Orange Will Visit USF After Bye Week
11/7/2006 3:45:29 PM | Football
Read the Game Notes
Read Head Coach Greg Robinson's Press Conference Transcript
After a bye week, the Orange football squad is ready for the final three games of the regular season. Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson said he and the Orange staff used the open week to get some rest, allow the younger players in the program the opportunity to gain quality practice experience and to review the first nine games of the season and use them as a learning experience. The Orange will take the field again this Saturday (Nov. 11) at South Florida in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN Regional Television at 12:00 p.m.
“I thought that first of all, they needed to get away a little bit," Robinson said of the players. "It has been very intense. Working to get this team to play at the level that they have played at has taken a lot of hard work and a lot of physical and mental strength. I thought they needed a little time to just get away. That was important. Really honing in on the attention to detail, be it through the physical techniques or knowledge of what we are trying to get accomplished, as well as trying to elevate some of the younger players in those areas. I think that is really the biggest thrust of what we were trying to do.”
Orange senior quarterback Perry Patterson continues his climb up Syracuse record lists. In SU's last game at Cincinnati, Patterson became the sixth player in school history with at least 1,000 plays. Patterson ranks eighth in Division I in interception percentage, throwing an interception in just 1.26 percent of his passes this season, and is fourth in the BIG EAST with 166.6 passing yards per game.
Freshman wide receiver Mike Williams leads the team with 373 receiving yards and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST with 46.6 yards per game.
South Florida has a 6-3 record and is 2-2 in the BIG EAST.
"Let’s take all three parts of the game," Robinson said in reference to USF's most recent game against Pittsburgh. "South Florida missed an opportunity on the opening three plays. Now they have to punt and they run a fake punt. They made 11 yards and they went right down and scored. Offensively, they looked very good in that game – running the ball and throwing the football. Defensively, in every way they got after the running game and the passing game. You saw them squeeze Pitt’s offense, too. Then the kicking game is already noted. Their returner is in the top 10 of the country. The kickoff return is excellent and then they run the fake punt. They really played a complete football game. I thought they looked very good.”
