Syracuse coach Greg Robinson had been wary of Wyoming long before the Cowboys made national headlines on their most recent road trip – when they took Virginia into overtime before losing by a point three weeks ago.
“I know all about Joe Glenn,” said Robinson, the Broncos’ defensive coordinator for two Super Bowl victories. “I know how he gets his team prepared for games like this.”
Robinson and Glenn crossed paths in Greeley, where the Broncos held their training camp in those days. On those same practice fields, Glenn prepared his Northern Colorado squad to win back-to-back Division II national championships in 1996 and 1997.
Robinson was so impressed with Glenn, he sent his son, Dominic, to UNC’s summer football camp. Dominic played for Regis High School and then at the Division III college level at Washington University in St. Louis.
“I’m glad to see Greg be a head coach; he’s been working for everybody else all these years,” Glenn said. “He’s got a wonderful opportunity. Are you kidding me, a school like Syracuse with all that tradition? I think he’ll do a great job.”
Robinson, 55, believes he belongs on a university campus. He enjoys the hands-on element to coaching college football.
“The pro game is much more a game of strategy,” Robinson said. “You play teams in your division twice in a season, so you’re constantly working to change strategies and tactics. College is a lot about fundamentals. You spend more time teaching the game.”
Robinson said making a difference in the development of young adults can be especially gratifying. He recalled conversations on that topic with Pete Carroll when they played football together for Pacific and then began their coaching careers as graduate assistants at their alma mater.
Like Robinson, Carroll also had been pegged as a pro coach – that is, before he guided Southern California to two national championships.
“Helping kids is why I got into coaching,” Robinson said. “You’re part of their life that’s more than football.”
Robinson said he never envisioned himself as a pro football coach. It just sort of happened.
“Even when I decided to leave UCLA and go to the New York Jets in 1990, my logic was really for it to help me become a college head football coach,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to put in 14 years of pro coaching. But there were a lot of good times that were there, and it proliferated.”
After three years as defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, Robinson reacclimated to the college game in 2004 at Texas. He served as Mack Brown’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
“It’s somewhat like riding a bike,” Robinson said of returning to college coaching. “But it was good to get back in the flow of things.”
Last year, Syracuse went 1-10 in Robinson’s first season, suffering obvious growing pains as he switched the Orange’s traditional read-and-react defense to an attacking mode and the offense from an option-oriented philosophy to a pro-style formation. The Orange (2-2) already shows signs of turning the corner this season.
“Coming from professional football, I try to give kids as much as they can handle,” Robinson said.
GAME BREAKDOWN: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
Players to watch
Wyoming (1-3): It’s not often that the spotlight is focused on offensive linemen, but left tackle Chase Johnson (6-feet-8, 325 pounds) and right tackle Hunter Richards (6-7, 302) face a huge challenge in protecting quarterback Jacob Doss. Syracuse is tied with Arizona State for the national lead in quarterback sacks (19). Johnson and Richards are plenty big, but the question will be whether they are quick enough to hang with the Orange’s athletic defensive line.
Syracuse (2-2): The ringleader of Syracuse’s sack attack is junior defensive end Jameel McClain (6-1, 252). His six sacks through four games lead the Big East Conference. Wideouts Rice Moss and Tim Lane must step up in the absence of the Orange’s best deep threat, Taj Smith, who fractured his collarbone last Saturday against Miami (Ohio) and is out indefinitely. Smith leads the Orange with 12 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns.
Key stat
Despite yielding 31 points to Air Force last week, Wyoming still ranks 14th nationally in total defense. allowing 237 yards per game. In a tough road game, the Cowboys’ defense must live up to its billing.
Key for Wyoming
Cowboys coach Joe Glenn says Syracuse’s attacking defense reminds him of Texas Christian’s. Uh-oh. TCU forced seven takeaways in a 28-14 win last year in Laramie. Wyoming must take care of the ball to give itself a chance.
Key for Syracuse
With Smith out, another go-to player must emerge in Greg Robinson’s pro-style offense. Quarterback Perry Patterson and running back Curtis Brinkley can’t do it all. Patterson had a modest 52 percent completion rate, even with Smith as a target.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
