Photo by: Charles Wainwright
Shafer Pleased with Development of Leadership in the Program
4/23/2014 1:19:00 PM | Football
Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer and the Orange wrapped up Spring practice with the annual Spring game on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. Receiver Ashton Broyld paced the offense with eight receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Terrel Hunt was 12-of-15 for 95 yards. Defensively linebacker Josh Kirkland and safety Chauncey Scissum led the way with seven tackles each. Shafer is pleased with the developing leadership within the program. He discussed that and more on the Atlantic Coast Conference annual post-Spring teleconference this morning.
Shafer's takeaways from spring practice:
"I really like this linebacker outfit. We lost a good player in Marquis Spruill but I like the leadership and work ethic out of that group. Dyshawn Davis has done a nice job, along with Cameron Lynch, leading that group. I like their discipline.
"I like the development of Marqez Hodge in the middle. I'm looking forward to getting Luke Arciniega back, he's out with some lower body injuries but he is doing a lot better. I would say that linebacker crew would be the starting point.
"On the offensive side of the ball I really like the way our wide receiver group competed, not necessarily saying their ability level is superior to a lot of the people we play, but their work ethic was really good, and I think that's a great place to start. Those two areas are probably the ones that jump out at me right now."
On the community's response to the direction of the program:
"I think the community has been great. I was really enthusiastic to see the folks and their children after the spring game. We had a good turnout and there's a lot of excitement with the different things that are going on with the program. I really appreciate the people of Syracuse. They're first class. They want to see us win at a high level and you can really feel the excitement in the community right now. We look forward to trying to continue to increase that as we move into the summer and into the preseason. Our kids have done a great job getting out there in the community with a lot of the service we do. I feel like we have a partnership in Syracuse right now with our football team and our community and it's a great thing."
Syracuse opens the 2014 season against Villanova on Friday, August 29. To celebrate the excitement in the program, Shafer has a generous offer for 'Cuse Nation to celebrate his second season with the Orange. His 'Next Fan Up' campaign means that for every ticket purchased for the 2014 season against Villanova on Friday, August 29, Coach Shafer will buy an additional ticket for that fan. The offer includes season tickets already purchased. This special offer is available through Saturday, May 31, 2014.
All Orange fans are invited to purchase or renew 2014 Syracuse football season tickets, which start at $99, or purchase a three-game package that includes Villanova, Florida State and a third home game in the Dome of the fan's choice ($125 per package). In addition, discounted group tickets (20+), with prices as low as $10 each, are available for all home games. Tickets can be purchased via the internet (Cuse.com), telephone (888-DOMETIX), or by visiting the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).
On the running backs:
"We'll miss Jerome Smith. Jerome was a good football player who put some good numbers up in his time here but the next man up is a group of guys that I'm excited about. Coming out of the spring game, George Morris played well. Prince-Tyson Gulley is solid because he can do everything, he can run the ball and catch the ball in the backfield and his protection has improved. Adonis Ameen-Moore is probably the guy that we're looking to really ramp up now that Jerome has moved on to bigger and better things. Devante McFarlane was a little bit banged up at the beginning of the spring but he came back and finished up the spring strong.
"When I look at those four men, starting with Gulley because he's been here the longest, and then Adonis and then the two kids Devante and George, I think we have a solid group of kids that can really help us in this offense. I'm excited about that group, they've got a long way to go to get them to where we want them to be but running backs coach DeAndre Smith does a nice job leading them to the water and now I'm looking forward to seeing them drink and swim across that pond as we work toward the season."
On kicker Ryan Norton:
"I had to suspend Ryan Norton from the team for a little bit and I'm looking forward to his return here at the beginning of the summer. He violated some team rules and he's done a nice job taking ownership. It's between Ryan and I but he will be back with us shortly and we look forward to that."
On replacing defensive tackle Jay Bromley and linebacker Marquis Spruill:
"I'll miss both of them. They're good football players and became strong leaders for us, right down the middle of that defense, a defensive tackle and a middle linebacker. It's difficult to replace both of them but I will say I'm pleased with the improvement in the middle with the linebackers. I think that Marqez Hodge is doing a nice job, he's made a ton of plays. He's still learning but he runs around and when he makes mistakes, he makes them fast, and that's what you like to see out of a young guy.
"Eric Crume has done a nice job at tackle, I'm pleased with the progress he's made. He had a pretty good season for us last year but he has continued to improve. We have a couple of young guys who have to step it up at the defensive tackle position and we're going to figure out a way to get it done. You hate to rely on the brand new recruits when they come in so I'm really putting it on Marcus Coleman and Eric Crume to step it up, and Ryan Sloan and Wayne Williams, between the four of those guys, especially.
"If we have to we'll take one of the defensive ends and play him at tackle a little bit until we can get the young guys moved forward. We did that all spring, which was actually good to see. We moved Micah Robinson down in there and played him in a three technique and I saw him make some plays.
"What you get is a more athletic kid, sometimes. He might not have a lot of size to him but you do get some athleticism. Ron Thompson moved down and played some three technique sometimes in practice and I thought it was a good lesson for those kids to understand that regardless of where we are going into the season, any guy up front may have to move down or in and all around for us to find ways to win games.
"I thought defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough, along with defensive line coach Tim Daoust, did a nice job manufacturing situations where kids realize, 'I might have to play here, I may have to play there but either way, we're going to find a way to win.' I was pleased with the progress those kids made."
On defensive tackle Wayne Williams:
"It will be really critical to get him in shape for the fall and I hope he can meet the challenge. He needs to continue to get in good condition. He has made good progress, though, and I'm proud of Wayne Williams. He has got a ways to go but I'm proud of the effort he's put into it. He has had some days where he hasn't reached his goals or the objectives or the standards that we ask of the kids but as long as he's fighting the good fight, I'm going to support him all the way.
"He has made it through phase one here and now we have to make it through phase two, being summer conditioning and summer preparation and working your butt off when the coaches aren't around. When we get into August-mode, I look forward to seeing a new and improved Wayne Williams and I'm very confident that we will. Wayne's a good kid and he has been working hard.
"Like I said he has a long way to go but the good thing is, he has a lot of brothers in that room that aren't going to let him fail. They're hard on him just like a big brother should be but I've been proud of the way those kids have been pushing him. It has been new and overwhelming to him but he keeps coming back and that's a good sign."
On this spring's biggest development:
"For me, the biggest thing is that the beauty of college football is that every year it's a different team, a different makeup, different personality, different influences. Some guys have to step up to the plate and own their new role and the new standards we expect of them. I've seen a lot of those individuals step up and give it their best. I'm not talking necessarily about the x's and o's.
"Micah Robinson is a defensive end who has played a lot of football for us but he was always the younger brother in the group. Now I think he looks around the room and says, 'It's time for me to be the big brother and step up to the plate.' I've seen him do that, I'm proud of where he is right now. It's the same thing with Eric Crume and the defensive line. Those are two guys who jump out and I'm pleased with them.
"Another situation is Marqez Hodge with the linebackers. We had a four-year starter in Marquis Spruill and now we have this young gun Hodge who looks around the room and says, 'These guys are counting on me, I've got a senior to my left in Dyshawn Davis and a senior to my right in Cam Lynch and I need to step it up. I may be the little brother but I've got to step it up and not let my big brothers down in their senior season.
"On the offensive side of the ball, we have a young man, Terrel Hunt at the quarterback position, who understands how key it will be that he takes full ownership of that offense and full responsibility for making sure those kids improve when no one is looking this summer. I've been pleased with his progress as a leader. I've been pleased with Sean Hickey stepping up to the plate. He's played left tackle for us for a long time and I liked the way he stepped up during practice and pulled people with him.
"Ritchy Desir is another kid who is a silent leader. He goes to work every day. He's a young man from North Miami Beach, a well-coached young man when we recruited him and he came in and did what he was asked. Now I see him and feel him stepping it up. I look forward to the continued maturation with personalities and leadership roles that are so key to our success.
"I would say that's what I was most impressed with was seeing some of those guys step out of themselves more and understand that they have to own it. That's exciting to me, I'm looking forward to those guys continuing that over the course of the next couple of months."
For complete coverage of Syracuse and Syracuse football, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange & Syracuse Football) and Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseFootball). Check out exclusive videos on Orange All-Access and behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram (syracuseathletics).
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Shafer's takeaways from spring practice:
"I really like this linebacker outfit. We lost a good player in Marquis Spruill but I like the leadership and work ethic out of that group. Dyshawn Davis has done a nice job, along with Cameron Lynch, leading that group. I like their discipline.
"I like the development of Marqez Hodge in the middle. I'm looking forward to getting Luke Arciniega back, he's out with some lower body injuries but he is doing a lot better. I would say that linebacker crew would be the starting point.
"On the offensive side of the ball I really like the way our wide receiver group competed, not necessarily saying their ability level is superior to a lot of the people we play, but their work ethic was really good, and I think that's a great place to start. Those two areas are probably the ones that jump out at me right now."
On the community's response to the direction of the program:
"I think the community has been great. I was really enthusiastic to see the folks and their children after the spring game. We had a good turnout and there's a lot of excitement with the different things that are going on with the program. I really appreciate the people of Syracuse. They're first class. They want to see us win at a high level and you can really feel the excitement in the community right now. We look forward to trying to continue to increase that as we move into the summer and into the preseason. Our kids have done a great job getting out there in the community with a lot of the service we do. I feel like we have a partnership in Syracuse right now with our football team and our community and it's a great thing."
Syracuse opens the 2014 season against Villanova on Friday, August 29. To celebrate the excitement in the program, Shafer has a generous offer for 'Cuse Nation to celebrate his second season with the Orange. His 'Next Fan Up' campaign means that for every ticket purchased for the 2014 season against Villanova on Friday, August 29, Coach Shafer will buy an additional ticket for that fan. The offer includes season tickets already purchased. This special offer is available through Saturday, May 31, 2014.
All Orange fans are invited to purchase or renew 2014 Syracuse football season tickets, which start at $99, or purchase a three-game package that includes Villanova, Florida State and a third home game in the Dome of the fan's choice ($125 per package). In addition, discounted group tickets (20+), with prices as low as $10 each, are available for all home games. Tickets can be purchased via the internet (Cuse.com), telephone (888-DOMETIX), or by visiting the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B).
On the running backs:
"We'll miss Jerome Smith. Jerome was a good football player who put some good numbers up in his time here but the next man up is a group of guys that I'm excited about. Coming out of the spring game, George Morris played well. Prince-Tyson Gulley is solid because he can do everything, he can run the ball and catch the ball in the backfield and his protection has improved. Adonis Ameen-Moore is probably the guy that we're looking to really ramp up now that Jerome has moved on to bigger and better things. Devante McFarlane was a little bit banged up at the beginning of the spring but he came back and finished up the spring strong.
"When I look at those four men, starting with Gulley because he's been here the longest, and then Adonis and then the two kids Devante and George, I think we have a solid group of kids that can really help us in this offense. I'm excited about that group, they've got a long way to go to get them to where we want them to be but running backs coach DeAndre Smith does a nice job leading them to the water and now I'm looking forward to seeing them drink and swim across that pond as we work toward the season."
On kicker Ryan Norton:
"I had to suspend Ryan Norton from the team for a little bit and I'm looking forward to his return here at the beginning of the summer. He violated some team rules and he's done a nice job taking ownership. It's between Ryan and I but he will be back with us shortly and we look forward to that."
On replacing defensive tackle Jay Bromley and linebacker Marquis Spruill:
"I'll miss both of them. They're good football players and became strong leaders for us, right down the middle of that defense, a defensive tackle and a middle linebacker. It's difficult to replace both of them but I will say I'm pleased with the improvement in the middle with the linebackers. I think that Marqez Hodge is doing a nice job, he's made a ton of plays. He's still learning but he runs around and when he makes mistakes, he makes them fast, and that's what you like to see out of a young guy.
"Eric Crume has done a nice job at tackle, I'm pleased with the progress he's made. He had a pretty good season for us last year but he has continued to improve. We have a couple of young guys who have to step it up at the defensive tackle position and we're going to figure out a way to get it done. You hate to rely on the brand new recruits when they come in so I'm really putting it on Marcus Coleman and Eric Crume to step it up, and Ryan Sloan and Wayne Williams, between the four of those guys, especially.
"If we have to we'll take one of the defensive ends and play him at tackle a little bit until we can get the young guys moved forward. We did that all spring, which was actually good to see. We moved Micah Robinson down in there and played him in a three technique and I saw him make some plays.
"What you get is a more athletic kid, sometimes. He might not have a lot of size to him but you do get some athleticism. Ron Thompson moved down and played some three technique sometimes in practice and I thought it was a good lesson for those kids to understand that regardless of where we are going into the season, any guy up front may have to move down or in and all around for us to find ways to win games.
"I thought defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough, along with defensive line coach Tim Daoust, did a nice job manufacturing situations where kids realize, 'I might have to play here, I may have to play there but either way, we're going to find a way to win.' I was pleased with the progress those kids made."
On defensive tackle Wayne Williams:
"It will be really critical to get him in shape for the fall and I hope he can meet the challenge. He needs to continue to get in good condition. He has made good progress, though, and I'm proud of Wayne Williams. He has got a ways to go but I'm proud of the effort he's put into it. He has had some days where he hasn't reached his goals or the objectives or the standards that we ask of the kids but as long as he's fighting the good fight, I'm going to support him all the way.
"He has made it through phase one here and now we have to make it through phase two, being summer conditioning and summer preparation and working your butt off when the coaches aren't around. When we get into August-mode, I look forward to seeing a new and improved Wayne Williams and I'm very confident that we will. Wayne's a good kid and he has been working hard.
"Like I said he has a long way to go but the good thing is, he has a lot of brothers in that room that aren't going to let him fail. They're hard on him just like a big brother should be but I've been proud of the way those kids have been pushing him. It has been new and overwhelming to him but he keeps coming back and that's a good sign."
On this spring's biggest development:
"For me, the biggest thing is that the beauty of college football is that every year it's a different team, a different makeup, different personality, different influences. Some guys have to step up to the plate and own their new role and the new standards we expect of them. I've seen a lot of those individuals step up and give it their best. I'm not talking necessarily about the x's and o's.
"Micah Robinson is a defensive end who has played a lot of football for us but he was always the younger brother in the group. Now I think he looks around the room and says, 'It's time for me to be the big brother and step up to the plate.' I've seen him do that, I'm proud of where he is right now. It's the same thing with Eric Crume and the defensive line. Those are two guys who jump out and I'm pleased with them.
"Another situation is Marqez Hodge with the linebackers. We had a four-year starter in Marquis Spruill and now we have this young gun Hodge who looks around the room and says, 'These guys are counting on me, I've got a senior to my left in Dyshawn Davis and a senior to my right in Cam Lynch and I need to step it up. I may be the little brother but I've got to step it up and not let my big brothers down in their senior season.
"On the offensive side of the ball, we have a young man, Terrel Hunt at the quarterback position, who understands how key it will be that he takes full ownership of that offense and full responsibility for making sure those kids improve when no one is looking this summer. I've been pleased with his progress as a leader. I've been pleased with Sean Hickey stepping up to the plate. He's played left tackle for us for a long time and I liked the way he stepped up during practice and pulled people with him.
"Ritchy Desir is another kid who is a silent leader. He goes to work every day. He's a young man from North Miami Beach, a well-coached young man when we recruited him and he came in and did what he was asked. Now I see him and feel him stepping it up. I look forward to the continued maturation with personalities and leadership roles that are so key to our success.
"I would say that's what I was most impressed with was seeing some of those guys step out of themselves more and understand that they have to own it. That's exciting to me, I'm looking forward to those guys continuing that over the course of the next couple of months."
For complete coverage of Syracuse and Syracuse football, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange & Syracuse Football) and Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseFootball). Check out exclusive videos on Orange All-Access and behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram (syracuseathletics).
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