1. Generate a pass rush and rattle Matt Barkley

Somebody has to hit Matt Barkley. In order for Syracuse to be in the game near the end against Southern California, somebody needs to pressure the Trojans’ quarterback to disrupt his rhythm.

And that somebody won’t be defensive end Chandler Jones. SU head coach Doug Marrone called him arguably the Orange’s best defensive player, but he’s out for the second straight game with a lower body injury.

‘You just need other people to pick up the slack,’ Marrone said in his Wednesday teleconference.

The rest of the SU defense will need to generate pressure without perhaps its best pass rusher.

Senior Torrey Ball will start in Jones’ place for the second straight game, but expect Brandon Sharpe and Micah Robinson to play some as well. Ball recorded a half-sack in the Orange’s season opener.

But whoever lines up on the right side of SU’s defensive line will need to get past Matt Kalil to get to the quarterback. Kalil, the Trojans’ left tackle and one of the top prospects for next year’s NFL Draft, is 6 feet 7 inches, 295 pounds and is the son and brother of NFL offensive linemen.

He’s a key reason why Barkley has been sacked just once in two games.

‘We just got to make sure that we limit the amount of plays that (Barkley) can make,’ Marrone said. ‘But he’s a great player and he has great people around him. But there’s not many people getting to him.’

2. Win the field position battle

Syracuse hasn’t returned a kick or punt for a touchdown with Doug Marrone at the helm.

The SU head coach admitted it’s been a long time coming for the Orange. In a game where Syracuse’s opponent, USC, is heavily favored and more athletic, a couple plays on special teams — whether they are scores or lead to scores — could make a difference.

‘I think you hit it right on the head when you talk about field position,’ Marrone said. ‘I think that’s where it plays a critical part in this game. And then, we’re still waiting, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to make a play on special teams from the standpoint of a return.’

Syracuse kick returner Jeremiah Kobena has been close to breaking a couple of returns early on this season. The freshman took a kick against Wake Forest for 37 yards and seemed a block or broken tackle away from being able to take it for six.

The Orange hasn’t done much on punts so far this season, with Steve Rene calling for a fair catch more often than attempting a return. But Marrone credited Rene with making some tough catches in traffic.

On the other side, Syracuse’s kick coverage hasn’t allowed any big returns, but it hasn’t faced USC wide receiver and kick returner Robert Woods. He took one kick back for a touchdown last season and is a menacing presence whenever he’s on the field.

‘They have some dangerous cats on that field now,’ Marrone said. ‘They got guys that can catch that football, take it for touchdowns.’

3. Don’t let the crowd be a huge factor

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is an intimidating presence for Southern California’s opponents.

So at Syracuse’s practices this week, the Trojans’ fight song is being amplified through speakers to prepare the Orange for the hostile atmosphere.

‘It’s part of my responsibility as a coach to make sure that we try to get the players used to the environment or the venue that they’re going to be playing in because we’ve never played out there before,’ SU head coach Doug Marrone said.

The average attendance for USC’s first two games against Minnesota and Utah is right around the 70,000 mark. And this past weekend, the Trojans had twice as many fans in attendance for their game against Utah (73,821) than SU did for its win versus Rhode Island (36,421).

It’s going to be a new atmosphere for most of the Orange players. One that offensive lineman Lou Alexander, a California native, said will be intense.

‘Growing up in Southern California I’m used to it,’ Alexander said. ‘Heard it all the time so it’s the same thing. We’re just going to pretend that it’s our band playing for us, and I think it will help us focus more.’

mcooperj@syr.edu

 

Published on September 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Mark: mcooperj@syr.edu | @mark_cooperjr