For a team with an offensive sickness in 2004, Syracuse chose an odd doctor to administer the cure. Following the conclusion of Orange coach Paul Pasqualoni's 14-year tenure in the Carrier Dome at the end of last season, Syracuse went out and hired defensive mastermind Greg Robinson.
While the Orange got a quality coach in Robinson, who spent 14 years as an assistant in the NFL, the hiring seemingly did nothing to help an ailing offensive system. Robinson was the co-defensive coordinator at the University of Texas last season, the architect behind a defense that led the Longhorns to an 11-1 record. In more ways than one, Robinson has already made his impact at Syracuse.
The defense, which had problems last season, has been stellar this season, allowing only 15 points through two games. An asterisk to that statistic is that last week's 31-0 shutout victory came against lowly Buffalo, which through two games has yet to penetrate an opponent's 20-yard line, let alone score.
Robinson also abandoned the Orange's old jersey scheme in favor of a retro numbers-on-the-helmets, stripes-on-the-shoulders look.
While Syracuse's defense has looked formidable, its offense has been another story entirely, struggling mightily against West Virginia in the season opener two weeks ago. In that 15-7 home loss, the Orange amassed just 103 yards in total offense.
Under the direction of junior quarterback Perry Patterson, who last week surpassed the 2,000 yard passing mark of his career, the airborne attack has been minimal at best. The Orange rank 109th out of 116 Division I teams, averaging only 112 passing yards per game.
Despite Patterson's numbers in 2005, Virginia coach Al Groh is basing his opinions of Patterson on the visit the Orange made to Charlottesville last season. It left with a 31-10 loss in a game Patterson started and threw for 141 yards.
"He had a very good performance out here last year," Groh said. "I think he was 15 for 22 or something like that -- that's pretty good. He was very accurate with a lot of throws. He handled the pressure well when he was under it."
The man in charge of improving Syracuse's passing game is offensive coordinator Brian Pariani, who spent the last 10 years as the tight end coach for the Denver Broncos, adding an NFL yin to Robinson's college football yang.
With the air attack grounded, Syracuse's lifeblood has been the rushing game, led by senior running back Damien Rhodes. Rhodes, who rushed for 40 yards against Virginia last season in a back-up role, had a career day against Buffalo, gaining 236 yards and four touchdowns. For his efforts, Rhodes was named the Big East Player of the Week.
For Virginia senior defensive end Brennan Schmidt, the prospect of going against a back such as Rhodes only heightens the game's excitement.
Syracuse is "a physical team -- they don't run a lot of jazz and all that stuff," Schmidt said. "They run the ball right at you and they sort of say, 'Come and get us.' We like that because that's our style of football. I'm looking forward to this game because it gives us a chance to see where some guys are mentally and physically as far as toughness and see if we can hold up to these guys."
Come Saturday, Virginia can only hope the doctor isn't in.
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