Saturday, September 09, 2000
UC ready for Orange crush
Syracuse D-line good enough to give 'Cats fits
By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The University of Cincinnati's offensive line is regarded as one of the team's strengths. Today the Bearcats get to find out just how strong against the powerful defensive line of Syracuse.
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SYRACUSE at UC
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• Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. today, UC's Nippert Stadium (35,000)
• Records: UC 1-0; SU 1-0.
• TV: FOX Sports Net.
• Radio: WCKY-AM (1360).
• Series: SU leads 3-0.
ăLine: SU by 71/2
• What to watch: Whether UC QB Deontey Kenner is more sharp today — he skipped some balls to receivers last week. Syracuse might throw more than some people expect. Last week, the Orangemen didn't need to throw much in their 63-7 victory over Buffalo.
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Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. at Nippert Stadium. Syracuse (1-0) is ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. The Orangemen beat Buffalo last Saturday 63-7.
Syracuse's defensive line is regarded as one of the best — if not the best — D-lines in the Big East. That's saying something, given that No. 11 Virginia Tech and No. 4 Miami (Fla.) are also in the Big East.
Lindy's preseason magazine has rated Syracuse's defensive line as the ninth best in the country.
UC coach Rick Minter was leafing through the Syracuse game notes this week and came upon the name of “Pettijohn” — senior Duke Pettijohn, the 6-foot-2, 251-pound who plays defensive end. He had 101/2 sacks last year, when he made first-team All Big East.
“It seems like a Pettijohn has been at Syracuse for (the last) 20 years,” Minter said.
Pettijohn is so active, the UC linemen can only hope it doesn't appear he's playing all seven positions on Syracuse's defensive front. Last year, he had 45 tackles, 13 for a loss.
The other defensive end at Syracuse — junior Dwight Freeney — is no picnic. He's coming off a couple of injury-plagued years, but had a terrific spring. He is 6-1, 245 pounds. Last year, he had 19 tackles, five for losses (31/2 sacks).
UC has to do a better job of blocking today, especially early, than it did in beating Army last Monday.
Running backs DeMarco McCleskey and Ray Jackson, a transfer from Michigan, didn't played last year, and it took them awhile to get going last week against Army. But they ended up totaling 198 rushing yards.
Will the offense, which struggled early, be ready from the get-go today?
“We certainly need to because our level of competition has just stepped up,” Minter said.
The Orange's starting fullback, senior Kyle Johnson, suffered a broken leg against Buffalo and is out. UC will be without middle linebacker Eddie Johnson (right knee).
“We're going to have our platter full,” Minter said. “Syracuse is going to be more rested than us, and a little faster overall. We're going to just line up and go for it.”
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