sutomcat
2024 Iggy Award (ACC Tournament Record)
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Welcome to Carl Sagan Day!
Carl Sagan Day celebrates the life, teachings, and legacy of Carl Sagan, who was born on this day in 1934, and who is known for his many contributions to science. The day was created in 2009 by the Center For Inquiry in Fort Lauderdale, as well Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists (FLASH), and other groups. Events have been held in Florida, but also have spread around the world. Some examples of events that have taken place are star parties—where people come together and view the sky, astronomy lectures, science fairs, and workshops.
SU News
5 reasons Syracuse football will win, 5 reasons Louisville will win (PS; Mink)
Syracuse football hosts Louisville at 7 on Friday night, when it will try to finish the season with an unblemished home record for the first time since 2001.
Here are five reasons the Orange will extend its ACC winning streak to four games and keep its major bowl hopes alive for another week, as well as five reasons Louisville can grab its first conference victory of the season and spoil Senior Night in Syracuse.
5 REASONS SYRACUSE WILL WIN
1. SENIOR CLASS GOES OUT WINNERS
After three straight four-win seasons, the senior class is in position to give Syracuse its most wins in a regular season since 2001.
Many of the seniors being honored Friday night have been multi-season contributors, have truly gone from the basement of the Atlantic Coast Conference to, at minimum, earning the national respect they've coveted since their arrival.
For a team that has tried to stay grounded week to week, there will be no looking past Louisville toward greater opportunities.
2. ERIC DUNGEY IS 'THE DUDE'
One key member of that senior class is quarterback Eric Dungey, who has dealt with challenges every season he's been here only to come out on the other end with more than 10,000 yards of offense and more than a dozen school records to his name.
"He's the dude," senior linebacker Ryan Guthrie said. "He gets the job done. He's the best competitor I've ever been around, and I don't want any other quarterback in the nation to lead the team."
All he has wanted to be known as is a winner, and there will be no better final impression he can leave on the home crowd than a victory against the Cardinals.
The dude abides.
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Louisville football is crumbling, and things could get worse Friday (courier-journal.com; Lourim)
When the College Football Playoff committee announced its rankings Tuesday, all four of the Louisville's November opponents landed in the top 15.
Louisville is crumbling, and things might well get worse Friday night.
The Cards’ visit to No. 13 Syracuse has the makings of an ugly one. Louisville is 2-7 and on a six-game losing streak. The Orange are playing their best football, having scored at least 40 points in three straight games, all wins.
Syracuse runs a no-huddle offense, the kind that Boston College used to score 38 on this Louisville team and Wake Forest used to score 56. Boston College runs a play every 22.4 seconds, Wake Forest every 19.7. Syracuse snaps the ball every 22 seconds.
“They’re going to play as fast as anyone that we’ve went against,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. “(Quarterback) Eric Dungey knows how to execute that offense and work it. So we’ve got to be able to keep it in front of us, not give up the great, big, explosive plays.”
Read more: Hassan Hall and Tutu Atwell stand out in a grim season for Louisville
More coverage: For struggling Louisville defense, frustration begins to set in
Dungey, Syracuse’s fourth-year starter, is completing 61.2 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He’s already up to a career-high 628 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
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https://www.foxsports.com/college-f...t-home-no-13-syracuse-hosts-louisville-110818 (foxsports.com; AP)
Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey has never played in the final home game of a season. At long last he has that chance.
And rest assured that when the No. 13 Orange (7-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 13 CFP) take the Carrier Dome field on Friday night to face struggling Louisville (2-7, 0-6) the senior star will appreciate the moment.
“I think it’s going to be an emotional night, definitely, with all that I’ve been through here,” said Dungey, who missed the final three games of each of his first three seasons with injuries. “I’m just thankful for everything. It’s going to be overwhelming with the emotions.”
The home finale will be emotional for the senior class that helped third-year coach Dino Babers turn the team into a contender similar to the time Donovan McNabb was working his magic in the late 1990s. The Orange are 5-0 in the Carrier Dome this fall and are seeking just their fourth perfect season inside since the facility that opened in 1980.
“I really do hope the fans understand how emotional this game is,” Babers said. “It’s just one of those things that you’re going to always remember. If they can put that in their hearts and minds, just come out to say goodbye to this senior class that has really put us back on the right road, given us an opportunity to change this program, I mean, my heart would go out to them. I think those young men deserve it.”
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Struggling Cards visit Syracuse for Friday night game (wave3.com; Wise)
In years past, a game against Syracuse could have been just what the doctor ordered for a struggling football team.
Two years ago, thanks in part to a highlight-reel touchdown -- one of five for which he accounted -- it was perhaps the game that put Lamar Jackson atop the Heisman race.
But this is 2018. Gone is Jackson. Gone are enthusiasm and excitement. And gone, many think, might coach Bobby Petrino be soon.
Another difference is what’s happening in Syracuse this year. Winners of three straight, the Orange are 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. Third-year coach Dino Babers has his squad sitting at No. 13 in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.
Louisville’s game at Syracuse is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday night. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Syracuse can’t win the ACC, so don’t expect it to make the playoff. But the Orange still have plenty to play for, and a tuneup against a struggling Louisville team could set them up well for their final two games -- next week against visiting No. 3 Notre Dame and Nov. 24 at No. 17 Boston College.
Winning out won’t be easy, but if Syracuse does it, it will finish 10-2 and play in a meaningful bowl game. Plus it will be every fan’s second-favorite team if it can knock the Irish from the unbeaten ranks and playoff contention.
The Cards, meanwhile, have endured a difficult stretch, within a difficult season. Sandwiched around a 77-16 thrashing at the hands of Clemson on Saturday were the announcements of multiple transfers by current players, as well as decommitments from recruits.
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The Campus Read-Option: Dino Babers Has Syracuse Back In The Mix (theshadowleague.com; Danois)
The re-birth of Syracuse football has been one of the best stories of the season thus far. The No. 13 Orange haven't been relevant on the national scale since the days when Donovan McNabb and Don McPherson were working their magic in upstate New York back in the '80s and '90s.
Over the past 16 years, the program has finished with a winning record only three times. And after consecutive 4-8 finishes the last two years under head coach Dino Babers, many people didn't think this year would be any different.
But there have been signs along the way that the Orange would soon be turning a corner.
Last October, they shocked the undefeated defending national champion Clemson Tigers, 27-24, with quarterback Eric Dungey throwing for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Clemson had won 12 consecutive games on the road and 11 straight overall heading into that game, which was the longest active winning streak in the nation at the time.
Syracuse came into that contest as a heavy underdog last year. But inside their locker room, head coach Dino Babers had long been saying that this day would one day come.
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College football: Syracuse looks to move 8-2 overall with struggling Louisville on tap (watertowndailytimes.com; St. Croix)
Syracuse University football coach Dino Babers has arranged for a “senior walk,” after tonight’s final home game of the season, launching a new tradition to honor a class that has helped guide the program back to national prominence.
The nationally ranked No. 13 Orange (7-2 overall, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) opened as a three-touchdown favorite and will look to complete the fourth undefeated home campaign in Carrier Dome history when it hosts Louisville (2-7, 0-6) at 7 tonight in Syracuse.
The 17 players that comprise the senior class will be recognized in a pregame ceremony and return to the field five minutes after the conclusion of the game, which will be televised on ESPN2, to take a ceremonial lap around the turf.
“It will definitely be an awesome experience, and hopefully we get a lot of fans to stick around and be there to greet us,” senior linebacker Kielan Whitner told the SU athletics website. “They’ve been here along this journey just as we have, and it will be fun to get to interact with them a little bit after the game and just kind of say our final goodbye and leave the Dome.”
The Orange senior class has contributed to the program’s best season in decades after winning four games in each of the past three years.
No. 13 Syracuse has already secured its first bowl bid in five years — snapping a drought that tied for the second-longest among teams from Power-Five conferences — and has reached its highest ranking in either national poll since appearing at No. 11 on Sept. 28, 1998.
SU made its first appearance in the national rankings in 17 years on Oct. 28, snapping the second-longest drought among teams from Power-Five conferences.
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Louisville vs. Syracuse Fearless Prediction, Game Preview (cfn; Fiutak)
One Reason Why Syracuse Will Win
The pass rush should be the difference.
Syracuse has one, and Louisville doesn’t.
This Orange team is built for games like this. It’s supposed to get into wild and crazy shootouts, and it’s used to winning firefights. However, Louisville’s offensive line is non-existent in pass protection, and the defensive front isn’t doing anything to generate consistent pressure.
The Orange defense isn’t anything amazing, but Kendall Coleman and the pass rush were able to roll over Wake Forest with five sacks, and while the pass rush hasn’t been consistent, it’s been great.
Syracuse has generated 27 sacks so far this season. Louisville? Eight. Give Eric Dungey and the Orange offense time, and uh-oh.
What’s Going To Happen
No one’s been bombing away on the Louisville pass defense because there’s been so much success running the ball with ease. The Orange can run a bit, and they’ll love trying to ease the burden on Dungey by giving the rushing attack a whirl. But the passing game will be too crisp early on to ignore.
Louisville will put up yards and points to crank up the total, but this is the final home game of the year for Syracuse. It’s not going to look ahead to Notre Dame.
Fearless Prediction & Line
Syracuse 50, Louisville 31
Line: Syracuse -20.5, o/u: 69
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
College football picks, predictions, odds for Week 11: Louisville-Syracuse among the best bets (cbssports.com; Palm)
Week 11 picks
Louisville at No. 13 Syracuse (-21): Coach Dino Babers' squad is having a pretty good season in an otherwise down year for the ACC. One of the reasons it's a down year is because of the dumpster fire that is Louisville. As if the on-field news isn't bad enough, a report came out on Wednesday saying that 20 players have asked for the paperwork needed to transfer. They only reason Bobby Petrino is still coaching this team is because his buyout is too big -- for now. Pick: Syracuse (-21)
South Florida at Cincinnati (-14): I do not pay a lot of attention to trends, but USF is one of the worst ATS teams out there at 2-6 on the season. The Bulls have simply not been as good as their record indicates, and there is no more evidence of that than the 41-15 torching Tulane put on them last week. Cincinnati has been a pleasant surprise this season and should keep its roll going. Pick: Cincinnati (-14)
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The Fizz Predicts Syracuse and Louisville – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Aki)
The Fizz crew is rolling off a perfect week against Wake Forest. And another consensus panel arrives in game number 10.
Tyler Aki (8-1): Syracuse 65, Louisville 24
Forget Rutgers. Forget Kansas. Louisville is the worst team in the Power Five. It’s to no fault of the talent. The Cardinals may actually have just as much, if not more than Syracuse when it comes to stars and rankings. But the culture and dysfunction with Bobby Petrino and company right now is unheralded. The Cardinals have boat raced the Orange in the Lamar Jackson era, but now the roles have reversed. SU is 13th in the polls, while Louisville is 0-6 in the ACC and has lost its last six games. That’s not going to change against the Orange. Syracuse has a potent offense while Louisville is 124th out of 129 teams in scoring defense. This may be the easiest opponent on the Orange’s schedule. SU cruises to a perfect 6-0 at home for the first time since 2001.
JD Raucci (6-3): Syracuse 54, Louisville 24
Simply put, Louisville is the worst team in the ACC and it’s not even close. The Cardinals rank dead last in the conference in scoring offense (21.6 ppg) and scoring defense (40.8 ppg) and are allowing an average of over 460 yards per game. The only defense worse than the Cards in yardage is Wake and we all saw what happened last week when SU ran all over the Demon Deacons. For that reason, offense should come quickly and in bunches, allowing the Orange to jump out to a big lead early on. Because of that, an otherwise anemic Louisville offense might be able to notch a couple of garbage time scores to get the Cards over the 20-point mark. All things considered, this should be a pretty easy win for Syracuse and has the potential to be a very explosive night. Don’t be surprised if Eric Dungey puts on an absolute show in his final game in the Carrier Dome and maybe even breaks a few personal records along the way. This matchup should send Carrier Dome fans home very happy and continue Syracuse’s stellar stretch.
Tim Leonard (7-2): Syracuse 54, Louisville 14
Louisville is probably the worst power five team in the country. Eric Dungey and company are going to be able to get what they want on offense all night. The Cardinals gave up 66 points to Georgia Tech, 56 to Wake Forest, and a whopping 77 to Clemson last week. They are 115th in the nation in total defense and 112th in total offense. Bottom line is this: they are objectively just not good at any part of football. This will be nothing but a senior day cake walk. Expect Syracuse to start out hot and never look back.
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11/8 Pregame FizzCast: #13 Syracuse Football Home vs. Louisville: Oh, How the Roles Have Reversed – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; podcast; Singer & Edelstein)
David Edelstein and Harrison Singer discuss how the roles have changed between Syracuse football and Louisville heading into their 7:00 p.m. Friday game. The two talk about one crucial mistake the Orange have to avoid. Also, what happened to Louisville’s season from the start? Which Cardinals players should SU watch out for and how does Louisville run its team? What’s at stake here between a Syracuse win or a Syracuse loss?
Last-minute touchdown gives Wake Forest a 27-23 upset win over NC State (backingthepack.com; Muma)
NC State never did get into a groove on Thursday night, and the end result of a mostly listless effort was an upset loss to Wake Forest. The Deacs drove down the field after getting a late fourth-down stop and scored the game winner with 30 seconds remaining.
Wake deserves plenty of credit for simply hanging around long enough to yoink this win away from the Wolfpack, but the game probably isn’t up for grabs at that late stage if NC State had been anything resembling good tonight.
All year long State has had its problems turning red zone possessions into seven rather than three, and I can’t say I’m surprised that this ended up being a big contributor to a loss. They’ve played with fire for too long.
The Pack first had to settle for three after being gifted a fumbled punt inside the Wake 15 and later drove inside the five before stalling at settling for yet another short field goal.
The offense had a surprisingly terrible time of it on the ground tonight, putting the offense’s success in Ryan Finley’s hands. Which may have worked out okay were the playcalling better and had the receivers not dropped a bunch of passes. The most notable of those was a drop in the end zone by Cary Angeline, and if he grabs that one, NC State goes up 20-6 in the third, not 16-6 after still a third short field goal.
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Scotch the big bowl plans, Wake Forest stuns No. 14 NC State (thestate.com; Giglio)
After a big jump in the College Football Playoff rankings, N.C. State had plans for a major bowl appearance.
Wake Forest scotched those plans on Thursday with another stunning win over No. 14 N.C. State.
The Demon Deacons, down for all but the final 30 seconds of the game, got a late 32-yard touchdown catch from tight end Jack Freudenthal to shock the Wolfpack, 27-23.
After moving up seven spots in the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, N.C. State (6-3, 3-3 ACC) had a chance to play in a major, New Year’s day bowl game for the first time in school history.
The Wolfpack needed some help to get to either the Peach or Fiesta bowl but it also forgot the most important part: taking care of its own business.
As a 19-point favorite at home, where it had been unbeaten this season, N.C. State couldn’t get the job done. There were too many empty red-zone trips, too many dropped passes and too many big plays allowed on defense.
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ACC Football Rx: Louisville Update - 11/9/18(accfootballrx.com; HM)
As good as they were two years ago, Louisville is truly awful this season. The 2018 football season has been like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know it isn't going to end well, but you keep thinking "it can't be this bad, can it?" Then you find out it really IS that bad!
The Cardinals have already lost 7 games - meaning the Louisville is not going to a bowl this year. We've already discussed the situation with the head coach [LINK], and now recruits are beginning to decommit and enrolled players are beginning to transfer. From a story on the Courier-Journal:
- Freshman quarterback Jordan Travis announced he would transfer.
- Austin Griffin, the No. 1 junior-college tight end prospect and the highest-rated commit in Louisville’s 2019 class, announced he would reopen his recruitment.
- Three-star offensive lineman Jamari Williams decommitted, too.
- Add in another dropped commitment from three-star defensive end Kristian Varner
- ...and another transfer in cornerback Russ Yeast
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Don't Book Notre Dame for the College Football Playoff Just Yet (thebiglead.com; Lisk)
Ian Book is expected to miss Notre Dame’s game against Florida State this weekend, according to Pete Sampson, beat writer for The Athletic. The quarterback suffered a rib injury in the game against Northwestern last weekend. He played through it at the time but it looks like he will be unable to go now.
Book took over as the starter for Brandon Wimbush and has been a big part of Notre Dame’s offensive improvement. He’s averaged almost 9 yards per attempt and has completed over 70% of his passes. The Irish will turn back to Wimbush, who was the starter in the opening week victory against Michigan. Wimbush threw 4 interceptions to only one touchdown pass, though, and it is an offensive downgrade.
That said, Notre Dame is still a significant favorite against Florida State. The Seminoles have a losing record at 4-5 and were destroyed 59-10 by Clemson two weeks ago. If Book is still out next week, though, Notre Dame faces #13 Syracuse in New York City. Notre Dame almost certainly needs to win out against Florida State, Syracuse, and USC to reach the College Football Playoff, so this news makes that run a little more tenuous.
College football viewers' guide: Chaos could be brewing in ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 matchups (baltimoresun.com; Gonzalez)
It’s another weekend of college football, which means it’s time to cancel your other Saturday plans to binge-watch games from morning until late night. The Times’ Eduardo Gonzalez lets us know what will be on our televisions and computer screens this weekend:
FRIDAY
Louisville (2-7) at No. 13 Syracuse (7-2), 4 p.m., ESPN2
Syracuse, one of the surprise teams of the season, will try not to look past a struggling Louisville team. Syracuse’s Eric Dungey rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown in a 41-24 win against Wake Forest last week.
7:15 p.m.: No. 23 Fresno State at Boise State, ESPN2.
SATURDAY MORNING
No. 10 Ohio State (8-1) at No. 18 Michigan State (6-3), 9 a.m., Channel 11
Parris Campbell Jr., Aaron Williams
Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell Jr. runs the ball as Nebraska defensive back Aaron Williams moves in for the tackle in the third quarter on Saturday. (Joshua A. Bickel / Columbus Dispatch)
Michigan State needs a win to remain in contention in the Big Ten East. The Spartans stuffed Maryland 24-3 last week, with Connor Heyward rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State continues to struggle against inferior opponents. The Buckeyes held off Nebraska 36-31 last week thanks to J.K. Dobbins, who rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
9 a.m.: Texas Christian at No. 9 West Virginia, FS1; Navy at No. 12 Central Florida, ESPN2; South Carolina at No. 15 Florida, ESPN; Wisconsin at No. 20 Penn State, Channel 7; Tulsa at Memphis, ESPNU; Kansas at Kansas State, FS West; Lafayette at Army, CBS Sports Network (CBSSN); Vanderbilt at Missouri, SEC Network (SEC); Mississippi at Texas A&M, Channel 2; Illinois at Nebraska or Maryland at Indiana, Big Ten Network.
9:15 a.m.: North Carolina at Duke, KDOC.
11 a.m.: UCLA at Arizona State, Pac-12 Networks.
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Other
Crews begin removing 'I Love NY' signs on NYS Thruway (PS; AP)
Crews have started removing hundreds of New York interstate highway tourism signs that the federal government said the Cuomo administration installed illegally.
The state Department of Transportation says Thursday that the agency and Thruway Authority have begun removing the "I Love NY" signs located along the Thruway and other state highways.
The state began installing the 500-plus signs in groups of five several years ago, despite being told by federal officials that they didn't comply with U.S. regulations regarding highway signage.
DOT officials say under an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, the first sign in each group will remain with modifications, while the next four in each group will be relocated to service areas, welcome centers and state-owned facilities.
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