As if preparing to face the No. 5 team in the nation isn’t tough enough, Doug Marrone has the added challenge of building defensive schemes to stop two different quarterbacks.

Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly confirmed Monday in the weekly Big East teleconference that starting quarterback Tony Pike is having a cast on his left non-throwing arm modified, and that his status is still unknown for Saturday’s game against Syracuse (noon, ESPNU). Kelly said he will receive more information today and evaluate whether Pike, or backup Zach Collaros, will be under center at the Carrier Dome.

This presents a problem for the Orange (3-4, 0-2 Big East), which begun practice this week getting ready for two different quarterbacks with different styles of play.

‘(It) is always tough when you have to prepare for two quarterbacks,’ Marrone said at his weekly press conference with local media. ‘But as of right now, with the information we have, we’re going to have to get ready for both quarterbacks.’

Pike sustained the injury midway through the Bearcats’ 34-17 win over South Florida on Oct. 15 and sat out Saturday in his team’s victory over Louisville. He also broke his left forearm last season, and missed two games after having a plate and six screws inserted.

Before getting hurt, Pike was having a dominant season, having completed 128-of-199 pass attempts for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns against three interceptions. He is considered a primary reason why Cincinnati (7-0, 2-0 Big East) is off to its best start since 1954 and sits at No. 8 in the latest BCS standings, which were released Sunday.

Meanwhile, Collaros has not missed a beat with Pike out of commission, completing 15-of-17 attempts for 253 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals. Kelly said Monday that while Pike is still the starter when he is healthy, Collaros’ strong play allows the Bearcats to be cautious with their star quarterback.

Both signal-callers possess different skill sets, which Marrone said makes game-planning especially difficult. But regardless of who plays, Marrone believes the Bearcats will be perhaps the Orange’s toughest opponent all season, calling Cincinnati ‘one of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country.’

‘I think Zach has shown to run the ball more, and I think that they have done some schemes for him to run the ball more, different than Pike’ Marrone said. ‘…But both of them show the same type of decision-making. They make quick decisions, and I think they know where the ball’s going by the time the leather hits their hands.’

Offensive line stays pat

Marrone said Monday that starting center Jim McKenzie is still out with a hand injury, and he will use the same offensive line this week that started against Akron Saturday.

The makeshift unit of tackles Josh White and Jonathan Meldrum, guards Adam Rosner and Andrew Tiller and center Ryan Bartholomew, received nothing but praise from Marrone for their performance in the Orange’s 28-14 victory over the Zips. Running behind the new front five, tailback Delone Carter sprung for a career-high 170 yards and three touchdowns.

Marrone addressed the bevy of high snaps that plagued Bartholomew Saturday and said the problem stemmed from a mechanical issue that can be fixed in practice.

‘We have to address the issue of our snaps,’ Marrone said. ‘We’ll do some things from a standpoint of scheme, what we’re asking the center to do.’

Smith in the middle?

Marrone did not shed any light on the status of starting middle linebacker Derrell Smith, who exited Saturday’s game with what Smith described as cramping. Though Marrone suggested the injury is not serious, he said he would not receive further information on the injury until later Monday afternoon.

Smith has been a key to the Orange’s success this season in stopping the run. Syracuse is ranked sixth in the nation in run defense, and Smith leads the team in tackles (64), tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (6.5).

‘He’s a big, big key to our defense, obviously, and where we are,’ Marrone said. ‘He’s the middle linebacker. He calls the defense. He’s an important part. I think he’ll get honors after the season’s over.’

Not-so-special teams

In light of its poor performance Saturday against Akron, Marrone said he plans to make personnel changes to the kickoff coverage team. Syracuse surrendered a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown to the Zips’ Dashan Miller, and Cincinnati boasts Mardy Gilyard, the reigning Big East special teams player of the year.

Marrone said he expects to make between one and three player changes to the unit.

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on October 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm