Syracuse Football Camp, Day 1: Orange Have 'A Lot Of Work To Put In'

For the first time in the 2012 football season, the Syracuse Orange took to the field Monday. The program's official first day on the gridiron was greeted with mixed feeling, as Syracuse began and ended with a healthy roster but it took 17 minutes longer than expected to finish its tasks.

"Its good to see we have numbers out there," said head coach Doug Marrone. "But we were schedule for a two-hour practice, and it took us 17 minutes longer to complete that practice. I think that's a good indication to show you that we have a long way to go."

One of the biggest notes of the day, was the observation that back-up tackle Sean Hickey is in line to replace the injured Justin Pugh, last year's First-Team All-Big East member, who's expected to miss all of August camp and maybe more.

Hickey, says Marrone, "has a lot of work to do".

Overall, most players have come into camp in shape, however, nobody has separated themselves for one set starting position -- except the quarterback position, which will go to Ryan Nassib.

"We've got a lot of work to put in," said Marrone. "We're not where we want to be right now."

On Tuesday, the Orange will hold practice from 5-7:10 p.m. The case will be the same for Wednesday and Thursday, when the team is expected to put on shoulder pads.

On Friday, Syracuse will hold its annual Fan Fest which begins at 3:20 p.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. Players will be in full pads then.

For more on Syracuse football's preseason camp, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Make sure to visit the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician for much more on the Orange.