The Syracuse football team reported for preseason camp Saturday at 9 a.m., signaling the start of its 2012 season.

Three hours later, SU head coach Doug Marrone stepped to the podium inside Manley Field House to begin his fourth season as head coach by addressing his team’s focus and goals for camp. Coming off a 5-7 season, one that ended with a disastrous five-game losing streak, Marrone’s team isn’t dwelling on the past.

The Orange is not even looking too much ahead to the season opener against Northwestern in September.

“We’re looking about what’s going on today, what we’re going to do now,” Marrone said. “And we need to be a better football team on a daily basis to be more consistent.”

Marrone repeatedly stressed he and his players are focused solely on day in front of them. The Orange needs to improve each day in camp to be ready when the regular season begins, Marrone said. The head coach instilled that mindset in his players when offseason workouts began in January, immediately after a disappointing finish that saw SU miss out on a bowl game.

The work toward rebounding from the losing campaign continued through the spring and summer. Now, Syracuse has three weeks of camp, followed by a week of preparation for its first game against Northwestern on Sept. 1.

The SU players echoed Marrone’s simple goal for camp.

“Day to day, we just want to get better,” SU running back Jerome Smith said. “That was our theme going through the spring. We wanted to get better, learn more each day.”

Smith sits atop the preseason depth chart at running back, but he said he knows nothing is set in stone. Starting spots will be decided on the field during camp, something Marrone made clear during his press conference.

Personally, Smith announced on Twitter that he is taking a reprieve from social media during preseason camp to help focus. Offensive guard Zack Chibane did the same.

Marrone said the current depth chart, dated July 6, is a starting point, but after the first snap Monday, competition at every position takes over and the players need to earn their place in the lineup.

Marquis Spruill played middle linebacker last year, but enters camp behind Dan Vaughan at outside linebacker. Spruill said players will be pushing each other all over the field.

Smith said the team was motivated by last season’s failures during the winter.

“We got over it as a team, we talked about it,” Spruill said. “But right now, everybody put that behind them.”

Spruill’s said the defense needs to be better than it was last season. The unit allowed 28.5 points per game in 2011.

Achieving that goal starts Monday at 5 p.m. with the team’s first practice.

That’s when SU defensive coordinator Scott Shafer wants to see his group make strides toward becoming a swarming defense that will force turnovers this season.

Shafer said he wants to see progress made daily.

Day by day is the mantra for SU as it opens its 2012 season.

It all starts with Marrone.

The head coach harped on the topic when asked about Marcus Sales’ expected effect on the offense this season. Marrone said he is not even thinking about Syracuse’s trip to Fort Drum, where it will spend its second week of training camp. He said he could not evaluate veteran quarterback Ryan Nassib, who is entering his fifth year in the program, until he sees him and the rest of the Orange on the field.

His focus was only on Saturday.

Marrone said Syracuse has a lot of work ahead. From him to his staff to his players, they all need to do a better job this season.

Camp offers the chance to prepare his team to show it on the field in its 12 games this season.

“Everybody is judged on what we do now and who’s going to give us the greatest chance of winning,” Marrone said.

Published on August 3, 2012 at 5:58 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu