Syracuse Football Practice Recap: Day 8

Things are happening!!! 

I don't know about that, really.  I just needed a good intro to hook you.  Here we go...

QB

What of Jonny Miller?  The three-star recruit has been surpassed by Johnny The Kinder on the depth chart already.  What's the deal?  Looks like Miller has been recovering from a shoulder injury and that affected his throwing motion.

"When he came back from the surgery we didn’t feel like his throwing motion was where it was before," Marrone said. "So right now we are going to rest it and reevaluate… not create bad habits. I know he wasn’t throwing the same way without the ball."

No word but the smart money will be on Miller redshirting.  As for the starter, Marrone is giving Ryan Nassib the Standpoint Treatment:

"He has improved in every area of his game," Marrone said. "From a leadership standpoint to the way he directs the offense, his understanding of it, his game management. He is showing now that when he gets into trouble he doesn’t try to force things. That will help us from a game management standpoint. He has always had a good arm, his accuracy has been good to this point, and obviously you can always improve on that. I’m excited about him."

RB

Lost in all of the Delone Carter madness and Averin Collier will-he-won't-he mess is Antwon Bailey.  We forget that Bailey's actually a pretty solid player and one who'll likely make some big contributions this year.  Doug Marrone wanted to make sure we're all reminded of that.

Syracuse University football coach Doug Marrone did something rather rare, for him at least, after the end of the Orange’s Day 8 practice session Tuesday.

The coach singled out one player, running back Antwon Bailey, and told reporters that the junior was poised for a big year.

Delone Carter spent some of his time near the red zone split wide.  Are we looking at some kind of red zone Wildcat Stallion thingamabob?  Nah.

"Really, what we did was, we had an injury and we put him out there to get some reps. We aren’t planning on doing anything from that standpoint."

WR

Dorian Graham might have dropped some balls in practice but he got the official seal of approval from Marrone:

"Today, (Graham) did a nice job," Marrone said. "He caught some balls, which we’re excited about transitioning to that position."

OL

Don't think the O-line is completely sorted out just yet.  HCDM says there are still some battles being fought:

He singled out Ian Allport as an up-and-comer on the offensive line, also saying that sophomore Zach Chibaneis pushing senior Adam Rosner for playing time at left guard.

Marrone says he's expecting news about Sweet Lou Alexander today, hopefully the good kind.

DL

Arthur Jones is not walking through that door.  But you know who is?  Andrew Lewis, Anthony Perkins and Bud Tribbey.  The three of them will fill the space at nose tackle left by Art and they will do so quite capably. 

"Arthur Jones, it’s kind of hard to fill his shoes," Tribbey said, "but as a unit we just really focus on being great technicians and everyone just doing their job. We just believe that when it’s time to make the play we make the play, but when it’s time to play those blocks and play those double-teams and keep those linemen off our linebackers so they can fill those gaps, that’s just the sacrifice you have to give when you’re an interior defensive lineman."

HCDM says he'd like to see "more push and getting our hands inside" out of these guys.  Keep it clean, Douglas.  Please.

SU Football: Clogging Up the Middle

LB

Sorry Ryan Gillum, what was beginning to be heard in whispered tones is now out there...Marquis Sprill has the edge on the WLB starting spot.

"We feel like Marquis Spruill is the leader for that third position," Marrone said. "He is taking the majority of the reps with the first group. Ryan has a little strain, which may be holding him back a little bit, but he is still out there that is really a competition at this position right now."

Most of the time Marrone lets the battles play out in camp but on rare occasions he likes to nip it in the bud and establish pecking order.  He seems to have done that here.

DB

Freshman Keon Lyn hit Twitter yesterday with the news that doctors told him he'd be out of action for a while.  Doug Marrone confirmed at practice that Lyn is dealing not with an injury, but mono. I had mono when I was in eighth grade.  Didn't have the energy to get out of bed, let alone run sprints.  Tough break.

Marrone expects #Shamarko and Kevyn Scott back soon.  Not soon enough...

Special Teams

You can pretty much bank on Dorian Graham on the kick return team.  Doug Marrone says "We’re looking to use his speed."  So I'm sure we will.