LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The unusually hot September weather seemed to have little effect on Syracuse’s defense. Instead, it was the Orange defensive line that kept bringing the heat.

Defensive end Jameel McClain aided the Syracuse defensive line in putting together its best game of the season, in spite of the 90-degree weather. The defensive line maintained constant pressure on heralded Cardinals quarterback Brian Brohm and the Louisville backfield in the Orange’s 38-35 win at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium on Saturday.

One play early on gave SU head coach Greg Robinson the perception the defensive line had come to play. On first and 10 on the Louisville 26, the Orange brought minimal four-man pressure during the Cardinals’ opening drive, and McClain broke through the line to record the sack on Brohm.

‘(The) game plan from a defensive line perspective was ‘Be active,” McClain said. ‘Don’t stand there – be as active as you can.’

The sack signaled to Robinson that the defensive line had the energy to get into the backfield and pester Brohm throughout the game. Robinson’s hunch proved to be accurate.

Louisville’s high-profile quarterback finished with four touchdowns and 555 yards on 45-for-65 passing. Yet Brohm made several critical mistakes – such as overthrowing an open receiver or forcing a ball into double coverage – due to pressure created by Syracuse linemen flying in the face of the senior. The ugliest pass came when Brohm threw a dart directly to McClain.

Late in the third quarter, McClain read the pass and easily jumped the route for the interception and rumbled 38 yards before being brought down inside the Louisville 20-yard line. The defensive captain lamented not reaching the endzone (‘I should’ve worked on my spin move,’ McClain joked afterward). But the pick represented a key moment in thwarting a Louisville comeback.

These momentum-shifting plays were the primary reason the Orange could allow the third-highest total yards by an opponent in SU history and still carry a comfortable lead for most of the fourth quarter.

On the ground, Syracuse accrued eight tackles for losses against the Cardinals halfbacks who finished with 79 total yards. Members of the defensive line led the way. They burst into the backfield and wrapped up U of L’s running back duo of Anthony Allen and George Stripling for five-and-a-half tackles for losses.

The linemen also forced two fumbles. McClain popped wide receiver Mario Urrutia after a catch, jarring the ball loose and into the path of linebacker Ben Maljovec. Jared Kimmel, who left the game with a knee injury, stripped U of L’s Allen. Maljovec also scooped up that fumble.

After the game, Robinson praised the defense for its resilience for competing in a total of 93 plays in the high temperatures. Defensive players were frequently subbed in and out of the game, and some members of the Orange started cramping up, Robinson said. Still the defense held its own with the line anchoring the attack. Nine linemen recorded a tackle in the game.

‘The heat – it was a factor at some point, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal,’ McClain said. ‘We stay hydrated, and I believe we’re in good shape.’

McClain acknowledged that since Brohm is not a threat to scramble with the ball, it helped with the line’s mentality. Washington’s Jake Locker and Illinois’ Juice Williams, two quarterbacks who sliced through SU’s run defense earlier this year, combined for 173 rushing yards against Syracuse.

‘You get more of a chance to go after the quarterback just to go straight up field without having to worry so much about containing,’ McClain said.

For a defensive squad that has looked atrocious until Saturday and a defensive line that has underperformed all season, this performance against the nation’s top offense looks like a crucial jump start for the unit.

‘Our team knew that it was going to take 60 minutes,’ Robinson said. ‘It was going to take 60 minutes of playing because they were a team that could strike as well. That’s where I give that defense credit – what was the score at halftime, 21-7? That’s darn good. It’s too bad that it got to where it did, but I do think I see so many things that are good.’

Published on September 23, 2007 at 12:00 pm