A rainy morning did well to simulate the possibility of wet conditions in New Jersey on Saturday.
- RB D.J. Morgan tweeted that he will have "minor knee surgery" and be out three to four weeks. Lane Kiffin confirmed the surgery.
- Without Morgan, the running back depth is down to Curtis McNeal, Silas Redd and Buck Allen, which underscores how important it was to get Redd this summer, said Kiffin.
The defense hopes to be buoyed by the return of CB Torin Harris and LB Lamar Dawson. While Kiffin has not guaranteed that either will start even if healthy, he is looking forward to the added rotation depth at both spots.- (Photo of Matt Barkley and Nickell Robey by John McGillen)
- The defensive line, which Kiffin called the story of the Hawaii game, took the preseason media slights personally. "I like the fact that no one thinks we are good enough," said DT George Uko. "It makes us come out here every day with a chip [on our shoulder]."
- Uko assumed a leadership role with senior DE Wes Horton sidelined for the opener. "Coach O expects me to step up to the plate and do just that. It is something that I have accepted."
- The redshirt sophomore defensive tackle has made himself more versatile this season by switching to the nose when freshman Leonard Williams plays alongside him. "It is the same technique basically just in a different shape," Uko said. "I am taking [Leonard Williams] under my wing just like the older guys like Jurrell [Casey] did me."
- Williams has blossomed quickly under Uko's tutelage. In his first college game, he recorded a sack and a fumble recovery. "The first game was really fun," Williams said. "That was my first time playing with my teammates and the d-line came out and did a pretty good job."
- As for Syracuse, the Trojans will have a rare walk-thru on Friday at MetLife Stadium because the team is arriving two days before the game. "We need something to do," Kiffin reasoned that the team will be bored.
- Here is Lane Kiffin on a gray September morning...
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