Take the lead: With Carter gone, rushing game lands on Bailey's shoulders after 3-year wait

Side by side, Delone Carter and Antwon Bailey identified their victim. Two running backs with antithetical compositions shared the same mantra day in and day out. It was the game within the practice.

The former — an elephantine 220-pound wrecking ball. The latter — a 5-foot-7, 192-pound change of pace.

From scratch: Shafer rejuvenates career as mastermind of SU's defensive transformation

Scott Shafer climbed upstairs to an empty bedroom and hid. On a visit to his brother's Ohio home during Christmas break of 2008, Shafer was on the phone in solitary confinement — a floor above scurrying children and chatting family members.

Opposite ends: Jones and Marinovich work together to form unique tandem on Syracuse's defensive line

Arthur and Jon Jones strutted into the house flaunting wrestling headgear and proudly announced they had joined the wrestling team.

Their younger brother, Chandler, who is now a senior defensive end for Syracuse, was intrigued. He wasn't quite sure how the headgear worked but tried it on anyway.

Hot route: Suspension of Sales broadens roles of other SU wide receivers

Marcus Sales acted like he'd been there before because he was supposed to have been there before.

The former high school All-American spurned Miami (Fla.), Pittsburgh and others to stay at home in Syracuse and arrived with as much hype as anyone in recent memory.

Line 'em up: Unproven linebackers must make up for loss of Hogue, Smith

Syracuse's linebacking corps keyed the Orange's rise up the defensive rankings in 2010. The Orange had a top-10 defense and much of the credit goes to senior linebackers Derrell Smith and Doug Hogue and the leadership they provided. But both are now in the NFL, which leaves Syracuse with a couple of major holes to fill.

Home and away: Former Syracuse coach Pasqualoni returns to Big East, takes over home-state program

This was the one opportunity that caught Paul Pasqualoni's attention.

He was comfortable as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and enjoyed living in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, Texas.

A potential return to college football was not high on his list of priorities. And even if he wanted to leave for a head coaching job somewhere else, he admittedly would not know the first place to look.

Resurrected: Jones rebuilds SMU more than 20 years after NCAA sanctions cripple program

Chris Banjo and his Southern Methodist teammates could not contain their emotions on the sideline. As the Mustangs put the finishing touches on a 45-10 rout of Nevada at the 2009 Hawaii Bowl, their attention shifted to a pregame poll in which only nine percent of voters picked SMU to win.