Da’Mon Merkerson entered the weekly defensive back meeting Tuesday afternoon to a pleasant surprise. There was Bruce Williams, anxious to start dissecting Penn State’s explosive offense, almost as if he had never left the Syracuse secondary.

The Orange coaching staff has decided to move Williams back from wide receiver to free safety, where he has played the last two seasons. SU head coach Greg Robinson converted Williams to a wideout midway through training camp this summer to help bolster an inexperienced and struggling receiving corps.

Two weeks into the season, though, it appears the defense is in need of his services even more.

Syracuse is coming off a dreadful defensive performance Sept. 6, in which it allowed 42 points to Akron. SU also lost free safety Randy McKinnon and cornerback Nico Scott, both starters, to injuries in last week’s game.

Instead of filling the holes with young players within the defense, the Orange is turning to Williams, a team captain, to provide his experience and leadership to a unit in desperately searching for the Calvary.

Williams will have his first chance back in his old position Saturday, when Syracuse welcomes the No. 17 Nittany Lions to the Carrier Dome at 3:30 p.m.

‘He’s out there shouting, screaming, and we’re like, ‘Oh wow, Bruce is back!” said Merkerson, a sophomore cornerback who moved from wideout during spring practice. ‘You just hear him telling you, talking to you, asking you what you’re doing. He’s really taken on the role of captain on our defense.’

Williams and Robinson were not available for comment.

Syracuse offensive coordinator Mitch Browning said it was Robinson’s decision to move Williams, and he and Robinson quickly discussed the issue, ‘but very little.’

Browning also said he suspects Robinson ultimately chose to put Williams back on the defense primarily because of the lack of depth in the secondary. While the offense should be able to successfully plug in a combination of true freshmen Marcus Sales and Van Chew and redshirt freshman Chaz Cervino in the third wide receiver slot Williams now vacates.

Browning would not say who would take more snaps this week in Williams’ place, but does not expect the offense to look much different.

On the defense, Williams will have the opportunity to make a difference immediately. As a junior last season, Williams played in all 12 games, making 16 total tackles and an interception. The Orange’s other option at free safety this week was Paul Chiara, a converted tailback.

‘When he moved to the offense, he was doing it for the team, but his heart is in the defense,’ Merkerson said. ‘He’s happy to come back because defense is his first love. He’s happiest on the defense, and he will make his presence felt Saturday.’

Tight ends

Mitch Browning didn’t plan to include his tight ends in the offense more against Akron last Saturday. It just worked out that way.

Syracuse tight ends Mike Owen and Nick Provo combined to make six catches for 74 yards and three touchdowns against Zips. No Orange tight end caught a pass against Northwestern in SU’s season opener.

‘It forces teams to defend the field,’ Browning said. ‘It’s something that has always been part of our package, and it’ll be part of our package,’

Browning said the play calls were similar in both weeks, but Akron’s defense allowed Owen and Provo to create space, and quarterback Cameron Dantley made the right throws. On Owen’s first of two touchdown catches, Dantley checked down at the line of scrimmage after reading the Zips’ defense to make Owen his first read. Owen was wide open for the score.

‘If you have a threat at tight end, it opens up for the receivers and tailbacks,’ Owen said. ‘Now we can stretch the field, and now the safeties can’t cheat on the receivers. It helps out a lot and balances a lot of things out.’

Honorary Captains

In honor of the world premiere of the Ernie Davis biopic, ‘The Express,’ Friday, Syracuse announced actors Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown and former SU All-American Floyd Little will be honorary captains for Saturday’s game.

Quaid plays former Orangemen head coach Ben Schwartzwalder in the film, and Brown plays Davis. Little holds the Syracuse record for touchdowns (46), having played for SU from 1964-66.

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on September 10, 2008 at 12:00 pm