Completely overshadowed by the success of the basketball team, the Syracuse football team took the field for practice today. Sounds about right to most SU fans. Being that it's the first practice of the Doug Marrone Era, or the Post-Greg Robinson Era, however you wish to refer to it, it's worth noting.
Donnie's on the scene and, well, he's got nothing so far. Just a note on Nick Chestnut who, despite not being on the depth chart released last week, is in fact back on the roster.
Earlier in the day Donnie did note that today's a big deal for Mike Williams, who returns to the field in an orange uniform for the first time in over a year. To Coach Marrone, the word of the day for Mike is...process:
"He's been great as far as how he's been working and training," Marrone said. "It'll be interesting to see when you're out of football a year how you process the information that you get. It's not normal where you've been out of the process for a year and then you come back into the process. He seems to be competing at a high level. And we're excited to see what he can do on the field."
Process the process, Mike. Get processin'.
Another key position is of course running back, and finding out who will step up to replace Curtis Brinkley is at the front of mind for SU fans. Delone Carter's placement atop the depth chart raised some eyebrows but Marrone wants to make sure we know nothing is set is stone. Far from it.
"Just put (Carter) up there. It was the way it was prior to his injury," said SU head football coach Doug Marrone. "Basically, the depth chart a lot of it is what's been in place before, not knowing who can play and who can't play. I just put him in the position they were in."
Behind Carter is Antwon Bailey followed by Doug Hogue, Averin Collier, Mike Jones and Jeremiah Harden. Expect Carter to get some fierce comeptition from Bailey and, in my opinion, I would suspect we'll be seeing Hogue take some reps at fullback given the lack of depth there.
Donnie speculates that Hogue might also move to the defensive side of the ball and play linebacker. Marrone wouldn't committ one way or another on that, other than to say that he wants to see the players play and then he'll make decisions based on that. Marrone also understand the importance that will be placed on whoever carries the ball for the Orange:
"It's a tremendous opportunity for someone to come along, to play the same position, as the greats have played. There have been a lot of them. We all know them - Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, on and on and the ones that came after them. It's important. That's something that position has to take a lot of pride in."
Doug Marrone knows his s**t.