Dein erstes Forum » Syracuse struggles.Faced with the weat

No. 9 Tennessee | No. 11 Ole Miss | Top 25No. 10: Notre DameLast Season: 10-3?Even though the Irish were ravaged by injury in 2015 -- the team lost starting QB Malik Zaire, its top two rushers, its TE, its nose tackle and its top two safeties early in the season -- they still closed the season a field goal away from a potential playoff berth. This year, though they return only eight starters, they get back Zaire, NT Jarron Jones and safeties Drue Tranquill and Avery Sebastian, along with 2014 leading rusher Tarean Folston, who has a career 5.2 ypc. So they are more experienced than the numbers indicate. Even more, their schedule features just three true road games.IN IF... The defense is better, starting up front (just 25 sacks in 2015, T74 in the FBS). Almost every marquee opponent will have a first-year starter at QB, so the Irish could run the table if the unit steps up.OUT IF... It has a loss. With only 12 games (no conference title game), it will need several quality wins to sway the committee.Notre Dames chances to win each game 09.04 @ Texas: 45.9% 09.10 vs. Nevada: 94.4% 09.11 vs. Michigan State: 67.0% 09.24 vs. Duke: 83.9% 10.01 vs. Syracuse ( MetLife Stadium):?80.2% 10.08 @ NC State: 62.9% 10.15 vs. Stanford: 66.8% 10.29 vs. Miami: 72.6% 11.05 vs. Navy (EverBank Field): 87.2% 11.12 vs. Army (Alamodome): 94.3% 11.19 vs. Virginia Tech: 78.5% 11.26 @ USC: 27.3%Sure, the quarterback competition is front and center, but the Irish lost their leading rusher, four of their top five leading receivers and their top three tackler (not to mention their leader in sacks). There are plenty of holes to fill, but this team should go 9-3 again. ?-- Andrea AdelsonIf the Irish didnt finish as a top-10 team with all that NFL talent last year, how are they supposed to this year? Oh, thats right -- the schedule. But a relatively manageable slate wont mask defensive deficiencies that overshadow strong QB play -- probably from two guys -- and result in a 9-3 season. -- Matt FortunaThe Irish have two potentially elite quarterbacks, but there are big questions everywhere else, particularly on defense. The schedule is manageable though (nine games at home or on neutral field), so even if Notre Dame struggles, a 9-3 season is probably a safe bet. -- David HaleIts easy to find 10 wins on the schedule, but will a quarterback controversy split the team? A retooling at receiver and on defense will cost the 9-3 Irish a game they should win. -- Jared ShankerNo. 9 Tennessee | No. 11 Ole Miss | Top 25Philadelphia 76ers Pro Shop .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Philadelphia 76ers Gear .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. https://www.cheap76ers.com/ . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Custom Philadelphia 76ers Jerseys . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Fake 76ers Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.The spread offenses of Virginia Tech and Syracuse were both tested in the rain and wind last week in North Carolina. The Hokies passed. The Orange did not.The teams will face off in a much more controlled environment at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse when the 17th-ranked Hokies (4-1, 2-0 ACC) face the Orange (2-4, 0-2) at 3:45 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPNU).The question: Will Syracuse have success against a Virginia Tech defense that has shut down a pair of high-flying offenses in its last two games? The Hokies seem ready.No matter how good of a game we play, we never want to get complacent, Hokies cornerback Brandon Facyson said.And how much better can the Hokies offense perform when it does not have to deal with the sloppy conditions brought on by Hurricane Matthew?Tech is coming off a convincing 34-3 road win over then-No. 19 North Carolina, a victory that vaulted the Hokies eight spots in the most recent Associated Press poll and put them in control of the division race.While hardly prolific, the Hokies offense was efficient enough while taking advantage of favorable field position throughout the contest.Quarterback Jerod Evans was only 7-of-17 passing for just 75 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Travon McMillian led the rushing attack with 76 yards on 17 carries against North Carolina. Both McMillian and Evans rushed for touchdowns.The real key to the victory for Tech, however, was its defense. The Hokies completely shut down a Tar Heels offense that put up gaudy numbers in each of its first five games. The Heels rushed for only 73 yards and passed for just 58. They turned the ball over four times on two lost fumbles and two interceptions.Techs defense has been dominant during a recent run that included blowout wins over Boston College, East Carolina and North Carolina. ECU also boasts one of the top spread offenses in the country, and it struggled against the Hokies in much the same way the Tar Heels did.The Hokies have outscored their last three opponents 137-20.Syracuses fast-paced, nno-huddle spread attack, engineered by first-year coach Dino Babers, couldnt get going at Wake Forest last week.dddddddddddd The Orange, coming off back-to-back 30-point performances, had a season-low 326 total yards in a 28-9 loss to the Demon Deacons.Syracuse gained more than 400 yards in each of its first five games, and it exceeded 500 twice in that span.To me, we know theyre going to put the ball in the air and operate at an incredible pace. ... They like to run the ball, too, Hokies first-year coach Justin Fuente said.The Hokies could have their work cut out for them at the Dome, which it hasnt visited since 2002.Every down is a threat. They like to pass the ball, a very wide-open team, Facyson said of Syracuse. We just need to execute.Slowing down the pace also could help. The Orange like to play fast and pass-happy. When asked to do something different, Syracuse struggles.Faced with the weather and a blitzing Demon Deacon defense, Syracuse ran the ball 40 times and passed it just 26. While the offense was successful picking up yards in dribs and drabs, it lacked the big-play capability of the passing attack and couldnt find the end zone after the second quarter.The Orange threw just 14 passes through the first three quarters, and only took to the air late in the game as it attempted the late comeback. Quarterback Eric Dungy finished the game 14-of-25 passing for 156 yards with one interception.They were blitzing a lot on first down, stressing some personnel that have been young in their development, and we had trouble with it, Babers said. They were getting to the quarterback and getting shots. We had some guys open, but our quarterback cant throw it to them if he cant see them.On the bright side, the defense finally was able to keep an opponent from running up big numbers. It was a 14-9 game before the Deacons scored two touchdowns in the last four minutes. ' ' '