Shafer Eyes Daily Defensive Improvements

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Syracuse defensive coordinator Scott Shafer's 2010 corps finished seventh in the nation in total defense. The third-year Orange coordinator is looking for this year's defense to pick up where it left off. The unit will have to accomplish that with five returning starters. Twelve days into preseason camp, Shafer likes what he sees from his overall group.

"There's hasn't been one group that has come out and taken the bull by the horns the way I want them to yet," Shafer said. "But we're going to keep pressing. We have good kids. We have good character kids, now we just have to teach one another how to push things on a daily basis and create a great attitude followed up by effort."

The challenge for Shafer is to replace at least one person in each level of the defense. Senior defensive ends Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich, who started every game last year, will work with two first-year starters at defensive tackle. At linebacker, sophomore Marquis Spruill, who started every game at outside linebacker in 2010, moves to the middle and will be flanked by two newcomers to the starting lineup. In the secondary, safeties Phillip Thomas and Shamarko Thomas, who return with two seasons of playing experience and multiple starts in 2010, will have two new cornerbacks join them in the defensive backfield.

"I think we're up and down," Shafer said. "There have been times when I've been real excited about the group, and then there have been other times where we didn't necessarily take a step back, but we didn't get better. Our biggest focus is to get a little bit better every day."

Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, whose offense competes against Shafer's lot every day in practice, is impressed by what Shafer has put on the field.

"It's a great defense," Hackett said. "To have to go against them is a bit humbling at times."

Shafer's youngest student-athletes have also begun making adjustments on and off the field to mesh with the returning players.

"The true freshmen who have come in, their heads are spinning," Shafer said. "But there have been flashes of really good things with Eric Crume inside at the tackle position. I'm pleased with Brandon Reddish at corner. I think he's going to be a real good corner at some point here at Syracuse. I think we have a real good football player in (free safety) Durell Eskridge, as well. Those kids had summer school, so academics came first. We didn't have all the meeting time that you would like to have with those kids. But now that we've had them in the room full time I'd say that those three kids have jumped out at me the most."

SU kicks off the 2011 season on Thursday, September 1 against Wake Forest in the Carrier Dome (8:00 p.m., ESPN3). Individual and season tickets are available online and at the Dome Box Office (1-888-DOME-TIX).

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