sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Calendar Adjustment Day!
Following the British Calendar Act of 1751, Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752. However, the current Julian calendar system required them to drop eleven days in order to sync themselves with the proposed Gregorian Calendar. So, on the evening of 2nd September 1752, the population of Britain and its American colonies went to sleep and awoke the next morning to 14th September 1752.
The changeover is also responsible for New Year’s Day being celebrated on 1st January, as before then it had been celebrated on 26th March.
As a result of Calendar Adjustment Day, there was rioting on the streets by those who felt cheated, and demanded the eleven days back!
SU News
Dino Babers era at Syracuse begins Friday against Colgate (auburnpub.com; AP)
The Dino Babers era at Syracuse begins Friday night in the Carrier Dome, and he faces an imposing first season with the likes of Clemson, Florida State and Notre Dame on the schedule.
First up, though, is upstate New York foe Colgate in the season opener, a stiff test for the Orange's new football coach, and he knows it. Syracuse was 4-8 last season under Scott Shafer.
"Playing an FCS opponent is one thing," Babers said. "Playing an FCS opponent ranked in the top 20 at that level, that's something totally different."
The Raiders, the preseason pick to win the Patriot League for the second straight year, may play at Division I's second tier, but they're a veteran team, are ranked, and coming off a 9-5 season that included two NCAA playoff victories and a berth in the FCS quarterfinals.
"Their entire defensive line is all-conference. Their middle linebacker is a preseason defensive player of the year, and you put that front seven along with the back end, and you've got a defense that can make my life miserable about halfway through Friday night. It's going to be a football game."
In 2010, the last time the teams met, Colgate's Nate Eachus gained 147 yards on 35 carries and scored once as the Raiders held the ball for nearly 44 minutes overall and gained 376 yards. Those Raiders were poised to go into the locker room at halftime trailing only 7-0 before a special teams mistake gave the Orange a chance for a quick score and they capitalized.
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New era for Syracuse football starts Friday (D&C; Roth)
Dino Babers had wrapped up his final practice of his first training camp as head coach of the Syracuse University football team, and after fulfilling his media responsibilities and greeting the front desk security guard, he headed for the exit at the Ensley Athletic Center.
Right then, the past met the present: Babers walked past a 12-foot bronze statue of Ben Schwartzwalder that greets visitors outside the doors.
The legendary Schwartzwalder coached the Orange during the university’s famed 1950s and 1960s era, producing 153 victories, the 1959 national championship and some of the most famous running backs the game has known, including three that have statues of their own — Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little — that stand at “Plaza 44’’ nearby.
Walking in the shadow of giants isn’t lost on Babers, 55. But the history isn’t too big for the California native and football lifer to handle.
“I think you embrace it,’’ he said. “I haven’t been here long enough to say there’s a responsibility (to uphold the history). But I do embrace it. I know a lot about it, and I really want to do the best I can to get this thing back to where it’s supposed to be. I’ll do the right things, I promise you that.’’
The Dino Babers Era begins at 7 Friday night when the Orange host Colgate at the Carrier Dome.
Babers takes over for Scott Shafer, who had the unenviable task of taking SU into the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference three seasons ago. Doomed by injuries to his starting quarterbacks and working under the cloud of an NCAA rules investigation, he compiled a 14-23 record before being let go.
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Syracuse football set to open season | www.thedailyreview.com | Daily Review (thedailyerview.com; Fees)
The opponent for Syracuse football in the season opener today might be out of the FCS, but new head coach Dino Babers also knows it’s going to be a test.
“Well, we have a fantastic opponent to open up this year,” Babers said during his ACC media conference call. Colgate is ranked in the FCS level. They have a very, very experienced squad, 17 out of 22 starters coming back. They remind me of the Eastern Illinois squad that I had when we went out and upset San Diego State in the very first game my last year at that university and then San Diego State went on to win the conference and beat Boise State that year.
“They’re a very experienced football team. They’re very physical in the front, and you get that much experience with a team that went to the quarterfinals of the playoffs last year, you’ll get a very dangerous opening opponent. Hopefully my football team is listening to this, and we’ll be ready to go.”
As a coach that once coached an FCS team to a win over a major opponent, Babers knows that Colgate will be preparing well.
“Well, first of all, when you’re preparing for your Super Bowl game and you get the entire summer, the breakdowns are usually extremely extensive, so they’ll know a lot about us. And then all you have to — there’s going to come a point in the game where the game is a game, and if it is, are you willing to commit everything to winning the game.
“You know, nobody has enough football players to survive injuries. Injuries to any football team can change a season and as long as the game is going clean and there’s not a lot of injuries, you can see people get extremely aggressive and go for the kill, so to speak. If there’s a lot of injuries, then both coaches will have to think, wow, we’re going to lose it all here, are we going to go all in on the first game or are we going to try to save something for later in the season. I think those are some of the thoughts when you’re playing that big — you’re making that big of a jump up in levels of play, but I can tell you right now, Colgate with this opportunity, they’re going to play it all the way to the till, and they’ll play for the win.”
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Colgate football does shot-for-shot remake of ‘Friday Night Lights’ intro (ncaa.com; Cooper)
We've seen some football programs have plenty of fun with preseason hype videos, such as Arizona's video inspired by "Gladiator," but it's hard to envision any school beating the attention to detail that Colgate unveiled.
The Raiders, who begin their season Friday evening in Syracuse, took advantage of the rare opportunity to play college football on a day of the week typically reserved for high school to release a nearly perfect shot-for-shot remake of the intro to the 76-episode football drama "Friday Night Lights."
Check out Colgate's video and the original intro below and try to sync them up as closely as possible to see how spot-on the Raiders' production was.
Nothing better than game week here in Dillon, TX...or is it Hamilton, NY?#GateFNL pic.twitter.com/wQCQqYHi31
— Colgate Football (@ColgateFB) August 31, 2016
The Friday night opener for Colgate at Syracuse is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. EDT from the Carrier Dome.
Sparta's Melville excited to lead Colgate into tonight's matchup with 'Cuse (njherald.com; Tredinick)
Jake Melville is not done carving up defenses with his arm and legs on the football field just yet.
Colgate's dual-threat quarterback and two-time Herald Player of the Year for Sparta will take the field for the beginning of his senior season at 7 p.m. tonight against Syracuse.
The game, which will be played inside the Carrier Dome on Syracuse University's campus, will be broadcast on ESPN3.
"It's exciting," said Melville, who is entering his third and final year as the Raiders' starter. "We come to Colgate because we play these big games and to play against (Football Bowl Subdivision) schools, it's very exciting. We know it's a big challenge and we're looking forward to it."
Melville will be looking to build off a strong junior campaign where he compiled 3,625 yards in total offense, which was the second-most in program history. He finished with 2,552 yards and 11 touchdowns and threw only two interceptions in 14 games, which was the least by any team in the nation, and rushed for a team-high 1,073 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Tonight also begins Melville's quest to become only the fourth quarterback in Football Championship Subdivision history to pass for 5,000 yards and run for 2,500 in his collegiate career.
The Sparta native has thrown for 3,857 yards and ran for another 1,656 in his career, and would join 2010 Jefferson and 2014 Colgate graduate Gavin McCarney, who finished with 6,309 passing yards and 2,783 rushing yards, if he reaches the feat.
But Week 1 against an ACC defense presents a stiff test for Melville and the Raiders right out of the gate.
"As an offense, we want to focus on positive plays every time we snap the ball," Melville said. "We don't want to be going backwards. If it's me tucking down the ball on a pass play that I might have a big play, and might pick up five or 10 yards, that's a win. Being conservative and playing smart."
And against the Orange, who under new head coach Dino Babers will look to move quickly with their no-huddle spread offense and rack up as many points as possible, Melville can only do what is in his control to try and keep his team in the game.
Syracuse football vs. Colgate preview: Five things to watch (TNIAAM; Cassillo)
Of course you’re tuning in tomorrow. Here’s what to look out for.
The Syracuse Orange’s 2016 football season kicks off in just over 24 hours when the Colgate Raiders come to town. Though Colgate is an FCS program, we obviously have some history with the nearby school. They’re also ranked right now, which should at least give some pause to fever dreams of a 75-0 shellacking.
So what should you keep an eye out for during Friday night’s contest? Five key things that could make or break the Orange’s game plan:
- Colgate quarterback Jake Melville vs. SU’s front four
So can the Syracuse defensive line get to him?
We’ve covered the group’s depth issues, but the bigger question is whether or not this very green group can pressure the quarterback in a new scheme. Brian Ward’s defense at Bowling Green managed just 2.07 sacks per game last year, though that was still an edge on the numbers Syracuse put up in that department (1.92 per).
Further, if they can generate pressure, will that result in the speedy Melville beating them to the edge for big gains on the ground? Last year’s Falcons squad was susceptible to getting hurt my mobile passers. They allowed 561 yards and five touchdowns in five games vs. dual-threats, though that mark does include 269 and four allowed to Georgia Southern in the bowl game.
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Syracuse football season preview: Who will be defensive MVP? (TNIAAM; Staff)
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Who is SU’s defensive MVP?
Kevin Wall: Chris Slayton
We're all worried about the depth on the DL heading into the Fall. Slayton's ability to provide a stable presence at DE with the potential to move inside on passing downs is going to calm some of those fears and help the Orange's transition to the Tampa 2 defense.
Ari Gilberg: Chris Slayton
Since we have to pick one, I’m going to go with Slayton who is the only formidable player on a weak and inexperienced Orange defensive line. Slayton initially showed he’s ready to take the next step and fill the void left by Ron Thompson when he recorded three tackles for a loss and one sack during the team’s spring game in April. Unless Slayton is forced to endure frequent double teams, expect that sort of production to continue this season.
John Cassillo: Zaire Franklin
Franklin may not be the most well-adapted to take on his new role in the Tampa-2, but if he succeeds, he’ll be the most important member of the defense. Doubt his coverage abilities thus far if you’d like (and you can). But Franklin is a defensive captain for a reason, and he appears primed to embrace his new role this year. Expect the junior to be active in pass coverage, among the team leaders in tackles and a sign of a group much improved from last year’s disaster.
Sean Keeley: Zaire Franklin
Gotta be Zaire, right? Dude is the two-time captain for a reason and he’s the anchor of the team’s most reliable defensive unit. He’ll no-doubt put up some of the best numbers of the team this year and he’s the most likely person to influence those around him on the field. Whereas we wait to see if te defensive line and secondary can hold their own, we know what we’ve got in Franklin. A star.
Wake Hangs On to Defeat Tulane 7-3 (bloggersodear.com; Wozniak)
It was not impressive, but the Deacs are 1-0.
It's September, y'all. As I'm resisting the early creep of pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin beers, as I cling to the end of summer with every fiber of my being, the time has come at last for a new season of Demon Deacon football. The freshman class (of 2020...) opened the gate, Wake began selling alcohol in the stands, and the Deacs started off the 2016 football season off with a home victory, 7-3.
As the rain cleared away, and Wake Forest won the toss, Mike Weaver got the season underway, kicking off to the Green Wave. New Tulane head coach Willie Fritz showed his option look early, and the Deacon defense was up to the task. Good news for Deacon fans, as Duke Ejiofor was healthy enough to start. Wake starting the season on a three and out defensively felt good. On the next play, though, the effort was negated with a roughing the kicker penalty on the ensuing punt. Tulane immediately capitalized on the Deacon mistake with a big 22 yard rush, bringing Tulane quickly into field goal range. Tulane showed one, two, and even three backs in the backfield on the opening drive alone, but Duke Ejiofor was able to sniff out a draw and pick up a big sack. The Wave opted to kick a field goal from 41 yards, getting on the board first, 3-0.
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Louisville (Syracuse football's next opponent) drops 70 points on Charlotte (PS; AP)
Lamar Jackson accounted for a school-record eight touchdowns and 405 offensive yards by halftime to help No. 19 Louisville dismantle Charlotte 70-14 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
Jackson broke Chris Redman's 1998 record for combined rushing and passing TDs and he tied Redman's mark for passing TDs. He seemed poised to add a few more before exiting without taking a snap in the second half.
He completed 17 of 23 passes for 286 yards and rushed 11 times for 119 yards, including a 36-yard TD run on Louisville's opening drive. Louisville gained 663 yards overall.
Jackson's performance was an impressive follow-up to his breakout freshman season in which he combined for 2,800 yards and 23 TDs — including 960 rushing to break Louisville season and career marks by a QB. His final game last season was a 453-yard, three-TD combined effort in a Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M that earned MVP honors.
That showing raised expectations for this year, and the 6-foot-3, 204-pound Jackson quickly delivered for a sellout crowd of 53,127.
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UConn Huskies beat Maine Black Bears, 24-21 in tight season opener (fox62.com; Rumbold)
UConn moved ahead of Maine with 11 seconds left in the game to beat the Black Bears 24-21.
UConn and Maine were knotted at 14 at halftime in their season opener after Maine scored with :01 second remaining in the third quarter. The Huskies started the fourth quarter with the ball but a strip sack was taken to the house by Maine to give them the leads over UConn 21-14 with 9:56 remaining in the game. UConn tied it up 21-21 as the game wound down.
In college football, the series between UConn and Maine goes all the way back to 1922. Thursday in East Hartford, these former Yankee Conference rivals renewed their rivalry.
There was lots of excitement at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field as the Huskies opened the regular season - a season they hope is as good, if not much better, than last year.
HUSKIES WIN! Final: #UConn 24, Maine 21#UConnNation pic.twitter.com/TX37f047hD
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) September 2, 2016
The last time Coach Bob Diaco and his Huskies came out of the tunnel at The Rent they were handing Houston its first and only loss of the regular season. It helped propel them to their first bowl game in five years.
It is a roll the Huskies believe will continue after a very productive preseason and they can't wait to get started.
The game marks year three for Diaco as head coach.
Dwight Freeney's Veteran Presence Will Help Grow Falcons Defense (todayspigskin.com; Perper)
There’s no quit in defensive end Dwight Freeney. The 36-year-old went from a true leader on the Indianapolis Colts for 11 seasons to San Diego for two and Arizona for 11 games last season. On Aug. 2, he reached a one-year, $1 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
Freeney has produced in each of his stops. He had eight sacks as a pass-rusher for the Cardinals after being signed five games into the year, and previously, he had moments with the Chargers, four sacks in 20 games.
His best years are behind him, 107.5 sacks and six double-digit sack seasons with the Colts, but don’t think for a second he won’t help out a Falcons group that ranked dead last in the NFL a year ago with only 19 sacks.
Freeney ranked No. 6 overall among 3-4 outside linebackers in terms of pass rushing productivity, per Pro Football Focus. Although he hasn’t reached 10 sacks in a season since 2010, the 6-foot-1, 268-pounder still has fresh legs and can teach Vic Beasley, Derrick Shelby and Adrian Clayborn a thing or two.
Currently ranked third behind only Julius Peppers and DeMarcus Ware for the most sacks among active players, Freeney’s arrival could be what helps defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s defense take that next step forward.
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Other
Canadian football comes to America, as Ottawa team tackles New Hartford in area high school opener (PS; Weidner)
The Franco Cite Falcons gave it their best this afternoon inside the Carrier Dome, but the high school team from Ottawa, Ontario, didn't quite have the game to match up with New Hartford- losing 40-7 in the Kickoff Classic opener.
Franco Cite got to open the area high school football season on the Syracuse University campus as a substitute for Oswego - which decided two weeks ago not to field a varsity team this season.
"It was awesome. We enjoyed it from the first moment we stepped into the Dome," Franco Cite coach Paul Denis said of the experience, which began with a four-hour bus trip from Ottawa.
The Falcons, who play under the same rules as teams in the Canadian Football League, struggled some with adapting to American rules, Denis said he was pleased with his team's effort. Franco Cite brought only 28 of their 40 rostered players because of passport issues.
The French-speaking Franco Cite team had several good athletes on the field, including quarterback Lion-Ard'Eau Lymontard, named the Falcons' MVP for the game, defensive back Terron Tulloch and running back Carlvan Gabouin, who scored the Falcons' lone touchdown late in the first half.
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