sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Purple Heart Day!
During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington wanted to recognize soldiers for their merit but was not allowed to do this by promoting them. So, on August 7, 1782, Washington ordered the establishment of the Badge of Military Merit. He in part said, "The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding." Washington presented three soldiers with the badge and said the award should be permanent. But, as the Revolutionary War ended, it did not continue being used.
SU News
https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2019/08/syracuse-football-among-college-football-playoff-sleeper-picks.html (PS; Burrows)
Expectations are continuing to build for Syracuse football in 2019.
If a few things go SU’s way, it could be looking at a spot in the College Football Playoff, according to a new list from the Sporting News.
SN’s Bill Bender broke down the best sleeper picks for the CFP from each conference and SU football snagged the ACC’s spot.
“Syracuse was one of six Power 5 teams that averaged more than 40 points per game last season, along with Oklahoma, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and West Virginia,” Bender wrote. “That suggests Syracuse can at least score with anybody in the FBS.”
Bender notes that new QB Tommy DeVito shouldn’t be overwhelmed thanks to playing time in 2018 and star DB Andre Cisco can help lead the defense.
If SU can beat Clemson, Bender thinks the rest of the schedule is winnable, which would put the Orange in a great position for a spot in the CFP.
The Sporting News’ most recent preseason rankings place the Orange at No. 18 while the USA Today Coaches poll has SU at No. 22.
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https://sujuiceonline.com/2019/08/07/can-tommy-devito-fill-eric-dungeys-shoes-2019-syracuse-football-preview/ (the juice; Cheng)
As we countdown to kickoff in August, we’re going to be tackling the biggest burning questions on the 2019 Syracuse football team. Today’s burning question: Can Tommy DeVito pick up where Eric Dungey left off?
A NEW ERA
For the first time in five years, Syracuse will have a different starting quarterback lining up under center.
Gone is four-year starter Eric Dungey, who played 39 games from 2015-18. Dungey was the face of the Orange during that time, becoming one of the most recognizable dual-threat quarterbacks in the ACC.
With Dungey graduating, the Orange will turn to redshirt sophomore quarterback Tommy DeVito. He’s now in charge of Syracuse’s high-powered offense, which finished 11th in the country in 2018 with 38.4 points per game.
The question now becomes whether DeVito can keep the offense humming.
“From the past experiences I’ve had playing in games,” DeVito said, “I like to use that as a steppingstone moving forward and become the best possible leader I can for this offense and for this team.”
PAST EXPERIENCES TO LEAN ON
In eight games last year, DeVito flashed his tantalizing potential, throwing for 525 and four touchdowns.
Syracuse fans got a glimpse of what he could do during the Orange’s 30-7 win over Florida State on Sept. 15. DeVito replaced an injured Dungey and led three touchdown drives to earn ACC Freshman of the Week honors as SU defeated FSU for the first time in football since 1966.
Five weeks later, DeVito relieved an ineffective Dungey against North Carolina, entering with 5:07 left in the fourth quarter and throwing a signature 42-yard deep ball to Nykeim Johnson with 1:39 to go to send the game to overtime.
He then threw a 4-year pass to Ravian Pierce in double-overtime to cap an improbable comeback.
But DeVito also went through growing pains, especially when he was called on in relief against Notre Dame three weeks later. DeVito and Syracuse’s offense were completely stymied, scoring a season low in a 36-3 demolition at Yankee Stadium.
“Sometimes in the spotlight, people freeze a bit,” DeVito said after the loss.
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https://cornellsun.com/2019/08/06/all-american-wrestler-honis-transfers-to-syracuse-to-play-linebacker/ (cornellsun.com; Bulkeley)
As summer winds down, college preseason camps get underway and teams post their rosters, sometimes featuring some surprising — but maybe familiar — names and faces.
On Friday, former Cornell wrestler Ben Honis ’19 reported to football camp with Syracuse University.
Honis’s final year of NCAA eligibility will be spent as a linebacker with his hometown Orange. Honis last played football at the competitive level in high school, when he attended Jamesville-DeWitt in Syracuse.
A 2019 All-American and First Team All-Ivy selection, Honis competed with the Red for four seasons in both the heavyweight and 197-pound classes.
While Honis is no longer eligible to participate in varsity athletics at Cornell due to Ivy League rules, he is able to join teams at institutions outside of the league. In the Ivy League, redshirt years are not permitted. Standard NCAA rules allow Honis to play because he is switching sports — he has used four years of eligibility in wrestling but is granted a fifth year in football.
Honis will play as a redshirt senior while pursuing a graduate degree. Though this move to Syracuse is referred to as a transfer, Honis did graduate from Cornell and would not have been eligible to continue his athletic career with the Red. As an undergraduate, Honis studied applied economics and management.
In his final outing as a Cornell wrestler, Honis was upset in his first match at the NCAA tournament. Following the loss, he rebounded to win four straight matches and come back to secure his first All-American title.
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http://orangefizz.net/2019/08/syracuse-betting-odds-indicate-strong-season-ahead/ (orangefizz.net; D.A.)
Syracuse football fans have reason to be positive about the upcoming season if the latest betting markets are any guide.
While the Orange certainly aren’t favorites to go all the way to the college football playoff, the odds do suggest they are in strong contention in the conference. An ACC Championship is a real possibility, with Syracuse fourth in that betting market. That would be a best-case scenario Orange fans would excitedly celebrate.
The season is still a few weeks away from kickoff, but it’s never too early to look at the betting odds for some context on the landscape. Here’s our best sports betting tips for the Syracuse Orange (2019 NCAA Division I FBS) football season.
Syracuse’s ACC Championship Betting Odds
Syracuse has been voted second in the preseason ACC Atlantic Division rankings, behind only national champion Clemson. The Tigers will again be the main barrier to a Syracuse ACC title.
Here are the latest 2019 Atlantic Coast Championship odds from Sports Interaction: Clemson, -303, Miami Hurricanes, +800, Florida State, +1400, Syracuse, +1600, NC State and Virginia Tech, both +2000, Virginia, +2500, all other contenders +3400 or more.
Miami has building expectations with a change at head coach and talent across its roster, but the Canes are routinely underachievers. Florida State is only a few years removed from the final four, but was a complete mess last season under Willie Taggert. Incredibly, Vegas is sold on the idea SU actually has the fewest question marks of any challenger to the Tigers.
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https://cnycentral.com/sports/orange-zone/tommy-devitos-time-to-shine-for-syracuse-football-is-right-now (cnycentral.com; Hauswirth)
It's time for the Tommy DeVito era to begin.
Actually, it could've started last year with his stellar play in place of the starter, Eric Dungey.
However, Dungey soon regained control of the starting quarterback spot and led the Orange to a 10-3 season, especially with a victory over West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl to send an exclamation point.
Now it's DeVito's turn to handle the starting spot, leading the Orange into a new era -- an era many fans are welcoming with open arms.
"It just helps set the standard for what we want to build this program to be," DeVito told reporters Monday morning. "We don't want to have anymore 4-6 seasons or whatever they were in the past. Last year is the standard and that's the lowest we want to be, and we want to be better than that. So, in order to be better the leaders have to show the younger guys what it takes to be in that position because they know what it's like. The seniors know what it's like to lose and they know what it's like to win. Obviously, winning's a better feeling so we're going to hold everybody to that standard."
According to DeVito, the standard is now 10-3. Anything less is unacceptable, by his standards.
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Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito on how the practices are going. DeVito is going into camp as the leading candidate to start.
Syracuse Football: 2019 schedule prediction, 2nd quarter analysis (itlh; Esden Jr)
Our Paul A. Esden Sr. continues his 2019 Syracuse football schedule prediction. Here’s a full breakdown of the 2nd quarter of the schedule.
Our Paul A. Esden Sr. is giving his annual prediction for the 2019 Syracuse football schedule. In case you missed it, here’s his full first quarter schedule breakdown here.
We enter into the second quarter with a record of 3-0 (1-0 in the ACC) based on my predictions let’s push forward.
First up on the slate is Western Michigan.
As we remember from last year’s opener this is not a game to be overlooked. A quick flashback; Orange is The New Fast was firing on all cylinders and Dino Babers made his first mistake of the year (he did not make many last year) and pulled Eric Dungey early in the game.
A young Tommy DeVito comes off the bench and struggled. The third-best team in Michigan smelled blood in the water and came surging back. If it wasn’t for Eric coming back into the game to save the day last season for the Orange would have ended much differently than it did. This game will be different: Tommy will have three games under his belt leading HIS squad and although not a pushover the Orange will win their second game in a row in the Dome. More breakdown forthcoming in my pregame special.
Next up is our only FCS opponent on the Syracuse schedule Holy Cross.
Last year the Crusader’s sported a 5-6 record in the Patriot League. I do not expect much from this game as second-year coach Bob Chesney will bring his outgunned squad to the Dome. I do not think Dino overlooks anyone and neither do I; however I do not see any way that we have a repeat of the 2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan upset were the #5 team in the nation went down to an FCS opponent. In the words of Arya Stark ‘Not Today’. The Orange will win and win big.
We round out the second quarter of the 2019 campaign with a game against North Carolina State Wolfpack.
Last year this was the crucial game where Syracuse would relive the saga of years past. Where a promising start was followed by three losses in a row. This is the game that defined our team from last year. All of the pieces came together and Syracuse won the game and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2013.
Few key items to look for:
- This Wolfpack squad will not be anywhere near as talented as recent years. Ryan Finley a 3-year starter will be playing on Sundays and left the cupboard pretty much empty with no clear starter.
- Other woes for the Pack are only four returning starters on offense, this includes having to replace a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000 yard receivers.
Syracuse Football: ACC coaches take shots at Orange defense (itlh; Esden Sr)
Anonymous ACC coaches just gave their take on the Syracuse football defense. Spoiler alert: the rest of the ACC aren’t fans. Here are the details.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, the Syracuse football squad has to answer a lot of questions before the 2019 season kicks off.
One of the biggest questions is at linebacker, where the Orange will be replacing that entire unit for the third straight year.
Although outside of the linebacker questions, Syracuse appears very solid on the defensive side of the football:
- The Orange return their entire secondary from last season and that includes sixth-year defensive back, Antwan Cordy.
- While in the trenches Syracuse returns two double-digit sack artists in Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson.
Despite all of those positive thoughts, the rest of the ACC apparently feels different.
Every year the folks over at Athlon Sports gather anonymous assessments from college football coaches on teams around the league. On Tuesday afternoon, anonymous ACC coaches gave their takes on the Syracuse football team and more specifically the Orange defense:
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https://saturdayblitz.com/2019/08/06/pitt-football-preview-predictions-2019-season/ (saturdayblitz.com; Lunnen)
Despite a 7-5 regular season, Pitt football won the ACC Coastal division a year ago. Can it add more to the wins column in the 2019 season?
The Pitt Panthers enter their fifth season under head coach Pat Narduzzi. A year ago, they shocked everyone by winning the ACC Coastal division at 6-2, winning 5-of-6 conference games down the stretch to do it.
However, on an unexpected note, the Panthers were smacked around by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game and then followed up with a dud of a performance against Stanford in the Sun Bowl to finish the season 7-7.
While giving credit where credit is due, the Panthers division championship seemed to be more of a byproduct of a down ACC, especially the Coastal. Miami and Virginia Tech were mediocre. When it seemed like Virginia was going to take advantage, they flopped.
Can Pitt return to their glory days? The days of Dan Marino and the 1980s are long gone, however the Panthers will bring back nostalgia this year with the colors royal blue and gold and script Pitt making a return permanently.
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ESPN Computer Predicts Every ACC Team's W-L Record (thespun.com; McCarty)
The 2019 college football season sits just over two weeks away.
That means its prediction time for college football analysts around the country. Every analyst is taking a look at the upcoming season and predicting which teams will find success, and which teams will fail in 2019.
Earlier this week, ESPN released a new Football Power Index, a computer model used to predict a respective team’s performance.
In the new FPI, the Worldwide Leader released win projections for every team.
Let’s take a look at how the FPI projects each ACC team’s record to shape out.
Atlantic:
- Clemson (12.3 – 0.7)
- Florida State (8.1 – 3.9)
- NC State (7.4 – 4.6)
- Syracuse (6.8 – 5.2)
- Wake Forest (6.1 – 5.9)
- Boston College (5.1 – 6.9)
- Louisville (4.4 – 7.6)
- Miami (8.3-4.1)
- Virginia Tech (8.3 – 3.9)
- Virginia (7.5 – 4.7)
- Pitt (6.6 – 5.5)
- North Carolina (5.4 – 6.6)
- Duke (5.3 – 6.8)
- Georgia Tech (3.7 – 8.3)
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https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/college/acc/article233548117.html (myrtlebeachonline.com; Pope IV)
Duke defensive end Tre Hornbuckle arrived at post-practice interviews in full gear on Tuesday.
It was the first day the Blue Devils wore full pads, and Hornbuckle, a senior from Murray, Ky. hadn’t yet shed his gear before standing in the middle of the scrum. For defensive players, or football players in general, the first day in pads is one they circle on their calendars.
Spring ball seems like a long time ago, and even a summer full of workouts can’t match the excitement, or intensity, players get on that first day of putting on all their equipment. Full gear means all contact, real football, as most would say.
TOP ARTICLES
But Duke coach David Cutcliffe doesn’t want organized chaos on the first day his team can hit. He has a method to the madness, starting with one of the most basic aspects of the game: tackling.
“We all know that there’s not near as much scrimmaging, not near as much live play,” Cutcliffe told the media after practice on Tuesday. “The way you teach it, you go a 75 percent teach focus, then you get a not finished, but a little more 100 percent.”
The Blue Devils only ran 10 live plays on Tuesday, but Cutcliffe did get to see more tackling taking place during other drills.
Duke’s leading tackler from last season, Joe Giles-Harris, is gone, but three of the next four top tacklers are back, led by Dylan Singleton, who finished with 73 stops last year.
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https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-ocho-2019.html (RX; HM)
The "Ocho" - 2019
ESPN8: The Ocho Returns for Third Year on Wednesday, Aug. 7
Reminder: this year "The Ocho" will be broadcast on August 7th - not the 8th. "Bold strategy, Cotton... let's see if it works out for them."
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Posted 7 hours ago by Hokie Mark
Will the REAL Death Valley Please... (RX; HM)
Will the REAL Death Valley Please...
Nice write up in the Post Courier about which stadium was called "Death Valley" first:
SYNOPSIS: Clemson's home stadium was first called "Death Valley" after the Tigers whipped Presbyterian College 76-0 in 1945. It was the head coach of the visiting Blue Hose who gave it the nickname, which stuck. LSU only began calling their stadium "Death Valley" after they beat Clemson in the 1958 Sugar Bowl, 13 years later.
BOTTOM LINE: SEC football has some great traditions, but we shouldn't let them take away from ACC football traditions!
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https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2019/08/links-news-and-rumors-8719.html (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 8/7/19
First, a couple of videos from the ACC Digital Network (yes, that's still a thing)...
Get to know Packer and Durham.
ACC FB Facilities Update: UNC Locker Room
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acc-preview/id1463843227?i=1000446341554 (apple.,com; podcast; Landry and Seidenberg)
Can anyone test Clemson in the ACC? What type of year will it be for Florida State? Jeff Cameron from ESPN Tallahassee joins the pod as Chris and Scott preview the Atlantic Coast Conference.
YouTubeTV lands ACC Network carriage deal (sportspromedia.com; Impey)
YouTube TV, the global video-sharing platform’s over-the-top (OTT) service, has agreed a carriage deal to distribute the ACC Network.
The Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) upcoming college sports network channel is going live on 22nd August in partnership with the Disney-owned sports broadcaster ESPN, with an offer including 40 football games, 150 men’s and women’s basketball games, and 250 Olympic sports events.
ACC Network, which will also be available via other providers, including pay-TV broadcaster DirecTV, as well as streaming platforms such as Playstation Vue and also Hulu.
Hulu, of which Disney recently acquired full operational control, will form part of a bundle with its ESPN+ and the upcoming Disney+ OTT services for US$12.99 per month when the latter launches on 12th November, Disney announced.
Studio programming and ESPN documentaries make up the rest of ACCN’s offering. In addition, the service will also be available via the ESPN app, under the title ACCN Extra (ACCNX), which will offer 400 live events including more than 800 hours of live programming.
“The ACC’s depth across all sports is unparalleled and we are excited to showcase these incredible programs on ACCNX,” said Stacie McCollum, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions.
“ACCNX will provide unprecedented access to regular season and ACC Championship events while elevating exposure of women’s sports such as soccer, field hockey, and volleyball.”
https://mavensports.io/unc/football/acc-network-to-unveil-studio-on-thursday-aVpsEyRcz0WEgfT6wP2izQ/ (mavensports.com; Wilkerson-New)
Network personalities to preview new studio
Fans can get their first look at the ACC Network on Thursday, when several of the network’s personalities host a 30-minute preview of its new studio in Bristol, Conn.
The show kicks off at 11 a.m. on Thursday via ACC Network Extra on the ESPN app or online, featuring hosts and analysts from All-ACC, the network’s news show, and The Huddle, its football studio show.
The ACC Network is set to launch on Aug. 22, featuring more than 40 football games and men’s and women’s basketball games, including Carolina’s season-opener vs. Notre Dame on Nov. 6.
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/georgia-football/bulldogs-north-carolina-tarheels-home-and-home-series/ (saturdaydownsouth.com; Bratton)
For those wondering if Georgia’s impressive nonconference scheduling could get any better, it appears the school is working to add another marquee game to its future slate.
According to Marc Weiszer of the Athens-Banner Herald, Georgia has reached out to North Carolina regarding a potential home-and-home series.
The two programs last met on the gridiron during the 2016 season opener, which was Kirby Smart’s debut game as Georgia’s head coach. The Bulldogs hold the all-time edge in the series with a 17-12-2 record against the Tar Heels.
Georgia is set to finish a home-and-home series with Notre Dame this season with future home-and-home series with UCLA, Oklahoma, FSU, Clemson and Texas currently on the books.
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https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2019/08/06/pitt-panthers-football-acc-college-football-ncaa-survey-player-compensation-EA-sports-video-games-athletes-rights/stories/201908060081 (post-gazette.com; Meyer)
Any number of questions face college football in particular and college athletics as a whole in 2019, some more searing and unavoidable than others.
There are criticisms about the organization’s very structure and whether athletes can remain unpaid in a system teeming with money. Safety concerns in a sport as dangerous as football are omnipresent. Attendance, even at some of college football’s most dominant powers, is lagging.
While many of these issues rest with administrators, the players on the field have an uncommon perspective of the world in which they inhabit. So, if given the chance, what would they change about college football?
Last Friday at Pitt’s annual media day, the Post-Gazette posed that question, among others, to 16 of the Panthers’ players. Survey participants were granted anonymity in order to receive more honest feedback.
Their solutions varied, though nearly half of the responses were connected by a common theme — athlete compensation and rights. Whether it was wanting more stipend money than they currently receive — “I’m not asking for a lot more, just a little more so after you pay your bills and your car, you have some for your social life,” one player said — or something more closely resembling a salary, a number of players expressed dissatisfaction with the present set-up, which provides a full scholarship (for non-walk-ons) and a stipend.
“We should be getting paid way more,” one player said. “This is basically a full-time job. We do get stipends, but we should be getting paid, at least minimum wage. Even if not that, with the revenue that players raise, you should be able to sign an autograph and make money from that. Schools make money off of us, so we should be allowed to make money off our own name.”
“We work hard, put in all the hours,” another said. “I think we should be compensated for our work. I feel like that’s the most fair thing to do. We bring in money to the university. I feel like we should get paid.”
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Roddy Jones: I Think Wake Forest Could Be The Surprise Of The ACC (wfnz.com; radio; Mac)
ACC Network's Roddy Jones joined the Mac Attack to discuss who he likes in the ACC Coastal, plus a sleeper he likes in the Conference.
Other
Who owns the ‘cuse’? Inside a trademark fight between SU and a small business (PS; Cazentre)
In the spring of 1996, the Syracuse Orange basketball team made it to the Final Four, losing to Kentucky in the national championship game. The team, led by John Wallace, adopted a memorable catch phrase during its successful run:
“The Cuse is in the House.”
A few months later, in July 1996, Syracuse University applied for and later secured a trademark for the word “ 'Cuse.” The trademark specifically covers the use of the typed word " 'Cuse" on clothing, like hats and T-shirts.
That is the oldest of nine active or pending trademarks featuring the word “Cuse” on file at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Another ten Cuse-related trademark applications have been abandoned or cancelled.
SU recently threatened legal action against a small Oswego County distillery, which last year introduced a vodka-based orange liqueur called Cuse Juice. The distillery has agreed to discontinue the product, saying it cannot afford to fight a legal battle with the big university.
That raises the question: Can a person, business or institution own the word “cuse?”
It’s certainly clear the term can be registered as a trademark.
Six of the nine active or pending “Cuse” trademarks are registered to Syracuse University. The newest, filed last month and still pending approval, is for a line of fruit-based beverages called 'Cuse Juice.
One of the abandoned “Cuse” trademarks was for the other Cuse Juice -- the liqueur produced since last summer by Lock 1 Distilling Co. in Phoenix, Oswego County.
Lock 1 owner Brenden Backus announced on July 27 that he is taking his Cuse Juice off the market, and abandoning his trademark application, because SU threatened legal action. Under an agreement with SU, Lock 1 will sell Cuse Juice only until the existing inventory runs out -- or no later than Oct. 1.
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