Last week, we learned that the Rhode Island Rams would start JUCO transfer QB Paul Mroz under center this coming Friday. Figuring facing first-time starting quarterbacks was a sort-of frequent occurrence for the Syracuse Orange, we went digging to see what previous outcomes were. Ends up... this doesn't happen to Syracuse very often at all. In fact, SU has faced just one first-time starting QB in the last two seasons (Penn State's Christian Hackenburg in 2013). But more jarring: Hackenburg's the ONLY first-time starter Syracuse has faced since the start of the 2008 season.
Doug Marrone, despite coaching here for four years, never faced one.