sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,272
- Like
- 109,127
Welcome to Guinea Pig Appreciation Day!
It's time to show a little appreciation for one of the most popular pocket-sized pets: the guinea pig! Guinea Pig Appreciation Day was founded by Piggles Guinea Pig Rescue, a "foster-home based rescue, rehoming and advice service in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada." July 16 was chosen as the holiday's date because "G" is the 7th letter of the alphabet and "P' is the 16th.
Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, are domesticated rodents that are native to South America. They were domesticated by the Incas over 3,000 years ago, who bred them for food, to be used as pets, and to sacrifice to their gods. They were brought to Europe by Spanish conquistadors towards the end of the sixteenth century, where they became popular pets. It is unknown why they ended up with the name "guinea pig," but there are a few theories. Their roasted meat may have reminded Europeans of suckling pigs; they make squealing noises that may have reminded people of pigs; they may have been sold for one guinea when they first arrived in England, or they may have been carried to European markets from ships leaving Guiana in South America or Guinea in West Africa.
SU News
Position Breakdown: Defensive Line — 2020 Syracuse Football preview - The Juice Online (the juice; Cheng)
As we countdown to kickoff in September, we’re going to be doing a unit-by-unit preview each week over the summer. This week, we’re taking a look at the defensive line, which loses three starters.
WHO’S OUT
- Brandon Berry: Berry was named the defense’s most improved player after he appeared in all 12 games in 2019 and led the Orange with 5.5 sacks. He finished his career playing in 36 games (six starts), while collecting 51 tackles (26 solo) and 6.5 sacks.
- Kendall Coleman: Coleman went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, but signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts. He was the 2019 recipient of the Bill Horr Award as Syracuse’s MVP, and finished his career with 137 tackles and 15.5 sacks.
- Shaq Grosvenor: A reserve defensive tackle for most of his career, Grosvenor recorded four tackles in 12 games over three seasons.
- Alton Robinson: Robinson was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks after earning All-ACC honors in two of his three seasons at Syracuse. He finished his career seventh in school history with 19.5 sacks and tied for ninth with 32.5 tackles for loss.
- Kenneth Ruff: Ruff took over the starting defensive tackle position in 2019 after McKinley Williams got hurt in preseason camp. He finished his senior year with 26 tackles (12 solo) and two TFL.
- Kingsley Jonathan (DE): Jonathan wasn’t listed on the spring depth chart as he recovered from an injury. But the redshirt senior is expected to be a starter at defensive end, having recorded 49 tackles and 7.5 in 33 games.
- Josh Black (DE): Black is the line’s only returning starter from 2019. In 12 starts at nose tackle, he finished with 39 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks. In 37 games (25 starts) over four seasons, he’s notched 82 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He’s played both the tackle and end positions in his career.
- McKinley Williams (DT): Williams played only three games at defensive tackle last year due to a foot injury, but is a vital piece of the defensive line. In 39 games (15 starts), he has 64 tackles (36 solo).
Syracuse Football: Top five players to watch in 2020 (itlh; Mlodzinski)
Syracuse football has all the makings for a successful season in 2020. These players will need to perform well to meet those expectations.
Syracuse football is just two months away from potentially returning to the field, barring any other Covid-19 related setbacks. But in the world of live sports, no one is counting on the possible negative outcomes. Rather, coaches and players are preparing as if a season is fully expectant.
For the Orange, this means setting and working on goals to surpass last year’s blunders. The ‘Cuse finished 5-7 last season, which fell below many early-season projections that had the Orange finishing at the top of the ACC. However, it became clear very early that guys like Eric Dungey, Dontae Strickland, and Jamal Custis would be hard to replace.
Even after a rough 3-7 start, Syracuse was able to win two of its last three games, including a season-ending 39-30 victory over a tough Wake Forest team. However, at 5-7, the Orange just missed out on a second straight bowl appearance, forcing all eyes in Orange nation to look ahead at the 2020 season.
Now, in mid-July with the season fast approaching, Syracuse football is back on high alert, as the Orange are more than ready to bounce back and have a season over .500.
On paper, the answers are there. Signal caller Tommy DeVito is back and should have brushed off all of the year one starting quarterback nerves he had from last season. He’s got weapons on the ground and through the air and has one of the best defenders in all of college football leading a defense that looks to prime itself at the top of the ACC.
On both sides of the ball, there are impact players that can take the ACC and the FBS as a whole by storm. Syracuse football should be held in high regard entering the 2020 season, and these guys are the cream of the crop (or the Orange grove if you want to be specific).
...
Answering the Most Important Questions of SU’s 2020 – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Amendolara)
There’s plenty of concern that the college football season will not end up happening. Analysts and influencers around the country are starting to speak in pessimistic terms. But plenty of sportsbooks are offering odds on the NFL and college football campaigns this fall. You can keep up with sports and the changing odds of the season with many sites. If there is a season, where will Syracuse end up? One of our lead staffers, Jaron May, took aim at some of the most pressing questions on offense.
Overall, how will the offense compare to the 2019 season?
Well, it’s hard to be as bad as Syracuse was offensively last season. The Orange ranked 102 out of 130 FBS teams in terms of offensive efficiency according to Football Outsiders. Plus, SU was third-to-last in the FBS in sacks allowed per game in 2019. The offensive line was atrocious and barely afforded Tommy DeVito enough time to take a breath when he dropped back. With the majority of the line coming back, especially Airon Servais and Carlos Vettorello, Syracuse should be improved on that front. The Orange hired Sterlin Gilbert as their new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in the off season. So pairing his dynamic new offense with DeVito should result in something good. DeVito has shown flashes that he can be a top quarterback in the ACC if he has enough time in the pocket. Also, based on the eye test from looking at recent pictures of him, he added a lot of muscle over the off season. The running back room should be solid with Abdul Adams getting the bulk of the carries. The one worry for the Syracuse offense in 2020 is the situation at receiver. Trishton Jackson prematurely left for the NFL, leaving a gap on the outside. Junior, Taj Harris will have to take over as the go-to guy and Aaron Hacket will have to be a reliable option in the red zone. If those guys can do that, the Syracuse offense should be in a better situation that it was last year. Again, it’s pretty hard to do worse.
...
Will Syracuse Fans be Sitting in the Stands This Fall? (spectrumlocalnews.com; Callaway)
Philadelphia city officials just announced that fans will not be allowed in for Eagles and Phillies games this year, so the question is, will other cities follow suit with their teams? What about at smaller venues like the War Memorial, can they bring in spectators? Or what about something bigger like the Carrier Dome? If so, what would an SU football or basketball game even look like?
What You Need To Know
- New York state still has a ban on fans at pro sporting events
- Governor Cuomo hasn't mentioned private institutions like Syracuse
- If there is a football season this fall, and fans can attend, things will most likely look a lot different
Jacoby expects most, if not all major sporting events will be played in empty venues in the upcoming months.
“We’re trying to avoid any type of large gathering and these stadiums hold tens of thousands of people. I think it’s very unlikely that games will be played in person. It just seems like the exact situation where you can get spreading events," Dr. Jacoby said.
Last month, SU athletic director John Wildhack said during a Zoom call that they’re building models for the number of fans that would be allowed inside the Carrier Dome if the state gives the green light. Even if it’s just 33 percent, that’s still about 16,000 bodies in seats.
“It seems to me you’d have to have each family, group of spectators more than six feet apart because even if you’re yelling, if you have the virus it’ll be projected further than if you’re just talking," Jacoby said.
Limited capacity would most likely be just one piece of the pandemic safety puzzle.
“I think there will be some kind of social distancing, there will be mandatory mask use. There will probably be screening of fans at the entrance, temperature check, questions about symptoms. I think that would be the minimum," Jacoby said.
...
Multiple 5-Stars vs Wins and Playoffs, 2015-19 (RX; HM)
Multiple 5-Stars vs Wins and Playoffs, 2015-19
Fox posted this infographic showing the teams with multiple 5-star recruits in the last 5 years:
Some of those have done quite well over the last five years (win-loss record shown in parentheses): Georgia (54-15) and LSU (51-14) each have one CFP appearance, while Ohio State (61-7), Oklahoma (58-10), Clemson (69-5) and Alabama (66-6) are all regulars.
What about the other high-recruiters? Looking at their records, some have done well, but some have not: Auburn (42-24), Florida State (38-26), Michigan (47-18), Oregon (41-24), Penn State (49-17), Stanford (44-22), Texas A&M (40-25) and USC (42-24) have all done okay, I guess - although none of these has actually made the four-team playoffs yet.
...
ACC 3X5 Pods Coming? (RX; HM)
David Teel posted an article explaining three possible scheduling plans for 2020 ACC football involving 3 pods of 5 teams each [Geographic 'pods' could be the key to salvaging ACC football season]. The idea being considered, according to the article, is for each team to play the other four teams in its own pod twice each (home-and-away), then either one non-conference game and one game from another pod or just one from each of the other pods if non-conference can't be worked out.
That saves on travel and minimizes the number of people each player would come into contact with during the season - both of which are important in the age of COVID-19 - while still giving the TV networks plenty of quality content.
Now Mr. Teel may not be right about any of these, but he does have connections and often hears about things the ACC is considering before the rest of us do, so... we're going to break down the three pod options he mentioned in his original post.
| OPTION ONE | |||||
| Pod A: | Miami | Florida State | Georgia Tech | N. Carolina | Duke |
| Pod B: | Virginia Tech | Virginia | Clemson | N.C. State | Wake Forest |
| Pod C: | Syracuse | Boston College | Pittsburgh | Louisville | Notre Dame |
The goal of Option One appears to be balance, with three teams presumed to be strong this season in each pod. That said, this arrangement is still fairly compact, geographically-speaking. This scheme would probably require a few cross-over games for Georgia Tech/Clemson, UNC/NC State, and possibly Duke/Wake Forest; the other cross-overs are either within pods or not important.
...
Indiana's Stevie Scott on Doak Walker Award Watch List (SI; Brew)
For the second straight year, Indiana running back Stevie Scott is on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which is given out annually to the best running back in college football.
Scott, a junior from Syracuse, N.Y., is just 18 yards shy of reaching 2,000 rushing yards in his Indiana career, something only 13 Hoosiers have done. After just two seasons, he shares eighth in program history with 20 rushing touchdowns, is tied for 10th with nine 100-yard games and shares 11th with 22 total touchdowns.
A second-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago, Scott finished fourth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (76.8), fifth in carries (178), tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (10), tied for sixth in total TDs (11) and 10th in all-purpose yardage per game (96.0) despite missing the final two games due to injury.
Scott is the second Hoosier to be named to a watch list this week. Sophomore cornerback Tiawan Mullen is a nominee for the Chuck Badnarik award, which goes to the best defensive player in the country.
...
How the SEC & ACC can show up the Big Ten for this Covid-19 College Football Season
Noles News: Could FSU be the ACC’s top defense? (tomahawknation.com; DeWitt)
Wide receiver has been a source of plenty of talent for the Seminoles in the past few years, but only Tamorrion Terry has really broken out. Our NoleThruandThru previewed the 2020 crop to see what we can expect from the FSU pass-catchers.
You won’t have to wait all the way until Labor Day Monday in 2021 to watch the ’Noles on opening weekend as their season kickoff against Notre Dame was moved back to Sunday.
Could FSU surprise and vault to one of the best defenses in the ACC under Adam Fuller?
Being one of the top defenses in the ACC would say a lot considering the preseason hype pointing towards the conference being one of the most defensively talented in college football:The more I studied ACC defenses this summer, the more it became clear that Florida State has the potential to be the best in the conference.
Noles are loaded with NFL talent on defense and DC Adam Fuller is a rising star. #FSU #Noles
— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) July 14, 2020
...
Preseason Coaches Top 25 Poll, Rankings Prediction 2020 (CFN; Staff)
25. Boise State Broncos (22)
24. Washington Huskies (NR)
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (NR)
22. Tennessee Volunteers (NR)
21. North Carolina Tar Heels (NR)
20. UCF Knights (24)
19. Utah Utes (16)
18. Iowa Hawkeyes (15)
17. Texas A&M Aggies (NR)
16. USC Trojans (NR)
15. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10)
14. Texas Longhorns (NR)
13. Michigan Wolverines (19)
12. Auburn Tigers (14)
11. Wisconsin Badgers (13)
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11)
9. Penn State Nittany Lions (9)
8. Florida Gators (7)
7. Oklahoma Sooners (6)
6. Oregon Ducks (5)
5. LSU Tigers (1)
4. Georgia Bulldogs (4)
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (8)
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (3)
1. Clemson Tigers (2)
...
Other
Buffalo Bills open search for new stadium naming rights partner, will end relationship with New Era (PS; Parrino)
The Buffalo Bills and New Era Cap Company released a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon announcing that the two parties are set to end their stadium naming rights relationship.
“The Buffalo Bills and New Era Cap Company jointly announce that New Era has asked to be released from their Naming Rights and Sponsorship deals with the Bills,” the statement read. “The Bills and New Era are currently negotiating the details of this separation and the Bills are beginning the process of pursuing a new naming rights partner for the stadium.”
New Era laid off 117 employees that worked at the company’s downtown Buffalo headquarters earlier this month. It was the second big layoff the company has had since it signed a reported seven-year deal to have naming rights to the Bills Orchard Park-based stadium.
After hearing the news of the layoffs, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz vowed never to refer to the stadium as “New Era” again.
“I am exceptionally disappointed with New Era,” Poloncarz said. “I would rather see the stadium called Veterans Stadium than New Era. I won’t even use that name. I still call it Ralph Wilson Stadium. I’m a little disappointed in the way New Era treated our community. That company would not exist without the hard work of the people in this community.”
...
