sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
September 19 be "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." Any seadog worth their salt knows that to talk like a pirate, ye must know their lingo and adopt a scurvy pirate accent. Talkin' like a pirate is more than just yellin' "arr" whenever ye feel like it. With a little time and a whole lot of practice, ye'll be speakin' like a proper pirate. And if yer not, avast! To the brig with ye!
Part 1
Practicin' Pirate Vocabulary
Learn sailing lingo. The "Golden Age" of piracy lasted from around 1680 to 1730, a time when most pirates were sailors gone rogue.[1] As wayward sailors, pirates heavily use nautical lingo when conversing. Refer to your friends or co-workers as "mateys," and call people you don't like "scurvy dogs."[2] When you greet someone, say "Ahoy!" When you're surprised or caught off-guard, yell, "Avast!"
- Don't just throw out sailing terms randomly. Know the history behind them so you can use them correctly. For example, did you know that "shiver me timbers" is the nautical equivalent of saying, "My teeth are chattering with fear?"[3]
How to Talk Like a Pirate
September 19 be "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." Any seadog worth their salt knows that to talk like a pirate, ye must know their lingo and adopt a scurvy pirate accent. Talkin' like a pirate is more than just yellin' "arr"...
www.wikihow.com
SU News
Barron, Tucker and Mahar score TDs: Syracuse football recruiting roundup (videos) (PS; Bailey)
Justin Barron, Steve Mahar and Sean Tucker all found the end zone this week while Leon Lowery spent plenty of time in the opposing team’s backfield. Scroll below to see how some of Syracuse football’s 2020 recruiting class is doing during their senior seasons.
Note: Stats are sometimes unavailable for some of SU’s 2020 class, either because they haven’t been provided by the school or because they aren’t always available for offensive linemen or defensive players.
Justin Barron, ATH, Suffield Academy (CT)
Stats: 2 catches for 40 yards and 1 TD, 3 tackles and 1 TFL
Last week: Suffield Academy 26, Youthbuild Columbus 6
Next week: Deerfield Academy at Suffield Academy
#OITNF
Steve Mahar, TE, Aquinas Institute (NY)
Stats: 5 catches for 38 yards and 1 TD
Last week: Aquinas Institute 38, Rush-Henrietta 20
Next week: Aquinas Institute at Fairport
Highlights:
Sean Tucker, RB, Calvert Hall (MD)
Stats: 3 rushes for 30 yards and 1 TD
Last week: Calvert Hall 40, Riverdale Baptist 0
Next week: Calvert Hall vs. St. Thomas More (neutral site)
Highlights:
Leon Lowery, DE, North Brunswick (NJ)
Stats: 5.5 tackles, 4 TFL; 2 catches for 40 yards
Last week: St. Joseph 22, North Brunswick 20
Next week: North Brunswick at Sayreville
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After getting fired twice in 13 months, Tim Lester is now at his dream job (DO; Graham)
Tim Lester’s phone rang on a Friday and he was expecting the call. He was at home on the couch in West Lafayette, Indiana, with his wife, Dawn, and their 3-year-old son, Camden. His two older sons, Cooper and Carter, 7 and 5 years old at the time, were at school.
It was January 2017 and a year ago, Lester was sloughed off the SU coaching staff payroll when Dino Babers took over for Scott Shafer. He chose to be the quarterbacks coach at Purdue but was similarly out of a job a year later. The Lesters were looking at their second relocation in 13 months.
On the other end of the line was Kathy Beauregard, Western Michigan’s athletic director, who offered Lester the head coaching position. She told Lester that he needed to be in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by 5:30 p.m. that evening so he could sign his yet-to-be-negotiated contract and meet with his new team at 6 p.m.
“He looked at me and he gave me a thumbs-up,” Dawn said. “And then he got off the phone and he was like, ‘That’s it. I got it. We gotta go. Let’s go pack.'”
Being the head coach at Western Michigan was Lester’s dream job when he played there as a quarterback in the 1990s. It was his dream, but he didn’t get the job in 2012 because he needed some more experience. And it was still a dream when he left Syracuse — where he returns for the first time as a head coach on Saturday — in 2015.
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Why SU’s running backs, the ‘juice of the offense,’ have struggled this season (DO; Black)
The talk surrounding Syracuse’s group of running backs heading into the season was always positive. How talented they were, how deep they were, how well they got along, how they’d fill in for the loss of Dontae Strickland to the NFL. Moe Neal’s goal heading into the season, he said, was to rush for 1,000 yards. Chris Elmore believed that Neal wasn’t the only running back on the team that had the potential to hit the millennium mark.
And in the first game of the season, that potential was apparent. During a game in which SU’s passing game struggled, Neal rushed for a team-high 89 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown scamper. Abdul Adams added another 49 yards and a touchdown. Jarveon Howard got in on the action too, adding nine carries and a third score for the position group.
But two games later, Syracuse’s (1-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) expected success on the ground has vanished. For the first time since 2016, SU’s been held to 70 rushing yards or fewer in back-to-back games. Forty-nine combined rushes by Orange tailbacks during their two losses have resulted in a long run of just 13 yards. They’re not solely responsible for the offense’s struggles, but at this point, Syracuse’s run game is essentially non-existent.
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Inside the relationship between Andre Szmyt and Sterling Hofrichter, two of the nation’s top specialists (DO; Schafer)
The best kicker in college football changed his form of kicking before the season and his roommate, a three-year starting punter, has taken a new approach to mental preparation.
Not a season removed from winning the Lou Groza Award, which is given annually to college football’s best kicker, Andre Szmyt decided to move a foot closer to the ball before he kicked a field goal. Punter Sterling Hofrichter now lies on the ground of Syracuse’s locker room before a game and visualizes his punts while listening to Imagine Dragons.
Together the pair have an obsession for golf games and Syracuse barbecue not named after an extinct species. They’re two quirky kickers but they produce at a rate rarely seen from a punter-kicker duo in college football. In 2018, Szmyt won the Groza after nailing 30-of-34 field goals and with three field goals this season, leads in the nation over the last two years. Hofrichter just picked up ACC Punter of the Week following an average of 52.2 yards per punt against Clemson. He currently ranks fifth in the country in punt average (48.1 yards).
Szmyt, a redshirt sophomore, is more outgoing than his introverted roommate, redshirt senior Hoftricher. But the two have grown close and together have influenced a special teams unit that ranked first in the nation at points last season.
“We want to be known as the best special teams in the country,” Hofrichter said. “So we really focus on pushing each other to be better than we were like a week ago, a year ago.”
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Opponent preview: What to know about Western Michigan (DO Schafer)
Following two losses by a combined 78 points, Syracuse will host Western Michigan in the Carrier Dome on Saturday at noon. While the Orange limp into the Week 4 matchup having scored a combined 26 points in their last eight quarters of play, Western Michigan comes to Syracuse following a 57-10 win over Georgia State.
Here’s what to know about the Broncos.
All-time series: Syracuse leads 1-0
Last time they played: Syracuse defeated Western Michigan 55-42 in its 2018 season opener in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Orange jumped out to a 24-point lead in the second quarter and then-backup Tommy DeVito entered the game for Syracuse. The Orange offense stalled in that third frame while the Broncos offense racked up 336 yards and 28 points.
Late in the third quarter, Eric Dungey returned to quarterback and finished the game with 200 yards rushing as the Orange hung on to their lead and escaped the season opener unscathed.
The Western Michigan report: The Broncos are coached by former Syracuse offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who’s entering his second season at the helm of Western Michigan.
Similar to Syracuse, Western Michigan lacks a quality Power Five victory through two games. The Broncos’ lone loss came in a 51-17 drubbing at Michigan State.
In Western Michigan’s most recent win, the Broncos rushed for 450 yards on Georgia State, including 192 yards and three touchdowns from senior running back Levante Bellamy.
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Beat writers predict Syracuse to sneak by Western Michigan (DO; Staff)
After entering the season ranked inside the Top 25 for the first time since 1998, Syracuse (1-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) is now below .500. Back-to-back blowout losses to Maryland and No. 1 Clemson leave the Orange reeling and in need of wins.
Syracuse takes on Western Michigan on Saturday, after the Orange opened the 2018 season with a 55-42 win in Kalamazoo, Michigan. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Orange are five-point favorites at home.
Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when the Broncos visit the Carrier Dome on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Eric Black (2-1)
Back on track
Syracuse 30, Western Michigan 24
The Orange will find their footing and revert back somewhere close to their level of play from last season at some point, right? Right? For their sake, they better hope that happens versus the Broncos, who have the ability and the offensive firepower to jump on them early and never look back. Syracuse is actually a five-point favorite as of Wednesday, but Western Michigan is the team that’s looked more impressive so far this season. While the Orange have scored just 50 points through three games, the Broncos scored 57 points in their last game alone, which included seven touchdowns on the ground. In their lone game versus a Power Five conference opponent, however, Western Michigan was held to just a pair of touchdowns by Michigan State. This game will be telling for the Orange. Each of SU’s contests this year have raised more and more questions about the team, and it’s time it responded positively.
Andrew Graham (2-1)
Return of the MAC
Syracuse 27, Western Michigan 23
Directional Michigan’s —Eastern, Western and Central — are a healthy part of any college football team’s schedule. Last year, the three teams went a combined 15-23, admittedly taking lumps from bigger programs but struggling against Mid-American Conference competition. Normally, when you host a directional Michigan, you expect to win. I don’t know if I expect Syracuse to win this weekend. I’ll still take the Orange, on the belief that their defense is superior to WMU’s offense and its offense can score against a MAC defense. Tim Lester, WMU’s head coach, used to be SU’s offensive coordinator. He recruited Eric Dungey. And last year, his Broncos stormed Syracuse in the third quarter of a blowout, closing the gap to six. Eventually, the Orange beat the lesser opponent, and that’s what will happen Saturday. But not before Western Michigan, a team that SU should be expected to blow out if things are as SU wants them. But things are not, and the Orange will just squeak by.
Josh Schafer (2-1)
Orange is fast again
Syracuse 38, Western Michigan 31
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Penalties piling up for Syracuse, other ACC football teams (romesentinel.com; AP)
The mistakes — a false start here, a facemask penalty there — keep piling up for some Atlantic Coast Conference teams expected to contend for division titles.
Syracuse and Florida State were picked to finish behind reigning national champion Clemson in the Atlantic Division, while Miami was picked second in the Coastal. Yet they're off to shaky starts and rank among the most penalized teams in the nation. Their inability to get out of their own way at the start of league play has put them in an early hole.
"I think it's very telling of who you are as a team," said ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain, a former Clemson offensive lineman who played on the Tigers' national runner-up team in 2015. "At the end of the day, you're not going to win a lot of ballgames if you keep that behavior up. You're playing now (against) a second team within yourself, and you can't even do the little things right. So it's really tough."
Football coaches constantly talk about avoiding mistakes, even while acknowledging it's hard to avoid every penalty. But nothing seems to anger a coach more or can kill a team's momentum than mental mistakes or lack of focus — when an offensive lineman jumps for a false start or a team can't get lined up in time for a delay-of-game penalty.
Worse than those 5-yarders, there are the 15-yard personal fouls like hitting a ballcarrier out of bounds by failing to pull up at the sideline.
All become magnified in games — whether a matchup between teams of similar talent or an underdog trying to pull off the upset. It becomes a game within the game, which team is more disciplined.
The Seminoles, Hurricanes and Orange have had too many missteps.
Florida State and Miami each have committed 26 penalties, tied with the Big Ten's Michigan State and the Pac-12's Arizona for the most of any power-conference program. Syracuse is in the next group with 25.
The troubles are particularly concerning for Seminoles coach Willie Taggart, whose team escaped with a win against Louisiana-Monroe that was sandwiched between a season-opening loss to Boise State and last weekend's loss at No. 21 Virginia. Florida State ranks tied for 116th in the 130-team Bowl Subdivision, committing 8.67 penalties per game, and 119th in average penalty yards at 78.33.
The penalty flags against Florida State have come flying from all directions.
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Dan Tortora With Syracuse Orange Football Alum, Offensive Lineman Ryan Bartholomew, On The State Of The Orange 2019 Team Wake Up Call With Dan Tortora podcast (player.fm; podcast; Tortora)
Dan Tortora with Syracuse Orange Football alum, Offensive Lineman Ryan Bartholomew, on the State of the Orange 2019 Team
Clemson Down Syracuse in Orange Dome: 2nd Half Film Review (shakinthesouthland.com; ColbyL)
for gbo
Coming out of halftime with a 17-6 lead, Clemson came out hoping to establish more consistency on offense after an up and down first half. There were moments during the first half when it appeared that Clemson would lock up the game by halftime. But offensive drives stalled and Clemson’s stingy defense continually allowed Syracuse little options.
Syracuse won the coin toss and deferred, so they received the second half kickoff to start the third quarter. Given the quick strikes of the game and the continued dominance of the defense in the second half coupled with the (mostly) big plays of the offense, this week’s review will largely focus on the offense.
Clemson 17, Syracuse 6
Syracuse Ball (12:45)
Following a touchback from BT Potter, Syracuse takes over from their own 25-yard line. Syracuse comes out early with some quick passes from quarterback Danny DeVito to mix in with some runs from Moe Neal. As Syracuse looks to cross into Clemson territory, the defense comes up big on 3rd and 3 with one of its many sacks, this one courtesy of Chad Smith.
Syracuse punter Sterling Hofrichter kicks a booming punt that is fielded by Amari Rodgers at the 3-yard line (which we don’t advise), and is only able to return the punt to the 6.
Clemson Ball (11:05)
The early offensive kinks aren’t over quite yet. Just as it seems the offense might have something in store on this drive as Travis Etienne breaks off two eight yard runs, Lawrence is intercepted by Christopher Frederick, who takes the ball to the nine-yard line to put Syracuse in potential scoring position.
Not one of Lawrence’s better throws, especially since the corner broke on the ball and managed to get position underneath Tee Higgins to break up the pass.
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(soundcloud.com; podcast; guest Sam Rodgers)
Today I have on Former Syracuse Long Snapper Sam Rodgers! We catch up for a bit at the beginning, and then we jump into pay for play talk. It was interesting to get some chatter going around the topic on the podcast because there was some substance to our experience being former Student Athletes. Sam is a great dude and we had some fun talking NCAA.
Syracuse Football: Top solutions to inefficient analytics on 2019 Orange (itlh; Queripel)
Syracuse Football is ranked at the bottom of FBS in many statistics this season. ‘Cuse can rid of these staggering stats quickly if they create a new plan.
Syracuse football has endured a tumultuous start to the 2019 season as they enter Week 4 with a 1-2 record.
After some sloppy play and lots of miscommunication, Syracuse has found themselves in the basement of the ACC standings.
Just by the eye test alone, you can tell that Syracuse has faced many difficulties this season. However, if you look back to the box score, there are many scary stats as well.
Head coach Dino Babers has primarily split the ‘Cuse offensive plays almost 50-50 between run and pass plays. It is no secret that Syracuse has struggled on offense. A big problem has been the offensive line.
On top of that, the Orange need to establish an offensive identity.
As of now, they aren’t exceeding in many facets of the game. For the upcoming contest against Western Michigan, they must focus on the run game and extend their playbook from there.
By focusing on the run, they can open up the offense. However, so far this season the teams rushing statistics have been nothing short of disappointing. The unit has garnered only 2.4 yards per rush which ranks 118th out of 130 FBS teams.
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Syracuse football will debut a new uniform for the very 1st time in Week 4 (itlh; Lee)
Syracuse football will debut a brand new uniform combination for the first time on Saturday. Here are the full details and how you can vote.
Syracuse football will be debuting a brand new uniform combination for the very first time on Saturday afternoon vs the Western Michigan Broncos in Week 4.
On Wednesday afternoon the official Syracuse football twitter account revealed the dawning of the Orange is finally here with orange jerseys.
This is the fourth different uniform combination of the season thus far.
As someone who was apologetic for the most recent uniforms, I want to formally acknowledge how bad they were. They absolutely do not belong in Syracuse. I am happy they have been shipped to Illinois.
This week the Orange are going with their white helmet and pants for the second time. The new Orange jerseys feature white lettering and numbering with a blue outline. Orange remains across the chest with a white line between a pair of blue lines going along the shoulders.
A lot of fans have complained that these jerseys are eerily similar to the Cleveland Browns new uniforms that were revealed a few years ago. But hey different strokes for different folks.
The new Orange jersey .
Last week we saw the classic blue on top and orange pants look which was great on the field and displayed on national television. I was pleasantly surprised being happy with the blue as sometimes I do believe it washes out the Orange. Sometimes I have felt as the blue was a cop-out from playing with Orange because too much can mesh together can ruin the uniforms.
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Bowl Watch Week 4: The ACC Is A Circus (streakingthelawn.com; Trogdon)
Three weeks into the college football season, the ACC has distinctively looked like a basketball conference. Consider some of these lowlights:
- Georgia Tech lost to The Citadel.
- Boston College got blasted by Kansas a week after Kansas lost to Coastal Carolina.
- Virginia Tech lost to said Boston College and needed a comeback to beat Furman.
- Florida State is a missed Louisiana-Monroe extra point from being 0-3.
- NC State got throttled by a West Virginia team that lost to Missouri by thirty.
- Syracuse lost to Maryland by 43 a week before Maryland lost to Temple.
- Pitt wasted an upset chance against Penn State through mind-numbing incompetence.
- The Manny Diaz Era at Miami started 1-2.
Of course, the Virginia Cavaliers avoided their own embarrassment Saturday night with a comeback win against Florida State. And the Hoos, ranked #21 in the most recent AP poll, appear to be sitting pretty in the ACC’s bowl pecking order.
Still, let’s take a moment and express our gratitude that college football is not a meritocracy. Somehow, some genius ACC operatives convinced eleven gullible bowl game executives to legally obligate themselves to take teams from this beloved clown show of a conference. If they hadn’t, everyone but Clemson, Virginia, and Wake Forest would be sitting at home this winter.
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The ACC in SP+, Week 3: NC State takes a tumble (backingthepack.com; Muma)
I guess if there is a positive to the ACC in its current mediocre state, it’s that on any given weekend you can probably find some comfort in misery elsewhere. NC State played poorly and lost on the road, sure, but heck, look at Boston College over there losing to Kansas! Or Georgia Tech falling to The Citadel.
SP+ ACC Pecking Order
TeamWk 3 SP+ Rtg (Rank)SP+ Rank ChangeOffense RankDefense Rank
| Clemson | 31.8 (3) | -1 | 8 | 2 |
| Miami | 13.9 (21) | 8 | 39 | 30 |
| Virginia | 10.8 (31) | 0 | 63 | 23 |
| Virginia Tech | 7.2 (40) | 5 | 68 | 38 |
| Florida State | 7.2 (42) | 4 | 13 | 93 |
| NC State | 6.3 (43) | -13 | 60 | 44 |
| Wake Forest | 4.9 (51) | -1 | 40 | 67 |
| Duke | 3.6 (55) | 9 | 62 | 54 |
| Pitt | 2.5 (59) | 23 | 110 | 20 |
| UNC | 1.3 (64) | -8 | 58 | 70 |
| Syracuse | 0.8 (66) | 4 | 84 | 51 |
| Louisville | 0.5 (67) | 8 | 77 | 57 |
| Boston College | -0.6 (72) | -24 | 36 | 101 |
| Georgia Tech | -3.9 (89) | 0 | 101 | 55 |
Boston College fell the farthest in the SP+ ratings after that 24-point loss at home to the Jayhawks. NC State also took a big hit, and fell behind both Virginia Tech and Florida State in the ratings. The biggest reason for that was the Wolfpack’s defense, which also fell 10+ spots. That is probably not a surprising development to you.
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The ACC Football Show: There Is No Clear #2 In The Conference - Chris Landry Football (landryfootball.com; podcast; Chris & TJ)
Chris and TJ break down every game from last week and look ahead to the ACC matchups that are upcoming. They take you inside the Film Room and pass out some game balls as well.
ACC Football Week 4: Staff Predictions (tarheelblog.com; Bondurant)
Carolina is looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss last week as they welcome Appalachian State to Kenan Stadium this weekend, and some of our predictors are trying to turn the page as well. Unfortunately, this week will not provide much opportunity to do so. The agreement amongst THB writers is strong.
Our confidence in UNC last weekend did not pay off, but that has not deterred us. Well, most of us. Evan’s boldness last week ended up working in his favor, as he called both Boston College and NC State losing. That has him out to a two-game lead over Jake, Chad, and Quintin.
Here are our staff predictions for Week 4 of the college season:
If we called last week chalky, this week is even more so. Only the Florida State/Louisville game has the staff remotely split. Although I guess more than a few people have decided to put their faith in Rutgers after seeing Boston College roughed up against the Jayhawks. Two unfortunate souls did pick UNC to lose, but we’ll deal with them after Saturday. Hopefully. Bless Max’s heart for believing in Pitt.
PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines. (pressreader.com; Knight)
A crystal ball look into Duke football's remaining schedule (dukechronicle.com; Saul)
Through three games, it’s clear that the Blue Devils are better than expected, but unfortunately for Duke, so are its upcoming opponents.
After embarrassing Middle Tennessee in an impressive road victory, the Blue Devils get a week off to bask in the glory of consecutive wins. When Duke returns to action next Friday, the gauntlet of its schedule truly begins, with a contest at Virginia Tech kicking off ACC play.
“We’re looking forward to stringing together some wins here in the ACC,” Blue Devil quarterback Quentin Harris said. “We have a string of games here coming up after the bye week and we’re looking forward to...really continuing to build on our success that we’ve had early on.”
Last week, I questioned if we really know much about the Blue Devils. Now that I know more about Duke and each of its nine remaining opponents, let’s take a look at the crystal ball for every matchup, and whether my initial prediction of 6-6, including my claim that “the utter inexperience on the offensive side of the ball will prevent Duke from really breaking through,” was too pessimistic.
Sept. 27 at Virginia Tech
After completely collapsing in 2018—Virginia Tech lost five of its last seven games despite reaching No. 12 in the AP poll—the Hokies’ subpar play has continued into this season. Virginia Tech beat FCS Furman by just seven points Saturday in Blacksburg, Va., and I expect Duke to pull off a not-so-surprising upset at Lane Stadium.
Prediction: Duke 27, Virginia Tech 20
Oct. 5 vs. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will likely enter this matchup with a sub-.500 record, but that’s more of a product of its opponents, playing No. 21 Virginia, No. 13 Penn State and No. 15 UCF in the first month of the season. While Duke fell apart in its 54-45 loss to the Panthers last fall, I’ll give the edge to the Blue Devils for home-field advantage.
Prediction: Duke 31, Pittsburgh 27
Oct. 12 vs. Georgia Tech
This is the only easy win left on Duke’s schedule. Georgia Tech is simply not a good football team. The Citadel—an FCS team that lost twice to other FCS teams to open the season—beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Prediction: Duke 34, Georgia Tech 10
Oct.19 at Virginia
Here’s where the Blue Devil schedule goes from tricky to brutal. Virginia beat Duke in the teams’ prior four matchups, and this is the best Cavalier squad in that time period. I expect Virginia to win comfortably, setting off a span of misery for the Blue Devils.
Prediction: Virginia 35, Duke 14
Oct. 26 at North Carolina
Though not played at the same intensity of the Tobacco Road rivalry in men’s basketball, the North Carolina matchup is circled on the Blue Devils’ calendars.
“We always love the rivalry games,” Harris said. “We’re looking forward to UNC down the line.”
Duke has brought the Victory Bell back to Durham each of the last three seasons, but I expect that to change with a bizarre but talented Mack Brown-led squad. Its former starting quarterback, Chazz Surratt, is now a linebacker, and the Tar Heels are now quarterbacked by a freshman, Sam Howell. However, Surratt and Howell have filled into their new roles admirably.
Prediction: North Carolina 20, Duke 17
Nov. 9 vs. Notre Dame
While Notre Dame is no Alabama or Clemson, the seventh-ranked team in the country will overpower the Blue Devils with ease, similar to what the Crimson Tide did week one.
Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Duke 13
Nov. 16 vs. Syracuse
Coming off what I predict will be a three-game losing streak, this will likely be the game that decides if Duke earns bowl eligibility. The Orange are fresh off a 10-win season but were manhandled by Maryland and Clemson. If Duke’s secondary can take advantage of Syracuse’s turnover-prone quarterback Tommy Devito, the Blue Devils will secure their coveted sixth victory.
Prediction: Duke 20, Syracuse 16
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Tri-Partisan: Who’s to blame for Duke football’s uphill battle for relevance :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Swain)
Every good drama needs a villain, some sort of foil to the protagonist’s plot that drives the audience to be invested in the outcome of the story. Without the villain the story drags with no real ebb and flow, and even if everything turns out great for the heroes in the end, their accomplishments seem insignificant and lack any sort of greater meaning.
In The Avengers, it’s Thanos. In Star Wars, it’s the Empire. In Forrest Gump, it’s Jenny. And in college basketball, it’s Duke.
Duke is the gold standard in college basketball. They’re simultaneously the most loved and most hated team in the sport, either admired for their success and culture, or loathed for their … well, their really public self-acknowledgement of their success and culture. We’re blessed in the Triangle area to have two elite college basketball programs, and, due to their longevity, it’s certainly fair to say that North Carolina, historically, is the more successful of the two. But there is no arguing that Duke is the program that establishes relevance for everyone around them. You either like Duke, or you REALLY want your team and all other teams to beat Duke. There is a reason that the Blue Devils dominate every season’s top 10 in most-watched basketball games, and there’s a reason schools like Boston College and Virginia Tech have one game every year that sells out. Duke is either the “us against the world” hero, or they’re the most evil villain in sports. There is no in-between.
But what about football?
We have two perfect heroes here in-state. Duke, traditionally the worst program in the entire FBS, having turned their program around with one of the most likable coaches in college athletics, and Wake Forest, the smallest Power 5 school, off to yet another 3-0 start with yet another win against a big in-state rival. And yet nobody seems to care. Neither school can fill their stadiums. Neither get the respect they deserve from voters. The only time anyone seems to mention either program locally is to say that Duke and Wake don’t “move the needle," even arguing that it’s bad for the league when Duke and/or Wake is good. That it’s a sign that the ACC is down versus being a sign of the two programs being up.
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What is SouthernPigskin's OAYP? (RX; HM)
What is SouthernPigskin's OAYP?
SouthernPigskin has a thing they call OAYP (for example, see OAYP: Week Three ACC Roundup) which, to be honest, I'm just now taking notice of. What is it, and why should you care?
1. What is OAYP? Simply put, it stands for Opponent-Adjusted Yards-per-Play. It's a way to measure the performance of each player on the field, both offense and defense. As the author explains, these numbers are not to be taken as absolutes, but relative to other players (above or below the average).
KEY
| Below -1.0 | red flag |
| -1.0 to -0.01 | below average |
| 0.0 to 0.1 | the mean |
| 0.1 to 0.49 | above average |
| 0.5 to 1.0 | very good |
| 1.0 to 1.99 | star |
| Above 2.0 | superstar |
| Above 3.0 | superhuman |
From the above link, here's how ACC players ranked in week #3 (I've added color-coding):
POSITION RANKINGS
| Offense | |
| QB | |
| Trevor Lawrence, Clemson | 1.14 |
| Jamie Newman, Wake Forest | 0.83 |
| Ryan Willis, Virginia Tech | 0.19 |
| Anthony Brown, Boston College | 0.16 |
| Bryce Perkins, Virginia | 0.05 |
| RB | |
| Travis Etienne, Clemson | 3.05 |
| Lyn-J Dixon, Clemson | 1.58 |
| Cam Akers, Florida State | 0.53 |
| Jordan Mason, Georgia Tech | 0.52 |
| Deejay Dallas, Miami | 0.42 |
| WR | |
| Tamorrion Terry, Florida State | 3.13 |
| Justyn Ross, Clemson | 2.41 |
| Tee Higgins, Clemson | 2.02 |
| Tre Turner, Virginia Tech | 1.75 |
| Scotty Washington, Wake Forest | 1.09 |
| TE | |
| Cary Angeline, NC State | 1.34 |
| Jack Freudenthal, Wake Forest | 1.05 |
| Carl Tucker, North Carolina | 0.96 |
| Tyler Davis, Georgia Tech | 0.53 |
| Will Gragg, Pitt | 0.34 |
| OT | |
| Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson | 2.31 |
| Justin Herron, Wake Forest | 0.1 |
| Charlie Heck, North Carolina | -0.31 |
| Zach Quinney, Georgia Tech | -0.33 |
| Dillon Reinkensmeyer, Virginia | -0.45 |
| OG | |
| John Simpson, Clemson | 0.47 |
| Ryan Nelson, Virginia | -0.08 |
| Rakavius Chambers, Duke | -0.63 |
| Navaughn Donaldson, Miami | -0.71 |
| Nathan Gilliam, Wake Forest | -0.75 |
| C | |
| Sean Pollard, Clemson | 1.86 |
| Kenny Cooper, Georgia Tech | -0.37 |
| Jack Wohlabaugh, Duke | -0.43 |
| Airon Servais, Syracuse | -0.46 |
| Jimmy Morrissey, Pitt | -0.66 |
Call it "The Fenway Bowl" (RX; HM)
Call it "The Fenway Bowl"
.@ACCFootball will be a part of the newly introduced Fenway Bowl, which will kick off at Fenway Park beginning in 2020.
“We are proud to be part of the annual Fenway Bowl as it will be a unique and enjoyable experience for the ACC, our football program and fans."
Fenway Sports Management and ESPN Events Officially Introduce “The Fenway Bowl,” an Annual Bowl Game Featuring the AAC and ACC That Will Kick-Off at Fenway Park Beginning in 2020
Multi-year partnership between Fenway Sports Management and ESPN Events ushers in new tradition for college football at the iconic home of the Boston Red Sox
One has to wonder if this bowl would've been tied to the American Athletic Conference at all if they had known that UConn was going to be leaving?
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2019 ACC Extra Yard for Teacher (RX; HM)
2019 ACC Extra Yard for Teacher
ACC Goes the Extra Yard for Teachers with CFP Foundation
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference once again stands with the College Football Playoff Foundation in elevating the teaching profession through its support of Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) Week.
The fifth-annual Extra Yard for Teachers Week kicked off Saturday, Sept. 14, and will continue through Saturday, Sept. 21. Over these eight days, the college football community will honor teachers from grades K-12 on college campuses and in stadiums across the country.
The ACC and its 14 football member schools are joining other FBS conferences and the CFP Foundation to bring awareness to the growing Extra Yard for Teachers platform, as well as provide an opportunity for universities, coaches and student-athletes to take part in its mission of elevating the teaching profession through inspiring and empowering teachers.
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2019 Week 4 Factoids (RX; HM)
2019 Week 4 Factoids
From the ACC Weekly Release:
OK, so I guess it's ACC vs. G5 week?
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From FBSchedules: Week 4 of the 2019 season...
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Links, news and rumors - 9/19/19 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 9/19/19
From "The READ OPTION" newsletter by BannerSociety:
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From the Sidelines - Syracuse - The Clemson Insider Forums (clemsonoinsider.com; MacRae)
Each week I share some thoughts after watching the Tigers From the Sidelines. In this edition my thoughts after watching Clemson down Syracuse From the Sidelines of the Carrier Dome.
- There was a great crowd in the Carrier Dome. I saw a few empty seats, but not many at all. The crowd had it rocking a few times including after the two interceptions.
- The students in the upper deck started leaving in the third quarter as did some of the other fans.
- There is always a lot of talk about the heat in the Dome when Clemson travels to Syracuse. It was very comfortable on the field.
- It was another great performance from the defense. Coach Venables had them ready once again. The defense really gets fired up when they have to get the stop in the red zone. Coach Venables was so fired up after the two stops after the interceptions.
- Tee Higgins was the man Saturday night. He came to play and even got it done after getting banged up a bit. Tee is earning some money with his performances so far this season.
- It was great seeing Chez Melussi score that final touchdown. It will do wonders for his confidence.
- There has been plenty of talk about Trevor's two interceptions but I thought he played well. As you know it was his record high in passing yards and if not for a few drops it would have been his first 400 plus yard passing game. I really like the leadership I am seeing from Trevor on the field this year. He is the first one out to slap hands with every player on the field goal team and does the same with the defense at times.
- Xavier Thomas once again played well, but just missed several sacks that would have made it a huge night.
- Swinney and Herbstreit had a good talk on the field before the game. Those two have a great relationship that is getting even stronger now that Kirk's sons are on the team. I talked to a source today that knows the family and they love Clemson. The two sons and the family are loving the Clemson experience.
- Amari Rodgers had an amazing night. His two touchdowns were huge, especially the long one after the interception. His long touchdown put the game away for the Tigers when Syracuse still had hope. Rodgers has given the Tigers something they didn't expect to have this early in the season.
- Isaiah Simmons is giving offenses nightmares. He comes from anywhere on the field to do his damage. His sack from deep safety was something to watch.
- Offenses are really going to struggle to prepare for Venables 3-3-5. The quarterbacks have no idea what the Clemson defense is going to do on any given play. I expect some more twists when the Tigers get in the playoff.
- BT Potter continues to get it done. The one miss was not really his fault as there was an issue with the snap and the timing was off.
- Travis is really becoming a weapon out of the back field. I expect to see some screens in critical times down the stretch. He wanted to improve that aspect of his game for the NFL scouts and so far he has done just that.
- Jamie Skalski is getting better each week. His development is a big reason the defense is playing so well.
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Inside Clemson's Dabo Swinney's binder: 'What I've learned as a head coach' (postandcourier.com; Needleman)
for gbo
Dabo Swinney has a soft side. The Clemson coach delights in the sight of a bone-crushing tackle, sure, but he also enjoys diving into a good poem. One of his favorite’s is “The Dash” by Linda Ellis:
“I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning ... to the end.
He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke the following date in tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years.”
The poem is filed away in Swinney’s white, three-ring binder, a compendium of knowledge and insight pertaining to life on the gridiron and off. It’s worn some over the years; there are so many papers inside the binder’s ends no longer touch. But it remains an asset for the Tigers’ head man.
Swinney, who has led the Tigers to two of the last three national championships, is one of the most respected voices in sports. Professional and college coaches alike regularly pick his brain, thirsty for some of the wisdom that’s guided Swinney in his more than a decade running Clemson’s football program. Saturday’s home game against Charlotte will mark the 150th game of Swinney’s head coaching career.
The physical manifestation of Swinney’s philosophy is outlined in the binder, and the 49-year-old said he still has plenty to add.
“I’m always learning. I got a long way to go,” he said. “When I grow up one day, it’s going to be awesome.”
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How Big East Conference Realignment Shaped Rutgers’ Present (onthebanks.com; Gaudios)
Rutgers plays Boston College this coming Saturday, and if you’re of a certain age, you’re looking to this matchup with perhaps a bit more than the typical vitriol leading into a non-conference game with a Power Five football team.
I’m in my mid-thirties, which means I was an undergraduate at Rutgers when it all went down. Specifically, between 2003 and 2005, the Big East conference (which Rutgers, of course, belonged to at the time) underwent a substantial realignment, with Boston College (along with Miami and Virginia Tech) leaving the conference for the ACC, being replaced on a football basis by Cincinnati, Louisville, and the University of South Florida. This is how the Big East Conference stood until the more recent defections of Syracuse, West Virginia, Louisville, and Rutgers in the early part of this decade, splintering what remained of the conference into the AAC and the “new”, basketball-only Big East.
For more recent fans of Rutgers football (which I’ll define as fans who got into the team when or after they defied all expectations in their remarkable 2006 season), the past history between these schools is unknown and perhaps unremarkable. But it’s actually pretty interesting. Here’s a brief primer as to what went down, what it meant for Rutgers then, and what it means for Rutgers now.
What Went Down
According to this Boston Globe article from 2005, the Atlantic Coast Conference had been trying to raid the Big East Conference of several of its teams, including Boston College, as early as 2000. Their reasoning was likely built on the BCS-era rules of the time, which required a conference to have 12 football schools in order to stage a conference championship game. (The ACC had nine teams until they pilfered Miami, VA Tech, and BC from the Big East.)
Miami and Virginia Tech had their reasons to leave, which I won’t get into here. But unlike Virginia Tech and Miami, Boston College’s leadership was at the time saying one thing to the Big East about sticking around as a conference member, while accepting overtures from the ACC at the same time. As the Boston Globe article states:
At a Big East meeting in Newark Oct. 1 [2003], conference presidents asked BC president Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., about the Eagles’ intentions. Leahy squirmed, but conceded that the Eagles might indeed be leaving the conference. It was suggested that BC might have remained if the Big East had finally made the split with its basketball-only schools and reconfigured as an eight- or nine-team league.
’’If they had said we will stay if you do that, we would have approved it,” said a former administrator from a Big East school. ‘’But they never asked.”
A little more than two weeks later, the ACC voted, 9-0, to add BC as its 12th member for 2005.
’’If Boston College had left the first time, we would have been angry and hurt, but we would have understood,” said a former administrator from a Big East school. ‘’What irritates a lot of us is that they came back into the room and were making plans for the future in our league at the same time they were continuing talks with the ACC.”
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Other
Michael Franti performs at the fifth annual Social Good Summit: Connecting for Good, Connecting for All, at the 92Y, on Monday, Sept. 22, 2014 in New York. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/Invision for United Nations Foundation/AP Images)
Westcott St. Fair, Canine Carnival: 14 things to do in CNY (PS; Hernandez)
This weekend is going to the dogs and cats with festivals and shows for our favorite furry friends. Get a last gasp of summer with some of the last outdoor concerts of the season this weekend as well. However, if you are ready to embrace the change of seasons, we have the ultimate list of fall festivals and activities.
18th Annual Jazz-N-Caz
Cazenovia College brings three nights of jazz music around the village. Venues include the Brae Loch Inn, the Linklaen House, and the Catherine Cummings Theatre. There will be performances by Bernie Clarke and the Laid Bare Souls, Mark Hoffmann, Colin Hancock and the Cornell Jazz Syncopators,and more. More info can be found on the Cazenovia College website.
Where: Cazenovia, NY 13035
When: Sept. 19-21 with performances starting at 7:30 p.m. each night
How much: Free
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Michael Franti and Spearhead close out the concert season at Paper Mill Island with a tour to support their recently released album “Stay Human Vol. II." The San Francisco-based band blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. Their song “Say Hey (I Love You)” hit #18 at its peak in 2009 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Where: Paper Mill Island, 136 Spensieri Ave, Baldwinsville, NY 13027
When: Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.)
How much: Advance sale $31, day of show $36, Platinum experience $61
Professional Bull Riders Velocity Tour
For the first time since 2008, the top bull riders from around the world will invade Syracuse as the “toughest sport on dirt” with the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s Syracuse Showdown. The fearless riders of the PBR will pit a lightweight against a heavyweight in epic 8-second confrontations.
Where: The OnCenter War Memorial Arena, 515 Montgomery St, Syracuse, NY 13202
When: Sept. 20 at 8 pm., Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.
How much: $15-$50
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