sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Moon Day!
Moon Day celebrates the anniversary of the day in 1969 when humankind first walked on the Moon. The Apollo space program had begun under the Eisenhower administration, but a tightened focus on placing a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s occurred after President John F. Kennedy gave a speech before a joint session of Congress, on May 25, 1961, during which he said, "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth." This speech was given in the context of the Cold War, when the United States was still behind the Soviet Union in the space race but wanted to beat them in landing a man on the Moon.
SU News
The senior Orange signal-caller reveals his best memories over his career.
ACC football media days: Syracuse plans to play even faster in 2018 (auburnpub.com; AP)
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Syracuse had one of the fastest-paced offenses in the country last season, averaging a play every 21 seconds. Quarterback Eric Dungey says the Orange want to be even faster.
Dungey was speaking at the ACC Kickoff preseason media days. He says coach Dino Babers continues to tell the team "it's not fast enough; we're trying to go even faster."
Now a senior and more comfortable than ever in the offense, Dungey thinks the offense has the potential to improve its pace and production with him under center, saying "everything has slowed down so much for me."
Syracuse finished 4-8 last season, although it stunned national power Clemson and was competitive in most games.
The Orange returns its most experienced offensive line they've had since Babers has been there. But the biggest challenge will be replacing standout wide receiver Steve Ishmael. He was second among FBS wide receivers with 105 receptions and third in yards receiving with 1,347 yards.
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Instant Juice: 2018 ACC Football Kickoff - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)
A quick take on day two of the 2018 ACC Football Kickoff event Thursday at the Westin Charlotte in the downtown area of this quickly growing city, as Syracuse and the other Atlantic Division teams were in the spotlight following the Coastal Division teams the day before:
WHAT HAPPENED: Forget that the second half of the MLB season begins Thursday night, college football talk is interrupting the summer again following the annual two day kickoff event. Each head coach and two of his players make the circuit to no less than eight separate media entities for one-on-one interviews, then throw in a press conference, individual breakout sessions for 30 minutes, and visits to some of the 25 sports radio stations camped out in the middle of the action, and it a made for a busy day for Dino Babers and Orange attendees Eric Dungey and Chris Slayton.
ANALYSIS: As the top returning statistical quarterback in the ACC, Dungey certainly received plenty of attention from both the Syracuse and conference-wide media. Now, it’s time to turn the corner on a SU program that was 4-8 the last two seasons. “It’s learning how to win,” Dungey said Thursday when asked about the program’s status heading into the season. “You want to play the best teams, that’s what our schedule has been the last three years. “It’s given us the experience we need (to win consistently), and I am looking forward to staying healthy and playing this November.”
The ACC office has this event down pat in putting the league in its best looking position before the start of another sports year. The “Kickoff” is throughly organized, well-paced with high tech visual and audio effects during the press conferences, spread out just enough, and amidst comfortable surroundings for both the official team members and the media, in this case at the Westin which becomes the unofficial league headquarters for part of a week. It’s certainly no surprise that the 2019 event returns to Charlotte next July, following a year in which the league football and basketball titles will be decided a few blocks away from the hotel’s front door. Happy Birthday to Coach Babers who turned 57 Thursday in Charlotte!
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Syracuse QB Eric Dungey offers thoughts on Clemson (independentmail.com; video)
Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey says he’s excited for the challenger of playing Clemson in its own backyard.
What We Learned About the Syracuse Defense at ACC Media Kickoff – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Aki)
A lot has been made of what Syracuse’s 2018 potential can be. While the high-flying offense seems to be a given for the Orange, the team’s success rests on what the defense brings to the table. Last season was an inconsistent one on that side of the ball, which led to some games slipping away at the end of the year.
Statistically, SU finished 105th out of 129 teams in total defense, which ranked ahead of only Wake Forest in the ACC. Now, Syracuse has to make up for those struggles while losing its two best players from the year before. The Orange lost linebackers Zaire Franklin and Parris Bennett to the NFL, which opens a massive hole at the position for 2018.
Despite these deficiencies, the team remains optimistic as every team does, whether rational or not. But there is reason for hope. It’s youthful, but there is potential behind it.
It’s year three for head coach Dino Babers, which means “his guys” are the ones that are overtaking the program. While that means more on the offensive side than defensive side with a coach like Babers, he’s shown his effectiveness on the recruiting trail which should mean better results on the defensive side.
“I realistically think that [the defense] should be better,” Babers said. “I think that we’re more talented over there on that side of the ball since I’ve been here. This is the most talent we’ve had on that side of the ball since we’ve been there. Some of that talent is very experienced like the young men sitting behind me, and some of that talent is very inexperienced.”
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Syracuse’s Dino Babers offers ‘no baloney cheese’ in praise of ACC (myajc.com; Sugiura)
Syracuse beat ACC champion and College Football Playoff participant Clemson last year and still finished 4-8. That might have something to do with Syracuse coach Dino Babers’ assessment of the ACC.
“This conference is no joke,” Babers said Thursday at the ACC Kickoff. “People talk about other conferences. I’ve been in the Big Ten. I’ve been in the Pac-12. I’ve been in the Pac-12 when it was the Pac-10. You know, coaches come up here and they read their lines and they try to reinforce their conference, and everybody does that, OK. This is no baloney cheese for me. This conference is a real football conference.”
Often in the shadow of the SEC, ACC coaches will defend their league at the drop of a hat. At his remarks to open the media event, commissioner John Swofford made sure to note that the ACC’s 21 bowl appearances in the past two years were the most in the country and that the conference’s champion has been in the College Football Playoff all four years of its existence. (Also, the ACC is the only conference in the country to win national championships in football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball in the past four years, Swofford pointed out.)
Babers did his part Thursday. Among other things, he said that the diversity of coaching tactics is unlike anything he has seen.
“Where we get our athletes from varies, but I think the type of athletes that we put on the football field are outstanding,” he said. “And when you look at our records versus other conferences in bowl games, we always talk about a fact is a fact. We'll look at the numbers. I mean, this conference is as good a football conference as the top conferences in the country, and then when you throw the basketball side in there, it might be the conference in the country.”
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Notre Dame Football Preview '18: The Syracuse Orange // UHND.com (uhnd.com; Sullivan)
Embarrassing review; looks like the author spent 5 minutes researching this
The 2018 Notre Dame football schedule shows that this year’s edition of the Shamrock Series will take place on November 17 when the Irish will face the Syracuse Orangemen at Yankee Stadium. In all eight previous Shamrock clashes, Notre Dame has come away with the win.
While the Irish have played at this version of the baseball shrine only twice, they’ve played on the site 26 times. In fact, these two teams met at the original Yankee Stadium on Thanksgiving Day 1963, with Syracuse emerging with a 14-7 win. Over the entire series, which dates back to 1914, the Irish hold an 8-3 record.
Syracuse Offense: Protection is Key
Head coach Dino Babers begins his third year hoping to take the next step after a 4-8 finish last year. That’s likely if Eric Dungey can remain upright throughout the year. His lengthy injury history is cause for concern, though it’s entirely possible that Tommy DeVito may be able to supplant him in the starting lineup. The redshirt freshman brings accuracy to the Orangemen offense.
Running back at Syracuse has seen some legends tote the ball over the years. While neither Dontae Strickland nor Moel Neal don’t rise to that level, they should give Syracuse a respectable running attack after combining for nearly 1,000 yards on the ground last year. After them, question marks exist.
The two holes in the Orangemen’s receving corps will likely be filled by the duo of Devin Butler and Nykeim Johnson. Butler had 33 catches last year, though Johnson only managed to grab eight passes. Tight end Ravian Pierce will look to expand his output beyond his 29 catches from 2017.
Syracuse has experience on the line, with left tackle Cody Conway a key aspect when it comes to keeping Dungey healthy. Either Mike Clark or Patrick Davis will handle the right tackle slot. Aaron Roberts returns from injury to man one guard position, with either Evan Adams or Sam Heckel taking care of the other spot. If Adams wins that spot, Heckel could very well supplant last year’s starter, Airon Servais.
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How will this ACC football season go? Here are some preseason predictions. (newsobserver.com; Giglio)
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Here’s one opinion on how the season will shake out:
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Atlantic Division
1. Clemson
Projected record: 8-0 ACC, 12-0 overall
Plus: The Tigers have the best defensive line in college football.
Minus: By their own standard, and even judged against the rest of the ACC, the offense was just average last season and has to be rebuilt this season.
Bottom line: The Tigers will win their fourth straight ACC title (and fifth in eight years) and do so without a hiccup in league play. Their defense will be that good.
T2. Boston College
Projected record: 4-4 ACC, 7-5 overall
Plus: The Eagles return all five starters on the offensive line and their top rusher (A.J. Dillon) from the 25th-ranked rushing offense in 2017.
Minus: They have the most difficult schedule in the ACC with crossover games against Miami and Virginia Tech.
Bottom line: Steve Addazio is hoping the ceiling is higher, with such an experienced group, but the schedule — after the first month — is not conducive to much more than eight wins.
T2. Syracuse
Projected record: 4-4 ACC, 7-5 overall
Plus: Eric Dungey, when healthy, is the most dangerous quarterback in the ACC.
Minus: The Orange’s defense (No. 106 in total defense) is not good and their style of play compounds their deficiencies.
Bottom line: This is your “surprise” team. The Orange get a home-cooking special early vs. Florida State and then sweep the Triangle in October to make their first bowl appearance since 2013.
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Pack poised to pursue ACC Championship with potent passing game, prepared to fill vacancies on defense :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Payne)
NC State looks to build on the most successful season of head coach Dave Doeren's time in Raleigh and will have to overcome a mass exit of defensive linemen, but the Pack has powerful playmakers returning in the passing game.
Quarterback Ryan Finley began his college career at Boise State in 2013 and is the most experienced arm in the ACC's Atlantic Division this fall. He believes this is an advantage that will help NC State toward its goal of winning an ACC Championship.
"It does give us an upper hand," he said. "There's a lot of things as far as football intelligence and situational football -- just after getting experience and playing -- that I try to help rub off on guys. The communication and trust with an experienced quarterback is something that's always nice. When wide receivers, running backs and the O-line can count on a quarterback to know their position, know the ins and outs, know the whys of the game of football, I think that goes a long way."
Of course, NC State faces the difficulty of having to beat a continually-stacked Clemson program to do that. But Doeren's Wolfpack has come as close as any team to downing the Tigers in consecutive seasons, making it a game the veteran QB admits is already highlighted on the fall calendar because of the implications.
"I'm not going to argue with you, it'd be nice to beat Clemson," he said. "We definitely have that one circled in my mind. I think everyone does. We've been very close, and it just hasn't gone our way. We feel like this is the year it's going to happen."
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Richt has some surprising news (theclemsoninsider.com; Bethea)
The media spoke with Miami head coach Mark Richt. He had some surprising news for us.
Richt’s reaction to turnover chain
“What’s been my reaction? It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s really the greatest thing since the 10-bite sandwich, actually. People ask me about that — first of all, I didn’t know about the turnover chain until the first game. Coach Diaz is like, hey, Coach, by the way, we’ve got this chain, in case we get a turnover we’re going to put it on their neck.”
“It is gaudy and it’s beautiful. But like I’ve said all year long, or since the season ended, if we got three turnovers last year, it would have been mocked. It would have been laughed at. But when you get 31 turnovers or whatever it was, maybe there’s something to it.”
“It did create an awful lot of excitement for our team. It created an awful lot of excitement for our fans, not just at the games but around the country. It was a special thing.”
Richt discusses the rise of competition in the ACC
“There’s a lot of teams that got good coaches, and I think people are beginning to say, in order to be great in football, we’ve got to pour resources into all the things that it takes to develop a player, whether it’s facilities or strength and conditioning or how you feed them or all those types of things, and you’ve also got to hire certain coaches and give them the ability to have a salary pool that will allow you to get a good staff that will stick with you without getting out-bidded every time you turn around. And I see that happening throughout the league, and I think we’re seeing a lot of really good teams that can beat anybody across America on any given day.”
Richt on the ACC network
“It’s very big. And you can have a network and not necessarily generate the same revenue as other networks. Not only do we need the network, but we need to get the people to want to watch it and do what it takes to get the viewership and all that up to get the revenue up. The revenue is going to go up, but how much? And it’s certainly going to go up enough to continue the trend of the advances that people are making, and I think some of the AD’s — I’m not in their business, but I would think, knowing that the network is coming and there’s more revenue coming, they’re having more confidence to step out and do the things that it takes to be great.”
Other
Comcast drops Fox bid, paving way for sale to Disney (AP)
Comcast is dropping its bid for Fox's entertainment businesses, paving the way for Disney to boost its upcoming streaming service by buying the studios behind "The Simpsons" and X-Men.
Comcast can now focus on its pursuit of European pay-TV operator Sky, a deal that would give the Philadelphia-based cable and media company a larger presence outside the U.S.
The moves come as the media landscape is shifting dramatically. Cable and telecom companies are buying content makers to compete with popular streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. AT&T bought Time Warner last month for $81 billion.
Comcast had been dueling with Disney for Twenty-First Century Fox, but Comcast said Thursday that it would not raise its $66 billion offer for Fox. The Walt Disney Co. had topped Comcast's bid by offering $71 billion.
The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Disney's bid as long as Disney, which owns the national sports network ESPN, sells Fox's 22 regional sports networks. Fox shareholders are set to vote on Disney's offer July 27.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was "extremely pleased" with Comcast's announcement.
"Our focus now is on completing the regulatory process and ultimately moving toward integrating our businesses," he said in a statement.
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