SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) – Syracuse punter Brendan Carney isn’t used to being the center of attention. That’s about to change.

The Orangemen (3-1) take their modest two-game winning streak south to sold-out Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. on Saturday to play their Big East opener against No. 4 Virginia Tech. And the Hokies (5-0, 1-0 Big East) have to be licking their collective chops thinking about going after Carney, who’s had a punt blocked in each of the last two games. “I might be a pretty big topic down there right now,” said Carney, a redshirt freshman who took over this season from Mike Shafer. “I’ve never been in this situation before in my life. I think it’s pretty cool.

“It’s a hostile environment down there, it really is, and I feel like the fans are going to be all over me,” said Carney, who has been forewarned by place-kicker Collin Barber. “But that stuff is so easy to block out. It has nothing to do with what I’m doing out on the field. As long as I go in there and do what I have to do and our punt team does what it has to do, I think we’re going to be fine.”

To be on the safe side, Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni put undue emphasis on the punting unit last week during the team’s bye week. Carney boomed out 25-30 punts each day in practice, and somebody stood behind him with a clock timing each kick.

and yelling out the results.

It’s a fine line.

“They want it off in 2.1 seconds,” said Carney, second in punting in the Big East with a 44.2-yard average. “Anything above that, you’re flirting with getting it blocked, even if it’s eight hundredths of a second.”

Carney’s first blocked kick came against Central Florida. He said it was a blocking breakdown, not a timing issue.

“We had a guy come in untouched,” said Carney, who had only one punt blocked in high school, but it resulted in a touchdown. “If I get it off under two seconds, it’s pretty much impossible (to block).”

Against Toledo, Carney simply took too long and didn’t especially enjoy the aftermath, although the Syracuse defense prevented the Rockets from taking advantage of their block.

“It kind of leaves a sick feeling in your stomach,” said Carney, who is 6-foot-5 and figures his stride has been a little bit too long. “I’ve been having a problem getting the ball off quick. That’s something you just have to learn from.”

Against the Hokies, he’d better be a quick study. Nine different players on Tech’s current active roster have scored at least one career defensive or special teams touchdown. In the 17-year tenure of head coach Frank Beamer, the Hokies have blocked 99 kicks, including 52 punts.

“I feel like they’re going to bring everybody,” Carney said. “But I think that’s a good challenge for me, and it’s a challenge I’m willing to accept. It’s all going to come down to how I perform on game day. If they bring everybody and I get a really good punt off, it’s going to turn into a great situation and turn around field position for us.”

The return of Joe Donnelly is a plus for the Orangemen. Donnelly, a senior tight end and special teams player, missed the first four games of the season with a separated shoulder but has been a keen sideline observer.

“Brendan’s a new kicker, and he’s obviously kicking the ball very far,” Donnelly said. “But he’s taking maybe a half-step too long and it’s definitely a big concern. They’re going to come after us.”

After the extra work of the past two weeks, Carney says he’s ready.

“What they don’t know right now is I’m getting the ball off really fast,” he said. “I know what it feels like to get the ball off in 1.9 seconds. I’m going to do my best, and I’m going to get the ball off and they’re not going to block any of my punts.”

AP-ES-10-08-03 1832EDT