SU understands importance of 4-game home stretch
Greg Robinson knows how important these next four games are.
The Syracuse head coach knows his team needs to use this quartet of games – all in the familiar confines of the Carrier Dome – to build confidence and momentum heading into the Big East schedule.
Not that these four games will be a walk in the park. After Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Akron, SU will play host to No. 19 Penn State, Northeastern and Pittsburgh the next three weekends. The Orange will be heavy underdogs against the Nittany Lions and Panthers.
Regardless, Syracuse will need to produce some results in those games. Or else it will find itself in desperate times, with a meager record staring down a daunting Big East spell, in October.
‘It’s an opportunity for us to have four games and really position ourselves well to make a run in the Big East,’ Robinson said. ‘That’s really how I see it. We’ve got a chance to really work ourselves to get into a groove to where we need to be.’
Except homefield advantage hasn’t counted for all that much during the Greg Robinson era. The Orange is 5-14 at the Dome over the last three seasons, including a 1-6 mark last season.
That will need to change this year. After its homestand, the Orange will embark on back-to-back trips to No. 8 West Virginia and No. 17 South Florida.
‘Confidence is a part of it. And when we play well and win, that builds confidence,’ Robinson said. ‘We’ve got to take advantage of these next four football games to play better, one, and win football games.’
First things first, Syracuse will have to fend off its Mid-American Conference foes. The Orange lost to Miami (Ohio) from the MAC last year.
That lost was away, though. SU is banking on its homefield helping to prevent a similar fate this year.
‘When I look at the Akron film, I see Akron is a pretty aggressive team,’ said SU tailback Curtis Brinkley. ‘I haven’t actually gotten a chance to break them down yet, but they showed it yesterday that Akron is aggressive and it should be a good matchup.’
Get on ‘The Express’
The Syracuse football team was treated to a special advance screening of Universal Picture’s ‘The Express’ Thursday night.
The entire team made the trip to Shoppingtown Mall to catch the film, which profiles the life of legendary Syracuse tailback Ernie Davis.
The film had an uplifting effect on at least one SU player. Wide receiver Bruce Williams said he almost teared up during the movie.
‘I just like the way Ernie Davis dealt with adversity,’ Williams said. ‘We really have to get this thing on the road and get this thing going.’
Davis became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy and led Syracuse to its only national championship in 1959. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 1962 and passed away the following year at the age of 23.
Together again
Saturday will be a reunion of sorts for Robinson and Akron head coach J.D. Brookhart.
The pair crossed paths in 1995-96 when both were with the Denver Broncos. Robinson was the team’s defensive coordinator, while Brookhart was a coaching assistant trying to break into the industry.
Robinson joked with reporters Tuesday when asked about his relationship with Brookhart.
‘Who is J.D. Brookhart? Who is this guy?’ Robinson said. ‘Is he wearing a mask? He’s never been so popular.
‘J.D. is an outstanding person,’ Robinson added. ‘He’s an outstanding family man. And on top of that, he’s a fine football coach.’
Published on September 4, 2008 at 12:00 pm
