sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Way back when Rutgers was known as Queen’s College, the athletic teams were referred to as the Queensmen.
However, in 1925, the Chanticleer took over as the school’s official mascot.
Famously, a Chanticleer is a character from Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th century collection, “The Canterbury Tales.” The Chanticleer is the protagonist of “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale,” and is a of the walk, prized for his crowing abilities, who gets frisky with a hen before outsmarting a hungry fox.
RU News
How Babers helped sell Malachi Davis on committing to SU: ‘I’m done being the laughingstock of the ACC’ (PS; $; Curtis)
History and tradition is very important to Malachi Davis, one of the latest players in the class of 2022 to commit to the Syracuse football program.
When Davis offered a verbal agreement on Friday to sign with the Orange, he made history of his own, becoming the first Power Five recruit at Holt Senior High School in Michigan.
Although Davis, a three-star defensive lineman, is the first in his school’s history to accomplish the feat, he doesn’t want to be the last. He wants the tradition to continue.
“I’m just trying to bring some more attention to the Lansing area,” Davis told syracuse.com on Monday. “I feel like we have a lot of good talent that goes unnoticed. I’m trying to bring some scholarships to my team. That’s really what it’s about for me.”
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Could Cisco and/or Melifonwu Go in the First Round of the NFL Draft? (SI; McAllister)
Former Syracuse defensive backs Andre Cisco and Ifeatu Melifonwu are among the best pro prospects at their respective positions entering the 2021 NFL Draft. Both have received first round buzz at various points in the evaluation process. We spoke with former Atlanta Falcons and UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora Jr. to see how realistic it is for each to go in the first round.
ANDRE CISCO
"I was able to do a couple games at Syracuse over the last couple years as an analyst at ESPN, and the guy who always jumped off the tape to me as Andre Cisco," Mora Jr. said. "I loved the way he played football. He plays football the way you're supposed to play football, and that's coming downhill and trying to annihilate people. He's quick to trigger. I think that he is incredibly productive. You look at his interception totals for his career, that's really good. And that's taken into account that he was injured a lot of this year. Had he had a healthy 2020 season, who knows what those numbers would have been.
"Frenzied in his run support. I think he has the athletic ability to play some man defense on a slot receiver or a tight end. But he lacks some instincts and feel for routes. He has the measurables. If you're a wide receiver and you're coming across the middle, you better have your head on a swivel because Andre Cisco's going to try to get you.
"If there's a weakness to his game, it's that he can be a little bit too aggressive in the run game. Sometimes his angles aren't good and that leads to missed tackles. I think he's a probably a second, early third round guy."
IFEATU MELIFONWU
"I think Iffy has a shot because of his traits," Mora Jr. said. "He's got elite traits. You're talking about a 6-foot-3, 214, 215 pound man who plays corner. Those are safety, close to outside linebacker measurables, yet you're putting him on the outside. You look at this guy, he's long, he's rangy, he's athletic and he's got fluid hips. Those aren't always things you say. You'd say long and rangy but you wouldn't always say fluid hips for a guy that size, but he's got fluid hips. He can run. I'll tell you what I love, besides the obvious things with the size and the traits. He's a violent run defender. I think that adds a lot. This is a man that seeks it out. He wants to put his body on you. You don't see a lot of corners doing that. I think he's got versatility where he can play zone coverage with his eyes back inside, be a great cover two corner getting jams. Good three deep corner. But he can also line up and play press man. He's going to have to learn not to be grabby, but he's got the chance to do those things.
"I think the things he has to work on are consistency in his play, route identification, being disciplined with his eyes so he doesn't get caught looking in the backfield and give up double moves, things like that. His change of direction is ordinary, but for a 6-foot-3 guy, it's extraordinary. So there's a give and a get. If he was a 5-foot-10 guy and changed direction like he does you'd say 'boy it's awful.' But a 6-foot-3 guy changing direction the way he does is pretty dang good.
"So I really like him. I think he's got, as I said, elite traits. If he doesn't go in the first round, he's going to be an early second round pick because people value this kind of guy. You look at teams like the Raiders or the Patriots. Specifically the Raiders. You go back and think about Lester Hayes. Lester Hayes was a 6-foot-3, 220 pound corner who Al Davis turned into a Pro Bowler. So I think Iffy's got some of those things."
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Everything Dino Babers said after Syracuse's 1st spring practice: 'It really is a new day' (247sports.com; Bailey)
Syracuse football opened spring practice on Tuesday in ho-hum fashion. There was no in-person media access and only head coach Dino Babers spoke after the session wrapped up around 10 a.m.
Heading into the sixth spring under Babers, the Orange is hoping to rebound from a 1-10 campaign that was affected by the coronavirus pandemic as well as a rash of preseason offensive line injury. The next four weeks offer SU's second-year coordinators the chance they never received last year to install their schemes, instruct their players and evaluate the underbelly of their units.
"We understand what happened last year, but that team has nothing to do with what this team is going to do," Babers said. "It is entirely a brand new day. The things that go on now with transfer portals -- I think you're seeing it with the basketball team and all around the country -- the teams change drastically from year to year.
"So if we went 10-1, to say that we were going to go 13-0 because we went 10-1 last year would not be true. And based off our record last year, that's going to have nothing to do with what we do with this year's team. It really is a new day. Carpe diem. We need to seize the day and get after it. I think we had a very good morning practice."
SU Athletics has not released a spring roster, depth chart or schedule. Babers said the Orange will return to Ensley Athletic Center on Thursday for its next practice before another session on Friday.
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Where will Melifonwu, Cisco and Williams go in NFL Draft? 4 scouts weigh in. (DO; Smith)
Andre Cisco was lined up near midfield, eyeing North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell. As Howell slung the ball to All-American receiver Dyami Brown on a deep post route, Ifeatu Melifonwu remained step-for-step in coverage the whole way. Cisco bolted from the far hash to cut off the pass, notching his first interception of the season and the 13th of his career. Cisco’s 25-yard return gave Syracuse good field position in a 7-3 third quarter game.
The strong man coverage by Melifonwu and the turnover by Cisco exemplify why the Syracuse juniors, along with Trill Williams, are expected to be taken in this year’s NFL draft, according to four draft experts who spoke with The Daily Orange.
“There’s very few knocks on the three of them,” Sports Illustrated scout Jack Borowsky said. “They’re all going to go very high, and I think (they’ll) have successful careers.”
Despite coming off a 1-10 season and allowing nearly 33 points per game, Syracuse is expected to extend its three-year streak of having at least one player selected in the NFL Draft. Scouts agreed that all three DBs will likely be taken in the first three rounds, with Melifonwu potentially being a first-round selection. Syracuse defensive end Alton Robinson and punter Sterling Hofrichter were taken in the fifth and seventh rounds last year, respectively.
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Dino Babers Weighs-In on QB Competition (SI; Payne)
Tuesday was Syracuse's first day of spring football practice. With the first day of spring comes renewal and, according to head coach Dino Babers, competition.
Position battles are happening all over the field. Chief among them is the scrap for starting quarterback. The contest features as many as six contenders, but all eyes are focused on a two-man struggle between incumbent Tommy DeVito and Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader.
DeVito, the most successful of three starters in last year's one-win campaign, is coming off a season-ending ankle injury. While Babers confirmed Tuesday that DeVito has recovered, he did not formally endorse DeVito as the returning starter.
"He's full go," Babers said Tuesday about DeVito. "Everybody's out there competing. This is a different deal. With so many guys being here, the lines are longer. You can scrimmage more, you can go up-tempo more because of the lines and the depth, and the guys are getting an opportunity in game-like situations to show and prove what they can do.
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3 takeaways from Syracuse football's first spring practice of 2021 - The Juice Online (the juice; Gustin)
It was the first day of practice for the 2021 Syracuse football team, which ranks fairly high on milestone days in Orange head coach Dino Babers’ calendar.
“It’s not exactly Christmas morning,” Babers said. “But it is an exciting morning.”
After the first spring practice in which all players were in shorts, Babers addressed the media.
“Practice today in shorts was cute and all, but that’s not football,” Babers said. “Football starts Friday.”
Here are the key takeaways from Babers’ first media session of the spring.
The importance of spring practice
Syracuse has a lot of work to do in order to move past an embarrassing 1-10 season. That starts with spring practice, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While that affected every team in college football, it had an even greater impact on Syracuse, as the team was installing new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The Orange was also dealing with several key players opting out, including running backs Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard.
Said Babers: “Some of our guys were thrown out there out of necessity.”
The depth chart is wide open
There are many new faces on campus for the spring, and many more familiar ones.
Among the most notable were quarterbacks Tommy DeVito and Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader. While DeVito started last year, Babers stressed numerous times how everyone this spring has a chance to compete, which includes under center.
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Can ACC keep up with SEC, Big Ten? New commissioner Jim Phillips faces a tall order (ESPN; Adelson & Hale)
Since officially taking over as ACC commissioner last month, Jim Phillips has spent much of his time getting to know people within the league. He likes to ask about family, saying it's a good way to connect. He is trying to build trust, get a lay of the land and absorb feedback from coaches and administrators on what he should prioritize.
Those within the ACC have been blunt with their assessments.
Given this pivotal moment for the conference, ESPN talked with 16 athletic directors and football coaches from across the league in recent weeks. Each one of them believes Phillips is the right man for the job, but they also know his influence could have ripple effects throughout the sport for years to come.
That is because the ACC's different financial trajectory compared to other Power 5 conferences leaves the new commissioner with a daunting task. Bringing in more money is a must, but to do that, the ACC must prioritize football and rewrite the league's image. To get there, Phillips' constituents will seek his guidance in the process, from reconsidering scheduling to divisional alignment, TV deals to expansion, and the league's long-term relationship with Notre Dame.
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The ACC does have a check-in window on its television contract with ESPN this spring, and although the discussions between the league and network are not expected to drastically alter the current contract, Phillips views the discussions as valuable. Multiple athletic directors talked about the looming look-in window, believing everything should be on the table to help enhance the football product and make the league more attractive to TV partners.
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Nobody's Scheduling Ideas (RX; HM)
Nobody's Scheduling Ideas
A reader named "Lee Nobody" has written several articles on Reddit for either College Football or ACC Football, and he has graciously given us permission to examine some of them here. So, without further ado, here is the list of scheduling ideas that "Nobody" likes...New: A_4_pod_14 team ACC football conference realignment
An 8 game 4 pod 16 team ACC Realignment to entice Notre Dame
An 8 game ACC Permanent Rivals Schedule
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Best Trick Plays of 2020-21 (RX; HM)
Best Trick Plays of 2020-21
April 1st - time for our annual trick plays video selections.Campbell Camels With The Wildest Play You'll Ever See
Campbell Camels With The Wildest Play You'll Ever See
Campbell Camels With The Wildest Play You'll Ever See
In the second half in their game against Wake Forest, the Campbell Camels unveiled a wild trick play. At the snap of the ball, the entire offensive line dropped to the ground as the quarterback threw the ball out wide to the wide receiver. But then the linemen get back up and on the pass back to the QB, the o-line had the blocking in place to guide him to the endzone for the touchdown. This is one of the wildest plays you will ever see, and you have to watch it to believe it.
BC's John Tessitore Draws Clemson Offsides,
Leads To C.J. Lewis TD Reception
ACC Must See Moment
BC's John Tessitore Draws Clemson Offsides, Leads To C.J. Lewis TD Reception | ACC Must See Moment
BC's John Tessitore Draws Clemson Offsides, Leads To C.J. Lewis TD Reception | ACC Must See Moment
Check out Boston College kicker/punter John Tessitore draw Clemson offsides on a huge fourth down, which led to a sensational 18-yard touchdown reception from C.J. Lewis that you have to see to believe. Check it out in this ACC Must See Moment!
SouthernPigskin has a nice article about this play - "A Look Back at the Tessitore-Tessitore Call" - from the point of view of the player's father, who was calling the play.
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Every ACC football team’s best season ever (saturdayblitz.com; Lloyd)
Every ACC football squad, from snake-bitten to blueblood, has had a peak of performance within their countless seasons.
The ACC football conference is home to what is currently one of the greatest college football powerhouses in the nation, the Clemson Tigers.
But before their seasons of utmost prominence (starting around 2015), however, Florida State actually ruled the Atlantic Coast Conference with an iron fist for the better part of 20 years.
Throughout the timeline of the league, teams with more historical relevance have also obtained their share of the ACC football hype, such as Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, who joined the conference well after its creation.
To put it simply, the Atlantic Coast Conference is one with dominant history and prowess within the craft of collegiate football. Even less desirable programs like Wake Forest and Boston College have shined at the moments when they had the potential to make a run.
Nonetheless, though, some schools have just met higher standards over time than those of some others. And it is not until you look at each team’s crowning moment altogether that such a gap is truly illustrated. Here are the best seasons that every ACC football team has ever had in the history of college football. Note that we will also being throwing Notre Dame into the mix because why not?
#1: Boston College Eagles, 1940
We’re starting old school with BC, as their sole title-winning season came in 1940. The Eagles finished the year 11-0 with a Sugar Bowl victory over the traditionally great Tennessee Volunteers. They ranked fifth in the AP Poll in all-time coaching great Frank Leahy’s second season with the team. There hasn’t been too much out of Boston College since then.#2: Clemson Tigers, 2018
Quite a jump from World War II to just three years ago, but 2018 was undeniably the Tigers’ best year. Clemson concluded their stretch with a blowout victory over the legendary Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide by a score of 44-16. Also, they were the first team post-1900 to amass a record of 15-0.#3: Duke Blue Devils, 1936
It must be true when people say that Duke is a basketball school because boy have they been dry in the modern era of college football or what? The Blue Devils went 9-1, with their only loss being by two points at Tennessee. Over their nine victories, seven were shutouts. Berryman QPRS, an NCAA-certified selector of national champions, gave Duke the crown in 1936, and that is enough for me to declare it their best CFB season to date....
Other
There’s a plan for the Hinerwadel’s land, and it’s going to take a lot of clams (PS; $; Doran)
For more than a century, people flocked to Hinerwadel’s Grove along West Taft Road for clambakes, feasting on raw and fried clams and corn on the cob.
The institution closed in October 2018, and the property went on the market two years later, with an asking price of $3.4 million.
Now three developers are working together on a proposal to redevelop the site into a mix of commercial/ retail and residential. To do that, they first need zone changes for the 30-acre site, and they plan to go before the town of Clay on that request in April.
For now, the applicant is known as Zone Change CTV LLC. The names of the developers have not yet been released.
The zone change would mean switching from the front part of the site from limited use/restaurants to regional/commercial, and from one-family residential on the back part to residential apartments.
The idea is to have the front swath of the long, narrow parcel be a commercial zone similar to what’s on Route 11 right now, said Martin McDermott, a salesperson with JF Real Estate.
McDermott is working on the development with property owners Mark L. Strutz and Cindy Hinerwadel-Lewis, who own the Hinerwadel’s Grove property at 5300 W. Taft Road. Strutz was married to Hinerwadel’s owner, Vicky Hinerwadel, and Cindy is Vicky’s sister.
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