Tonight's the season opener for your Syracuse Orange football team! SU hosts the CAA's Rhode Island Rams at 7 p.m. ET at the Carrier Dome, in a game that is supposed to go in the Orange's favor by a considerable margin. Whether it actually does or not is largely dependent on some key matchups, one of which we'll be profiling here.
Syracuse's Offensive Line Revamps
Following Sean Hickey's departure, questions have followed the Syracuse line. But for what it's worth, it IS a veteran group, even if not an overly experienced one from top to bottom. Rob Trudo will be fine at center, and the left side is also well-secured with Nick Robinson and Ivan Foy. But on the right, the team has some inexperience and as a result, some questions, and any failure on their part tonight could spark a riot from Orange fans. Omari Palmer starts at right tackle and will be a key to getting SU's running backs the breaks they need on the outside. He was hot and cold in 2014, and now as a starter, he'll need to be far more locked-in (and very well could be).
The biggest question, though, is around walk-on Seamus Shanley, who surprisingly grabbed the starting right guard ahead of redshirt freshman Aaron Roberts. While starting a walk-on seems weird, he is a senior at least, and has similar size to Roberts (though a few inches shorter). If Syracuse's power run game is going to come back at all following a hiatus in 2013 and 2014, Shanley will need to pull his weight and then some. He'll have help from Trudo. But all eyes will be on him, both from the fans and URI's defensive front.
Rhode Island Defense Looks Prepared
By all accounts, Rhode Island's defense seems to be well-prepared and significantly ahead of the offense going into this one. Given the veterans in the former group, that shouldn't be too surprising. The pass-rush will be formidable with Selwyn Nicholas and Nate Pauls leading the way on the line, while Khilyni Kennedy and Adam Parker handle things at linebacker. Kennedy is a converted defensive end who transferred in from Florida Atlantic and certainly has FBS-level talent. Parker is the team's second-leading tackler from a year ago and will look to improve upon those figures this fall.
Nicholas and Pauls make up half of what could be a better pass-rush as well, despite the loss of senior Mike Rinaldi. Nicholas put up conservative numbers in eight starts in 2014, while Pauls shows up as a well-regarded freshman recruit. Pauls, in particular, will be challenged given his size (about 230 pounds) going up against SU's line, but his speed could help a bunch there too. There are enough veterans in the front seven to get the freshman up to speed, even against a superior opponent.
Help Comes From the Secondary
More experience here too make the job of Rhody's front seven at least a little easier. Myles Holmes is a dynamic player in the secondary (and on special teams), and could see a spike in interceptions from last year's two. Just a junior, he now has a year of starting and on-field smarts under his belt -- something that will certainly factor into his ability to cover SU's various receiving targets. The Rams' secondary plays a solid team game that could make things a little more difficult for most of the Orange's targets, though it could also lead to a breakout effort from top talent Steve Ishmael. Should they be able to hold Ishmael, however... that'll buy the blitz some time to get after Orange QB Terrel Hunt.
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The above takes a detailed look at the parts of Rhdoe Island's defense that could cause problems for Syracuse, if any. But that's not to say they certainly will. As alluded to in the defensive line paragraph, SU should enjoy a decent size advantage up front, allowing them to keep Hunt relatively safe (of course, we said the same last year...). The secondary does create that critical element of time, though again, if the Orange are even close as competent as they should be, running backs will find holes, and receivers can and will get open.
One extra factor here is, of course, URI coach Jim Fleming. We've mentioned before, but it was his defense that helped beat Syracuse at the Carrier Dome back in 2008 while he was coaching at Akron. He WAS greatly assisted by the Zips' offense simply laying waste to the Orange all game, plus a pretty inept SU offense. But the point stands that he understands how to successfully coach defense on the road in this building, and that could certainly have a positive impact on his game-planning.
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Beer of the Week: Grey Sail Brewing Captain's Daughter
Hopefully you're drinking this one in celebration, assuming you're able to grab Rhode Island's best beer. This canned DIPA clocks in at a sizable 8.5 percent ABV, and finishes very bitter. As is typical with most East Coast IPAs, it's malt-forward and more piney than citrusy.
What John's Drinking: Bathtub IPA Various selections from the Bruery
We don't get every East Coast beer out in California, mainly because a) they don't all distribute widely and b) we have our own thriving beer scenes that crowd the market already. So while I might recommend something for you to drink, it's pretty likely I'm not drinking it myself.
Chances are I'm having some of these. Plus Bottle Logic's Ocularity DIPA. An old standby like Grapefruit Sculpin is also hanging around.
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How about you? What are you drinking to enjoy this weekend's games (especially Syracuse's)? And what do you think of Rhode Island's defensive front-seven and how it stacks up against the Orange O-line?