Orangeyes Daily Articles for Wednesday for Football

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Welcome to Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Day!

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a symbol of pride, continuity, and tradition for New Yorkers and citizens across the United States. Located just outside of the 30 Rockefeller Plaza building, between West 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues, in Midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Center, it is usually put up sometime during November. Today, on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, a ceremony is held and it is lit for the first time.

In 1931, a Christmas tree was put up at Rockefeller Center for the first time, during the center's construction. Demolition workers on the site gathered money together to purchase the tree—a 20-foot balsam fir—and placed it at the spot where they collected their paychecks. On Christmas Eve, they decorated it with handmade garland, strings of cranberries, and tin cans.

SU News

Courtesy of Tony Walsh | Staff Photographer UGAAA

Syracuse hired Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as its 31st head coach in program history. Brown has been with the Bulldogs since last year and helped UGA win the 2022 National Championship.

Syracuse hires Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as 31st head coach (DO; Alandt)

Syracuse has hired Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as its 31st head coach in program history, according to Syracuse Athletics.

“I am incredibly proud to be leading Syracuse Football at a university with a rich and storied tradition of academic and athletic excellence,” Brown said in the release. “Syracuse Football has outstanding talent, great facilities and passionate alumni. My immediate area of focus is building relationships with my current players and putting together an elite staff, while also having fun on the recruiting trail.”

Brown replaces Dino Babers, who was fired last week following a 31-22 loss to Georgia Tech. Brown, 41, is a native of Camden, New Jersey, and has been with the national championship-winning Bulldogs since last year.

Brown graduated from Camden (N.J.) High School, where he set the school record as a quarterback with 47 passing touchdowns. He then switched to cornerback when he played at Western Carolina from 2003-06. Brown was an All-Southern Conference selection and spent parts of the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

After spending the 2010 season as the defensive backs coach at Paul VI (V.A.) Catholic High School, Brown became the Director of Internal Operations under former Temple head coach Steve Addazio. Prior to the start of the 2012 season, he switched to a graduate assistant role working with the defense.

When Matt Rhule took over as head coach for Temple in 2012, Brown was hired as the defensive backs coach, a position he held for two seasons. In that role, he coached five defensive backs who would eventually see time in the NFL, including three draft picks. At the end of the season, Brown was then named the top recruiter of the American Athletic Conference by .
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Film Review: How Syracuse wove timely passing into a run-heavy offense (DO; Alandt)

One of the best quotes amid a postgame press conference full of emotion and one-liners came from interim head coach Nunzio Campanile. When asked about when Syracuse knew if quarterback Garrett Shrader, who’s upper body injury caused an offensive overhaul during the last three games of the season, Campanile responded with a joke.

“We knew at about 2:07,” Campanile said.

He later said offensive coordinator Jason Beck installed an “escape hatch” in case Shrader couldn’t throw. Shrader was limited in practice and hadn’t thrown much, nor did he throw passes during the pregame warmups. The question of Shrader’s availability had been overshadowed by the firing of former head coach Dino Babers. But once he got off a quick 35-yard touchdown pass to Damien Alford to cap off SU’s first drive, Syracuse knew Shrader could throw.

Here’s a breakdown of how the Orange played off of their wildcat, run-heavy offense with a healthy dose of passing, ultimately leading to a 35-31 win over Wake Forest.

Holy cow he can throw​

Proceeding Shrader’s first downfield pass in three weeks, Syracuse worked its way down the field with wildcat runs and jumbo set plays that it featured against Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. LeQuint Allen Jr. worked in a couple fake passes to Shrader and Alford on swing routes, signaling a possibility for passing, but he ultimately took the ball on his own up the middle for a healthy gain. The biggest advantage of SU’s opening drive was that it stayed in front of the sticks.

Then, Beck finally opened up the playbook. With two receivers spread out left and two bunched together on the right side, Shrader took the snap and dropped back. WF had four down linemen and blitzed its two linebackers into the box in order to stop the run. Shrader’s ensuing pass showed Syracuse that the run-heavy offense it had put on tape could be used as an advantage to draw in the Demon Deacons’ defenders.

Alford made a quick move on his defender, shoving him off his route five yards downfield before cutting in. Shrader began a play action fake handoff to Allen Jr., further drawing in Wake Forest’s secondary. It likely took a little bit longer for Alford to get to where Shrader needed him to be because he was under heavy pressure when he completed the short throw. But once the fluttering pass found Alford, the receiver sped away from his defender and gave the Orange a 7-0 lead.

Taking advantage of overzealous defenders​

Wake Forest vs. Syracuse Condensed Game | 2023 ACC Football

The Syracuse Orange finished the season off gaining bowl eligibility defeating Wake at home, 35-31. Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader passed for 173 yards a...

youtu.be

The benefit of having a former-quarterback-turned-tight-end in Dan Villari is that SU has two quarterbacks they can use for downfield passes. After the win, Villari said they knew Wake Forest would eventually play Cover 0 and load the box to counteract the run. “I knew it was coming all week,” Villari said.

The first opportunity to attack the Demon Deacons’ zeal to stop the run came for Villari on Syracuse’s first drive of the second half. When they got to the line, Villari said Beck made the check to have Alford run on a go route past the secondary.

Villari waited for Alford to have one step on the safety downfield and throw a perfect ball in stride. Alford made another great move, this time cutting in toward the middle before planting his right foot and turning to the end zone. “I just let it fly. That was so fun,” Villari said.

Villari threw 21 passes over Syracuse’s last three games in the new-look offense, meaning that stacking the box and preparing for a Villari keeper was Wake Forest’s plan. Once he dropped back, the three WF defenders that turned back in coverage were already out of position.

Hey Dan, I can throw it deep too​

Wake Forest vs. Syracuse Condensed Game | 2023 ACC Football

The Syracuse Orange finished the season off gaining bowl eligibility defeating Wake at home, 35-31. Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader passed for 173 yards a...

youtu.be

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Former players describe Babers era as culture-oriented, but inconsistent (DO; Alandt & O'Brien)

Former Syracuse defensive back Carl Jones wasn’t surprised when he heard Dino Babers — the man who ran SU football for eight years — had been fired.

Jones was part of Babers’ first recruiting class, playing under him from 2016-19. He wasn’t “super tight” with Babers, who was more of an offensive-minded coach, but Jones said he never had issues with him. Still, Jones said he knew Babers’ firing was imminent.

“You can kind of see the writing on the wall over the past year or so I would say. But I mean, (it’s) definitely unfortunate,” Jones said. “And I don’t want to see another man lose his job. But I wasn’t honestly shocked.”

Jones wasn’t alone. Some of Babers’ former players described the head coach as a man who formed relationships with his players and got them to buy in. Though, they all said Babers’ dismissal was inevitable due to lackluster results. On Tuesday, Syracuse hired Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown Tuesday as its 31st head coach in program history.

When Babers took over for former head coach Scott Shafer, fired by then-Athletic Director Mark Coyle before the final game of the 2015 season, he wanted to establish a new culture. Former defensive tackle Steven Clark said that Shafer had a more “hard-nosed” culture, one that led to the Orange wanting to be the more physical team against some of the top opponents in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Shafer was a rigorous recruiter who sought elite talent despite Syracuse lacking national appeal for top-end recruits.

Babers wanted a family environment. The “Ohana” that Babers patented during his tenure with Syracuse was going to drive the program.

“Babers was just more of like, ‘Let’s see what we have to work with and try to out class and out coach the other team,’” Clark said. He felt that the shift worked, and the combination of Shafer’s recruits and Babers’ coaching style came together well, leading to 2018 — Babers’ most successful season at SU.

Former offensive lineman Evan Adams remembered the transition period between Shafer and Babers as a “confusing time.” He didn’t know whether his teammates would leave, but Coyle told them to stick with Babers.

Adams stayed with Syracuse and noticed an immediate change in the staff’s approach. Babers and Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance Sean Edinger, who has followed Babers since the two were at Eastern Illinois in 2012-13, preached a mantra of consistency. Adams said they forced players to be “consistently good and not occasionally great.”

But the most notable difference came through the spread offense that Babers learned under Art Briles at Baylor.
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Fran Brown: The youthful vision for Syracuse football's future and the community rallying behind him (cnycentral.com; podcast; Orange Zone)

Following the announcement that Fran Brown is the new head coach of the Syracuse Football team, our Orange Zone team got together to discuss some of the reasons why SU made this choice.
SU's Athletics Director John Wildhack says Brown "clearly articulated" a vision for the future of the football program–his recruiting skills play a big part.

Brown doesn’t have the resume that some of the other candidates did.
However, what he lacks in head coaching experience, others argue he makes up for in his recruiting capabilities, his northeast ties, and his experience coaching for programs with winning cultures–including Georgia–the defending champions.

On the Orange Zone Podcast, former SU running back and super bowl champion James Mungro said Brown has another weapon—relating more to student athletes.

“I think he’s really going to connect with the players,” said Mungro. “His age is going to be a big part of ithaving a coach that’s 41 years oldhe can relate to the playersI think that plays a really big role of how the players talk to him and respect him. He could do a lot of big things hereand the whole community, myself, the alumni, we’re going to support him.”
Benny Williams suspended from SU men's basketball
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-fans-love-syracuse-hiring-fran-brown (athlonsports.com; Vitale)

Syracuse University is set to hire Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Fran Brown to become the program's next head coach after the Orange parted ways with Dino Babers last week.

Brown has been with the Bulldogs since the start of the 2022 season. Prior to that, he was the defensive backs coach at Rutgers, located in New Jersey. Before Rutgers, he was at Temple in Philadelphia.

He's originally from New Jersey and is used to recruiting the Northeast, and he's done it really, really well. But not just at Georgia, where he currently has two New Jersey commits in UGA's 204 class, but also at Rutgers and Temple. That's part of the reason Kirby Smart hired Brown at Georgia.

And because of his success as a recruiter in the region, and also simply as a coach, college football fans are labeling the hire of Brown as a huge win for Syracuse.

"Fran Brown to Syracuse! It's not the flashiest hire, but I see the vision. Brown is from Camden, NJ, and has coaching experience at Temple and Rutgers, both recruiting areas Syracuse needs to break back into. He also was UGA's primary recruiter for Elias Robinson," one fan said.

"Fran Brown would be a homerun hire for Syracuse," a Georgia fan wrote. "New Jersey native. Great recruiter with over 10 years recruiting NY, NJ & Philly areas. On staff with Rhule at Temple & Baylor, Schiano at Rutgers & Kirby at UGA. Learned from three excellent program builders & can take over a program with lower stakes to build HC experience."

"In my 20 years or so covering recruiting, haven’t come across many that do as good a job on the trail building relationships and projecting talent as Fran Brown," wrote 247Sports' Director of Recruiting, Steve Wiltfong.
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Fran Brown named 31st Syracuse football head coach (waer.org; Gotkin)

After a 10-day national search, Director of Athletics John Wildhack announced that Fran Brown was named the 31st head coach of the Syracuse football program. Brown is currently the defensive backs coach for the reigning national champion Georgia Bulldogs.

Wildhack said that Brown's recruiting resume made him the perfect candidate for the job, “Fran has clearly articulated a vision for the future of our football program, and he is a powerhouse recruiter with deep ties to the geographies from where we need to draw consistently.”

Brown started his career as the star quarterback for Camden High School. The New Jersey native then moved to cornerback and graduated from Western Carolina University after being named first team all SoCon and a team captain. He then spent two years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2010, Brown started coaching just outside of Washington D.C. at Paul VI Catholic High School. After a year in one of the nation's hotbeds for football talent, Brown joined former Syracuse assistant Steve Addazio’s staff at Temple as the Assistant Director of Internal Operations. He quickly rose to the role of defensive backs coach in 2013. In 2014, Brown was named the top recruiter in the American Athletic Conference by . Later on, in 2016 Brown was named an associate head coach before following Matt Rhule to Baylor in 2017.

Brown spent two years in the Big 12 as the defensive backs coach and associate head coach before returning to Temple as the co-defensive coordinator for the 2019 season.

The following year, he was the first defensive assistant hired by Greg Schiano at Rutgers. Brown coached four Scarlet Knights to all Big-10 honors before being poached by Georgia. Brown spent two years with the Bulldogs and was named the nation's top recruiter by 247 Sports over the summer.

Matt Rhule, who was Brown's Head Coach from 2013-18, says Syracuse made the right decision, “Fran Brown will be a tremendous leader for the Syracuse program. His commitment to improving the lives of the players he coaches will only be matched by his passion for coaching on the field.”

Brown has coached and/or recruited NFL players P.J. Walker, Haason Reddick, Lewis Cline, Derion Kendrick, Harrison Hand, Tre Avery along with a handful of other professional football players in his young career.
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Fran Brown: Here's what you should know about Syracuse's new head football coach (cbs6albany/.com; Hodges & Sladek)

The search is over for a new head football coach. On Tuesday evening, Syracuse University announced the hiring of Georgia defensive assistant and ace recruiter Fran Brown. The announcement comes just over a week after the firing of Dino Babers.

"I am incredibly proud to be leading Syracuse Football at a university with a rich and storied tradition of academic and athletic excellence," Brown said in a statement Tuesday evening. "I'm ready to get to work and look forward to building something special for our fans."

A native of Camden, New Jersey, Brown comes to Syracuse after coaching the defensive backs for the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs. Known as a 'recruiting guru', the 41-year-old has a track record of hauling in top talent from the high school level, specifically areas in the Northeast.

"Fran is an outstanding coach, recruiter and person, and exactly who we need to take Syracuse Football to the next level," said Syracuse University Athletics Director John Wildhack. "Fran has clearly articulated a vision for the future of our football program, and he is a powerhouse recruiter with deep ties to the geographies from where we need to draw consistently...I have no doubt he will bring that track record here to Syracuse."

His familiarity with the northeast comes from extensive experience in the region. In 2011, Brown joined the staff at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the assistant director of internal operations. The next year saw him transition to a graduate assistant role before being promoted to the Owls' defensive backs coach under then head coach Matt Rhule's staff in 2013 where he remained until 2017, becoming an assistant head coach along the way. Brown played a critical role in transforming Temple from a 2-10 team in 2013 to consecutive 10-win seasons in 2015 and 2016.

Brown followed Rhule to Baylor in 2017. As an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach with the Bears, Brown contributed to another program turnaround helping the Bears from 1-11 in 2017, to 7-6 in 2018.

Following the 2018 season, Brown looked to return to the northeast, interviewing for a vacant head coaching position at Temple. That position was bestowed upon Manny Diaz who hired Brown as an assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator. Just weeks later Diaz would depart for the head coaching job at Miami. Brown again interviewed for the head coaching role at Temple, but again was passed up. He would spend the 2019 season as the Owls co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach under Rod Carey.
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If Syracuse Football Can Work, It's With Fran Brown (orangefizz.net; Amendolara)

Syracuse is hiring Georgia assistant coach Fran Brown to take over, and if the program is going to win, this is how. Brown is the right hire for SU. There is a pecking order that has been so clearly established in college football., There are kings, there are princes, and there are paupers. There is very defined strata in the sport. Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, schools like these are the kings. They win national championships and stockpile 5-star talent. Then there are the healthy programs which win 8-10 games a year, and while not collecting crystal footballs, they have more good Saturdays than bad ones. Then there are the paupers. These are the schools that wake up in September and pray to get to 6 wins and a Fenway Bowl, hoping they don’t lose to Clemson by 42 at the Dome.

Yes, the opening has widened for more schools to elevate levels now. The expanded playoff helps. The NIL dynamic helps. The transfer portal really helps. But ultimately, Syracuse has been trapped in the third tier for 25 years. There have been multiple attempts to revive it, push it up the ladder, but all have failed. The days of competing for a conference championship and having the #2 pick in the NFL Draft under center feels like a different universe. So how can they get back there?

The first step is realizing where you reside and what your true potential is. Syracuse should never dream of winning national titles, having Heisman trophy winners, and a head coach around for 20 years. Instead, SU should dream of the second-tier. That’s Michigan State, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Kansas State, and Utah. These types of schools expect to go to good bowl games, occasionally play for the league title, and fans melt down when they go 4-8. Being a prince is a good place to be, enjoyable fall weekends, largely full crowds, plenty of games on national television.

Brown is the right hire for Syracuse because it taps into that understanding. Forget chasing big name coaches looking for a career rebound (Dan Mullen, Dana Holgorsen). Don’t worry about finding a coach with Syracuse roots (Doug Marrone, Scott Shafer). And look for youth, a coach on the ascent. The reality is if this works Brown will move to a bigger job in 5-7 years. That’s fine. It means you have to find the another Brown. But the idea is that the job becomes a healthy stepping stone, just like the Bearcats grew into.
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https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/fran-brown-hired-as-syracuse-football-head-coach (SI; McAllister)

Syracuse football has hired Fran Brown as its next head coach. The school made the official announcement Tuesday evening. Brown was the defensive backs coach at Georgia the last two seasons, including winning a National Championship in 2022. This is his first head coaching gig.

"I am incredibly proud to be leading Syracuse Football at a university with a rich and storied tradition of academic and athletic excellence," Brown said in a press release. "Syracuse Football has outstanding talent, great facilities and passionate alumni. The success of the players is my No. 1 priority—on and off the field. I want my guys to succeed in life, because they played football at Syracuse. My immediate area of focus is building relationships with my current players and putting together an elite staff, while also having fun on the recruiting trail. I'm ready to get to work and look forward to building something special for our fans."

Brown has extensive ties to the Northeast. He was born in New Jersey and has coaching stops at Temple as well as Rutgers in addition to Baylor and Georgia. Brown was on Matt Rhule's staff at Temple and Baylor, serving as Assistant Head Coach at both stops. He returned to Temple after his time at Baylor to serve as Co-Defensive Coordinator before heading to Rutgers for two seasons as defensive backs coach. He took the same position at Georgia, where has been the last two seasons.
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Syracuse hires Georgia assistant Fran Brown as next head football coach (nypost.com; Arnold)

Syracuse University is turning over the reins of its football program to Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown, the school announced Tuesday.

The hiring comes after Syracuse moved on from Dino Babers as head coach earlier this month.

The Orange struggled down the stretch, dropping six of the final seven games of the season.

Brown comes to New York with an impressive resume and as a coveted name in college football recruiting.

The former defensive backs coach was ranked as the No. 1 recruiter in the nation for the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Brown is credited with helping Georgia to land five-star defensive back Ellis Robinson IV, five-star linebacker Justin Williams and four-star defensive back Demello Jones.

“Fran is an outstanding coach, recruiter and person, and exactly who we need to take Syracuse Football to the next level,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a statement. “Fran has clearly articulated a vision for the future of our football program, and he is a powerhouse recruiter with deep ties to the geographies from where we need to draw consistently. Fran has had tremendous success recruiting to a variety of programs—in the South, Southwest and Northeast, and I have no doubt he will bring that track record here to Syracuse.

“I am looking forward to welcoming Fran and his family to the Orange community. The future is bright for our football program.”
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https://www.dawgnation.com/recruiti...-christina-harris/X5BXBDRNVFCDLO6WQWZAXMSFZI/ (dawgnation.com; Sentell)

Welcome to "Sentell's Intel" where Jeff Sentell not only provides you the latest recruiting information, he takes you into the homes of these students and what makes them special to the Georgia program.

This Sentell’s Intel rep shares a read on how the potential move of second-year defensive backs coach Fran Brown might affect the commitment status of 5-star CB Ellis Robinson IV in the 2024 class.

Fran Brown wants to be a head coach one day. He was on the track when he took the defensive backs coach job at Georgia in January of 2022. There was just the feeling about him that he could be a head coach somewhere in two or three years.

We could arrive at that point in time this week. If not now, he will be scooped up by another program soon.

There are numerous reports swirling about him being the lead candidate for the job at Syracuse. That’s a region where he has deep recruiting contacts having worked at Rutgers and Temple in the past.

He’s right on schedule by that timeline to become the fourth member of Kirby Smart’s staff to go from an assistant coaching position to head coach at a Power 5 job. He would join Dan Lanning (Oregon), Sam Pittman (Arkansas) and Mel Tucker (Colorado) in that professional procession from Athens.
Good for Brown. If he’s hired by the Orangemen, he will have earned it. Brown has been a VITAL piece of putting together Georgia’s recruiting classes over the last two cycles.

If he does put on an orange ballcap soon, then the first question in every DawgNation recruiting fan’s mind is simple: How does that affect things with 5-star CB Ellis Robinson IV?

Robinson is the program’s highest-rated commitment on the 247Sports Composite ratings. It is my opinion that he’d be the most skilled cornerback prospect the ‘Dawgs project to sign in the Smart era. That’s saying a lot given that seriously talented prospects like Tyson Campbell, Daylen Everette, A.J. Harris, Kamari Lassiter and Kelee Ringo have made their way to Athens over the last eight recruiting cycles.

The most important thing to note here is Brown’s connection to Robinson is vast. I’d venture to say no Georgia staffer outside of Kirby Smart has played a bigger role in any single 2024 commitment’s connection to the program than the one between Brown and Robinson.

Brown’s persistence and the way he’s recruited Robinson have stood out time and time again. That goes back to when he was Robinon’s first offer back at Rutgers. Brown noticed Robinson as a freshman when he played prep school ball for Iona Prep in New York.

DawgNation reached out to the family in the midst of the Brown reports and received a cordial reply.

“We are still processing everything and we are happy for coach Fran,” his mother Nicole Robinson told DawgNation on the matter of Brown’s potential move.

There will be several elements to process because the Robinsons have built a strong connection to both Brown and UGA.

It isn’t taxing to notice the red hints in Robinson’s hair. That’s a nod to the ‘Dawgs and how he feels at home in Athens. He’s been soaking up an environment that’s just different in Athens on every gameday visit.

The Robinsons have said in the past there’s more than a connection with Brown with Georgia. DawgNation spoke to the Robinsons at length for a “Next Generation” story on Robinson that will come at a later time.

Nicole Robinson told DawgNation in October that the culture in Athens was a big draw for their family.
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Axe: Why Brown? Wildhack is betting big he’ll address SU's biggest weakness (PS; $; podcast)

John Wildhack finally swung for the fence.

The Syracuse University athletic director had mostly made safe coaching hires in his tenure, including four alumni in SU’s five-most prominent sports — men’s basketball (Adrian Autry), women’s basketball (Felisha Legette-Jack), men’s lacrosse (Gary Gait) and women’s lacrosse (Kayla Treanor).

But this is football. The sport that most defines how athletics are the front porch of a university. It’s not the most important room in the house but the most visible.

After eight years of an arranged marriage with Dino Babers, Wildhack made the hire that will define his legacy at Syracuse.

So why Fran Brown?

“If you’re around me, you’re going to be successful,” Brown said on an episode of the “Keep It a Buck” podcast posted last May.

“I don’t care who you are. If we’re around each other, I’m going to motivate you and push you. Because I’m going to work. The one thing I believe is you may be more intelligent, you may have been born with a higher IQ, but you’re not going to outwork me. I don’t care who you are.”

In a time when name, image and likeness (NIL), the transfer portal and conference realignment move the earth under college football’s feet on a daily basis, Brown excels at the oldest adage in football:

It’s not the X’s and the O’s but the Jimmys and the Joes.

Brown is regarded as the best recruiter in the country, according to 247Sports.

Recruiting at the University of Georgia certainly helps you get in a lot of recruiting doors. Brown also ranked as a top recruiter in 2015 at Temple with a fraction of the resources of the two-time defending national champions.

Wildhack is making the bet that recruiters can recruit anywhere.

Even to a place that is notoriously one of the harder locations in college football to sell.
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Syracuse hires Fran Brown: Georgia DB coach widely regarded as one of the nation's best recruiters (cbssports.com; Salerno)

Syracuse has hired Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as its next head coach, the school announced Tuesday. Though he's finishing his second season in Athens, Georgia, for the two-time reigning national champions, the New Jersey native has plenty of experience in the Northeast with previous stops as an assistant at Rutgers and Temple. He was hired by the Bulldogs in 2022 to replace former DB coach Jahmile Addae, who departed for the same position at Miami.

"I am incredibly proud to be leading Syracuse Football at a university with a rich and storied tradition of academic and athletic excellence," Brown said in a press release. "Syracuse Football has outstanding talent, great facilities and passionate alumni. The success of the players is my No. 1 priority—on and off the field. I want my guys to succeed in life, because they played football at Syracuse. My immediate area of focus is building relationships with my current players and putting together an elite staff, while also having fun on the recruiting trail. I'm ready to get to work and look forward to building something special for our fans."

Brown, 41, is considered one of the best recruiters in the nation. In Georgia's top-ranked 2024 recruiting class alone, Brown helped land five-star DB Ellis Robinson IV, five-star LB Justin Williams and four-star DB Demello Jones, among others. Brown ranks as the No. 1 national position group recruiter, according to 247Sports.

He will be officially introduced at a press conference on the Syracuse campus on Monday. This would presumably allow him to coach for the Dawgs in the SEC title game Saturday.

"Fran is an outstanding coach, recruiter and person, and exactly who we need to take Syracuse Football to the next level," Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a press release. "Fran has clearly articulated a vision for the future of our football program, and he is a powerhouse recruiter with deep ties to the geographies from where we need to draw consistently. Fran has had tremendous success recruiting to a variety of programs—in the South, Southwest and Northeast, and I have no doubt he will bring that track record here to Syracuse. I am looking forward to welcoming Fran and his family to the Orange community. The future is bright for our football program."
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ACC News

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article282389053.html (newsobserver.com; Wiseman)

Winning seasons in hand and bowl trips to come, North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State also all have players honored with first-team all-ACC status. Three players each from North Carolina and Duke, as well as one N.C. State player, were voted first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference. The selections were announced Tuesday. Running back Omarion Hampton, tight end Bryson Nesbit and linebacker Cedric Gray represent North Carolina (8-4, 4-4 ACC) on the first team. Duke (7-5, 4-4) has left tackle Graham Barton, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter and punter Porter Wilson on first team. N.C. State (9-3, 6-2 ACC) has linebacker Payton Wilson, the ACC’s leading tackler, on the first team. TOP VIDEOS Top Stories 00:11 00:36 Duke begins coaching search after Mike Elko leaves for TexasA&M. Five names to know Hampton led the ACC in rushing yards (1,442), which easily outdistanced Louisville’s Jawhar Jordan (1,076 yards). Jordan was also selected all-ACC first team by the voting panel, which consists of ACC coaches and select media members who cover league teams. UNC’s Nesbit lead all ACC tight ends in receiving yards (585) while tying for the league lead in catches for tight ends with 41. Nesbit caught five touchdown passes. Gray finished second in the ACC with 121 tackles, including 64 solo stops. That included 11 tackles for losses.

Duke’s Barton made all-ACC first team for the second consecutive year while Carter made the first team after being a second-team selection last season. The only three-time team captain in Duke football history, Carter had 39 tackles, four quarterback hurries while batting down three passes this season. Wilson, Duke’s senior punter, led the ACC in punting average (46.6 yards) with 50 attempts.

ACC regular-season champion Florida State’s Jordan Travis was voted as the top quarterback in the league, with North Carolina’s Drake Maye making the second team. That’s the reverse of last season’s results at that position. Prior to suffering a season-ending leg injury on Nov. 18, Travis completed 63.9% of his passes, amassing 2,756 yards with 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Maye, last year’s ACC player of the year, completed 63.3% of his throws with a league-best 3,608 yards. He threw 24 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Maye ran for nine touchdowns while Travis had seven rushing touchdowns.

In addition to Travis, No. 4 Florida State (12-0, 8-0) landed wide receiver Keon Coleman, offensive tackle Darius Washington, defensive end Jared Verse and linebacker Kalen DeLoach on the first team. No. 15 Louisville (10-2, 7-1), which will play FSU in Saturday night’s ACC championship game in Charlotte, landed center Bryan Hudson and defensive end Ashton Gillotte in addition to Jordan on the first team.

Second team selections from UNC include Maye, defensive end Kaimon Rucker and kicker Noah Burnette. Duke landed wide receiver Jordan Moore, offensive guard Jacob Monk and linebacker Tre Freeman on the second team. N.C. State is represented by wide receiver KC Concepcion. The ACC will announce the players of the year on Wednesday and the league’s coach of the year on Thursday.

ALL-ACC TEAMS

First Team Offense

QB – Jordan Travis – Florida State (175)
RB – Omarion Hampton – North Carolina (178)
RB – Jawhar Jordan – Louisville (176) WR – Malik Washington – Virginia (182)
WR – Keon Coleman – Florida State (165)
WR – Xavier Restrepo – Miami (147)
TE – Bryson Nesbit – North Carolina (117)
AP – Keon Coleman – Florida State (81)
OT – Graham Barton – Duke (126)
OT – Darius Washington – Florida State (104)
OG – Christian Mahogany – Boston College (156)
OG – D’Mitri Emmanuel – Florida State (104)
C – Bryan Hudson – Louisville (94)

Defense

DE – Ashton Gillotte – Louisville (161)
DE – Jared Verse – Florida State (135)
DT – Tyler Davis – Clemson (142)
DT – DeWayne Carter – Duke (117)
LB – Payton Wilson – NC State (184)
LB – Jeremiah Trotter Jr. – Clemson (172)
LB – Kalen DeLoach – Florida State (132) tie
LB – Cedric Gray – North Carolina (132) tie
CB – Nate Wiggins – Clemson (119)
CB – Elijah Jones – Boston College (118)
S – Kamren Kinchens – Miami (138)
S – Jonas Sanker – Virginia (89)

Specialists

PK – Andy Borregales – Miami (111)
P – Porter Wilson – Duke (124)
SP – Keon Coleman – Florida State (120)

Second Team Offense

QB – Drake Maye – North Carolina (135)
RB – Trey Benson – Florida State (118)
RB – LeQuint Allen – Syracuse (95)
WR – Kevin “KC” Concepcion – NC State (138)
WR – Jamari Thrash – Louisville (128)
WR – Jordan Moore – Duke (68)
TE – Jaheim Bell – Florida State (105)
AP – Bhayshul Tuten – Virginia Tech (80)
OT – Jalen Rivers – Miami (88)
OT – Ozzy Trapilo – Boston College (63)
OG – Jacob Monk – Duke (82)
OG – Michael Jurgens – Wake Forest (80)
C – Matt Lee – Miami (81) Defense
DE – Antwaun Powell-Ryland – Virginia Tech (113)
DE – Kaimon Rucker – North Carolina (97)
DT – Braden Fiske – Florida State (80)
DT – Joshua Farmer – Florida State (76)
LB – Francisco Mauigoa – Miami (88)
LB – Marlow Wax – Syracuse (83)
LB – Tre Freeman – Duke (55) tie
LB – Barrett Carter – Clemson (55) tie
CB – Renardo Green – Florida State (83)
CB – M.J. Devonshire – Pitt (81)
S – Malik Mustapha – Wake Forest (51)
S – Jaylon King – Georgia Tech (50)

Specialists

PK – Noah Burnette – North Carolina (110)
P – Alex Mastromanno – Florida State (121)
SP – Brashard Smith – Miami (96)

Third Team Offense

QB – Jack Plummer – Louisville (34)
RB – Jamal Haynes – Georgia Tech (51)
RB – Jordan Waters – Duke (44)
WR – Devontez Walker – North Carolina (67)
WR – Jacolby George – Miami (57)
WR – Johnny Wilson – Florida State (48)
TE – Jake Briningstool – Clemson (94)
AP – Jawhar Jordan – Louisville (70)
OT – Blake Miller – Clemson (55)
OT – Anthony Belton – NC State (43)
OG – Michael Gonzalez – Louisville (66)
OG – Willie Lampkin – North Carolina (48)
C – Will Putnam – Clemson (72) Defense
DE – Rueben Bain, Jr. – Miami (65)
DE – Jasheen Davis – Wake Forest (61)
DT – Aeneas Peebles – Duke (64)
DT – Ruke Orhorhoro – Clemson (63)
LB – Vinny DePalma – Boston College (41)
LB – Tatum Bethune – Florida State (30)
LB – Power Echols – North Carolina (28)
CB – Aydan White – NC State (80)
CB – Dorain Strong – Virginia Tech (53)
S – Shyheim Brown – Florida State (49)
S – Devin Neal – Louisville (45)

Specialists
PK – Ryan Fitzgerald – Florida State (81)
P – Jack Stonehouse – Syracuse (79)
SP – Tucker Holloway – Virginia Tech (73)

Honorable Mention

QB – Haynes King – Georgia Tech (31) RB – Will Shipley – Clemson (42) RB – Phil Mafah – Clemson (37) RB – Bhayshul Tuten – Virginia Tech (15) WR – Eric Singleton, Jr. – Georgia Tech (41) WR – Malachi Fields – Virginia (36) WR – Bub Means – Pitt (19) TE – Gavin Bartholomew – Pitt (25) TE – Dae’Quan Wright – Virginia Tech (16) AP – Will Shipley – Clemson (63) AP – LeQuint Allen – Syracuse (37) AP – Brashard Smith – Miami (24) AP – Jamal Haynes – Georgia Tech (18) OT – Willie Tyler – Louisville (41) OT – Francis Mauigoa – Miami (41) OT – Eric Miller – Louisville (35) OT – Spencer Rolland – North Carolina (32) OT – DeVonte Gordon – Wake Forest (26) OT – Jordan Williams – Georgia Tech (20) OT – Logan Taylor – Boston College (15) OG – Joe Fusile – Georgia Tech (38) OG – Casey Roddick – Florida State (38) OG – Anez Cooper – Miami (37) OG – Timothy McKay – NC State (35) OG – Javion Cohen – Miami (34) OG – Kyle Hergel – Boston College (33) OG – Chris Bleich – Syracuse (17) C – Brian Stevens – Virginia (45) C – Maurice Smith – Florida State (24) C – Dylan McMahon – NC State (20) C – Corey Gaynor – North Carolina (15) DE – Davin Vann – NC State (28) DE – Patrick Payton – Florida State (18) DE – Xavier Thomas – Clemson (17) DE – T.J. Parker – Clemson (15) DT – Norell Pollard – Virginia Tech (45) DT – Myles Murphy – North Carolina (40) DT – Dez Tell – Louisville (32) DT – Aaron Faumui – Virginia (32) DT – Cam Horsley – Boston College (25) DT – Kevin Pointer – Wake Forest (20) DT – Zeek Biggers – Georgia Tech (17) LB – DJ Lundy – Florida State (24) LB – Jaylon Scott – NC State (17) LB – T.J. Quinn – Louisville (16) LB – Keli Lawson – Virginia Tech (16) CB – Quincy Riley – Louisville (40) CB – Al Blades Jr. – Duke (40) CB – Jarrian Jones – Florida State (37) CB – Fentrell Cypress – Florida State (17) CB – Jarvis Brownlee – Louisville (15) CB – Shyheim Battle – NC State (15) S – Khalil Barnes – Clemson (44) S – Cam’Ron Kelly – Louisville (37) S – Andrew Mukuba – Clemson (36) S – Devan Boykin – NC State (36) S – Donovan McMillon – Pitt – (34) S – Brandon Johnson – Duke (29) S – Justin Barron – Syracuse (29) S – R.J. Mickens – Clemson (19) S – Alijah Huzzie – North Carolina (18) S – Akeem Dent – Florida State (18) PK – John Love – Virginia Tech (60) P – Dylan Joyce – Miami (19) SP – Joe Shimko – NC State (26) SP – Demond Claiborne – Wake Forest (22) SP – Alijah Huzzie – North Carolina (19) SP – Kenny Johnson – Pitt (18)

Holliday: NC State is now the ACC’s best team :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.coim; Holliday)

If football were like basketball and the ACC were to hold say a four team tournament, and if the CFP were to include 12 teams (which will happen next year) NC State would be my pick to win the ACC title, and in basketball parlance get the automatic bid. OK I know State lost to ACC finalist Louisville (itself a loser to 6-5 Kentucky Saturday); but that was in the “bad offense” part of the season for the Wolfpack. State did not play undefeated Florida State but the Pack did beat the Seminoles last year.

No question FSU has been the ACC’s best team this season, but the season ending injury to Travis Jordan is a game changer. The ‘Noles were able to beat Florida without Jordan 24-15 but check the yardage totals. FSU gained a total of 224 yards. NC State piled up 504 against UNC and 408 the week before that against Virginia Tech. Also, Florida State’s defense is good, but no defense in the ACC is better than NC State.

Did you see what the Wolfpack did to the ACC’s best offense in the first half? The great Drake Maye, who I believe is the best two year quarterback I’ve ever seen in this league, was held to 58 yards passing in the first half, nearly all of that on one drive late in the second quarter.
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Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain talk ACC football - Gramlich and Mac Lain (M&G; podcast; M&G)

Championship week is HERE! Will FSU continue their undefeated season and get into the playoff, or will the Cards play spoiler and secure an Orange Bowl birth? We break it all down right here. LET'S GO! Presented by Ingles Markets.

2023 ACC Football Championship Opponent Breakdown: Florida State Seminoles Offense (cardchronicle.com; Wynne)

Mike Norvell is known as one of the best offensive minds in college football and he has earned that moniker this season. Norvell deploys an arsenal of screens, misdirection, and deep throws in his passing attack that he balances with a power-running game. With the talent he has amassed for the Seminoles, he makes it hard to key on just one player. UofL will have its hands full trying to keep up with all of the threats.

Jordan Travis was lost for the season a few weeks ago but UofL fans are familiar with Tate Rodemaker the veteran backup who stepped in to be the starter. Rodemaker came into the game against FSU last year around halftime and led the Noles to a comeback win. While he wasn’t dazzling in his play, he was efficient and accurate. He has shown in his limited time on the field that he has the poise and decision-making ability needed to play quarterback at a high level.

A few times this year I’ve stated that the opposing running back or wide receiver is the best that Louisville will face this year. You can throw those statements out the window. Trey Benson is the best running back Louisville will face before the bowl game. Benson is the complete package as a running back and he has only improved from the guy that the Cards saw last season. He mixes great speed with unbelievable power and tackle-breaking ability. But he also expanded his role as a pass catcher out of the backfield. UofL is in for a long day if they continue to struggle with tackling.
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North Alabama vs. Florida State Full Game Replay | 2023 ACC Football

No. 4 Florida State overcame an injury to star quarterback Jordan Travis and still beat North Alabama to improve to 11-0 on the season, 58-13. The 'Noles fel...

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Raycom Adds AR to CW Coverage of ACC College Football (sportsvideo.org; Staff)

Raycom and CW Courtside Saturday took their coverage of the North Alabama vs FSU ACC college football game to a whole new level by bringing in Movicom’s Robycam Stadium cable camera system to cover the game and add AR graphics for the score and other 3D graphic elements.

The Raycom/Movicom relationship started off when NEP’s Fletcher Specialty capture division introduced Raycom to some of the technologies that Movicom has developed to cover sports and Raycom decided to take a chance on Movicom’s Earcam wearable RF camera to use as a ‘chain gang’ camera to bring the on-field action closer to viewers. This provided several great replays at a couple of games, and then Raycom was able to persuade the ACC to allow them to put the camera on the umpire – one of the on-field officials.

Being light and unobtrusive made the camera a quick hit with the referees who ‘forgot’ that they were wearing it. The first time out the camera was used extensively for replays and taken live from the field for the ref’s POV. But the highlight of the first game was when Mark Wilson, the Umpire on the UNC vs Virginia Tech game happened to be standing next to the game ending interception and caught the moment on the Earcam. Not only did that shot generate viral replays, but the angle was used to determine that the interception was called correctly on the field when UNC challenged the call.

Since then, the camera has worked every weekend on a CW ACC college football game and Dec 18th was no exception. It was a busy weekend for Movicom and Raycom – the company’s Earcam RF wearable system was being used on the umpire at both the North Alabama/FSU game as well as the Duke @ Virginia CW ACC Football game in Charlottesville, where it was sponsored by DirectTV.

With the success of the Earcam, Raycom decided to take another chance with Movicom and took advantage of the Robycam’s integrated tracking capabilities that facilitate AR graphics to promote the kickoff of their ACC basketball coverage by dropping a huge basketball in the middle of FSU Stadium to promote the Dec 2nd kick off of CW’s ACC basketball coverage.

The score was created and used as a large 3D AR graphic that floated above the field as the Robycam flew around it. Early in the game two large football helmets that featured the North Alabama and FSU logos shot sparks and electric bolts at each other to highlight the matchup for the game. The Robycam was able to take full advantage of the 3D graphics by flying all around them and over them like a real object. The graphics were generated by an EU based graphics company called 9bitgraphics who have partnered with Movicom to make the 3D AR graphics that show off the cable-camera’s capabilities easier and faster to access for producers. Unreal Engine was used for all of the work.
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Cars drive on Route 57 in Liverpool as a lake effect snowstorm moves through the Syracuse area on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023.Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com

First lake effect storm of the season brings heavy snow to Upstate NY (PS; Coin)

Upstate New York’s first lake effect snowstorm of the season brought heavy snow that led to traffic accidents and school closures.

Nearly 2 feet fell on the Tug Hill plateau, the traditional bull’s-eye of lake effect snow blowing off Lake Ontario.

More than 5 inches of snow fell in parts of Central New York, mostly in the northern half of Onondaga County. Hancock International Airport, the National Weather Service’s official measuring station for Syracuse, had 5.5 inches.

To the east, Boonville, in Oneida County, saw 13. 5 inches, and that was as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to weather service preliminary records.


The storm has largely wrapped up, and no significant snow is expected today. In fact, a warming trend starts today, with highs in the mid 40s for the next few days. Rain is likely on Friday.

On Tuesday, schools and community organizations announced closures as the storm drifted down from the north into Central New York. A handful of school districts in Oneida and Oswego counties are on 2-hour delays this morning.

Tuesday afternoon, dozens of crashes were reported in Onondaga County. In just two hours, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., there were 50 calls for crashes and disabled vehicles.
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