SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -First-year Syracuse coach Doug Marrone hoped Cincinnati would be undefeated when it came to town. He has his wish.
The fifth-ranked Bearcats (7-0, 3-0 Big East) visit the Carrier Dome on Saturday, fully intent on leaving with their unblemished record intact.
Heck, they can’t wait to play in a venue that can be deafening – depending on the score, of course.
“I’ve never been to New York before,” wideout D.J. Woods said. “Last year, I got to go to Hawaii for a free trip and to Miami for a free trip, so now I’m traveling to New York. I’ve been around the world, it feels like, so I’m excited.”
Cincinnati is off to its best start since 1954, when it won its first eight games, and is on track to for its second straight Big East title. Syracuse (3-4, 0-2) is 1-13 against ranked teams since the start of the 2005 season and has three conference wins in the past four years.
would appear to be the Orange.
Syracuse’s players don’t think so.
“I really like our chances,” tight end Mike Owen said. “We’re coming in probably more relaxed than ever. People aren’t really giving us a chance. They’ve got an explosive offense. We’ve got to control the clock, we’ve got to run the ball like we did last week. We’ve just got to come out here and play our game, come out with a win. That would help turn this program around.”
Syracuse has been tested often this season. Its schedule ranks as the 14th-toughest nationally, and the Orange already have played three teams from the Big Ten and two of the Big East’s more formidable foes in West Virginia and South Florida.
None of those teams quite measures up to the Bearcats. They rank second in the country in scoring (40.7) and passing efficiency (163.89), seventh in total offense (458.57 yards per game), and have the fewest turnovers in the nation with four, all interceptions.
Cincinnati is the only team in the country that has not lost a fumble.
“That’s impressive,” Marrone said.
Cincinnati is expected to start backup Zach Collaros at quarterback for the second straight week while starter Tony Pike recovers from surgery to repair a protective plate in his non-passing arm. The stakes are high again for the Bearcats – they must win to stay in the debate about national title contenders.
profile position hasn’t had much of an effect so far.
“They pretty much feel that whoever’s back there (at quarterback) is going to get it done,” Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. “So I don’t know that it’s much of an issue with us.”
It sure doesn’t seem so. When Pike damaged the plate in his forearm two weeks ago at South Florida, Collaros came in and ran for a pair of touchdowns as the Bearcats pulled away in the second half for a 34-17 win.
A week ago, in his first collegiate start, Collaros was 15 of 17 for 253 yards in a 41-10 home victory over struggling Louisville.
“I definitely had some butterflies,” Collaros said. “Being out there, you just get into a different mode. It felt good.”
Syracuse is coming off an important home victory over Akron that was keyed by Delone Carter’s 170 yards rushing, and the Orange defense made life miserable for another quarterback who was making his second collegiate start. They sacked Andrew Nicely five times and held the Zips to zero yards rushing, Syracuse’s best performance against the run in 18 years.
Like everybody else who’s played the Bearcats, the Orange will have their hands full with wideout Mardy Gilyard. He’s caught eight scoring passes this year, is averaging 14.3 yards per reception and 96 yards receiving per game. Gilyard and needs one touchdown catch to set a school record with 23.
thleticism,” Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus said. “They make plays all over the place.”
Syracuse will counter with its own star wideout, Mike Williams, who’s averaging 118.7 receiving yards per game and has scored six times. He returns after a one-game suspension for violating team policy.
Syracuse enters the game ranked sixth nationally against the run (83.42 ypg), but 115th in pass defense (271 ypg).
Those numbers don’t matter to Kelly.
“You still have to connect,” he said. “One of the fears you always have as a coach is that you know all those things, but you’ve still got to catch it and throw it and you’ve still got to make those plays.”
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