sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Leif Erikson Day is an annual holiday honoring Norse explorer and Viking Leif Erikson, the man who is believed to have led the first Europeans to continental North America, shortly after 1000 CE, centuries before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The holiday takes place on October 9—not on the anniversary of a date related to Erikson, but on the anniversary of the arrival of the Restauration to New York City from Stavanger, Norway, in 1825. This ship marked the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States.
In 1874, Rasmus Anderson published America Not Discovered by Columbus, which raised the popularity of the idea that the Vikings were the first Europeans to set foot on continental North America. Nordic Americans began celebrating Erikson around this time. Acknowledgment of Erikson was brought to the national level when President Calvin Coolidge appeared at the Norse-American Centennial in 1925, and credited Leif Erikson as the first European to have discovered America.
SU News
Syracuse vs. NC State Football Prediction and Preview (athlonsports.com; Ferguson)
Orange, Wolfpack aim for first ACC win in Thursday night battle
Teams that combined for 19 wins a season ago will each look for their first ACC victory on Thursday night as NC State plays host to Syracuse. Neither team has defeated a Power 5 opponent yet this year.
The Orange (3-2, 0-1 ACC) have won back-to-back games over Western Michigan and FCS opponent Holy Cross after getting blown out by Maryland and Clemson. After a 10-win season last year, Dino Babers' team will try to get back on track after a slow start.
NC State (3-2, 0-1) is coming off a 31-13 loss at Florida State in its ACC opener and had last week off. The Wolfpack hold a 10-2 edge against Syracuse and had won four straight in the series prior to last season's 51-41 shootout victory for the Orange in the Carrier Dome. NC State hasn't started 0-2 in conference play since 2015.
Syracuse at NC State
Kickoff: Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: NC State -4.5
When Syracuse Has the Ball
Eric Dungey and Jamal Custis are proving to be hard to replace this season for the Syracuse offense. The Orange currently rank 11th in the ACC at just under 386 yards of offense per game, but most of the damage has been done against lesser competition.
Quarterback Tommy DeVito has 12 total touchdowns compared to five interceptions this season, but nine of those touchdowns have come in the last two games. DeVito did play well in the loss at Maryland and will be on the road for the first time as a starter in ACC play.
Senior running back Moe Neal and junior wide receiver Trishton Jackson have combined for eight of the Orange’s 18 offensive touchdowns this season. The Syracuse offensive line has given up 18 sacks so far this season. As a team, the Orange are averaging just 3.4 yards per rush.
NC State currently ranks fifth in the ACC in total defense and second in scoring defense, but against Power 5 competition this year, the Wolfpack are giving up 37.5 points per game and are surrendering a lot of big plays in the passing game.
The heart and soul for NC State up front is defensive tackle Larrell Murchison. Murchison leads the team with five sacks this season, which ranks third in the ACC. The Wolfpack are not great at linebacker, but they do have some capable defenders in the secondary. Sophomore safety Tanner Ingle leads the team with 34 total tackles this season and a forced fumble. The best cover man for NC State is junior cornerback Chris Ingram, who has a team-high two interceptions this season. In its two losses this season, NC State has given up an average of 294 yards through the air.
When NC State Has the Ball
After being inserted into the lineup for Matthew McKay against his former school last time out, sophomore Bailey Hockman is set to make his first career start for NC State on Thursday night. The lefty from Georgia passed for 208 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Florida State in the Wolfpack's last outing.
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Syracuse Football: Orange going ‘spooky’ with uniforms in Week 7 (itlh; Lee)
Syracuse football will show the nation Orange in a Thursday night national broadcast. The Orange take the field vs North Carolina State in an ACC matchup.
Syracuse football is coming out hot in a huge matchup against North Carolina State on national television Thursday night.
On Monday, through their Twitter account (@CuseFootball), posted a video announcing they are going to be dawning Orange head to toe with matching helmet, jersey, pants combination.
Going all-in on the “spooky SZN,” theme; the video Syracuse posted was a Halloween themed treat with nods to the original film of the same name.
This will be the first time this season SU has gone all orange and the second combination, with white being the first at Maryland, that they have completely dawned in a game this year. Even though this is the first time we have gotten all orange, none of the pieces individually have been neglected this year.
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All Eyes on Syracuse Running Back Moe Neal – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Hoppe)
The stage is set for Syracuse’s Thursday Night matchup with NC State. Both teams are 3-2 and haven’t played since Sep. 28. As SU head coach Dino Babers said in his Monday press conference, this is a swing game for both teams.
This week, the key for Syracuse seems pretty simple: get the ground game going. More specifically, get senior running back Moe Neal in a groove early. That will be a tall task against a stout Wolfpack defense. Through five games, NC State is the eighth best team in the country against the run. That’s impressive.
Why isolate Neal in this situation? Well, two things. First, he’s the main workhorse for the Orange. It’s been that way since the opening bell in Lynchburg, VA. Second, he’s playing one of his final collegiate games in his home state of North Carolina. Neal grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Just last week, the fourth-year back became the 23rd Orange player to reach 2,000 yards on the ground.
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NC State Preview, Does SU's Season Hinge On Thursday Game? (Syracuse Football Podcast Ep. 10) Syracuse.com Sports Podcasts podcast (player.fm; podcast; Whigham & Bailey)
Stephen Bailey and Julian Whigham break down what might be the most important game of Syracuse's 2019 season. The Orange travels to Raleigh, N.C., to face another 3-2 ACC Atlantic Division program in NC State on Thursday at 8 p.m. Both programs have question marks in the offensive backfield with SU quarterback Tommy DeVito playing hurt behind a susceptible offensive line, and the Wolfpack switching quarterbacks to redshirt sophomore Bailey Hockman. Cory Smith of Pack Pride joins the show to discuss NCSU's QB and injury situations -- as well as where traveling Orange fans should go for barbecue.
SU Football Team Trending Upwards (spectrumlocalnews.com; video; Callaway)
After winning a pair of games before the Bye Week, Cuse is feeling more confident. SU will play at NC State on Thursday night at 8PM on ESPN.
5 Questions: NC State vs. Syracuse (247sports.com; Clark)
1. How will redshirt sophomore quarterback Bailey Hockman perform in his first start?
After replacing Matt McKay against Florida State, Hockman completed 21-of-40 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. He did some good things, but there's also multiple areas where he must improve.
With that said, Hockman was put into a tough spot -- primetime game, on the road in hostile environment and against his old school -- but he showed poise, toughness and willingness to stand in the pocket.
One of the biggest reasons for the quarterback change was Matt McKay's inability to complete downfield passes. Thus, the hope is Hockman can jump-start a passing game that doesn't have a play over 40 yards since Week 1 against a banged up, vulnerable Syracuse secondary. Redshirt freshman Devin Leary's also expected to get some snaps.
2. Can the Wolfpack cut down on penalties?
This was one of the questions prior to the FSU game and the Pack was penalized eight times for 57 yards against the Seminoles. That brought State's total number of penalties to 26 in the last three games. State's not good enough to overcome that many self-inflected wounds, especially in ACC play.
So with only conference opponents the rest of the way, the Wolfpack, which has lost two of its last three games, must be more disciplined.
3. Will State improve on third down?
It's been an issue all season and plagued the Wolfpack in Tallahassee. Against the Seminoles, State was 4-of-16 (25 percent) and that's not going to get it done. For the season, the Pack is converting 37.7 percent of its third downs, which ranks 83rd in FBS.
Going forward, State's has to be more consistent on offense. It must be able to run and throw the football. The Wolfpack also has to do a better job of being more efficient on first and second down, which will lead to more third and shorts. And when it's third and short, State must get better push in trenches -- and convert.
4. Can the Wolfpack play better in the secondary?
After two good performances against sub-par competition, State's allowed an average of 307 yards per game through the air in the past three games.
The loss of senior cornerback Nick McCloud made a big impact and news came yesterday backup corner Taiyon Palmer is out for the year with a knee injury.
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Bailey Hockman discusses Thursday night match up with Syracuse (cbssports.com; video)
NC State quarterback Bailey Hockman spoke with the media about the Wolfpack's upcoming ACC battle with Syracuse
Jordan Houston on Syracuse, elevated work load (cbssports.com; video)
NC State running back Jordan Houston spoke about Thursday night's match up with Syracuse.
Emeka Emezie on upcoming Syracuse game (cb ssports.com; video)
NC State wide receiver Emeka Emezie spoke with the media about the Wolfpack's upcoming ACC battle with Syracuse
Former Syracuse football WR Ervin Philips to enter XFL Draft (PS; Burrows)
A second former Syracuse football player has decided to enter the XFL Draft pool.
Former Orange wide receiver Ervin Philips was among the latest group of names released by the XFL on Tuesday. Former Syracuse OT Sean Hickey was announced as part of the draft pool on Monday.
Philips played for the Orange from 2014 to 2017, starting as a running back and later switching to wide receiver.
Philips started 34 games –– including 30 straight –– and finished as the Orange’s all-time leader in receptions with 223. The 5-foot-11 receiver is just one of two players in ACC history to catch 85 passes or more in a season twice.
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ACC Football Power Rankings, Week 7: Pitt making serious noise (saturdayblitz.com; Pryor)
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11 SYRACUSE ORANGE 3-2, 0-1 Last Week: 11
Exemplars of outstanding work are always a positive for any situation, but sometimes an example of what not to do is the most powerful tool you can have. In the case of the Syracuse Orange, watching the Miami Hurricanes serves as a powerful example of what not to do after a bye week.
They won’t have the advantage of being at home after their bye, but they are taking on an NC State — also coming off a bye — team that seems to have some issues at quarterback, and the Orange need to prove they can beat a Power Five team.
10 MIAMI HURRICANES 2-3, 0-2 Last Week: 7
The Hurricanes are young and inexperienced. They are starting three freshmen at key positions on offense. First-year head coach Manny Diaz shut down practice during their bye week because of how poorly they were performing. All understandable; young players make young mistakes. However, the Hurricanes came out flatter than five-day old Dr. Pepper against Virginia Tech. The same Tech team that laid down and died against Duke the week before. Respect the comeback they made, but it would have been moot if they wouldn’t have dug that first half hole. Those three freshmen offensive starters? Quarterback, guard and tackle. Good luck against Virginia this weekend.
9 NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK 3-2, 0-1 Last Week: 10
One major change happening in Raleigh is the starting quarterback. Freshman starter Matthew McKay has been demoted to third string and sophomore quarterback Bailey Hockman will start at quarterback against the Orange with freshman Devin Leary backing him up. Syracuse and its abysmal defense could be just what the doctor ordered for Dave Doeren and his offensive staff to get the quarterback position together.
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King of the Hill: ACC Football Power Rankings (Week 6) (cardiachill.com; Whaley)
Here’s how I rank the conference teams based on what we’ve seen so far. Number in parentheses is the team’s ranking last week.
- (1) Clemson (5-0) - Bye
- (2) Virginia (4-1) - Bye
- (4) Pitt (4-2) - 33-30 win over Duke
- (3) Wake Forest (5-0) - Bye
- (5) Florida State (3-2) - Bye
- (8) Louisville (3-2) - 41-39 win over Boston College
- (7) North Carolina (3-3) - Defeated Georgia Tech, 38-22
- (6) Duke (3-2) - Lost to Pitt
- (10) Syracuse (3-2) - Bye
- (11) Boston College (3-3) - Lost to Louisville
- (13) Virginia Tech (3-2) - Defeated Miami, 42-35
- (9) Miami (2-3) - Lost to Virginia Tech
- (12) North Carolina State (3-2) - Bye
- (14) Georgia Tech (1-4) - Lost to North Carolina
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BSD Staff Week 6 ACC Power Rankings (BSD; Staff)
Composite ACC Power Rankings
1) Clemson (5-0, 3-0)
Average Ranking: 1
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: 1
Last week: 1 (No Change)
2) Wake Forest (5-0, 1-0)
Average Ranking: 2.2
Highest Ranking: 2
Lowest Ranking: 3
Last Week: 2 (No Change)
3) Virginia (4-1, 2-0)
Average Ranking: 2.8
Highest Ranking: 2
Lowest Ranking: 3
Last Week: 3 (No Change)
4) Florida State (3-2, 2-1)
Average Ranking: 4.6
Highest Ranking: 4
Lowest Ranking: 7
Last Week: 5 (Up One Spot)
5) North Carolina (3-3, 2-1)
Average Ranking: 5.3
Highest Ranking: 5
Lowest Ranking: 7
Last Week: 6 (Up One Spot)
6) Pittsburgh (4-2, 1-1)
Average Ranking: 5.5
Highest Ranking: 4
Lowest Ranking: 8
Last Week: 8 (Up Two Spots)
7) Duke (3-2, 1-1)
Average Ranking: 7.8
Highest Ranking: 6
Lowest Ranking: 13
Last Week: 4 (Down Three Spots)
8) Syracuse (3-2, 0-1)
Average Ranking: 8.8
Highest Ranking: 8
Lowest Ranking: 9
Last Week: 9 (Up One Spot)
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The ACC in SP+, Week 7: Sure everyone stinks, but they stink in fun, dumb ways! (backingthepack.com; Muma)
A big chunk of the league was on bye, but the teams that were in action packed as much stupid as possible into their games in order to help compensate. This is always appreciated. At least when I’m an impartial observer to the lot of it.
Miami out-gained Virginia Tech by 226 yards and lost 42-35, and how did Miami do this? By turning the ball over four times in the first quarter, which allowed the Hokies to build a 28-0 lead. Miami is dumb as hell, and its offensive line stinks, and somehow this is theoretically the second-best team in the ACC.
I dare say SP+ is wrong on that count.
ACC Standings by SP+ Rating
TeamWk 7 SP+ Rtg (Rank)SP+ Rank ChangeOffense RankDefense Rank
| Clemson | 24.2 (8) | -2 | 15 | 10 |
| Miami | 11.2 (32) | -1 | 47 | 31 |
| Virginia | 7.6 (40) | 2 | 85 | 23 |
| Florida State | 5.5 (45) | 2 | 22 | 78 |
| Duke | 5.2 (46) | -2 | 73 | 41 |
| Wake Forest | 4.7 (51) | 2 | 43 | 71 |
| Pitt | 3.2 (57) | 2 | 112 | 15 |
| NC State | 3.1 (58) | -3 | 81 | 43 |
| UNC | 2.8 (61) | -1 | 44 | 75 |
| Louisville | 2.8 (62) | 8 | 35 | 86 |
| Syracuse | 0.9 (65) | 0 | 71 | 65 |
| Boston College | -0.9 (74) | 0 | 31 | 102 |
Why FSU Football will beat the Clemson Tigers – in 2020 season (chopchat.com; Parker)
for gbo
FSU Football may be at risk of losing their fifth straight game to their ACC rivals this Saturday, but we guarantee their is no way it gets to six straight.
It has been the annual game that, for the last 10 seasons, as decided the ACC Atlantic Division – and for the last eight seasons, the winner of the annual game between FSU football and the Clemson Tigers has gone on to win the conference title game with three national titles being won by the teams over that span.
It’s also a series that has been dominated by the men in orange and purple the last four seasons, including a 2016 controversial victory when the Seminoles were called for a “questionable” penalty and a blowout win last season during the first losing season for the Noles in over four decades of play.
While this season’s game, at least we hope, should be a lot closer than the 49 point loss FSU football suffered last season we can guarantee that it is not going to take place when the teams meet during the 2020 season inside of Doak Campbell Stadium – yes, I said that the Seminoles are guaranteed to beat the Tigers next season.
While some people might say I’m crazy for making a bold statement like that, the reason why is quite simple and has everything to do with recent history between the programs involving the best college football team ever – the 2013 Seminoles.
That season, the Noles went into Clemson and left with a shocking blowout win on their way to the national title – a win similar to what the Tigers did last season when they shocked everyone with how easy they destroyed FSU football on their way to a national title with maybe their best team ever.
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Louisville football tasked with slowing down an efficient, unique Wake Forest offense (C-J; Robinson)
Wake Forest is in the midst of its best season under coach Dave Clawson and its offense has been key to that success.
The Demon Deacons (5-0, 1-0) are one of just four teams that are ranked in the top-40 in rushing offense nationally and top-20 in passing offense. It’s an offense that is based on a lot of read-pass-option plays, meant to confuse the defense.
"The way they run their offense, I don’t know that anybody else in the country is doing it. The way they run their zone read is extremely slow,” Louisville coach Scott Satterfield said. "The quarterback is walking up the ball with the running back and putting the ball in the pocket of the running back."
More Cards coverage: Micale Cunningham healthy after injury for Louisville, Jawon Pass still day-to-day
The offense is led by standout quarterback Jamie Newman. The redshirt junior, who has thrown for 1,521 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions, is leading the ACC in passing efficiency and yards per game. He’s also a 6-foot, 4-inch, 230-pound quarterback that has some mobility. He’s second on the team in rushing yards with 262 yards and leads the team with three touchdowns.
Outside of his physical attributes, Satterfield said it’s his decision making that is key to Wake’s success. He makes quick and decisive reads, which is a trait Satterfield desires in his quarterbacks.
"That’s why they are good on offense, because he makes it all go,” Satterfield said. “If the defense allows you to hit a slant, or a hitch, he sees it and makes the throw. He’s also physically talented. … He is the total package.”
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Links, news and rumors - 10/9/19 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 10/9/19
From BR: Winners and Losers from Week 6 of College Football
Before Week 7 begins, let's take a quick look back with Bleacher Report...
So close, Hurricanes. Best wishes this week, though!
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Steele's Strength of Wins (as of 9/29/19) (RX; HM)
Steele's Strength of Wins (as of 9/29/19)
From Phil Steele's "2019 STRENGTH OF WINS/ PAIN OF LOSSES THRU WEEK 5"
RULES: If you beat an FBS opponent you get credit for all their wins over their FBS opponents; if you lose to anyone, you are saddled with their losses, too. (All for Games Played thru 9/29/19 - a little outdated, but still informative.)
Strength of Wins
Example: Ohio St has wins over FAU, Cincinnati, Indiana, Miami (OH) and Nebraska and those teams have a total of 11 wins.
Rank | Team Name | #Ws | Opp. W's | comment |
| 1 | Ohio State | 5 | 11 | strong SoS! |
| 2 | Auburn | 5 | 10 | |
| 3T | Washington | 4 | 8 | |
| 3T | Arizona St | 4 | 8 | |
| 5T | Clemson | 5 | 7 | best ACC |
| 5T | Michigan St | 4 | 7 | |
| 5T | Miss. State | 4 | 7 | |
| 8T | SMU | 5 | 6 | best non-P5 |
| 8T | Wake Forest | 5 | 6 | looks good |
Other
WSTM and WCNY TV have temporarily stopped over-the-air broadcasts. Here’s why (PS; Moriarty)
WSTM Channel 3 and WCNY Channel 24 went off the air Tuesday for viewers who watch with an antenna, but it’s not a permanent shutdown.
The over-the-air signals for the two television stations went down while technicians made upgrades to the broadcast tower they share south of Syracuse. Viewers who watch via a cable or satellite television service were not affected.
Vinny Lopez, chief engineer for WSTM, said upgrades are being made to the station’s 805-foot-tall tower off Sentinel Heights Road in Onondaga in preparation for installing a new antenna.
Viewers who get the stations over the air can expect random daily outages during daylight hours until the new antenna is installed and operating, he said. The stations’ signals will be back up in the evening because the tower work cannot be done at night, he said.
A helicopter is scheduled to install the new antenna on Oct. 18. After technicians hook it up and conduct tests, the antenna is scheduled to go into operation on Oct. 28, Lopez said. However, he said the schedule depends a lot on the weather because the work cannot be done when it is raining or when winds are strong.
“We’re asking Wayne (WSTM chief meteorologist Wayne Mahar) to help out and see if he can get us some good weather,” he said.
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