Sorr for the delay in getting this out, folks.
You know, one of these days I'll get to a less-than-sloppy game. There were five turnovers in the first 4:10 of this game, 7 total turnovers by Syracuse, and 10 total turnovers in the game.
College: South Florida Conference: Big East Columnist: Erik Sandelin
Matt Grothe 8 5' 11.5" 213 4.70 QB 2010 - did not play due to a torn ACL
George Selvie 95 6' 3.7" 242 4.78 DE 2010 - I am now pretty firmly convinced that this kid is overhyped. I saw him multiple times last year and came away unimpressed, considering the hype surrounding him. I saw nothing from him in this game to make me change my mind. Is he athletic? Absolutely. Does he play hard all the time? Sure does. Does he produce? Not when I watch him play. He had two tackles in this game, gang - and that's it. No TFLs. No sacks. No QB hurries. And it's not like he saw a lot of double- or triple-teams, either. For the most part he was held at bay by a sophomore LT who I had never heard of before. He didn't seem to have the speed and burst he had last year. He still doesn't show great strength. He gets tied up to his blocker too easily. He's showing a few more moves than last year and dropped into coverage easily, but that's about it on the positive side. Grade - negative
Nate Allen 5 6' 2.0" 200 4.50 S 2010 - this guy deserves more hype than he's already getting (and there are some observers who are starting to mention him as a first-rounder). Nice size and speed. Good instincts. Not a thumper, but a willing tackler and run-supporter. QBs the secondary. Covers like a CB. Very good break on the ball and reads the QB well. Good hands. Led the team in tackles (7 solos and 1 assist) on this day and also had two picks. Grade - positive
Jerome Murphy 3 6' 1.0" 185 4.48 CB 2010 - shows intriguing potential. Nice height. Good speed. Doesn't look quite as lanky as his measurements might lead you to believe. Had a FR, a pick, a pass breakup, and a QB hurry. Played on special teams both on coverage units and return units (as a blocker, not as a returner). Fairly physical for a CB. Did get beat for a TD by Mike Williams, not because he didn't cover well, but because he didn't turn around to look for the ball. Grade - slightly positive
College: Syracuse Conference: Big East Columnist: Erik Sandelin
Mike Williams 1 6' 2.0" 204 4.49 WR 2010 - the star of the game, despite playing for the losing team. Good size. Deceptive speed. Smooth-strider. Great hands. Plucks the ball out of the air. Jumps well. Just gets open. Not a true burner, but gets deep and makes big plays. Had 13 cathes for 186yds (with a long of 54yds) and a pair of TDs. Definitely can play at the next level. Grade - very positive
Arthur Jones 97 6' 4.0" 291 5.04 DT 2010 - like Selvie, Jones is another highly-rated D-lineman who just doesn't impress me when I see him play. He quickly tallied a pair of FRs early in the game, and I give him credit for hustling and staying alert, but he was pretty much just in the right place at the right time to scoop up those balls. He finished the day with one tackle and a TFL. Didn't show a lot of power, or quickness. Wasn't double-teamed a lot, either. Didn't show a wide variety of moves. The Maryland DT I saw the previous week, Travis Ivey, was much more impressive in one half than Jones was this entire game. Grade - negative
Andrew Robinson 9 6' 3.0" 222 5.00 QB 2010 - did not play. Is a backup to Greg Paulus.
Lavar Lobdell 11 6' 3.0" 210 4.56 WR 2010 - didn't show up in this game. No longer even a starter. Grade - incomplete
Greg Paulus 2 6' 1.0" 195 5.00 QB 2010 - started off ok, but gradually fell apart as the game went on. Went 25 of 46 for 269yds and a pair of TDs, but was sacked three times and threw five interceptions. A couple of picks were just good plays by the DBs, and one was because his arm was hit as he threw, but the others were just bad decisions. Is short and thin and looks even scrawnier than his measureables would suggest. Scrawny-looking arms, too. Arm strength is decent, but not impressive. Pretty good accuracy. Moves well, has a good feel for the rush, and can throw on the move. Tough. The intangibles are there, but they're not enough to overcome the physical liabilities. Grade - slightly negative
Notes - the Bulls had three other players that stood out to me - WR Carlton Mitchell, RB Mike Ford, & DE Jason Pierre-Paul. Mitchell is a 6' 4", 212lb junior who looks a lot like Syracuse's Williams. Ford is a 6' 2", 225lb junior who runs very hard. Pierre-Paul is a 6' 6", 260lb junior who may not be as athletically gifted as Selvie, but was far more productive on this day (3 solos, an assist, a TFL, and a pick returned 18yds for a TD).