Nothing like aiming high, I guess.

Syracuse University senior cornerback Tanard Jackson wasted little time celebrating his team’s dramatic double-overtime victory over Wyoming on Saturday before turning his attention to Pittsburgh, the Orange’s next opponent.

“We start the Big East, and we call it the tour of revenge,” Jackson said, referring to Saturday’s noon game in the Carrier Dome (Time Warner), SU’s Big East opener. “We didn’t win a game in the Big East last year, and we definitely have something to prove.”

So far none of his teammates have exactly stood behind Jackson and his words. Suggesting most of the other players kind of wish he’d have kept his mouth shut and not given any bulletin board material. At least he didn’t guarantee a win.

Meanwhile another paper in upstate NY has some rose-colored glasses on:

It was a win, to be sure.

An exciting one, too, in double overtime, against a team that certainly was better than its record.

Wyoming’s only win has come against the very bad Utah State (still winless at 0-5). Wyoming has lost to Virginia among others. The article does express some concern over the amount off yardage the Orange D yielded in the game (512), especially with the way Pitt’s offense has played.
Meanwhile, Syracuse Coache Greg Robinson wants a big turnout for the game, even if it means blacking out the game. Okay, he was smiling when he said that, but he did make it clear about the turnout.

Would you like a blackout?

“No, not really. I would like a full house without a blackout.”

But it’s obvious that if a blackout’s what it takes, he’d prefer it.

Joe Starkey, writing for ESPN.com, does a piece on Derek Kinder’s emergence as one of the top WRs in the country.

A 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior, Kinder earned a letter as a freshman because of his intense special teams play. He relishes contact, kind of like this city’s other star receiver, Hines Ward.

“Don’t get confused — I still want the ball as much as possible,” said Kinder, who leads the Big East in receiving yards per game and total receiving yards. “But I’m no prima donna. I started off on special teams. That’s how I got my foot in the door, so by no means am I going to try to get off that.”

…

Shortly after he’d earned the No. 3 spot, Kinder had a good talk with [WR Coach Aubrey] Hill, his position coach and a guy who’d played at Florida under pass-happy coach Steve Spurrier.

“Derek said, ‘Coach, I really appreciate having the No. 3 spot, but I don’t just want that. I want the No. 2 spot and the No. 1 spot,’ ” Hill said. “That was a defining moment with me, letting me know he was really sincere about being the best player he could be.”

Hill compares him favorably to his old Florida teammates Ike Hilliard and Willie Jackson as complete receivers.

Kinder is also from NY. It seems he grew up as a Syracuse fan, but was not heavily pursued by the Orange. So, a paper upstate has an opportunity to point out another whiff on a local product and try to push the revenge storyline.

Kinder, 20, grew up a Syracuse fan and had hoped to play for the Orange. But former SU coach Paul Pasqualoni dragged his feet in offering a scholarship, and when Kinder visited Pitt and saw the new facilities and met with the players, he decided the Steel City was where he should be.

The Orange, beset by receiving problems in the past several seasons, definitely could have used him.

Though he downplays the significance of playing in the Carrier Dome, you know there’s a part of him that would like to make the Orange pay for the oversight. He had eight catches, including an 11-yard TD reception, in last year’s decisive win against SU.

Kinder is going to have a sizable contingent of friends and family at the game, but he insists he will be focusing on the game. Given his performance to date, there is no reason to doubt that.