Kickmaster

An obvious sign of Syracuse’s offensive troubles Saturday – nine punts. Junior Brendan Carney punted all nine for a total of 412 yards against Florida State, an average of 45.8 yards.

So far this season, Carney has punted 30 times in four games. He’s on pace for 82 this season, five more than the school record of 77 set by Mike Shafer in 2001. Carney’s previous season high came in 2003 when he punted 60 times.

Carney punted a season-low 22-yard punt in the second quarter that led to a Florida State field goal. The laces-down ball bounced awkwardly off Carney’s foot from the Seminoles’ 49-yard line to the 27.

The Syracuse media guide does not list low-yardage punt statistics.

‘I just wasn’t getting good hits,’ Carney said.

The junior also kicked a career long 71-yard rolling punt in the third quarter that pinned Florida State on its own 10-yard line. Carney’s nine punts moved him into seventh on the all-time career punting list with 148.

If Carney continues this pace, he will have 199 career punts by the end of this season, well on his way to breaking the SU career punting record of 249 set by Shafer.

Not so sweet home

Saturday’s game was a return home for cornerback Marcus Clayton. The junior – who went to Amos P. Godby High School, which is about two miles from the FSU campus – saw limited play on special teams.

Clayton made one tackle in the game. After SU’s first touchdown in the third quarter, he stopped freshman Kenny O’Neal on the ensuing kickoff.

‘It was a heart breaker, because we thought we had a chance to knock them out,’ Clayton said.

Clayton said he had about 10 friends and family members at the game who sat behind the Syracuse bench.

‘It was frustrating because I thought I’d get more playing time because I’m from Florida,’ Clayton said. ‘It’s all right. I got some reps anyway. I’m just happy to step on the field.’

Clayton said his father and aunt brought him Hamburger Helper and chicken (his favorite) for a pregame meal Friday night.

Sacked

Syracuse quarterback Perry Patterson was sacked seven times Saturday, two shy of the SU opponent record of nine.

‘We expected the pressure,’ Patterson said. ‘I feel like I could’ve done better to get the ball away.’

Patterson was sacked four times in the first half alone. He said the Seminoles’ was the best defense he’s played against.

‘This is definitely the best defense we’re gonna see in terms of talent,’ Patterson said. ‘There was a slight difference between (Florida State) and Virginia.’

This and that…

Florida State used 77 players in the game. … Nick Chestnut caught his first career pass in the fourth quarter for a 30-yard touchdown. … Syracuse allowed a season-high 512 yards of total offense, the most since Georgia Tech gained 514 yards against the Orange in the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl.

Published on October 2, 2005 at 12:00 pm