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Syracuse Orange 2006 Preview

Syracuse Orange Football Preview By: Matt Fargo
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college football previews :#90 – Syracuse Orange Preview

by: Matt Fargo

Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#90 – Syracuse Orange 1-10 SU; 4-7 ATS

Fargo’s Take - Things were so bad on offense in Syracuse last season that offensive coordinator Brian Pariani was let go after just one season. The anemic offense was the biggest reason that the Orange won just one game last season as its 1-10 record was the worst in the history of the program. Improvements look to happen but there are still other question marks that will likely hurt the team as it tries to turn things around. New offensive coordinator Brian White will simplify the playbook while veteran quarterback Perry Patterson has worked hard in the offseason and has shed a lot of weight. The question marks start at offensive line where only two starters return and the remaining spots will be filled by inexperienced players. Tailback is always a strong position in Syracuse but that won’t be the case this season as freshman Delone Carter could be the starter. On the other side, the defense was respectable last year but a lot of talent needs to be replaced. The schedule is not very daunting and playing in the weak Big East helps but Syracuse in far from even thinking about a conference title, let alone a winning record.

Returning Starters on Offense – 6 The offense was one of the worst in the country last season as the Orange finished 114th in scoring and 115th in total offense. During the final eight games last year, Syracuse did not top 17 points and no team is going to win with that kind of futility. A change at coordinator should help but it isn’t going to solve everything since there are too many issues abounding that will prevent a significant turnaround. The offensive line is the biggest concern as is lack of experience at running back. There are no big stars at receiver so even if Patterson has improved as he showed in the spring, he likely isn’t heading for a breakout season. He said last season that he was lost in the new spread offense so scaling back the playbook to go along with a year under his belt will definitely help his cause somewhat.

Returning Starters on Defense – 4 Syracuse had a very experienced defense a year ago but the problems on offense led to problems on the defense. The offense was second to last in the country in third down conversions and that kept the defense on the field way to long. A lot of that experience has departed but the Orange are not starting from scratch. Eight of the 11 starters are juniors and seniors and the linebacking crew has the ability to be one of the best in the conference, led by senior Kelvin Smith. The problem is in the secondary where two sophomores and a converted receiver will be starting. Syracuse finished 21st in passing defense last year but that was skewed since teams has no need to throw with big leads. If the front seven plays to its ability, the defense will be ok but still not a top caliber unit.

Schedule - Syracuse is never shy about playing a tough non-conference schedule and this year is not any different but it has been scaled back. Gone are Virginia, Florida St. and Notre Dame and in are Wake Forest, Iowa, Illinois and Wyoming. Iowa is the only significant power and the Hawkeyes have to travel the Carrier Dome so it won’t be a cakewalk. Miami (Ohio), another rebuilding team, is the last non-conference game. The Big East schedule is not difficult but four of the seven games are on the road including a contest at West Virginia. Following that game against the Mountaineers, Louisville comes to town which likely means the Orange will be 0-3 at that point with back-to-back road games on deck. The season finale at Rutgers is no longer a sure thing like it always was in the past.

You can bet on… Syracuse will improve upon its one win from last season but it likely won’t be an enormous improvement. This is still a team in transition and if there is to be a respectable year, wins must come at home where the one victory last season was the lowest in the Dome era, covering 25 years. The Orange lost six straight against the number at one point last season and they covered their final two games only because they were receiving 33 and 36 points. Syracuse will be getting points in its first three games and two of those are on the road where it is 11-24 ATS since 1991. Over the last four seasons, the Orange are 4-18 away from home and have not had a winning season against the number on the road in eight years.