Syracuse Football: Heavy Lifting Required

Syracuse University’s Football team wrapped up spring practice April 18 with the annual spring game. While the game showed off all of the changes implemented in the playbook, the players are seeing changes around the program and with themselves.

Some players are changing positions, like Andrew Robinson—once the team's quarterback, he is now a backup tight end. Eight different players have left the program since the arrival of head coach Doug Marrone.

Photo: SU Athletics

Head Coach Doug Marrone keeps a close watch over the offensive line during spring practice. Marrone was an offensive lineman for SU from 1983-1985.

During the spring game both offense and defense alike yielded more questions than answers on a day that was supposed to mark a culmination of weeks of hard work.

The offensive line was marred by penalties and it also allowed a number of sacks. The quarterbacks and recievers had trouble staying on the same page, or even catching the football at times.

The other side of the ball also struggled. Missed tackles, wrong angles of pursuit and a lack of enthusiasm, Marrone said, hurt their performance.

One thing is clear after spring practice, much work still remains to be done throughout the summer for both coaches and players alike.

The season opens at home against Minnesota on September 5th, but as both players and coaches will say, that date might be closer than they would like.