Takeaways from Fran Brown's news conference before Syracuse v. SMU

The coach dodged his usual escort Monday afternoon, SU associate athletic director for athletic communications, Tyler Cady, by slipping out a back door to the auditorium to the chuckles of those on hand, and got right to an opening statement on the challenges of facing SMU (2-2) on the road. before taking questions.

After admitting he felt a lot better after suffering through the post-Duke game blues over the weekend, an upbeat Coach Fran also discussed his young program's daily evolution, and why he thinks Rickie Collins will show instant improvement in game two of his collegiate starting career.

The buck stops here

Orange fans turned out Saturday to nearly fill the Dome, only to leave in droves way before the game's conclusion. Coach Fran will never shy away from taking responsibility or accountability, the "A" in "DART," not that that takes the sting away from the Duke blitz the worst loss in his young, 18-game head coaching career, in which he has yet to lose two consecutive games.

But with the next opponent, SMU, getting ready for its ACC opener in Saturday's game in front of its home fans, Brown has already adjusted his game week preparation by literally focusing his players solely on each day of game week.

"We have got to be a little bit more mature right now, and I don't think our guys can truly handle planning out the full week." Brown said. "What we are doing is focusing on one day at a time, today we'll do Monday, and so on, so we can continue to grow. That's where we are right now, from the (mean) age of our football team, the (lack) of experience, so I have to be able to (plot) that a little bit different this year."

A phone call set-up a film session of extraordinary detail

Brown said he was thrilled to receive a call from Collins shortly after everyone cleared out of the Dome after the Duke loss late Saturday afternoon, wanting to watch the game tape. The two met in Brown's office and watched every snap. providing the quarterback with the most hands-on mentoring, teaching, and comforting moments he could experience so soon after the fact.

"Me and Rickie watched the whole game Saturday (well into the evening)," Brown revealed. "If you look at the game, I think the people around him. the coaches, myself included, we didn't step our game up for a first-time (starting) quarterback. He had a couple of mistakes, but I don't think he struggled."

"There's a lot going on, we're still building a program," Brown added. "For him (Collins) to want to do something like that (watch the film hours after the game), it shows he is a leader."

Brown delivered one of his in-home recruiting pitches while describing the growth we will see this year

There is no getting away from the program's core philosophies of DART and CCT (Committed, Caring, Trustworthy) which make Coach Fran, Coach Fran.

When asked about the team's maturity, or lack there of due to the nature of the roster having so many underclassmen, Brown preached about both the on and off-field nature of a player under his wing.

"That's why kids pick Syracuse so they can be developed," Brown explained referring to sometimes having to take a loss in a football game against a better team in that game, so that it provides a learning moment.

"They want to be developed in all aspects of their lives, not just winning a bunch of games to make everyone happy. I like the other side sometimes, being the underdog. It shows you how tough you are and what you can (accomplish)."

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