If you thought Washington quarterback Jake Locker looked like the ultimate competitor, Dowayne Davis has news for you. The Syracuse cornerback believes Illinois quarterback Juice Williams is a better athlete than Locker.

Williams, another dual-threat quarterback like Locker, will take on the Orange in the Carrier Dome at noon Saturday.

‘He can run and he has a powerful arm,’ said Syracuse safety A.J. Brown. ‘And when he gets out of the pocket, he’s not only looking to run, he’s looking to throw down the field.’

In Syracuse’s 31-21 win over the Illini last year, Williams threw for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns.

Stopping the run, though, remains the largest concern.

The speedy Williams appears less bruising than Locker, but his quickness and ability to reach the corner make him a huge threat on the ground. Combined with running back Rashard Mendenhall, who ran for 139 yards last week against Western Illinois, the tandem threatens to race past the SU defense.

‘You obviously know there’s a double threat at the quarterback and also the running back,’ said SU linebacker Jake Flaherty. ‘The running back is good, strong and he runs hard.’

Williams has looked unimpressive so far this season. The sophomore was knocked out by an eye injury in the season opener, a 40-34 loss to Missouri, and he struggled in week two against Division I-AA Western Illinois, in a 21-0 victory.

Still, Syracuse’s porous defense seems like the perfect opportunity for Williams to get back on track. The arrival of five-star freshman wideout Arrelious Benn represents another significant risk to the defense and a prime target for Williams.

Brown believes the key to plugging Illinois’s running game is fixing mental errors, not the game plan.

He added Syracuse will be battling running quarterbacks all year – including perhaps the best athlete of all QBs in the nation, West Virginia’s Pat White – and Illinois will act as a measuring stick in showing how far the Orange has come since the opener against Washington.

‘We basically just know we have to tackle,’ Brown said. ‘We basically just have to do our minimal assignments. Get them down on the ground. Keep them contained.’

Confidence also could develop into an issue for the 0-2 Orange. Syracuse has been outscored 77-12 in its first two games. And while in the first game SU gave up more than 300 yards and six touchdowns to UW’s ground game, the following week, Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen torched the Orange secondary for 278 yards passing and four touchdowns. In two weeks, the team has looked hopeless defending against the air and on the ground.

Davis said he does not feel last year’s triumph over Illinois will add extra motivation for Syracuse. Brown cited this year’s Illini team as a ‘different’ team compared to 2006.

‘They can definitely chunk the ball around and make things happen with the running game,’ Brown said. ‘With the quarterback, the running back and their wide receivers, they’re a productive offense.’

Peek into the future

Count on an uprising of youth when Syracuse faces Illinois on Saturday.

SU head coach Greg Robinson announced plans to utilize more freshmen and sophomores in future Syracuse contests.

‘Thereare young people we have already seen whohave made an impression – if you’re watching closely,’ Robinson said. ‘There are some more who are going to.’

It’s speculated the backup offensive line will receive more reps with the first team in the future, after the veterans looked woeful in the first two games. The linebacking corps and running backs also might be invigorated with some youth.

‘Yes, we’ll play some (young players), but it’s going to be playing them when they are ready to play,’ Robinson said. ‘I’m not just going to put a guy out there and get him scarred. But I think there are some who are coming along.’

Center stage

Robinson described starting center Marvin McCall’s sprained ankle as ‘iffy’ on Tuesday and said SU will know more about McCall’s status at the end of the week.

McCall suffered the injury in the second quarter at Iowa. X-rays were taken during the game and returned negative.

But for now, backup Jim McKenzie, who played the entire second half at Iowa, is preparing to start against Illinois on Saturday.

‘They’re going to figure out Marvin later on in the week,’ McKenzie said Tuesday. ‘I’m not sure what’s really going on. I’m just practicing and assume if I do start that I’m ready for it.’

Sports editor Matt Gelb contributed to this report.

Published on September 12, 2007 at 12:00 pm