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Fizz First: Retreat to the Secondary. 10.6.09 Posted: Ted Conroy.  Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
It was bad.
Yes, the turnovers (7) were ugly and they cost this team dearly against USF. An aberration like that always spells doom and Marrone admitted it after the game. What isn't an aberration, and has become a consistent problem this year, is the secondary. How consistent? The Orange is ranked 116th in pass defense in the FBS. Rice, Nevada, UAB and Washington State are the only teams that rank worse than the 'Cuse. Referring to the USF game, many will point to the offense's inability to stay on the field as a reason why the defense was so gassed. And we here at The Fizz can buy that, at least some of the time. But there is no excuse for being beaten on an 85-yard bomb on the first play of the second half from BJ Daniels, a quarterback who is known far more for his legs than his arms. That's on you, Kevyn Scott. There was one particular tweet from that weekend, which rang true. @Nunesmagician: No more CBs named Scott However, the safeties need to take some of the blame for this, as well. Mike Holmes and Max Suter, as mentioned in last week's FizzCast, are a solid tackling unit, but they struggle in coverage. And when the Scott's are struggling to stay on their defenders, the safeties need to help out. Is there any hope on the horizon? We've seen freshman Shamarko Thomas get plenty of playing time in the secondary, and even though he's a cornerback, the problems at safety have put him there some times this season. While he's only playing nickel and dime schemes this year, he should become a force in the next two years. There is Fizz Fave Rishard Anderson. The Fizz was there in February [see Fizz 2.4.09] when the South Florida product ignored the big boys in his home state and signed with SU. Florida's greatest export isn't oranges. It's speed. And Anderson has it; kid runs a 4.4 in the 40 and was an incredibly polite young man when we met him.   FIZZ AUDIO: Listen to an exclusive Fizz interview with Orange recruit Rishard Anderson on Signing Day. And still on the board for the '10 class are a couple of kids with decent credentials. Devonta Tabannah is one of them, a two-star recruit in the Orange crosshairs, but SU hasn't made an offer yet. Marrone and co. might need to get on the ball soon, because rebuilding the secondary will be key to SU's recovery from the Groobers era. * * * And do your civic Orange duty and follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant updates on football news, podcasts and blog posts (plus random thoughts from Team Fizz). Fizz First: The Naming Rights Express. 10.2.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
Next weekend marks a significant day in the history of Syracuse University athletics, when the field at the Carrier Dome becomes "Ernie Davis Legends Field."How about this mildly interesting throw-away line by SU: "The dedication of the football field is enabled by an amendment to the original Carrier Dome naming contract with Carrier Corp." Hmmm. As great as Ernie was and the powerful symbolism his Heisman still holds, this isn't just about #44. There are multiple reasons why this could've happened. 1) The school is hurting for the money. There was a donation made for this to happen by two private individuals (Sam and Carol Nappi - more on them later) and it was an offer the athletic department could not turn down. 2) Carrier gets a cut of the cash. To amend the original contract, there must be something in it for Carrier. Doesn't seem like the company would just willingly surrender full naming rights to one of the most famous on-campus arenas in the country without getting something in return (the Carrier Corp. could also be feeling a financial crunch and the rights deal now costs less). 3) The school wants to make it as difficult as possible for media. Now the place will be referred to as "Ernie Davis Legends Field at the Carrier Dome" every damn time. As part of WAER and Z89, FML. Since the basketball court already has the Carrier logo emblazoned on either side, it's a wonder where the name for the field will actually go in the dome. Always have faith in Dr. Doom to put it somewhere obnoxious and obtrusive. So who in the world are Sam and Carol Nappi? Well, Sam Nappi is the founder and chairman of Alliance Energy, a bigtime moneymaking energy company. He rolls deep. This '05 article gives a little more detail: "Jamesville (Town of Pompey) businessman Samuel G. Nappi is chairman and sole le owner of Tulsa, Okla.-based Alliance Energy Group, LLC. Nappi's company searches for oil and gas in Alaska and has been active in exploration on the state's Kenai peninsula. (Editor's Note: This is looking better and better by the paragraph. Did he commission the Exxon Valdez or just the raping of the natural environment up there for a new time-share in Cozumel?) Nappi also serves as president of Northstar Energy Group, Inc. According to Alaska corporation records, a majority of Northstar is owned by the CLJ Trust, registered to Nappi's home in Pompey. While not well-known in Central New York, Nappi is a friend to several political figures. Nappi and his wife Carol marched in the Presidential inaugural parade Jan. 20 as guests of U.S. Sen. Conrad Bums of Montana. The Alliance Energy Web site features a photo of Nappi and President George W. Bush. His political contributions over the last few election cycles show him pouring tens of thousands of dollars into campaigns as well. It's obvious he's got the cash, but why is he deciding to give it now? Was this Nappi's idea? The university's idea? Is it because the school is looking for a check and wants to cash in on the recent Ernie Davis wave? Lots of questions regarding this re-naming of the field. Hopefully some answers show up soon. * * * And do your civic Orange duty and follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant updates on football news, podcasts and blog posts (plus random thoughts from Team Fizz). Fizz First: The Other Harris. 10.1.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * *  
You've heard all about Tobias Harris (including in this week's FizzCast), the skilled power forward in the '10 class. The Fizz has explored his extensive use of Twitter during his recent visit to The Hill.But SU sophomore Kris Joseph gave me the inside scoop on who's really on the Orange radar. That dish being his Twitter page. (Editor's Note: While you're clicking on all these Twitter pages, follow The Fizz's Tweets as well. It's good for you.) Follow my man @TylerH34, because if you dont know much about him now... you will soon become acquainted. Let The Fizz do some heavy lifting. @TylerH34 is Tyler Harris (pictured left), a current class of '11 recruit who already has an offer from UConn. He is also Tobias' younger brother. Tyler is a two-star recruit by Scout standards, 6'7", and grew four inches over the summer. Just watch him break an ankle. No really, watch. He just transferred back from Long Island Lutheran back to his former Half Hollow Hills West School, where he'll play with his older bro this season. He also went on the Syracuse visit with Tobias. He's seen as a combo 2/3 player, meaning he has the potential size to play inside while being able to handle the ball and get his shot off. He's more of a winger than the elder Harris. The race for Tobias is hot and heavy, but Tyler's Grand Prix could heat up this season as well with teams like the Huskies, Notre Dame and West Virginia in the mix. It's a couple years away, but while The Fizz cried over the Towson Catholic pipeline closing last semester, redemption could come if the Team Harris train rolls into town. * * * And do your civic Orange duty and follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant updates on football news, podcasts and blog posts (plus random thoughts from Team Fizz). Fizz First: Tweeting with Tobias. 9.30.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
Big-time recruit Tobias Harris was on the SU campus this past weekend, and by the looks of it (and by looks we mean Tweets), he had a pretty good time. He was also pretty elusive. Reports placed Harris at the SU/Maine tilt, but Fizzster Agent Conroy couldn't track him down on the sidelines. In fact, we didn't even get a good first-hand look at him. But we know he was with the team for a good amount of the time. How? He tweeted of course! And Harris even gave some good 411 before he headed out of town. So here was Tobias Harris Saturday night - a pretty typical student's evening. Head to the football game, leave in the middle of the third-quarter and wait for a text about a huge party on Euclid. Ah... the quintessential Syracuse experience. 
From all indications, Harris was with @krisjo32 (Kris Joseph), @scoopjardine11 (Scoop Jardine), @w_johnson (Wes Johnson) and @23jack (Rick Jackson) during his visit. Yes, almost the entire team is on Twitter. 
Welcome to college Tobias. Five hours sleep is nothing. You will get no sleep and you will like it. 
From following the rest of the team on Twitter, it has become evident they all really, really like to play each other in NBA 2K9. Also the spot to play is the house of assistant coach @robmurphycuse. 
Keep a close eye on the bottom of that picture though. Tobias has already connected with Jonny Flynn, who by the way starts T-Wolves training camp today. The Melo center opened last week, Jonny is hitting up Tobias Harris on Twitter and the recruit seems to have had a heck of a weekend. That can't be bad news. Don't expect to see @jimboeheim on Twitter, however, anytime soon. He's still yet to master the typewriter. Baby steps. Stay close to The Fizz for more updates on Tobias Harris. Fresh FizzCast and SU Coaching Candidate in Fight Club. 9.29.09 Your daily reminder that it could've been worse. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
The buzz within NCAA coaching circles is that Doug Marrone was the seventh choice to take over the Syracuse program.If true, that means there were six separate candidates that waved off the opportunity to run this BCS program, that said "Thanks, but no thanks" to Dr. Doom and the Dome Gnome Nancy Cantor. Some are making those decisions look wise. Chip Kelly at Oregon (despite having to suspend his best player for the season after an opening-night post-game fight) is proving no drop-off after taking over the reigns from Mike Belotti. In New Mexico, however, different story. Mike Locksley was an assistant under Ron Zook at Illinois and while his name never officially popped up in the interview process, many felt he was a potential candidate after his haul of recruits to Champagne. His classes helped infuse a dormant program with enough talent to reach the Rose Bowl a few seasons ago (and wearing that orange-and-blue polo, it's almost like the looking glass imagining him answer questions at the Monday press conference on South Campus). Lock took the New Mexico job and has more than validated his hire. Not only are the Lobos winless on the season, he also has reportedly created the crapstorm of all crapstorms at UNM. First, a female athletic office assistant sued Locksley for sexual harassment. Then the jewel of his first recruiting class left the team for family reasons. Now, he has allegedly punched one of his coaches. In the face. And the school is sorting it out. The police report: "(Wide receivers coach Jonathan) GERALD TOLD OFFICERS THAT AFTER LOCKSLEY GRABBED HIM BY THE COLLAR SEVERAL COACHES TRIED TO INTERVENE, BUT ACCORDING TO GERALD, LOCKSLEY PUNCHED HIM IN THE MOUTH, CUTTING HIS LIP. UNM'S VP OF ATHLETICS PAUL KREBS SAYS HE'S STILL SORTING IT OUT. GERALD HAS NOT RETURNED TO THE TEAM." While Marrone's Marauders actually trailed an FCS team at home, at the half this weekend, let's remind ourselves it could be a lot worse. Fizz First: Chill, Son. 9.28.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
There has been some negative atmospheric pressure surrounding the events of Saturday. The Fizz believes, however, that 'Cuse fans were only entitled to that look from Doug Marrone, for no more than seven seconds at halftime. Syracuse wins 41-24. Look at that stat on its own. Don't look at the team, don't look at a first half, don't look at whatever the postgame talk shows pointed to. Syracuse scored 41 points on the Dome floor. They eventually blew out an opponent like they were expected to. Against Northeastern last season nobody was hating on a 30-21 win. This team scored 41 points for the first time since a win against Wyoming in '06. Three years ago! And people have decided that a halftime deficit was unacceptable for a team that hasn't held the rights to a blowout in years? (It's interesting to note that Delone Carter scored four touchdowns in that game as well.) Being on the sidelines for the game, I'll readily admit things got tense. You may know this already, because I tweeted Dr. Doom's demeanor while I was next to him. In the end this team proved it was significantly better than an FCS team and that's not something that could be said last year against Northeastern. Fizz Notes from the Carrier Dome: There was a ridiculously hot girl on the sideline working as an E.M.T. (Editor's Note: Pass out next time, Ted.) The entire Shoppingtown Barbershop got field passes and came out repping; unfortunately, Kevyn Scott didn't take advantage of it. Greg Paulus is a leader. We've talked about it on the FizzCast and this Fizzster will say it again: on the sidelines, Paulus takes command of the team. High-fives, talk, field demeanor - this kid knows how to grab hold of a team. Hoops recruit Tobias Harris [See Fizz 9.24.09] was on the field for the game, along with Donte Greene. He's coming down to his final choices for school; check The Fizz for the latest updates. Also, Fresh FizzCast continues in its Monday night slot: Check out the FizzCast Center for it later this evening. Fizz First: 'Melo, Munchies and Maine. 9.25.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
The 'Melo Center had it's "soft opening" yesterday. Oh don't worry, it has a grand opening planned as well.Why? Well, it wasn't actually finished. Also, the $3 million man couldn't stick around very long because preseason workouts started for the Nuggets. This brings a couple interesting things to the table. First, this isn't the only building opened before it was done this year at SU. Parents were wearing hard hats at the beginning of the semester as they moved their kids into Ernie Davis Hall. In fact, Couzens even did a report on this just last week and was kicked out of the building by the construction crew. But who knows? The helmet look could be good for the 'Cuse. Secondly, 'Melo has become the king of the Gulfstream Five dedication. At the start of the semester, the banner bringer christened some outdoor courts at Wilson Park in Syracuse. According to reports, he didn't sign many autographs and was there for less than an hour before departing in a sexy Cadillac Escalade. Thursday, he had a repeat performance at the debut of a facility named after him (although 'Melo didn't bother to go shirt or tie - a flannel shirt was good enough for the superstar). In the end, though, Syracuse gets another recruiting chip (Tobias Harris, are you listening?). And he did put up trey mil, so "It's his party and he can wear flannel shirts if he wants to." Everyone seemed happy in the end, including, and most importantly the players. In fact, Couzens and I saw Wes Johnson, Kris Joseph and an interesting character we weren't completely convinced is a student at Kimmel Food Court later on that evening. All seemed joyous (but then again, how could one be depressed in Kimmel?). On to Maine: It's interesting that Brian Bennett from espn.com noted that "Syracuse is going for it's first two game win streak since 2006." While The Fizz isn't completely sure if that's a depressing synopsis of the last three years or a hopeful sign of the Doug Marrone era, it should be a streak after Saturday night none the less. The Black Bears simply aren't a D-1 BCS competitive team. No knocking on wood. No "trap game." The Orange should win this. The way the players have been talking this week, they seem to feel the same way. Just ask assistant head coach/special teams guru Bob Casullo. I'll be stationed at the Dome handling the sideline reporting for WAER. Look for tweets throughout the game from the Dome on the Fizz Twitter. * * * Fizz First: The Chase for Tobias Harris. 9.24.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
We'll let him introduce himself: "My name is Tobias Harris. I'm 16 yrs old. 6'8 225 pounds. I love to play the game of basketball. I'm a small foward - 3 or 4, which ever way you wanna put it." Harris, from Half Hollow Hills West High (N.Y.) on Long Island, is probably in one of the most confusing stages of his life. He's in the midst of in-home visits from coaches, all trying to sell their programs to him... and mom. "Coach Boeheim and Coach Hopkins are two great coaches and people. I really enjoyed the in-home visit. They showed me their offense and how I would be able to play in their system. They look for me to be able to play the 3 or the 4 but to me it doesn't matter. I just want to show my whole game. My mom got to understand more about the academics and the whole system which was good, as well." (Editor's Note: Good to see Hop doing his part in the above picture - the envelope stuffed with money and the gift SU hat in the Manny's bag. I kid! I kid!) There's a match between where Harris wants to play and what the SU coaching staff views him as. And there's this: "He's the best offensive forward in the country," (a Big East assistant coach) said. "He can face up, he can post up, he can drive. He can do everything." It would be nice if it were simple, but of course it's not. If a school's been decent in the last 30 years, Harris likely has an offer from them. He's at the point where there's probably no wrong decision. He's got 60-year-old men like Jim Boeheim, Gary Williams and the never-dead Jim Calhoun hot-tossing promises at him and the never-ending parade of campus tours making his head spin. It's easy to look from the outside and think it's nice to have all those choices, but there's gonna be a long list of losers when his choice is made final. Does the recent announcement of Carmelo Anthony's jersey retirement play any factor in Harris' decision? Or the new Melo Center set to open soon? And oh by the way, supposedly Carmelo himself will be dropping by campus today: (this via Scoop Jardine's Twitter last night) 
Dr. Doom's decision to retire Anthony's jersey has been seen by some as too soon, although if it helps get Tobias Harris in an Orange jersey, it may have been worth it. Fizz First: Early Look at Hoops. 9.23.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
Late September means two things on The Hill: SU football is playing its annual D1-AA (FCS) foe as Maine comes to town this weekend.It also means hoops is less than two months from tipoff, so Midnight Madness is quickly approaching. The team has lost three well-publicized starters and clearly has holes to fill. So relax and let The Fizz give you a refresher for the 2009 incoming. First, there is the anointed heir to Jonny Ice at point guard, Brandon Triche, who I spoke to before the summer. Simply put, the kid is a beast and confident. He's also 6'3", so he's got that goin' for him at PG. Which is nice. There is also DaShonte Riley (pictured), who is a lanky, skinny, freshman center tagged as more of a project. That vaguely reminds us of a kid named Sean Williams and we all know how that turned out. But Riley is also seen as a more developed offensive player. Rounding out the order is forward James Southerland, who has the potential to be a spark off the bench this year if Kris Joseph can't get things going. The Orange fanbase is salivating at the potential class of '10 (led by Fab Melo), but we could have big excitement at the Dome one season early. Fresh FizzCast and Easley Shuffles to PSU. 9.22.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! 
New York State's top available football prospect has decided his future was as a Nittany Lion. Dominique Easley, a Curtis (Staten Island) High senior, has verbally committed to Penn State. Easley made up his mind after watching PSU lay the smack down on Temple (and one would imagine SU's mail is on that table somewhere). If the recruit needs swaying, why not invite Temple into State College and whoop up on them? So now that Doug Marrone has likely unemotionally heard the news and gotten to the office at 4:30a (as he did after Saturday's win), The Fizz is wondering, who's next? In the Empire State, the next best available prospect (after the previously covered Jawan Simmons of Nottingham High) is David Fluellen Jr. of Fairport. Fluellen is a 6'1" 195 lb. running back in the class of '10 who from wants to run through you, rather than around you: "Fluellen has the speed and playing strength for the running back position at the major level of competition. However this is more of big power back with one speed, lacking a burst or second gear. Displays good downhill quickness and vision; appears to be a medium strider with an upright running style." He's got Rutgers, Buffalo and SU on his short list right now. His only offer is at UB, so the 'Cuse may be waiting on his senior numbers to give a late scholarship. As we know, getting in-state recruits is crucial. Easley got to meet with a fellow Staten Islander on his trip to Happy Valley, which helped make his decision. So if Marrone can get more New Yorkers at Syracuse, in the future, he will probably get more New Yorkers at Syracuse. Just like Marrone said on Monday, getting the first win makes it easier for all the others to follow - especially when the next team you play is Maine. * * * Do your civic Orange duty and follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant updates on football news, podcasts and blog posts (plus random thoughts from Team Fizz). Happy New Year, Ryan Lichtenstein. 9.21.09 The frosh walk-on delivers as the clock strikes 11:59. Fizz Nation: The ever-popular FizzCast is now on iTunes! Click here and subscribe for free. Every week as Team Fizz breaks down the Orange, it'll be immediately uploaded to your iTunes or iPod. Loving it! * * * 
Saturday night marked the Jewish New Year as the world celebrated Rosh Hashanah. It may have also dawned a new era in Syracuse football as well. When walk-on freshman kicker Ryan Lichtenstein drilled the game-winner as time expired (and ignored the pressure of a winding clock without the benefit of a timeout or a stoppage), Marrone's Marauders got their first victory. While defeating Northwestern at the Dome isn't quite slaying Nebraska in '84 or crushing Miami in '98, it is a worthy explanation point to Marrone's first three games. Under Groobers, this Orange team routinely faded as the game wore on (in fact, plenty of the last four editions of SU football faded after the National Anthem). (Quick aside on Groobers: Forget what you read about the return of Michigan football. Yeah, the Wolverines have opened the season winning. Sure, they have rebounded after last year's disaster. But keep an eye on Groobers' defense. In the 38-34 win over Notre Dame, the Irish gashed the Maize-and-Blue for 490 yards of offense, nearly 7 yards per play and had a 100-yard-rusher and two 100-yard receivers. Wow, what a defensive coordinator.) As we were saying, the first three games have provided ample evidence of a different mojo at work for the Orange. First, battling back to seize the momentum against Minnesota in the opener was new to Orange Nation. Usually, this team started poorly and ended poorly, with a lot of poorly in between. While the Orange got squeezed in overtime, SU clearly recovered after a horrendous start and dominated for much of the game. At Happy Valley, a vastly superior Nittany Lions squad had a slim 14-point lead at the half. While that doesn't sound like much, last year's game was over by the break (the image of the Dome emptying at halftime will live in infamy forever) and in front of 105,000 fans, against a Penn State team that could finish in the Top-10, the Orange avoiding obliteration was actually really impressive. Then Saturday night, where the offense produced (including staking the Orange to a 17-0 lead), the defense made just enough stops and the Orange finished strong and with confidence? Now, that's just a different SU team. You don't have to look closely to see all the improvements under this edition of the Orange. Finally, the scoreboard reflected that too. Happy New Year, Orange football. * * * Do your civic Orange duty and follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant updates on football news, podcasts and blog posts (plus random thoughts from Team Fizz). Fresh FizzCast and the Carlton Dance. 9.17.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. Was the loss in Happy Valley actually progress for SU? How devastating is the idea of blacking out games in Central New York? Team Fizz debates in the freshest FizzCast. Listen below. * * *  
You could try this Carlton, but more importantly, you should try this Carlton. His name is Carlton Martin and he stands 6'1", 210 lbs. at defensive tackle in the class of '10 from Madison, Mississippi. Now, as The Fresh Prince's Carlton once sang, "It's not unusual" that the #24 rated DT by Scout.com is getting pursued by big time SEC schools like Ole Miss and Alabama, as well as UCLA. What is unusual is to find Syracuse in the mix. Syracuse has offered a scholarship to Martin and spoke with him as recently as two weeks ago regarding their intentions. Here's the book on Martin: "He really uses his hands well. He can stand up blockers, shed them and then make the tackle with ease. He has added some good weight from a season ago, so a move inside on the next level is certainly doable. Once in pursuit Martin has adequate speed to run down ball carriers and force QBs into an errant throw before the play develops." Martin projects a tad too small to play DT in college and may have to make the switch to DE as he ascends the football ranks. It's not unusual (ahem) for tweeners on the defensive line do that. Just look at former Nittany Lion wrecking ball Tamba Hali of the Chiefs who began as a defensive lineman for KC, but moved to linebacker as the team switched to a 3-4 to better utilize his speed. Scout lists Martin as a four-star prospect, so Martin would be a huge pluck for SU in re-establishing itself on the recruiting trail in the South Other than a handful of players from Virginia, the Orange roster boasts a whopping one player from the southern states. Looks like the work has just begun. FizzFirst: Tuck Your Shirt In, Dom! 9.16.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
Team Fizz has made you quite aware of '10 recruit Dom Timbers. He even got some play last week as a potential "Wild Otto" fit. But it's his Woodland Hills High School has been the one making the news lately. The Pennsylvania secondary school sent about 85 students home at the start of the year. For what? Not tucking in their shirts, which has become new policy at the school for "safety reasons." We can only assume that Timbers was not among those persecuted for their belief in wearing a polo without looking like a nerd. In all seriousness though, Timbers has earned two stars this season by the powers that be for his performance through two games. He's exploded early in the season, with 110 yards and 2 touchdowns in his last game and nearly 200 yards on the ground this year. That's a welcome surprise for a previously unranked athlete and boosts the recruiting prowess of the Orange. Keeping things in perspective, though. He is seen as a guy who may need to redshirt to fully adjust to D-1 football. Still, it's a plus for what is shaping up to be a solid '10 class. So we got that goin' for us; which is nice. FizzFirst: The Invisible Hands. 9.15.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
Doug Marrone is the face of the SU football program, but his assistant coaches are the men behind the curtain, the invisible hands molding this program. After watching the first two games, the name that first comes to mind is Special Teams Coach Bob Casullo. He's definitely the easiest guy to spot on the sidelines because of his enthusiasm, complete with emphatic face-to-face confrontation swith referees and his own players. Some players respond well to that. Others don't (and then 19 of them leave the program). But the ones that feed off that will loyally stick by their coaches through their time with a program. Now look to Rob Spence for more. He's been integral in installing Syracuse's version of the Wildcat, better known as the "Stallion" or "Wild Otto" (personal favorite here at The Fizz). Even if you're not the quarterback slated to start for the Orange in the post-Paulus era, you may realize there's still a chance to play because of the time Ryan Nassib is getting in that formation. One of the biggest surprises when the first depth chart came out just over two weeks ago was finding freshman Alec Lemon as the starting slot receiver. Even on defense there's massive chances for opportunity. True freshman E.J. Carter is starting at linebacker and a guy previously buried on the depth chart, Ryan Gillum, is making his way onto the field more and more. Marrone even admitted just a few weeks ago he had been unimpressed with Gillum during the spring. It was the coaching staff being supportive of Gillum's work that put him back on top. The bigger point is there is opportunity for players under the Marrone system who are willing to work hard. Marrone says "Don't confuse effort with results." And he is right. If you're a player who isn't getting looks from big time schools, but you can provide results, Syracuse might be a place for you. FizzFirst: When a Loss is a Win. 9.14.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
Like Taylor Swift losing the mic to Kanye at last night's MTV VMAs yet earning public support en route, the 'Cuse lost to the Nittany Lions but won the PR battle. You can hear Orange Nation scream, "We lost 28-7 to Penn State! That is a worthy improvement over last years drubbing." (Editor's Note: Do people really say 'drubbing' in conversation?) They're right. It is. But this edition of the SU offense is not fair to the Orange defense. The 'Cuse missed out on at least 10 points in that ball game. The defense entered the season as the supposed depleted corps, remember? Time to rethink that one. Scott Shafer has worked well with what he has. This offense makes one want to weep, though. There is a good thing in this sense of complete disappointment, though. It means there is an emotional investment by the fan (which was hard to find in the waning days of the Groobers Error). The last time the fans felt like the Orange was just a few plays away? The answer is three times in the two previous years. Two games were against Pittsburgh and last season's horrible "You got Devine'd" game in West Virginia. Being an optimist, one would like to believe there is help on the way. And in all sincerity, there is. Ryan Nassib will compete for the next three years. Charley Loeb will be right there too and as The Fizz spoke with him last week, he seems like a guy who doesn't settle for close losses. In fact, I told him straight up that it was refreshing to watch a team that didn't completely suck. His response? "Well, the goal here isn't to not suck. It's to win football games." Jonny Miller and John Kinder will add fire to the quarterback battle and there'll be running backs and wide receivers in the future, even if their names aren't David Oku. But right now, watching this offense is beyond difficult. It's not fair to fans and is a result of the diluted recruiting from the past four years. Do your civic Orange duty and follow The Fizz on Twitter for constant updates on football news, podcasts and blog posts (plus random thoughts from Team Fizz). Fresh FizzCast & Heading to Happy Valley. 9.11.09 Posted: Mike Couzens.  
After losing by 42 a year ago to Penn State, Orange Nation obviously doesn't expect Doug Marrone's one-game head-coaching career to top JoePa's 44 years tomorrow at Beaver Stadium. However there are a few things around the PSU campus that may give the Orange a slight edge. #1) The Nittany Lion Statue. Syracuse students had a tradition of painting the Lion orange before the rivalry game. Although the tradition doesn't live on any more, there is still a bit of orange that can be seen on the stomach of the lion (as this former Otto is pointing out). #2) Otto's Cafe (on campus). Somehow of all of the names chosen for a place with the tagline "Marketplace Charm at the Corner of Campus," Penn State decided to stick with Otto's. Probably too busy having a milk shake at the soda shoppe to realize it was one of their fiercest rivals mascot's name. #3) Otto's Pub and Brewery (surprisingly not on campus). Again, a place opened by two PSU grads. Is there a Nittany Lion Otto we just don't know about? (We haven't seen a "JoPa's" spring up on Marshall Street yet). Four years down the drain for those guys. #4) Time's never wasted when you're getting wasted. Thanks, Asher. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Penn State was voted the number-one party school in the country. The Orange will cross its fingers that after a night of beer bongs, keggers and toga parties, the Lions will be so hungover it'll be a dogfight. If not, at least an Orange fan could get lucky in Beaver Stadium. And hey, there's always Northwestern. Fizz First: The Wild Otto Offense. 9.9.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
Those in the NFL call it "The Wildcat." Why, you might ask?Well, this local is going to go with the Steve Bush theory. You know, the former West Genesee coach who brought it to fruition after he left the Wildcats and went to the Dolphins. That's where it was patented. Everyone else tried to duplicate it and some even tried to change it's name. Marrone refers to it as "The Stallion." The Fizz is stumping for "The Wild Otto." Who knows. Whatever it is, this formation helped garner some cheers and yards against Minnesota on Saturday. Having only been allowed at the first thirty minutes of practice, the media didn't expect it at all. There was no inclination of this happening. But of course, there was one resonating sound bite, where Marrone said he wouldn't use a specific offense, but he would adapt his attack to the players he had. So the Wildcat/Stallion/Wild Otto is here as the best scenario for the players today. If the recruiting situation continues this way, that formation might be here to stay. Speed is the key to the offense and Marrone has gone right after it. Brendon Felder is a wideout from Pennsylvania and, yeah: 4.37 40-yard dash. Ever check out the quarterbacks listed for the '10 class? John Kinder's listed at 4.6 for the dash. Miller is a tenth behind, at 4.7. So speed is a good check. Nine stars between them doesn't hurt either. Then there's the diversity in a player and SU may have found that too. Remember Dom Timbers? He was listed as an athlete over at Woodland Hills, and played wideout and running back. In a few years, he's the kind of guy who could run the same spot Antwon Bailey has in the formation, taking the shotgun snap. Things look animalistic in the next few years for the 'Cuse: we'll let you come up with your own member of the kingdom to describe it. Fizz First: Welsh's Orange Juice. 9.8.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
As far as collegiate defensive linemen go, Arthur Jones is among the best. He is also graduating following this season. As far as high school defensive linemen go, St. Anthony's (NY) Robert Welsh is among the best, and he'll be coming to The Hill next fall. Welsh committed to the Orange back in July and has continued to work hard ever since. His high school coach, Rich Reichert, has nothing but praise for the senior who added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason after being asked to move from defensive end to defensive tackle. "He's a grinder," Reichert said of his Syracuse-bound senior. "Nobody works harder and he's tenacious. He just has a motor that doesn't stop." (Editor's note: Very good. Hate to recruit a kid who's motor shuts down in the third-quarter.) Welsh now stands at 6'3" and 265 pounds, a formidable size for a high school player. Even though he hasn't arrived on campus, it sounds like he's taking quotes from Scott Shafer's media playbook: "It doesn't matter to me (where I play)," said the soft-spoken Welsh, who adds "sir" to the end of his responses. "I just want to do whatever I can to contribute. It's still football, just hit somebody." When Welsh gave his verbal commitmentto play for the Orange, he said he'd be willing to play anywhere as long as he can help the team. "Reichert said the Orange coaches envision him as a future interior offensive lineman and this season he'll get some snaps at tight end for the Friars." And he can move? Listening to Art Jones talk this summer, this Fizzster found out he trained with his brother Jon Jones, an MMA fighter. Playing on both sides of the ball is versatile, but it's not quite a Jones-ian level... yet. New York high schools open today and The Fizz will be keeping an eye on Welsh all season long. Fizz First: Fresh Prince Monday. 9.7.09 Posted: Ted Conroy. 
There are a few things most bloggers and sports writers will be doing on a Monday morning. More than likely, it's the obligatory "Paulus experiment defense."But the issue is settled; Paulus can compete. The interception aside, he looked good. There is nobody arguing against this. The others will involve a look ahead to Penn State and what the team can build on to attempt the monumental upset. Being a realist, that's not going to happen either. The best thing a 'Cuse fan can do is look ahead to Northwestern. That's in a couple weeks though and you know The Fizz is all about staying fresh. So let's check in on the football recruiting situation. While Syracuse might not face teams like Akron, Rutgers and Louisville for a few weeks, they are currently battling them off the field. Running back Kamal Hogan is one of the best at toting the rock out there and the class of '10 recruit has four schools on the interest list; The Zips, Knights, Cards, and yes, the Orange. Hogan is lighting quick and can light up a defense when he's getting carries. And he kind of looks like Paul Harris. This is a pivotal battle that has the chance to turn the tide for recruiting on The Hill. First, Hogan is from New Jersey, a spot that SU used to recruit heavily. The tide turned when the team started losing and Greg Schiano swooped in to set up shop. Second, the team has a legitimate shot at taking two of three from these schools. If a coach can win a battle for a running back and beat the team it's recruiting against it bodes well for the future. It leads to getting that Jersey market share back. And with the Nittany Lions approaching on Saturday, the future is where to put your eggs right now. Fresh FizzCast: We Preview The Opener. 9.4.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
What's in an attendance figure? Syracuse Univeristy reports that ticket sales are rapidly approaching 40,000 for the football home opener. Then this piece from the Post Standard, "About 5,000 tickets have been purchased by the SU athletics board of directors, an advisory group to director of athletics Daryl Gross. Many of the tickets are going to Pop Warner Football teams, which plan to wear their jerseys to the game on Saturday." There was also the special deal with season ticket holders who could purchase extra tickets for $15 and a now infamous email sent out stating, "We want to give Coach Marrone the best opening day for his coaching debut and welcome him home. Let's fill the Dome and show why it is one of the toughest places to play in the country." This move, according to the athletic department, was also long in the planning stages and not a last ditch effort. And don't forget about Monday, when following Doug Marrone's weekly meeting with the media and the press still eating lunch, Scott Sidwell, the SU ticket czar (officially Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director) was conveniently made available to tell us all the great things that are going on with ticket sales. So what to make of all these announcements and special deals for tickets? Quite obviously, ticket sales are not where the University would like them to be. But even if 40,000- 45,000 tickets are sold, will the number of people in the stands match? Probably not. It never does at any pro or college sporting event. Is this an inflated number because it's the home opener and Doug Marrone's first game? And what if the team doesn't play well? Should Orange fans be worried this much of a ruckus is being made over just one game's ticket sales; what about the other seven home games? It's a safe bet that many Mr. and Mrs. Orange fans are sitting back and waiting to see if the team does well in Week One before buying their tickets. A lot is riding on Saturday's game for the school, the team and the fans. Fizz First: Things Have Already Changed. 9.1.09 Posted: Mike Couzens. 
"It isn't what I didn't get done. It's that it's not finished." - Groobers. (Editor's note: Just dry heaved.) While that great quotation was one of his parting words after the four-year disaster tour in Syracuse, the good sound bites are not all completely gone yet. As Doug Marrone was asked yesterday what about Greg Paulus makes him so good, the response, "Because he's a winning quarterback." "Why?" the reporter continued. "Because we want him to be," Marrone said with a straight face. In fact, I was the only member of the 20+ media crew in attendance to laugh at the response from Marrone. Marrone is not fully trained yet in the media game to give completely canned and vague responses. There is a certain joy to be found in some of his very blunt and pointed answers. Once you've been to a few pressers over the years, it's obvious when someone is giving a real answer and when they are simply wondering what's for dinner when they get home. But the other thing that you take away from Marrone's comments is that football is his life and that this team is truly his. It may be a small reason to cling to while trying to find areas this team can succeed, but there are specifics that back it up: > Jim McKenzie told me there were times under Groobers where the players wouldn't understand why certain plays were called. Now, he says Coach Marrone gets into practice with him and shows why there's a certain way to do things. > Multiple players have spoken about buying into the Marrone system. The first chapter of the '09 playbook includes a history of the 1959 Nation Championship team. The players had to do group book reports on it during the summer months. > The team believes in their first-year quarterback enough so to make him a captain. (He even came into the football cafeteria yesterday after the media was done chowing down to find some leftovers. He left unsatisfied.) All of this may turn out completely off the mark if Minnesota lays the smack down this Saturday, but it does show growth. Marrone has more control of the program in eight months than Groobers had in four years. 
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