Training camp is officially over and Syracuse is preparing for Penn State. The Daily Orange takes a look back at the storylines that dominated the past month in Central New York.

Quarterback questions

With the season fast approaching, the biggest question still remaining is who will start at quarterback for Syracuse when it opens its season Saturday against Penn State.

The competition is down to two parties: Drew Allen, the transfer from Oklahoma, and Terrel Hunt, the sophomore from New York. Neither has started a game in college and have thrown a grand total of 30 passes between them.

Allen joined the Orange with his Big 12 pedigree in July as the presumed starter, but Hunt, who took reps with the first team in the spring, has kept the transfer from commanding the position. Neither has wowed anyone, but both seem to be solid options at the position. Quarterbacks coach Tim Lester even hinted that a platoon system could be in place.

“I’d be surprised if they both didn’t take a snap at some point,” he said.

Every chance they’ve had to showcase themselves, they’ve performed eerily similar. Both have moved relatively well, but have struggled to the deep ball. In a scrimmage in Fort Drum, N.Y., Allen completed 10-of-18 passes and Hunt completed 9-of-17.

Neither will be Ryan Nassib, but either will leave SU in pretty good hands, it seems.

Camp closed

On Aug. 21, head coach Scott Shafer closed practice to the media leading up to the season opener against the Nittany Lions.

Sue Edson, Syracuse’s assistant athletic director for communications, cited two reasons. The first was a self-reported recruiting violation incurred when a prospective recruit was caught on camera at an open practice. The second was to stop injury reports from influencing betting lines.

On Saturday, Shafer hinted that a quarterback decision had been made, but it will remain under wraps until game day because nobody has any way to see who’s taking the first-team snaps in the week leading up to the season opener.

Back to Fort Drum

Shafer continued a tradition started by now-Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone a year ago. For one week, when most teams were in the middle of two-a-days, Shafer brought his team about an hour up Interstate-81 to Fort Drum, N.Y., to practice on a military base and spend time with military personnel.

Last year, Shafer credited the experience with the military for his team’s incredible turnaround from a 2-4 start to win the Pinstripe Bowl. He said the team remained steadfast, like military members, and maintained a similar personality after both wins and losses.

Many players from last year’s team credit the experience for turning them into more of a family than a team. Hernz Laguerre, a walk-on linebacker who Shafer said he barely knew before the trip, read poetry during a team-bonding experience. Stories like those were the ones Shafer raved about from the week, not the actual product on the field.

“You get away,” Shafer said. “You don’t have cell service and all of a sudden the kids look each other in the eye and they’re forced to communicate in a way that maybe they wouldn’t.”

Injuries

On Aug. 12 after practice, Shafer summed up Syracuse’s injury report for the entire preseason.

“Nothing major,” Shafer said. “We’ve got a couple upper-body (injuries), a couple lower-body.”

Injuries were sprinkled throughout training camp. Offensive lineman Kyle Knapp, tight end Beckett Wales, kicker Ross Krautman and defensive lineman Tyler Marona all missed time during the preseason, but none of the injuries appear to be major setbacks. Syracuse is healthy heading into its season opener at MetLife Stadium against Penn State on Saturday.

That is, except for Marona, who’s missed multiple weeks of practice. Shafer said Saturday they were taking it easy with him. But Marona tweeted Sunday (before later deleting the post) that he might, after all, be ready to play against the Nittany Lions.

“Feel good today can’t wait to battle,” he tweeted.

Marona is listed fourth on Syracuse’s depth chart at defensive end. He didn’t suit up for the last practice open to media and Shafer said he missed practice again Wednesday.

Linebacker Josh Kirkland, defensive back Joe Stanard, defensive back Josh Mims and wide receivers Quinta Funderburk, Corey Winfield and Franklin Santos all missed some time during training camp, but are ready to go for PSU.

Defensive line impresses

The defensive line was an area many perceived as a weakness at the start of training camp. Now that training camp is finished, it’s clear the Orange has a substantial amount of depth at D-line.

Freshmen Isaiah Johnson and Ron Thompson have emerged as talented backups, while Eric Crume and Robert Welsh look like competent linemen alongside anchor Jay Bromley.

Bromley is one of the defense’s most talented and vocal players, and will be counted on to produce all season. The D-line isn’t proven, but it has a chance to be one of the defense’s better units.

—Compiled by David Wilson, sports editor, and Trevor Hass, asst. sports editor

Published on August 26, 2013 at 12:40 am