Syracuse football to start year without two key players

SYRACUSE - The Syracuse Orange have some big expectations for their football team this season.

However, in order to reach those expectations they might have to go without one of their key players from last season.

At the start of his press conference at Syracuse media day on Friday head coach Doug Marrone announced that wide receiver Marcus Sales and backup quarterback Johnny Miller were suspended from the team indefinitely.

Sales, who caught 26 passes for 414 yards and four scores a year ago, was charged with felony drug charges, while Miller was arrested on charges of assault.

"We have to learn from this," Marrone said. "We can't let this be a distraction. We have to keep our focus move on from this."

The Orange know that without Sales they need some other players to step up and make players down the field.

"We have receivers that can get down the field and get vertical," Marrone said. "We have a quarterback that can get the ball down the field. What we can also do is we can get the ball downfield to our tight ends. And, we have a running back (Antwon Bailey) that is pretty special at catching the ball."

Also this summer backup running back Prince-Tyson Gulley was injured after being stabbed. He will miss 7-10 days of practices.

While Marrone said there is competition for all jobs, he doesn't see Gulley losing the backup tailback job due to an injury. "We expect that if people lose the jobs it will be because they were beaten out for them, not because they were injured," Marrone said.

Marrone also believes that Gulley is coming in improved from his freshman year. "When you look at him, you can see the physical changes in him from a year ago," Marrone said.

RAUPERS IN FOR A BATTLE

Athens graduate Shane Raupers has a big challenge on his hands as he will battle freshman Jonathan Fisher for the starting punting job.

Marrone singled the position out as perhaps the most important battle for a starting job on the team.

While Raupers was a scholarship player when he arrived at Syracuse three years ago, he left the team before playing a game and is now a walk-on.

"It's the first time I have had to go in and compete for a job," Raupers said. "It's a lot different. But, this is what I like, the competition. I've never had to compete for a job, but I love to compete. I feel like I have been working hard than I ever have and we will see what happens."

NFL IN HARRIS FUTURE?

Syracuse running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley knows an awful lot about playing the game of football at a high level.

Wheatley was a former All-American at Michigan who went on to play for a decade in the NFL with the N.Y. Giants and Oakland Raiders.

In Towanda graduate Adam Harris, Wheatley sees a player who has a chance to one day make the move to the NFL.

"My opinion, I think he does," Wheatley says of playing in the pros. "I really do think he can, but it's all up to the scouts. It's up to what the scouts see. In my career I saw a lot of great fullbacks, and Adam is right up there with any of them."

OWING A LOT TO COACH

Chandler Jones, a former Section 4 player at Union-Endicott, might be one of the biggest, most intimidating players on the Syracuse defense.

At 6-foot, 5-inches and 265 pounds, opposing players don't want to see Jones lined up against him and fans might see him as a big, scary figure.

But, off the field he has a completely different image and that's thanks to Marrone.

"A lot of our success is because of what coach Marrone does, not only on the field, but the stuff he does off the field that people don't see," Jones said. "We went 8-5 last year and a lot of that is because of coach Marrone. A lot of people see us on the field as these big, bad players. But, off the field coach really emphasizes charity work."

And, for Jones that charity work allows him to give back, and allows people to see the big, imposing, defensive end in a different light.

"We go out, go to the nursing homes and do a lot of stuff in the community," Jones said. "A lot of the people in the nursing homes see our games, and they see who we are off the field."

ONE GOAL FOR THE ORANGE

The Syracuse football team has one big goal for this upcoming season.

"Our number one goal is to compete for the conference championship," Jones said.

It's a goal that Marrone has made clear to his players and a goal that everyone believes the team is capable of.

"Our goal as a football team, and make no doubt about it, is being able to compete for a Big East Championship," Marrone said.

After an 8-5 season last year the Orange believe this is the year they are capable of winning the league and getting to an even bigger game.

"We have high expectations," Harris said. "We expect to go out, do our best and have a good season."

A NEW DUTY FOR MARRONE

Marrone announced that offensive line coach Greg Adkins is out indefinitely while he deals with a health problem.

Marrone didn't say what the health issue was, only that it is not life threatening. With Adkins out, Marrone will take over the offensive line coaching duties himself. SYRACUSE - The Syracuse Orange have some big expectations for their football team this season.

However, in order to reach those expectations they might have to go without one of their key players from last season.

At the start of his press conference at Syracuse media day on Friday head coach Doug Marrone announced that wide receiver Marcus Sales and backup quarterback Johnny Miller were suspended from the team indefinitely.

Sales, who caught 26 passes for 414 yards and four scores a year ago, was charged with felony drug charges, while Miller was arrested on charges of assault.

"We have to learn from this," Marrone said. "We can't let this be a distraction. We have to keep our focus move on from this."

The Orange know that without Sales they need some other players to step up and make players down the field.

"We have receivers that can get down the field and get vertical," Marrone said. "We have a quarterback that can get the ball down the field. What we can also do is we can get the ball downfield to our tight ends. And, we have a running back (Antwon Bailey) that is pretty special at catching the ball."

Also this summer backup running back Prince-Tyson Gulley was injured after being stabbed. He will miss 7-10 days of practices.

While Marrone said there is competition for all jobs, he doesn't see Gulley losing the backup tailback job due to an injury. "We expect that if people lose the jobs it will be because they were beaten out for them, not because they were injured," Marrone said.

Marrone also believes that Gulley is coming in improved from his freshman year. "When you look at him, you can see the physical changes in him from a year ago," Marrone said.

RAUPERS IN FOR A BATTLE

Athens graduate Shane Raupers has a big challenge on his hands as he will battle freshman Jonathan Fisher for the starting punting job.

Marrone singled the position out as perhaps the most important battle for a starting job on the team.

While Raupers was a scholarship player when he arrived at Syracuse three years ago, he left the team before playing a game and is now a walk-on.

"It's the first time I have had to go in and compete for a job," Raupers said. "It's a lot different. But, this is what I like, the competition. I've never had to compete for a job, but I love to compete. I feel like I have been working hard than I ever have and we will see what happens."

NFL IN HARRIS FUTURE?

Syracuse running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley knows an awful lot about playing the game of football at a high level.

Wheatley was a former All-American at Michigan who went on to play for a decade in the NFL with the N.Y. Giants and Oakland Raiders.

In Towanda graduate Adam Harris, Wheatley sees a player who has a chance to one day make the move to the NFL.

"My opinion, I think he does," Wheatley says of playing in the pros. "I really do think he can, but it's all up to the scouts. It's up to what the scouts see. In my career I saw a lot of great fullbacks, and Adam is right up there with any of them."

OWING A LOT TO COACH

Chandler Jones, a former Section 4 player at Union-Endicott, might be one of the biggest, most intimidating players on the Syracuse defense.

At 6-foot, 5-inches and 265 pounds, opposing players don't want to see Jones lined up against him and fans might see him as a big, scary figure.

But, off the field he has a completely different image and that's thanks to Marrone.

"A lot of our success is because of what coach Marrone does, not only on the field, but the stuff he does off the field that people don't see," Jones said. "We went 8-5 last year and a lot of that is because of coach Marrone. A lot of people see us on the field as these big, bad players. But, off the field coach really emphasizes charity work."

And, for Jones that charity work allows him to give back, and allows people to see the big, imposing, defensive end in a different light.

"We go out, go to the nursing homes and do a lot of stuff in the community," Jones said. "A lot of the people in the nursing homes see our games, and they see who we are off the field."

ONE GOAL FOR THE ORANGE

The Syracuse football team has one big goal for this upcoming season.

"Our number one goal is to compete for the conference championship," Jones said.

It's a goal that Marrone has made clear to his players and a goal that everyone believes the team is capable of.

"Our goal as a football team, and make no doubt about it, is being able to compete for a Big East Championship," Marrone said.

After an 8-5 season last year the Orange believe this is the year they are capable of winning the league and getting to an even bigger game.

"We have high expectations," Harris said. "We expect to go out, do our best and have a good season."

A NEW DUTY FOR MARRONE

Marrone announced that offensive line coach Greg Adkins is out indefinitely while he deals with a health problem.

Marrone didn't say what the health issue was, only that it is not life threatening. With Adkins out, Marrone will take over the offensive line coaching duties himself.