The past week has been merciless on Scott Shafer’s arm. The Syracuse defensive coordinator has given extra emphasis to throwing deep balls and testing his secondary in an effort to improve a pass defense that has been one of the 10 worst in college football in 2011.

With one of the most proficient quarterbacks in the nation coming to Syracuse on Friday, it’s needed. But that doesn’t mean the effort hasn’t taken a toll on the 44-year-old Shafer.

‘My arm’s sore,’ Shafer said. ‘Throwing a lot of deep balls, trying to give them opportunities to play the ball with their eyes.’

More than likely, West Virginia’s method of bombardment will be through the air. The Mountaineers currently rank fourth in the country in passing offense, as quarterback Geno Smith has embraced the ‘air-raid’ offensive scheme of first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen. Three of the top four receivers in the Big East in yards per game line up for the Mountaineers, and Smith averages nearly 360 yards per game passing.

For a reeling Syracuse (4-2, 0-1 Big East) pass defense that has given up 300 yards passing to four of its first six opponents, Friday’s game against the No. 11 Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0) at 8 p.m. in the Carrier Dome could be its stiffest test yet.

‘The thing is, for Toledo, we had one wide receiver that was really dangerous,’ SU linebacker Marquis Spruill said, ‘and for Wake Forest, we had another one. But for this team, it’s a whole lot of threats.’

Although Syracuse has already played perhaps the best singular receiver in the nation in Southern California’s Robert Woods, the Mountaineers provide multiple matchup problems with its deep receiving corps.

Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney combine to form the most dynamic trio of receivers in the Big East. All three have more than 30 receptions, and six players total have double-digit receptions for WVU.

McCartney believes the Mountaineers receiving group’s depth and talent are unparalleled.

‘Me, personally, I don’t believe there’s no other receiving corps like ours, and we haven’t released our full potential yet,’ said McCartney, who has 34 catches and three touchdowns this year. ‘And I’m pretty sure that the rest of our receiving corps feel the same way.’

The Mountaineers come to Syracuse looking to exact revenge for last season, when the Orange upset a then-ranked WVU team 19-14 in Morgantown, W. Va. That Orange defense gave Smith fits, forcing him to throw three interceptions and holding him to less than 200 yards passing.

But this Syracuse defense has yet to duplicate the successes of its predecessor. Shafer’s unit has been torched by the likes of Wake Forest, USC, Toledo and Tulane, giving up 29 points or more to each of those teams.

That’s why Shafer has been working vigorously to improve the secondary’s efforts on deep balls. The Orange was burned on two deep touchdowns in its last game Oct. 8 at Tulane, with both starting cornerbacks, Kevyn Scott and Keon Lyn, giving up long touchdowns.

Smith has completed a pass of more than 40 yards in five straight games for WVU.

‘More than anything is making sure where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there and how the offense is going to try to attack us,’ Shafer said. ‘So really that’s been the focus.’

Shafer said it starts with a player’s eyes because if he can locate the ball first, his hands and feet will follow and come through.

That’s something Lyn said he looks to improve this week as SU takes on a quarterback in Smith who threw for 450 yards and four scores in his last game against Connecticut.

‘I had a lot of plays this year I should have made plays on,’ Lyn said. ‘But I got the cast and just having trouble seeing the ball, so we’ve just been working deep balls this week, getting our eyes well prepared so I can be able to make better plays when the ball’s deep.’

The cast Lyn referred to is on his left hand. Both Lyn and cornerback Ri’Shard Anderson have been playing with casts on their hands, something that has hindered their ability to haul in interceptions. Especially during jump ball situations with a defender.

After Syracuse’s loss to Rutgers on Oct. 1, Orange head coach Doug Marrone said he has been a part of coaching staffs that see a cast on the hand of an opponent’s cornerback and implement more go routes in their game plans.

Rutgers began throwing deep balls in the second half of that game. Tulane did it to Syracuse all game.

West Virginia has been throwing deep, successfully, for six games this season. And McCartney said the Mountaineers will be going at Syracuse the same way.

‘We’re just looking at this game as the same as we look at every game,’ McCartney said. ‘Just a game to improve, a game to win, and we don’t feel like no team can touch us.’

mcooperj@syr.edu

 

Published on October 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Mark: mcooperj@syr.edu | @mark_cooperjr