ESPN: ACC all-bowl team

[OrangeXtreme]

http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/65962/the-accs-all-bowl-team

C: Macky MacPherson, Syracuse: The Orange rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:14 left, to knock off Minnesota in the Texas Bowl. The physically dominant performance on the line was a fitting conclusion to MacPherson's Syracuse career.

LB: Cameron Lynch, Syracuse: The Orange finished a successful first season in the ACC by topping Minnesota 21-17 in the Texas Bowl. Lynch, a junior, tied for a team-high with eight stops, with most of his big plays coming behind the line of scrimmage. He had two tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble to help Syracuse go 7-4 after an 0-2 start in coach Scott Shafer's first year.

 

[orangeinohio]

I'm not used to seeing such positivity over Syracuse football in ESPN. I had to read these a couple times.

It would have been nice to add Estime to this team but Switzer (UNC) definitely had a better game.

 

[All4SU]

Congrats to Macky. Nice to see him get some kudos.

 

[PhatOrange]

"...Syracuse go 7-4 after an 0-2 start"

Beating:
Tulane (bowl team)
Wagner
NC State
Wake Forest
Maryland (bowl team)
Boston College (bowl team)
Minnesota (bowl team)

Losses:
Florida State (national champion)
Clemson (BCS bowl winner)
Georgia Tech (bowl team)
Pittsburgh (bowl team)

very positive momentum on a team returning a whole bunch of kids.

 

[Rocco]

Would love those first 2 games back, especially after going 7-4 after that. Fun season anyways. Looking forward to next year and starting off with a slightly easier schedule.

 

[djorange1989]

Would love those first 2 games back, especially after going 7-4 after that. Fun season anyways. Looking forward to next year and starting off with a slightly easier schedule.

Amen. I hope that early open date stays open so we can feel very good about being 2-0 going into the MD game. Really excited for 2014, ton of starters back (is it 17 out of 22?).

 

[Rocco]

Amen. I hope that early open date stays open so we can feel very good about being 2-0 going into the MD game. Really excited for 2014, ton of starters back (is it 17 out of 22?).

Offensive returners - 8 (Mackey, Smith, Wales - barely used last year anyways)
Defensive returners - 6 (Spruill, Bromley, Wilkes, Anderson, Lyn - injured)

14 returning. Hickey coming back was huge. Worried about the middle of the box on D, but besides that we look great on the outside and in the secondary.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Would love those first 2 games back, especially after going 7-4 after that. Fun season anyways. Looking forward to next year and starting off with a slightly easier schedule.

I guess we can chalk those two up to a new staff and new bodies. We can't afford to have another start like that if we want to get to the next level.

 

[PhatOrange]

Yeah no matter I believe Northwestern would have beaten us again, we caught them at the wrong time and on the road. They were a lot better than us at the time, but I think we'd beat Penn State 8 out of 10 times. Just to many kinks to work out the first game of the season. We out played them and really shouldve beat them that day.

Its amazing that the team was whiskers away from having an 8-4 regular season (pitt/pennst) but also a whisker away from losing to BC. It balanced out.

 

[baggerbob]

The first priority this spring is a dependable field goal kicker, Pitt, BC, Minnesota, aren't close if we have a good kicker.

 

[FAL]

Would have won Pitt game outright.

 

[Chip]

Would love those first 2 games back, especially after going 7-4 after that. Fun season anyways. Looking forward to next year and starting off with a slightly easier schedule.

I can't decide which game I want back the most.

Penn State, because maybe Hunt's legs make a slight difference? (I know someone will bring up the PSU WR, but different situation and that's on him.)

Northwestern, because I think we went into that game completely unprepared mentally. While Northwestern fell apart mentally later on?

Pitt, because we outplayed them, and lost a soccer battle?

Georgia Tech, because it's the most confusing thing ever?

Oh well, some of those things could have really derailed the season, and they didn't. Credit to the staff and players.

 

[OrangeBlood]

Offensive returners - 8 (Mackey, Smith, Wales - barely used last year anyways)
Defensive returners - 6 (Spruill, Bromley, Wilkes, Anderson, Lyn - injured)

14 returning. Hickey coming back was huge. Worried about the middle of the box on D, but besides that we look great on the outside and in the secondary.

Officially these guys were the starters, but by the end of the season,
-Wilkes had been passed over for Kelly.
-Wales had been passed over by Parris.
-Lyn was hurt for half the year.

Anderson was better this year but has never been dependable. Not sure there is any drop off between him and Reddish/Whigham.

In my eyes, the loses that we will feel are Bromley, Macky and Spruill. All of them are all-conference performers. The most concerning thing is that these guys were great leaders and played right in the middle of their respective units.

Very concerned about the middle of the Defense next year. Can we consistently stop the run?

 

[Rocco]

Officially these guys were the starters, but by the end of the season,
-Wilkes had been passed over for Kelly.
-Wales had been passed over by Parris.
-Lyn was hurt for half the year.

Anderson was better this year but has never been dependable. Not sure there is any drop off between him and Reddish/Whigham.

In my eyes, the loses that we will feel are Bromley, Macky and Spruill. All of them are all-conference performers. The most concerning thing is that these guys were great leaders and played right in the middle of their respective units.

Very concerned about the middle of the Defense next year. Can we consistently stop the run?

Not that it matters, but Wales wasn't passed over for Parris. He wasn't healthy all year, and played through it most of the season. Had more to do with that than anything.

 

[OrangeBlood]

Not that it matters, but Wales wasn't passed over for Parris. He wasn't healthy all year, and played through it most of the season. Had more to do with that than anything.

Absolutely. I unfairly sold Wales short. Unless Batten really puts on some muscle, we don't have a receiving threat like Wales on the roster.

 

[FAL]

I can't decide which game I want back the most.

Penn State, because maybe Hunt's legs make a slight difference? (I know someone will bring up the PSU WR, but different situation and that's on him.)

Northwestern, because I think we went into that game completely unprepared mentally. While Northwestern fell apart mentally later on?

Pitt, because we outplayed them, and lost a soccer battle?

Georgia Tech, because it's the most confusing thing ever?

Oh well, some of those things could have really derailed the season, and they didn't. Credit to the staff and players.

The two losses by the Pennsylvania teams hurt the most because they were so damn winnable!
The Georgia Tech game? That hurt because the wheels fell off the bus that day. Still can't figure out what the hell happened there--yeah, yeah--I know it was supposed to be due to the 3-4 defense we used that day was unable to shut down the option, yadda-yadda. A real coaching failure that day led to our most embarrassing loss, imho. No shame in losing to FSU or Clemson. Northwestern--meh--didn't lose sleep over that one either.