sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Moon Day celebrates the anniversary of the day in 1969 when humankind first walked on the Moon. The Apollo space program had begun under the Eisenhower administration, but a tightened focus on placing a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s occurred after President John F. Kennedy gave a speech before a joint session of Congress, on May 25, 1961, during which he said, "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth." This speech was given in the context of the Cold War when the United States was still behind the Soviet Union in the space race but wanted to beat them in landing a man on the Moon.
Over the course of the decade, the United States placed itself on the trajectory to complete a Moon landing, by making progress with the Apollo program. The first unmanned Apollo mission took place in 1966 and tested the launch vehicle—the Saturn rocket—with a spacecraft. Tragedy struck on January 27, 1967, when a fire at a launch rehearsal of Apollo 1 killed three astronauts. The first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, took place in October 1968. The spacecraft orbited Earth and tested things that would be needed to journey to the Moon and land on it. Apollo 8 of December 1968 brought three astronauts to the dark side of the Moon. Apollo 9 of March 1969 tested the lunar module for the first time. In May of 1969, the Apollo spacecraft went around the Moon, in a trial run of the Moon landing.
SU News
Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito (13) throws a pass during the first day of spring practice on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.Photo courtesy of Syracuse Athletics
Babers: DeVito has an edge in the quarterback competition (PS; $; Mink)
Syracuse coach Dino Babers said Tommy DeVito’s experience and knowledge of the offense gives him an edge over Garrett Shrader heading into fall practice next month.
The two quarterbacks will compete for the starting job ahead of SU’s season opener at Ohio on Sept. 4.
Syracuse is scheduled to open training camp Aug. 6.
“I think if you’re talking about who knows the offense better, it’s definitely DeVito,” Babers told syracuse.com.
“I think what we need to do is be fair and continue to let those guys grow. They both have a set of tools that’s unique to each one, and then there’s a combination where they both can do the exact same thing.
“We’re going to have to see how it settles, but I would say he has an advantage because he’s been here longer.”
Who Babers selects as his starting quarterback will be a defining storyline in the head coach’s sixth season.
DeVito, who has started 15 games over the past two seasons, showcased his arm and accuracy behind an offensive line that finally gave him some protection this spring. No school has allowed more sacks than Syracuse over the last two seasons.
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Will Syracuse football RB room produce 1st 1,000-yard man since 2012? (2021 preview) (247sports.com; Bailey)
Syracuse football hasn't produced a 1,000-yard rusher since Jerome Smith racked up 1,171 as a redshirt sophomore in 2012. In that span, the program has switched conferences and endured a coaching change. The likes of Moe Neal, Dontae Strickland, and Smith, as a redshirt junior, were unable to achieve the benchmark.
In 2021, the Orange has one of its most capable candidates in returning freshman Sean Tucker. However, an unproven offensive line and deep cast of veteran runners in the mix for snaps could leave SU without a 1,000-ayrd man for a ninth straight season.
Let's continue our 2021 position previews with a look at the running backs room:
Who returns?
SU has four backs with significant game experience -- a group that merits balanced opportunities during preseason camp before the depth chart is set for Week 1. Tucker, despite being the youngest of the quartet, comes in with a chance to grab the lion's share of carries. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound Baltimore native ran for the third-most yards by a freshman in program history with 626, logging three 100-yard contests despite playing in just nine games due in part to an ankle injury. He averaged 4.6 yards and found the end zone four times.
After opting out last fall amid the shutdown portion of the coronavirus pandemic, Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard are back with the team and working out on campus. Adams, a redshirt senior, took 87 carries in 2019, averaging 3.9 yards and scoring three touchdowns. He transferred in from Oklahoma in spring 2018. Howard, a junior, has a reputation for exceling in short-yardage situations, snagging 10 scores over his first two seasons. He is down 11 pounds from his last game action, though, weighing in at 202 on SU's online roster.
That leaves Cooper Lutz, a redshirt sophomore who crossed the 100-yard mark against Notre Dame last year. He brings receiving skills polished from a two-year stint in the slot, but plenty of rushing experience having racked up 3,141 yards and 55 touchdowns over his high school career.
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Could Syracuse Use Classic Orange Helmets During 2021 Season? (SI; McAllister)
Many Syracuse football fans have been clamoring for a return to the classic all Orange helmets with the blue and white stripe down the middle. This helmet was used for decades, until the program started utilizing uniform changes. While the helmet was tinkered with a bit, it ultimately settled on the block S on the side. With the latest uniform modification, the helmet came in orange, white and blue varieties.
But a social media picture that surfaced on Monday that could suggest the potential for the classic all orange helmet to be used during the 2021 season. That is, of course, unless we are reading too much into things. Take a look at the embedded tweet below from someone given a tour of the football facilities. Specifically the third picture with the shelves of cleats. There is a helmet at the end of each one. The top shelf is orange with a block S followed by the white with a block S on the second shelf, and then the classic orange on the third. Followed by the white block S and orange block S again.
It is symmetrical, but the classic helmet is also out of place. One would expect the blue block S helmet. That would make the most sense. So the classic helmet is a bit odd. It could be nothing. It could be a reach of reading too much into it. Or, it could be a slight clue that perhaps the classic orange helmet could be used this season. If it is used, it would likely be as a one game change-up rather than going back to that uniform full-time. Still, it would be pretty cool to see even if it was only for one game.
Syracuse Football: Vols in 2025, and why I volunteer for more big games (itlh; Fiello)
Recently it was announced that the 2025 season will kick off with Syracuse football playing the Tennessee Volunteers in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug 30. Orange you glad to hear that Syracuse is scheduling a program like Tennessee and playing in a marquee event such as this one?
I know I am! I LOVE when Syracuse plays bigger schools, and I am not even afraid to play teams like Alabama either if they want to explore that route.
So you say you’re not that excited about this? Do you think Syracuse football should schedule more games against lesser popular programs “so they can win”? Schedule more games that more fans will look at and think “Eh, I can miss that game for apple picking with the family”?
You say you have Syracuse football pigeonholed as a below-average program and we should accept the mediocrity you believe is the ceiling of the program? Well, I disagree with that, and here is why.
We all know I could discuss why this is appealing to recruits telling them if they play here, they could potentially play in a game on TV for family and friends (and possibly pro scouts) to see, right? I could bring up the revenue that, according to Syracuse.com reporter Chris Carlson in his article on the story, states that the Orange and Tennessee will average $5.2 million per school for participating.
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Orange Watch: Syracuse's ACC Kickoff attendees revealing - The Juice Online (The Juice; Bierman)
Item: Last week’s announcement of the players from each ACC team that will travel to Charlotte for this week’s two-day (July 21-22) media extravaganza, provided an interesting observation regarding the Syracuse contingent that will be on hand.
It’s the most important position in sports. No team wins football games without a top-notch quarterback. It’s no coincidence that the not-so-consistent recent winning seasons for Syracuse are centered around the player under center.
The 2010 and 2012 Pinstripe Bowl teams were led by future NFL player Ryan Nassib (a limited five game pro career with the New York Giants), while the 2018 Camping World Bowl team that finished 9-3 was under the orchestration of Eric Dungey, who signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in May after short stints with the Giants and Cleveland Browns.
So, it was interesting to note than when the ACC attendees were announced July 12 (the league this year increased from two to three the number of players representing each school), Syracuse was the only school not sending a quarterback to meet the media, while at the other end of the spectrum both Florida State and Virginia are sending two quarterbacks among their three respective team members.
Instead of a quarterback, senior DL Josh Black, WR Taj Harris, and OL Aaron Servais will join Dino Babers to promote the 2021 Orange, and missing is two-year starting QB Tommy DeVito, the most experienced SU player at the most important position on the roster.
What a difference the past two seasons make. In 2019, Devito, inheriting the starting mantle from Dungey, was prominently featured in pre-season coverage, and he joined former defensive end Kendall Coleman at the “kickoff.”
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ACC Football Kickoff: Three storylines to watch for Virginia at Media Day )streakingthelawn.com; Darney)
ACC Football Kickoff takes place July 21-22 in Charlotte, and the Virginia football season gets underway in just 47 days when William and Mary come to Charlottesville. The Cavaliers are sending QB Brennan Armstrong, QB/WR Keytaon Thompson, and CB Joey Blount to Charlotte with head coach Bronco Mendenhall as they will meet with the media for the first time in the 2021-22 season.
Here are some major storylines for the Hoos this season:
Will Virginia have a productive running game?
Last season, the Cavaliers averaged 163 yards per game on the ground, but 61 yards per game came from quarterback Brennan Armstrong. He led the team for the season with 552 yards, with running back Wayne Taulapapa over 150 yards behind him with 395. Taulapapa returns this season, and he’ll be helped in the backfield by second year Mike Hollins and fourth year transfer Ronnie Walker Jr. Hollins didn’t play last season, but the 5-9, 200 pound bruiser is the type of strong runner the Hoos need. Walker Jr., a transfer from Indiana, only saw action in four games last season due to waiting on his waiver and dealing with illness.Virginia also has Harvard transfer Devin Darrington in the mix this season, as well as first year Amaad Foston.
ESPN’s David Hale ranked Virginia’s rushing attack No. 11 in the conference, but ranks Virginia’s offensive line No. 1. They return six players that started in a game last season, and the unit has a combined 122 starts. This will be a benefit for the ground game, and if there has been big offseason improvement from the running back corps, you could see a big jump in that aspect of the offense.
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BOZICH | 5 Louisville/ACC football questions with Phil Steele (wdrb.com; Bozich)
Atlantic Coast Conference football media days will unfold in Charlotte, North Carolina, next week, the latest sign that we’re only seven weekends from the first major weekend of the 2021 college football season.
Another major sign came Friday morning when I talked to Phil Steele, the editor and publisher of one of the game’s top pre-season yearbooks: Phil Steele’s 2021 College Football Preview. I will post the conversation on the WDRB Sports podcast next week.
Priced at $19.95, the 352-page yearbook has been available for two weeks.
But today? Let’s edge closer to the first game with the top five ACC football questions:
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ACCN: Building A Legacy (RX; HM)
ACCN: Building A Legacy
The ACC Network will premier a documentary on the legacy of retired commissioner John Swofford tonight at 7:00 PM ET.
Of course, we took a look at his legacy right here a little over a year ago.
Swofford's Legacy
We gave him a C+ with a chance for a B- if the ACCN paid off (which it appears to be doing). So not Magna Cum Laud or anything like that, but solid, in my opinion. Could he have done better? Sure, but we also have to remember that we have the benefit of history; we know what actually happened, but at the time no one really knew for sure (and even if we guessed right, would a multi-billion-dollar operation like the ACC have been willing to take the risks?)
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2021 Maxwell and Benarik Watch Lists (RX; HM)
2021 Maxwell and Benarik Watch Lists
From the official ACC release of July 19, 2021...20 ACC Players On Maxwell & Bednarik Award Watch Lists
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Thirteen Atlantic Coast Conference football players - the most of any conference - have been named to the 85th annual Maxwell Award Watch List. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the outstanding player in college football. Another seven standout defensive players have been named to the 27th annual Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List. The Bednarik Award is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding defensive player.
The Watch Lists were announced Monday by the Maxwell Football Club.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sports writer and football official.
ACC Players on the Maxwell Award Watch List:
- Phil Jurkovec, QB, Boston College
- Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
- D.J. Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson
- Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
- Mataeo Durant, RB, Duke
BGB: Best Entrances in CFB (RX; HM)
BGB: Best Entrances in CFB
In this tweet, Big Game Boomer takes a look at CFB grand entrances...Look, no one should be surprised that the ACC is so well-represented here - half the teams in the top 10! After all, when you're in second place in your own territory, you have to try harder!
Let's take a moment to discuss what these teams actually do:
3. Virginia Tech - "Enter Sandman"
Night game. Lane Stadium. Absolutely electric.@HokiesFB️ pic.twitter.com/BfbWf0okJL
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) July 16, 2021
4. Clemson Tigers - "The Rock / The Hill"
5. Florida State - "Chief Osceola / planting the spear"
FSU Football Chief Osceola Renegade at Doak Tomahawk Chop
8. Miami - "Through the Smoke"
Miami Hurricanes: Through the Smoke
10. Georgia Tech - "Ramblin' Wreck"
Georgia Tech Football 2013 (v. Virginia Tech): Georgia Tech runs out of the tunnel
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Podcast: Talking ACC football and previewing announcements of Miami recruiting targets (247sports.com; podcast; Lake)
Football season is right around the corner.
In the latest edition of Through The Smoke, we share some thoughts on the state of the ACC with the football media days taking place from July 21-22.
What is the main storyline we want to learn about Miami from the media days? How do we rank the teams in the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions? Which Hurricanes do we expect to be named preseason All-ACC by the media?
We also discuss the most underrated ACC team on Miami’s 2021 schedule, what the potential trap game might be, and more.
In the second half of the show, recruiting insider Gaby Urrutia shares the inside scoop on some Miami targets that are expected to make their college decisions between now and the end of July.
Urrutia also breaks down where things stand for key targets like four-star LB Wesley Bissainthe and what the Hurricanes have planned with a potential recruiting event at the end of July.
You don’t want to miss this podcast! Check it out above.
1. After overachieving in 2019 and underachieving last season, which Louisville football team will we see this season?
In his personal rankings, which run through 61 teams, Steele did not rank the Cardinals. In his power poll, Steele evaluates teams in nine areas like talent, rushing, passing, special teams and scoring margin. The Cards rank 65th in Steele’s power poll.
Steele said in his overall rankings, Louisville did not make the top list, because those are teams more likely to make bowl games. He said 88% of the teams ranked in his top 60 generally make bowl appearances.
One ESPN analyst says Virginia Tech has best receivers in the ACC (fobblercountry.com; Manning)
The 2021 college football season is just over 45 days away. That means fall camp is right around the corner and everyone starts previewing the new season.
Speaking of previews, fans love lists. Fans especially love lists that include their team at the top of said list.
David Hale of ESPN recently ranked every position group, from 1-14, and when it came to wide receivers, he had the Hokies at No. 1. A big reason for that ranking was tight end James Mitchell and receivers Tre Turner and Tayvion Robinson.
Mitchell enters his final season in Blacksburg with a shot at being an All-ACC first-team tight end. He should be. If he’s not, blame Brad Cornelsen. Mitchell is a big-time talent who contributes in all facets of the game and has a bright NFL future.
Next up is Turner. A member of the same class as Mitchell, Turner has had a solid career with the Hokies. Unfortunately, Turner has never caught more than 34 passes in a season, which is ridiculous considering his talent. Don’t blame Turner. Blame the offensive coaching staff and inconsistent quarterback play.
When Turner came to Blacksburg, he probably saw the stats that Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips put up in Fuente’s first two seasons in charge. He has the talent to have a record-breaking season, he just needs the opportunities.
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ESPN The Sportszilla Show 07-19-21 (ESPN; podcast; Sportszilla)
On today’s James Mitsubishi podcast, Rain and Matt talk to Chris Stacy from NYY Sports Talk, Mike Curtis from Syracuse dot com, Mike McAllister with Syracuse on SI, plus more!
Albin, Tuggle and Caesar to Represent Ohio Football at 2021 MAC Football Media Day on Tuesday - Ohio University (ohiobobcats.com)
Ohio football first-year head coach Tim Albin, super senior running back DeMontre Tuggle (Channelview, Texas) and redshirt senior defensive tackle Kai Caesar (Cache, Okla.) are set to represent Ohio at the 2021 Mid-American Conference Football Media Day Tuesday, July 20. This year's in-person event returns to Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. from 11:00 a.m. ET/10:00 a.m. CT to 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT.
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Media Day will kick off the 75th Anniversary season of MAC Football, which officially begins on Thursday, Sep. 2, and will conclude with the 2021 Rocket Mortgage MAC Football Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 4 at Noon ET/11 a.m. CT (ESPN).
MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher will be joined by the head coaches from each member institution as well as two student-athlete representatives. Steinbrecher will begin Media Day with address to the media LIVE on ESPN3 at 11:00 am ET. The ESPN3 production will highlight the league's annual kickoff event as hosts Michael Reghi and Dustin Fox will visit with all MAC head coaches and several student-athletes throughout the day.
Albin will be line on Sirius/XM at 10:30 a.m., while Albin and Caesar will be line on ESPN3 with Reghi and Fox at 12:50 p.m. ET.
Fans can also follow along throughout the day on Ohio football's social media platforms (inked above).
Tennessee football opening 2025 vs. Syracuse in Atlanta will end one trend (allfortennessee.com; Calhoun)
There are good omens and bad omens with Tennessee football. Whenever the Vols play in Atlanta, at least this century, it’s a bad omen. They either lose that game or have a bad season. However, historically, playing Syracuse is a good omen.
Well, the best way to break those trends is for the Vols to play Syracuse in Atlanta, and that’s exactly what they are about to do in 2025. UT and Syracuse will face off at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic to open the season.
This will be the fourth meeting between Tennessee football and Syracuse, with the Vols winning the previous three, two of which were openers and one of which was a bowl game. The announcement for the game was made by both programs last week on Twitter.
Looking back on history, good fortune comes to the Vols after they play Syracuse. The first time these two teams faced off was in the Gator Bowl to end the 1966 season. UT won 18-12 and finished with an 8-3 record and a No. 14 ranking in the Coaches Poll under Doug Dickey, who was in his third year.
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Other
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 16: Breanna Stewart #10 of the United States is fouled as she shoots against Steph Talbot #6 of the Australia Opals during an exhibition game at Michelob ULTRA Arena ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 16, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Getty Images
Tokyo 2020 rooting guide: Meet 13 Olympic athletes with CNY ties, find out when they compete (PS; $; Carlson)
There are at least 13 athletes with Central New York ties competing in the Olympics over the next three weeks, a group that includes three Upstate New York natives and athletes from both Syracuse University and Cornell.
Among them are a number of strong medal contenders, a collection that is led by former Cicero-North Syracuse basketball player Breanna Stewart, former Lansing High School and Cornell wrestler Kyle Dake and former Syracuse basketball player Jerami Grant.
The group with connections to CNY includes both natives and athletes who attended Syracuse and Cornell, and competitors in seven sports representing three countries.
The first events (soccer and softball) will take place on Wednesday, with the official opening ceremonies scheduled for Friday.
Below is a list of athletes with local ties, their competition schedule and a look at how likely they are to return home with some hardware.
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