Orange Increases the Tempo
8/18/2010 12:10:00 PM | Football
Head Coach Doug Marrone's Press Conference Transcript (Aug. 18, 2010)
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Having installed its entire playbook, the Orange football team increased the tempo on its second two-a-day session of preseason camp. Head coach Doug Marrone and his staff increased the pressure during the morning session, pushing the team to become more consistent.
“We're trying to put a lot of pressure on the players so this way they can get ready to play,” Marrone said. “Pressure means increasing the tempo, putting pressure on them to concentrate on their assignments. We're giving them a lot of schemes and plays to force them mentally to make sure that they're concentrating on what we're getting done now that everything is in. Now we're just working on the packages but we're breaking it up. We're giving them a lot more situations. We go from first down to second down to third down, third and long, third and short, third and medium. Now practice will become more situational, putting them in positions where they're going to be getting ready to play.”
As the season opener at Akron approaches, the positional competitions begin to intensify as student-athletes compete for reps. At linebacker, freshman Marquis Spruill has impressed coaches in the competition for the will linebacker slot, alongside seniors Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith
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“We feel right now that Marquis Spruill is the front runner for that position,” Marrone said. “He is taking the majority of reps with the first group. Ryan (Gillum) has a little strain, which may be holding him back at this point, but he is still out there. That is really the competition right now. Marquis Spruill and Malcolm Cater really show some natural instinct at that position that we get excited about. Lewellyn Coker has done a nice job, but right now Marquis Spruill is a freshman is in a position to play and Malcolm Cater is a freshman who has the ability to play. We just have to see how he progresses.”
On the offensive line, sophomore Zach Chibane and redshirt senior Adam Rosner are vying for the starting left guard spot.
“(Adam Rosner) got a little bump today, I'll know more about that later,” Marrone said. “If you have an equal battle you would think that the person who gets more reps would become the better player. Right now it is close, it is real close. If I was those two players these next three or four days like (Post-Standard reporter) Dave (Rahme) mentioned, these next two or three days are critical for that. Someone is going to have to separate themselves. If you say two guys are the same within three or four practices, they can't remain the same, they have to separate themselves. The tough one is when you have a player who is playing at a certain level and then you have a guy who is really coming on, you don't know if he is going to stop or bypass the other guy, which usually happens with younger players. That is the issue we have as coaches when we go through who is going to be playing for us.”
Syracuse kicks off the 2010 season at Akron on Saturday, September 4 (6:00 p.m., ESPN3). SU opens at home against Maine on September 18 at 7:15 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Tickets are available online (click here) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (888-DOME-TIX). starting at $100.
