sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Pay-a-Compliment Day!
Pay-a-Compliment Day is for giving "genuine and soulful compliments" to others. It was created by Adrienne Koopersmith, on February 6, 1995. On that cold February day, Koopersmith was riding the bus in Chicago, when she noticed someone who wasn't at a bus stop was frantically waving at the bus she was on, hoping that it would stop; the bus driver stopped and let the person on. When Koopersmith exited the bus, she complimented the driver on how nice it was that he had stopped. Koopersmith then went home and decided to make the holiday. Since she was warmed by the bus driver's actions, she wanted that warmth to be part of each February 6 for years to come.
How to Observe
The day should be celebrated by giving genuine compliments to others, whether they be given to friends, family members, a lover, neighbors, or a stranger. Perhaps the best compliments to give are those that acknowledge someone who did something nice for others, similar to how Adrienne complimented the bus driver. It is important to use care when complimenting others, by being respectful, timing your compliments properly, and by not making yourself the center of attention. A small compliment can go a long way to brighten someone's day, so spend the day paying everyone you meet a compliment!
You are a very good looking reader and your posture is top notch!
SU News
How Tony White became SU's defensive coordinator (PS; Bailey)
Whenever Zach Arnett could find a quiet moment during the American Football Coaches Association convention, he’d ask Tony White a question. Arnett, having signed an offer sheet to be Syracuse football’s defensive coordinator, wanted to know how White and Danny Gonzales installed the 3-3-5 defense at Arizona State. What did the players understand from the get-go? What needed time? How did they go about teaching the rest of the coaching staff?
White was Arnett’s sounding board during meals and between clinics in Nashville, Tenn. Three weeks later, with Arnett opting to go to Mississippi State, White is now in the exact situation he was advising. White signed an offer sheet to be SU’s next defensive coordinator on Tuesday, he told The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com on Wednesday, and will arrive in Central New York this weekend. He plans to begin working as soon as his background check is completed.
White will be the one bringing Rocky Long’s 3-3-5 scheme to Central New York. He’ll be the one taking on the challenge of teaching SU’s coaches and players, starting this spring, and going head-to-head with the best offensive minds in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the fall. White’s roots run alongside those of Arnett. White was Arnett’s linebackers coach for his senior year at New Mexico in 2008. Three years later, Arnett joined White on Long’s staff at SDSU. While White served as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator, Arnett rose from graduate assistant to linebackers coach. And when White went with Gonzales to New Mexico, Arnett was promoted to SDSU’s defensive coordinator.
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Babers' offseason of change: ‘I’m looking to see a lot of fire back in the offense’ (PS; Mink)
The first Wednesday in February isn’t what it used to be.
Once bookmarked as the preeminent day on the recruiting calendar, National Signing Day now acts more like a footnote, tidying up any loose ends with the incoming freshman class.
Most prospects, including the majority of SU football’s 2020 class, sign in December. In fact, there were more players that enrolled in January (six) than there were that signed Wednesday (four).
In any other year, the two new additions at quarterback carry the conversation.
Instead, an offseason of dramatic upheaval hijacked Dino Babers’ signing day press conference Wednesday in the Ferguson Auditorium of the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex on SU’s campus.
In the two months since the season ended, Syracuse has:
- Lost its best receiver to the NFL draft
- Hired a new defensive coordinator
- Hired a new offensive coordinator
- Lost its new defensive coordinator
- Hired a second new defensive coordinator
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ACC football signing day breakdown: Here's where Clemson, Miami and Louisville rank (usatoday.com; Robinson)
Most schools signed their football recruiting classes in December, but a few teams added pieces Wednesday. With the 2020 recruiting season finally coming to a close, four ACC teams found themselves inside the top-25 recruiting rankings.
Clemson continued its dominance, finishing third nationally. Miami was 12th, while North Carolina was 19th and Florida State was 20th, according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings. Here is a look at where each school ranks in the ACC after Wednesday, using the 247Sports Composite player rankings.
1. Clemson
Dabo Swinney has a hold on the ACC that doesn’t seem to be loosening. The Tigers are the only ACC team to sign a five-star recruit, and they picked up five of them. Each is ranked in the top-30 nationally and is top-3 at their position. The group is led by the No. 1 player in the country, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee.
2. Miami
The only team in the conference with more four-star recruits is Clemson. Four of Miami's prospects are ranked in the top-150 nationally, including two four-star running backs, Jaylan Knighton and Don Chaney Jr. Manny Diaz also signed 14 in-state prospects, two more than Florida State.
3. North Carolina
The future is bright for the Tar Heels under Mack Brown and quarterback Sam Howell. They are looking to build on that with nine four-star recruits led by top-100 wide receiver Josh Downs.
4. Florida State
Mike Norvell put together a full class despite getting the job late in the recruiting season. The Seminoles have signed 24 players in the class, eight of whom are four-star prospects.
5. Georgia Tech
Top-100 running back Jahmyr Gibbs leads a top-30 recruiting class for Georgia Tech. The Yellowjackets added other four-star skill players to the class, including quarterback Jeff Simms.
6. NC State
Coming off the worst season of any ACC team last year, the Wolfpack are rebuilding with two in-state players leading the way in four-star receiver Porter Rooks and defensive tackle Davin Vann.
7. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s class is highlighted by pulling local four-star defensive end Dayon Hayes. He’s not an early enrollee, but is one of two four-stars for the Panthers.
8. Louisville
The Cardinals didn’t sign anybody on Wednesday, but they signed 25 players in the early period. All of them are three-star recruits, but Scott Satterfield still hit a lot of needs, highlighted by two junior college All-Americans.
9. Virginia
The Cavaliers fall outside of the national top-50 team ranking and have just 14 commits, the lowest in the conference. Still, they are led by two four-star players, including the No. 1 player in Colorado, offensive tackle Andrew Gentry.
10. Syracuse
Syracuse has had some changes to its coaching staff, but Dino Babers still put together a class of 22 players.
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A look at the highlights (and lowlights) of the 2020 ACC football schedules (goupstate.com; Keepfer)
for gbo
A deep dive into the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference football schedule reveals numerous insights into what we can expect to unfold this fall.
Our conclusions may not turn out to be accurate, given the unpredictable nature of college football in general and life in the ACC’s Coastal Division in particular, but that should be no deterrent.
First and foremost in this analysis is that Clemson could very well have the distinction of being part of both the best and worst games of the season.
The best? That’s easy. Clemson has a Nov. 7 trip to South Bend, Indiana, to face a Notre Dame team that is expected to rank among the national contenders once again.
The Fighting Irish have won 33 games the past three seasons and 20 of their past 21 games at home, with the lone loss a 21-20 decision against Georgia in 2017.
The worst? That’s easy, too – the Tigers’ Sept. 19 home game against Akron of the Mid-American Conference.
Clemson is coming off a 14-1 season and a fourth National Championship Game appearance in five years; Akron is coming off an 0-12 season, the only winless campaign posted among the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
Can you spell U-G-L-Y?
Here are some other highlights and lowlights gleaned from the recently announced ACC schedule:
► Toughest opener: Virginia. The Cavaliers will kick off their season against Georgia. On Monday night, Sept. 7. In Atlanta. Good luck attempting to drown out that crowd.
► Easiest opener: Duke. The Blue Devils open the season with a Sept. 5 home game against Middle Tennessee, a team they defeated 41-18 last year at Middle Tennessee.
► Toughest non-conference schedule: Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets’ non-conference slate includes Central Florida, Notre Dame and Georgia, who were a combined 33-7 last season. Enough said.
► Easiest non-conference schedule: Virginia. The Cavaliers open against Georgia, but it’s all downhill from there. Their remaining non-conference “gauntlet” consists of Connecticut and Old Dominion, who were a combined 3-21 last season, and FCS foe VMI.
► Toughest stretch: North Carolina. The Tar Heels open the season on the road at Central Florida, then face Auburn in Atlanta before finally playing at home on Sept. 19 against James Madison, which went 14-2 last season and advanced to the FCS National Championship Game.
► Easiest stretch: Duke. The Blue Devils should be able to jump-start their season (perhaps with former Clemson quarterback Chase Brice at the helm?) with successive home victories against Middle Tennessee, Elon and Charlotte.
► Toughest cross-division schedule: Virginia. The Cavaliers have an easy non-conference slate, but their two Atlantic Division cross-over foes will be formidable. Coach Bronco Mendenhall’s team drew rapidly improving Louisville and also has a Sept. 26 date with Clemson at Death Valley.
► Most competitive game: Wake Forest vs. Appalachian State on Friday, Sept. 11. These two long-time rivals should play every year – in 16 games between the teams, 11 have been decided by six points or less and seven of those by a field goal or less.
► Most competitive ACC game: Syracuse at Pitt, Nov. 28. Regardless of records, standings or expectations, this game turns out to be a wild one every year. Four of the last five games between the teams have been decided by a touchdown or less or in overtime. The only outlier during that span was a 76-61 shootout in 2016. Buckle up.
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2020 Spring FB Games (RX; HM)
2020 Spring FB Games
Here's what we know of the ACC Spring Football 2020 Schedule so far:
| Saturday, April 4, 2020 | ||
| School | Time (ET) | TV / Online |
| Clemson | 2:30pm | TBA |
| NC State | TBA | TBA |
| Friday, April 10, 2020 | ||
| School | Time (ET) | TV / Online |
| Georgia Tech | TBA | TBA |
| Saturday, April 18, 2020 | ||
| School | Time (ET) | TV / Online |
| Notre Dame | 12:30pm | NBCSN |
| North Carolina | 3:00pm | ACCN |
| Virginia Tech | 3:30pm | TBA |
| Florida State | 5:00pm | TBA |
A lot is still unknown - particularly about television (but you can be sure that at the very least these games will be carried by the ACC Network - and Clemson will likely end up on ESPN). Also, so far we've only heard from about half of the teams.
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What VT must do to win a Championship RX; HM)
What VT must do to win a Championship
I know what you're thinking - Virginia Tech looked to be a L-O-N-G way from winning a national championship. I mean, let's see if they can get back to the ACC CG first, right? But there should be no doubt that, for any school that considers themselves a "football" school, the ultimate goal is to win a title... and, as they say, "a goal without a plan is just a wish."
[note: I've written this from a Hokies point-of-view, but in principal it applies to the Wahoos, the Tar Heels, the Panthers, the Hurricanes... any team which might entertain championship aspirations. If there's enough fan interest, I may write similar posts from the P.o.V. of other ACC teams. - HM]
__________
If you're a fan of Virginia Tech football, 1999 was wonderful - and so, so long ago. To win a national championship, first the Hokies have to, you know, get back to the championship game. That means getting ranked in the top 4 (under current CFP rules). That means improving dramatically. How can they (or, by extension, any ACC team) do that? Here's my prescription...
__________
1. Dominate recruiting in the Commonwealth (i.e. in-state).
Here's a list of blue chip players from Virginia over the last 4 recruiting cycles:
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The Best of 2019, Looking at Who’s Back for Tech in 2020 - Virginia Tech Athletics (hokiesports.com)
for Hokie Mark
2020 Virginia Tech Football notes
VIRGINIA TECH'S BOWL STREAK CONTINUES
• Virginia Tech extended the nation's longest active bowl streak to 27 consecutive seasons in 2019, a mark that ranks as the third-longest in college football history.
NCAA RECORD BOOK - LONGEST BOWL STREAKS
Streak Team Years
35 Nebraska 1969-2003
33 Michigan 1975-2007
27 Virginia Tech 1993-present
25 Alabama 1959-1983
24 Florida State 1991-2012
LONGEST ACTIVE POWER FIVE BOWL STREAKS
Streak Team Year Began
27 Virginia Tech 1993
23 Georgia 1997
21 Oklahoma 1999
20 LSU 2000
18 Wisconsin 2002
SCORING SUPERLATIVES FOR VIRGINIA TECH
• The Hokies have scored in 322 consecutive games dating back to a 13-7 win vs. Miami (9/23/95), the third-longest active streak in the nation.
• Virginia Tech's scoring streak also ranks fifth all-time in NCAA history.
FBS LEADERS, ACTIVE SCORING STREAKS
Games Team Year Began
398 Florida 1988
345 TCU 1992
322 Virginia Tech 1995
317 Georgia 1995
307 Nebraska 1996
• VT is 23-5 when scoring 30+ points under Justin Fuente.
• Prior to Tech's 30-point effort in the Belk Bowl vs. Kentucky (12/31/19), the Wildcats hadn't given up 30 points since a 34-17 loss vs. Georgia (11/3/18).
• Virginia Tech was outscored 114-93 (28.5-23.3 ppg) in the season's first four games. Over Tech's last nine games, the Hokies outscored their opponents 308-207 (34.2-23.0 ppg).
• VT owns a 28-2 mark under Fuente when leading at half.
• VT is 31-2 when holding foes to 21 points or fewer dating back to the start of the 2015 season (6-1 in 2019).
• VT has won 25 straight games when limiting foes to 17 points or fewer (6-0 in 2019).
• The Hokies have won 41 consecutive non-conference contests when holding foes to 17 points or fewer dating back to 2005.
• Tech owns a 99-5 record in all games dating back to 2005 when limiting its opponents to 17 points or fewer.
SEASON FIVE UNDER JUSTIN FUENTE SET FOR 2020
• Head coach Justin Fuente enters his fifth season at the helm of the Hokies in 2020. He owns a 33-20 record in his first four seasons.
• Only one ACC program has registered more overall wins over the past four seasons since Fuente's arrival in Blacksburg.
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Other
Hinerwadel’s clambake site can be yours for $3.4 million (PS; Moriarty)
Hinerwadel’s Grove, the Central New York landmark that hosted clambakes for more than a century until its closing in 2018, is up for sale.
The 29-acre property at 5300 W. Taft Road, Clay is listed by JF Real Estate for sale for $3.4 million.
John Hinerwadel Sr., a postal carrier, started Hinerwadel’s when he bought 34 acres on West Taft Road near Route 11 in 1914. He farmed part of it and used the rest of it to host clambakes, bringing in clams packed with ice in wooden barrels on trains from the Chesapeake Bay.
Over the decades, Hinerwadel’s became a favorite location for politicians, unions, businesses and others to hold their summer clambakes and fundraisers. Governors, senators, mayors and state lawmakers often attended or held events there.
But in October 2018, Vicky Hinerwadel, the founder’s great-granddaughter, announced on Facebook that she had been battling cancer for more than two years and was closing the clambake business due to her health at the end of its 104th season.
“Unfortunately, there is no 5th generation to carry on the tradition of our clambakes,” she said.
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