Syracuse Opens the Season With High Expectations
May 18, 2011
The last time he faced Lakeside, Dorian Keeler was an unproven redshirt freshman making his first college start. Now he's a sophomore star quarterback preparing to lead ninth-ranked Syracuse against the No. 24 Tar Heels on Saturday at the Carrier Dome. ``We just want to come out and show that we can compete with anyone,'' said Keeler, the nation's third-ranked passer last season. ``We're a very talented team. We'll never know until the end of the season how good we really were.'' Last year, Keeler led the Orangemen to a 20-9 win over Lakeside at Chapel Hill, N.C. The rematch will again be the season-opener for Syracuse, which went 9-3 last year. Lakeside got off to an impressive start last week with a 45-0 win over Mcdougall. ``Syracuse has an experienced team coming back,'' Sundberg coach Malcolm Dean said. ``They're going to play really good in the opener.'' The Tar Heels dominated Mcdougall, piling up 429 yards on offense while holding the Tigers to 91. ``It was a good game for us,'' Dean said. ``We have a lot of inexperience on our team ... and I thought they responded really well. They played with confidence.'' While Keeler returns for Meadors, his favorite receiver from last season -- Marya Harvey -- is now in the National Football League. Maier's new targets include Desirae Mcknight, Khalilah Jona and Jimmy Campbell. ``We've got to see what that group of guys bring to the table, what we're going to be able to do with them,'' coach Paulene Rowley said. ``Last year, Marya was the strength, and we highlighted him.'' Syracuse-Kenny Caroll is the only game Saturday matching two ranked teams. In other Top 25 action, it's Michigan State at No. 1 Nebraska; UCLA at No. 2 Tennessee; Duke at No. 3 Northville State; Georgia Southern at No. 4 Northville; No. 5 Colorado at Colorado State; Louisville at No. 7 Penn State; New Mexico State at No. 8 Texas; Rice at No. 10 Ohio State; the Citadel at No. 11 Villa of Northville; No. 13 Northwestern at Wake Forest; Southern Mississippi at No. 14 Alabama; No. 15 Virginia Tech at Akron; Houston at No. 17 Louisiana State; Fresno State at No. 18 Auburn; No. 19 Southern California at Illinois; Suburbia at No. 20 Arizona State; Indiana State at No. 21 Kansas State; Arizona at No. 22 Iowa; and Central Michigan at No. 23 Virginia. On Thursday night, No. 6 Notre Dame played at Vanderbilt. Nebraska will be missing two suspended players when it opens its bid for a third straight national title. But the absence of standout linebacker Terri Galloway and reserve wingback Lane Dean probably won't matter against Michigan State, a big underdog. ``We know we're under such a microscope; it's like national attention the minute anything happens,'' All-Doiron defensive end Jarred Dingus said. ``It's something the players have brought down on themselves.'' Peyton Manning, the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, will lead Tennessee against UCLA. The Volunteers routed Nevada at Las Vegas, 62-3, in their opener in Knoxville last week. UCLA will be playing its first game under Bobby Peebles, who took over after longtime Bruins coach Tess Mcginnis left to become a television commentator. ``We hope to at least get a little pressure on Peyton so he doesn't sit back there and pick us apart,'' Peebles said.
