sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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SU News
'Tex' Hunt Holds the Texas Bowl MVP Trophy After SU Defeated Mineosta 23-17
Terrel Hunt is 'A Different Young Man' Entering 2014 Season as a Starter (PS; Bailey)
Terrel Hunt stood atop the small podium at the center of NRG Stadium in Houston and scanned the crowd.
Texas Bowl MVP trophy in his right hand. 10-gallon Cowboys hat atop his head. White paint strewn across his blue uniform pants, possibly taken from the end zone that he moments ago scampered into to give Syracuse a 21-17 win over Minnesota on Dec. 27.
His teammates surrounded him, cheering raucously, but Hunt was looking for someone else — the father figure and mentor who told him even as a true freshman that he would be the future of the program.
...
A Bigger Omari Palmer From Last Year (57)
SU OG Omari Palmer's Status for Villanova Uncertain (PS; Bailey)
Syracuse redshirt sophomore guard Omari Palmer's status for the Orange's season opener against Villanova on Friday is uncertain, SU head coach Scott Shafer said on the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches' teleconference on Wednesday morning. Palmer has battled a knee injury during the second half of preseason camp.
"I don't know yet," Shafer said when asked if Palmer fully healthy. "We're going to figure that out when we kick it off."
Palmer made a meteoric rise in the offensive line group this offseason, earning a starting spot on the pre-training camp depth chart and ultimately becoming the starting left guard after Nick Robinson re-sprained his foot.
Redshirt freshman Alex Hayes and redshirt sophomore Seamus Shanley are listed as the second-string guards.
...
SU Asst Coach Bobby Acosta: SU TE Kendall Moore 'Is Our Best Option Right Now' (PS; Mink)
Syracuse will head into its opener against Villanova without its best tight end, but assistant coach Bobby Acosta believes sophomore Kendall Moore has "progressed at a level we're excited about" and will be ready to play a significant role Friday night.
Moore is the best option to fill in for the injured Josh Parris, who needed surgery to clean out cartilage in his knee.
"He's doing the same things Josh was doing," Acosta said, "and we gave him enough reps the last couple days where he's really progressing."
Also expected to see the field on Friday is true freshman Jamal Custis, who started primarily working with the tight ends in the middle of training camp. The staff won't know exactly how much Custis will help until the 6-foot-5, 232-pounder takes the field for the first time.
...
Scott Shafer Has 'All the Trust in the World' in Junior Kicker Ryan Norton (PS; Bailey)
One of Syracuse's biggest question marks heading into the 2014 season is the kicking game.
With Ross Krautman forced to hang up his cleats due to a chronic hip injury, junior Ryan Norton has slid into the starting role.
"He's kicked well," SU head coach Scott Shafer said in his weekly press conference on Wednesday. "I have all the trust in the world that Ryan will have a good season, and I'm confident that you guys will see the same Friday night."
Norton made 10-of-15 field goals with a long of 44 last season and connected on 27-of-29 extra-point attempts. He was also suspended twice in a span of five months. Last November, he was suspended for the Wake Forest game following his arrest and charges of resisting arrest and underage drinking. And in the spring, he was suspended for the spring game due to a violation of team rules.
...
SU Football Fans: Join Nate Mink and Stephen Bailey for a 1 PM Live Q&A (PS; Mink and Bailey)
Syracuse.com's Stephen Bailey and Nate Mink will be here at 1 p.m. to answer your questions and offer insight and analysis on all things Orange football.
With the season opener against Villanova on Friday, there are plenty of topics to cover.
Drop down into the comment section and join the conversation.
SU Frosh Erv Philips Will Return Kicks, More Frosh Will Contribute on Special Teams (PS; Mink)
Syracuse wanted to increase its speed throughout its kicking units, and it is putting two of its most dynamic players on the return units to yield more explosive plays on special teams.
Freshman Ervin Philips and sophomore Brisly Estime will be returning kicks on Friday night against Villanova. Estime will also return punts along with senior Ritchy Desir.
Syracuse fans know all about Estime. He uncorked a 70-yard punt return in the final minutes of the Texas Bowl to set up the game-winning touchdown.
They're about to learn more about Philips.
...
SU By the Numbers: 5 Stat Based Predictions for Villanova Game (PS; Stevens)
Syracuse will not have a 100-yard rusher. This is the norm for the Orange when it faces an FCS opponent. Last year, Jerome Smith led Syracuse with 61 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in a rout of Wagner. Six players rushed for at least 20 yards for the Orange.
Over Syracuse's last six games against lower-division opposition, only one player has reached the 100-yard plateau. That was Delone Carter, who had 172 yards in a 2010 defeat of Colgate.
The Syracuse defense will keep Villanova quarterback John Robertson to less than 100 yards rushing. Robertson is a fabulous player, one of the best in the country at the FCS level. He uncorked six 100-yard rushing days last season, and containing him is not an easy task.
Boston College did keep him to "just" 94 yards last season, but there are two far better arguments to explain why the Orange will do a solid job with him. One, Villanova's offensive line lost a lot and is dealing with injuries. Two, Syracuse didn't allow a 100-yard rusher all of last season. The front seven took some losses, but the 14-game streak of not yielding 100 yards to one player should continue.
...
Front: Prince Tyson-Gulley. Back: Phillips, McFarland, Tobias, Morris, AAM,
Scott Shafer Says SU RB Group The Best He's Seen Since Arriving in 2009 (PS; Bailey)
In his five years at Syracuse, SU head coach Scott Shafer has witnessed four 1,000-yard rushers.
First it was Delone Carter, tallying a combined 1,254 yards and 20 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. Then Antwon Bailey finished with 1,051 yards and six touchdowns in 2011. And Jerome Smith logged 1,171 yards and three scores in 2012.
It wasn't until last season that an Orange ballcarrier failed to achieve the feat under Shafer. But between Smith, Prince-Tyson Gulley, George Morris II and Devante McFarlane, the Orange backs combined for the most productive rushing season in that five-year span.
And Shafer is confident that this year, they'll only get better.
...
SU Has Sold More Than 35K of Tickets for the Villanova Game (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse has sold more than 35,000 tickets to its season-opening football game on Friday and hopes to sell substantially more by opening kickoff.
Joe Giansante, the athletic department's chief of communications, said the school is pleased with how ticket sales have progressed for Friday night's home opener against Villanova.
While Giansante makes it his policy not to provide exact numbers for ticket sales, he said that the Orange has already beaten its total number of tickets sold for last year's home opener against Wagner.
"We're way ahead of where we were with Wagner last year," Giansante said. "We're excited about the reaction. We've, for sure, sold more than 35,000. We're hoping for significantly more than that."
...
SU 2014 Opponent Scouting Report: Pitt One of Many Contenders in Coastal Division (PS; Mink)
...
Giving us an early look at Pittsburgh is Sam Werner, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Dig in.
1. Paul Chryst is entering his third season as head coach, and quite honestly I'm not sure many people know what to expect from Pitt this year. ACC writers picked it to finish sixth in the Coastal, yet it received two first-place votes and another thumbs up from Kirk Herbstreit. Are you buying Pitt can make it to Charlotte? And what's been the biggest change in this program from when Chryst took over that makes that a possibility so soon?
Werner: I buy Pitt as a contender in the Coastal only because I think everyone (well, except Virginia) is a contender in the Coastal. I picked Pitt to finish fifth, but only because I think the top six teams in that division are so equal. Could Pitt go 5-3 in conference and win some weird tiebreakers to make it to Charlotte? Absolutely. The biggest thing Pitt probably has going for it in that regard is the schedule. They get Duke and Virginia Tech at home, and their crossover games are Syracuse and Boston College. No offense to the Orange, but avoiding Florida State, Clemson and Louisville could go a long way in Pitt's Coastal Division title bid.
...
SU WR Adrian Flemming's Latest, And Likely Last Chance at Redemption (PS; Mink)
Finally healthy after an array of nagging injuries limited his availability, Adrian Flemming carved out a role for himself on offense as a lengthy, physical receiver who was as reliable as anyone. In the first game of the season, he was targeted more than any receiver. He hauled in the first two catches of his career and was ready for a breakthrough season after a severe high ankle sprain sabotaged the previous year. Heartbreak followed days later.
The fifth-year senior from Ashburn, Va. was running an out route in practice and stabbed his elbow into the defensive back. His footwork became disordered, and he said his cleats might be to blame for the "freak accident" that occurred.
Flemming fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot, the long bone on the outside of the foot that connects to the little toe. It is the most common metatarsal bone that breaks in a foot injury. His season was over a week after it started. Flemming thought his career was, too.
...
George Morris II Is Ready for Whatever Role Syracuse Asks Him to Play (PS; Poliquin)
Those old Romans couldn't have known, of course, but all these years later their numerals have gone a long way toward pleasing the George Morrises, dad and son.
"My father and I," explained the kid the other day, "came to an agreement that we didn't like 'Junior.' So we decided to change it to 'The Second.' And that's the way it's been."
There's George Morris, Sr. And there's George Morris II. And while each became a football player — Morris No. 1, a high-school quarterback; Morris No. 2, a college rusher/receiver/returner — it is only the second of them who's come from his birthplace in Tennessee and his upbringing in Georgia to strap on a helmet in Central New York.
...
Continuing His Rehab Following Major Knee Surgery, John Raymon 'Will Play When He's Ready' (PS; Mink)
While the interior of the defensive line hopes to prove doubters wrong about its ability to replace Jay Bromley, another defensive tackle is continuing his long road to return to the field.
John Raymon was supposed to be a key piece on the Syracuse defensive line until hesuffered a brutal knee injury last October at Georgia Tech that has cast serious doubt on his ability to play in the 2014 season.
But defensive line coach Tim Daoust — scheduled for an early Wednesday morning breakfast with Raymon — indicated his spirits are up, and he still has a presence around the team.
"He bombarded our meeting the other day," Daoust said. "He walked in and John's back. John came back ready to go to school. John came in to see everybody. He is a member of our football team that's not able to play right now.
...
ACC Football
Predictions for Week 1: Syracuse Will Pull Away in Second Half Against Villanova (PS; Stevens)
...
Villanova at Syracuse (Friday, 7:30, ESPN3): Of the six ACC teams facing an FCS opponent this week, the Orange has the toughest draw — and are a good bet to have a more difficult time than either Boston College or N.C. State faces with a relatively recent FBS addition. This has a real chance to be tight for a while, but Syracuse's depth should make a difference later in the game. Syracuse 31-17.
Wake Forest at UL Monroe (Thursday, 7, ESPNU): It's finally time for Dave Clawson's debut with the Demon Deacons. He'll be hard-pressed to get Wake to match even last year's 4-8 mark, and to do even that, a victory in the opener would be crucial. It won't be easy against the Warhawks, who should be feisty but also must replace veteran quarterback Kolton Browning. UL Monroe 24-21.
UCLA at Virginia (Saturday, noon, ESPN): The Cavaliers opened last season with a victory over Brigham Young at home. Can they get another surprise victory in Charlottesville? Probably not. UCLA 45-10.
...
'Tex' Hunt Holds the Texas Bowl MVP Trophy After SU Defeated Mineosta 23-17
Terrel Hunt is 'A Different Young Man' Entering 2014 Season as a Starter (PS; Bailey)
Terrel Hunt stood atop the small podium at the center of NRG Stadium in Houston and scanned the crowd.
Texas Bowl MVP trophy in his right hand. 10-gallon Cowboys hat atop his head. White paint strewn across his blue uniform pants, possibly taken from the end zone that he moments ago scampered into to give Syracuse a 21-17 win over Minnesota on Dec. 27.
His teammates surrounded him, cheering raucously, but Hunt was looking for someone else — the father figure and mentor who told him even as a true freshman that he would be the future of the program.
...
A Bigger Omari Palmer From Last Year (57)
SU OG Omari Palmer's Status for Villanova Uncertain (PS; Bailey)
Syracuse redshirt sophomore guard Omari Palmer's status for the Orange's season opener against Villanova on Friday is uncertain, SU head coach Scott Shafer said on the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches' teleconference on Wednesday morning. Palmer has battled a knee injury during the second half of preseason camp.
"I don't know yet," Shafer said when asked if Palmer fully healthy. "We're going to figure that out when we kick it off."
Palmer made a meteoric rise in the offensive line group this offseason, earning a starting spot on the pre-training camp depth chart and ultimately becoming the starting left guard after Nick Robinson re-sprained his foot.
Redshirt freshman Alex Hayes and redshirt sophomore Seamus Shanley are listed as the second-string guards.
...
SU Asst Coach Bobby Acosta: SU TE Kendall Moore 'Is Our Best Option Right Now' (PS; Mink)
Syracuse will head into its opener against Villanova without its best tight end, but assistant coach Bobby Acosta believes sophomore Kendall Moore has "progressed at a level we're excited about" and will be ready to play a significant role Friday night.
Moore is the best option to fill in for the injured Josh Parris, who needed surgery to clean out cartilage in his knee.
"He's doing the same things Josh was doing," Acosta said, "and we gave him enough reps the last couple days where he's really progressing."
Also expected to see the field on Friday is true freshman Jamal Custis, who started primarily working with the tight ends in the middle of training camp. The staff won't know exactly how much Custis will help until the 6-foot-5, 232-pounder takes the field for the first time.
...
Scott Shafer Has 'All the Trust in the World' in Junior Kicker Ryan Norton (PS; Bailey)
One of Syracuse's biggest question marks heading into the 2014 season is the kicking game.
With Ross Krautman forced to hang up his cleats due to a chronic hip injury, junior Ryan Norton has slid into the starting role.
"He's kicked well," SU head coach Scott Shafer said in his weekly press conference on Wednesday. "I have all the trust in the world that Ryan will have a good season, and I'm confident that you guys will see the same Friday night."
Norton made 10-of-15 field goals with a long of 44 last season and connected on 27-of-29 extra-point attempts. He was also suspended twice in a span of five months. Last November, he was suspended for the Wake Forest game following his arrest and charges of resisting arrest and underage drinking. And in the spring, he was suspended for the spring game due to a violation of team rules.
...
SU Football Fans: Join Nate Mink and Stephen Bailey for a 1 PM Live Q&A (PS; Mink and Bailey)
Syracuse.com's Stephen Bailey and Nate Mink will be here at 1 p.m. to answer your questions and offer insight and analysis on all things Orange football.
With the season opener against Villanova on Friday, there are plenty of topics to cover.
Drop down into the comment section and join the conversation.
SU Frosh Erv Philips Will Return Kicks, More Frosh Will Contribute on Special Teams (PS; Mink)
Syracuse wanted to increase its speed throughout its kicking units, and it is putting two of its most dynamic players on the return units to yield more explosive plays on special teams.
Freshman Ervin Philips and sophomore Brisly Estime will be returning kicks on Friday night against Villanova. Estime will also return punts along with senior Ritchy Desir.
Syracuse fans know all about Estime. He uncorked a 70-yard punt return in the final minutes of the Texas Bowl to set up the game-winning touchdown.
They're about to learn more about Philips.
...
SU By the Numbers: 5 Stat Based Predictions for Villanova Game (PS; Stevens)
Syracuse will not have a 100-yard rusher. This is the norm for the Orange when it faces an FCS opponent. Last year, Jerome Smith led Syracuse with 61 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in a rout of Wagner. Six players rushed for at least 20 yards for the Orange.
Over Syracuse's last six games against lower-division opposition, only one player has reached the 100-yard plateau. That was Delone Carter, who had 172 yards in a 2010 defeat of Colgate.
The Syracuse defense will keep Villanova quarterback John Robertson to less than 100 yards rushing. Robertson is a fabulous player, one of the best in the country at the FCS level. He uncorked six 100-yard rushing days last season, and containing him is not an easy task.
Boston College did keep him to "just" 94 yards last season, but there are two far better arguments to explain why the Orange will do a solid job with him. One, Villanova's offensive line lost a lot and is dealing with injuries. Two, Syracuse didn't allow a 100-yard rusher all of last season. The front seven took some losses, but the 14-game streak of not yielding 100 yards to one player should continue.
...
Front: Prince Tyson-Gulley. Back: Phillips, McFarland, Tobias, Morris, AAM,
Scott Shafer Says SU RB Group The Best He's Seen Since Arriving in 2009 (PS; Bailey)
In his five years at Syracuse, SU head coach Scott Shafer has witnessed four 1,000-yard rushers.
First it was Delone Carter, tallying a combined 1,254 yards and 20 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. Then Antwon Bailey finished with 1,051 yards and six touchdowns in 2011. And Jerome Smith logged 1,171 yards and three scores in 2012.
It wasn't until last season that an Orange ballcarrier failed to achieve the feat under Shafer. But between Smith, Prince-Tyson Gulley, George Morris II and Devante McFarlane, the Orange backs combined for the most productive rushing season in that five-year span.
And Shafer is confident that this year, they'll only get better.
...
SU Has Sold More Than 35K of Tickets for the Villanova Game (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse has sold more than 35,000 tickets to its season-opening football game on Friday and hopes to sell substantially more by opening kickoff.
Joe Giansante, the athletic department's chief of communications, said the school is pleased with how ticket sales have progressed for Friday night's home opener against Villanova.
While Giansante makes it his policy not to provide exact numbers for ticket sales, he said that the Orange has already beaten its total number of tickets sold for last year's home opener against Wagner.
"We're way ahead of where we were with Wagner last year," Giansante said. "We're excited about the reaction. We've, for sure, sold more than 35,000. We're hoping for significantly more than that."
...
SU 2014 Opponent Scouting Report: Pitt One of Many Contenders in Coastal Division (PS; Mink)
...
Giving us an early look at Pittsburgh is Sam Werner, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Dig in.
1. Paul Chryst is entering his third season as head coach, and quite honestly I'm not sure many people know what to expect from Pitt this year. ACC writers picked it to finish sixth in the Coastal, yet it received two first-place votes and another thumbs up from Kirk Herbstreit. Are you buying Pitt can make it to Charlotte? And what's been the biggest change in this program from when Chryst took over that makes that a possibility so soon?
Werner: I buy Pitt as a contender in the Coastal only because I think everyone (well, except Virginia) is a contender in the Coastal. I picked Pitt to finish fifth, but only because I think the top six teams in that division are so equal. Could Pitt go 5-3 in conference and win some weird tiebreakers to make it to Charlotte? Absolutely. The biggest thing Pitt probably has going for it in that regard is the schedule. They get Duke and Virginia Tech at home, and their crossover games are Syracuse and Boston College. No offense to the Orange, but avoiding Florida State, Clemson and Louisville could go a long way in Pitt's Coastal Division title bid.
...
SU WR Adrian Flemming's Latest, And Likely Last Chance at Redemption (PS; Mink)
Finally healthy after an array of nagging injuries limited his availability, Adrian Flemming carved out a role for himself on offense as a lengthy, physical receiver who was as reliable as anyone. In the first game of the season, he was targeted more than any receiver. He hauled in the first two catches of his career and was ready for a breakthrough season after a severe high ankle sprain sabotaged the previous year. Heartbreak followed days later.
The fifth-year senior from Ashburn, Va. was running an out route in practice and stabbed his elbow into the defensive back. His footwork became disordered, and he said his cleats might be to blame for the "freak accident" that occurred.
Flemming fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot, the long bone on the outside of the foot that connects to the little toe. It is the most common metatarsal bone that breaks in a foot injury. His season was over a week after it started. Flemming thought his career was, too.
...
George Morris II Is Ready for Whatever Role Syracuse Asks Him to Play (PS; Poliquin)
Those old Romans couldn't have known, of course, but all these years later their numerals have gone a long way toward pleasing the George Morrises, dad and son.
"My father and I," explained the kid the other day, "came to an agreement that we didn't like 'Junior.' So we decided to change it to 'The Second.' And that's the way it's been."
There's George Morris, Sr. And there's George Morris II. And while each became a football player — Morris No. 1, a high-school quarterback; Morris No. 2, a college rusher/receiver/returner — it is only the second of them who's come from his birthplace in Tennessee and his upbringing in Georgia to strap on a helmet in Central New York.
...
Continuing His Rehab Following Major Knee Surgery, John Raymon 'Will Play When He's Ready' (PS; Mink)
While the interior of the defensive line hopes to prove doubters wrong about its ability to replace Jay Bromley, another defensive tackle is continuing his long road to return to the field.
John Raymon was supposed to be a key piece on the Syracuse defensive line until hesuffered a brutal knee injury last October at Georgia Tech that has cast serious doubt on his ability to play in the 2014 season.
But defensive line coach Tim Daoust — scheduled for an early Wednesday morning breakfast with Raymon — indicated his spirits are up, and he still has a presence around the team.
"He bombarded our meeting the other day," Daoust said. "He walked in and John's back. John came back ready to go to school. John came in to see everybody. He is a member of our football team that's not able to play right now.
...
ACC Football
Predictions for Week 1: Syracuse Will Pull Away in Second Half Against Villanova (PS; Stevens)
...
Villanova at Syracuse (Friday, 7:30, ESPN3): Of the six ACC teams facing an FCS opponent this week, the Orange has the toughest draw — and are a good bet to have a more difficult time than either Boston College or N.C. State faces with a relatively recent FBS addition. This has a real chance to be tight for a while, but Syracuse's depth should make a difference later in the game. Syracuse 31-17.
Wake Forest at UL Monroe (Thursday, 7, ESPNU): It's finally time for Dave Clawson's debut with the Demon Deacons. He'll be hard-pressed to get Wake to match even last year's 4-8 mark, and to do even that, a victory in the opener would be crucial. It won't be easy against the Warhawks, who should be feisty but also must replace veteran quarterback Kolton Browning. UL Monroe 24-21.
UCLA at Virginia (Saturday, noon, ESPN): The Cavaliers opened last season with a victory over Brigham Young at home. Can they get another surprise victory in Charlottesville? Probably not. UCLA 45-10.
...
