sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Pepperoni Pizza Day!
Multiple surveys have shown pepperoni to be the favorite pizza topping of Americans, and over a third of the pizzas in the country are topped with it. So it comes as no surprise that there is a National Pepperoni Pizza Day.
Pepperoni takes its name from "peperoni"—with one "p"—an Italian name for a pepper. In Italy, what Americans call pepperoni is known as "salame piccante"—spicy salami. Pepperoni is a dried sausage made of a mixture of pork, beef, and spices, often including peppers. The name pepperoni began being used following World War I, primarily in Italian-American communities. At this time, pepperoni was primarily used as an appetizer, eaten on cured meat plates.
Pizza began becoming popular in America after World War II, and the first evidence of pepperoni on pizza dates to 1950. It gained in popularity at the same time that chain pizza restaurants were proliferating—Pizza Hut opened in 1958 and Dominoes opened in 1960. Pepperoni was easy to supply and transport long distances, and could easily be mass produced. It does not need to hang as long as many other types of meat: it may be ready in one to three weeks, while other meats, such as capicola, may take months to be ready, making them impractical for pizza.
SU News
Axe: SU football’s do's and don’ts list for Liberty and beyond (PS; $; Axe)
Three games does not make a season.
That said, it does mark the Syracuse University football team passing the quarter pole of the 2021 season with a record of 2-1 and highlights a few trends that need to keep up and a couple that should cease to exist.
Here are five things for head coach Dino Babers and the Orange to put on the to-do list going forward based on what I have seen so far.
Syracuse Orange running back Sean Tucker (34) on a touchdown run. Syracuse takes on Albany at the Carrier Dome Sept. 18, 2021. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
1. Tucker Time
Babers and offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert shouldn’t overthink this. Keep feeding running back Sean Tucker the rock until forced to do otherwise.
Tucker currently ranks ninth in the country with 367 yards rushing and is tied for fourth with six rushing touchdowns.
While it’s true a big bite of those stats came against Albany, an FCS team, Tucker is a talented, versatile back who should be the focus of the Syracuse offense going forward.
While that sounds like an obvious statement given his gaudy stats against Albany, he inexplicably didn’t get another carry in Syracuse’s matchup with Rutgers on Sept.11 after rushing for a 24-yard touchdown.
Syracuse may not be quite sure who its quarterback is but it can be darn sure who its offensive star is right now and he wears No.34.
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How Syracuse Commits Fared This Week (SI; McAllister)
Most of Syracuse football's class of 2022 commits were in action across the country this past weekend. Here is how they performed.
DB Dom Foster - Warren G Harding (Ohio): Lost 50-49 vs Ursaline. 3 tackles, 103 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD, 1 kick return TD.
DL Q'Yaeir Price - DePaul Catholic (NJ): Won 35-3 vs Pope John XXIII.
LB Mekhi Mason - Monsignor Pace (FL): Lost 56-6 vs St. Thomas Aquinas. 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss.
OT Chad Schuster - Franklin (WI): Won 51-22 vs Racine Horlick. Starters only played through the first series of the second half.
RB LeQuint Allen - Millville (NJ): Did not play. Bye week.
WR Donovan Brown - Quince Orchard (MD): Won 63-28 vs Walter Johnson. 8 catches, 187 yards, 3 TDs, 1 rush for 29 yards.
DL Belizaire Bassette - American Heritage (FL): Did not play. Bye week. Next plays October 1st vs Cardinal Gibbons. Bassette is slated to return from injury for that game.
DB Quan Peterson - South Pointe (SC): Won 33-27 in 3OT vs South Florence. 2 pass breakups, allowed one completion on three targets.
DB Jeremiah Wilson - Osceola (FL): Won 40-14 vs Olympia. Blocked punt.
OL Joe Cruz - Sachem North (NY): Lost 34-14 vs Walt Whitman.
DL Malachi Davis - Holt (MI): Lost 51-28 vs DeWitt. Pass breakup, three QB hurries.
DB Cornell Perry - Woodhaven (MI): Won 44-0 vs Edsel Ford. 3 catches, 103 yards, 1 pass deflection, 1 tackle.
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3 takeaways from Syracuse football's 62-24 win over Albany - The Juice Online (the juice; Gustin)
An offensive outburst led by Sean Tucker’s breakout day resulted in a 62-24 win over Albany. Here is what we learned as Syracuse head coach Dino Babers improved to 5-0 all time against FCS schools:
#1: Sean Tucker proves to be Syracuse’s best offensive option this season
If it was not obvious in the first two games, Saturday’s matchup against UAlbany established the leader of this Orange offense.
After breaking multiple school freshman rushing records last year, sophomore running back Sean Tucker ran for 5 touchdowns, 132 rushing yards, and added 121 receiving yards.
“There is such a balance in football and it is a chess game,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said. “There are things that can be taken away from him, but when you open it up for passes it really helps him a lot.”
Tucker was quick to deflect the praise.
“It starts with my O-Line,” Tucker said. “They got blocks for me all game and I can focus on getting through the field.”
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College football: Szmyt's name known as Syracuse-all-time field goal record-holder (yahoo.com; St Croix)
Andre Szmyt completed his journey from obscure walk-on to career record-holder for the Syracuse University football team on Saturday.
The redshirt junior kicker connected on a pair of field goals to help Syracuse cruise past FCS Albany, 62-24, in the Carrier Dome while also becoming the all-time leader in career field goals for the Orange.
Szmyt booted a 28-yard kick with one minute and 39 seconds left in the third quarter for the 60th of his career to take sole possession of first place on the all-time list. He made a 48-yard field goal earlier in the game to tie the previous record held by Cole Murphy.
"We think the world of Andre," SU coach Dino Babers said afterward. "He's funny, he's unique, and he is our kicker."
Szmyt was not made available for interviews by the SU Athletics Communications staff despite being requested and initially announced as one of the few players slated to appear on the press conference podium.
Babers reflected fondly on the start of Szmyt's career when asked about the achievement, sharing memories from Szmyt's breakout season in 2018 as a redshirt freshman.
He recalled being approached by then-punter Sterling Hofrichter in the preseason, who was originally slated to handle both the kicking and punting duties that season, because Hofrichter was so impressed and believed that the rookie was the better option for place-kicking duties.
"I looked at Sterling and said: 'He's not better than you until I say he's better than you,'" Babers said. "And Sterling just looked at me like: 'Coach, I'm telling you, he's good.'"
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By The Numbers: How SU Blew Out UAlbany – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
A predictable 62-24 rebound against an FCS opponent was just the tonic for Dino Babers and his struggling offense. Syracuse racked up a lot of noteworthy figures against the Great Danes, so let’s dive right in to how the Orange performed yesterday.
9.44
It’s hard to score 62 points if your offense isn’t humming, and that’s exactly what was going on for SU yesterday. 9.44 yards-per-play is the official figure for the Orange O, which rushed for 286 yards on 42 carries and threw for 337 yards on 17 of 24 passing.The offensive numbers are certainly inflated when you consider the talent deficit between the two teams, but it’s been a while since Syracuse showed that well on offense against any team, FCS or otherwise. Syracuse’s 623 offensive yards were the most since September 22nd, 2018 against UConn when ‘Cuse racked up 636 against the Huskies. You have to go back even further to find the last time Syracuse averaged more than 9.0 yards per play in any game: September 25th, 2010 against Colgate. Ryan Nassib went 8-15 for 169 yards and a score in that game, while Delone Carter carried 14 times for 172 yards and four touchdowns.
5
With a 62-spot yesterday, five is the number of times Syracuse has scored 60 or more points since 2000. It’s the ninth time since 1971 that’s happened for the program. Last year, Syracuse broke 30 or more points just once – 37 in its lone win of the year over Georgia Tech.The last time SU put up 60 or more points in a game was in a non-conference matchup remarkably similar to this weekend. In 2018, Syracuse crushed Wagner 62-10 in Week 2. The record for 60 point games in a season (3) still belongs to the 1998 squad that featured future NFL talents in Donovan McNabb, WR Kevin Johnson, and FB Rob Konrad.
163
However, not all was well for SU yesterday. The 163 penalty yards racked up on 16 (!) flags represented a program record for the Orange. Since 2000, it’s the only game Syracuse has had with more than 135 penalty yards and is just the second time the team has been flagged 15 or more times in a game.The huge total represents the latest spasm of a team that routinely finds itself on the wrong end of flags. It’s the sign of a lack of discipline and should be the main takeaway for Dino Babers and his staff from this game. You can get away with this against UAlbany, but not against many other teams in the nation.
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After 0-3 start, UAlbany football ready for bye week and reset (dailygazette.com; Shinder)
The start to the fall 2021 football season hasn’t been kind to UAlbany, but the Great Danes are getting a break at what might be the perfect time.
The start to UAlbany’s season has featured a brutal schedule, with trips to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State and ACC program Syracuse sandwiching the home opener against Rhode Island. The next three games — all CAA contests — won’t get much easier, including showdowns with top-15 programs Delaware and Villanova, but UAlbany (0-1 CAA, 0-3 overall) can at least be thankful it gets a bye this week to reset after a difficult September.
“This bye week coming up is definitely going to help us out,” UAlbany quarterback Jeff Undercuffler said following Saturday’s 62-24 loss to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. “[It’ll help] with any kind of injuries, getting our heads right. All that kind of stuff.”
Some rest and a reset could be exactly what the doctor ordered for a UAlbany team that’s now lost six straight games heading back to its injury-plagued spring season.
Saturday against Syracuse, a UAlbany defense that had been largely solid through its first two games of the season was ripped apart for 623 yards by an Orange squad that had scored just one touchdown in its loss to Rutgers a week prior.
UAlbany was repeatedly hit for big plays by Syracuse running back Sean Tucker, who became the first Syracuse player ever to have both 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game, eventually totaling 253 yards of total offense and scoring five touchdowns. In total, UAlbany allowed five plays of 44 yards or longer, as well as another 69-yard touchdown that was called back by one of Syracuse’s 16 penalties.
Meanwhile, a UAlbany offense that sputtered throughout its first two games continued to struggle. The Great Danes managed just four first downs through the first three quarters, with the offense’s only major contribution until late in the game coming on a 32-yard pass from Undercuffler to Jackson Parker that set up a 37-yard Dylan Burns field goal in the first quarter.
UAlbany’s only touchdown until the latter part of the fourth quarter came on a Christian Lewis interception return, though the Great Danes did get a pair of touchdown drives engineered by backup quarterback Joey Carino in mop-up duty.
“Joey does a lot of good things,” UAlbany head coach Greg Gattuso said. “We’ve been starting to incorporate him more into what we’re doing. That was our second unit, but he did a lot of good things. We got a lot of young people a lot of snaps.”
No matter who was under center for the Great Danes, the team continues to work through problems on the offensive line. Saturday was the third straight game in which star running back Karl Mofor was extremely limited — 10 yards on just four carries, though he was given plenty of rest as he didn’t see the field once Syracuse blew the game open — and UAlbany’s quarterbacks continue to face heavy pressure.
Undercuffler and Carino were sacked a combined eight times Saturday — though Gattuso did credit a strong Syracuse defensive front — and the UAlbany offensive line has given up 17 sacks through three games.
“We just couldn’t keep up there,” Gattuso said. “It really affected us having any chance to put up a fight.”
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Reviewing Liberty’s Win Over Old Dominion (aseaofred.com; Bleymaier)
GAME SUMMARY: LU 45 VS ODU 17
Liberty had to wait 3 games, but they finally looked like a complete team. The offense came alive for 45 points, the defense held ODU to 201 total yards, and the special teams didn’t -miss any kicks (for the first game this season). Liberty is now 3-0 for the first time in back-to-back seasons since 1989-90 (yes, I stole that stat from the broadcast). There are certainly things to work on going into next week’s matchup vs ACC team Syracuse, but Flame’s fans can take heart knowing that this team seems to finally have shifted into gear and is moving in the right directionOFFENSE: B+
Liberty managed to score on 7/10 drives and Willis looked electric with 6 total TDs accounted for, 4 through the air and 2 on the ground. The offense, which looked shaky and at times stagnant against Troy, had the training wheels taken off Saturday as it exploded for over 400 total yards.I had noted in my preview article that the first two games it looked like the coaches were limiting Willis (for a variety of reasons) which was hurting this offense, but Freeze unleashed his superstar QB in Saturday’s matchup and it showed with the offense looking much more in-sync and Willis’ scrambling quickly when plays broke down. Last week Liberty gave up 5 sacks, but this week dropped that number down to 3 (with two of those definitely avoidable if Willis hadn’t tried to do too much). But overall, the line played much better due to the added threat of Willis’ legs and the fact that the ball was coming out much faster this week (helped out by the secondary creeping up to the line of scrimmage to stop the QB run game).
Willis for his part looked much closer to his 2020 form as he made reads quickly (mostly), tucked the ball quickly, and ran when nobody was open, and overall just looked much sharper and in rhythm than he has at any point in the season so far. There were certainly some learning moments for Willis (like don’t dance around and take a 14-yard sack when you had plenty of time to throw the ball away) and he missed at least two deep throws which might have been TDs (although by the same token he had a sure TD pass dropped), but overall Willis looked good and Flames’ fans should be excited that this is likely just the tip of the iceberg of Willis’ potential this season.
One significant downside that snuck under the radar in Liberty’s 400+ offensive performance is that Liberty still doesn’t seem to have a reliable ground game. Liberty did not have a single one of its trio of backs go for over 50 yards and if Willis’ 77 rushing yards and two scores are taken out, the ground game becomes responsible for only 105 yards rushing and no TDs. Liberty’s offense may be picking up steam in the passing game, but the run game is still lagging behind. As Hugh Freeze’s offense is a run-heavy approach and not an air-raid scheme, this is really a glaring issue that may cause problems for the Flames down the road.
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Liberty vs. Syracuse NCAA Football Odds, Plays and Insights | September 24, 2021 (SI; Skrive)
The Liberty Flames (3-0) are 6-point favorites heading into their matchup on Friday, September 24, 2021 against the Syracuse Orange (2-1). The game has an over/under of 52.5 points.
For more great betting and fantasy insight, join the SI Winners Club Newsletter.
Odds for Liberty vs. Syracuse
Odds courtesy of SI .Liberty vs Syracuse Betting Information
| Favorite | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty | -6 | 52.5 |
Over/Under Insights
- Syracuse has combined with its opponents to score more than 52.5 points in one game this season.
- Friday's over/under is 18.2 points lower than the two team's combined 70.7 points per game average.
- This contest's over/under is 23.5 points greater than the 29 these two squads combine to allow per game this season.
- Flames games this season feature an average total of 57.5 points, a number five points higher than Friday's over/under.
- The 49.3 PPG average total in Orange games this season is 3.2 points fewer than this game's over/under.
Liberty Stats and Trends
- Liberty has covered the spread every time thus far this year.
- The Flames have been favored by 6 points or more once this season and covered the spread.
- The Flames rack up 21.3 more points per game (38) than the Orange give up (16.7).
- When Liberty scores more than 16.7 points, it is 2-0 against the spread and 3-0 overall.
- The Flames collect 435.3 yards per game, 210 more yards than the 225.3 the Orange allow per matchup.
- When Liberty totals over 225.3 yards, the team is 2-0 against the spread and 3-0 overall.
- The Flames have turned the ball over one time this season, one fewer than the Orange have forced (2).
- Find the latest spread and moneyline odds for Liberty at SISportsbook.
Syracuse Stats and Trends
- Thus far this season Syracuse has two wins against the spread.
- Syracuse's games this season have gone over the total in one out of three opportunities (33.3%).
- This season the Orange put up 20.4 more points per game (32.7) than the Flames allow (12.3).
- Syracuse is 2-0 against the spread and 2-0 overall when the team records more than 12.3 points.
- The Orange average 421.3 yards per game, 187.3 more yards than the 234 the Flames allow.
- When Syracuse piles up more than 234 yards, the team is 2-1 against the spread and 2-1 overall.
- This season the Orange have turned the ball over five times, three more than the Flames' takeaways (2).
- Head to SISportsbook to find the latest moneyline, spread and over/under odds for this matchup.
Episode 318- Syracuse Football: U Albany Post-Game! (player.fm; podacst; Cuse Militia)
What's up Cuse Nation?!?! Syracuse with a dominating 62-24 win over Albany! But what did we learn? Not sure...but you'll hear from us anyway and we'll hear form you n Fan Feedback!
Shot of Joe to Go: ACC football even worse than usual this year :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; video; Giglio)
WRAL sports analyst Joe Giglio goes through the list of bad ACC losses so far in this young football season.
ACC Power Rankings: It was only Albany, but it was still enough for SU to move up (PS; Carlson)
The ACC’s disastrous college football season continued last week.
The conference dropped to 1-2 against the Mid-American Conference this season, and its presumed national title contender doesn’t have a single game left in the regular season that would seem impressive to those choosing the College Football Playoff participants.
The league’s only unbeaten teams after three weeks are Wake Forest and Boston College.
The ACC is probably the least likely of any in the Power Five to sneak a one-win team into the College Football Playoff, a major problem for Clemson, which has already lost to Georgia and doesn’t have any chance to offset it with an impressive win except for, maybe, an ACC championship game meeting with North Carolina.
Despite the struggles, the teams must be ranked. Even if some don’t seem to deserve it.
At least the debate at No. 1 is probably more interesting than it’s been in a long time.
1. Clemson
Record: 2-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 1
Last week’s result: Win 14-8 vs. Georgia Tech
This week’s schedule: Saturday at North Carolina State (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Why No. 1? There’s no more wondering if Clemson has issues at quarterback. It does.
They might be bad enough that the Tigers don’t belong here anymore, and it certainly has the rest of the ACC sharpening their knives and actually looking forward to taking their shots at Clemson. The Tigers needed a goal-line stand just to fend off Georgia Tech last week.
Clemson seems like it’s going to have to grind out wins by wearing teams down, playing for field position and, perhaps, getting some fortunate bounces.
With a defense that hasn’t surrendered a touchdown in its first three games, it might actually be able to do it. At least against the ACC.
2. North Carolina
Record: 2-1 (1-1)
Last week’s ranking: 3
Last week’s result: Win 59-39 vs. Virginia
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Georgia Tech
Why No. 2? You can make a case for North Carolina at No. 1, especially if you’re willing to chalk up the season opener at Virginia Tech to a team starting the year in an exceptionally difficult environment.
After a slow start, quarterback Sam Howell has started to show why he was the ACC’s preseason player of the year, throwing five touchdown passes against a Virginia team that had looked fairly impressive.
When you have the best quarterback, you’ll be dangerous, and the Tar Heels still appear to have the ACC’s best.
3. Virginia Tech
Record: 2-1 (1-0)Last week’s ranking: 2
Last week’s result: Loss 27-21 at West Virginia
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Richmond (Noon, ACC Network)
Why No. 3? The league’s best early surprise fell three yards short of coming back from a 20-point deficit on the road against West Virginia and retaining the No. 2 spot.
Like North Carolina, you can make the case that performing admirably in a difficult road situation shouldn’t drop the Hokies too far. Unlike the Tar Heels, the slip didn’t come in the opening game.
4. Wake Forest
Record: 3-0 (1-0)Last week’s ranking: 6
Last week’s result: Win 35-14 vs. Florida State
This week’s schedule: Friday at Virginia (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Why No. 4? It’s hard to buy the Demon Deacons as a legitimate contender to win the league given their recent history of averageness, but they are one of two unbeaten teams in the ACC and the only one whose starting quarterback is healthy and has a conference win.
Wake Forest hasn’t played a road game yet. And it probably hasn’t played a good team yet either. But the Demon Deacons have won every game by at least 21 points, including a conference victory.
5. Virginia
Record: 2-1 (0-1)Last week’s ranking: 4
Last week’s result: Loss 59-39 at North Carolina
This week’s schedule: Friday vs. Wake Forest (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Why No. 5? Quarterback Brennan Armstrong has been exceptional and is an early front-runner alongside Sam Howell for ACC Player of the Year. He held his own in a shootout with Howell, throwing for 554 yards and four touchdown passes and hasn’t been held under 300 yards passing in a game this year.
While that is nice, the yardage is necessary because UVA can’t run the ball. Against North Carolina, it couldn’t stop its opponent either.
6. Louisville
Record: 2-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 10
Last week’s result: Win 42-35 vs. Central Florida
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Florida State (3:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Why No. 6? Louisville got the full range of the Malik Cunningham experience on Saturday, along with a shocking game-winning interception return with 13 seconds remaining to deliver a win.
Cunningham threw for 265 yards, ran for 99 yards and had a late interception that set Central Florida up to try to win the game. Instead, UCF’s aggressive push for the end zone backfired and led to a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown by Louisville’s Jaylin Alderman.
The Cardinals’ season-opening loss to Mississippi is also starting to look better in hindsight. Combined, it is enough to make Louisville this week’s biggest riser.
7. North Carolina State
Record: 2-1 (0-0)
Last week’s ranking: 8
Last week’s result: Win 45-7 vs. Furman
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Clemson (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Why No. 7? The Wolfpack were one of two teams whose long-term chances took a hit due to injuries last week with two defensive starters sustaining season-ending damage. Linebacker Payton Wilson, one of the ACC’s best defenders is out, along with safety Cyrus Fagan.
Furman wasn’t going to be good enough to take advantage of that. Others might.
8. Pittsburgh
Record: 2-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 5
Last week’s result: Loss 44-41 vs. Western Michigan
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. New Hampshire (Noon, ACC Network Extra)
Why No. 8? Pittsburgh has been generally good under Pat Narduzzi, but the Panthers are reliable for at least one – sometimes two – befuddling losses per year since he has taken over.
This year’s annual toe-stubbing came against former Syracuse offensive coordinator Tim Lester and dropped the ACC to 1-2 this season against the Mid-American Conference. The win was Syracuse.
In a stat that hammers home how football has evolved over the years, Pittsburgh’s solid quarterback Kenny Pickett threw for 382 yards and six touchdown passes and passed legendary quarterback Dan Marino on the Panthers’ all-time passing yardage list.
9. Boston College
Record: 3-0 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 7
Last week’s result: Win 28-3 at Temple
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Missouri (Noon, ESPN2)
Why No. 9? Boston College is one of two unbeaten teams in the ACC but, like Wake Forest, it hasn’t beaten anyone. It has also lost the primary source of preseason buzz, quarterback Phil Jurkovec, for the season due to injury.
Backup Dennis Grosel should be an effective game manager, but he completed just 5-of-13 passes against Temple. The Eagles are unlikely to be nearly as explosive with him under center and might have to revert to their traditional grind-it-out approach without a roster built intentionally to win ugly.
10. Miami
Record: 1-2 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 9
Last week’s result: Loss 38-17 vs. Michigan State
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Central Connecticut State (12:30 p.m., ESPN3)
Why No. 10? If not for Miami’s two-point win over Appalachian State, the Florida teams would be a combined 0-6 this season despite the area’s reputation for talent. That’s amazing.
Someone needs to tell the Hurricanes that having a do-it-all quarterback in D’Eriq King doesn’t mean the Hurricanes should actually rely on him to do it all. He threw 59 times against the Spartans, carried the ball 12 times, was shaken up twice, threw two touchdowns, two interceptions and fumbled twice.
11. Syracuse
Record: 2-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 12
Last week’s result: Win 62-24 vs. Albany
This week’s schedule: Friday vs. Liberty (8 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 11? It’s not worth getting too excited about thumping Albany in a pick-your-score matchup, but the Orange is the only team this low on the list with a road win and whose only losses have come against Power-Five opponents. On the other hand, the two teams Syracuse has beaten have a combined record of 0-6.
After three games Sean Tucker leads the ACC in all-purpose yards, covering 171.7 per game. During SU’s win over Albany he became the first SU player with 100 yards receiving and rushing in a game. He’ll have a chance to show he can do it against better competition this week.
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ACC Power Rankings - Week 3 (fromtherumbleseat.com; Cramer)
At the beginning of lockdown for COVID last year there was a strange documentary about a haphazard roadside zoo full of big cats run by a crazy gay redneck methhead. You may have heard of Tiger King and watched some of its insanity. A friend of mine would explain it to people by saying “I can’t say if the show is good but you will not be bored and left with many questions.” Well, that is what the ACC is right now.
Is Clemson actually a top 10 team? Is Louisville actually decent or did UCF lay an egg? Should UNC still be the favorite to win the Coastal? The Hokies? What on earth is Miami doing and does anyone even care? Is this the year we finally see every Coastal team finish with a 4-4 record? The Power Ranking should reveal some insight...or more confusion.
Power Rankings
- Clemson - Clemson doesn’t retain this spot because they have been playing well but rather everyone else has been upset or just doesn’t quite have that quality win yet. Well, and the defense is the only one left who hasn’t allowed an offensive touchdown this year. UGA blew theirs against the other Carolina team late in the game.
- Wake Forest - What alternate dimension are we living in here? Must be 2006. The Demon Deacons are one of the two teams who have yet to lose a game in the ACC this year. It hasn’t been the toughest test with games against cupcakes like FSU and Norfolk but they put each one away early and the offense is humming.
- Boston College - This is really a 2A and 2B situation but Boston College lost QB Phil Jurkovic last week. Dennis Grosel took over and didn’t do much against Temple throwing for only 34 yards and an early pick but the run game and defense took care of a down Temple team. The Eagles may be on shaky ground next week when they take on Mizzou.
- Virginia Tech - The Hokies came up short this week but West Virginia is an above-average team and it was a renewal of one of the nastiest college football rivalries. QB Baxter Brumeister still looked good and a win over UNC from week one still keeps them ahead of the rest of the Coastal.
- North Carolina - After a dreadful offensive showing against Virginia Tech the Tar Heels have ripped off two 59-point games and this week it was Coastal foe, Virginia. They look much better than what the rest of the conference is showing behind them even if they quite haven’t lived up to expectations.
- Louisville - The Cardinals were picked on after their poor showing against Ole Miss but that is excusable. Malik Rutherford had a good game both passing and running the ball. UCF hasn’t been stellar on defense but it was one of the better wins this week. Louisville just needs to find their defense and they should be just fine.
- North Carolina State - The Wolfpack took care of their two lesser foes easily including Furman this week, but the loss to Mississippi State doesn’t look as good after they took an L to Memphis this week. The offense will get to prove if it is really up to snuff against Clemson next week.
- Pittsburgh - Another #GoACC moment against the almighty MAC conference fell through the cracks against Western Michigan. Pitt has been very good on offense this year but also very bad on defense which is quite the opposite of their normal persona. Not to worry though as there are plenty of Ws in the ACC play to be had on their schedule. Besides, it wouldn’t be Pitt without a random non-conference loss.
- Virginia - Looks like the Cavaliers proved that UNC may still have it this year or that UVA is trending the wrong way. Brennan Armstrong went lights out against UNC though with 554 passing yards, but man there are a lot of atrocious defenses in the conference this year. What is this, the Big 12 and NBA?
- Miami - Ok, I can’t warrant pushing the Hurricanes down any farther because Bama and Michigan State are actually really good teams. It’s a good thing they managed to squeak by App State last week or they would be winless with their in-state counterpart. Miami should rebound with the
DukeCentral Connecticut Blue Devils next week. - Georgia Tech - Yes, the Yellow Jackets played a close game with the top team on this list but cracks are still showing that more potent offenses can exploit. Yates is looking really promising but the run game just can’t get going behind this line. It’s not a hate thing, just a need a meaningful win thing.
- Syracuse - The Rutgers loss hurts a bit but at least the offense is looking a little more capable this year. Albany was an easy task for the Orange but Liberty is up next and that is not a G5 team to be taken lightly.
- Duke - The Blue Devils may be 2-1 but Northwestern isn’t exactly good. There was some life to the offense this week and a game against Kansas next week may keep that feel-good vibe going. It won’t last past the following week with UNC though.
- Florida State - The problem with not having any wins is you have no hope for any argument above the other teams. FSU fans were so excited for Mike Norvell after tossing Willie Taggart to the curb. Being run over by Wake Forest and a loss to Jacksonville State has ruined all goodwill at this point. The cries for Prime Time to come back home are starting to get louder.
Virginia Tech football: 5 takeaways from Hokies’ loss to West Virginia (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
The West Virginia Mountaineers took down the No. 15 Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday in Morgantown. The Mountaineers jumped out to a 14-0 lead early, and it appeared we were well on the way to seeing a blowout, but slowly, Virginia Tech fought back.
Every time it seemed as if the Hokies were closing in, mistakes would haunt them. Down 24-7 at halftime, Virginia Tech’s defense tightened up after halftime and allowed just three points after the break.
Now, about those mistakes. Yes, some of those mistakes were on the players, but this entire Virginia Tech team was let down by head coach Justin Fuente and the offensive coaching staff on Saturday.
Now, here are five takeaways from Virginia Tech’s disappointing loss to West Virginia.
Hokies weren’t ready
Virginia Tech went on the road for thhe first time in 2021 on Saturday. And, it wasn’t a typical road trip. Going to Morgantown to face an old rival, you knew the crowd would be fired up. They were. And so were the Mountaineers.After the Hokies went three-and-out on their first possession, West Virginia running back Leddie White took the ball 80 yards for a touchdown on WVU’s second play from scrimmage.
After another bad offensive series, WVU got the ball back and scored again.
It looked like the Hokies were going to get blown out by their rivals. However, the grit (see what I did there) of these players slowly brought them back.
This looked like the typical stinker from a Justin Fuente-coached team we see at least once per year. But these kids rallied. When this continues to happen, it’s on the head coach.
Brad Cornelsen is the worst coordinator in America
Let’s not sugarcoat this. He is bad. And Fuente’s blind loyalty for a coach who could bring him down is puzzling. Coaching is a cutthroat business. Sometimes, you have to make tough decisions. Fuente needed to make this one years ago.This isn’t your typical “he should fire the OC” rant. We’ve already done that one before, as has every other site who covers Virginia Tech. Check out this stat from the great David Teel, of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“Tech (2-1) snapped the ball 12 times at the Mountaineers’ 10-yard line, or closer. Those plays produced no points,” Teel wrote.
“But no points, 6 net yards and 0-for-5 passing on three possessions at the 10 or closer? That speaks to preparation, execution and play-calling.”
Bingo.
College football analyst and former Atlanta Falcons star Roddy White chimed in.
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Computer Ranking 2021-09-19 (RX; HM)
Computer Ranking 2021-09-19
Now that we have 3 weeks worth of data, computer rankings start to give reasonable results - even if it's not what we'd like to hear. Here are the numbers according to JHowell...| Rank | Team | PR | SOS | Wins | Losses | Conference |
| 1 | Georgia | 0.918 | 0.606 | 3 | 0 | SEC |
| 2 | Alabama | 0.916 | 0.607 | 3 | 0 | SEC |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 0.817 | 0.591 | 3 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 4 | Texas A&M | 0.811 | 0.601 | 3 | 0 | SEC |
| 5 | Iowa | 0.797 | 0.51 | 3 | 0 | Big Ten |
| 6 | Cincinnati | 0.795 | 0.427 | 3 | 0 | American |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 0.794 | 0.543 | 3 | 0 | Independent |
| 8 | Clemson | 0.788 | 0.506 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 9 | Florida | 0.785 | 0.603 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 10 | Ohio State | 0.778 | 0.594 | 2 | 1 | Big Ten |
| 11 | Penn State | 0.763 | 0.61 | 3 | 0 | Big Ten |
| 12 | Brigham Young | 0.733 | 0.372 | 3 | 0 | Independent |
| 13 | Oklahoma State | 0.721 | 0.617 | 3 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 14 | Oregon | 0.716 | 0.334 | 3 | 0 | Pac 12 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 0.715 | 0.668 | 3 | 0 | SEC |
| 16 | Memphis | 0.709 | 0.418 | 3 | 0 | American |
| 17 | Texas | 0.696 | 0.694 | 2 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 18 | Appalachian State | 0.689 | 0.432 | 2 | 1 | Sun Belt |
| 19 | Auburn | 0.687 | 0.751 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 20 | Army | 0.686 | 0.289 | 3 | 0 | Independent |
| 21 | Southern Methodist | 0.685 | 0.478 | 3 | 0 | American |
| 22 | Coastal Carolina | 0.683 | 0.236 | 3 | 0 | Sun Belt |
| 23 | Liberty | 0.681 | 0.367 | 3 | 0 | Independent |
| 24 | Kansas State | 0.681 | 0.635 | 3 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 25 | Michigan | 0.672 | 0.6 | 3 | 0 | Big Ten |
| Rank | Team | PR | SOS | Wins | Losses | Conference |
| 26 | Louisiana State | 0.667 | 0.696 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 27 | Kentucky | 0.659 | 0.511 | 3 | 0 | SEC |
| 28 | Central Florida | 0.656 | 0.408 | 2 | 1 | American |
| 29 | Iowa State | 0.653 | 0.636 | 2 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 30 | Boston College | 0.653 | 0.425 | 3 | 0 | ACC |
| 31 | North Carolina | 0.65 | 0.521 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 32 | Michigan State | 0.649 | 0.603 | 3 | 0 | Big Ten |
| 33 | Baylor | 0.645 | 0.641 | 3 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 34 | San Diego State | 0.641 | 0.232 | 3 | 0 | MWC |
| 35 | Arkansas | 0.639 | 0.73 | 3 | 0 | SEC |
| 36 | Louisiana | 0.638 | 0.392 | 2 | 1 | Sun Belt |
| 37 | Wake Forest | 0.638 | 0.535 | 3 | 0 | ACC |
| 38 | Virginia Tech | 0.636 | 0.539 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 39 | Mississippi State | 0.633 | 0.716 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 40 | West Virginia | 0.622 | 0.691 | 2 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 41 | Texas Christian | 0.622 | 0.638 | 2 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 42 | Alabama-Birmingham | 0.615 | 0.464 | 2 | 1 | CUSA |
| 43 | Texas Tech | 0.612 | 0.626 | 3 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | 0.611 | 0.668 | 1 | 1 | Big Ten |
| 45 | Marshall | 0.603 | 0.319 | 2 | 1 | CUSA |
| 46 | Pittsburgh | 0.596 | 0.465 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 47 | Boise State | 0.595 | 0.581 | 1 | 2 | MWC |
| 48 | Florida Atlantic | 0.594 | 0.376 | 2 | 1 | CUSA |
| 49 | Southern California | 0.593 | 0.432 | 2 | 1 | Pac 12 |
| 50 | North Carolina State | 0.592 | 0.526 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| Rank | Team | PR | SOS | Wins | Losses | Conference |
| 51 | Virginia | 0.589 | 0.575 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 52 | Missouri | 0.589 | 0.615 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 53 | Texas-San Antonio | 0.588 | 0.243 | 3 | 0 | CUSA |
| 54 | Minnesota | 0.582 | 0.506 | 2 | 1 | Big Ten |
| 55 | Miami (FL) | 0.577 | 0.598 | 1 | 2 | ACC |
| 56 | South Carolina | 0.574 | 0.697 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 57 | Fresno State | 0.574 | 0.359 | 3 | 1 | MWC |
| 58 | Louisville | 0.574 | 0.604 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 59 | Troy | 0.573 | 0.444 | 2 | 1 | Sun Belt |
| 60 | Nevada | 0.568 | 0.326 | 2 | 1 | MWC |
| 61 | Maryland | 0.566 | 0.628 | 3 | 0 | Big Ten |
| 62 | Wyoming | 0.563 | 0.269 | 3 | 0 | MWC |
| 63 | Stanford | 0.559 | 0.505 | 2 | 1 | Pac 12 |
| 64 | Air Force | 0.552 | 0.379 | 2 | 1 | MWC |
| 65 | Tennessee | 0.551 | 0.617 | 2 | 1 | SEC |
| 66 | Indiana | 0.544 | 0.735 | 1 | 2 | Big Ten |
| 67 | Tulane | 0.543 | 0.654 | 1 | 2 | American |
| 68 | Utah State | 0.542 | 0.276 | 3 | 0 | MWC |
| 69 | San Jose State | 0.539 | 0.325 | 2 | 1 | MWC |
| 70 | Rutgers | 0.537 | 0.565 | 3 | 0 | Big Ten |
| 71 | Houston | 0.536 | 0.298 | 2 | 1 | American |
| 72 | Nebraska | 0.534 | 0.639 | 2 | 2 | Big Ten |
| 73 | Western Michigan | 0.531 | 0.319 | 2 | 1 | MAC |
| 74 | UCLA | 0.518 | 0.432 | 2 | 1 | Pac 12 |
| 75 | Purdue | 0.518 | 0.593 | 2 | 1 | Big Ten |
| Rank | Team | PR | SOS | Wins | Losses | Conference |
| 76 | South Alabama | 0.51 | 0.362 | 3 | 0 | Sun Belt |
| 77 | Utah | 0.508 | 0.441 | 1 | 2 | Pac 12 |
| 78 | Northwestern | 0.503 | 0.494 | 1 | 2 | Big Ten |
| 79 | Buffalo | 0.502 | 0.194 | 1 | 2 | MAC |
| 80 | Arizona State | 0.499 | 0.29 | 2 | 1 | Pac 12 |
| 81 | Duke | 0.488 | 0.467 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
| 82 | Louisiana Tech | 0.488 | 0.359 | 1 | 2 | CUSA |
| 83 | Western Kentucky | 0.481 | 0.38 | 1 | 1 | CUSA |
| 84 | Syracuse | 0.469 | 0.55 | 2 | 1 | ACC |
Good Wins, Bad Losses - 2021 Weeks 1-3 (RX; HM)
Good Wins, Bad Losses - 2021 Weeks 1-3
Just a reminder of our definitions: a good win is a win over another P5 conference (or Notre Dame); a bad loss is a loss to any other team (i.e. not ND or in a P5). Here are the good wins and bad losses through the first three weeks of 2021...| Conf. | Good Wins | Bad Losses |
| ACC | Pitt over Tennessee | Duke loss to Charlotte |
| UVA over Illinois | Ga Tech loss to NIU | |
| Duke over Northwestern | Pitt loss to W Michigan | |
| FSU loss to Jacksonville St (FCS) | ||
| B1G | Maryland over WVU | Indiana loss to Cincinnati |
| Iowa over Iowa State | Illinois loss to UTSA | |
| Penn St over Auburn | ||
| Rutgers over Syracuse | ||
| Michigan St over Miami | ||
| Purdue over Oregon St | ||
| Michigan over Washington | ||
| Minnesota over Colorado | ||
| Pac-12 | UCLA over LSU | Cal loss to Nevada |
| Stanford over Vanderbilt | Wash. St loss to Utah St | |
| Oregon over Ohio State | Arizona loss to San Diego St | |
| UCLA loss to Fresno St | ||
| Utah loss to San Diego St | ||
| Arizona loss to BYU | ||
| Utah loss to BYU | ||
| Arizona St loss to BYU | ||
| Washington loss to Montana | ||
| Arizona loss to N. Arizona | ||
| SEC | Arkansas over Texas | Miss. St loss to Memphis |
| Alabama over Miami | Vanderbilt loss to ETSU | |
| Georgia over Clemson | ||
| Ole Miss over Louisville | ||
| Miss. St over NC State | ||
| Texas A&M over Colorado | ||
| XII | Oklahoma over Nebraska | Kansas loss to Coastal Carolina |
| WVU over Va Tech | ||
| Kansas St over Stanford | ||
| TCU over Cal |
OBSERVATIONS:
ACC - How are both Pitt and Duke on both sides of the table? Also, FSU must be doing this just to troll us, right?...
Alliance Games 2021 (RX; HM)
Alliance Games 2021
Yes, we know this year's games were scheduled long before the Alliance was ever conceived, but we can still ask "how many games did these conferences play against each other"?2021 Alliance Games:
Week 1
Purdue 30, Oregon State 21Week 2
Virginia 42, Illinois 14Oregon 35, Ohio State 28
Rutgers 17, Syracuse 7
Washington 10, Michigan 31
Week 3
Michigan State 38, Miami 17Minnesota 30, Colorado 0
Northwestern 23, Duke 30
Summary
ACC vs B1G: 4 games; record: 2-2ACC vs Pac: 0 games
B1G vs Pac: 3 games; record: Pac 1, B1G 3
...
Wide receiver Charleston Rambo had his first big game in a Miami Hurricanes uniform as he caught 12 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan St.
Other
In this 2014 file photo, health department employees sort mosquitoes collected from traps. After sorting, they are sent to a state lab in Albany and tested for Eastern equine encephalitis and other viruses. Michelle Gabel | mgabel@syracuse.com Michelle Gabel | mgabel@syracuseMichelle Gabel | mgabel@syracuse
CNY’s mosquitoes are surging as summer wanes, and ‘the vicious biter’ has arrived (PS; $; Coin)
Gracie Barney finished a 12-mile run at Green Lakes State Park and was handing out water bottles to fellow runners when the buzzing bugs descended.
“Have you ever seen that movie, ‘The Birds?’” Barney asked. “The mosquitoes just surrounded me and my girlfriend like a swarm around us. I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
It’s no Hitchcock movie. One of the hottest and wettest summers ever recorded in Syracuse created perfect conditions for many of New York’s 60 mosquito species. And now, in the last days of summer when we expect some relief from bug bites, mosquitoes have made a comeback with a vengeance.
Have they ever: In the second week of September, Onondaga County trapped 25 times more mosquitoes than in the same period last year.
The late season surge comes courtesy of heavy rain and heat over the last few weeks just as a late-breeding species of mosquito termed “a vicious biter” entered the fray. Weeks after school began, mosquitoes are still eating Central New Yorkers alive in woods, back yards, bus stops and baseball dugouts.
At Shove Park in Camillus last Tuesday, Little League players were swatting more mosquitoes than balls.
“All of the sudden the bugs just came out of nowhere,” recalled Marie Casavant, whose son doffed his cap and waved it through the air to defend himself. “They were swarming and biting. Everybody kept saying, ‘Where did they come from?’”
This has been the summer of the mosquitoes, which thrive in heat and rain. And we’ve had plenty of both: Syracuse just endured its second-rainiest and second-hottest summer since records began in 1902.
The bugs were bad all summer, but by mid-September in most years many mosquitoes are headed into hibernation.
Not this year.
In the second week of September, Onondaga County tallied 12,543 mosquitoes in traps set out to detect mosquito-borne diseases.
The same period last year? Just 488 mosquitoes.
In the waning days of a summer we had hoped would be relatively free of Covid-19 -- until the delta variant crashed the party -- Mosquitogeddon is particularly hard to take.
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