sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Lumberjack Day!
Lumberjack Day celebrates the archetypal woodsman, the lumberjack. The day was created in 2005 by Marianne Ways and Colleen AF Venable as an excuse to eat pancakes and waffles with friends, and because International Talk Like a Pirate Day comes a week before it, and they wanted to celebrate a different character. Marianne thought it would be better to have a day to talk like a lumberjack as well. It has grown to be celebrated all around the country, with people getting dressed up in plaid shirts and wearing beards, and even having lumberjack parties. In 2013, the day also started being called National Pancake Day, which increased its popularity.
The term lumberjack was first mentioned in 1831 in Canada. Lumberjacks worked hard, long, and dangerous hours, and traveled to where they were needed, living in lumber camps. In their original form, they existed about a century, up until the time around World War II. They were known for using cross-cut saws and axes to clear lumber, in contrast to modern day loggers who use tools such as chainsaws, harvesters, and feller bunchers. Some characteristics that many lumberjacks had, hoped to have, or were seen as having, were pride in their work, resistance to technological transformation, competitiveness, strength, knowledge of the woods, and aggressiveness.
SU News
Syracuse defenders break down team’s turnover success (DO; Schafer)
The Syracuse secondary has a friendly wager amongst itself this year. With a $100 buy-in from each defensive back, the unit is out to see who will be the most disruptive in 2019.
They’re awarded points based on various defensive stats including turnovers. Forced fumbles, interceptions and scoring touchdowns bring in the most points while pass break-ups count for less.
It’s one sign that this year’s team is not only thinking about turnovers but producing them. In 2017, Syracuse finished tied for 115th out of Division I FBS 129 teams with 12 forced turnovers in 12 games played. The Orange’s shift to an influx of turnover production started the next season when SU tied for third in the country with 31 takeaways. Through four games, Syracuse (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) has caused 11 turnovers, tied for first in the nation, and has forced a turnover in 18 straight games, the third-longest active streak in the FBS.
“From a guy that’s on the offensive side of the football,” said Syracuse head coach Dino Babers, “to have a streak like that is really impressive.”
Last year, cornerback Chris Fredrick partially credited the uptick in takeaways to what he dubbed “turnover tape.” Defensive coordinator Brian Ward showed the defense a compilation of dropped interceptions, forced fumbles that weren’t scooped up and failed attempts to strip the ball.
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Syracuse’s Coleman adds artistic flair to pass-rushing duties (nny360.co; St Croix)
Kendall Coleman has redefined the term ‘sack artist,’ during his Syracuse University football career.
The senior defensive end has excelled as a rare four-year starting pass rusher for the Orange (2-2 overall, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) and is driven by his deep appreciation for the arts.
During the brief windows when Coleman isn’t on the practice field or weight room, in class, or studying film to gain an edge against opposing offenses, he finds balance by writing poetry or analyzing and appreciating film and music.
“It helps me to understand that I’m not just out here to play football, not just an athlete at the end of day, there are so many other aspects and angles to me,” Coleman said during a recent phone interview. “(Writing) allows me to sort of give that perspective to other people and show them who I am.”
Coleman will make his 36th career start when SU hosts Holy Cross (1-2) of the FCS at noon Saturday in the Carrier Dome for a nonconference game to be televised on the ACC Network.
The 6-foot-3 and 253-pound Indianapolis native has recorded 2.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss through his first four games, and leads all SU down linemen with 16 tackles. Coleman has recorded 105 career tackles, including 19 for loss and 13.5 career sacks, and his rate of 0.75 sacks per game since the start of 2018 ranks fifth in the nation.
Long before delivering masterful performances for the Orange — like establishing the program’s bowl record with three sacks during the 2018 Camping World Bowl victory over West Virginia to cap off SU’s first 10-win campaign in 17 seasons — Coleman developed a passion for writing and reading poetry, which was recently profiled on the SU athletics site.
Coleman said that he often jots down lines on his phone when inspiration strikes at seemingly routine moments during his busy, daily schedule as a student-athlete at a power-five program.
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Beat writers predict Syracuse to blow out Holy Cross (DO; Staff)
Syracuse (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) finally showed flashes of the team it was last season against Western Michigan last week, breaking out for 52 points and 545 yards of offense. Tommy DeVito had the best performance of his Syracuse career thus far, beating WMU both through the air and on the ground.
The Orange are home again at noon on Saturday versus FCS opponent Holy Cross (1-2). SU is currently a 38.5-point favorite over the Crusaders, who are coming off of a 23-10 loss to Yale last week.
Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when Holy Cross visits the Carrier Dome on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Eric Black (3-1)
Crushedaders
Syracuse 55, Holy Cross 7
There’s a legitimate chance that Holy Cross, which has scored 30 points through three games against Navy, New Hampshire and Yale, fails to score at all on Saturday. But I’ll give the Crusaders the benefit of the doubt and expect a touchdown from them, only because at some point the Orange will take their starters out and play their backups. Even then, though, SU will dominate. After a game in which Syracuse’s offense finally played up to its potential, who knows what it could do versus a team that’s allowing nearly 300 rushing yards per game. I’ll be looking for DeVito to continue his success and more importantly play mistake-free football. Even though he didn’t turn the ball over last week there were still a couple of poor decisions he made that should’ve been picked off.
Andrew Graham (3-1)
‘A very good Holy Cross team’
Syracuse 66, Holy Cross 13
Holy Cross is, statistically, one of the worst teams in Division I college football — FBS or FCS — giving up 289 rushing yards per game and getting blown out by Navy, the only FBS opponent on its schedule to date. Their other two games? A 13-10 squeaker win against New Hampshire and a 13-point loss at Yale. I’ll put it this way: Syracuse scheduled a win this week. Dino Babers of course lauded his opponent at his weekly press conference. He said the fumbles that bounced SU’s way against Western Michigan could go the other way and, as is always true, an injury changes everything. But, we saw the Orange decimate Wagner last season and Holy Cross might be worse. SU should wipe the floor with Holy Cross, but Babers does make a good point. A banged up SU team should hope to leave this game with the same amount of healthy players it started with.
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Syracuse football's 2019 defense on a similar track to last year's edition - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Syracuse stands 2-2 on the season and both the offense and defense have had struggles through the first third of the schedule. The Orange offense, however, took some significant strides forward on Saturday against Western Michigan, rolling up 545 yards and posting 52 points. That defense, however, still allowed 557 yards and 33 points to a team from the MAC.
But is that defense that much worse than last year’s team?
Through its first four games, the SU defense is giving up over seven more points and 86 yards more per game than in the 2018 season. Over 56 of those extra yards per game are coming via the pass against the perceived strength of the defense, a pair of excellent pass-rushing defensive ends and a deep, experienced secondary.
But, what if we compare how the SU defense has performed thus far to last year’s defensive stats against similar opponents? For this, we’ll use the following comparisons:
2019 opponent/2018 opponent:
Liberty/Connecticut
Maryland/Notre Dame
Clemson/Clemson
Western Michigan/Western Michigan
There is no perfect comparison, but Maryland rolled up 63 points on Syracuse, so it seems reasonable that they can pass for Notre Dame, who was ranked #3 in the country when the two teams met last year. Besides, it also means we get to compare the Huskies’ football abilities to a team who officially became an FBS team this season.
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Syracuse has time to correct issues before ACC football play resumes (romesentinel.com; AP)
Syracuse is .500 after four games and after Saturday faces a two-week stretch to correct any issues before Atlantic Coast Conference play begins in earnest.
Orange coach Dino Babers knows it’s a work in progress.
“Saw some good, saw some bad,” Babers said Monday after a 52-33 home win against Western Michigan.
“Still continuing to grow. I think they got better.”
The Orange (2-2) host Championship Subdivision foe Holy Cross (1-2) on Saturday before going into a bye week.
Syracuse began the season with a 24-0 road win over Liberty and the victory on the weekend came after bad losses to Maryland and Clemson . Syracuse scored a combined 26 points in those games.
“Football is all about adversity and how you respond to it,” Babers said. “To be able to have those two losses and be able to come back this weekend, produce and hold our own, so to say, in the Dome, means a lot. It shows how much character we have in the room.”
The Broncos still put a lot of points on the board to continue a disturbing trend since the opener. In the past three games, the Orange defense has allowed 137 points and 1,819 yards — an average of 603.3 yards a game — and is ranked 124th nationally in total defense.
Still, Syracuse is tied for the top spot in the nation with 11 turnovers gained — six interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The Orange recovered three fumbles and intercepted a pass against Western Michigan to extend their streak of consecutive games with a takeaway to 18, the third-longest active streak in the Bowl Subdivision.
“I hope that we start getting more of the defense that we saw earlier in the year,” Babers said. “The one thing that our defense has been outstanding about is getting turnovers. As long as they keep giving us extra possessions, we’re going to have opportunities to win games as long as we’re efficient on offense.
“We have the type of defense that we feel like we can shut people down. We’ve got to get some of those scores a lot lower than they’ve been.”
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Beer, wine, spiked cider becoming popular at ACC stadiums :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Kurz; AP)
In North Carolina, legislation was passed to give public universities the same rights and options as private schools.
North Carolina State House Majority Leader John Bell and Sen. Rick Gunn, both Republicans, cited improving the fan experience at North Carolina and North Carolina State games and allowing schools to generate more revenue as factors in their bills, which were signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper in June. Wake Forest had been selling beer and wine since 2016 and Duke was selling it in suites.
Gunn told The Associated Press he thought it was unfair that fans in club suites had access to drinks while the general public did not.
"Why would they not be entitled to the same experience, even if they can't afford to be in a luxury box or premier seating?" Gunn asked.
At Virginia, two "beverage gardens" open 90 minutes before kickoff and adults of drinking age who wish to partake are given a wristband that allows them to buy two beers, glasses of wine or hard cider at a time, but only four on any given day. And they must remain within the beverage garden while consuming their drinks.
Athletic director Carla Williams said the decision to sell alcohol beverages at Virginia was the result of "survey feedback we received during and after the 2018 season" and was just one of several perceived fan experience improvements made. Adult beverage sales at Cavaliers home games stop at the end of the third quarter.
Florida State does something similar.
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Week 5 ACC football power poll (dailyprogress.com; Counts)
1. Clemson 4-0/2-0 (1)
No. 1 Clemson made light work of Charlotte last week and the starters hit the bench early. Two of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s seven completions went for touchdowns and three different running backs found the end zone on the ground. Next: at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
2. Virginia 4-0/2-0 (2)
The Cavaliers had to dig their way out of a 17-point hole to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2004, and Virginia’s defense continues to live up to the hype. The Wahoos posted six sacks and a pick-six in a 28-17 win over Old Dominion. A big test awaits this weekend in South Bend. Next: at No. 10 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
3. Wake Forest 4-0/0-0 (3)
Quarterback Jamie Newman threw five touchdown passes to four different receivers and Wake Forest rolled Elon, 49-7. Newman’s favorite targets were wide receivers Sage Surratt (8 catches, 112 yards, 2 TDs) and Scott Washington (9 catches, 141 yards, 2 TDs). Next: at Boston College, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
4. N.C. State 3-1/0-0 (5)
Quarterback Matthew McKay ran for two touchdowns, running back Ricky Person Jr. added one and the Wolfpack benefited from a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown while holding off a late push by Ball State. Next: at Florida State, 7:30 p.m., Saturday
5. Boston College 3-1/1-0 (4)
Rutgers trailed by just one at halftime, but Boston College outscored the Scarlet Knights 13-3 in the second half and won, 30-16. Quarterback Anthony Brown couldn’t find the end zone through the air, but he was one of three Eagles to score a rushing touchdown. AJ Dillon led the way with 32 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Next: vs. Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
6. North Carolina 2-2/1-0 (4)
Not far removed from wins over Miami and South Carolina, the Tar Heels watched Appalachian State block a field goal as time expired and hold on for a 34-31 upset. UNC freshman quarterback Sam Howell threw three touchdowns, but he was also intercepted twice and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Things don’t get any easier this weekend. Next: vs. Clemson, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
7. Miami 2-2/0-1 (7)
Miami had all kinds of trouble with Central Michigan and just held on for a 17-12 win. The Hurricanes’ offense managed just 51 rushing yards while the defense gave up just 31 and pounced on a pair of fumbles. Next: Bye
8. Virginia Tech 2-1/0-1 (8)
Coming out of a bye week, Virginia Tech’s defense will face the most talent-rich offense it has seen this season. Quentin Harris is just as comfortable in David Cutcliffe’s offense as Daniel Jones was, and he’s a better athlete. Deon Jackson is a big, physical runner and Harris has a steady target in receiver Aaron Young. Next: vs. Duke, 7 p.m., Friday
9. Duke 2-1/1-0 (9)
Also coming off a bye, Duke’s defense will try to repeat its six-sack performance from two weeks ago against Middle Tennessee, but Virginia Tech is a whole different beast. The Hokies’ running game hasn’t been producing much this season, but quarterback Ryan Willis is capable and he has some big-time targets in Tre Turner and Hezekiah Grimsley. Next: at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m., Friday
10. Syracuse 2-2/0-1 (10)
Syracuse found itself in a shootout last weekend with Western Michigan, but quarterback Tommy Devito threw four touchdown passes and ran for one in a 52-33 victory. Running back Moe Neal posted 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns and receiver Trishton Jackson caught six passes for 14 yards and two touchdowns. Next: vs. Holy Cross, noon, Saturday
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The ACC in SP+, Week 4: Don’t look at us, we’re horrible! (backingthepack.co; Muma)
This may be the most unwatchable that ACC football has been in a while—not simply because there is a lack of quality teams, but also because there is a lack of quality offenses. At least with some good offenses you get entertainment value even if the teams involved aren’t great overall.
But the ACC this season has exactly four offenses ranked in the top 50 in SP+, and one of them is Boston College, which does not run the most thrilling system in the world.
ACC Standings by SP+ Rating
SP+ hated pretty much everybody’s performance in Week 4 to one degree or another, highlighted by Florida State’s topsy-turvy game against Louisville, which saw the Noles go up 21-0, give up 24 straight points, and eventually win by 11.
Wake Forest is playing better than anybody not named Clemson, and that’s beginning to show in SP+ as the data included from last year diminishes with every week and the results from this season gain greater weight.
As for NC State, the Wolfpack has reached a season-low in the ratings at 48th overall, which I believe is two spots below where the team began the year. The Pack had climbed as high as 30th earlier this season. But relative to everybody else in the league, this is not so bad! I mean, even week to week there are “hey this is not so bad” moments: if you thought that Ball State game was lackluster, how about Miami beating Central Michigan 17-12? What a comfort to be in this league!
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An 0-2 ACC start would be uncharted waters for Hokies (dailypress.com; Teel)
This is Virginia Tech’s 16th season of ACC football. The program spent the previous dozen years in the Big East. Never during that span has Tech lost its first two conference games of the season.
The 2019 Hokies (2-1, 0-1 ACC) have no reason to be aware of such history, but that nugget speaks to an urgency Justin Fuente’s team certainly feels entering Friday night’s home date with Duke.
Would an 0-2 league start eliminate Tech from the ACC Coastal Division race? Of course not. We’re talking about a collection of teams that seemingly revel in what Twitter calls #CoastalChaos.
How else to explain six different champions in the last six seasons? How else to explain the annual July futility of handicapping the division?
The most recent madness began in 2013, when Duke dropped its first two league games. Both were to division rivals — Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh — and both were at home. That’s a black hole, kids, and it was hardly unexpected from a program that hadn’t finished north of .500 in the ACC since 1994.
But the Blue Devils closed the conference season on a 6-0 binge, which included road victories over Virginia and Virginia Tech, to reach their first ACC championship game.
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Jalon Calhoun will look to build on his already stellar freshman campaign.
Under the Friday night lights, Duke football looks to take down Virginia Tech in ACC opener (dukechronicle.com; Smith)
Described as one of the best entrances in all of college football, when Virginia Tech fans begin jumping around to the tune of Enter Sandman, it will present quite the test for a young Duke squad facing its first ACC opponent of the season.
If the idea of commotion from metal bleachers, screaming fans and Metallica's guitars is going to phase the Blue Devils, they don't seem to show it right now.
There will no doubt be a raucous crowd on hand Friday night in Lane Stadium when Duke faces Virginia Tech in its conference opener at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The Blue Devils have won just two out of their last six ACC openers and have not beaten the Hokies since 2015.
“It will be loud for sure, but it’s nothing we haven’t dealt with," wide receiver Scott Bracey emphasized. "We started the season off playing Alabama in the Mercedes Benz Stadium. We just have to continue what we were doing then and make sure we’re communicating.”
Last week against Middle Tennessee, the Blue Devils were aided by a quick start which led to a 31-3 halftime lead. The Blue Raiders' crowd never got in the game and the score was never close. Duke will look for more of the same as it goes into its second consecutive hostile environment.
“You can’t count on [a fast start]," Cutcliffe explained. "Literally, you’re trying to attempt that. You talk about it as a staff. You plan what you’re trying to accomplish early offensively, early defensively and early in the kicking game. It’s critically important, but you can’t depend on it.”
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Sapakoff: Clemson’s 'organized chaos' makes for the happiest team in college football (postandcourier.com; Sapakoff)
for gbo
Lemanski Hall delivered the news every college walk-on wants to hear.
“Are you ready?” the Clemson defensive ends coach asked.
What do you think? Tristan Walliser started getting his hopes up early in the Tigers’ 52-10 victory over Charlotte on Saturday night at Death Valley. Earlier than that, truth be told. Last fall. Last spring. All summer.
A junior defensive end who didn’t play football at Clover High School — he played lacrosse instead — Walliser couldn’t help but notice the Clemson coaching staff emptying a crowded bench in an effort to get as many walk-ons as possible into the game.
“Yes, sir,” Walliser said.
Clemson is the happiest team in the sport, and not just because the Tigers are 4-0 and ranked No. 1 going into Saturday’s game at North Carolina.
Reason No. 2: They lead the world in players played. It was 111 total against Charlotte, enough to drive even a veteran coach nuts.
“Organized chaos,” head coach Dabo Swinney called it.
But, oh, the team spirit.
Though 111 is a Clemson record for participation (breaking the record of 94 against Louisville in 2018), it’s not surprising. The Tigers — with the combination of an elite team, focused starters, smart coaches and some soft opponents — are tops in the nation in average number of players per game: 72.5 (Georgia is second at 65.6, Florida third at 62.8).
You probably love this trend (unless you’re a fan of a rival team) if …
• You were a walk-on
• You deeply regret not walking on after that standout intramurals stint
• You got misty-eyed in “Rudy”
Clemson took the allotted 72 players to Syracuse and played 71 of them in a 41-6 win.
Third-team quarterback Taisun Phommachanh didn’t play at Syracuse but five — count ’em, five — quarterbacks played against Charlotte:
1. Trevor Lawrence, out before halftime.
2. Chase Brice, second-best quarterback in the ACC, Swinney insists.
3. Phommachanh, a freshman.
4. Walk-on Ben Batson.
5. And walk-on Patrick McClure, a redshirt sophomore from Irmo who tore an ACL last December while practicing inside AT&T Stadium in Dallas just before Clemson’s Cotton Bowl appearance.
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Syracuse Football: Dino Babers suggests Orange miss Chris Slayton (itlh; Esden Jr)
Syracuse football HC Dino Babers intimated this week that the Orange miss the impact of Chris Slayton. Here are all the details and the full quote.
Dino Babers has been adamant since the offseason that the strength of the 2019 Syracuse football squad will be its defense.
So far this season the results have been mixed.
One thing that seemed to be a guarantee was the production of the Orange’s two studs Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson.
They’re the top returning sack duo from the ACC in 2018 and both are heralded as future NFL players. Despite the production and the pedigree, they just haven’t made the impact we all expected so far this season.
Why is that?
Orange head coach Dino Babers shared his best guess this week during his press conference and even hinted at missing the impact of former Orange star Chris Slayton:
“I think we’ve blitzed a bit this season and that has affected Alton and Kendall’s numbers. Sometimes you can get a coverage sack and allow all of our defenders to have a bit more time to get to the passer. Very seldom does one really good player just beat another. If you know who the good guys are then you know who to double team or chip. What we need to do is get a little bit more push up the middle, which we aren’t getting, if we can get that pressure to reset the pocket, I think we could be really productive from the edge.”
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Bowl Watch Week 5: Survive and Advance streakuingthelawn.com; Trogdon)
The Virginia Cavaliers flirted with disaster in Week 4, falling behind the Old Dominion Monarchs 17-0 before rallying on the back of a stellar defensive effort. The Hoos enter Week 5 ranked 18th in the country and in the pole position for a top ACC bowl game. But Saturday’s scare against the lightly-regarded Monarchs showed just how thin UVA’s margin is.
This weekend provides a much stiffer test. Notre Dame is the best team Virginia will face all season unless it makes the ACC title game. The Irish can still make the College Football Playoff if they run the table...and the Cavaliers might be the toughest obstacle in their way.
Virginia will step onto a huge stage on Saturday in South Bend. If it wins, it could well find itself back on another big stage when bowl season comes around.
Let’s dive in.
How Virginia Stacks Up
Virginia’s Sagarin ranking dropped for the second week in a row. Once ranked as high as 22nd, UVA has seen its star fall a bit with a couple of closer-than-expected victories. The Hoos now rank above six of their remaining eight opponents.
It’s interesting to note that UVA also ranks higher than Pitt, which they beat by two touchdowns in Week 1.
11 – @ Notre Dame
29 – @ Miami (down from 20)
36 – @ Pittsburgh WIN (up from 42)
37 – Virginia (down from 28)
44 – Florida State WIN (down from 32)
47 – @ North Carolina (down from 39)
51 – Duke
69 – Virginia Tech (up from 85)
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2019 UVA/ND Preview (RX; HM)
2019 UVA/ND Preview
Saturday, September 28th, 3:30 p.m. on NBC
#18 Virginia (4-0, 2-0 ACC) at #10 Notre Dame (2-1)
Notre Dame leads series, 2-0
Last meeting: UND, 34-27 (2015)
Head Coaches:
Ranked Upset Wins, 2013-Present (RX; HM)
Ranked Upset Wins, 2013-Present
I've tried to compile a list of the times when unranked ACC teams upset ranked non-conference opponents (2013-present). There were plenty of games when both teams were ranked, and there were some games where the opponent was ranked at some point during the season - but not when they played the ACC team. Here are the upset wins I was able to find (there aren't many - if you know of one I missed, please leave me a comment!):
JHowell's Picks for 2019 Week 5 (RX; HM)
JHowell's Picks for 2019 Week 5
Below are [JHowell.net's] projections for the [ACC] football games of [Week 5]. Games against non-IA teams are excluded [Sorry Pitt and Syracuse]. The favorite is listed first with the projected margin of victory (i.e., the line) in parenthesis. 'TP' represents the total number of points expected to be scored in the game and 'Odds' represents the odds of the favorite winning straight-up (not against-the-spread).
Friday, September 27, 2019
#51-Virginia Tech (-1.5) vs. #44-Duke (TP=54 Odds=.518)
Saturday, September 28, 2019
#1-Clemson (-33) @ #73-North Carolina (TP=54 Odds=.900)
#11-Notre Dame (-11) vs. #27-Virginia (TP=52 Odds=.657)
#26-Wake Forest (-3) @ #46-Boston College (TP=58 Odds=.540)
#31-N C State (-1) @ #48-Florida State (TP=59 Odds=.515)
#60-Temple (-5.5) vs. #76-Georgia Tech (TP=52 Odds=.583)
OBSERVATIONS:
According to this, the closest games should be Duke/VT (Friday night) and NC State/Florida State (Saturday night). The only blowout projected is Clemson over UNC. The only ACC non-conference loss projected is Georgia Tech at Temple.
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ACC Semifinalists Named for 2019 Campbell Trophy (RX; HM)
ACC Semifinalists Named for 2019 Campbell Trophy
OFFICIAL ACC RELEASE:
Six From ACC Named Semifinalists for 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Six student-athletes from the Atlantic Coast Conference have been named semifinalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, announced Wednesday by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). Celebrating its 30th year in 2019, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Representing the ACC are Clemson center Sean Pollard, Duke quarterback Quentin Harris, Miami wide receiver K.J. Osborn, Pitt tight end Jim Medure, Virginia linebacker Jordan Mack and Wake Forest running back Cade Carney.
An ACC player has won the Campbell Trophy each of the last two seasons and three of the last five. Previous Campbell Trophy winners from current ACC schools include Clemson's Christian Wilkins in 2018, Virginia’s Micah Kiser in 2017, Duke’s David Helton in 2014, Miami’s Joaquin Gonzalez in 2001 and Virginia’s Thomas Burns in 1993.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 30, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 30th Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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ACCN on ATT (unofficially) - 9/25/19 (RX; HM)
ACCN on ATT (unofficially) - 9/25/19
From AwfulAnnouncing: ACC Network is now available on AT&T U-verse and AT&T TV Now...
...leaving Comcast as the last big holdout. Another ACC Network holdout bites the dust.
I'm not sure exactly what's going on with this AT&T U-verse contract negotiation, but what I can tell you is that I'm being told the ACC Network can now be accessed on U-verse channels 610 and 1610.
From the above article:
College Football 2019: Week 5 TV schedule (dailygazette.com; Schott)
Week 5 of the college football season kicks off Thursday with two games.
I apologize for not posting the Week 4 schedule last week. Between getting home from Philadelphia that Monday, preparing material for "The Parting Schotts Podcast" and taking care of the newest member of the Schott family, Harper the puppy, time got away from me.
Syracuse is back on ACC Network on Saturday when it hosts Holy Cross.
Announcers, in order of play-by-play announcer, analyst and sideline reporter, are in parentheses.
THURSDAY
ESPNU -- Delaware State at North Carolina A&T, 7:30 p.m. (Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker).
ESPN -- Navy at Memphis, 8 p.m. (Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck/Pat McAfee, Molly McGrath)
FRIDAY
ESPN -- Duke at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. (Dave LaMont, Gene Chizik, Dr. Jerry Punch); Arizona State at California, 10:30 p.m. (Dave Flemming, Louis Riddick, Paul Carcaterra).
ESPNEWS -- Brown at Harvard, 7 p.m. (Bill Spaulding, Jack Ford).
FS1 -- Penn State at Maryland, 8 p.m. (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Coley Harvey).
CBS Sports Network -- San Jose State at Air Force, 8 p.m. (John Sadak, Randy Cross).
SATURDAY
ABC10 (WTEN) -- Northwestern at Wisconsin, noon (Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Allison Williams); Clemson at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill); Ohio State at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor).
FOX23 (WXXA) -- Texas Tech at Oklahoma, noon (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft); USC at Washington, 3:30 p.m. (Joe Davis, Brock Huard, Bruce Feldman).
ESPN -- Texas A&M vs. Arkansas, noon (Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Olivia Dekker); Iowa State at Baylor, 3:30 p.m. (Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay/Molly McGrath); Mississippi State at Auburn, 7 p.m. (Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe); UCLA at Arizona, 10:30 p.m. (Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman).
ESPN2 -- Middle Tennessee at Iowa, noon (Kevin Brown, Andre Ware);Minnesota at Purdue, 3:30 p.m. (Marc Kestecher, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich); UConn at UCF, 7 p.m. Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer, Lauren Sisler); Hawaii at Nevada, 10:30 p.m. (Clay Matvick, Ryan Leaf).
FS1 -- Kansas at TCU, noon Brian Custer, Robert Smith); Washington State at Utah, 10 p.m. (Justin Kutcher, Petros Papadakis, Shane Vereen).
ESPNU -- Buffalo at Miami (Ohio), noon (Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison); SMU at South Florida, 4 p.m. (Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Kris Budden); UNLV at Wyoming, 8 p.m. (Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia).
CBS Sports Network -- Central Michigan at Western Michigan, noon (Jason Horowitz, Danny Kanell); Georgia Tech at Temple, 3:30 p.m. (Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, Angel Gray); Colorado State at Utah State, 7:30 p.m. (Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell).
ACC Network -- Holy Cross at Syracuse, noon (Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Eric Wood); Wake Forest at Boston College, 3:30 p.m. (Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Kelsey Riggs); N.C. State at Florida State, 7:30 p.m. (Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, Lericia Harris).
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Justin Pugh: Offensive Line Play Has Always Been Misunderstood (azcardinals.com; Urban)
Justin Pugh knew how it would sound, and he plunged ahead anyway. A minute or two into his interview session with a scrum of media Wednesday, Pugh moved into a matter-of-fact-yet-impassioned defense of offensive line play in general and the difficulty in outsiders to decipher what is always going on. Here are his words:
On the Cardinals and their run game:
"Everyone wants to blame the offensive line and it's really 11 guys out there playing football. We all play a part. Does the offensive line have to do better? 100 percent. When you get down in games ... you have to call passes. It's the nature of it. If you want to win games, you have to throw the ball."
Is the offensive line unfairly blamed?:
"I've been in the NFL for seven years and every year -- and I've been on two teams -- the offensive line is always (called) the problem. What happens, it's a position where no one knows enough about it. I read things online, thinking what qualifies (this person)? Anyone in here know a lot about offensive line? Could you sit in an offensive line room and have a legitimate conversation about offensive line play?"
At this point, ABC-15 reporter Craig Fouhy, who coached football for 20 years, including the college level, raises his hand.
"OK, so we have one person out of everybody. So now magnify that by (Pugh pauses) ... America. Tell me how many people in America can have a legitimate conversation. I look sometimes at what people say. They have no idea about offensive line play. I watch Syracuse football (his alma mater) and I see them bash the offensive line when I know the running back failed the pick up and they blame the offensive line anyway.
"I'm going to keep fighting for offensive linemen. I know it's a misunderstood position. I know we're going to catch the brunt of it and I know if we run the ball well, we're going to be the best offensive line in football. It's how those things go."
What about the grades from Pro Football Focus?:
"Here's the thing: If I say something bad about Pro Football Focus, it's going to affect my rating next week. I'm going to say it anyway. They don't know scheme. Granted they do a good job of what they know, saying typically this is what is supposed to happen on this play. But at the end of the day, if we run a misdirection, and we do things in our offense that not a lot of teams do, Pro Football Focus has no idea. I may be bluffing a guy on a play and it looks like I give up a pressure but really I'm bluffing a guy because we are running a reverse or the play is supposed to cut back. Yes and no, it helps to a degree, a site like that. ... They do as good a job as they can, and they have a lot of great football minds over there, and I'm trying to help myself out now, hyping them back up.
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CFB 150: Top 10 running backs in college football history (sportsnews.com; Al-Khateeb)
What makes a great running back?
Regardless of how you measure that — whether it’s by combination of size, speed and natural ability, plays made, accolades earned, records broken or titles won — one thing is certain: You’ll know one once you’ve seen them.
So it is with this collection of individuals: players so celebrated, they kept deserving greats such as Adrian Peterson, Earl Campbell, Marcus Allen and Red Grange off our list, the fifth in a series celebrating college football's 150-year history.
It’s an imperfect science, but these backs impacted their teams and college football in such a way that they can’t be ignored. With that, Sporting News presents its list of college football's top 10 running backs of all time:
Honorable mentions
Jim Thorpe, Carlisle; Red Grange, Illinois; Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma; Billy Sims, Oklahoma; Marshall Faulk, San Diego State; Eric Dickerson, SMU; LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU; Earl Campbell, Texas; Marcus Allen, USC.
10. Doak Walker, SMU
No list of all-time great backs would be complete without the namesake of the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best rusher. The three-time All-American finished his career at SMU as one of the most decorated players of all time, winning the Maxwell Award in 1947 and Heisman Trophy in 1948. He was a precursor to today’s do-it-all backs, compiling 288 points, 2,076 rushing yards rushing, 1,786 passing yards, 454 receiving yards and 1,514 combined return yards on punts and kickoffs, all in 35 games played. Walker’s play was so mesmerizing that SMU moved its games to the Cotton Bowl in 1948 so more fans attend his games. “The House that Doak Built” twice added seats to handle the legions of fans who showed up to watch him play.
9. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
Several great backs have called Wisconsin home, but none was better than Dayne, who rumbled through the Big Ten in one of the most statistically dominant careers in college football history. He used his 5-10, 250-pound frame to plow through defenders, but he was also a patient back who could outrun defenders with a smooth gait in the open field. He broke onto the national landscape as a freshman in 1996 with 2,109 yards and 21 touchdowns. He broke the 2,000-yard mark again as a senior, making him only the second player ever to twice achieve that feat. The three-time first-team All-American left Wisconsin with 7,125 rushing yards and 71 rushing touchdowns, which rank first and sixth all-time, respectively. Regarding his rushing mark: Dayne not only is 599 yards ahead of next-leading rusher Tony Dorsett, but also the only player to have crossed the 7,000-yard plateau.
8. Charles White, USC
White, a Los Angeles native, was the perfect back for the high-powered USC teams of the late ‘70s. The two-time unanimous All-American led the country in all-purpose yards as a junior and senior (impressive, considering he shared a backfield with future Hall of Famer Marcus Allen). White only got better over his career, culminating in a 1979 season that saw him rush for 2,050 yards and 22 touchdowns. He saved his best performances for the biggest stage, helping USC to three Rose Bowl wins and becoming only the second player to twice win Rose Bowl Player of the Game honors. In his last collegiate game, White put up 247 rushing yards against Ohio State in “The Granddaddy of Them All,” including a 1-yard touchdown plunge that gave the Trojans a 17-16 win and preserved their perfect 12-0 season. That remains a single-game Rose Bowl record, a fitting testament to his greatness.
7. Jim Brown, Syracuse
In 2019 — 63 years after he last played a snap for Syracuse — people still sing modern players’ praises by saying, “He looks like Jim Brown.” But from 1954-56, no one in college football looked like Jim Brown. He weighed in at 6-2, 212 pounds (sizable even for modern running back standards) and overpowered teams with rushing totals such as 197, 162, 155, 154 and 151 yards. But he was more than just a powerful rusher; he possessed a natural athleticism that earned him 10 letters across four sports at Syracuse. That includes track, basketball and lacrosse, in which he was considered the nation’s best. His sensational blend of strength, speed and ability ensures Brown will always be listed as one of the sport’s greats, regardless of era.
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Other
Reaper drones make history, fly unescorted in and out of Syracuse airport (PS; Moriarty)
A new radar system is allowing the military’s unmanned MQ-9 Reaper attack drones to fly for the first time in and out of Syracuse Hancock International Airport without an escort from piloted chase planes.
It’s the first time that military drones have flown unescorted from a commercial airport in the United States.
The military’s newly installed ground-based “detect and avoid” radar allows Reapers from the New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing to safely and more effectively fly training missions from Syracuse, guard officials said.
“This radar system enhances the safety of the wing’s MQ-9 aircraft and helps prevent collisions with commercial air traffic,” Air National Guard Col. Michael Smith, 174th Attack Wing commander, said.
The system is the first of its kind for the military’s operations of Reapers and is a potential template for other commercial airports or military installations using remotely piloted aircraft, Smith said.
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Lumberjack Day celebrates the archetypal woodsman, the lumberjack. The day was created in 2005 by Marianne Ways and Colleen AF Venable as an excuse to eat pancakes and waffles with friends, and because International Talk Like a Pirate Day comes a week before it, and they wanted to celebrate a different character. Marianne thought it would be better to have a day to talk like a lumberjack as well. It has grown to be celebrated all around the country, with people getting dressed up in plaid shirts and wearing beards, and even having lumberjack parties. In 2013, the day also started being called National Pancake Day, which increased its popularity.
The term lumberjack was first mentioned in 1831 in Canada. Lumberjacks worked hard, long, and dangerous hours, and traveled to where they were needed, living in lumber camps. In their original form, they existed about a century, up until the time around World War II. They were known for using cross-cut saws and axes to clear lumber, in contrast to modern day loggers who use tools such as chainsaws, harvesters, and feller bunchers. Some characteristics that many lumberjacks had, hoped to have, or were seen as having, were pride in their work, resistance to technological transformation, competitiveness, strength, knowledge of the woods, and aggressiveness.
SU News
Syracuse defenders break down team’s turnover success (DO; Schafer)
The Syracuse secondary has a friendly wager amongst itself this year. With a $100 buy-in from each defensive back, the unit is out to see who will be the most disruptive in 2019.
They’re awarded points based on various defensive stats including turnovers. Forced fumbles, interceptions and scoring touchdowns bring in the most points while pass break-ups count for less.
It’s one sign that this year’s team is not only thinking about turnovers but producing them. In 2017, Syracuse finished tied for 115th out of Division I FBS 129 teams with 12 forced turnovers in 12 games played. The Orange’s shift to an influx of turnover production started the next season when SU tied for third in the country with 31 takeaways. Through four games, Syracuse (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) has caused 11 turnovers, tied for first in the nation, and has forced a turnover in 18 straight games, the third-longest active streak in the FBS.
“From a guy that’s on the offensive side of the football,” said Syracuse head coach Dino Babers, “to have a streak like that is really impressive.”
Last year, cornerback Chris Fredrick partially credited the uptick in takeaways to what he dubbed “turnover tape.” Defensive coordinator Brian Ward showed the defense a compilation of dropped interceptions, forced fumbles that weren’t scooped up and failed attempts to strip the ball.
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Syracuse’s Coleman adds artistic flair to pass-rushing duties (nny360.co; St Croix)
Kendall Coleman has redefined the term ‘sack artist,’ during his Syracuse University football career.
The senior defensive end has excelled as a rare four-year starting pass rusher for the Orange (2-2 overall, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) and is driven by his deep appreciation for the arts.
During the brief windows when Coleman isn’t on the practice field or weight room, in class, or studying film to gain an edge against opposing offenses, he finds balance by writing poetry or analyzing and appreciating film and music.
“It helps me to understand that I’m not just out here to play football, not just an athlete at the end of day, there are so many other aspects and angles to me,” Coleman said during a recent phone interview. “(Writing) allows me to sort of give that perspective to other people and show them who I am.”
Coleman will make his 36th career start when SU hosts Holy Cross (1-2) of the FCS at noon Saturday in the Carrier Dome for a nonconference game to be televised on the ACC Network.
The 6-foot-3 and 253-pound Indianapolis native has recorded 2.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss through his first four games, and leads all SU down linemen with 16 tackles. Coleman has recorded 105 career tackles, including 19 for loss and 13.5 career sacks, and his rate of 0.75 sacks per game since the start of 2018 ranks fifth in the nation.
Long before delivering masterful performances for the Orange — like establishing the program’s bowl record with three sacks during the 2018 Camping World Bowl victory over West Virginia to cap off SU’s first 10-win campaign in 17 seasons — Coleman developed a passion for writing and reading poetry, which was recently profiled on the SU athletics site.
Coleman said that he often jots down lines on his phone when inspiration strikes at seemingly routine moments during his busy, daily schedule as a student-athlete at a power-five program.
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Beat writers predict Syracuse to blow out Holy Cross (DO; Staff)
Syracuse (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) finally showed flashes of the team it was last season against Western Michigan last week, breaking out for 52 points and 545 yards of offense. Tommy DeVito had the best performance of his Syracuse career thus far, beating WMU both through the air and on the ground.
The Orange are home again at noon on Saturday versus FCS opponent Holy Cross (1-2). SU is currently a 38.5-point favorite over the Crusaders, who are coming off of a 23-10 loss to Yale last week.
Here’s what our beat writers predict will happen when Holy Cross visits the Carrier Dome on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Eric Black (3-1)
Crushedaders
Syracuse 55, Holy Cross 7
There’s a legitimate chance that Holy Cross, which has scored 30 points through three games against Navy, New Hampshire and Yale, fails to score at all on Saturday. But I’ll give the Crusaders the benefit of the doubt and expect a touchdown from them, only because at some point the Orange will take their starters out and play their backups. Even then, though, SU will dominate. After a game in which Syracuse’s offense finally played up to its potential, who knows what it could do versus a team that’s allowing nearly 300 rushing yards per game. I’ll be looking for DeVito to continue his success and more importantly play mistake-free football. Even though he didn’t turn the ball over last week there were still a couple of poor decisions he made that should’ve been picked off.
Andrew Graham (3-1)
‘A very good Holy Cross team’
Syracuse 66, Holy Cross 13
Holy Cross is, statistically, one of the worst teams in Division I college football — FBS or FCS — giving up 289 rushing yards per game and getting blown out by Navy, the only FBS opponent on its schedule to date. Their other two games? A 13-10 squeaker win against New Hampshire and a 13-point loss at Yale. I’ll put it this way: Syracuse scheduled a win this week. Dino Babers of course lauded his opponent at his weekly press conference. He said the fumbles that bounced SU’s way against Western Michigan could go the other way and, as is always true, an injury changes everything. But, we saw the Orange decimate Wagner last season and Holy Cross might be worse. SU should wipe the floor with Holy Cross, but Babers does make a good point. A banged up SU team should hope to leave this game with the same amount of healthy players it started with.
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Syracuse football's 2019 defense on a similar track to last year's edition - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Syracuse stands 2-2 on the season and both the offense and defense have had struggles through the first third of the schedule. The Orange offense, however, took some significant strides forward on Saturday against Western Michigan, rolling up 545 yards and posting 52 points. That defense, however, still allowed 557 yards and 33 points to a team from the MAC.
But is that defense that much worse than last year’s team?
Through its first four games, the SU defense is giving up over seven more points and 86 yards more per game than in the 2018 season. Over 56 of those extra yards per game are coming via the pass against the perceived strength of the defense, a pair of excellent pass-rushing defensive ends and a deep, experienced secondary.
But, what if we compare how the SU defense has performed thus far to last year’s defensive stats against similar opponents? For this, we’ll use the following comparisons:
2019 opponent/2018 opponent:
Liberty/Connecticut
Maryland/Notre Dame
Clemson/Clemson
Western Michigan/Western Michigan
There is no perfect comparison, but Maryland rolled up 63 points on Syracuse, so it seems reasonable that they can pass for Notre Dame, who was ranked #3 in the country when the two teams met last year. Besides, it also means we get to compare the Huskies’ football abilities to a team who officially became an FBS team this season.
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Syracuse has time to correct issues before ACC football play resumes (romesentinel.com; AP)
Syracuse is .500 after four games and after Saturday faces a two-week stretch to correct any issues before Atlantic Coast Conference play begins in earnest.
Orange coach Dino Babers knows it’s a work in progress.
“Saw some good, saw some bad,” Babers said Monday after a 52-33 home win against Western Michigan.
“Still continuing to grow. I think they got better.”
The Orange (2-2) host Championship Subdivision foe Holy Cross (1-2) on Saturday before going into a bye week.
Syracuse began the season with a 24-0 road win over Liberty and the victory on the weekend came after bad losses to Maryland and Clemson . Syracuse scored a combined 26 points in those games.
“Football is all about adversity and how you respond to it,” Babers said. “To be able to have those two losses and be able to come back this weekend, produce and hold our own, so to say, in the Dome, means a lot. It shows how much character we have in the room.”
The Broncos still put a lot of points on the board to continue a disturbing trend since the opener. In the past three games, the Orange defense has allowed 137 points and 1,819 yards — an average of 603.3 yards a game — and is ranked 124th nationally in total defense.
Still, Syracuse is tied for the top spot in the nation with 11 turnovers gained — six interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The Orange recovered three fumbles and intercepted a pass against Western Michigan to extend their streak of consecutive games with a takeaway to 18, the third-longest active streak in the Bowl Subdivision.
“I hope that we start getting more of the defense that we saw earlier in the year,” Babers said. “The one thing that our defense has been outstanding about is getting turnovers. As long as they keep giving us extra possessions, we’re going to have opportunities to win games as long as we’re efficient on offense.
“We have the type of defense that we feel like we can shut people down. We’ve got to get some of those scores a lot lower than they’ve been.”
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Beer, wine, spiked cider becoming popular at ACC stadiums :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Kurz; AP)
In North Carolina, legislation was passed to give public universities the same rights and options as private schools.
North Carolina State House Majority Leader John Bell and Sen. Rick Gunn, both Republicans, cited improving the fan experience at North Carolina and North Carolina State games and allowing schools to generate more revenue as factors in their bills, which were signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper in June. Wake Forest had been selling beer and wine since 2016 and Duke was selling it in suites.
Gunn told The Associated Press he thought it was unfair that fans in club suites had access to drinks while the general public did not.
"Why would they not be entitled to the same experience, even if they can't afford to be in a luxury box or premier seating?" Gunn asked.
At Virginia, two "beverage gardens" open 90 minutes before kickoff and adults of drinking age who wish to partake are given a wristband that allows them to buy two beers, glasses of wine or hard cider at a time, but only four on any given day. And they must remain within the beverage garden while consuming their drinks.
Athletic director Carla Williams said the decision to sell alcohol beverages at Virginia was the result of "survey feedback we received during and after the 2018 season" and was just one of several perceived fan experience improvements made. Adult beverage sales at Cavaliers home games stop at the end of the third quarter.
Florida State does something similar.
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Week 5 ACC football power poll (dailyprogress.com; Counts)
1. Clemson 4-0/2-0 (1)
No. 1 Clemson made light work of Charlotte last week and the starters hit the bench early. Two of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s seven completions went for touchdowns and three different running backs found the end zone on the ground. Next: at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
2. Virginia 4-0/2-0 (2)
The Cavaliers had to dig their way out of a 17-point hole to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2004, and Virginia’s defense continues to live up to the hype. The Wahoos posted six sacks and a pick-six in a 28-17 win over Old Dominion. A big test awaits this weekend in South Bend. Next: at No. 10 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
3. Wake Forest 4-0/0-0 (3)
Quarterback Jamie Newman threw five touchdown passes to four different receivers and Wake Forest rolled Elon, 49-7. Newman’s favorite targets were wide receivers Sage Surratt (8 catches, 112 yards, 2 TDs) and Scott Washington (9 catches, 141 yards, 2 TDs). Next: at Boston College, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
4. N.C. State 3-1/0-0 (5)
Quarterback Matthew McKay ran for two touchdowns, running back Ricky Person Jr. added one and the Wolfpack benefited from a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown while holding off a late push by Ball State. Next: at Florida State, 7:30 p.m., Saturday
5. Boston College 3-1/1-0 (4)
Rutgers trailed by just one at halftime, but Boston College outscored the Scarlet Knights 13-3 in the second half and won, 30-16. Quarterback Anthony Brown couldn’t find the end zone through the air, but he was one of three Eagles to score a rushing touchdown. AJ Dillon led the way with 32 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Next: vs. Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
6. North Carolina 2-2/1-0 (4)
Not far removed from wins over Miami and South Carolina, the Tar Heels watched Appalachian State block a field goal as time expired and hold on for a 34-31 upset. UNC freshman quarterback Sam Howell threw three touchdowns, but he was also intercepted twice and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Things don’t get any easier this weekend. Next: vs. Clemson, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
7. Miami 2-2/0-1 (7)
Miami had all kinds of trouble with Central Michigan and just held on for a 17-12 win. The Hurricanes’ offense managed just 51 rushing yards while the defense gave up just 31 and pounced on a pair of fumbles. Next: Bye
8. Virginia Tech 2-1/0-1 (8)
Coming out of a bye week, Virginia Tech’s defense will face the most talent-rich offense it has seen this season. Quentin Harris is just as comfortable in David Cutcliffe’s offense as Daniel Jones was, and he’s a better athlete. Deon Jackson is a big, physical runner and Harris has a steady target in receiver Aaron Young. Next: vs. Duke, 7 p.m., Friday
9. Duke 2-1/1-0 (9)
Also coming off a bye, Duke’s defense will try to repeat its six-sack performance from two weeks ago against Middle Tennessee, but Virginia Tech is a whole different beast. The Hokies’ running game hasn’t been producing much this season, but quarterback Ryan Willis is capable and he has some big-time targets in Tre Turner and Hezekiah Grimsley. Next: at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m., Friday
10. Syracuse 2-2/0-1 (10)
Syracuse found itself in a shootout last weekend with Western Michigan, but quarterback Tommy Devito threw four touchdown passes and ran for one in a 52-33 victory. Running back Moe Neal posted 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns and receiver Trishton Jackson caught six passes for 14 yards and two touchdowns. Next: vs. Holy Cross, noon, Saturday
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The ACC in SP+, Week 4: Don’t look at us, we’re horrible! (backingthepack.co; Muma)
This may be the most unwatchable that ACC football has been in a while—not simply because there is a lack of quality teams, but also because there is a lack of quality offenses. At least with some good offenses you get entertainment value even if the teams involved aren’t great overall.
But the ACC this season has exactly four offenses ranked in the top 50 in SP+, and one of them is Boston College, which does not run the most thrilling system in the world.
ACC Standings by SP+ Rating
| Team | Wk 4 SP+ Rtg (Rank) | SP+ Rank Change | Offense Rank | Defense Rank |
| Clemson | 29.3 (3) | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Miami | 12.1 (30) | -9 | 64 | 17 |
| Virginia | 8.9 (37) | -6 | 80 | 18 |
| Wake Forest | 7.1 (40) | 11 | 34 | 60 |
| NC State | 5.4 (48) | -5 | 65 | 46 |
| Virginia Tech | 4.3 (53) | -13 | 78 | 43 |
| Florida State | 3.2 (57) | -15 | 19 | 98 |
| Duke | 2.6 (60) | -5 | 66 | 55 |
| Pitt | 1.5 (62) | -3 | 111 | 26 |
| UNC | 0.4 (65) | -1 | 55 | 76 |
| Louisville | -0.6 (69) | -2 | 68 | 72 |
| Boston College | -1.4 (73) | -1 | 41 | 103 |
| Syracuse | -2.0 (75) | -9 | 74 | 77 |
| Georgia Tech | -7.1 (95) | -6 | 108 | 61 |
SP+ hated pretty much everybody’s performance in Week 4 to one degree or another, highlighted by Florida State’s topsy-turvy game against Louisville, which saw the Noles go up 21-0, give up 24 straight points, and eventually win by 11.
Wake Forest is playing better than anybody not named Clemson, and that’s beginning to show in SP+ as the data included from last year diminishes with every week and the results from this season gain greater weight.
As for NC State, the Wolfpack has reached a season-low in the ratings at 48th overall, which I believe is two spots below where the team began the year. The Pack had climbed as high as 30th earlier this season. But relative to everybody else in the league, this is not so bad! I mean, even week to week there are “hey this is not so bad” moments: if you thought that Ball State game was lackluster, how about Miami beating Central Michigan 17-12? What a comfort to be in this league!
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An 0-2 ACC start would be uncharted waters for Hokies (dailypress.com; Teel)
This is Virginia Tech’s 16th season of ACC football. The program spent the previous dozen years in the Big East. Never during that span has Tech lost its first two conference games of the season.
The 2019 Hokies (2-1, 0-1 ACC) have no reason to be aware of such history, but that nugget speaks to an urgency Justin Fuente’s team certainly feels entering Friday night’s home date with Duke.
Would an 0-2 league start eliminate Tech from the ACC Coastal Division race? Of course not. We’re talking about a collection of teams that seemingly revel in what Twitter calls #CoastalChaos.
How else to explain six different champions in the last six seasons? How else to explain the annual July futility of handicapping the division?
The most recent madness began in 2013, when Duke dropped its first two league games. Both were to division rivals — Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh — and both were at home. That’s a black hole, kids, and it was hardly unexpected from a program that hadn’t finished north of .500 in the ACC since 1994.
But the Blue Devils closed the conference season on a 6-0 binge, which included road victories over Virginia and Virginia Tech, to reach their first ACC championship game.
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Jalon Calhoun will look to build on his already stellar freshman campaign.
Under the Friday night lights, Duke football looks to take down Virginia Tech in ACC opener (dukechronicle.com; Smith)
Described as one of the best entrances in all of college football, when Virginia Tech fans begin jumping around to the tune of Enter Sandman, it will present quite the test for a young Duke squad facing its first ACC opponent of the season.
If the idea of commotion from metal bleachers, screaming fans and Metallica's guitars is going to phase the Blue Devils, they don't seem to show it right now.
There will no doubt be a raucous crowd on hand Friday night in Lane Stadium when Duke faces Virginia Tech in its conference opener at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The Blue Devils have won just two out of their last six ACC openers and have not beaten the Hokies since 2015.
“It will be loud for sure, but it’s nothing we haven’t dealt with," wide receiver Scott Bracey emphasized. "We started the season off playing Alabama in the Mercedes Benz Stadium. We just have to continue what we were doing then and make sure we’re communicating.”
Last week against Middle Tennessee, the Blue Devils were aided by a quick start which led to a 31-3 halftime lead. The Blue Raiders' crowd never got in the game and the score was never close. Duke will look for more of the same as it goes into its second consecutive hostile environment.
“You can’t count on [a fast start]," Cutcliffe explained. "Literally, you’re trying to attempt that. You talk about it as a staff. You plan what you’re trying to accomplish early offensively, early defensively and early in the kicking game. It’s critically important, but you can’t depend on it.”
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Sapakoff: Clemson’s 'organized chaos' makes for the happiest team in college football (postandcourier.com; Sapakoff)
for gbo
Lemanski Hall delivered the news every college walk-on wants to hear.
“Are you ready?” the Clemson defensive ends coach asked.
What do you think? Tristan Walliser started getting his hopes up early in the Tigers’ 52-10 victory over Charlotte on Saturday night at Death Valley. Earlier than that, truth be told. Last fall. Last spring. All summer.
A junior defensive end who didn’t play football at Clover High School — he played lacrosse instead — Walliser couldn’t help but notice the Clemson coaching staff emptying a crowded bench in an effort to get as many walk-ons as possible into the game.
“Yes, sir,” Walliser said.
Clemson is the happiest team in the sport, and not just because the Tigers are 4-0 and ranked No. 1 going into Saturday’s game at North Carolina.
Reason No. 2: They lead the world in players played. It was 111 total against Charlotte, enough to drive even a veteran coach nuts.
“Organized chaos,” head coach Dabo Swinney called it.
But, oh, the team spirit.
Though 111 is a Clemson record for participation (breaking the record of 94 against Louisville in 2018), it’s not surprising. The Tigers — with the combination of an elite team, focused starters, smart coaches and some soft opponents — are tops in the nation in average number of players per game: 72.5 (Georgia is second at 65.6, Florida third at 62.8).
You probably love this trend (unless you’re a fan of a rival team) if …
• You were a walk-on
• You deeply regret not walking on after that standout intramurals stint
• You got misty-eyed in “Rudy”
Clemson took the allotted 72 players to Syracuse and played 71 of them in a 41-6 win.
Third-team quarterback Taisun Phommachanh didn’t play at Syracuse but five — count ’em, five — quarterbacks played against Charlotte:
1. Trevor Lawrence, out before halftime.
2. Chase Brice, second-best quarterback in the ACC, Swinney insists.
3. Phommachanh, a freshman.
4. Walk-on Ben Batson.
5. And walk-on Patrick McClure, a redshirt sophomore from Irmo who tore an ACL last December while practicing inside AT&T Stadium in Dallas just before Clemson’s Cotton Bowl appearance.
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Syracuse Football: Dino Babers suggests Orange miss Chris Slayton (itlh; Esden Jr)
Syracuse football HC Dino Babers intimated this week that the Orange miss the impact of Chris Slayton. Here are all the details and the full quote.
Dino Babers has been adamant since the offseason that the strength of the 2019 Syracuse football squad will be its defense.
So far this season the results have been mixed.
One thing that seemed to be a guarantee was the production of the Orange’s two studs Kendall Coleman and Alton Robinson.
They’re the top returning sack duo from the ACC in 2018 and both are heralded as future NFL players. Despite the production and the pedigree, they just haven’t made the impact we all expected so far this season.
Why is that?
Orange head coach Dino Babers shared his best guess this week during his press conference and even hinted at missing the impact of former Orange star Chris Slayton:
“I think we’ve blitzed a bit this season and that has affected Alton and Kendall’s numbers. Sometimes you can get a coverage sack and allow all of our defenders to have a bit more time to get to the passer. Very seldom does one really good player just beat another. If you know who the good guys are then you know who to double team or chip. What we need to do is get a little bit more push up the middle, which we aren’t getting, if we can get that pressure to reset the pocket, I think we could be really productive from the edge.”
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Bowl Watch Week 5: Survive and Advance streakuingthelawn.com; Trogdon)
The Virginia Cavaliers flirted with disaster in Week 4, falling behind the Old Dominion Monarchs 17-0 before rallying on the back of a stellar defensive effort. The Hoos enter Week 5 ranked 18th in the country and in the pole position for a top ACC bowl game. But Saturday’s scare against the lightly-regarded Monarchs showed just how thin UVA’s margin is.
This weekend provides a much stiffer test. Notre Dame is the best team Virginia will face all season unless it makes the ACC title game. The Irish can still make the College Football Playoff if they run the table...and the Cavaliers might be the toughest obstacle in their way.
Virginia will step onto a huge stage on Saturday in South Bend. If it wins, it could well find itself back on another big stage when bowl season comes around.
Let’s dive in.
How Virginia Stacks Up
Virginia’s Sagarin ranking dropped for the second week in a row. Once ranked as high as 22nd, UVA has seen its star fall a bit with a couple of closer-than-expected victories. The Hoos now rank above six of their remaining eight opponents.
It’s interesting to note that UVA also ranks higher than Pitt, which they beat by two touchdowns in Week 1.
11 – @ Notre Dame
29 – @ Miami (down from 20)
36 – @ Pittsburgh WIN (up from 42)
37 – Virginia (down from 28)
44 – Florida State WIN (down from 32)
47 – @ North Carolina (down from 39)
51 – Duke
69 – Virginia Tech (up from 85)
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2019 UVA/ND Preview (RX; HM)
2019 UVA/ND Preview
Saturday, September 28th, 3:30 p.m. on NBC
#18 Virginia (4-0, 2-0 ACC) at #10 Notre Dame (2-1)
Notre Dame leads series, 2-0
Last meeting: UND, 34-27 (2015)
Head Coaches:
Notes:
- Virginia makes its first-ever trip to Notre Dame on Saturday for the 3rd all-time meeting against the
- Fighting Irish
- The teams last met in September of 2015 at the Cavaliers’ Scott Stadium, where the Fighting Irish stunned the Cavaliers on QB DeShone Kizer’s 39-yard strike to WR Will Fuller for the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds remaining on the clock
- The 2015 game was the first meeting between the programs since Notre Dame’s 36-13 win before a Giants Stadium college game record crowd of 77,323 in the 1989 Kickoff Classic
- This Saturday’s game is the second of the five games versus ACC teams on Notre Dame’s 2019 schedule
- The Fighting Irish turned back Louisville 35-17 in the season opener on Sept. 2
- Notre Dame will play host to Virginia Tech on Nov. 2, travel to Duke on Nov. 9 and welcome Boston College to South Bend on Nov. 23
- The Irish have a return trip to Virginia slated for Nov. 13, 2021
Ranked Upset Wins, 2013-Present (RX; HM)
Ranked Upset Wins, 2013-Present
I've tried to compile a list of the times when unranked ACC teams upset ranked non-conference opponents (2013-present). There were plenty of games when both teams were ranked, and there were some games where the opponent was ranked at some point during the season - but not when they played the ACC team. Here are the upset wins I was able to find (there aren't many - if you know of one I missed, please leave me a comment!):
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JHowell's Picks for 2019 Week 5 (RX; HM)
JHowell's Picks for 2019 Week 5
Below are [JHowell.net's] projections for the [ACC] football games of [Week 5]. Games against non-IA teams are excluded [Sorry Pitt and Syracuse]. The favorite is listed first with the projected margin of victory (i.e., the line) in parenthesis. 'TP' represents the total number of points expected to be scored in the game and 'Odds' represents the odds of the favorite winning straight-up (not against-the-spread).
Friday, September 27, 2019
#51-Virginia Tech (-1.5) vs. #44-Duke (TP=54 Odds=.518)
Saturday, September 28, 2019
#1-Clemson (-33) @ #73-North Carolina (TP=54 Odds=.900)
#11-Notre Dame (-11) vs. #27-Virginia (TP=52 Odds=.657)
#26-Wake Forest (-3) @ #46-Boston College (TP=58 Odds=.540)
#31-N C State (-1) @ #48-Florida State (TP=59 Odds=.515)
#60-Temple (-5.5) vs. #76-Georgia Tech (TP=52 Odds=.583)
OBSERVATIONS:
According to this, the closest games should be Duke/VT (Friday night) and NC State/Florida State (Saturday night). The only blowout projected is Clemson over UNC. The only ACC non-conference loss projected is Georgia Tech at Temple.
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ACC Semifinalists Named for 2019 Campbell Trophy (RX; HM)
ACC Semifinalists Named for 2019 Campbell Trophy
OFFICIAL ACC RELEASE:
Six From ACC Named Semifinalists for 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Six student-athletes from the Atlantic Coast Conference have been named semifinalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, announced Wednesday by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). Celebrating its 30th year in 2019, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Representing the ACC are Clemson center Sean Pollard, Duke quarterback Quentin Harris, Miami wide receiver K.J. Osborn, Pitt tight end Jim Medure, Virginia linebacker Jordan Mack and Wake Forest running back Cade Carney.
An ACC player has won the Campbell Trophy each of the last two seasons and three of the last five. Previous Campbell Trophy winners from current ACC schools include Clemson's Christian Wilkins in 2018, Virginia’s Micah Kiser in 2017, Duke’s David Helton in 2014, Miami’s Joaquin Gonzalez in 2001 and Virginia’s Thomas Burns in 1993.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 30, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 30th Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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ACCN on ATT (unofficially) - 9/25/19 (RX; HM)
ACCN on ATT (unofficially) - 9/25/19
From AwfulAnnouncing: ACC Network is now available on AT&T U-verse and AT&T TV Now...
...leaving Comcast as the last big holdout. Another ACC Network holdout bites the dust.
I'm not sure exactly what's going on with this AT&T U-verse contract negotiation, but what I can tell you is that I'm being told the ACC Network can now be accessed on U-verse channels 610 and 1610.
From the above article:
By their estimate, this makes the ACCN available to approximately 57 million customers; the number who will actually receive it is somewhat less. More on this later.
College Football 2019: Week 5 TV schedule (dailygazette.com; Schott)
Week 5 of the college football season kicks off Thursday with two games.
I apologize for not posting the Week 4 schedule last week. Between getting home from Philadelphia that Monday, preparing material for "The Parting Schotts Podcast" and taking care of the newest member of the Schott family, Harper the puppy, time got away from me.
Syracuse is back on ACC Network on Saturday when it hosts Holy Cross.
Announcers, in order of play-by-play announcer, analyst and sideline reporter, are in parentheses.
THURSDAY
ESPNU -- Delaware State at North Carolina A&T, 7:30 p.m. (Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker).
ESPN -- Navy at Memphis, 8 p.m. (Adam Amin, Matt Hasselbeck/Pat McAfee, Molly McGrath)
FRIDAY
ESPN -- Duke at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. (Dave LaMont, Gene Chizik, Dr. Jerry Punch); Arizona State at California, 10:30 p.m. (Dave Flemming, Louis Riddick, Paul Carcaterra).
ESPNEWS -- Brown at Harvard, 7 p.m. (Bill Spaulding, Jack Ford).
FS1 -- Penn State at Maryland, 8 p.m. (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Coley Harvey).
CBS Sports Network -- San Jose State at Air Force, 8 p.m. (John Sadak, Randy Cross).
SATURDAY
ABC10 (WTEN) -- Northwestern at Wisconsin, noon (Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, Allison Williams); Clemson at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill); Ohio State at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor).
FOX23 (WXXA) -- Texas Tech at Oklahoma, noon (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft); USC at Washington, 3:30 p.m. (Joe Davis, Brock Huard, Bruce Feldman).
ESPN -- Texas A&M vs. Arkansas, noon (Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Olivia Dekker); Iowa State at Baylor, 3:30 p.m. (Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay/Molly McGrath); Mississippi State at Auburn, 7 p.m. (Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe); UCLA at Arizona, 10:30 p.m. (Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman).
ESPN2 -- Middle Tennessee at Iowa, noon (Kevin Brown, Andre Ware);Minnesota at Purdue, 3:30 p.m. (Marc Kestecher, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich); UConn at UCF, 7 p.m. Roy Philpott, Kelly Stouffer, Lauren Sisler); Hawaii at Nevada, 10:30 p.m. (Clay Matvick, Ryan Leaf).
FS1 -- Kansas at TCU, noon Brian Custer, Robert Smith); Washington State at Utah, 10 p.m. (Justin Kutcher, Petros Papadakis, Shane Vereen).
ESPNU -- Buffalo at Miami (Ohio), noon (Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison); SMU at South Florida, 4 p.m. (Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Kris Budden); UNLV at Wyoming, 8 p.m. (Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia).
CBS Sports Network -- Central Michigan at Western Michigan, noon (Jason Horowitz, Danny Kanell); Georgia Tech at Temple, 3:30 p.m. (Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, Angel Gray); Colorado State at Utah State, 7:30 p.m. (Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell).
ACC Network -- Holy Cross at Syracuse, noon (Wes Durham, Roddy Jones, Eric Wood); Wake Forest at Boston College, 3:30 p.m. (Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Kelsey Riggs); N.C. State at Florida State, 7:30 p.m. (Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, Lericia Harris).
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Justin Pugh: Offensive Line Play Has Always Been Misunderstood (azcardinals.com; Urban)
Justin Pugh knew how it would sound, and he plunged ahead anyway. A minute or two into his interview session with a scrum of media Wednesday, Pugh moved into a matter-of-fact-yet-impassioned defense of offensive line play in general and the difficulty in outsiders to decipher what is always going on. Here are his words:
On the Cardinals and their run game:
"Everyone wants to blame the offensive line and it's really 11 guys out there playing football. We all play a part. Does the offensive line have to do better? 100 percent. When you get down in games ... you have to call passes. It's the nature of it. If you want to win games, you have to throw the ball."
Is the offensive line unfairly blamed?:
"I've been in the NFL for seven years and every year -- and I've been on two teams -- the offensive line is always (called) the problem. What happens, it's a position where no one knows enough about it. I read things online, thinking what qualifies (this person)? Anyone in here know a lot about offensive line? Could you sit in an offensive line room and have a legitimate conversation about offensive line play?"
At this point, ABC-15 reporter Craig Fouhy, who coached football for 20 years, including the college level, raises his hand.
"OK, so we have one person out of everybody. So now magnify that by (Pugh pauses) ... America. Tell me how many people in America can have a legitimate conversation. I look sometimes at what people say. They have no idea about offensive line play. I watch Syracuse football (his alma mater) and I see them bash the offensive line when I know the running back failed the pick up and they blame the offensive line anyway.
"I'm going to keep fighting for offensive linemen. I know it's a misunderstood position. I know we're going to catch the brunt of it and I know if we run the ball well, we're going to be the best offensive line in football. It's how those things go."
What about the grades from Pro Football Focus?:
"Here's the thing: If I say something bad about Pro Football Focus, it's going to affect my rating next week. I'm going to say it anyway. They don't know scheme. Granted they do a good job of what they know, saying typically this is what is supposed to happen on this play. But at the end of the day, if we run a misdirection, and we do things in our offense that not a lot of teams do, Pro Football Focus has no idea. I may be bluffing a guy on a play and it looks like I give up a pressure but really I'm bluffing a guy because we are running a reverse or the play is supposed to cut back. Yes and no, it helps to a degree, a site like that. ... They do as good a job as they can, and they have a lot of great football minds over there, and I'm trying to help myself out now, hyping them back up.
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CFB 150: Top 10 running backs in college football history (sportsnews.com; Al-Khateeb)
What makes a great running back?
Regardless of how you measure that — whether it’s by combination of size, speed and natural ability, plays made, accolades earned, records broken or titles won — one thing is certain: You’ll know one once you’ve seen them.
So it is with this collection of individuals: players so celebrated, they kept deserving greats such as Adrian Peterson, Earl Campbell, Marcus Allen and Red Grange off our list, the fifth in a series celebrating college football's 150-year history.
It’s an imperfect science, but these backs impacted their teams and college football in such a way that they can’t be ignored. With that, Sporting News presents its list of college football's top 10 running backs of all time:
Honorable mentions
Jim Thorpe, Carlisle; Red Grange, Illinois; Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma; Billy Sims, Oklahoma; Marshall Faulk, San Diego State; Eric Dickerson, SMU; LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU; Earl Campbell, Texas; Marcus Allen, USC.
10. Doak Walker, SMU
No list of all-time great backs would be complete without the namesake of the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation’s best rusher. The three-time All-American finished his career at SMU as one of the most decorated players of all time, winning the Maxwell Award in 1947 and Heisman Trophy in 1948. He was a precursor to today’s do-it-all backs, compiling 288 points, 2,076 rushing yards rushing, 1,786 passing yards, 454 receiving yards and 1,514 combined return yards on punts and kickoffs, all in 35 games played. Walker’s play was so mesmerizing that SMU moved its games to the Cotton Bowl in 1948 so more fans attend his games. “The House that Doak Built” twice added seats to handle the legions of fans who showed up to watch him play.
9. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
Several great backs have called Wisconsin home, but none was better than Dayne, who rumbled through the Big Ten in one of the most statistically dominant careers in college football history. He used his 5-10, 250-pound frame to plow through defenders, but he was also a patient back who could outrun defenders with a smooth gait in the open field. He broke onto the national landscape as a freshman in 1996 with 2,109 yards and 21 touchdowns. He broke the 2,000-yard mark again as a senior, making him only the second player ever to twice achieve that feat. The three-time first-team All-American left Wisconsin with 7,125 rushing yards and 71 rushing touchdowns, which rank first and sixth all-time, respectively. Regarding his rushing mark: Dayne not only is 599 yards ahead of next-leading rusher Tony Dorsett, but also the only player to have crossed the 7,000-yard plateau.
8. Charles White, USC
White, a Los Angeles native, was the perfect back for the high-powered USC teams of the late ‘70s. The two-time unanimous All-American led the country in all-purpose yards as a junior and senior (impressive, considering he shared a backfield with future Hall of Famer Marcus Allen). White only got better over his career, culminating in a 1979 season that saw him rush for 2,050 yards and 22 touchdowns. He saved his best performances for the biggest stage, helping USC to three Rose Bowl wins and becoming only the second player to twice win Rose Bowl Player of the Game honors. In his last collegiate game, White put up 247 rushing yards against Ohio State in “The Granddaddy of Them All,” including a 1-yard touchdown plunge that gave the Trojans a 17-16 win and preserved their perfect 12-0 season. That remains a single-game Rose Bowl record, a fitting testament to his greatness.
7. Jim Brown, Syracuse
In 2019 — 63 years after he last played a snap for Syracuse — people still sing modern players’ praises by saying, “He looks like Jim Brown.” But from 1954-56, no one in college football looked like Jim Brown. He weighed in at 6-2, 212 pounds (sizable even for modern running back standards) and overpowered teams with rushing totals such as 197, 162, 155, 154 and 151 yards. But he was more than just a powerful rusher; he possessed a natural athleticism that earned him 10 letters across four sports at Syracuse. That includes track, basketball and lacrosse, in which he was considered the nation’s best. His sensational blend of strength, speed and ability ensures Brown will always be listed as one of the sport’s greats, regardless of era.
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Other
Reaper drones make history, fly unescorted in and out of Syracuse airport (PS; Moriarty)
A new radar system is allowing the military’s unmanned MQ-9 Reaper attack drones to fly for the first time in and out of Syracuse Hancock International Airport without an escort from piloted chase planes.
It’s the first time that military drones have flown unescorted from a commercial airport in the United States.
The military’s newly installed ground-based “detect and avoid” radar allows Reapers from the New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing to safely and more effectively fly training missions from Syracuse, guard officials said.
“This radar system enhances the safety of the wing’s MQ-9 aircraft and helps prevent collisions with commercial air traffic,” Air National Guard Col. Michael Smith, 174th Attack Wing commander, said.
The system is the first of its kind for the military’s operations of Reapers and is a potential template for other commercial airports or military installations using remotely piloted aircraft, Smith said.
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