sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was born on this day in 1706, in Boston, making today Ben Franklin Day. He was a polymath, or expert in many subjects. Some of the titles that could be given to him are inventor, scientist, politician, diplomat, civic activist, printer, author, postmaster, and mapmaker. He also founded or was a part of many organizations and groups.
Franklin was the tenth and youngest son of a soap and candle maker, Josiah Franklin, and Josiah's second wife, Abiah Folger. The elder Franklin wanted his son to follow the path of a preacher, but did not have the money to send him to school. Benjamin only attended school up until the age of ten, when he began working full-time in his father's shop. At the age of twelve he was sent to apprentice his older brother James, who was a printer. James started The New England Courant in Boston when Benjamin was fifteen. Benjamin wanted to be printed in the paper, but James would not allow it. So, he wrote letters under name of Silence Dogood, a fictional widow, and slid them under the print shop door at night. The fourteen letters he wrote were published; they gave advice and were filled with critical observations of the world. Benjamin eventually confessed to writing them, and James was not happy. Later, after harassment and beating at the hands of his brother, Benjamin ended up running away to New York, and then ended up in Philadelphia in 1723.
SU News
OC Sterlin Gilbert and Mike Gundy
Syracuse football hires Sterlin Gilbert as offensive coordinator (D&C; AP)
Syracuse has hired Sterlin Gilbert as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
The university announced the hire on Thursday. Gilbert is a familiar face. He previously worked with Orange head coach Dino Babers for three seasons, serving in the same role at Eastern Illinois (2012-13) of the Championship Subdivision and at Bowling Green (2014) of the Mid-American Conference.
“Coach Babers runs a first-class program. I’m excited to reunite with him,” Gilbert, who was head coach at McNeese State last season, said in a statement.
Gilbert takes over for Mike Lynch, who also was an assistant under Babers at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green and followed him to Syracuse four years ago. There was no immediate word from the athletics department on Lynch, who served as offensive coordinator and running backs coach for four seasons, or Kirk Martin, quarterbacks coach the past two seasons.
A standout quarterback in high school in Texas and a three-year starter and two-year captain at Angelo State University, Gilbert helped Babers transform Eastern Illinois into an offensive powerhouse with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. In 2013, the Panthers led the nation in total offense and scoring and finished 12-2. Gilbert also ran offenses at Tulsa, Texas and USF.
The changes come after a disappointing 5-7 season. After posting 10 wins in 2018 for the first time in nearly two decades and winning a bowl game behind dual-threat quarterback Eric Dungey, the Orange faltered last season on both sides of the ball. Syracuse endured 50 sacks, more than all but two teams in the nation. The defense allowed 30.7 points per game, including 218 in four of the losses.
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San Angelo native Sterlin Gilbert joins coaching staff at Syracuse (gosanangelo.com; Harris)
San Angelo native Sterlin Gilbert has been named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Syracuse University football team, the school announced Thursday morning.
Gilbert, a former all-state quarterback at Lake View High School and Angelo State University, was the head coach at McNeese State last season in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Gilbert led McNeese to a 7-5 record in his only season at the school.
Gilbert also worked under Syracuse head coach Dino Babers at Eastern Illinois (2012-13) and Bowling Green (2014).
“I’m very much looking forward to working with Sterlin again,” Babers said in a statement. “He runs a very balanced offense. In seven seasons as a college coordinator, he’s had five 1,000-yard rushers, including D’Onta Foreman who went over 2,000 yards at Texas. At the same time, his starting quarterbacks have averaged more than 3,500 yards passing and 26 touchdowns per season.”
Gilbert is joining a Syracuse team that went 5-7 season, including a 2-8 mark in the Athletic Coast Conference.
Gilbert's winding coaching career began at Springtown High School in 2003 as a running backs coach.
He returned to San Angelo in 2008 and coached Lake View for three seasons. In his first year, he led the Chiefs to their first playoff win since 1996 when he was the team's quarterback.
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Move to Syracuse makes sense for Gilbert (americanpress.com; Berry)
Around this time a year ago, the Sterlin Gilbert era had kicked off in Lake Charles and the McNeese football team had started its offseason workouts to get prepared for the 2019 season.
Fast forward to 2020 and Gilbert is not the McNeese head coach anymore, as he officially resigned on Sunday and is packing his things to head up to Syracuse to become the Orange's next offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
This makes seven different collegiate positions in nine seasons for Gilbert. And let me be fair – as I've been told I was unfair to Gilbert and ran him out of town– this move makes a lot of sense for him to make.
Gilbert has history with current Syracuse head coach Dino Babers, as the two worked together from 2012-14 at Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green. So Gilbert will be extremely familiar with Babers' system. On top of that, Gilbert will probably get paid more, possibly much more, to have less responsibility; I don't even think Gilbert will call the plays at Syracuse. And I'm sure he got used to a certain way of life and coaching as a Football Bowl Subdivision assistant coach that he was unlikely to ever have at McNeese.
Also, Gilbert was never a real fit in Lake Charles and for the McNeese football program in particular. Most college football programs, if not all, depend on boosters to help fund their programs. But at McNeese, it's even more so because they don't get a ton of money from the state. Yet, from everything I've heard, Gilbert made speaking to the boosters seem like a chore, one that he didn't want to do. And the McNeese boosters are a very demanding bunch, and given their contributions to the athletic program, I can't say that they shouldn't be.
Anyways, I figured that I should dust off something that I did weekly during the season to remember Gilbert's time at McNeese. So without any further ado, here is an offseason version of "The good, the bad, and the ugly" all dedicated to Gilbert's reign in Lake Charles
THE GOOD
Exceeding expectations: Before the season, I predicted McNeese would win five games, six at the most. Well, the Cowboys went 7-5, and I have to credit Gilbert for getting the team to improve throughout the season. The Cowboy offense was hard to watch and not productive to start the season. By the end, they were at least decent to watch and putting up big numbers against the teams they were supposed to do that against.
Quarterback Cody Orgeron definitely took a step forward as a player. Wide receivers Trevor Begue and Cyron Sutton had record-setting seasons. Running back Justin Pratt ended his career on a tear in his last few games.
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Syracuse Football: Kendall Coleman a ‘winner’ at Shrine Bowl practice (itlh; Esden Jr)
Former Syracuse football stud Kendall Coleman is impressing scouts in practice at the Shrine Bowl. Here are all the details and what insiders are saying.
Kendall Coleman is representing Syracuse football at this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl. He’s the 90th former Orange player/coach to participate in the longest-running college football all-star game on the planet.
KC joins some pretty elite company from Syracuse’s rich history including guys like Ernie Davis, John Mackey, Larry Csonka, and Marvin Harrison to name a few. Just last year both Jamal Custis and Chris Slayton joined the long list of Orange royalty.
While the game isn’t until Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 p.m. at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, the practices all week are arguably just as important, if not more so.
During that time there are plenty of opportunities to impress NFL teams, area scouts, coaches, and general managers.
So far this week Coleman has met with several teams including the LA Chargers, the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Arizona Cardinals.
One of his individual reps is getting a lot of love on Twitter via The Draft Network due to Coleman’s “slippery-ness” as a pass rusher:
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ACC Football Postseason Program Stock Watch (tarheelblog.com; Floyd)
As the dust settles from a very encouraging North Carolina Tar Heels football season, it seemed appropriate to take the pulse of the Heels’ immediate landscape: the conference in which they reside.
As the AP and the Coaches released their final polls on Tuesday, conspicuously absent were...any ACC teams, outside of the one that lost 42-25 to LSU in Monday night’s championship game. The Clemson Tigers finished #2 in both polls.
Without dropping links to every “way too early” 2020 ranking, the ACC is better represented there, with Virginia Tech, Louisville, and our Tar Heels meriting some top-25 consideration.
From a 10,000-foot view, where does each program stand as we look back on 2019 and ahead to 2020? These are my thoughts (aided by each team’s final FootballOutsiders F+ ranking, about as comprehensive an analysis I can find since ESPN buried Bill Connelly and has not posted final SP+ rankings):
Trending Up
North Carolina (final F+ ranking 32): in every “way too early” I’ve seen, the Heels are ranked somewhere between #18 and #23. High praise for a team that engineered a turnaround from two wins to seven in Mack Brown’s first year.
Carolina, of course, returns 10 starters from an offense that seemed to hit its stride late in the season, including QB Sam Howell, two thousand-yard receivers, and two awesome backs. More impressive was the work of defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who reduced Carolina’s points allowed by more than 10 points in year one with questionable personnel.
A top-20 recruiting class, a bona fide shortlist Heisman contender, and some program stability make the Heels the most ascendant program in the conference.
Louisville (63): Honestly, the Cardinals’ turnaround was more unexpected than Carolina’s, though they had a lot more room for improvement. Everyone had them slated for the bottom of the ACC Atlantic, and our Slack channel marveled at how much more confident they looked after a quarter of their opener, an eventual loss to Notre Dame.
After Bobby Petrino basically stopped recruiting for the program, seeing the ‘Ville at 6th in the ACC for 2020 is a welcome change— and with 1,500-yard rusher Javian Hawkins and QB Micale Cunningham set to return, the run-heavy offense will be immensely frustrating for the next two years.
Georgia Tech (109): Two ACC wins in a complete schematic, philosophical, and personnel overhaul was better than expected. Geoff Collins is doing some nice things in Atlanta.
Embracing “Waffle House U”, Tech has six 4-star commits in 2020, which is about as many as Paul Johnson signed in a decade. The Yellow Jackets won’t compete with regional rivals Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, et al for the top recruits...but Atlanta seems preferable to Knoxville or Columbia for a college experience.
Pittsburgh (54): Perhaps a surprising inclusion in this section, I thought 2019 was a great proof of concept year for Pat Narduzzi. They finally got the defense he advertised coming over from Michigan State, finishing 11th in SP+ without two defensive linemen (Rashad Weaver and Keyshon Camp) who were expected to play major roles.
They return, as does Kenny Pickett (for better or for worse.) Pitt will be a tricky out in 2020.
Florida State (52): I could’ve put them in neutral, but things can’t possibly be more of a s***show than they were under Willie Taggart. Mike Norvell built on Justin Fuente’s accomplishments at Memphis, showed an ability to creatively feed his playmakers the rock, and...yeah, it can’t get much worse (despite, in the grand scheme, it not being that bad.)
Getting quarterback Chubba Purdy from Arizona should help stabilize a position that has been the biggest weakness on the Noles’ roster— and I expect him to start early next year.
They may still be in the 6-8 win range next year, but by definition they’re on the way back up. I think.
Holding Steady
Clemson (4): I couldn’t put them in the ‘up’ category because they had an objectively worse season in 2019 than 2018.
But we’re splitting hairs here. They bring back Trevor Lawrence and Justyn Ross, most of a scary defense, and boast the nation’s #1 recruiting class. They’ve been to five straight CFPs with classes ranging in the 10-15 range. They’re going to be really good for a really long time.
Virginia (45): In the history of the ACC’s two division format, I think this is the first time the media correctly picked the Coastal champion. #ACCCoastal jokes aside, they capitalized on their opportunity— nothing more, nothing less.
The offense will have to rebuild without Bryce Perkins, Hasise Dubois, and Joe Reed, one of the most efficient passing games in the country. The defense returns plenty of talent, and the Cavaliers will join Pitt as a team capable of beating (or losing to) anyone next year. But Bronco Mendenhall has established a steady 7-8 win program in Charlottesville.
Boston College (79): They are the textbook definition of “holding steady,” having gone 44-44 in the Steve Addazio era. Ohio State DC Jeff Hafley is now the head coach, Anthony Brown and A.J. Dillon still have eligibility, and I expect Boston College to be a 6-6 team into perpetuity.
Wake Forest (53): Yes, the Deacs started out hot, then faltered down the stretch due to injuries (and not being able to build depth, because Wake Forest.) Yes, Jamie Newman leaving for Georgia reflects Wake’s place in the college football world.
That said, Newman vs. Sam Hartman and Michael Kern was a real quarterback competition as recently as 5 months ago. Explosive receivers Sage Surratt and Donavon Greene, among others, will return. The offense and defense were both average, despite the defensive line breaking in a host of new players.
They’re Boston College, but with more upside because of stability and scheme.
Duke (74): Anthony Harris was not Daniel Jones, and the offense never got out of its own way. Duke still didn’t beat itself in 2019, but it wasn’t good enough to beat anyone of note either. They usually bounce back strong after disappointing seasons, so if there are wins to be found in the Coastal, Duke is a bet to overachieve...but I initially had them on the trending down list because the four aforementioned Coastal programs are in better shape, trajectory and program viability-wise.
Trending Down
This was the inspiration for this article, as my three least-favorite programs in the conference headline this list.
Miami (41): Some would say they had bad luck in close games, losing winnable ones against UNC, Virginia Tech, and (lol) FIU.
Others would say Manny Diaz wasted a ton of defensive and skill position talent, his transfer acquisitions went belly-up, and Miami will continue to be mediocre.
I am in the second camp, because I watched every second of their 14-0 Independence Bowl loss to Louisiana Tech. Miami, going into the 2020s, is all flash and no substance...until they aren’t.
Syracuse (88): Can we posthumously reward Eric Dungey ACC Player of the Year for 2018? We thought Tommy DeVito would step in and keep the offense humming (like he did in engineering the comeback win over Carolina in 2018.) He didn’t.
Dino Babers parlayed the 10-win 2018 season into a great (by Cuse standards) recruiting class and a preseason top-25 ranking. They’re now back to afterthought. I’m back to a wait-and-see approach, but I’m cheering for them because Dino Babers is delightful.
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2020 OOC Games We Look Forward to... (RX; HM)
2020 OOC Games We Look Forward to...
This post was inspired by FBSchedules' "9 non-conference college football games to look forward to in 2020"... 3 of them involve ACC teams; I've added some of my own at the end.
First, FBSchedules' picks:
NORTH CAROLINA vs. AUBURN (in Atlanta, Ga.)
When: Saturday, Sept. 12
This should be a solid matchup between an up-and-coming team from the ACC Coastal Division and a talented program trying to stay in contention in the ever-changing, ever-tough SEC West. On one side, it’s Mack Brown trying to end his career on a high note, and on the other, it’s Gus Malzahn trying to stay off the hot seat.
A rematch of the 2001 Peach Bowl, a 16-10 win for the Tigers. North Carolina and Auburn have met six times previously. The Tar Heels won the first three meetings, played from 1892-1901, and the Tigers picked up wins in the only-other regular season action – a home-and-home series in 1987-88. The two programs don’t have any future dates booked.
MIAMI-FLA. at MICHIGAN STATE
When: Saturday, Sept. 26
While perhaps not as compelling as other matchups on offer, this game will be key for two head coaches (who both posted 6-6 records in regular season play in 2019) in their quest to prove they’re still the right guy for the job.
The Hurricanes and Spartans haven’t met in 31 years, or since 1989 – also the only previous meeting in East Lansing. Miami has never lost to Michigan State (4-0 all-time), but the total margin of victory in the last three games is a mere 14 points. The two are slated to complete their home-and-home series next season when they meet on Sept. 18 in Miami Gardens.
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How Did the ACC get 4 schools in NC? (RX; HM)
How Did the ACC get 4 schools in NC?
If you want to build a football conference to compete with the likes of the SEC or the Big Ten, you'd want lots of big name teams spread across many populous states... not 4 teams in one medium-sized state like North Carolina, and featuring 2 small private schools with low football ceilings at that!
How did it get to be this way? Here's a brief history (inspired by a post on CSNBBS by StateFan):
Three decisions made decades ago put ACC football in the football/revenue hole it's in today:
* the football-first schools were still sore about the bowl ban vote.
Thus, in what was essentially just 3 meetings, the ACC ended up with 4 teams in the state of North Carolina while sowing the seeds which would eventually lead to South Carolina and Maryland leaving the conference. It also put itself in a deep football hole which had taken decades to dig out of - and it's still nowhere near where it would have been.
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Other
Winter storm hitting with snow, wind, bitter cold (PS; Coin)
A storm system rumbling across the northern tier of the U.S. will reach Upstate New York this weekend with snow, high winds and bitter cold.
Three to 6 inches of snow is expected across most of Upstate, with more lake effect snow falling on Tug Hill and in Western New York. Up to 2 feet is possible on Tug Hill as cold west winds blow across Lake Ontario.
The major Upstate cities will see moderate snowfall, with hilly terrain getting more snow. The bulk of the snow will fall Saturday afternoon in those areas.
“Snowfall will result in snow-covered roadways and low visibility for Saturday through Sunday,” said the National Weather Service.
Wind gusts could reach 50 mph in Western New York and the North Country Saturday night.
A winter storm watch is in effect for Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties, where up to 2 feet of snow could fall amid high winds.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the watch said. “Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.”
A wind chill advisory is in effect for the North Country until 11 a.m. today. The wind chill at 5 a.m. was 13 below zero at Belleville, about 25 miles south of Watertown.
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