SYRACUSE - This is all you need to know about the plight of the Syracuse Orange - they're a two-touchdown underdog at home against a team they beat a year ago on the road.
And that's not at all surprising considering what has happened to Syracuse in the first two games of the season: a 42-12 home loss to Washington and a 35-0 loss at Iowa.
Consequently, the Orange enter Saturday's game against Illinois (1-1) with nowhere to go but up.
“It's not so much about Illinois as it is about us,” said head coach Greg Robinson, in his third year at Syracuse. “We've got to get on a winning track. I'm going to give everything I've got to get this thing better sooner than later. We're trying to get it all right. We have to get it all right.”
So far this year, it's mostly been all wrong for the Orange.
Of the 119 teams that play at college football's top level, Syracuse ranks: 103rd in scoring defense; 104th in third-down efficiency (8-for-30 or 26.7 percent); 106th in passing (139 yards per game); 117th in rushing (16 ypg), total offense (155 ypg), and tackles for loss allowed (15); 118th in sacks allowed (13); and tied for last in third-down efficiency defense, allowing opponents to convert 66.7 percent of the time on that critical down.
“We've got to get through this time,” said starting wideout Mike Williams, who had three dropped passes and was called for a procedure penalty against the Hawkeyes.
“Everybody's got to get to the point - forget that 0-2 and let's start off and be 1-0. It's real tough going 0-2 and you're trying to flip the season around. It's tough for any team.”
It won't be difficult for the Illini to get up for this game. Since Robinson took over for Paul Pasqualoni in 2005, he has one road victory - over Illinois last September.
“We're very confident we can get a win just by going up there and playing hard,” Illinois defensive tackle Chris Norwell said. “I don't think we played hard in that game. Syracuse got some breaks with some turnovers. We just have to play better from the start and keep it that way through the game. Last year's game shows if we don't come out ready to play, we can get beat pretty easily.”
In last year's meeting, Syracuse built a 31-7 lead off two fumble returns for touchdowns before the Illini rallied for two scores in the fourth quarter. Illinois outgained Syracuse and Juice Williams threw for a career-high 227 yards and two TDs, and the Orange still won 31-21.
“We just gave up too many points,” said Illinois linebacker J Leman, who has 31 tackles to rank third in the nation. “Defensively, we have to play better. They were just a little bit better, executed a lot better. It wasn't a lucky win. I don't know if we were flat. We need to play better on both sides of the ball.”
Though most observers across the country view Syracuse as down and out, the Illini don't.
“They've played a couple of high-caliber teams. Those guys are no slouches,” Leman said. “I think every team is desperate for wins. They're going to come out fired-up. We're really looking forward to the challenge.”
Syracuse will have to contend with Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who ranks fifth in the Big Ten in individual rushing after leading the conference in 2006 with an average of 8.2 yards per carry.
Mendenhall rushed for 139 yards in a 21-0 win over Western Illinois a week ago.
But the Leathernecks, who came into the game ranked No. 23 in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) held the Illini to a scoreless draw in the first quarter and trailed just 7-0 at the half.
“If we aren't ready to play, we are going to get land-blasted,” Illinois head coach Ron Zook said.
As for the Orange, they're facing all the adversity with quiet dignity, at least on the surface.
“Losing games is going to happen,” tailback Curtis Brinkley said. “We just can't continue this. It can't be no 1-10 season. It can't be that way. But if you don't have 11 people on the field that want it, then you're going to lose.”
“It's definitely not like the end of the world,” added senior safety Joe Fields, who leads the Orange in tackles (16). “We've got a chance to get better and keep going. We've just got to start doing the little things, be accountable on the field for each other and play for each other.”
Consequently, the Orange enter Saturday's game against Illinois (1-1) with nowhere to go but up.
“It's not so much about Illinois as it is about us,” said head coach Greg Robinson, in his third year at Syracuse. “We've got to get on a winning track. I'm going to give everything I've got to get this thing better sooner than later. We're trying to get it all right. We have to get it all right.”
So far this year, it's mostly been all wrong for the Orange.
Of the 119 teams that play at college football's top level, Syracuse ranks: 103rd in scoring defense; 104th in third-down efficiency (8-for-30 or 26.7 percent); 106th in passing (139 yards per game); 117th in rushing (16 ypg), total offense (155 ypg), and tackles for loss allowed (15); 118th in sacks allowed (13); and tied for last in third-down efficiency defense, allowing opponents to convert 66.7 percent of the time on that critical down.
“We've got to get through this time,” said starting wideout Mike Williams, who had three dropped passes and was called for a procedure penalty against the Hawkeyes.
“Everybody's got to get to the point - forget that 0-2 and let's start off and be 1-0. It's real tough going 0-2 and you're trying to flip the season around. It's tough for any team.”
It won't be difficult for the Illini to get up for this game. Since Robinson took over for Paul Pasqualoni in 2005, he has one road victory - over Illinois last September.
“We're very confident we can get a win just by going up there and playing hard,” Illinois defensive tackle Chris Norwell said. “I don't think we played hard in that game. Syracuse got some breaks with some turnovers. We just have to play better from the start and keep it that way through the game. Last year's game shows if we don't come out ready to play, we can get beat pretty easily.”
In last year's meeting, Syracuse built a 31-7 lead off two fumble returns for touchdowns before the Illini rallied for two scores in the fourth quarter. Illinois outgained Syracuse and Juice Williams threw for a career-high 227 yards and two TDs, and the Orange still won 31-21.
“We just gave up too many points,” said Illinois linebacker J Leman, who has 31 tackles to rank third in the nation. “Defensively, we have to play better. They were just a little bit better, executed a lot better. It wasn't a lucky win. I don't know if we were flat. We need to play better on both sides of the ball.”
Though most observers across the country view Syracuse as down and out, the Illini don't.
“They've played a couple of high-caliber teams. Those guys are no slouches,” Leman said. “I think every team is desperate for wins. They're going to come out fired-up. We're really looking forward to the challenge.”
Syracuse will have to contend with Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who ranks fifth in the Big Ten in individual rushing after leading the conference in 2006 with an average of 8.2 yards per carry.
Mendenhall rushed for 139 yards in a 21-0 win over Western Illinois a week ago.
But the Leathernecks, who came into the game ranked No. 23 in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) held the Illini to a scoreless draw in the first quarter and trailed just 7-0 at the half.
“If we aren't ready to play, we are going to get land-blasted,” Illinois head coach Ron Zook said.
As for the Orange, they're facing all the adversity with quiet dignity, at least on the surface.
“Losing games is going to happen,” tailback Curtis Brinkley said. “We just can't continue this. It can't be no 1-10 season. It can't be that way. But if you don't have 11 people on the field that want it, then you're going to lose.”
“It's definitely not like the end of the world,” added senior safety Joe Fields, who leads the Orange in tackles (16). “We've got a chance to get better and keep going. We've just got to start doing the little things, be accountable on the field for each other and play for each other.”
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