sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Rainforest Day!
Rainforest Day celebrates the positive impact of rainforests, brings awareness to their plight, and aims to reduce humankind's negative impact on them. Found in South and Central America, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia, rainforests make up just 2% of the Earth's surface area. They usually are lush, humid, and hot, with an average temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 68 degrees Fahrenheit at night. They tend to receive rain year-round, usually more than 70 inches. Not all rainforests are the same, however, with tropical, temperate, mangrove, and monsoon rainforests differing from each other.
Rainforests are essential because they absorb carbon dioxide from human activity, produce oxygen, provide fresh water, provide a home for half of the world's animal and plant species, are the source of medicines, and stabilize climate patterns. Their loss—of which approximately 40 football fields worth disappear each minute—threatens biodiversity and the overall health of the Earth.
SU News
Orange Watch: Syracuse RB Sean Tucker deserves Heisman consideration - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: The Syracuse running back, named the ACC Running Back of the Week Monday for the second straight week, has dazzled through seven games despite the team’s 3-4 record and winless mark in the ACC.
We’re always maintained that Syracuse should have three Heisman Trophy winners in its storied football history, not only the one that Ernie Davis earned in historic fashion in 1961, becoming the first African-American player to win the most coveted individual honor in sports.
But twice the more legendary Notre Dame football program (and a segregated 1950s nation) got in the way.
In 1956, Jim Brown ran for 986 yards in an eight-game schedule, third best in the country, averaging a school-record 6.2 yards per carry, and against Colgate ran for 196 of those yards, scored a school-record six touchdowns and kicked seven extra points for a 43-point game, a NCAA record that stood for 34 years. The 8th ranked Orangemen finished 7-2 losing to No. 14 TCU 28-27 in the Cotton Bowl.
Yet Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung won the award even as the Irish finished 2-9, and Hornung statistics were a so-so 59-for-111 passing attempts for 917 yards, 3 TDs, and 13 interceptions. Instead of Brown becoming the first African-American winner of the Heisman, he finished just fifth in the voting, yet was the sixth overall pick in the 1957 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
In 1987, Don McPherson was the brilliant catalyst leading No. 4 Syracuse to an undefeated regular season, topping the nation in passing efficiency rating, passing yards per attempt, and adjusted passing yards per attempt, earning Sugar Bowl MVP honors in the bittersweet tie with Auburn.
But in a September (27th) game that season on national TV (not as ubiquitous as today’s era), Notre Dame receiver Tim Brown returned two punts of 71 and 66 yards for touchdowns in a two-minute span against Michigan State, and that was a season-long image that catapulted Brown to win the Heisman over number-two vote getter “Donnie Mac” despite an 8-4 Irish season and Cotton Bowl defeat.
Which brings us to Sean Tucker and the marvelous 2021 season he has had so far and which he documented on Twitter Sunday, notwithstanding SU’s disappointing won/loss record.
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Fernandez: Babers’ prized recruit Tommy DeVito never reached his full potential (DO; Fernandez)
Tommy DeVito was the highly-touted recruit who was supposed to prove head coach Dino Babers’ 10-win season in 2018 wasn’t a fluke. He was the top-ranked recruit among Babers’ Class of 2017 signees, and one of just two four-star recruits during the entire Babers’ era. DeVito was Eric Dungey’s heir, the Elite 11 member and No. 13 ranked quarterback in his class.
After a redshirt season in 2017, DeVito impressed in 2018 as a backup to Dungey. The newcomer went 11-of-16 for 144 yards and threw a touchdown against Florida State in an SU victory, winning him Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week. He entered late in the fourth quarter and led the Orange to a double-overtime victory over UNC. Questions arose about whether he’d challenge Dungey for the starting job.
Three years later, DeVito is entering the transfer portal after losing the starting job to Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader. DeVito never lived up to his potential in SU’s system. He didn’t even come close.
The anticipated star ranked 102nd of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in Pro Football Focus’ 2019 final rankings, the last time he played a complete season. He ranked 95th heading into the 2021 season, too. DeVito averaged almost 200 yards per game during 2019, but was completing just 50% of his passes in 2020.
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But the quarterback didn’t have an ideal environment. DeVito was constantly on the run, playing behind a thinned offensive line that gave up 88 sacks in 2019 and 2020 combined — a record for FBS — though injuries played a factor. He was asked to run a fast-paced offense with “spare parts,” DeVito’s longtime quarterback coach Leon Clarke said.
Babers is adamant that conversations between him and his players are private, and that’s understandable. But he also said publicly that his quarterback situation would be like a starter-reliever strategy, yet he didn’t play DeVito after those comments, even when Shrader struggled. Babers didn’t inform DeVito he wasn’t starting until two hours before kickoff against Liberty after DeVito took starting team reps all week.
Babers recruited a dual-threat quarterback and re-tailored the offensive scheme, telling Shrader before the start of the year that he’d get the opportunity to compete for the starting job.
Babers has said DeVito is special to him. “We treat everybody the same, but Tommy DeVito is different,” he explained on Monday. But for a player Babers said he was “tied at the hip” with, DeVito deserved better.
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Improving Syracuse takes on middling Virginia Tech in ACC matchup - National Football Post (nationalfootballpost.com; FLM)
Syracuse and host Virginia Tech enter Saturday’s ACC contest coming off losses, but the Orange and Hokies likely have different vibes from those defeats.
Syracuse has a feeling that it’s close to a breakthrough.
In the past two weeks, the Orange have suffered a 40-37 overtime loss to then-No. 19 Wake Forest and a 17-14 home loss to Clemson.
Despite being 3-4 for the season and 0-3 in Atlantic Division play, the Orange might be building some confidence.
“It’s exciting and it’s disappointing at the same time based on what happens with the scores,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “But I like this group. I’m not going to trade them in. I’ll keep them. We’ll put them in the oven, and when we get through baking, we’re going to have something that’s really exciting.”
Syracuse is led offensively by the ACC’s top rusher, Sean Tucker, who is 52 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard mark this season.
Tucker has rushed for 948 yards and nine touchdowns on 155 attempts (6.1 per-carry average) and has rushed for 100 yards or more in five straight games.
On the other side, Virginia Tech comes in reeling a little more following an uninspiring 28-7 home loss to Pitt last week.
The Hokies struggled with the ball, amassing just 224 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Braxton Burmeister went just 11-of-32 passing for 134 yards as Virginia Tech couldn’t follow up on a solid performance from the week prior in a 32-29 loss to Notre Dame.
Now 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech already is at a crisis point, with some saying that coach Justin Fuente is on the hot seat.
The Hokies are 22-21 in their past 43 games since 2018.
“It’s my responsibility, and it’s my job, to get us as good as we can play, whatever that level is,” Fuente said. “At times this season, we’ve hit that level.”
This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2016, a matchup Syracuse won 31-17.
Virginia Tech Football: Dean Ferguson, Devon Hunter Out For Season (sportswar.com; Cunningham)
On Monday, Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente announced that linebacker Dean Ferguson and safety Devon Hunter are out for the season with injuries that will require surgery.
Ferguson, a 6-2, 228-pound redshirt freshman from Sterling, Va. injured his shoulder. Hunter, a six-foot, 220-pound redshirt junior from Chesapeake, Va., has a knee injury.
“Dean had been battling through numerous injuries throughout the entire season,” Fuente said. “Quite frankly, just an incredible example of perseverance. … Seemed like every week was a new body part for him, and this is just one bridge too far. He’ll have surgery here shortly.
“Devon has obviously been through a lot and I believe it was on a special teams play that he hurt his knee. He’ll have surgery that will end his season.”
Ferguson has been with the Hokies since 2019 and played in Tech’s first five games of the 2021 season. He had five total tackles, including half a tackle for loss. He was Virginia Tech’s backup mike linebacker behind Dax Hollifield.
Without Ferguson, the Hokies’ linebacker two-deep drops to three players: Alan Tisdale (backer), Dax Hollifield (mike) and Keshon Artis, who can play both positions. Against Pitt on Saturday, Artis started at mike in place of Hollifield, who missed the first half due to targeting penalty against Notre Dame.
Hunter, who had off the field issues that forced him to miss last season, played in five of Tech’s six games this season, registering seven tackles. Hunter was Tech’s backup boundary safety behind redshirt sophomore Nasir Peoples.
In other injury news, Fuente did not have an update on cornerback Jermaine Waller.
Injured in the first half against the Panthers, Waller was on the sideline in a walking boot in the second half. Fuente didn’t think the injury was long-term in his postgame press conference, and he reiterated that on Monday.
“Jermaine will be out there if he can,” Fuente said. “I don’t think this is a long-term issue, I just don’t know how short-term it’ll be.”
“A disciple of defensive guru Rocky Long and the two-time At their request, this network is being blocked from this site. Mountain West Recruiter of the Year, Tony White was hired as Syracuse’s defensive coordinator in February 2020. He joined the Orange after serving as the cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator at Arizona State from 2018-19.”
Though the Orange are 3-4 (0-3 ACC) through their first seven games, their defense has been outstanding. Second in the ACC in total defense, Syracuse is allowing just 308 yards per game. Only NC State is allowing less.
Syracuse ranks fourth in rush defense and first in pass defense in the conference. White & Co. allowed just 354 yards to Clemson last week. Brad Cornelsen’s offense has a huge challenge ahead on Saturday.
“It can cause you a lot of problems,” Fuente said. “A lot of movement, some different looks. They kind of base it in a shell and can rotate and move it at the snap. … But it doesn’t work if they don’t have players, and they certainly have those as well.”
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Exit 31 10-18 (ESPN; radio; Rain & Spencer)
On today’s James Mitsubishi Exit 31 Podcast, Rain and Spencer talk to Stephen Bailey from Syracuse on 247, Will Vandervort from The Clemson Insider and Matt Parrino from Syracuse dot com, plus more!
On The Block On Demand 10-18 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent discusses what led to Tommy Devito entering the transfer portal and how him and Dino Babers will always be connected.
Did Dino Babers Fail Tommy DeVito or Was It the Other Way Around? Plus, Analytics Behind Syracuse's Awful Decision-Making 10/20 (audible.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito's departure has left a complicated legacy for him. Did Dino Babers fail Tommy DeVito as a head coach? Or is it the other way around? Plus, will DeVito find a Power 5 job next season? Also, Dino Babers answered a question about how he uses analytics for his in-game decision-making. Are prior failures leading to all of Babers's current bad decisions? Tim Leonard and Tyler Aki discuss it all and more on the Locked on Syracuse
Double Down 10-18 (player.fm; radio; Tommy & Jordan)
Tommy is joined by Jordan to recap Syracuse's heartbreaking loss to Clemson and take some calls about the game. Later, they are joined by Josh to pick the best prop bets in Bills-Titans and get lost in a snake draft during the six pack
Bones’ Biggest Takeaways: Bowl Hopes Are Over – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bonaparte)
Syracuse took another heartbreaking loss, this time to Clemson, 17-14. It was a pretty stereotypical game for SU, Sean Tucker was sensational, Garrett Shrader couldn’t throw the football, Dino Babers showcased his inability to manage a game in the final minutes, and Andre Szmyt missed a big field goal. Here are the biggest takeaways from Friday’s loss:
THE BOWL HOPES ARE OVER
After Syracuse beat Liberty, fans and media alike were beginning to warm to the idea that this team could pick up 3 more and put themselves in a position to be playing postseason football. Though after 3 straight losses you can pretty much kiss those dreams goodbye. Realistically, there are 3 games left on SU’s schedule that are winnable, if they got all 3 they’d be eligible, but I wouldn’t get too excited. Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Boston College are the teams left that SU has a feasible shot at beating. Virginia Tech, who the Orange play next week, is probably the most difficult opponent of that trio. Louisville sports a negative record in-conference and Boston College, like Syracuse, are winless in-conference. A season that began with tons of promise goes up in flames thanks to poor late-game coaching and an inability to throw the football.
THIS OFFENSE WON’T BEAT THE GOOD TEAMS
Syracuse’s offense this season has been unlike what we’ve seen in years prior. The Eric Dungey’s and Tommy DeVito’s of the world loved to show off their magnificent arms whenever they could, throwing deep bombs to guys like Steve Ishmael, Jamal Custis, Trishton Jackson, and Taj Harris. Those days are over, however. Babers ultimately picked Shrader over DeVito because the transfer had the ability to move the team down the field consistently while using his legs to avoid sacks and gain first downs, something DeVito wouldn’t do if the play wasn’t drawn up to do exactly that. That rush-centered offense worked for a while, especially thanks to the brilliance of Sean Tucker, but as we learned on Friday night, it doesn’t work when going up against one of the best defenses in the country. Sure, Tucker still got his 100 yards like he does almost every game, doing most of that work in the first half. Though when Brent Venables and the staunch Clemson defense came out in the second, they made a simple adjustment: Stack the box and force Shrader to throw. Everyone in the Carrier Dome and everyone watching at home knew Shrader has a hard time throwing the ball, but he refreshed us anyway. In that second half, the Mississippi St. transfer threw the ball 22 times in the second half compared to 15 in the first. Sean Tucker was neutralized entirely in that second half. The potential Heisman candidate had just 25 rush yards in the second half compared to his impressive 132 in the first. If you’re Dino Babers, your job is to find a way to get Tucker the ball, he failed. Shrader cannot throw the ball consistently, if you can’t get Sean Tucker the ball, this offense will not win games. Simple as that.
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In reflecting on the most recent Syracuse football losses, I’ve thought, did you ever see the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? Every day Phil (Bill Murray’s character) wakes up and relives that same day over and over no matter how hard he tries to change things.
Right now, Syracuse Orange fans are living in a Cardiac Cuse Groundhog Day scenario for the last few weeks at least.
On Friday night, Syracuse football lost 17-14 to the Clemson Tigers as a game-tying field goal fell short in the last minute. The week before that, the Orange lost to a ranked Wake Forest team in overtime 40-37.
And the week before that Wake game, it was Florida State winning 33-30 with a last-minute field goal. Syracuse football is now 3-4 for the season and 0-3 in ACC play, with all three conference losses coming down to a last-minute play determining the outcome only to lose by 3 points.
Where does Syracuse football go from here?
In past seasons, Clemson and Florida State games were the “hard games” but this season, no team can be underestimated and what some might deem to be the “easiest game” left might be this week at Virginia Tech.
Make no mistake about it though, this will not be an easy win especially at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA. I think even the most optimistic of Syracuse fans can’t afford to look at any game this season as an “easy game” especially after seeing so many close games this season with Syracuse ending up on the losing side of 4 of those games (if you include they had opportunities to win against Rutgers as well).
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Pitt is favored to beat Clemson. But Pat Narduzzi isn't buying it (P-G; McGonigal)
Clemson hasn’t been an underdog in a regular season game since Heisman Trophy finalists Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson faced off in 2016. Jackson won the Heisman, while Watson and the Tigers beat Louisville as one-point underdogs.
Unless heavy money comes in on Dabo Swinney’s team between now and then, Clemson’s 59-game streak as a regular season favorite will end Saturday. Pitt, ranked 23rd in the polls and riding high after a 21-point win at Virginia Tech, opened as a three-point favorite for this weekend’s high-profile clash at Heinz Field.
But Pat Narduzzi doesn’t want to hear it. At his Monday press conference, Narduzzi dismissed the idea of point spreads and the notion that Pitt — a 63.1% favorite, per ESPN’s Football Power Index — should be considered in that light.
“This is an opportunity for our guys to play against the best, and they are the best. They are still the gauge in the ACC, period. They are the best,” Narduzzi said of the 4-2 Tigers, who average only 20.5 points per game — a far cry from their 94 combined points in wins over Pitt in 2018 and 2020. “... They are a really good football team, and we are going to have to play our best to have a chance to win.”
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The Winds of Change Are Blowing in College Football (SI; Forde)
• A new Atlantic Coast Conference overlord. The conference has been dominated by Clemson and Florida State for the past decade, with the Tigers winning seven championships and the Seminoles three. With Clemson having failed to score 20 points in regulation against FBS competition thus far, and Florida State mired in a four-year malaise, the door to the throne room is wide open. The top candidates to walk through it:
Wake Forest (21). Last ACC title: 2006. The Demon Deacons are the last undefeated team in the league, and already 4–0 in conference play. They step out of conference to play Army Saturday, then have a soft re-entry at home against Duke Oct. 30. November will be crunch time, with three out of four on the road (North Carolina Nov. 6, Clemson Nov. 13 and Boston College Nov. 27), plus a home game against North Carolina State. Dave Clawson has done great work at Wake, but it’s hard to see a team that’s giving up 5.61 yards per play and 411 yards per game winning its division.
North Carolina State (22). Last ACC title: 1979. The Wolfpack own the most valuable thing in the Atlantic Division—a head-to-head victory over Clemson and the potential tiebreaker if those two both finish 7–1. State was impressive on the road against Boston College Saturday, and the remaining schedule is navigable. The Nov. 13 game at Wake Forest could decide the division, if both take care of business otherwise. NC State has a history of finding painful ways to sabotage itself, but for now this is the team to beat in the Atlantic.
Pittsburgh (23). Last ACC title: Never. Last conference title of any kind: 2010 Big East co-champs. The Panthers have the best offense in the conference, led by the best quarterback in Kenny Pickett, who is starting to gain some Heisman traction. If they hadn’t inexplicably blown a game against Western Michigan, they’d be ranked in the top 15 and maybe the top 10. Pitt has only played two ACC games thus far, but they were both road victories by wide margins. If the Panthers get past Clemson Saturday—and it says here they will—they could coast to the Coastal Division crown.
Dash pick for the ACC champion: Pittsburgh.
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Looking Ahead to 2021-10-30 (RX; HM)
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for the week of Oct. 30.
Saturday, Oct. 30
Early Games
Foot, Shooting Oneself in (RX; HM)
* It really should've been a 9-point lead, but Coach Fuente was caught chasing points by going for 2 when they really didn't need to (see below).
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Other
Owner Sammer Essi and his daughter Bella prepare to welcome diners to indoor seating again at Munjed's Middle Eastern Cafe on Westcott Street. The restaurant had been doing takeout-only since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. (Don Cazentre | dcazentre@syracuse.com)
Higher prices, longer waits, smaller menus: Dining out in CNY isn’t what it used to be (PS; $; Cazentre)
Hours are shorter. Menus are smaller. Prices are higher.
Your server may be juggling an entire dining room of tables. The cook may be alone in the kitchen.
And you may find out your favorite restaurant is suddenly closed for a few days. Making a reservation, when you can, is a good idea. You may have to wait, anyway.
This is the state of much of the restaurant industry these days almost 18 months after the devastating initial lockdowns at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Staffing shortages, supply issues and higher prices for everything from food to cleaning supplies have replaced curfews, seating limits, social distancing rules and the dreaded requirement to serve food with drinks.
“We’re just kind of doing what we can with what we’ve got,” said Randy Beach, owner of the Ale ‘n Angus Pub in downtown Syracuse. His tavern has cut hours for now and limited the menu in spots (it hasn’t served chicken wings in months but hopes to restart soon). “We do everything we can and not a drop more.”
“Definitely smaller menus, tighter hours and less days open are big themes,” said Jared Paventi, a restaurant reviewer for syracuse.com. He checks out a different restaurant across the Central New York region every other week. He’s also noticed an increase in restaurants allowing tables to sit empty, even when customers are waiting, to give staff time to catch up.
But the news is not all bad: Despite some dire predictions of mass closings due to Covid, it appears that only a handful of restaurants in Central New York shut for good during the pandemic. And many of those had to do with factors other than Covid. The churn of closings and openings seems perhaps just a bit more than a normal year.
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Rainforest Day celebrates the positive impact of rainforests, brings awareness to their plight, and aims to reduce humankind's negative impact on them. Found in South and Central America, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia, rainforests make up just 2% of the Earth's surface area. They usually are lush, humid, and hot, with an average temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 68 degrees Fahrenheit at night. They tend to receive rain year-round, usually more than 70 inches. Not all rainforests are the same, however, with tropical, temperate, mangrove, and monsoon rainforests differing from each other.
Rainforests are essential because they absorb carbon dioxide from human activity, produce oxygen, provide fresh water, provide a home for half of the world's animal and plant species, are the source of medicines, and stabilize climate patterns. Their loss—of which approximately 40 football fields worth disappear each minute—threatens biodiversity and the overall health of the Earth.
SU News
Orange Watch: Syracuse RB Sean Tucker deserves Heisman consideration - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
Item: The Syracuse running back, named the ACC Running Back of the Week Monday for the second straight week, has dazzled through seven games despite the team’s 3-4 record and winless mark in the ACC.
We’re always maintained that Syracuse should have three Heisman Trophy winners in its storied football history, not only the one that Ernie Davis earned in historic fashion in 1961, becoming the first African-American player to win the most coveted individual honor in sports.
But twice the more legendary Notre Dame football program (and a segregated 1950s nation) got in the way.
In 1956, Jim Brown ran for 986 yards in an eight-game schedule, third best in the country, averaging a school-record 6.2 yards per carry, and against Colgate ran for 196 of those yards, scored a school-record six touchdowns and kicked seven extra points for a 43-point game, a NCAA record that stood for 34 years. The 8th ranked Orangemen finished 7-2 losing to No. 14 TCU 28-27 in the Cotton Bowl.
Yet Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung won the award even as the Irish finished 2-9, and Hornung statistics were a so-so 59-for-111 passing attempts for 917 yards, 3 TDs, and 13 interceptions. Instead of Brown becoming the first African-American winner of the Heisman, he finished just fifth in the voting, yet was the sixth overall pick in the 1957 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
In 1987, Don McPherson was the brilliant catalyst leading No. 4 Syracuse to an undefeated regular season, topping the nation in passing efficiency rating, passing yards per attempt, and adjusted passing yards per attempt, earning Sugar Bowl MVP honors in the bittersweet tie with Auburn.
But in a September (27th) game that season on national TV (not as ubiquitous as today’s era), Notre Dame receiver Tim Brown returned two punts of 71 and 66 yards for touchdowns in a two-minute span against Michigan State, and that was a season-long image that catapulted Brown to win the Heisman over number-two vote getter “Donnie Mac” despite an 8-4 Irish season and Cotton Bowl defeat.
Which brings us to Sean Tucker and the marvelous 2021 season he has had so far and which he documented on Twitter Sunday, notwithstanding SU’s disappointing won/loss record.
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Fernandez: Babers’ prized recruit Tommy DeVito never reached his full potential (DO; Fernandez)
Tommy DeVito was the highly-touted recruit who was supposed to prove head coach Dino Babers’ 10-win season in 2018 wasn’t a fluke. He was the top-ranked recruit among Babers’ Class of 2017 signees, and one of just two four-star recruits during the entire Babers’ era. DeVito was Eric Dungey’s heir, the Elite 11 member and No. 13 ranked quarterback in his class.
After a redshirt season in 2017, DeVito impressed in 2018 as a backup to Dungey. The newcomer went 11-of-16 for 144 yards and threw a touchdown against Florida State in an SU victory, winning him Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week. He entered late in the fourth quarter and led the Orange to a double-overtime victory over UNC. Questions arose about whether he’d challenge Dungey for the starting job.
Three years later, DeVito is entering the transfer portal after losing the starting job to Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader. DeVito never lived up to his potential in SU’s system. He didn’t even come close.
The anticipated star ranked 102nd of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in Pro Football Focus’ 2019 final rankings, the last time he played a complete season. He ranked 95th heading into the 2021 season, too. DeVito averaged almost 200 yards per game during 2019, but was completing just 50% of his passes in 2020.
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But the quarterback didn’t have an ideal environment. DeVito was constantly on the run, playing behind a thinned offensive line that gave up 88 sacks in 2019 and 2020 combined — a record for FBS — though injuries played a factor. He was asked to run a fast-paced offense with “spare parts,” DeVito’s longtime quarterback coach Leon Clarke said.
Babers is adamant that conversations between him and his players are private, and that’s understandable. But he also said publicly that his quarterback situation would be like a starter-reliever strategy, yet he didn’t play DeVito after those comments, even when Shrader struggled. Babers didn’t inform DeVito he wasn’t starting until two hours before kickoff against Liberty after DeVito took starting team reps all week.
Babers recruited a dual-threat quarterback and re-tailored the offensive scheme, telling Shrader before the start of the year that he’d get the opportunity to compete for the starting job.
Babers has said DeVito is special to him. “We treat everybody the same, but Tommy DeVito is different,” he explained on Monday. But for a player Babers said he was “tied at the hip” with, DeVito deserved better.
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Improving Syracuse takes on middling Virginia Tech in ACC matchup - National Football Post (nationalfootballpost.com; FLM)
Syracuse and host Virginia Tech enter Saturday’s ACC contest coming off losses, but the Orange and Hokies likely have different vibes from those defeats.
Syracuse has a feeling that it’s close to a breakthrough.
In the past two weeks, the Orange have suffered a 40-37 overtime loss to then-No. 19 Wake Forest and a 17-14 home loss to Clemson.
Despite being 3-4 for the season and 0-3 in Atlantic Division play, the Orange might be building some confidence.
“It’s exciting and it’s disappointing at the same time based on what happens with the scores,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “But I like this group. I’m not going to trade them in. I’ll keep them. We’ll put them in the oven, and when we get through baking, we’re going to have something that’s really exciting.”
Syracuse is led offensively by the ACC’s top rusher, Sean Tucker, who is 52 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard mark this season.
Tucker has rushed for 948 yards and nine touchdowns on 155 attempts (6.1 per-carry average) and has rushed for 100 yards or more in five straight games.
On the other side, Virginia Tech comes in reeling a little more following an uninspiring 28-7 home loss to Pitt last week.
The Hokies struggled with the ball, amassing just 224 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Braxton Burmeister went just 11-of-32 passing for 134 yards as Virginia Tech couldn’t follow up on a solid performance from the week prior in a 32-29 loss to Notre Dame.
Now 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech already is at a crisis point, with some saying that coach Justin Fuente is on the hot seat.
The Hokies are 22-21 in their past 43 games since 2018.
“It’s my responsibility, and it’s my job, to get us as good as we can play, whatever that level is,” Fuente said. “At times this season, we’ve hit that level.”
This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2016, a matchup Syracuse won 31-17.
Virginia Tech Football: Dean Ferguson, Devon Hunter Out For Season (sportswar.com; Cunningham)
On Monday, Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente announced that linebacker Dean Ferguson and safety Devon Hunter are out for the season with injuries that will require surgery.
Ferguson, a 6-2, 228-pound redshirt freshman from Sterling, Va. injured his shoulder. Hunter, a six-foot, 220-pound redshirt junior from Chesapeake, Va., has a knee injury.
“Dean had been battling through numerous injuries throughout the entire season,” Fuente said. “Quite frankly, just an incredible example of perseverance. … Seemed like every week was a new body part for him, and this is just one bridge too far. He’ll have surgery here shortly.
“Devon has obviously been through a lot and I believe it was on a special teams play that he hurt his knee. He’ll have surgery that will end his season.”
Ferguson has been with the Hokies since 2019 and played in Tech’s first five games of the 2021 season. He had five total tackles, including half a tackle for loss. He was Virginia Tech’s backup mike linebacker behind Dax Hollifield.
Without Ferguson, the Hokies’ linebacker two-deep drops to three players: Alan Tisdale (backer), Dax Hollifield (mike) and Keshon Artis, who can play both positions. Against Pitt on Saturday, Artis started at mike in place of Hollifield, who missed the first half due to targeting penalty against Notre Dame.
Hunter, who had off the field issues that forced him to miss last season, played in five of Tech’s six games this season, registering seven tackles. Hunter was Tech’s backup boundary safety behind redshirt sophomore Nasir Peoples.
In other injury news, Fuente did not have an update on cornerback Jermaine Waller.
Injured in the first half against the Panthers, Waller was on the sideline in a walking boot in the second half. Fuente didn’t think the injury was long-term in his postgame press conference, and he reiterated that on Monday.
“Jermaine will be out there if he can,” Fuente said. “I don’t think this is a long-term issue, I just don’t know how short-term it’ll be.”
Other Virginia Tech Football Press Conference Notes
Syracuse’s Defense “Poses A Lot Of Problems”
Tony White is the Orange’s defensive coordinator, and so far this season, he’s been a darn good one. Here’s the first line of his bio from Syracuse’s website:“A disciple of defensive guru Rocky Long and the two-time At their request, this network is being blocked from this site. Mountain West Recruiter of the Year, Tony White was hired as Syracuse’s defensive coordinator in February 2020. He joined the Orange after serving as the cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator at Arizona State from 2018-19.”
Though the Orange are 3-4 (0-3 ACC) through their first seven games, their defense has been outstanding. Second in the ACC in total defense, Syracuse is allowing just 308 yards per game. Only NC State is allowing less.
Syracuse ranks fourth in rush defense and first in pass defense in the conference. White & Co. allowed just 354 yards to Clemson last week. Brad Cornelsen’s offense has a huge challenge ahead on Saturday.
“It can cause you a lot of problems,” Fuente said. “A lot of movement, some different looks. They kind of base it in a shell and can rotate and move it at the snap. … But it doesn’t work if they don’t have players, and they certainly have those as well.”
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Exit 31 10-18 (ESPN; radio; Rain & Spencer)
On today’s James Mitsubishi Exit 31 Podcast, Rain and Spencer talk to Stephen Bailey from Syracuse on 247, Will Vandervort from The Clemson Insider and Matt Parrino from Syracuse dot com, plus more!
On The Block On Demand 10-18 (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent discusses what led to Tommy Devito entering the transfer portal and how him and Dino Babers will always be connected.
Did Dino Babers Fail Tommy DeVito or Was It the Other Way Around? Plus, Analytics Behind Syracuse's Awful Decision-Making 10/20 (audible.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito's departure has left a complicated legacy for him. Did Dino Babers fail Tommy DeVito as a head coach? Or is it the other way around? Plus, will DeVito find a Power 5 job next season? Also, Dino Babers answered a question about how he uses analytics for his in-game decision-making. Are prior failures leading to all of Babers's current bad decisions? Tim Leonard and Tyler Aki discuss it all and more on the Locked on Syracuse
Double Down 10-18 (player.fm; radio; Tommy & Jordan)
Tommy is joined by Jordan to recap Syracuse's heartbreaking loss to Clemson and take some calls about the game. Later, they are joined by Josh to pick the best prop bets in Bills-Titans and get lost in a snake draft during the six pack
Bones’ Biggest Takeaways: Bowl Hopes Are Over – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bonaparte)
Syracuse took another heartbreaking loss, this time to Clemson, 17-14. It was a pretty stereotypical game for SU, Sean Tucker was sensational, Garrett Shrader couldn’t throw the football, Dino Babers showcased his inability to manage a game in the final minutes, and Andre Szmyt missed a big field goal. Here are the biggest takeaways from Friday’s loss:
THE BOWL HOPES ARE OVER
After Syracuse beat Liberty, fans and media alike were beginning to warm to the idea that this team could pick up 3 more and put themselves in a position to be playing postseason football. Though after 3 straight losses you can pretty much kiss those dreams goodbye. Realistically, there are 3 games left on SU’s schedule that are winnable, if they got all 3 they’d be eligible, but I wouldn’t get too excited. Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Boston College are the teams left that SU has a feasible shot at beating. Virginia Tech, who the Orange play next week, is probably the most difficult opponent of that trio. Louisville sports a negative record in-conference and Boston College, like Syracuse, are winless in-conference. A season that began with tons of promise goes up in flames thanks to poor late-game coaching and an inability to throw the football.
THIS OFFENSE WON’T BEAT THE GOOD TEAMS
Syracuse’s offense this season has been unlike what we’ve seen in years prior. The Eric Dungey’s and Tommy DeVito’s of the world loved to show off their magnificent arms whenever they could, throwing deep bombs to guys like Steve Ishmael, Jamal Custis, Trishton Jackson, and Taj Harris. Those days are over, however. Babers ultimately picked Shrader over DeVito because the transfer had the ability to move the team down the field consistently while using his legs to avoid sacks and gain first downs, something DeVito wouldn’t do if the play wasn’t drawn up to do exactly that. That rush-centered offense worked for a while, especially thanks to the brilliance of Sean Tucker, but as we learned on Friday night, it doesn’t work when going up against one of the best defenses in the country. Sure, Tucker still got his 100 yards like he does almost every game, doing most of that work in the first half. Though when Brent Venables and the staunch Clemson defense came out in the second, they made a simple adjustment: Stack the box and force Shrader to throw. Everyone in the Carrier Dome and everyone watching at home knew Shrader has a hard time throwing the ball, but he refreshed us anyway. In that second half, the Mississippi St. transfer threw the ball 22 times in the second half compared to 15 in the first. Sean Tucker was neutralized entirely in that second half. The potential Heisman candidate had just 25 rush yards in the second half compared to his impressive 132 in the first. If you’re Dino Babers, your job is to find a way to get Tucker the ball, he failed. Shrader cannot throw the ball consistently, if you can’t get Sean Tucker the ball, this offense will not win games. Simple as that.
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In reflecting on the most recent Syracuse football losses, I’ve thought, did you ever see the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? Every day Phil (Bill Murray’s character) wakes up and relives that same day over and over no matter how hard he tries to change things.
Right now, Syracuse Orange fans are living in a Cardiac Cuse Groundhog Day scenario for the last few weeks at least.
On Friday night, Syracuse football lost 17-14 to the Clemson Tigers as a game-tying field goal fell short in the last minute. The week before that, the Orange lost to a ranked Wake Forest team in overtime 40-37.
And the week before that Wake game, it was Florida State winning 33-30 with a last-minute field goal. Syracuse football is now 3-4 for the season and 0-3 in ACC play, with all three conference losses coming down to a last-minute play determining the outcome only to lose by 3 points.
Where does Syracuse football go from here?
In past seasons, Clemson and Florida State games were the “hard games” but this season, no team can be underestimated and what some might deem to be the “easiest game” left might be this week at Virginia Tech.
Make no mistake about it though, this will not be an easy win especially at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA. I think even the most optimistic of Syracuse fans can’t afford to look at any game this season as an “easy game” especially after seeing so many close games this season with Syracuse ending up on the losing side of 4 of those games (if you include they had opportunities to win against Rutgers as well).
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Pitt is favored to beat Clemson. But Pat Narduzzi isn't buying it (P-G; McGonigal)
Clemson hasn’t been an underdog in a regular season game since Heisman Trophy finalists Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson faced off in 2016. Jackson won the Heisman, while Watson and the Tigers beat Louisville as one-point underdogs.
Unless heavy money comes in on Dabo Swinney’s team between now and then, Clemson’s 59-game streak as a regular season favorite will end Saturday. Pitt, ranked 23rd in the polls and riding high after a 21-point win at Virginia Tech, opened as a three-point favorite for this weekend’s high-profile clash at Heinz Field.
But Pat Narduzzi doesn’t want to hear it. At his Monday press conference, Narduzzi dismissed the idea of point spreads and the notion that Pitt — a 63.1% favorite, per ESPN’s Football Power Index — should be considered in that light.
“This is an opportunity for our guys to play against the best, and they are the best. They are still the gauge in the ACC, period. They are the best,” Narduzzi said of the 4-2 Tigers, who average only 20.5 points per game — a far cry from their 94 combined points in wins over Pitt in 2018 and 2020. “... They are a really good football team, and we are going to have to play our best to have a chance to win.”
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The Winds of Change Are Blowing in College Football (SI; Forde)
THIRD QUARTER: EMBRACE CHANGE
The Dash has devoted plenty of words to the tumultuous events of this 2021 season, as the sport’s recent status quo has been crumpled and reshaped into something fresh and different. But the alterations keep coming, leaving us with some interesting potential story lines to monitor in the second half of the season. Let’s get to the list:• A new Atlantic Coast Conference overlord. The conference has been dominated by Clemson and Florida State for the past decade, with the Tigers winning seven championships and the Seminoles three. With Clemson having failed to score 20 points in regulation against FBS competition thus far, and Florida State mired in a four-year malaise, the door to the throne room is wide open. The top candidates to walk through it:
Wake Forest (21). Last ACC title: 2006. The Demon Deacons are the last undefeated team in the league, and already 4–0 in conference play. They step out of conference to play Army Saturday, then have a soft re-entry at home against Duke Oct. 30. November will be crunch time, with three out of four on the road (North Carolina Nov. 6, Clemson Nov. 13 and Boston College Nov. 27), plus a home game against North Carolina State. Dave Clawson has done great work at Wake, but it’s hard to see a team that’s giving up 5.61 yards per play and 411 yards per game winning its division.
North Carolina State (22). Last ACC title: 1979. The Wolfpack own the most valuable thing in the Atlantic Division—a head-to-head victory over Clemson and the potential tiebreaker if those two both finish 7–1. State was impressive on the road against Boston College Saturday, and the remaining schedule is navigable. The Nov. 13 game at Wake Forest could decide the division, if both take care of business otherwise. NC State has a history of finding painful ways to sabotage itself, but for now this is the team to beat in the Atlantic.
Pittsburgh (23). Last ACC title: Never. Last conference title of any kind: 2010 Big East co-champs. The Panthers have the best offense in the conference, led by the best quarterback in Kenny Pickett, who is starting to gain some Heisman traction. If they hadn’t inexplicably blown a game against Western Michigan, they’d be ranked in the top 15 and maybe the top 10. Pitt has only played two ACC games thus far, but they were both road victories by wide margins. If the Panthers get past Clemson Saturday—and it says here they will—they could coast to the Coastal Division crown.
Dash pick for the ACC champion: Pittsburgh.
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Looking Ahead to 2021-10-30 (RX; HM)
Looking Ahead to 2021-10-30
Football Game Times & Networks for October 30GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for the week of Oct. 30.
Saturday, Oct. 30
Early Games
Mid-Day Games
Prime-Time Games
Late-Night Game
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Foot, Shooting Oneself in (RX; HM)
Foot, Shooting Oneself in
ACC football has been loaded with close, exciting non-conference games - most of which have ended in sadness for ACC fans. How close were these ACC teams to winning, and were they beaten or did they find a way to lose?Georgia Tech 21, NIU 22
In this game the Yellow Jackets passing was awful (2 yards per attempt worse than NIU), but the running was terrific (1.4 yards per attempt better than NIU)... so, naturally, they called 27 passing plays. But that's not even the story of the game: GT went for it on 4th down four times, only making it twice; the Jackets also attempted three field goals, missing all of them. That's five possessions that ended in neither a score nor a punt. NIU only won by a single point. Rx: don't press when you've got better talent.Rutgers 17 @ Syracuse 7
Besides Syracuse, Rutgers has only beaten two other teams this year: Temple and Delaware. If Georgia Tech passed too much and didn't run enough, consider this: the Orange had Sean Tucker on the sideline and only gave him 13 carries (he scored the lone touchdown), while calling for 32 pass plays for a pair of quarterbacks with QBRs of 27.7 and 4.5. Meanwhile, Dino Babers, who arrived in Syracuse as an offensive guru, couldn't generate a single point in the first half and only seven points for the game. That just won't cut it. Neither will three turnovers (2 fumbles and 1 interception).Western Michigan 44 @ Pitt 41
Look at Western Michigan's scores through 6 games: 14, 0, 44, 3, 17, 20. One of those things just doesn't belong, does it? Against Pitt, the Broncos gained 517 yards and scored 44 points. The Pitt offense committed 3 turnovers, but only one of them led directly to a touchdown - the other 37 points were all on the Panthers defense. The really weird thing? Pitt held UMass and UNH to 7 points each, and only yielded 34 and 21 points to Tennessee and Georgia Tech, respectively (and both of those games on the road, too).Virginia Tech 21 @ West Virginia 27
The Hokies had not one, not two, but three trips inside the Mountaineers' 10 and didn't score on any of them (missed FG, downs, downs). That has been a common issue for the Virginia Tech offense lately. In a previous post we mentioned that the Hokies offense this season ranks 113th in red zone efficiency [LINK]. Part of the problem seems to be predictable play-calling, as witnessed on the Hokies' final offensive possession against the Mountaineers: 1st down run for no gain; 2nd down run for -1; 3rd down incomplete pass; 4th down incomplete pass. Would it kill the OC to call a play-action pass on 1st or 2nd down - or a draw on 3rd down - every now and then?Notre Dame 32 @ Virginia Tech 29
The Hokies led by 8 points* with 3:55 to play. Teams in that situation win about 70% of the time. But the defense was called for a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the first play of the ensuing Notre Dame possession, then surrendered passes of 15, 23, and 11 yards to put the Irish in a goal-to-go with 2:28 still on the clock. Worse, after yielding the touchdown, the defense also allowed a 2-point conversion to tie the game. Not to be outdone, the VT offense then gave the ball back to Notre Dame after a three-and-out that featured two incomplete passes and consumed a grand total of 37 seconds...* It really should've been a 9-point lead, but Coach Fuente was caught chasing points by going for 2 when they really didn't need to (see below).
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Other
Owner Sammer Essi and his daughter Bella prepare to welcome diners to indoor seating again at Munjed's Middle Eastern Cafe on Westcott Street. The restaurant had been doing takeout-only since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. (Don Cazentre | dcazentre@syracuse.com)
Higher prices, longer waits, smaller menus: Dining out in CNY isn’t what it used to be (PS; $; Cazentre)
Hours are shorter. Menus are smaller. Prices are higher.
Your server may be juggling an entire dining room of tables. The cook may be alone in the kitchen.
And you may find out your favorite restaurant is suddenly closed for a few days. Making a reservation, when you can, is a good idea. You may have to wait, anyway.
This is the state of much of the restaurant industry these days almost 18 months after the devastating initial lockdowns at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Staffing shortages, supply issues and higher prices for everything from food to cleaning supplies have replaced curfews, seating limits, social distancing rules and the dreaded requirement to serve food with drinks.
“We’re just kind of doing what we can with what we’ve got,” said Randy Beach, owner of the Ale ‘n Angus Pub in downtown Syracuse. His tavern has cut hours for now and limited the menu in spots (it hasn’t served chicken wings in months but hopes to restart soon). “We do everything we can and not a drop more.”
“Definitely smaller menus, tighter hours and less days open are big themes,” said Jared Paventi, a restaurant reviewer for syracuse.com. He checks out a different restaurant across the Central New York region every other week. He’s also noticed an increase in restaurants allowing tables to sit empty, even when customers are waiting, to give staff time to catch up.
But the news is not all bad: Despite some dire predictions of mass closings due to Covid, it appears that only a handful of restaurants in Central New York shut for good during the pandemic. And many of those had to do with factors other than Covid. The churn of closings and openings seems perhaps just a bit more than a normal year.
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