem in Delone Carter and Antwon Bailey. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Nassib will likely get the call over Cam Dantley because of his mobility.

Defense - While the offense was bad in 2008 (114th nationally in yards per game), the defense was nearly as bad, ranking 101st in the nation in yards allowed (414.5 yards per game). The team will look to make improvements in 2009 with defensive coordinator Scott Shafer’s blitzing 4-3 defense. The Orange still figure to give up a healthy amount of yards, but they’ll be much more competitive if they can make more big plays, and this scheme will give them the freedom to do so. Derrell Smith is the team’s top returning tackler, making 73 stops in 2008. He returns to lead the linebacker unit from the middle linebacker spot. It still remains to be seen how All-Big East tackle Arthur Jones will do in his return from pectoral surgery and if former tailback Doug Hogue can successfully make the move to starting outside linebacker. In addition, starting defensive end Jared Kimmel underwent a second knee surgery following spring practice. So how effective will he be off the edge? Look for Kevyn Scott, Nick Chesnut, Max Suter, and Mike Holmes to start in a retooled secondary.

Prediction: 8th Big East Conference – The Orange are a work in progress. We can expect some growing pains with scheme changes on both sides of the ball, but ultimately I feel these moves will make Syracuse more competitive. At the end of the day, turning around the program will all come down to whether Marrone can get better talent to don the Orange uniform.

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