The Syracuse backfield went from stable to unstable back to stable back to unstable and settled somewhere in the middle this off-season. Mostly due to Delone Carter's one-punch status and Averin Collier's academic issues, what was supposed to be one of our sturdiest units spent most of the summer as its most questionable.
As the season got underway, there were struggles. Delone Carter didn't seem to be able to create anything. Antwon Bailey wasn't being utilized. But like any good team, the Orange figure out what wasn't working and corrected it. Now, Carter's working on three 100-yard games in a row and Bailey has become SU's best multi-use weapon.
"I think they complement each other well," Marrone said. "I know our philosophy is you really don’t want two backs that are the same. We have one back (Carter) that hits the hole extremely fast, and one back (Bailey) that has great patience, so it is truly a changeup when those two players are in."
Twon puts the situation in his own words:
"Delone is going to punish you. He can carry it 30 times a game. Linebacker, D-lineman, cornerback, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to run you over. Me, I can line up outside at receiver, in the slot, and I’ll probably run around you."
Why me? What did I do?
| The Orange Speak...on Pittsburgh |
Cuse vs. Pitt is already a rivalry but these days its officially a sibling rivalry as well. There will be two tight ends on the field Saturday with the last name Cruz. We know Jose, the transfer who now plays for the Orange. But there's also Mike, who starts for the Panthers. The Panthers are trying to get Cruz more involved in the offense. Let's just hope our Cruz outdoes their Cruz.
| Bud Poliquin: Orange against Pittsburgh |