sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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SU News
Embattled Maryland HC Randy Edsall
Maryland Seeks Quick Fix to Flawed Defense as Matchup with Unbeaten Looms (foxnews.com; AP)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The game plan was fine. The execution was not.
That's how Maryland coach Randy Edsall explained the horrid performance of his defense against West Virginia last Saturday in a 40-37 defeat.
The Terrapins surrendered 33 first downs and 694 total yards, their worst defensive performance since Florida State piled up 858 yards against them in 1992.
"It just gets back to the basics," coach Randy Edsall said Tuesday. "If you do the basics the right way, a lot of that stuff would have been taken care of."
Maryland (2-1) has much to correct and not a lot of time to do it. The Terrapins visit Syracuse (2-0) on Saturday in their first game against an Atlantic Coast Conference foe since leaving the conference.
While ground-oriented Syracuse is far less likely to pile up 511 passing yards, as West Virginia did, the Orange won't hesitate to exploit Maryland's miscues.
"One time we had basically had a double on a guy and he ran right through a double because our eyes weren't where they were supposed to be," Edsall said. "If we put our eyes where they're supposed to be, we have the guy covered, he's not going to beat you and they're probably not going to throw the football there. It's just little things like that."
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Will Likely Returns a Punt for a TD Against West Virginia
Will Likely Does It All for Maryland Football as Terps Prepare to Face Syracuse (washingtonpost.com; Stubbs)
A few West Virginia players peeled off from their team’s celebration near midfield after the Mountaineers’ win over Maryland last Saturday, approaching Terrapins cornerback Will Likely to pay their proper respects. It was a fitting final portrait on a dreary day in College Park: Likely’s rivals were victorious, but they wouldn’t soon forget how the sophomore nearly ruined their win.
Likely finished with eight tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which gave Maryland a chance to win after trailing by 22 points earlier in the game. Yet Likely still seemed somber on Tuesday when he met with the media, a session sandwiched between two film-viewing sessions at the team facility.
“It don’t really matter,” Likely said of his performance against West Virginia. “We didn’t finish. We just gotta finish. That’s our focus this week, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
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Despite a Couple of Issues, Special Teams Are a Strength for Maryland (baltimoresun.com; Zenitz)
COLLEGE PARK — Maryland coach Randy Edsall says the blockers on the Terps' kick and punt coverage teams have an understanding.
As Edsall tells it, they know if they block and do their job that Maryland has two returners who can take the ball the distance on any given play.
Edsall is still looking for more consistency out of punter Nate Renfro. He also was not pleased with the two punt returns of 18 yards or longer that Maryland has allowed the last two games or the late hit on a West Virginia kick returner Saturday that drew a 15-yard penalty and gave the Mountaineers favorable field position.
However, Maryland has already received several big returns from Stefon Diggs and Will Likely. Brad Craddock has further established himself as one of the better kickers in the country. And as a whole, special teams play has proven to be a strength for the Terps.
"I think our special teams understands the potential that we have to be really good in those areas when you have a place-kicker like Brad who is a weapon, when you have a young man like Will Likely as a punt returner who is a weapon, and then you have Stefon Diggs as a kick returner and the pressure he can put on people," Edsall said.
Maryland's offense has had issues through the first three games. The defense has had problems at times as well. But the special teams has provided big plays in each game.
Against James Madison in Week 1, Diggs had a 59-yard kick return, Likely had a 35-yard punt return, and Craddock hit a 49-yard field goal.
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Maryland AA Candidate CB Will Likely
Maryland News and Notes: Edsall on Syracuse, Nose Tackle Tandem and Likely on Losing (testudotimes.com; Kirshner)
Odds and ends from Maryland's Tuesday media availabilities ahead of Saturday's meeting with Syracuse.
Maryland's game at Syracuse on Saturday marks a homecoming of sorts for Randy Edsall. The Terrapins head coach was a letterwinner on the field for the Orangemen, then spent 11 years on the team's coaching staff. Edsall has faced his former school several times, as he shared the Big East with the since-renamed Orange while the head coach at Connecticut.
"It's business as usual," Edsall said. "The first time when I went up there as an assistant at Boston College was special. But once you do it one time, and then I've been back as a head coach at Connecticut, it's just old packing, so to speak. I value and appreciate the time that I spent there as a student, four years, and then as a coach for 11. I met my wife there so that was good, actually really good, I should say."
Edsall said his daughter was born at Syracuse, and he played in the Orangemen's final game at Archbold Stadium, which was subsequently torn down when the university built the Carrier Dome.
"You go back and see some faces that were there when I was there, but we're going up there to win a football game, and that's first and foremost. We've got to concentrate on that and get it done," Edsall said.
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Checking in on SU Football Secondary Market Ticket Prices (TNIAAM; Keeley)
This article is from the folks at TiqIQ.
Syracuse posted a moderate 7-6 record in its first year in the ACC last season and will again have a difficult home schedule in 2014, though secondary market ticket prices at the Carrier Dome remain considerably low. According to TiqIQ, an October 11 game against Florida State will serve as the most expensive home game of the season at the Carrier Dome for the Orange, but a home game scheduled at MetLife Stadium against Notre Dame currently has the highest secondary market average on the Syracuse football schedule. The season average for Syracuse football tickets is $78.38 on the secondary market, one of the lowest average prices at home in the conference this season. Only Boston College, Pittsburgh and Duke have lower season averages in the ACC.
Below is the list of remaining home games, along with the secondary market average and get-in prices for each game.
9/20 vs Maryland | Avg. Price: $43 | Get-in: $11
Syracuse will host its second home game of the season against Maryland next Saturday and the game currently has the cheapest secondary market average among all remaining Syracuse home games. The average price for the game is $43 on the secondary market, 45%t below season average, with a get-in price of only $11. Maryland currently stands at 2-0 but won’t face its first Big Ten opponent until September 27 when the team travels to Memorial Stadium to play Indiana. Last season, Syracuse easily cruised past Maryland in Week 11, beating the Terrapins 20-3 at Byrd Stadium.
9/27 vs Notre Dame (MetLife Stadium) | Avg. Price: $186.53 | Get-in: $50
The Orange will get a taste of an NFL atmosphere when they host Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium on September 27. Currently serving as the most expensive game on the Syracuse schedule, the average secondary market price for Syracuse vs Notre Dame football tickets is $186.53, 138% above season average, with a get-in price of $50. The two teams last played in 2008, where much like their Week 1 matchup against Villanova this season, the Orange pulled out a close 24-23 victory against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame currently owns the third most expensive home average on the secondary market, trailing just Ohio State and Georgia in the third week of the season.
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Will Syracuse Ever Get to Host College Gameday? (TNIAAM; Cassillo)
Not that this is a sign of being "back" as a program, but... yeah, would certainly be nice.
As expected, ESPN College Gameday will be in Tallahassee, Fla. this week for what's become the best matchup in the ACC each season: Florida State and Clemson. The two teams are both ranked yet again, and in what's the "last week" of non-conference play for a lot of teams, the heated contest between the Tigers and Seminoles is an exception on the schedule.
.. Or at least it would be if not for some big SEC games also scheduled. LSU vs. Mississippi State and Alabama vs. Florida could both conceivably stake a claim to being this weeks' most interesting matchup as well, but ESPN went with the ACC. Part of this is because Clemson vs. Florida State is the only Saturday game between ranked teams (Auburn vs. Kansas State also qualifies, but takes place on a Thursday). The other is because of SEC Network's Gameday equivalent, SEC Nation.
As Bud Elliott details in the Tomhawk Nation piece linked above, SEC Nation is heading to Alabama vs. Florida on Saturday, and will actively try to avoid overlap between the new show and its flagship national program, College Gameday, whenever possible. While the show may have sounded like more SEC cow-towing by the college football establishment at first glance, we now see this may actually end up being a VERY good thing for the rest of the country. Avoiding overlap means that the long-established rotation of campuses used for Gameday may finally be challenged/broken down. Which at some point COULD open the door for... your Syracuse Orange.
...
Embattled Maryland HC Randy Edsall
Maryland Seeks Quick Fix to Flawed Defense as Matchup with Unbeaten Looms (foxnews.com; AP)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The game plan was fine. The execution was not.
That's how Maryland coach Randy Edsall explained the horrid performance of his defense against West Virginia last Saturday in a 40-37 defeat.
The Terrapins surrendered 33 first downs and 694 total yards, their worst defensive performance since Florida State piled up 858 yards against them in 1992.
"It just gets back to the basics," coach Randy Edsall said Tuesday. "If you do the basics the right way, a lot of that stuff would have been taken care of."
Maryland (2-1) has much to correct and not a lot of time to do it. The Terrapins visit Syracuse (2-0) on Saturday in their first game against an Atlantic Coast Conference foe since leaving the conference.
While ground-oriented Syracuse is far less likely to pile up 511 passing yards, as West Virginia did, the Orange won't hesitate to exploit Maryland's miscues.
"One time we had basically had a double on a guy and he ran right through a double because our eyes weren't where they were supposed to be," Edsall said. "If we put our eyes where they're supposed to be, we have the guy covered, he's not going to beat you and they're probably not going to throw the football there. It's just little things like that."
...
Will Likely Returns a Punt for a TD Against West Virginia
Will Likely Does It All for Maryland Football as Terps Prepare to Face Syracuse (washingtonpost.com; Stubbs)
A few West Virginia players peeled off from their team’s celebration near midfield after the Mountaineers’ win over Maryland last Saturday, approaching Terrapins cornerback Will Likely to pay their proper respects. It was a fitting final portrait on a dreary day in College Park: Likely’s rivals were victorious, but they wouldn’t soon forget how the sophomore nearly ruined their win.
Likely finished with eight tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which gave Maryland a chance to win after trailing by 22 points earlier in the game. Yet Likely still seemed somber on Tuesday when he met with the media, a session sandwiched between two film-viewing sessions at the team facility.
“It don’t really matter,” Likely said of his performance against West Virginia. “We didn’t finish. We just gotta finish. That’s our focus this week, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
...
Despite a Couple of Issues, Special Teams Are a Strength for Maryland (baltimoresun.com; Zenitz)
COLLEGE PARK — Maryland coach Randy Edsall says the blockers on the Terps' kick and punt coverage teams have an understanding.
As Edsall tells it, they know if they block and do their job that Maryland has two returners who can take the ball the distance on any given play.
Edsall is still looking for more consistency out of punter Nate Renfro. He also was not pleased with the two punt returns of 18 yards or longer that Maryland has allowed the last two games or the late hit on a West Virginia kick returner Saturday that drew a 15-yard penalty and gave the Mountaineers favorable field position.
However, Maryland has already received several big returns from Stefon Diggs and Will Likely. Brad Craddock has further established himself as one of the better kickers in the country. And as a whole, special teams play has proven to be a strength for the Terps.
"I think our special teams understands the potential that we have to be really good in those areas when you have a place-kicker like Brad who is a weapon, when you have a young man like Will Likely as a punt returner who is a weapon, and then you have Stefon Diggs as a kick returner and the pressure he can put on people," Edsall said.
Maryland's offense has had issues through the first three games. The defense has had problems at times as well. But the special teams has provided big plays in each game.
Against James Madison in Week 1, Diggs had a 59-yard kick return, Likely had a 35-yard punt return, and Craddock hit a 49-yard field goal.
...
Maryland AA Candidate CB Will Likely
Maryland News and Notes: Edsall on Syracuse, Nose Tackle Tandem and Likely on Losing (testudotimes.com; Kirshner)
Odds and ends from Maryland's Tuesday media availabilities ahead of Saturday's meeting with Syracuse.
Maryland's game at Syracuse on Saturday marks a homecoming of sorts for Randy Edsall. The Terrapins head coach was a letterwinner on the field for the Orangemen, then spent 11 years on the team's coaching staff. Edsall has faced his former school several times, as he shared the Big East with the since-renamed Orange while the head coach at Connecticut.
"It's business as usual," Edsall said. "The first time when I went up there as an assistant at Boston College was special. But once you do it one time, and then I've been back as a head coach at Connecticut, it's just old packing, so to speak. I value and appreciate the time that I spent there as a student, four years, and then as a coach for 11. I met my wife there so that was good, actually really good, I should say."
Edsall said his daughter was born at Syracuse, and he played in the Orangemen's final game at Archbold Stadium, which was subsequently torn down when the university built the Carrier Dome.
"You go back and see some faces that were there when I was there, but we're going up there to win a football game, and that's first and foremost. We've got to concentrate on that and get it done," Edsall said.
...
Checking in on SU Football Secondary Market Ticket Prices (TNIAAM; Keeley)
This article is from the folks at TiqIQ.
Syracuse posted a moderate 7-6 record in its first year in the ACC last season and will again have a difficult home schedule in 2014, though secondary market ticket prices at the Carrier Dome remain considerably low. According to TiqIQ, an October 11 game against Florida State will serve as the most expensive home game of the season at the Carrier Dome for the Orange, but a home game scheduled at MetLife Stadium against Notre Dame currently has the highest secondary market average on the Syracuse football schedule. The season average for Syracuse football tickets is $78.38 on the secondary market, one of the lowest average prices at home in the conference this season. Only Boston College, Pittsburgh and Duke have lower season averages in the ACC.
Below is the list of remaining home games, along with the secondary market average and get-in prices for each game.
9/20 vs Maryland | Avg. Price: $43 | Get-in: $11
Syracuse will host its second home game of the season against Maryland next Saturday and the game currently has the cheapest secondary market average among all remaining Syracuse home games. The average price for the game is $43 on the secondary market, 45%t below season average, with a get-in price of only $11. Maryland currently stands at 2-0 but won’t face its first Big Ten opponent until September 27 when the team travels to Memorial Stadium to play Indiana. Last season, Syracuse easily cruised past Maryland in Week 11, beating the Terrapins 20-3 at Byrd Stadium.
9/27 vs Notre Dame (MetLife Stadium) | Avg. Price: $186.53 | Get-in: $50
The Orange will get a taste of an NFL atmosphere when they host Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium on September 27. Currently serving as the most expensive game on the Syracuse schedule, the average secondary market price for Syracuse vs Notre Dame football tickets is $186.53, 138% above season average, with a get-in price of $50. The two teams last played in 2008, where much like their Week 1 matchup against Villanova this season, the Orange pulled out a close 24-23 victory against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame currently owns the third most expensive home average on the secondary market, trailing just Ohio State and Georgia in the third week of the season.
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Will Syracuse Ever Get to Host College Gameday? (TNIAAM; Cassillo)
Not that this is a sign of being "back" as a program, but... yeah, would certainly be nice.
As expected, ESPN College Gameday will be in Tallahassee, Fla. this week for what's become the best matchup in the ACC each season: Florida State and Clemson. The two teams are both ranked yet again, and in what's the "last week" of non-conference play for a lot of teams, the heated contest between the Tigers and Seminoles is an exception on the schedule.
.. Or at least it would be if not for some big SEC games also scheduled. LSU vs. Mississippi State and Alabama vs. Florida could both conceivably stake a claim to being this weeks' most interesting matchup as well, but ESPN went with the ACC. Part of this is because Clemson vs. Florida State is the only Saturday game between ranked teams (Auburn vs. Kansas State also qualifies, but takes place on a Thursday). The other is because of SEC Network's Gameday equivalent, SEC Nation.
As Bud Elliott details in the Tomhawk Nation piece linked above, SEC Nation is heading to Alabama vs. Florida on Saturday, and will actively try to avoid overlap between the new show and its flagship national program, College Gameday, whenever possible. While the show may have sounded like more SEC cow-towing by the college football establishment at first glance, we now see this may actually end up being a VERY good thing for the rest of the country. Avoiding overlap means that the long-established rotation of campuses used for Gameday may finally be challenged/broken down. Which at some point COULD open the door for... your Syracuse Orange.
...
