sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Day of Service and Remembrance!
National Day of Service and Remembrance is the largest annual day of charitable service in the United States, when 30 million Americans participate. It was founded by the nonprofit MyGoodDeed in 2002, and its mission "is to transform 9/11 into a day of unity, empathy and service as an enduring and positive tribute to those lost and injured on 9/11, and the many who rose in service in response to the attacks, including first responders, recovery workers, volunteers and members of our military." The day was formally recognized by federal law by the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which passed in 2009. Beginning in 2009, President Obama's proclamation for Patriot Day also included a proclamation for National Day of Service and Remembrance Day.
National Day of Service and Remembrance, also known as 9/11 Day, is being observed today! It has been observed annually on September 11th since 2002.
SU News
Notes From Dino Babers’ Week Three Presser – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Hoppe)
Every week, Dino Babers addresses the media on Monday afternoon. This week, he did so after SU’s 62-10 win over Wagner. Here are some takeaways from his meeting.
When asked about Sean Riley’s impact, Babers stressed his need to make things happen after the catch. Last week, Riley caught six passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, good enough for the second most yards on the team.
“You really don’t have time to think about the really neat, cool stuff,” Babers said in response to how it’s been coaching Koda Martin (his daughter’s husband). Martin has played both the right and left tackle positions on the offensive line this season.
On how Stephen A. Smith’s message resonated with his team: very very different than what he is on TV… highly motivated in what he does. I think that’s what came out in the speeches. Not really listening or caring about what people think about you, as long as you’re doing it the right way.
Babers thinks special teams might be the best unit on the entire football team. He went on to say how exciting it was to block a kick and score it for a touchdown. Then said the kicking game has been solid.
All in all, a fairly uneventful press conference. The one thing Babers was quick to do was praise Florida State. It’s clear that people think Syracuse has a solid chance to win, so making sure his team doesn’t get too full of themselves is crucial.
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Tailgating for a friend: How a group of SU fans honored Mark Fenton (DO; Edelman)
Pete Desimone and his wife, Rachael, woke up at 5 a.m. before Syracuse’s home opener against Wagner. They filled a truck and trailer with tents, seats, display goal posts, a 10-foot long dinosaur and a blue and an orange replica bell, similar to the one rung after an SU touchdown in the Carrier Dome. By 7:30 a.m., eight hours before kickoff, they set up in their usual spot at the Skytop lot on South Campus.
Among the chairs, food and chatter, hung a wooden orange board which read “the Mayor of Skytop” engraved in blue. The sign served as a reminder of a former tailgater, Mark Fenton, who invented Desimone’s nickname and gifted him the sign.
What started as six people sitting with cold food in the back of a trailer before a home game against Penn State in 1989 turned into a seasonal passion, one that transformed Fenton into a lifelong Orange fan.
In 2016, the tradition of weekend tailgates came to a halt when Fenton was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Fenton stopped coming on Saturdays to South Campus and became bedridden.
“Mark used to go to these games in pain and we never realized how much pain he was in,” Desimone said. “He never showed us, told us, cried about it.”
As Desimone kept the tradition alive – one that now involves more than 30 people mostly from his job at Crouse Hinds Hall – Fenton stayed at home and watched every SU game from his living room TV.
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Syracuse football has a bright future with Andre Cisco starring on defense (itlh.com; Esden Jr)
The Syracuse football team has a budding star on defense with Andre Cisco at the helm. Here’s why this is only the beginning of what he can do.
Perhaps the Syracuse football squad recruited Andre Cisco for the wrong position? He obviously has hands like a future All-Pro wide receiver.
In his first two starts with the Orange he has come down with three interceptions (tied for the most interceptions in all of college football). Believe it or not, that’s as many interceptions as the entire Syracuse secondary had last year — COMBINED!
Despite his talents, I don’t even think Syracuse thought they’d be seeing those magical hands this early in his journey. When Cisco stepped on the field Week 1 against Western Michigan, he became the first true freshman to start a season opener at safety since Markus Paul did so at Mississippi State back in 1985, per the Syracuse game notes.
But Andre knew what he was capable of, we interviewed him nine months ago and he felt like he could ‘make an immediate impact here at Syracuse’ and that was one of the main reasons he chose the Orange.
Head coach Dino Babers talked about Cisco’s impact and his hairdo in his post game presser:
“I think he has one of the coolest haircuts I’ve ever seen. I wish when I was growing up I could comb my hair like that. He’s a good looking cat and he can catch the football and he’s an Orange guy. I like the things he’s doing. I like the way he rebounded from that first game. And I really like the fact that he’s a freshman and he’s going to be here for a very long time.”
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Florida State’s 4 biggest problems right now (sbnation.com; Connelly)
Technically, it could be worse: Florida State could be 0-2.
The Seminoles have begun Willie Taggart’s tenure with a three-touchdown loss to Virginia Tech and the narrowest of escapes against FCS’ Samford. They couldn’t block the Hokies, and they couldn’t stop the Bulldogs’ Devlin Hodges from passing all over them. They were held back by turnovers luck against VT, sure, but they needed some luck to beat Samford.
As the season was approaching, I found myself formulating an “It wouldn’t surprise me...” list in my head. The number one item was “FSU catches fire in Taggart’s first season.”
It made a little sense, right? The Noles’ limitations were obvious — uncertain QB situation, iffy offensive line, major question marks at linebacker — but the talent was equally obvious. And the idea of a new coach coming in after last year’s stale campaign, adding tempo and an energy boost, didn’t seem far-fetched.
Technically, you could say something is indeed on fire in Tallahassee right now, but this isn’t quite what I envisioned.
FSU was projected 19th in S&P+, with an average projected win total of 7.2.
Two weeks into those season, the Seminoles are 71st, and their likely win total has shrunk to 4.1.
As things currently stand, they are projected favorites for each of the next two games — by only 1.1 points at Syracuse and 6.6 against NIU — and are projected underdogs in every remaining game.
Plots can twist themselves around pretty quickly, and for all we know, FSU will rally. But as we wait to see if that will happen, let’s take stock in what is specifically wrong with this Seminole squad thus far.
The eyes can tell you quite a bit:
- The run game isn’t what it should be, considering the recruiting rankings involved.
- Quarterback Deondre Francois doesn’t appear comfortable running the ball in this read-based system.
- The offensive line, which began thin and has gotten thinner with injuries to tackle Landon Dickerson and guard Cole Minshew, can’t block.
- The pass rush isn’t getting home.
- The turnover backpack is dumb.
Which teams are our experts' top bets in Week 3 of CFB? (si.com; Staff)
Week 3 of college football is on the horizon, and our experts have locked in on some point spreads that they think will deliver winning results. Syracuse and San Diego State are well-positioned to win outright as home dogs, while Vanderbilt should be able to keep things reasonably close in South Bend. Meanwhile, in the game of the week in the SEC, Auburn is eyeing a statement win over LSU.
Florida State (-2.5) at Syracuse
Sat. 9/15, 12:00 p.m. ET
Pick: Syracuse +2.5
While Florida State's season-opening 24-3 loss to Virginia Tech was disappointing, there was reason to believe that the Seminoles were better than that final score would indicate. FSU actually outgained the Hokies, and didn't recover any of the game's six fumbles—a simple stroke of bad luck. With quarterback Deondre Francois playing his first full game since the 2016 season, it was easy to write off his three interceptions to rust. It wasn't time to hit the panic button just yet.
Now, it may be time to hit the panic button. Florida State eked out a 36-26 win over Samford on Saturday, needing a touchdown with 4:03 on the clock to take its first lead of the season. For a team that should have been out for blood after starting the season with a high-profile loss, it was a discouraging result at home against an FCS opponent. And while Francois bounced back with 320 passing yards and three touchdowns (and no interceptions), the defense took a huge step backwards: FSU allowed 475 yards through the air, only saving itself from total embarrassment with four interceptions.
Subpar pass defense will doom the Seminoles at Syracuse this week, where they'll face the ACC's longest-tenured starting quarterback in Eric Dungey. Dungey has thrown seven touchdowns through two games this season, and is the conference's second-leading rusher thanks largely to his 200 yards on the ground in the Orange's opener at Western Michigan. This FSU team hasn't looked equipped to face that type of versatility, and wouldn't be favored on the road if not for the program's reputation.
–Sam Chase
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What's up Cuse Nation?!?! In this show we go over this weeks poll. The 62-10 win over Wagner. We address the empty seat situation in the Orange home opener at the dome. Your Fan Feedback. Joe gives his MyBookie pick for the week. Then, FSU comes to the dome Sept. 15th @ noon. We'll let you know what to expect! And as always we give some Koosies to one lucky listener!
https://www.thedailynole.com/2018/09/10/fsu-football-first-look-at-syracuse/ (thedailynole.com; Eiland)
Florida State goes on the road for the first time in 2018 for a match-up with the Syracuse Orange on Saturday. Head coach Dino Babers has an offense that’s looked like a juggernaut in early contests, while FSU is trying to regain its composure after a sluggish performance against the Samford Bulldogs.
What will Syracuse be looking to throw at the Seminoles when they arrive in Upstate New York? Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect when the Saturday game kicks off at noon EST.
2018 Record: 2-0 (0-0 ACC)
2018 S&P Offensive Ranking: 60th
Returning Offensive Production: 59 percent (86th)
2018 S&P Defensive Ranking: 104th
Returning Defensive Production: 68 percent (53rd)
On Offense
Syracuse is 2-0 to start 2018 thanks to its offensive firepower. The Orange have decided that they need to make up for the basketball team’s slow pace by scoring 62 and 55 points in their first two contests. Granted, those games were against Wagner and Western Michigan, but the Syracuse offense is no joke.
That’s all thanks to quarterback Eric Dungey. He’s simultaneously the team’s leading passer and leading rusher, and for good reason. He was the main catalyst behind last year’s upset of Clemson thanks to his complete set of skills. He’s an impressive dual-threat signal caller who will give even the best defenses fits, and it’ll likely continue against FSU on Saturday. The Seminoles will be susceptible to deep attacks, but their focus might need to be on Dungey’s running ability.
His favorite target is Jamal Custis, a 6-foot-5 wide receiver whose caught 11 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Syracuse doesn’t seem to have any specific receivers who qualify as “deep threat” types, but they all appear capable. Besides Dungey’s running ability, Syracuse doesn’t offer much a threat on the ground. Running backs Moe Neal and Dontae Strickland have combined for 228 yards and six touchdowns, but that’s on just 3.9 yards per carry.
On Defense
The game against Western Michigan is an interesting case study for synergy between an offense and defense. Syracuse started out by holding a competent Broncos’ offense to just seven points in the first half. They entered the locker rooms with the Orange up 34-7 and looking totally dominant.
Babers decided to give Dungey some rest and put in the backup Tommy DeVito. Within 10 minutes, the Broncos had pulled to a 34-28 score and looked like a completely different team. In those first 10 minutes, the Syracuse defense allowed passes of 84, 37, and 21 yards and runs of 64 and 31 yards. Dungey came back in and Syracuse reeled off three more touchdowns on three straight possessions. Western Michigan scored one more time on a 59-yard touchdown pass, but that was it. The Orange finished with a 55-42 victory.
All this to say that Syracuse is vulnerable to explosive plays. FSU has the ability to exploit this issue, but it’ll require an offensive line performance better than what it has shown over the past two weeks. Syracuse’s defense only works when it has the offense to back it up — so which one does FSU fare a better chance against?
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Five Takeaways From Willie Taggart’s Syracuse Press Conference (seminoles./com; Linafelt)
Willie Taggart met with the media Monday to look back at Florida State’s 36-26 win over Samford last week and preview Saturday’s visit to Syracuse (noon, ESPN). Here are highlights from that conversation.
Meet the “Turnover backpack”: There have been chains and thrones, belts and hammers. There have been trashcans, wooden planks and even Mardi Gras beads. The trend of a “turnover reward” – an item of some significance (or maybe none) given to a defensive player who makes a takeaway – has swept across college football in the last year or so. And the Seminoles got in on the action last week.
Meet the turnover backpack (that’s still an unofficial designation, by the way), a bright red bag that FSU defenders are donning after an interception or fumble recovery.
The backpack, coach Willie Taggart said, symbolizes one of the team’s favorite mottos: “Secure the bag.”
Secure the bag, wear the backpack. Four Seminoles did so on Saturday night – Kyle Meyers (twice), Levonta Taylor, A.J. Westbrook and Marvin Wilson.
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Florida State coach Willie Taggart embraces new turnover backpack (orlandosentinel.com; Wright)
Florida State proudly unveiled the “Turnover Backpack” during Saturday’s win over Samford game.
The backpack is awarded to any defensive player who forces a turnover.
Rival Miami made the “Turnover Chain” a national sensation last year and the Seminoles took some jabs on Twitter for copying the trend, but FSU coach Willie Taggart said defensive players cam up with the idea of “securing the bag” and he’s all for it.
“They wanted to do something for turnovers and they decided they wanted to secure the bag and that was their message — securing the bag,” Taggart said Monday. “They secured it five times on Saturday. I’m very impressed with it.”
As Taggart noted, the Seminoles forced five turnovers – four interceptions and one fumble recovery – against the Bulldogs. With turnover surge, the backpack earned a lot of television time.
It was was trending on social media and someone created a Twitter account for the “Turnover Backpack.”
“I love it when we get five takeaways and hopefully everybody else start loving it, too, because we’re getting a lot of takeaways,” Taggart said with a smile.
Laborn update
FSU running back Khalan Laborn’s injury Saturday likely will not end his season.
“He’ll be back,” Willie Taggart said. “He dislocated his kneecap. It wasn’t necessarily as bad as we thought it was when we were out there. But it will be some weeks.”
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FSU Football: Why Samford was most embarrassing win in program history (chopchat.com; Parker)
FSU football was in danger of losing for the first time ever to a FCS opponent this weekend before pulling the game out – but they shouldn’t brag at all.
Over five hours after the game was originally scheduled to kick off (mostly because God wanted everyone to talk about the Virginia Tech game a little more, so there was a near 90 minute rain delay), the FSU football team walked off the field of Doak Campbell Stadium with a hard fought, 10 point win over ninth ranked Samford.
No, not the Stanford Cardinal and their Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Love – not even Fred Sanford and his son from the hit 1970’s NBC comedy show. That’s right, the Seminoles had to fight back just to come out on top of the ninth ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision and get their first win of the 2018 season.
If that’s not depressing enough after what took place in the opener against the Hokies, I’ll add this little hot take for you – the win over Samford will go down as the worst victory in the history of the program.
Now, there are going to be plenty of people who are going to jump on that take and bring up what took place in the 2009 season when FSU football scored 12 points in the final minute to avoid a horrible loss to another FCS foe, Jacksonville State.
When you look at things based just on the opponent, the similarities are there as the 2008 Gamecocks finished with an 8-3 record while the Bulldogs finished last season with an 8-4 record and spot in the FCS playoffs – so the caliber of competition was similar in that regard.
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The sad state of Power 5 football in Florida (espn.com; Adelson)
Dan Mullen and Willie Taggart arrived in the state of Florida to rousing welcomes and outsized expectations, hailed as the latest saviors at rival schools just 150 miles apart.
Two games in, Florida and Florida State look like broken-down programs stripped of their parts, exposing problems that demand immediate answers. Rather than showing tangible progress under their new head coaches, both Florida and Florida State earned guffaws on Saturday night -- Florida for losing to Kentucky for the first time in 32 years; Florida State for going down to the wire against FCS foe Samford, a week after getting blown out at home by Virginia Tech.
It was an embarrassing weekend, if only because beating Kentucky and rolling FCS teams have been a given at both programs for more than three decades. The Florida and Florida State brands no longer intimidate opponents the way they once did; nor do their respective home stadiums.
Twenty-two years ago, Tim Couch and Kentucky rolled into the Swamp, riding high on his pedigree and advance billing that he would have the answer to the great Florida question. Surely, 1996 would be the year for the long losing streak to end. Florida won 65-0.
It went like that over and over in the series, as Florida toyed with Kentucky for sport. That is, until recently, when it became obvious the edge that made Florida so good under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer had vanished permanently.
At both Florida and Florida State, Saturday night showed that there are no quick fixes for problems that have festered for years.
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Other
Destiny USA, Syracuse University partner to promote tourism (PS; Moriarty)
Destiny USA, its onsite Embassy Suites hotel and Syracuse University's athletics department have agreed to a three-year deal to jointly market the three sites to visitors to Central New York.
Under the partnership, the university will designate the 209-room Embassy Suites hotel in front of the giant shopping center as the "official hotel of Syracuse Athletics.
Destiny USA CEO Stephen Congel said the mall, hotel and the university will offer traveling shoppers, Orange fans, alumni and fans of visiting sports teams exclusive ticket bundles, special Destiny USAattraction packages and gameday amenities like shuttle rides to and from the Carrier Dome for hotel guests.
In addition, the mall and the university will work with Visit Syracuse, Onondaga County's visitors bureau, to market the Central New York region throughout the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.
"We can reach out to fans who are coming in from out of town, we can reach out to fans of visiting teams, make them aware of Embassy Suites, make them aware of Destiny," said John Wildhack, the university's director of athletics. "It's a marketing partnership that I think both partners will benefit from, and I really think there will be a regional benefit from this as well."
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