Although Jameis Winston efficiently shredded the Syracuse defense on Saturday afternoon, SU’s front four hardly made life comfortable in the pocket for the defending Heisman Trophy winner.

Without starting nose tackle Eric Crume — who is out with an upper-body injury — Syracuse’s (2-4, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) line often broke into the then-No. 1 Seminoles’ (6-0, 4-0) backfield. The Orange only sacked Winston once, but SU’s linemen forced two fumbles by the Seminoles, accounted for two of the Orange’s three tackles for loss and 16 total tackles.

“There was some pretty good puncturing going on by our kids,” SU head coach Scott Shafer said. “When we lost Jayson Bromley last year, there was some great concern there, but I think those kids as a unit played real well and that they fought to learn how to play the game the way (defensive line) coach (Tim) Daoust asked them to.

“… I thought we played, at times up front, nose to nose with them.”

Winston, a mobile quarterback, cruised to a 30-of-36 passing performance, 317 yards and three touchdowns. But his numbers reflect the Orange secondary’s outing more so than its front four’s.

Defensive tackle John Raymon — who Shafer said months ago would be a long shot to play this year — received some snaps in the middle of the line and made one of SU’s tackles for loss. He stuffed an FSU rush in the first quarter, leading to a red-zone stop by the Orange and forcing the Seminoles to take a field goal.

Ron Thompson, a defensive lineman and formerly a tight end, stripped an unsuspecting Winston for a sack and knocked the ball loose in the fourth quarter, but FSU recovered it.

Shafer praised the performance of senior defensive end Micah Robinson, who made three of his four tackles unassisted.

“I have the worse seat in the house to see offensive and defensive line play until you watch it after the game,” Shafer said, “until you watch it after the game, but I saw some good things and I love the way Micah competes.”

Before the season, Shafer said it would take a by-committee effort to replace Bromley — a third-round NFL Draft pick of the New York Giants — on the Syracuse defensive line.

Six games into the season, it’s been just that.

“So it just goes back to what we always talk about,” Shafer said, “that next teammate stepping up to the plate and saying, ‘We’re counting on you.’”

Published on October 13, 2014 at 12:25 am

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb