Tale of Tape

Quarterbacks

Last week quelled Cincinnati’s fears. Without Heisman Trophy-worthy Tony Pike under center, the Bearcats were just fine. Zach Collaros passed for 253 yards, ran for 52 and had three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s blowout win over Louisville. Whereas Pike is a traditional dropback passer, Collaros loves making plays out of the pocket. Greg Paulus bounced back last week, but this one’s easy.

Advantage: Cincinnati

Running backs

Cincinnati is a pass-first team, of course. But it still boasts a dangerous one-two punch in the backfield. Often working against soft fronts, Isaiah Pead and Jacob Ramsey are each averaging more than six yards per carry. Go with Syracuse here, though. Delone Carter is a guy that gets stronger as the game goes on. He turned the corner last weekend. Expect another heavy dose of No. 3 on Saturday. He has meshed well with the shaken-up line.

Advantage: Syracuse

Wide Receivers

Google it. Wherever you look, Mardy Gilyard and Mike Williams headline early-bird draft rankings. Both wide receivers are dynamic playmakers that will be playing on Sundays in the near future. Who gets the edge in this one? Gilyard is a magician in the open field. Williams is more apt to make the acrobatic catch in traffic. With these two guys combining for 1,386 yards and 16 touchdowns already, this showdown is a wash. The difference is Gilyard’s supporting cast. No SU wideout outside of Williams has 14 catches, Armon Binns is a legitimate No. 2 weapon for Cincy.

Advantage: Cincinnati

Offensive line: Any great offense relies on a potent offensive line to provide the blocking up front to give it space in the running game and time in the passing game. With Cincinnati’s 38 touchdowns that it has scored this year, it’s easy to see the Cincinnati offensive line is getting its job done. While Syracuse’s offensive line paved the way for a good game last week, it’s been too inconsistent.

Advantage: Cincinnati

Defensive line: Syracuse’s ability to shut down the run has been perhaps the most impressive aspect of the team this year. The Orange leads the Big East in rushing defense per game by only allowing 83.4 yards. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is yielding 118 yards on the ground. Syracuse will need to pressure whoever is quarterback for Cincinnati to have a shot, but the D-Line has been up to the challenge this year.

Advantage: Syracuse

Secondary: Syracuse has had trouble containing the wide receivers from Maine and Northwestern this season. And those teams pale in comparison by light years to Cincinnati’s offensive attack. Cincinnati can spread the ball and will expose defensive backs. Syracuse is giving up 271. 3 yards in the air each game, compared to Cincinnati allowing 199.6. It’s hard to rank Syracuse better than any team in the secondary.

Advantage: Cincinnati

Linebackers

Syracuse received some much-needed good news Wednesday, when head coach Doug Marrone confirmed that middle linebacker Derrell Smith will play Saturday. Smith sustained what appeared to be a knee injury last week against Akron, and his status was initially unknown. Smith has been one of the best linebackers in the Big East this year, and his presence is crucial if the Orange has any chance of stealing an upset.

Advantage: Syracuse

Special teams

Kicker Ryan Lichtenstein was benched last week after missing a 39-yard field goal. Coach Marrone said afterward he was concerned about Lichtenstein during warm-ups, and his struggles translated into the game. Jake Smith took over and converted two extra points. This creates somewhat of a kicker controversy, and Marrone has not yet outlined his plans. He said Wednesday who will start – Lichtenstein or Smith – will be a game-time decision.

Advantage: Cincinnati

Coaching

With no disrespect to Marrone and his staff, which has done an admirable job all season, Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly deserves all the credit in the world. He built on his team’s success from last year and turned the Bearcats into one of the top teams in the nation. Yes, a lot of that can be attributed to quarterback Tony Pike and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard, but don’t forget Kelly’s influence. He is easily considered one of the best coaches in the Big East, if not the country.

Advantage: Cincinnati

Published on October 29, 2009 at 12:00 pm