In the Huddle: LSU by The Daily Orange

in the • september 25–26, 2015

huddle

syracuse vs. louisiana state

Mara Corbett

Samuels

Can’t touch this Leonard Fournette is the best running back Scott Shafer has faced in 26 years, he said. The Orange will be tasked with containing him when it hosts LSU.

Nomadic

Running back Calvinaugh Jones has found stability at Division II Concord after a series of moves over the course of his life. He had 1,734 rushing yards in 2014. See page 6

THE OFFICER

Walk-on sophomore QB Zack Mahoney gets chance to start against LSU

By Sam Blum sports editor

Richard Mahoney sat a few rows up at the 50-yard line in the Carrier Dome to watch his son Zack play in a game they never expected him to appear in.

So too did Zack’s mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle and three cousins, all of whom made the trip from LaGrange, Illinois. Richard wasn’t sure what it meant when he saw Zack put the headset on following Eric Dungey’s injury. And he wasn’t sure what it meant when he took it off to start warming up with Austin Wilson.

A few days before, Zack had told his dad that he had gotten a few more reps in practice. He thought maybe Zack would get in for a play or two. He couldn’t imagine that his son would be leading the game-winning drive.

“It was past exciting,” Richard said.

Mahoney started the season as the fifthstring quarterback. When he wasn’t taking limited reps in training camp, he was with special teams holding kicks.

Now, a week after leading a game-winning overtime drive, he’ll be tasked with the starter’s role when Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) hosts No. 8 Louisiana State (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern) at noon in the Carrier Dome on Saturday.

Four years ago, Mahoney was the quarterback that couldn’t win the starting job as a junior at Lyons Township (Illinois) High School. The last time he started a football game, it was against Lindenwood-Bellville JV. As recently as the spring, SU head coach Scott Shafer struggled to remember his name. Now, Mahoney’s starting under center against the eighth-best team in the country.

“Coming in as a walk-on transfer, you don’t expect to start,” Mahoney said. “But you’ve got to prepare yourself every week that you can go in whenever. I like to think I’ve prepared myself.”

In high school, Mahoney didn’t do the “little things” it took to be a starter, his coach Kurt Weinberg said. His first two years he played on the offense with the long-term intention of moving to QB. As his plans began to come to fruition, a lack of understanding defenses and film study kept him from playing.

But when he started to do the things that were asked of him, it took only one high school season to garner FCS scholarship offers — ones that he spurned to make his name at the JUCO level.

When only FCS schools offered him following his prolific 2014 season in which he threw for 1,943 yards for the College of

DuPage, he once again turned away scholar -

Coming in as a walk-on transfer, you don’t expect to start. But you’ve got to prepare yourself every week that you can go in whenever. I like to think I’ve prepared myself.

Zack Mahoney su quarterback

ship money, this time for the chance to walk on at Syracuse.

“He came in and sat down with me,” see mahoney page 4

ZACK MAHONEY was a fifth-stringer at the start of the season but will now start under center when Syracuse takes on No. 8 LSU Saturday. The College of DuPage JUCO transfer won the job over Austin Wilson and AJ Long after leading SU to a win over Central Michigan and impressing in practice this week. logan reidsma photo editor

DuPage head coach Matt Foster said. “And he just basically said, ‘This is where I think I belong. I can compete and play and excel at a high level.’”

He proved he could handle the situation. He didn’t freak out. The ball wasn’t going end over end. I was proud of the way he did that.

When Mahoney was redshirting for DuPage in 2013, the team played in the Carrier Dome Bowl in Syracuse. It was the first time he’d been to the campus. During the team’s downtime over their two-day stay, he grew a familiarity with a school that he knew he wanted to go to when the opportunity arose more than a year later.

When Mahoney got to Syracuse, he didn’t stand out. Following a spring practice, Shafer wanted to tell Mahoney he’d done a good job, but forgot his name, paused, and just called him “Officer” — a reference to a nickname he’d

been given.

In a media scrum on Sept. 8, offensive coordinator Tim Lester was listing off the Syracuse quarterbacks. He had addressed Dungey, then mentioned Austin Wilson and AJ Long.

“And uh, and…oh shoot, what’s his name,” Lester said, before a reporter chimed in to remind of Mahoney’s name.

Two weeks later, the first time Lester opened his mouth, it was to tell everyone that Mahoney was “the guy.” With two quarterbacks down, and two more less capable of running Syracuse’s offense, Mahoney rose from “scout team player of the week, every week” to starter in the midst of SU’s 3-0 start to the season.

“We’re truly living the next-man-in,” Lester said. “…He proved he could handle the situation. He didn’t freak out. The ball wasn’t going end over end. I was proud of the way he did that.”

Lester knew that when Dungey got hurt, he wanted Mahoney to be the guy.

He said he put Wilson in first to help ease him in. Then when Mahoney played on the third drive, he called some plays that didn’t involve airing it out. By the time he started overtime, Lester said he treated it like a normal drive.

Mahoney provides what Wilson and Long do not. Mahoney can run the ball, which Wilson struggles to do.

He has the ability to throw downfield, which Long has been inconsistent with since returning from a hand injury over the summer.

“There’s no time for nerves,” Mahoney said. “You’ve just got to prepare. And with all the preparation, there’s no time for nerves.”

sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3

Mahoney said if someone had told him a year ago that he’d be starting against LSU, it “wouldn’t be a good thing.” But for a player that’s spent the past four years proving he can play the position, it’s a reality he’s accepting with confidence.

ZACK MAHONEY went 4-of-4 passing against CMU with 19 yards and the pitch to Jordan Fredericks that won SU the game. In the past, offensive coordinator Tim Lester and head coach Scott Shafer have forgotten Mahoney’s first name. logan reidsma photo editor

Tim Lester

su offensive coordinator on zack mahoney

FREIGHT TRAIN

LEONARD FOURNETTE has already run for six touchdowns in LSU’s first two games this season, both against SEC opponents. He’s a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore and leads a Tigers’ offense that put up 45 points against Auburn last week. Next up for Fournette is the young Syracuse defense. courtesy of lsu athletics

LSU running back Leonard Fournette brings dangerous arsenal into Syracuse game

By Matt Schneidman asst. sports editor

Once Leonard Fournette got to the 17-yard line, it was all over. His right shoulder lowered into the chest of Auburn defensive back Blake Countess, dropping him to the grass and leaving two outstretched arms flailing inches behind Fournette’s left foot.

The LSU sophomore running back pranced into the end zone, pounding his chest twice.

That was Fournette’s most recent cakewalk, in a 24-point trouncing of Auburn. His 228 rushing yards on 19 attempts were topped off by three touchdowns, a week after he ran for 159 yards on 28 carries against Mississippi State to go along with another trio of scores.

He’s probably around 230 but he runs like he’s about 175. He’s quick, he has real good feet, he’s shifty. Cyril Crutchfield

fournette’s high school coach

Next up is Syracuse. Head coach Scott Shafer compared Fournette to NFL great Earl Campbell. Defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough to the college version of

Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson. Defensive line coach Tim Daoust to former Boston College running back and Heisman contender Andre Williams.

Fournette, standing at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, is a 20-year-old freight train with legs, barreling downfield with no regard for anyone between him and the end zone. The Orange’s youthful defense will be charged with getting a body in the way, halting the combination of 4.35-second 40-yard dash speed, brute strength and shiftiness that will be coming its way when No. 8 LSU (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern) visits Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) at noon on Saturday.

“You like games like this,” sophomore linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “You like playing against the No. 1 running back in the nation.”

Against Auburn last week, Fournette averaged 5.11 yards per carry before any form of contact, per an ESPN film review.

The Tigers’ offensive line that paved the way for a harmless first burst stands, from left to right, 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds, 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds, 6-foot-7 and 309 pounds, 6-foot-5 and 327 pounds and 6-foot6 and 329 pounds.

“That offensive line is as good as I’ve seen in years,” Daoust said.

This week in practice, SU freshman hybrid Tyrone Perkins, who missed his entire senior year of high school with a torn ACL, has been mimicking Fournette. Redshirt freshman

walk-on Keaton Darney, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound offensive tackle, has been playing the role of scout team tailback.

Perkins weighs 22 pounds less than Fournette, but may be a more accurate representation of what the Orange will actually see, or see run by, in the Carrier Dome.

“He’s probably around 230 but he runs like he’s about 175,” said Cyril Crutchfield, Fournette’s high school coach. “He’s quick, he has real good feet, he’s shifty.”

With a bald head and thick black beard wrapping from his left ear to right, Fournette

Fournette is tied for third in the nation in rushing touchdowns despite only playing two games

5.11

Yards per carry until Fournette was touched by an Auburn defender last weekend

may look more along the lines of how he plays. Crutchfield says he’s a man among boys, the best he’s ever coached or watched in his 20 years on the sideline and it’s not close.

In a high school game against national powerhouse John Curtis (Louisiana) High School, Fournette had almost 30 carries for over 200 yards, including the tocuhdown to set up a game-winning two-point conversion. The other team knew the play every time, Crutchfield said, but could do nothing about it.

see fournette page 10

8.2

Fournette has averaged 8.2 yards per carry on his 47 rushes this year

The number of times Fournette was touched in the backfield against AU last weekend

BY THE NUMBERS

RB Calvinaugh Jones finds stability at Division II Concord

By Sam Fortier asst. web editor

Calvinaugh Jones stepped out of the car he’d been in for 16 hours and dropped his duffel full of clothes onto the curb.

He and his brother-in-law, Eric Jackson, had left West Virginia at 2 a.m. and driven to Dallas, Jones’ new home for the next 12 weeks.

Jones shook hands with Clode Tatum, Jackson’s old army buddy, and walked into the house. Jones swapped chores and paid rent for the opportunity to train alongside established NFL running backs at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney, Texas.

Jones, a senior at Division II Concord University in Athens, West Virginia, is coming off a first-team All-American season in 2014 when he rushed for 1,734 yards. At the end of the season, he decided to move from Maryland to Texas in hopes of becoming better, maybe NFL material, and he took the lessons from his childhood with him. This season, Jones has 208 all-purpose yards in three games. Jones never lived in one place longer than two years, which made finding friends difficult but focusing on football easier. While Texas felt foreign, the journey was familiar.

“When he got out of school when he was younger, we just packed up and moved,” his mother Regina Jones said. “I was like a gypsy mom.”

Jones moved 12 times before high school, mostly within Wisconsin and Minnesota. As a seventh grader in Minnesota, Jones ran well in a rec league and coaches from a local powerhouse high school program noticed. Jones imagined success there, but was disappointed when the family moved again.

His father, Calvin Jones, inherited a house

in Macon, Georgia after Calvinaugh’s grandmother died. The Jones’ arrived too late for Calvinaugh to start football. When the family miscalculated how much the house would cost,

they sold it and moved again. He began his high school career in Maryland and became an all-conference running back.

“I keep moving, but football is my constant,” Jones said.

Jones escaped loneliness in Texas through football. He trained five days per week, usually 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., working on upper body two days, lower body two days and taking a lighter day with yoga. He played in seven-on-sevens late Monday nights with Ronnie Braxton, who also trains NFL Pro Bowlers.

I

have good friends, but I wouldn’t say I made lifelong friends because of the moving. It helped me a little (not to be close with anyone) because I just focused on football.

Calvinaugh Jones concord running back

He had one friend from Concord he saw occasionally. He learned independence and that people would come in and out of his life when he moved so much, he said. In seventh grade, when a friend started smoking marijuana, Jones disassociated himself, Calvin Jones said, because he didn’t want to hurt his chances with football.

“I have good friends, but I wouldn’t say I made lifelong friends because of the moving,” Jones said. “It helped me a little (not to be close with anyone) because I just focused on football.”

Jones didn’t know many people in Texas, but he knew the men ahead of him in running back drills at the performance center. Jones watched how NFL players like Darren McFadden, Jerry Hughes and Knile Davis trained. How Ameer Abdullah pumped his arms even while running slow and how he kept his feet shoulder-width for balance and quick cuts. Jones, who wanted to improve his pass-catching, took note of how quickly the NFL guys turned their heads after completing a route.

Jones was the only collegiate player to line up for reps with pros, his trainer Drew Cuffee said. Players from Baylor and Football Championship Series schools also trained there. Cuffee praised Jones’ receptiveness and consistency. Jones didn’t miss one work out all summer.

When Jackson returned to Texas, he noticed defined biceps, thicker legs and bulkier shoulders. Jones’ body fat slimmed from 12 percent to seven.

Jones knows the NFL is a longshot, especially for a Division II athlete. However, Cuffee, a former Division II defensive back at Abilene Christian, had five teammates make the NFL, one of whom started 128 games in an eight-year career.

“I can see the difference between NFL talent and not NFL talent,” Cuffee said. “(Jones) has the potential to get there. He’s put himself in a position.”

This spring, Jones will try to turn pro, but his success is far from guaranteed.

Only one thing is for sure. If a professional chance presents itself, no matter where it is, he’ll take it.

He won’t mind moving.

sjfortie@syr.edu

CALVINAUGH JONES (RIGHT) changed homes 12 times before high school. He made one more move from West Virginia to Dallas to improve at football and was a Division II first-team All-American last season. courtesy of concord athletics

Targeting ejections on the rise despite rule clarification

By Chris Libonati asst. copy editor

As Eric Dungey was dragged down from behind, Central Michigan defensive lineman Mitch Stanitzek dropped his helmet and forearm into Dungey’s helmet and neck.

Dungey lay on the turf face down, limp after being bent backward and hitting the ground.

Fans yelled, “Throw him out! Throw him out!” before referees ejected Stanitzek for targeting. As Stanitzek left the field, fans booed him. The Mid-American Conference did not suspend the defensive end later in the week.

The targeting rule that sent Stanitzek from the game was initially introduced in 2008, but didn’t develop into its current form until 2013. The rule comes into focus on plays like the one on Saturday, and is still emphasized to players by coaches and officials.

The NCAA cleaned the rule up before last season after it was largely criticized in 2013. Yet through two weeks in 2015, there were 19 targeting ejections, up from 14 in the first two weeks in 2014. Despite the changes, there is still a gray area in the call.

“You can tell if you’re a player, a coach or an official, if somebody’s taking a cheap shot as a

player,” David Cutcliffe, Duke’s head coach and a member of the NCAA football rules committee said. “If that occurs, I think an ejection is appropriate. I think there are other penalties that fall under the category of unsportsmanlike, that it just kind of happened, bang bang.”

From the time Dungey released the ball to the time Stanitzek drilled him took less than half a second. Stanitzek told the Mount Pleasant Morning Sun his head-to-head hit was unintentional.

I think the way they’ve set the rule where they can review it, look at it and see it and fix the penalty, I think is good.

Jimbo Fisher florida state head coach

But the NCAA also finds itself at a crossroads of safety and entertainment, with one big hit potentially injuring a player’s spine, head or neck. The rule was initially created to protect players’ safety, specifically on violent helmet-to-helmet collisions.

Prior to 2013, players who hit above the shoulders were assessed a 15-yard penalty and nothing more. Now those players, depending on a review, could be ejected and suspended. Before last season, the ejection could be overturned during the review and the 15-yard penalty could be upheld. Now, both have to be upheld or overturned during the review process.

“I think the way they’ve set the rule where they can review it, look at it and see it and fix the penalty, I think is good,” said Jimbo Fisher, Florida State’s head coach, who also had a player thrown out for targeting this season.

What officials looked for included four “key elements.” They look to see if the tackler goes beyond making a usual tackle, used the crown of his helmet, hit the head or neck area and whether the hit was on a defenseless player.

With a spike in targeting calls, Fisher said maybe it’s time to refocus on fundamentals. When the rule was fixed to include an ejection in 2013, Fisher said he made sure he taught tackling, aiming points and not leading with the crown of the helmet.

“We talk about not targeting helmet-to-helmet, understanding that we need to be, when we’re making those hits, conscious of where

our contact is being made,” SU head coach Scott Shafer said. “The game and the rules have created a sense of needing to coach technique.”

SU brings a referee in every season for the team to give players a heads up to what officials are looking for, Orange linebacker Zaire Franklin said. In that meeting, Franklin said the referee makes sure to stress the targeting rule.

Through two weeks of the 2015 season, there were 19 ejections due to targeting.

For now, all coaches can do is emphasize correct tackling techniques and players can listen to referees’ suggestions.

“You can get kicked out of the game if you’re in the wrong place,” Franklin said. “We definitely talk about targeting all the time and just talk about playing hard … but also playing smart and realizing one head-to-head hit and you’re out of the game and then you’re not helping anybody.”

cjlibona@syr.edu | @ChrisLibonati

ERIC DUNGEY will miss Syracuse’s game on Saturday after he was the victim of a targeting penalty in the first half of SU’s 30-27 overtime win over Central Michigan. Despite a recent rule clarification and harsher punishments to help limit targeting, it has been called more in 2015 than in 2014. logan reidsma photo editor

JORDAN

photo by logan reidsma photo editor

JORDAN FREDERICKS

Q&A with LSU football writer Ross Dellenger of The Advocate

By Paul Schwedelson asst. copy editor

Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) is set to take on No. 8 Louisiana State (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern) at noon in the Carrier Dome in the Orange’s most anticipated matchup of the season. Follow along with SU-LSU coverage at dailyorange.com or on Twitter @DOSports.

To learn more about the Tigers, The Daily Orange spoke with Ross Dellenger, an LSU beat writer for The Advocate.

The Daily Orange: Is it even possible to stop Heisman hopeful running back Leonard Fournette?

Ross Dellenger: Well, (LSU head coach) Les Miles was asked about it on a teleconference on Wednesday and said the key to slowing him down is basically for the opponent’s offense to keep the ball, so for him to be on the sideline. And there’s probably a little truth to that … I don’t know if the best defense in the nation could hold down Leonard Fournette under

70 or 80 yards. Maybe they hold him to 100 or something … Even if they put eight, nine, even 10 in the box, they found a way to at least get Leonard Fournette a little bit of space and that’s really all he needs.

The D.O.: What have you learned about quarterback Brandon Harris after winning the starting job in training camp?

R.D.: We don’t know too much about him, but through two games this year, it’s pretty clear the coaches are easing him along. He’s only completed 21 passes of 31 attempts, so he’s averaging about 15 attempts per game. They’re handing the ball off a lot and more so than using Brandon’s arm, they have really used Brandon’s feet. He almost has as many rushing yards, 114, as as many passing yards, 145. So we all kind of know how talented he is and in some nonconference games last year, he showed his arm; he’s really got a rocket, he’s kind of a gunslinger … He’s got the talent but the coaches have been easing him in. I think this could be the game, against Syracuse, when they might let him throw downfield.

said. “We want to try and contain their best player and be aware of all the others on the offensive side.”

The D.O.: LSU’s leading tackler, Deion Jones, is suspended for the first half for targeting last week. How big of a factor will that have on the game?

R.D.: He’s so fast and he has that reckless abandon, he’ll hit anybody. It is going to be tough to replace somebody like him in the first half … They don’t sub very often. (LSU’s starting linebackers) get about 95 percent of the snaps in the game. So bringing somebody else in, you’re looking at somebody who doesn’t have a ton of experience, specifically this year through the first two games … That’s something that if I’m Syracuse, I’m going to exploit. Deion is the guy that runs from sideline to sideline, so if you can get to the edges against a backup in the game, you probably should take advantage of it.

The D.O.: Who else should Syracuse fans have on their radar?

R.D.: There’s another running back, his name’s Derrius Guice. He’s a true freshman, he was a (four-star) guy according to most recruiting services. So he’s really talented. He

der injury in the third quarter.

But the LSU back is a different animal.

had (six) carries for (55) yards and two of the carries included about five broken tackles. So he’s a guy you’re going to see a lot, especially because if the game does get out of hand, they’ll probably sit Leonard and he’ll probably be the guy.

The D.O.: What’s the one area that Syracuse would have to capitalize on to have a chance?

R.D.: Certainly in the first half, if you don’t have your lead tackler, that’s something to take advantage of. Deion Jones covers a lot, the slot guy a lot, sometimes a fourth wide receiver. The best thing to do, especially against an LSU defense without Deion, is to spread them out with three-, four-, five-receiver sets and throw the ball and trying to get matchups with that backup weak-side linebacker in the game. I think that’s what Syracuse has to do. If they’re able to move the ball, keep Leonard Fournette off the field … and exploit LSU not having its leading tackler in the first half, that’s the way to go.

pmschwed@syr.edu @pschweds

Shafer says he’s the best running back he’s faced in 26 years of coaching.

His intangibles trump the predictability of most play calls, often forcing linebackers or the secondary into a mass number of tackles, or missed ones, after the defensive line is penetrated.

“They are going to come downhill and really challenge who you are up front,” Shafer

To counter Fournette, Franklin said all the Orange can do is gang tackle.

The sophomore has talked to elder defensive players Luke Arciniega and Wayne Morgan to get an idea of how Williams ran against SU in 2013, when he was held to a season-low 29 rushing yards before leaving with a shoul-

“We’ve been preaching flying to the ball since I showed up here in June last year,” Franklin said. “If he could break 11 tackles at the same time, then he can just go through.”

Crutchfield says the best way to stop Fournette is kryptonite. Tigers’ head coach Les Miles says teams who can keep the ball do best.

For now, Syracuse has hope the formula it’ll unveil Saturday will work, but like most teams, that’s all it may materialize to be.

“He’s a special player,” Bullough said. “You better bring the big-boy pads and go out there and give it to him.”

mcschnei@syr.edu

@matt_schneidman

2 Eric Dungey QB 6-3 202 Fr.

39 Russell Gage

41 David Ducre

43 Tommy LeBeau S 6-0

43 Foster Moreau

44 John David Moor e

45 Deion Jones

6-5

6-4

6-1

Sr. Monroe, La. (Ouachita Parish HS)

Fr. New Orleans, La. (Jesuit HS)

So. Ruston, La. (Ruston HS)

Sr. New Orleans, La. (Jesuit HS)

45 Josh Tharp TE 6-4 246 So. Erin, Tenn. (Houston County HS)

46 Tashawn Bower DE 6-5 240 Jr. Somerville, N.J. (Immaculata HS)

47 Bry’Kiethon Mouton FB 6-1 255 Fr. Lafayette, La. (Acadiana HS)

48 Donnie Alexander LB 6-1 215 So. New Orleans, La. (Edna Karr HS)

49 Arden

50 Christian Pittman

51 Jonathan Rucker

52 Kendell Beckwith

53 Grant Leger

54 Eman Haynes

55 Roshon

55 Cole Miller

5-11

6-0

Buford, Ga. (Buford HS)

Sr. New Orleans, La. (Brother Martin HS)

So. Ponchatoula, La. (Ponchatoula HS)

(East Feliciana HS)

Buford, Ga. (Buford HS)

Metairie, La. (Jesuit HS)

(Tara HS)

Time machine: Michael Vick unstoppable against SU in 2000

Editor’s note: The article below is a republished story from The Daily Orange’s preview of Syracuse-Virginia Tech, highlighting Michael Vick’s return to Syracuse on Oct. 21, 2000.

Right now, in the college town of Blacksburg, Va., there resides a quarterback among the city’s 39,050 residents who should remind Syracuse football fans of Donovan McNabb.

Like McNabb, he’s athletic enough to warrant consideration from a sport he doesn’t specialize in.

Like McNabb, he’s at his best when improvising on college football’s stage, truly a man among some very big boys.

And like McNabb, Virginia Tech’s all-everything quarterback, Michael Vick, was drawn to Syracuse in the recruiting process.

But Vick doesn’t like comparisons. He doesn’t like cold weather, either. He doesn’t like being far away from his mom, who lives in Newport News, Va.

He never wanted to be the next Donovan

McNabb.

So while Syracuse struggles to find a replacement for its best quarterback ever, the would-be heir to the Salt City throne is wearing Orange — mixed with maroon — while taking snaps for the No. 2 Hokies.

“I was real close to coming to Syracuse, but in the end it came to me wanting to be my own person,” said Vick, who will visit the Carrier Dome on Saturday for a 7 p.m. tilt.

“I wanted to be the first Michael Vick.”

Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer has a new affection for the white, flaky substance that piles high on Central New York roads after watching Vick take the Hokies to the national championship game last season, where they lost, 46-29, to Florida State.

“Whatever words you want to put int here, they wouldn’t be strong enough,” Beamer said. explaining his happiness with Vick’s decision.

“With us, you’ve got the best player in the country and you put that with a good football team. I can tell you for sure, I’m glad Michael Vick’s on our side.”

And Beamer’s not stretching. Most analysts agree Vick is the best player in college football. They only disagree if that sentence should end in “ever.”

Last season, Vick finished No. 1 in the nation in passing efficiency, at a 180.4 clip. He accounted for 2,425 yards of total offense and averaged 9.3 yards per play, breaking a VT record.

Despite modest statistics by his standards this season, Vick led Virginia Tech to a 6-0 record and completed 55 for 107 passes. He’s rushed for 541 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns while passing for another seven. He remains the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Most important, and Big East coaches agree on this one, Vick is the focal point for opposing defenses, and he presents a problem no coach can answer or stop.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have a clue,” West Virginia head coach Don Nehlen said. “If I knew that, I would write a book and make a lot of money selling it. I don’t know if there is

anything you can do. You just hope it doesn’t happen too often.”

“They have the best player in the country touching the ball 60 to 70 times a game. That’s scary.”

“He’s the best football playerI’ve seen in 22 years in football,” Temple head coach Bobby Wallace said.

Like a broken record, the list goes on.

“Looking at him, I think he’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Boston College head coach Tom O’Brien said. Syracuse probably wished the best player O’Brien has ever seen was on the field last Saturday, when Troy Nunes threw four interceptions in a 20-13 loss.

The same holds true for last season when Vick threw for a mere 135 yards and a touchdown and the Hokies stuck bamboozled Syracuse, 62-0, in Blacksburg.

Then there’s the matter if Saturday, when Vick leads the Hokies into battle against a reeling 3-3 Syracuse squad.

See dailyorange.com for the remainder of the story.

DATE OPPONENT TIME

Saturday, Sept. 26 Louisiana State Noon

BYE

Saturday, Oct. 10 at South Florida TBA

Saturday, Oct. 17 at Virginia TBA

Saturday, Oct. 24 Pittsburgh TBA

Saturday, Oct. 31 at Florida State TBA

Saturday, Nov. 7 at Louisville TBA

Saturday, Nov. 14 Clemson TBA

Saturday, Nov. 21 North Carolina State TBA

Saturday, Nov. 28 Boston College TBA

Around the nation: UCLAArizona tops weekend slate

By Justin Mattingly news editor

No. 22 BYU (2-1) at Michigan (2-1) –Noon

After starting the season with two miraculous wins, BYU lost to then-No. 10 UCLA, 24-23, for its first loss of the season. The Cougars will need freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum to stay poised on Saturday as they travel to the Big House to face a Michigan team that’s allowed 236.7 yards a game this season. The Wolverines are 6.5-point favorites.

No. 24 Oklahoma State (3-0) at Texas (1-2) – 3:30 p.m.

Through three games this season, Texas has allowed more than 512 yards a game on average. That comes after finishing 10th in defensive efficiency last season and the Longhorns are giving up the second-most passing yards per game in the Big 12. Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph comes into Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium with a completion percentage around 70 and a passer efficiency of 173.4, good for 12th in the nation. The Cowboys are 3-point favorites.

Western Michigan (1-2) at No. 1 Ohio State (3-0) – 3:30 p.m.

After uncertainty over who would be the starting quarterback for Ohio State this week, Cardale Jones will remain the starter, head coach Urban Meyer told reporters. Jones is coming off a rough game last week against Northern Illinois in which he threw two interceptions, completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes and was eventually replaced by backup J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes are 31.5-point favorites for the game at Ohio Stadium.

No. 3 TCU (3-0) at Texas Tech (3-0) –4:45 p.m.

The Horned Frogs looks to put off-the-field issues behind them for Saturday’s road game

against Texas Tech. Two TCU players were arrested Monday on felony robbery charges and the players have been suspended from the team. The two offenses both average around 50 points per game and TCU scored a school-record 82 points last year against the Red Raiders. The Horned Frogs are 6.5-point favorites for the game, which features an over/under of 80.5.

No. 9 UCLA (3-0) at No. 16 Arizona (3-0) – 8 p.m.

Anu Solomon will try to extend his strong start to the season as he leads No. 16 Arizona against No. 9 UCLA in Tucson, Arizona. Solomon has thrown 10 touchdowns with no interceptions. The Bruins are coming off a tight 24-23 win over then-No. 19 BYU, while the Wildcats put up a school-record 77 points in a win over Northern Arizona last week. UCLA is a 3-point favorite in the game.

No. 18 Utah (3-0) at No. 13 Oregon (2-1) – 8:30 p.m.

Oregon, which lost 31-28 to Michigan State two weeks ago, will host the Utah Utes, who have matched their highest ranking since 2010, at Autzen Stadium. The starting running backs for each team — Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker — are both in the top five in the Pacific-12 in rush yards per game this season. Oregon is a 12-point favorite in the game and is top 10 in the country with an average of 50 points a game.

No. 19 USC (2-1) at Arizona State (2-1) – 10:30 p.m.

Coming off a 10-point loss to No. 21 Stanford, USC will play its first road game of the season on Saturday as it travels to Sun Devil Stadium to take on Arizona State. The game could be decided with USC quarterback Cody Kessler in the pocket. The Trojans are 5.5-point favorites for the game.

jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306

PREGAME PLAYBOOK

syracuse

MARQEZ HODGE

linebacker

HT: 5’11” WGHT: 221

YEAR: JUNIOR

hodge-podge

Hodge ranks 11th on the team in total tackles while the other two starting linebackers are first and second. A unit defined by youth has been led by its two youngest players, sophomores Zaire Franklin and Parris Bennett. But with Leonard Fournette likely to break through SU’s D-line, Hodge will need to round out the second line of defense.

ZACK MAHONEY

quarterback

HT: 6’2” WGHT: 192

YEAR: SOPHOMORE

new sheriff

The walk-on quarterback, once a fifth-stringer for SU, will start against the No. 8 team in the country. He completed all four of his passes for 19 yards against Central Michigan, even leading the game-winning drive in overtime. But this is a whole different animal.

LEONARD FOURNETTE

running back

HT: 6’1” WGHT: 230 YEAR: SOPHOMORE

watch out

The Tigers’ running back has 387 yards and six touchdowns through two games. His combination of speed, size and strength poses the toughest threat Scott Shafer says he’s faced in 26 years. The Orange will have its hands full with the leading Heisman Trophy contender.

BRANDON HARRIS

quarterback

HT: 6’3” WGHT: 206 YEAR: SOPHOMORE

dual threat

The LSU quarterback hasn’t thrown the ball much – just 31 times in two games – but he’s completed 21 of those passes. Harris hasn’t thrown an interception yet this season, but his one passing touchdown clearly shows who the Tigers run their offense through.

beat writer predictions acc standings

ACC Atlantic standings (conference record):

Clemson 3-0 (1-0)

Florida State 3-0 (1-0)

Syracuse 3-0 (1-0)

NC State 3-0

Boston College 2-1 (0-1)

Wake Forest 2-1 (0-1)

Louisville 0-3 (0-1)

by the numbers

Syracuse has defeated 11 opponents ranked in the AP Top 10 since the poll was first released in 1934.

they said it

That offensive line is as good as I’ve seen in years.

Tim Daoust su defensive line coach

50 .818

Number of points Syracuse scored when it beat thenNo. 8 Virginia Tech in 2002. That was SU’s last victory over an AP Top 10 team.

The Orange’s all-time winning percentage against teams from Louisiana. SU has only faced the Tigers and Tulane.

SAM BLUM (3-0)

lsu 35, syracuse 7 Gold standard

Syracuse’s imperfectly perfect start to the season has a reality check with a blowout loss to Louisiana State. Syracuse’s defense will keep it close for the first half, but it will be Tigers fans drinking the Dome dry by game’s end.

JESSE DOUGHERTY (2-1)

lsu 49, syracuse 10 Meow

Syracuse scratches for a touchdown and field goal once LSU pumps the brakes, but it’s way too late. Leonard Fournette does a few Leonard Fournette things and, well, that’s a wrap.

I think in my 26 years as a coach, this kid is the most talented tailback I have gone against. I think he is special.

fournette

In the 1989 Hall of fame Bowl, the No. 17 Orange took down the No. 16 Tigers on New Year’s Day in front of 51, 112. Former SU running back Robert Drummond won game MVP after running for 122 yards and two tocuhdowns.

You like games like this. You like playing against the No. 1 running back in the nation.

Zaire Franklin su linebacker

MATT SCHNEIDMAN (3-0)

lsu 42, syracuse 10

Untamed

A once-fifth-stringer now starting for Syracuse plus the best running back in the country playing for LSU equals nothing good for the Orange. Fournette will be relaxing on the sideline well before this game is over and the Tigers prove SU can’t take down a big boy just yet.

PAUL SCHWEDELSON (3-0)

lsu 42, syracuse 3

LS-Phew

The only successful thing that can come out of this game for Syracuse is that its remaining quarterbacks stay healthy, providing a silver lining to a game that will otherwise be out of control.

yards from fournette