Syracuse tight end Nick Provo had a quiet first two weeks in 2011 thanks to a couple drops and not many targets from quarterback Ryan Nassib.

That changed against USC. The senior led the Orange with a career-high eight catches for 85 yards. He has now caught a pass in 16 straight games.

The Daily Orange caught up with Provo to talk about his performance this season and what SU’s offense plans to do this week against Toledo.

The Daily Orange: In the first two games, you had a couple drops, not a whole lot of targets. What changed against USC to allow you to have eight catches?

Provo: It was mainly the defense. (USC) plays a little different defense, kind of let the tight end run free, and that was a big part of having eight catches. The first two games, especially Rhode Island, they tend to cover up the tight end a lot, which was kind of rough for me. But it happens.

Toledo plays a similar style of defense to Rhode Island, so do you expect less targets again this week?

Hopefully not. We’re putting in some new personnel to try and spread me out to try to get me the ball more so I don’t end up with just one catch. Hopefully, I’ll end up with some more catches.

Against Rhode Island, the focal point of the offense was the passing game. Is it going to be the same type of game plan?

Actually, pretty much we want to run the ball. We want to run the ball a lot. That’s what (offensive coordinator Nathaniel) Hackett’s been saying. But we can get to the game and that could change. I really don’t know.

Is that a matchup thing or is it just something going into the game you guys want to do?

Just going into the game we want to do. We haven’t run the ball well the last couple games. Pretty much we’ve got to get our running game. It’ll help out the passing game and everything else.

What’s been the biggest obstacle to getting running back Antwon Bailey going in some of these games?

Pretty much just getting a good blocking scheme down. We don’t have as many plays in as we had the first couple weeks. Pretty much we just want to perfect those plays. We don’t have an extra load in. We’re just going to perfect the plays that we have in.

Ryan Nassib is ninth in the country in completion percentage, completing more than 70 percent of his passes. He’s gotten Big East honors every week. Is this the best that you’ve seen him play and what’s made him so successful?

He’s grown up a lot from last season. This is the best I’ve ever seen him play. Just learning the offense, being more confident, and being with the receivers and tight ends and running backs for a while has made him more comfortable.

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on September 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm