‘It’s a whole new season’
Ryan Durand is tired of being asked about it.
About the 54 sacks Syracuse let-up last season. About an inefficient run game that ranked second worst in the nation.
The senior guard has been bombarded with questions all spring and summer about the offensive line’s sins in 2007. Quite frankly, he doesn’t have anything left to say about it.
‘Don’t even mention it. We’re very sick of it,’ Durand said. ‘It’s a whole new season.’
That goes for the entire Syracuse team, too. The Orange has had to answer queries all offseason about the program’s regression last season – from 4-8 in 2006 to 2-10 in 2007 – and about the uncertain future of embattled head coach Greg Robinson.
Syracuse will finally get a crack at putting the mistakes of the last three seasons behind it noon Saturday, when it travels to Evanston, Ill., to take on Big Ten foe Northwestern.
A lot of things will be different about Syracuse on Saturday. New offensive coordinator Mitch Browning’s offense will make its debut. Six new starters will populate a young Syracuse defense.
But perhaps the key to SU’s success may be ability of the offensive line to keep quarterback Andrew Robinson upright, execute Browning’s new zone blocking scheme and keep the ball out of the hands of a dangerous Northwestern offense.
‘We’re waiting to see what these guys can do to find out what we’re good at,’ said Browning, the guru who built renowned offensive lines as offensive coordinator at Minnesota. ‘We’re much improved, but we still have to go out and play.’
Offensive line has been a sore spot for Syracuse throughout head coach Greg Robinson’s three years in charge. SU has ranked in the bottom 10 of Division I football in sacks allowed each of the last three seasons.
This year’s line will feature three new starters from last season’s finale against Cincinnati – a game in which the Orange allowed a season-high 11 sacks.
Sophomores Tucker Baumbach and Ryan Bartholomew will man the left side at tackle and guard, respectively, while senior Corey Chavers, who played on the left side last year, will start at right tackle. Durand is the line’s anchor while sophomore center Jim McKenzie rounds out the Orange’s starting five.
‘They’re grown. They’ve developed,’ Robinson said. ‘There are two seniors and three sophomores out there and another sophomore that’s going to play in the game as well, (tackle Jonathan Meldrum). They’ve come up through the ranks. They’re determined. I’m not afraid to say that.’
That group has had all spring and summer to learn Browning’s run-heavy system. It features a zone-blocking scheme, in which offensive linemen block in an area rather than going after a specific player. The technique is designed to open up cutback lanes for running backs.
‘It’s a complete difference, because at the beginning of the spring, we didn’t know what we were doing,’ Chavers said. ‘For me, it’s like going against four years of what I’ve been taught before. But at the same time, I can’t make an excuse for myself.’
Syracuse will no doubt try to establish that run game Saturday, with tailbacks Doug Hogue, Curtis Brinkley and Delone Carter all scratching for first-team carries. Robinson has yet to announce his starter.
Running the ball effectively and keeping it away from Northwestern, which finished 6-6 (3-5 in Big Ten) last year, might be a must for SU to survive. The offense features fifth-year senior quarterback C.J. Bachér, who averaged 304.7 passing yards per game last season, 10th-best in the nation. The Wildcats leading rusher, Tyrell Sutton, and receivers, Eric Peterman and Ross Lane, all return.
One bit of positive news for the offensive line: Northwestern will be without senior defensive tackle John Gill – its best defensive lineman – who was suspended for the opener for violating team policy.
Still, considering how porous the line was last year, major improvement is going to be a must Saturday.
If Browning’s labor shows through and the offensive line turns the corner, the Orange – double-digit underdogs – might just have a chance to steal its first game, something it hasn’t done since 2003.
If the line falls flat again, it could be the start of another rough season in Syracuse.
‘We definitely have something to prove,’ Bartholomew said. ‘Not just the O-line, but the team itself. We have to prove that we’re not the laughingstock of America anymore. We’re a serious team.’
Published on August 27, 2008 at 12:00 pm
