Cats-'Cuse Storylines

There are plenty of interesting storylines in the Cats' opener against Syracuse. Here are a few that have been making the rounds:

• The upcoming premiere of the feature film, The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, starring Dennis Quaid (as the coach, not Davis), is a feel-good biopic about Syracuse's famous Heisman trophy winner who led the Orangemen (before they dropped the "men") to the 1959 national title. Davis, as you know was the first African-American to win the famous award. The film's football scenes were shot at Ryan Field more than a year ago as it resembles the 'Cuse old home field - Archbold stadium. A sidenote, Damien Anderson tried out as a stunt double, if you will, to play the football scenes as Davis and did not make the cut!
• The 'Cuse, like the Cats have two "new" coordinators as OC Mitch Browning joins the staff while Derrick Jackson has been elevated to co-DC (with HC Greg Robinson). Browning and new Cats DC, Mike Hankwitz, were on the Kansas Wildcats staff in 1995. Browning is no stranger to Northwestern as he was DC for Minnesota for most of this decade.
• RB HS - Northwestern star, Tyrell Sutton, and Syracuse star RB Delone Carter were on the same high school team. Carter was Sutton's back-up and transferred to Copley (OH) HS - the same HS as RS frosh David Arnold. Sutton and Carter won back-to-back Mr. Football awards in Ohio.
• The Wildcats' Williams brothers - Nate and Quentin - played at the same high school as SU DE Dan Vaughan at Pittsburgh Central Catholic.
• Pat Fitzgerald and legendary Syracuse coach Don McPherson are both members of the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame induction class.

More Syracuse Insights

Larry Watts serving up some 11th hour goodness into specific match-ups to watch from Syracuse insiders on Rivals.com here.

Also, couldn't have setup the tale of the tape any better myself. Check out the gameday cliff notes here.