Park's Place
3/30/2011 5:59:30 PM | Football, Men's Lacrosse
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Great news on the Rob Long cancer front this week. Rob got an MRI Monday claiming no cancerous cells at the moment. It looked like the NFL punting prospect enjoyed being able to spend part of this afternoon simply taking snaps from the Jugs machine and repeating his steps and ball drops this afternoon at Manley Field House. What might have been monotonous practice at one point has to be a welcome distraction now.
Long's footwork as a punter is one of the countless nuances of the game that get honed at this time of year. Walking around spring practice in the Dome Tuesday afternoon, I was struck by how much attention to detail the coaches have in drills.
Tyrone Wheatley ran his running backs through a shuffle drill insisting that they drag their back leg along the ground, not actually lift it or hop, lest they be off-balance for a split second while pass protecting in a real game.
Linebackers coach Dan Conley outlined a series of reactions he expected his unit to make relative to the alignment of opposing backs.
Newcomer Tim Daoust spent time with defensive lineman last week demonstrating their perfect hand placement on the chest of would-be blockers. Proper technique is a matter of only a few degrees.
"You have to coach fundamentals throughout the season, but the emphasis is now to build that foundation,” head coach Doug Marrone said Tuesday. “I'm starting to hear the coaches repetitive in their corrections and that's not good. If you're hearing the coaches saying the same thing to you, you need to start doing a better job.”
Football is about halfway through spring ball, with its final scrimmage April 16 at 1:00 p.m. in the Dome.
Back to Lax: I've enjoyed my two fill-in appearances alongside the great Kyle Fetterly in the lacrosse broadcast booth. Brian Higgins, who does a terrific job, will be back in the saddle this weekend for the Duke game at the Meadowlands.
You can understand if head coach John Desko might be the least bit put off by fan and media concern over the Orange's lack of scoring punch in their recent wins. Back-to-back 5-4 games have been wins, after all.
Still, five-goal performances haven't been what the program's success has been built on. Desko said the lack of production doesn't have as much to do with shooting or finishing as passing.
“I think we need to get rid of the turnovers (20 at Villanova Saturday), be a little more patient offensively, especially knowing the tempo of the game,” Desko said. "If the tempo of the game is slower, we're going have to be a little slower offensively unless it's an unsettled or fast break situation.”
List me among those in favor of a lacrosse shot clock. Increasing the pace of the game would tend to favor SU.
This Weekend's Broadcasts:
Tonight 10 p.m. ESPN McDonald's all-America basketball game with two incoming recruits
Thursday 7 p.m. TWCS Syracuse Sidelines
Coming soon... Rob Long special
I'd be happy to field your questions on anything regarding the Orange. Shoot me an email to the Radio Mailbox.
Head Coach Fran Brown Press Conference | Spring Ball Day 8
Wednesday, April 01
Dwight Freeney at FRANCHISE Coaches Clinic
Monday, March 30
Donovin Darius at FRANCHISE Coaches Clinic
Monday, March 30
John Scott Jr. Press Conference | Spring Ball Day 5
Saturday, March 28
