sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
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There is no shame in having a sweet tooth today—it is National Dessert Day! Desserts are sweet foods that are commonly eaten at the end of a meal. There are countless types, including foods such as cakes, pastries, cookies, and pies. The word "dessert" is derived from the French word "desservir", which means "to clear the table". Fruits and honey were probably the first sweeteners used in food, and the dawn of desserts was bolstered by the expansion of the use of sugar. Sugar was in use in India before 500 BCE, and through trade, it arrived in places such as Macedonia and China over the next thousand years or so. It wasn't until at least the 12th century that it arrived in Europe. During the Industrial Revolution, desserts began being mass produced, and they were able to be processed and preserved in new ways, which increased their popularity.
SU News
‘The Guyver’: Here’s how Rex Culpepper can put together SU’s broken pieces (DO; Emerman)
Robert Weiner’s mahogany, 25th-anniversary edition Taylor acoustic guitar, the one he calls his baby, sits in Rex Culpepper’s Aspen Heights apartment. It’s gotten much more use there than it would’ve back home in Tampa, Florida.
Weiner, Culpepper’s high school coach, bought the top-of-the-line instrument years ago, hoping he’d guilt himself into learning how to play. He never picked it up, but his quarterback fell in love with what turned into a graduation gift. Only Culpepper could possibly take care of his “baby” — there’s no one in college football quite like the guitar-strumming, motorbike-riding, death-defying Culpepper.
Along with guitar, Culpepper plays the piano by ear and once put on an impromptu Christmas carol concert in the Atlanta airport during a delayed flight. He repairs motorcycles and operates his own garage in Syracuse, and taught himself the ins and outs of the stock market during the lockdown.
His parents finished second in the reality TV show “Survivor,” his dad Brad played nine seasons in the NFL, and his next-door neighbor is Tom Brady.
And at age 21, he beat testicular cancer.
“There’s so many different things that make him up as a young man,” Weiner said. “That’s what’s kind of intriguing about him, and really a once-in-a-lifetime person to be around.”
With Tommy DeVito sidelined for an uncertain period of time with a left foot injury, Rex is Syracuse’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Weiner called him the brightest student in all of Florida, and Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said he’s one of the smartest people he knows. He hasn’t been a full-time starter since his junior year at Plant (FL) High School — and the years since then have been filled with physical setbacks — but if Rex succeeds under center, it’ll be because he’s used his mind to piece together the scattered parts of Syracuse’s offense.
“Rex is not normal,” Babers said. “Rex is not average.”
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When can Syracuse let fans back in the Carrier Dome, and how should they return? (PS; $; Carlson)
When Syracuse football hosts Liberty this week, there will be no fans in the Carrier Dome. When the Orange visits Clemson next week, Syracuse likely will play in front of 19,000 fans in Memorial Stadium.
Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said stadiums can operate at full capacity, and the University of Florida’s football coach advocated for a crowd of 90,000. In New York, where the number of new cases is smaller, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandate that stadiums remain empty is still in place.
In Upstate New York, conversations around athletics are starting to increase in volume, thanks to the success of the Buffalo Bills, the renovation of the Carrier Dome and the approach of college basketball season.
Syracuse is scheduled to host its third home football game of the season without fans on Saturday. The opening of the college basketball season, when local pressure will really ramp up, is less than two months away.
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Syracuse grappling with injuries as it slides in the ACC (AP; Kekis)
Syracuse is struggling in this most difficult of seasons as injuries pile up and inexperienced players fill lineup holes where needed.
Orange coach Dino Babers now is faced with the prospect of finishing the season without two of his most important players — defensive standout Andre Cisco is already out for the remainder and starting quarterback Tommy DeVito could join him.
Cisco, a preseason, first-team AP All-American safety from Long Island who entered the season with 12 interceptions, most in the Bowl Subdivision, suffered a lower body injury in pregame warmups before a win over Georgia Tech just over two weeks ago and is out for the season. DeVito, a redshirt junior from New Jersey, suffered an injury to his left leg when sacked in the fourth quarter — for the fifth time in a 38-24 home loss to previously winless Duke on Saturday — and had to be helped from the field by two staff members. He finished the game watching from the sideline with a boot on the injured leg and leaning on crutches.
Not a good omen.
“Football's physical, and that's the part that makes it different from other sports. It's the part that you embrace,” Babers said Monday. “We understand that people are going to get hurt and that next guys have to step up. It's what makes the game unique. We accept that part of it.”
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Syracuse football players react to Andre Cisco's decision to opt out of 2020 season (cnycentral.com; Hauswirth)
News spread rapidly of Andre Cisco's decision to opt out of the 2020 season, signaling the end of his career at Syracuse University.
Cisco, a Preseason All-American selection by the Associated Press, announced his decision to forego his senior year and enter his name into the 2021 NFL Draft on Tuesday night.
The decision arrived as not much of a surprise, especially given the fluke ACL injury he suffered during pregame warmups prior to the Georgia Tech game.
His announcement arrived on Twitter, just as Orange football player interviews were getting underway with the local media.
It provided the perfect moment for Cisco's teammates to reflect on their time playing with the future NFL star, memories they'll never soon forget.
Syracuse senior defensive end Kingsley Jonathan began Tuesday's press conference on zoom, looking back fondly of his time playing alongside Cisco.
"I'm super excited for him," Jonathan shared with a smile. "There's no other safety I'd rather play with on the field than Cisco. He puts in the work. He's here early and the last person to leave here. He's been putting work in since his first day here, since his freshman year. I'm just so excited for him and I'm glad to see what he does next from here."
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McAllister: Syracuse football still recruiting Alijah Clark, William Wells - The Juice Online (the juice; podcast; Cheng)
With Syracuse football struggling on the field in 2020, it always helps to look forward toward next year. And in SU’s case, the future looks bright. The Orange currently has a top 50 recruiting class in 2021 according to the major recruiting services, and we spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Mike McAllister to get his take on recruiting, and how he ended up at Sports Illustrated.
“The depth of the class is the best we’ve seen, at least under the Dino Babers era,” McAllister says. “They’ve got four wide receivers who are 6 foot 3 or taller, they’ve got five offensive lineman, they’ve got a highly regarded quarterback early. It gives you a nice, well-rounded class.”
And Syracuse isn’t done yet. With a handful of scholarships still left, the Orange still has two major names on its recruiting board.
The first is William Wells, a 3-star defensive back from Florida. In April, he named Syracuse his leader among a list of offers that includes UCF, Utah and Washington State. SU is also still pursuing Rutgers commit Alijah Clark, a three-star defensive back who is high school teammates with current Orange commit Duce Chestnut.
McAllister adds that Syracuse will likely look to hold on to some scholarships to test the grad transfer market.
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Liberty’s defense confident ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Syracuse (aseaofred.com; Manson)
In last year’s shutout loss to Syracuse, 24-0, it wasn’t the defense that struggled to keep the Flames in the game. Liberty held the Orange to just 10 first half points and they scored 10 of their points that evening off turnovers.
It certainly wasn’t a bad performance for the Liberty defense under defensive coordinator Scott Symons, and Symons and his defense will have plenty of confidence this weekend in the rematch in New York.
The improvement seen on the defensive side through the first four games of the 2020 season is quite astounding. Liberty is just two 4th quarter touchdowns in the last two weeks from posting a shutout for the first time since 2016.
The personnel has changed significantly from last year’s season opener against Syracuse. On Saturday, Liberty is expected to have nine new starters on the defensive side of the ball than what the Flames trotted out in week one of 2019. Only defensive tackle Ralfs Rusins and safety Javon Scruggs started against the Orange last season and are expected to start again this weekend.
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What's up Cuse Nation?!?! This is you Liberty preview for this Saturday afternoon! Keep your heads up Orangelings! I think this this is the best scenario for the circumstances we are in. It's going to be the best for Rex as well, imo. Then, we'll give you our BetOnline ACC picks for the week.
On The Block On Demand (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent opens the show looking back at Syracuse’s win over Clemson 3 years ago and fast-forwarding to today, wondering how Syracuse can create that excitement around the program again. Later, he takes your calls about Syracuse football including questions on Andre Cisco’s future.
Stock Down: Syracuse – Orange Fizz – Free Syracuse Recruiting News (orangefizz.net; Unsworth)
This isn’t a requiem for the 2020 Syracuse football season. It’s supposed to be the weekly installment of Stock Up, Stock Down, but SU’s assets are currently tanking. It’s extremely difficult to point out the bright spots from a 38-24 loss to a previously winless Duke team. Offensively, Syracuse looked good for a couple of drives, but eventually fell back into its old pattern of three-and-outs and quarterback scrambles. You could’ve driven a Mack Truck through the defense. The Orange have found themselves at the bottom of every ACC power ranking, and for good reason. Syracuse is without its two best players, and has lost 10 potential contributors to injury (and one to the geniuses at the NCAA).
QB Tommy DeVito’s left leg injury is “not good,” head coach Dino Babers said. The junior could be out for the rest of the season, according to 247 Sports. On the defensive side, Preseason All-American Andre Cisco is likely out for the year with an ACL injury, and could be leaving the Hill for good, assuming his draft stock doesn’t take a massive hit.
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Syracuse vs Liberty Prediction, Game Preview (CFN; Fiutak)
Syracuse (1-3) vs Liberty (4-0) Game Preview
For latest lines and to bet on college football, go to BetMGM
Why Liberty Will Win
Syracuse is a mess.
The offensive line was having a nightmare of a time keeping anyone out of the backfield, and now starting QB Tommy DeVito is out for the year with a leg injury. Combine that with the loss of all-everything safety Andre Cisco and there’s a whole lot things that have to be put together on the fly.
Meanwhile, the Liberty running game keeps rolling along with former Auburn QB Malik Willis tearing off yards in chunks for a ground game that hasn’t have any problems so far.
The D hasn’t dealt with anyone with a real offense, but it’s only allowing 260 yards per game. Syracuse only got to the 300-yard mark once – the win over Georgia Tech – with no running game whatsoever to rely on.
– CFN Experts Picks: NFL
Why Syracuse Will Win
Is this Rex Culpepper’s time to step in and shine? There are still problems on the offensive line and the ground attack is still an issue, but Culpepper has the arm to push a Liberty secondary that has yet to deal with any semblance of a passing game.
What’s Syracuse doing well? It’s taking the ball away in bunches with 14 takeaways in the four games. It hasn’t always means success, but the team can hit and it’s forcing a ton of mistakes.
Liberty doesn’t have enough of a steady passing game to worry about. Slow down the run, and slow down Liberty.
– CFN Experts Picks: College Football
What’s Going To Happen
This goes one of two ways. Either Syracuse circles the wagons and puts together a big-time performance to kickstart its season. Or it gets trucked by a good Liberty team that’s playing well.
At home, the Syracuse defense helps the cause with a good day against the Liberty ground attack. The offense won’t be anything special, but it’ll be effective enough to survive on a last-second Andre Szmyt field goal.
Syracuse vs Liberty Prediction, Line
Syracuse 27, Liberty 24
Bet on Syracuse vs Liberty with BetMGM
Liberty -3.5, o/u: 52.5
ATS Confidence out of 5:2
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Chandler Jones injured; Zaire Franklin gets 7 tackles (Syracuse and CNY in NFL) (PS; $; Herbert)
Former Syracuse football star Chandler Jones left the Arizona Cardinals’ game Sunday with a possible season-ending injury.
The linebacker, who was second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting last year with 19 sacks, went to the locker room in the first half of a 30-10 win over the New York Jets. He appeared to try and work on his arm on the sideline, but was later ruled out with a biceps injury.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury said Jones underwent an MRI on Monday and is awaiting results, but is pretty sure Jones' biceps tendon is torn. If so, he’s “probably” out for the season, Kingsbury added.
Kingsbury said Chandler Jones biceps injury, if confirmed, is probably season-ending.
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) October 11, 2020
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ACC football Week 7 preview: Game of the week, player to watch, power rankings, TV info, stat leaders and more (fayobserver.com; Batten)
GAME OF THE WEEK
NO. 1 CLEMSON (4-0, 3-0) AT GEORGIA TECH (2-2, 2-1)
When: Noon, Saturday
Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
TV: ABC
Keys for Clemson
Run, Travis, run: There’s no debating that Trevor Lawrence is an elite quarterback, probably the best in college football at this moment. But senior running back Travis Etienne is a human hand grenade, who can blow up an opposing defense in a split second.
A prime example of Etienne’s explosive talent occurred in the third quarter of last week’s game against Miami. The Hurricanes had gained momentum at the end of the first half by blocking a Clemson field-goal try and returning it for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-10. But with about eight minutes left in the third, Etienne took a handoff, burst through a small hole on the left side and raced up the sideline untouched for a 72-yard touchdown run.
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The One-derful World of Pitt Football (RX; HM)
The One-derful World of Pitt Football
The Pitt Panthers might be the most snake-bitten ACC football of all times. This season alone, Pitt has just suffered through back-to-back losses by a single point. Last week's loss came in overtime when their normally-reliable kicker, who had just made a long field goal to send the game into OT, missed a PAT which would have extended the game.
If you've followed Pitt football at all, you know by now that this sort of thing isn't uncommon for the Panthers. They even have a word for it - "Pitting" - which is similar to the old "Clemsoning" of the Tommy Bowden days, with one exception: it isn't their rivals who say it, it's Panther fans themselves.
Over the last 10 seasons (including this one), Pitt has been involved in 10 games decided by a single point. How did the team fare? Take a look...
| Date | Result | Score |
| 11/25/2011 | Lost at WVU | 21-20 |
| 10/5/2012 | Lost at Syracuse | 14-13 |
| 11/23/2013 | Won at Syracuse | 17-16 |
| 1/2/2015 | Lost to Houston (Armed Forces Bowl) | 35-34 |
| 9/24/2016 | Lost at UNC | 37-36 |
| 11/12/2016 | Won at Clemson | 43-42 |
| 12/31/2018 | Lost to Stanford (Sun Bowl) | 14-13 |
| 9/21/2019 | Beat UCF at home | 35-34 |
| 10/3/2020 | Lost at home to NC State | 30-29 |
| 10/10/2020 | Lost at Boston College | 31-30 |
ACC FB on TV, Radio - Week 7, 2020 (RX; HM)
ACC FB on TV, Radio - Week 7, 2020
From the official ACC release of Monday, Oct. 12, 2020:
Upcoming ACC Football Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 17, Time, TV, Sirius, XM, App/Web
Early Afternoon
No. 1 Clemson at Georgia Tech, Noon, ABC, 134, 194, 956
Series: Georgia Tech leads series, 50-32-2; Last meeting: Clemson, 52-14 (2019)
ABC: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Marty Smith (sideline)
__________
Pitt at No. 13 Miami, Noon, ACCN, 81, 81, 81
Series: Miami leads series, 27-11-1; Last meeting: Miami, 16-12 (2019)
ACCN: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Kelsey Riggs (sideline)
__________
Liberty at Syracuse, Noon, RSN, 132, 201, 964
Series: Syracuse leads series, 1-0; Last meeting: Syracuse, 24-0 (2019)
RSN: Evan Lepler (play-by-play), Charles Arbuckle (analyst), Abby Labar (sideline)
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Top P5 Offenses and Defenses - 10/14/20 (RX; HM)
Top P5 Offenses and Defenses - 10/14/20
Pick Six Previews has ranked the top 15 offenses and defenses among power five teams which have played so far (in other words, ACC, Big XII and SEC teams - and I believe these are pace-adjusted, too). There are some interesting things about those rankings...
| Top P5 Offenses and Defenses (Yds/Play) | |
| Top 15 Offenses | Top 15 Defenses |
| 8.7 - Alabama | 3.7 - Georgia |
| 7.8 - BYU | 4.0 - Oklahoma St |
| 7.6 - Florida | 4.2 - Clemson |
| 7.6 - UNC | 4.2 - Pittsburgh |
| 7.4 - Ole Miss | 4.2 - Miss State |
| 7.0 - Virginia Tech | 4.3 - Baylor |
| 6.9 - Notre Dame | 4.4 - WVU |
| 6.6 - Texas A&M | 4.5 - BYU |
| 6.6 - Clemson | 4.7 - UNC |
| 6.4 - Oklahoma | 4.9 - Notre Dame |
| 6.4 - Texas | 4.9 - Texas |
| 6.3 - LSU | 5.0 - Boston College |
| 6.3 - Iowa State | 5.1 - Arkansas |
| 6.2 - Missouri | 5.2 - Kentucky |
| 6.1 - Georgia Tech | 5.4 - Tennessee |
Wake Forest gets a bonus this weekend, an actual football game at home against Virginia (journalnow.com; Dell)
In the COVID-19 era, everything seems to take forever. What might be just a few days ago can feel like a month.
That’s where the Wake Forest football team is after having yet another weekend off. They last played on Oct. 2, a 66-14 win over Campbell.
Now the Deacons are hopeful of playing eight ACC games over the next nine weeks. But in COVID-19, nothing is sure until kickoff comes each Saturday.
“Guys are sick of practicing,” Deacons coach Dave Clawson said of what his team done the most since the season began.
When you break it down, the Deacons (0-2 ACC, 1-2 overall) will play Virginia (1-2, 1-2) on Saturday, the Deacons' fourth game in 44 days.
“It’s weird, but this feels like our third opener,” Clawson said. “We had our opener against Clemson, and then an unexpected bye week (the Notre Dame game was postponed until December) and then Campbell, and now it’s been two weeks and it feels like another opener.”
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The ACC in SP+, Week 6: An early-season check-in (backingthepack.com; Muma)
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ACC in SP+ through Week 6
TeamWk 6 SP+ Rtg (Rank)Offense RankDefense Rank
| Clemson | 27.8 (2) | 3 | 4 |
| Notre Dame | 21.7 (7) | 9 | 8 |
| UNC | 17.4 (9) | 5 | 42 |
| Miami | 14.0 (17) | 40 | 14 |
| Virginia Tech | 11.4 (25) | 28 | 30 |
| Pitt | 9.0 (32) | 87 | 12 |
| Virginia | 6.6 (39) | 58 | 34 |
| Louisville | 6.3 (41) | 12 | 96 |
| FSU | 5.0 (47) | 53 | 46 |
| Georgia Tech | 4.8 (48) | 74 | 35 |
| BC | 3.9 (52) | 37 | 69 |
| NC State | 1.1 (63) | 59 | 62 |
| Duke | -1.8 (74) | 114 | 38 |
| Wake Forest | -2.1 (76) | 98 | 54 |
| Syracuse | -5.0 (91) | 102 | 77 |
Other
A law school graduate of Syracuse University, Vice President Joe Biden shows off his school colors before leading a discussion by experts and the public on college access and affordability inside Goldstein Auditorium at Syracuse University
Joe Biden’s years in Syracuse: An enduring bond (PS; $; Weaver)
When Rob Mulligan bought the two-family house on Stinard Avenue in 2005, he spent the first few months restoring and rehabbing the first-floor apartment.
He stripped and re-stained the woodwork. He gutted the bathroom, ripping up the crumbling tile floor and removing the old ceramic tub.
When he went to toss the medicine cabinet, his father stepped in.
“What are you doing? That’s a part of history,” Mulligan said, recalling his father’s words. “Joe Biden brushed his teeth here.”
By moving into that Syracuse house, Mulligan joined a growing group of people in Central New York with ties to a man who now could become the most powerful leader in the world. If Biden unseats President Donald Trump, a Republican, it would be the first time Syracuse could be a former home to a U.S. president.
Biden’s Syracuse years were far more than a stopover on the way to the U.S. Senate, the vice presidency and now the Democratic candidacy for White House.
His Central New York connections – some deeply personal, some purely happenstance – stretch back to the late 1960s. Then, Biden was a Syracuse University law student living in that first-floor apartment with his wife, Neilia.
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