sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Chocolate Milk Day!
National Chocolate Milk Day celebrates the chocolate sweetened milk, which can either be bought in stores, or made at home by mixing milk with either cocoa powder and a sweetener, chocolate syrup, melted chocolate, or a powdered chocolate mix. Since at least 1494, Jamaicans had been drinking a hot beverage made with cocao or cocoa—sources are not conclusive as to which one it was—which was either boiled with milk and cinnamon, or mixed with water (again, sources give different accounts of the drink). According the Natural History Museum in Britain, Sir Hans Sloane, and Irish botanist living in England, invented chocolate milk after visiting Jamaica in the 1680's and being given their drink. He didn't particular like it—he thought it was "nauseous"—and decided to add some some milk (the implication being this was cold milk and not boiled milk). He took his recipe back to England, and thus became known as the originator of chocolate milk, although some allege—without specific evidence—that Jamaicans or others may have mixed it with milk first.
Sloane's recipe was being sold as a medicinal elixir in the 1750's, and in the following century the Cadbury Brothers sold drinking chocolate that was influenced by Sloane's recipe. In 1828 the Van Houten company in Amsterdam invented a cocoa pressing method which made a chocolate powder that could be more easily dissolved in water or milk, which improved the consistency of chocolate milk.
SU News
Axe: SU football about to enter a whole new world in ACC play (PS; $; Axe)
No matter how you sliced it, the Syracuse University football team had to come out of non-conference play with three wins in its back pocket if a serious run at a bowl game was going to be in the cards.
Now that the Orange checked that task off the to-do list, ACC play awaits.
Just in case you haven’t noticed, ACC football has been, well, interesting this year.
Wake Forest (4-0) looks to be the class of the league so far.
Yep, Wake Forest — just like everyone predicted.
The Demon Deacons field a productive offense led by quarterback Sam Hartman and an aggressive defense that piles up sacks and wins the turnover battle.
Boston College is right behind the Demon Deacons, off to its first 4-0 start since 2007 after holding off Missouri by a score of 41-34 in overtime on Saturday even without star QB Phil Jurkovec.
NC State has slipped into the Top 25 after knocking off Clemson on Saturday. The Wolfpack almost literally stubbed its toe in missing three field goals against the Tigers but were in control of that game and looked like the better team.
Clemson has done a free fall to No. 25 in the rankings. It’s the first time since 2015 Clemson has not been in the Top 10 and, frankly, the Tigers shouldn’t even be ranked. You know it’s bad when you’ve only scored one more point (80) than Kansas (79) thus far in 2021.
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Syracuse Football: After Liberty win, the road to Charlotte begins now (itlh; Fiello)
My motto for Syracuse football, #WhyNotCuse, is in full steam ahead mode as the Orange defeated the Liberty Flames 24-21. I said before the season that Syracuse football could be on the cusp of a special season and when they stumbled against Rutgers, many were jumping off the ledge proclaiming this was just another crappy season ahead.
My position was to be patient, step back from that ledge my friend and see what lies ahead in the next few games before judging too much into it. I decided to go into full-blown Bluto from Animal House “Was it over when the German’s bombed Pearl Harbor?” mode and not give up just yet but charge full steam ahead even if I was sometimes frustrated.
I am NOT an “I told you so” kind of guy for the most part and there is still the entire ACC conference portion of the schedule left but I am still standing here saying anything is possible, including a memorable run towards the 2021 Subway ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, NC, on ABC December 4th in primetime at 8 pm. I am hyped and ready to go and there is only one thing left to do my fellow Orange fans…win the whole darn thing.
So let’s look at the reasons why Syracuse football not only beat Liberty but also in my opinion proved on Friday night what I have been saying all along and that is that this team has the potential to be memorable and make at the very least a quality bowl game run, if not the ACC title game and the world will be ours.
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SU football fans rally online to pass #44 jersey to Tucker (spectrumlocalnews.com; Staff)
A social media campaign is currently underway to pass down the fabled #44 jersey to Syracuse football's current running back, Sean Tucker.
In the Syracuse football program, the number has been made famous by all-time legends like Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. Some fans say that a strong start from Tucker warrants passing it down this year.
Tucker is off to a fast start this year with 536 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, four of them coming against UAlbany a few weeks ago. He also has nine catches for 175 yards and one touchdown.
By The Numbers: How SU Shocked Undefeated Liberty – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
Of the three wins Syracuse now has in 2021, this past Friday’s stunner over Liberty is certainly the most impressive for Dino Babers. Let’s take a look at a few numbers to figure out how the Orange pulled it off.
0
It might be a fairly straightforward number, but SU’s zero turnovers in the game were as big a reason they won as any. It’s no coincidence the Orange have looked their best this year in games when they haven’t turned it over – they had no giveaways on opening day against Ohio, either.Last year, holding onto the football didn’t always translate to success. Syracuse had just two games in 2020 with no giveaways: Week 4 against Duke and the second-to-last game of the year against NC State. SU ended up losing both those games at home. Football is a funny game sometimes.
5.3
On the surface, freshman running back Sean Tucker’s 5.3 yards per carry against Liberty looks like a simple testament to his ability as a back. It’s that and more. Tucker looked exceptional again on Friday, carrying a career-high 32 times for 169 yards and a touchdown. However, his consistency and Energizer Bunny-esque evening helped Syracuse control the ball and open up more on the ground for starting quarterback Garrett Shrader. More on him in a moment.However, Tucker’s day did a little more than just carry the Orange. His efforts this season have been eye-popping: Tucker already has twice as many touchdowns as he did all of last year including seven rushing scores, and he’s just 90 yards away from matching his already impressive total last year as a first-year player.
The Maryland native is also averaging almost two full yards per carry more this year (6.5) than he did last year (4.6). Not bad for a guy who’s gone from starting 2020 fourth on the RB depth chart behind Abdul Adams, Jarveon Howard, and Jawhar Jordan to catapulting into unofficial Heisman conversations. With the worst FSU team in generations coming up next week and Clemson looking suddenly vulnerable, Syracuse should feel good about its chances in the next few weeks for an unthinkable bowl season. If they get there, it’ll be mostly thanks to Tucker.
2,127
If there was one blemish on Friday night’s win, it was the overall ineffectiveness of Syracuse’s passing game. Dino Babers rolled the dice on transfer quarterback Garrett Shrader by giving him his first start of the year, and Shrader was a mixed bag to be kind. The Charlotte, NC native finished 6/15 passing for just 77 yards and no touchdowns.Shrader’s 77 passing yards marked the first time in 2,127 days – just under six years – since Syracuse won a game in which they threw for fewer than 100 yards. The last time was on November 28th, 2015 in a 20-17 season-finale win over Boston College. That day, Syracuse QB Zack Mahoney finished 12-26 for 88 yards and a touchdown.
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Unsung Heroes Through Syracuse's First Four Games (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football is off to a 3-1 start after upsetting Liberty Friday night in the Carrier Dome. Here are six players who have been unsung heroes of sorts for the Orange through thus far.
CODY ROSCOE
Roscoe is second on the team in sacks with 4.5 through four games. He also has seven tackles for loss, which leads the team, and 20 tackles overall, second on the Orange. Roscoe has been a superb so far this season as a key rotational defensive lineman. He plays with a relentless motor and provides no drop off in ability when he spells one of the starters. His production has been critical for the Syracuse defense.
CHRIS BLEICH
Offensive linemen rarely receive notoriety for strong play. Most often, when a running back has success, the back receives the lion's share of the praise. As good as Sean Tucker has been this season, part of the reason for his success has been the play of the offensive line. One of the standouts up front has been guard Chris Bleich. Bleich has been fantastic as a run blocker, being every bit the physical, athletic road grader that one would expect as a transfer from a good SEC team. He has been solid in pass protection as well. Bleich's presence has made a significant difference on the line as a whole.
MATTHEW BERGERON
Similar to Bleich, Bergeron has been a steady force through the first four games. He has taken major strides in both pass protection and as a run blocker. Bergeron is athletic, can get to the second level to spring long runs with ease and protects the quarterback's blind side. He has been a key player for the Orange thus far.
CALEB OKECHUKWU
Okechukwu does not get much attention as a key rotational defensive end, but has been a nice player so far this season. He has 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and has forced two fumbles. When coming in to spell the starters, Okechukwu has pressured the quarterback, provided solid run defense and proven to be a playmaker with those forced fumbles.
STEFON THOMPSON
Linebackers Mikel Jones and Marlowe Wax have deservedly received a lot of praise so far this season. Jones leads the team in tackles while Wax leads in sacks. Thompson, however, has also been very good. He is tied for second on the team in tackles, third with 2.5 sacks, tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and leads the team with three quarterback hurries. Thompson is extremely athletic, has good burst off the edge and plays with relentless energy. He rounds out one of the most athletic linebacking groups in the ACC.
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The ACC Has Just Become Syracuse’s Best Friend – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Amendolara)
“If you were a chick, who’s the one guy you would sleep with?”
“John Stamos!”
“What?! Did we just become best friends?!”
One of the most memorable scenes in the cult classic “Step Brothers” features Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly realizing they were metaphorically looking in the mirror. After this weekend, perhaps Syracuse is doing the same with the rest of the ACC.
The Orange victory on Friday night punctuated a rapid climb back from last year’s debacle, and gave SU fans a pathway to a bowl game. The SU defense is one of the best in the country (even if the first month’s opponents weren’t the Chip Kelly Ducks). Liberty shredded the SU defense last year, and on Friday was stifled on the turning point fourth-down play, then coughed up the ball to set up the game-winner.
The ground game for SU is shining as Sean Tucker has turned into one of the most productive backs in the nation. These are, at very least, elements that should make SU competitive in plenty of games this season. And the landscape of the ACC just cleared to appear quite beneficial to the Orange.
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Syracuse FB/TE Chris Elmore announces return for ACC slate: 'Let's ball' (247sports.com; Bailey)
Syracuse football senior fullback/tight end Chris Elmore is expected to return for the team's Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Florida State next Saturday. The veteran lead blocker of SU's rushing attack missed the first four games of the 2021 season due to an undisclosed reason unrelated to injury or team discipline, as previously reported.
After the Orange's 24-21 win over Liberty on Friday night, SU tight ends/inside receivers coach Reno Ferri tweeted an emoji of a rhinoceros; Elmore's nickname is "Rhino" within the program. And the 6-foot, 265-pound bruiser followed that up with social media posts of his own.
"It's been long 4 weeks but through the grace of God #5isFree let's ball," Elmore wrote in a caption on Instagram.
Elmore, a Chicago native, has been actively supporting the program from the sideline this fall. He traveled with the team for its season-opening 29-9 win over Ohio, hyping his teammates up before the game, and has maintained that energy and involvement during the three home games that followed.
On the field, his absence forced second-year German player Maximilian Mang into an important role, leading out a zone-heavy rushing attack against the Bobcats before taking on heavy duties again versus Liberty with starter Luke Benson sidelined by a knee injury. Matthew Bergeron, SU's returning starter at left tackle, said Mang has done well to fill in and, at 6 feet, 7 inches, proved can hold his own against bigger defenders versus the Flames.
"Definitely without Rhino and Luke out there, but Max did a great, great job," Bergeron said. "Oh man, he was making great calls. He’s a great run blocker. He’s got to get a lot of credit for what he’s doing out there, too."
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Syracuse celebrates after kicker Andre Szmyt drills a walk-off field goal to beat Liberty on Sept. 24, 2021 (Vazquez)
Syracuse snags win over Liberty on last second field-goal (thenewshouse.com; Turner)
Syracuse pulled out a big win over Liberty on Friday night after a nerve-wracking second half. Redshirt junior placekicker Andre Szmyt knocked in the game-winning 35-yard field goal as the time clock expired. SU’s win over the Flames marked their second win in a row for the first time in 2021.
The game started with an uneventful first quarter compared to the rest of the night. Both offenses had small successes early, but neither team reached the endzone in the first 15 minutes. Tensions were high heading into the second quarter to see who would score first.
In the first two minutes, Syracuse struck first with a rushing touchdown from sophomore quarterback Garrett Shrader. The score highlighted a strong game for Shrader in the first start of his Syracuse career. Redshirt junior Tommy DeVito started the first three games of the season for the Orange.
“Coach brought us down a couple hours before the game, it was in the hotel, he set us down face to face and said he gave me the green light. I was ready to go,” Shrader said. “I was happy to hear that and I’m thankful for the opportunity. But I’m really glad we got the win.”
Shrader also assisted freshman running back Sean Tucker in getting the Orange their second touchdown of the game. Syracuse clung to a 14-0 before Liberty scored their first touchdown with less than two minutes left in the first half.
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‘Glad I stayed up for that!’ What they’re saying about SU's win over Liberty (PS; Curtis)
There were several contributors to Syracuse’s final non-conference game of the season, a 24-21 win over Liberty on Friday night.
Andre Szmyt converted on the game-winning field goal as time expired. Garrett Shrader commanded the offense with his first start at quarterback in an Orange uniform. Sean Tucker made another case as to why he’s the Orange’s most important offensive player. Lastly, the defense came up with two pivotal stops in the fourth quarter on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.
See below for a rundown of commentary from current and former Syracuse players, reporters from across the nation and even an update from Willis on the outcome of Friday’s game.
By outplaying Malik Willis, rules dictate Garrett Shrader is now the top QB in the draft. Be good to him, Houston.
— ️️ (@ADavidHaleJoint) September 25, 2021
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Photo by Isaiah Vazquez
Syracuse's Sean Tucker (34) looks at Liberty's Javon Scruggs (1) while running towards the end zone for a touchdown on Friday night.
The third quarter was tough for SU, as Liberty scored two unanswered touchdowns to tie the game 21-21. Close to driving in their fourth touchdown of the night, the Flames were stopped by sophomore linebacker Mikel Jones and Syracuse’s defense on fourth and goal.
To end the game, Shrader earned a first down with his legs and set up good field position for Szmyt’s game-winning field goal attempt. The kick was good, and the Orange sealed the night, 24-21.
“I think this win for the community, and this win for the university, and the student body tells you exactly how much the twelfth man is valued,” Head Coach Dino Babers said.
Tonight was the third time Syracuse and Liberty played in the last three years, and the second time Syracuse came out on top to end their non-conference games.
Syracuse hits the road for the first time in three weeks and heads to Florida State for their ACC Opener next week. Kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.
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ACC Power Rankings: With Clemson falling from the top spot, where does Syracuse rank? (PS; $; Carlson)
I don’t recall a week when this exercise has ever been more difficult top-to-bottom.
There are probably three or four choices you could reasonably make at the top spot, and none that you feel particularly good about, a dramatic change from the last decade when, for the most part, the only legitimate options were Florida State, Clemson and Notre Dame.
It’s normally difficult to differentiate the middle, but the top and the bottom traditionally become clear. Not so much this year.
Syracuse has also made things difficult.
The Orange is 3-1, coming off a win over Liberty. The Flames entered the game unproven but on the cusp of the AP Top 25. The Rutgers loss also looks better, given the Scarlet Knights’ test of Michigan over the weekend.
Syracuse has looked excellent on defense, and Sean Tucker has been exceptional. But the pass game looks like it could be an anchor, and it’s unclear if the Orange has the answer needed to find some balance on offense.
If SU finds one, you can make a case that the Orange is as complete a team as almost anyone in the league. If Syracuse doesn’t find a way to pass the ball, wins might be difficult to come by against Power-Five defenses.
Syracuse isn’t the only flawed team. The rest of the season will probably be about who manages to cover them up the best.
Here’s this week’s dart throw with an all-time low confidence.
1. Wake Forest
Record: 4-0 (1-0)Last week’s result: Win 37-17 at Virginia
Last week’s ranking: 4
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Louisville (12:30 p.m., ESPN3)
Why No. 1? The Demon Deacons have been the ACC’s most consistent team, picking up four wins, all by at least 20 points, with the road win at the Virginia being the best by a wide margin. Wake Forest is also the only team in the ACC with a top-three scoring offense and defense.
Quarterback Sam Hartman is piloting the Wake Forest offense efficiently, and the presence of nine Super Seniors could insulate the Demon Deacons from the depth issues they usually suffer late in the year.
Wake Forest traditionally doesn’t usually beat itself, something that might be enough in a year like this when nobody seems great.
2. North Carolina State
Record: 3-1 (1-0)Last week’s result: Win 27-21 vs. Clemson
Last week’s ranking: 7
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Louisiana Tech (6 p.m., ACC Network Extra)
Why No. 2? To be the best you’ve got to beat the best, and the Wolfpack were the ones that delivered the blow to Clemson, giving them an argument for the top spot.
The Wolfpack have been the most consistent threat to Clemson in the Atlantic Division in recent seasons and generally have a physically formidable team with decent depth.
Wide receiver Emeka Emezie, who it feels like has been playing forever, had 14 receptions against Clemson to beat the league’s previous single-game high this season by six. He accounted for 116 yards.
3. Boston College
Record: 4-0 (0-0)Last week’s result: Win 41-34 vs. Missouri in overtime
Last week’s ranking: 9
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Clemson (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 3? The Eagles are one of two unbeaten teams in the conference, along with Wake Forest, despite the loss of starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
Sophomore running back Patrick Garwo III is Sean Tucker’s competition for ACC Running Back of the Week this week after carrying 25 times for 175 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri.
Boston College owns one of the ACC’s best offensive lines, capable of helping Garwo to his big day and helping make backup quarterback Dennis Grosel look very capable (18-of-29 for 175 yards) despite the fact that he came to Chestnut Hill as a preferred walk-on.
4. Clemson
Record: 2-2 (0-1)Last week’s ranking: 1
Last week’s result: Loss 27-21 at North Carolina State
Thus week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Boston College (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 4? The Tigers have lost twice by a single score to one of the country’s best teams and to one of the ACC’s best teams. That isn’t all that bad.
But the passing game has been the worst in the ACC, and the hopes of winning with defense and a running game took a shot this weekend as well.
Clemson may have suffered three critical injuries with running back Will Shipley, linebacker James Skalski and defensive lineman Bryan Bresee all leaving the game due to injuries. It will also be interesting to see how Clemson copes with the fact that its goal for the season is likely out of reach, probably the only ACC team facing that reality this early.
5. Louisville
Record: 3-1 (1-0)Last week’s ranking: 6
Last week’s result: Win 31-23 at Florida State
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Wake Forest (12:30 p.m., ESPN3)
Why No. 5? Quarterback Malik Cunningham is one of two quarterbacks in the ACC who is also among the league’s 10 leading rushers and passers. He’s always been dangerous. This year he’s doing a much better job limiting turnovers, throwing two interceptions in four games. Last year he had 12.
6. Virginia Tech
Record: 3-1 (1-0)Last week’s ranking: 3
Last week’s result: Win 21-10 vs. Richmond
This week’s schedule: Off
Why No. 6? The close game against Richmond was one of the ACC’s least impressive performances last week. Perhaps it was the tough spot, sandwiched between games against West Virginia and Notre Dame.
Still, the Hokies’ season-opening win over North Carolina was the reason they climbed so high, and that’s not looking quite as good in hindsight.
7. Pittsburgh
Record: 3-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 8
Last week’s result: Win 77-7 vs. New Hampshire
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Georgia Tech (Noon, ACC Network)
Why No. 7? We shouldn’t be fooled by the score in a pick-your-score matchup, but the Panthers responded well to their annual stumble and it didn’t cost them an ACC loss. Quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver Jordan Addison have combined for three touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.
Pickett has been fantastic, completing 74.2 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns against one interceptions.
There are big questions about Pittsburgh’s defense, which has already surrendered more than 30 points twice. The heavy blitzing has overwhelmed lower-level teams but looked less dangerous against Pitt’s better competition.
8. Georgia Tech
Record: 2-2 (1-1)Last week’s ranking: 12
Last week’s result: Win 45-22 vs. North Carolina\
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Pittsburgh (Noon, ESPN)
Why No. 8? Georgia Tech delivered strong performances back-to-back against the league’s preseason favorites, splitting games with Clemson and North Carolina and erasing some of the concerns that stemmed from an opening loss to Northern Illinois.
When their offense sputtered early last week, the Yellow Jackets turned back to dual-threat quarterback Jeff Sims, who began the year as the starter, and he shredded the Tar Heels by passing for 112 yards and rushing for 128.
9. North Carolina
Record: 2-2 (1-2)Last week’s ranking: 2
Last week’s result: Loss 45-22 at Georgia Tech
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Duke (Noon, ESPN2)
Why No. 9? North Carolina seems destined to finish as one of the league’s most disappointing teams. Quarterback Sam Howell, the league’s preseason player of the year, has played well but not well enough to carry the Tar Heels, who have surrendered 84 points against ACC opponents the past two weeks.
10. Syracuse
Record: 3-1 (0-0)Last week’s ranking: 11
Last week’s result: Win 24-21 vs. Liberty
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Florida State (3:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 10? There’s plenty to like. Syracuse has the NCAA’s second-leading rusher in Sean Tucker (536 yards) and a player tied for third in sacks with Cody Roscoe (5.5 sacks).
If the Orange had a passing game, the team would be pretty complete. It also feels like you need to be able to pass to win games in the modern era of football.
It will be fascinating to see how the Orange addresses its weakness moving forward
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ACC Panic Room: UNC has failed to meet preseason expectations (wralsportsfan.com; video; Brownlow & Ovies)
Lauren Brownlow and Joe Ovies discuss North Carolina's disastrous trip to Atlanta, which derailed all preseason hyper for the Heels.
ACC Power Rankings - Week 4 (fromtherumbleseat.com; Cramer)
Remember when everyone was sure Clemson and North Carolina were the clear-cut favorites to meet in the ACC Championship? The Tar Heels were even pegged as a potential dark horse to make the playoffs this year with Sam Howell returning to lead the offense. Well, week four just wrapped up and Clemson is out of the playoff picture and doesn’t even control its own destiny in the Atlantic division. North Carolina is effectively dead in the water with two Coastal losses to both Techs who look to now be above everyone else with Pitt in the mix.
North Carolina State has to feel great with the boogie man put to bed this week but Wake Forest and Boston College seem capable of racking up the wins in the Atlantic as well. Louisville has been up and down but could be turning a corner to at least push some teams and ruin someone's hopes later in the year.
The Coastal seems the more tamed at this point. It’s early to be claiming the contenders but UNC and UVA already sit with two conference losses. Miami, Duke, and Pitt have yet to play a conference foe, but Miami appears horrid on defense and QB D’Eriq King could be out for some time. Duke has been showing signs of regression to their yesteryears before Coach Cutcliffe. That really leaves Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Pitt as the teams to watch and we get one of those matchups this coming week with Pitt visiting Georgia Tech.
Power Rankings
- Wake Forest - The Demon Deacons are getting the slight nod for being undefeated and looking solid through their first four games. It hasn’t been a brutal schedule but no game has ever been in doubt as their offense is averaging 38.8 points per game and the defense is only allowing 14.3 points a game. The schedule also sets up nicely with the potential to be 9-0 heading into their last three games against NC State, Clemson, and Boston College.
- North Carolina State - The Wolfpack would be the definite top team after downing Clemson if not for the mishap against Mississippi State. Everyone knows at this point that Clemson has some serious issues but credit to NC State for being the first of the ACC teams to cash in on the Tiger’s struggles. The one issue is they were the first team outside SC State to let Clemson get some offensive production.
- Boston College - ACC! ACC! ACC! It’s always a good day when the SEC is handed some humble pie by another conference and the Eagles delivered that to Missouri while on the road. Boston College is the only other undefeated left in the conference but Clemson and NC State are next and they draw the two Techs from the Coastal side so this could be a temporary stay in the top 3.
- Clemson - For the time being, Clemson only falls so far but it’s likely they take a few more lumps this season. Running back Will Shipley has been their lone bright spot on offense and he is now out for a few weeks along with Bryan Bresee who is out for the year and has been the defensive anchor for this team.
- Georgia Tech - Yes, your Yellow Jackets have made the leap this week by their performance and the lack of performance by their conference peers. Quarterback Sims returned and lit a fire back under the offense after a rough start and injury in the NIU game. The defense is starting to develop nicely with pass rushing and the havoc caused by the forced fumbles on Howell is just the cherry on top. The Yellow Jackets own their destiny now and a win over Pitt coming up would set them up for a run.
- Virginia Tech - The Hokies sit atop the Coastal standings for now but haven’t shown a lot of offense through four games. It took a punt return to pull more than one score away from FCS Richmond this week and while they also beat UNC it was a much closer affair. The Irish come to Blacksburg this week and four of the last five ACC games are on the road.
- Louisville - On the reverse side, Louisville has done well with scoring points but can’t seem to limit their opponent either. Their lone loss was to a good Ole Miss team but UCF played them hard and FSU tried to make things interesting late this week. The other issue is only one other player besides QB Malik Cunningham has recorded a rushing touchdown this season. The Cardinals need to find a few more playmakers if they want to contend deep into conference play.
- Pittsburgh - The Pitt Panthers are a team on the fence right now. They show signs of being a contender for the Coastal but also some areas of concern. Kenny Pickett has been great with protecting the ball and finding touchdowns in the passing game with a 15:1 TD to INT ratio. Though most of that has come against New Hampshire and a losing effort against Western Michigan. The defense hasn’t exactly been great against the better competition of Tennessee and WMU either.
- North Carolina - The Tar Heels can score with Sam Howell but he hasn’t been consistent this year. Receiver Josh Downs is a threat but there is no run game to take the pressure off of him and the offensive line is struggling. The defense has been a sieve most of the year giving up big plays to UVA and Georgia Tech. UNC will win a few more because the quality just drops for the remaining teams but this isn’t the year they expected.
- Duke - The Blue Devils are 3-1 but the loss came against Charlotte and the three teams they beat are a combined 2-7 including an FCS team who remains winless. Running back Mataeo Durant is the only bright spot for this offense as he accounts for one-fourth of their offensive yardage. It won’t be easy for Duke to keep pace with tougher competition having allowed over 400 yards to each FBS opponent.
- Syracuse - The Orange are also a paper 3-1 team who have yet to win a game against a Power 5 opponent this year. They should have a solid chance against FSU coming up but that isn’t saying much considering the Seminoles are winless. They’ve thrown a 2:3 touchdown to interception ratio between two QBs and all of that came against FCS Albany.
Syracuse Football: The Rhino’s likely return and ACC play begins for SU (itlh; Fiello)
Before the season, I wrote a post on 6 players I thought could make the most impact on the Syracuse football season and one of them has missed the first four games of the season, FB/TE/Mr. Everything Chris Elmore.
While the reasoning behind his absence is unknown and likely none of my business, there were hints on social media that his return was imminent as the Orange is scheduled to play Florida State University on Saturday, October 2 at 3:30 pm in Tallahassee, Fla., yet again on the ACC Network, TK99 locally on the radio or on The Varsity Network app.
Chris is a “super senior” who has played defensive line, offensive line, fullback and listed on the initial depth chart at TE and a player who brings leadership, experience and a level of excitement and intensity that will only help this team in ACC play.
And while it appears at times that FSU is struggling this season, if the Orange wants to play in a bowl game or have the potential I believe that they have to even make the ACC Championship game, it will need all hands on deck to make plays.
Another reason I view Chris’s return as crucial is in watching the Liberty game with Garrett Shrader at QB, the offense will want to run a lot of rush plays and short screens and a player like Rhino can not only provide a key block but also another set of hands/legs that could be utilized to get a few more yards if the defense is looking at Sean Tucker, Shrader or even Abdul Adams.
Head Coach Dino Babers LOVES to play chess with the press and other teams so we likely won’t know much until about 3:29 pm Saturday if he can help it in regards to Rhino’s status or if Shrader starts again but either way, the one I guy I loved preseason who mentioned wanting to be NCAA champions and matches my level of Orange insanity will only help this team succeed no matter the QB when the game starts.
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College football bowl projections: Arkansas, Texas jump into New Year's Six games as the ACC looks messy (cbssports.com; Palm)
No respect
College Football Playoff
Updated Sep 26, 2021
| DATE | BOWL | PROJECTION | MATCHUP | TIME | LOCATION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 10 | Championship | — | — | Semifinal winners | 8:00 p.m. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Dec. 31 | Cotton | Alabama Crimson Tide News, Scores, Status, Schedule - College Football Alabama | vs. Oregon Ducks News, Scores, Status, Schedule - College Football Oregon | CFP Semifinal | TBA | Arlington, Tex. |
| Dec. 31 | Orange | Georgia Bulldogs News, Scores, Status, Schedule - College Football Georgia | vs. Oklahoma Sooners News, Scores, Status, Schedule - College Football Oklahoma | CFP Semifinal | TBA | Miami, Fla. |
Selection Committee Bowl Games
Updated Sep 26, 2021
| DATE | BOWL | PROJECTION | MATCHUP | TIME | LOCATION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 | Sugar | Arkansas Razorbacks News, Scores, Status, Schedule - College Football Arkansas | vs. Texas Longhorns News, Scores, Status, Schedule - College Football Texas | SEC vs. Big 12 | 8:45 PM | New Orleans, La. |
| Jan. 1 | Rose | https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/OHIOST/ohio-state-buckeyes/ Ohio State | vs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/UCLA/ucla-bruins/ UCLA | Big Ten vs. Pac-12 | 5:00 PM | Pasadena, Calif. |
| Jan. 1 | Fiesta | https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/IOWA/iowa-hawkeyes/ Iowa | vs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/CINCY/cincinnati-bearcats/ Cincinnati | at-large vs. at-large | 1:00 PM | Glendale, Ariz. |
| Dec. 30 | Peach | https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/VATECH/virginia-tech-hokies/ Virginia Tech | vs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/teams/ND/notre-dame-fighting-irish/ Notre Dame | at-large vs. at-large | 7:00 PM | Atlanta, Ga. |
Other Bowl Games
Updated Sep 26, 2021
Schadenfreude, Undefeated Teams - 2021 Week 4 (RX: HM)
Schadenfreude, Undefeated Teams - 2021 Week 4
Top 25 Losses
Because Clemson and North Carolina weren't the only ranked team to fall this weekend...
#7 Texas A&M fell by 10 to #16 Arkansas, 10-20
I suspect there might be some schadenfreude from Semiinole fans when they saw this score.#14 Iowa State lost by 2 at Baylor, 29-31
So much for the year of the Cyclones, I guess?#18 Wisconsin was humiliated by #12 Notre Dame, 13-41 (28-point loss)
You read that right. The Badgers didn't just lose, they lost by four touchdowns!#25 Kansas State lost to Oklahoma State, 20-31
Still Unbeaten: Keeping Hope Alive!ACC: Boston College, Wake Forest
B1G: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan St, Penn State, Iowa
Pac: Oregon
SEC: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss
XII: Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St
IND: Army, BYU, Notre Dame
AAC: Cincinnati, SMU
Other G5: Coastal Carolina (SBC), San Diego St (MWC), UTSA (C-USA), Wyoming (MWC)
*Note: Cincinnati visits Notre Dame in a battle of unbeatens next week!
Posted 22 hours ago by Hokie Mark
AP Poll - 2021-09-26 (RX; HM)
AP Poll - 2021-09-26
Here's the latest AP Poll after the games of September 25th, 2021...
| AP Top 25 | |
| RK | TEAM |
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | Georgia |
| 3 | Oregon |
| 4 | Penn State |
| 5 | Iowa |
| 6 | Oklahoma |
| 7 | Cincinnati |
| 8 | Arkansas |
| 9 | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Florida |
| 11 | Ohio State |
| 12 | Ole Miss |
| 13 | BYU |
| 14 | Michigan |
| 15 | Texas A&M |
| 16 | Coastal Carolina |
| 17 | Michigan State |
| 18 | Fresno State |
| 19 | Oklahoma State |
| 20 | UCLA |
| 21 | Baylor |
| 22 | Auburn |
| 23 | NC State |
| 24 | Wake Forest |
| 25 | Clemson |
| Others receiving votes: | |
| 26 | Texas |
| 27 | Maryland |
| 28 | San Diego St |
| 29 | Boston College |
| 30 | SMU |
| 31 | Kentucky |
| 32 | Iowa State |
| 33 | LSU |
| 34 | Arizona State |
| 35 | Virginia Tech |
| 36 | Wisconsin |
| 37 | Rutgers |
| 38 | Kansas State |
| 39 | UTSA |
| 39 | Oregon State |
| 41 | Louisville |
| 42 | North Carolina |
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Hope isn't the issue for UVA football (cbs19news.com; Stein)
For the second straight week, Virginia football fell to an ACC opponent by 20 points, opening conference play 0-2. However the goals to win the Coastal Division and the ACC are still alive.
As the defending Coastal champions, UVA came into the season looking to hold onto the title, that has been won by a different team each of the past seven seasons.
Their 37-17 loss against Wake Forest was a step back, but the team expressed they had felt they were well prepared through the week of practice heading into Friday night.
"We never give up no matter what," said UVA graduate student tight end Jelani Woods. "Like I said as a team we're still gonna push forward no matter the outcome and no matter how we're gonna do it, we're still gonna push forward."
When asked after the game what message Bronco Mendenhall needs to send to the group to keep hope alive, he said hope isn't the issue.
"So I think hope isn't the right word. I love the opportunity to develop, grow, battle, strain and become," said UVA football coach Bronco Mendenhall. "I love seeing people that can fight, scratch, claw for a cause right until the very end. That mindset with now the execution and the planning, that all has to come together."
He specifically shouted out freshman wide receiver and former Monticello standout Malachi Fields, as an example of someone who fought hard until the end. He also mentioned Keytaon Thompson. The team feels they are made of a group of players who all have that fighting mindset and spirit.
"The guys on our defense and on our offense, no matter the outcome what the media sees or the fans in the stands see, guys on our football team definitely want to try hard, that's something you can take away from UVA football," said UVA senior outside linebacker Noah Taylor. "Obviously we may not be executing the right way right now but guys wanna win the Coastal, guys wanna win the ACC and you can tell by the way we play football."
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Is ACC football eliminating itself from playoff contention? (saturdayblitz.com; Lloyd)
So far this season, ACC football is already looking like what the Pac-12 has been over the past several years. In other words, the ACC is officially on its way to becoming a full-on cannibal conference.
What makes a league a “cannibal conference” is the tendency to have its teams beat other members of it to the point where, by the conclusion of the regular season, all powers have such weakened resumes that none of them are eligible to make the playoff bracket.
Unfortunately, the ACC truly seems to be practicing this exact self-destructive habit, and we are only four weeks into the slate.
Both the Clemson Tigers and the North Carolina Tar Heels were expected to be top teams in the Atlantic Coast, yet they have each dropped half of their first four games. While Clemson fell to NC State in double-overtime, the Heels fell to Georgia Tech — this was after the Tigers had already lost to Georgia and UNC had failed to top Virginia Tech.
Typically, two or more losses wipe a team off of the lineup for playoff eligibility, so if that unwritten rule also holds true this year, then the presumed king and queen of the ACC are out of the way for any concerned College Football Playoff hopefuls from the other Power Five leagues.
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Three takeaways from Louisville football's ACC opener against Florida State (C-J; Robinson)
Louisville held off Florida State for a win in its ACC opener on the road, 31-23.
For about two quarters, it looked like Louisville would blow out the now 0-4 Florida State after holding a 24-point lead, but the Seminoles came back before falling late. A Kei'Trel Clark interception with 45 seconds left clinched the game for Louisville.
Louisville's offense, which tallied 397 yards, 316 coming in the first half, didn't score in the second half.
Here's three takeaways from the game.
Louisville played a near-perfect first half
For the first two quarters, Louisville looked like it put all of its problems behind it, especially on offense.
The Cardinals were moving the ball methodically, mixing the run and pass and tallied 316 yards in the first half. Their first touchdown was a 59-yard pass to Tyler Harrell, the big play that has been missing from the offense. Quarterback Malik Cunningham, who threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns, said the touchdown to Harrell was scripted from the start.
On top of that, it was mixing in the short passing game and getting a number of receivers involved. Defensively, until the last drive of the half, Louisville was playing well. It contained Florida State's offense and held it to just 180 yards.
The offense faltered late, failing to score at all in the second half, but the defense found a way to hold off Florida State.
Run defense still needs work, but Yasir Abdullah continues to come up big
Louisville has major problems to figure out in its run defense. The Seminoles gashed the Cardinals for 205 yards and 5.7 yards per carry.
The highlight of the rushing attack was a 75-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half that put Florida State back in the game. The Seminoles are one of the better rushing teams in the ACC, but the Cardinals missed tackles and run gaps against the Seminoles that exposed the defense.
There were times when outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah, though, made countless big plays. He finished with eight tackles, two sacks and three and a half tackles for a loss, but the Cardinals have a weakness there on defense. It must fix it going forward.
There were positives for the defense, though. Despite giving up over 200 yards on the ground, the Cardinals forced Florida State to work its way down the field and held the Seminoles to 5-of-16 on third down. It also capatalized on an interception, once again, to win the game.
3-1 is still a strong start for the Cards
For as inconsistent as Louisville has looked through four games, it is 3-1 a third of the way through the season. It's the prediction many had for Louisville coming into the year, but there's still a lot of room to improve.
Louisville needs to find a more consistent rushing attack and the defense has to stop the run better. The offense is still a work in progress but after a disaster start to the season against Ole Miss, Louisville is in a good position a few weeks away from its bye week.
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ACC, Clemson driving network analyst to the bottle (theclemsoninsider.com Staff)
It’s no secret the ACC is having an especially disappointing season.
Clemson’s loss at North Carolina State exacerbated the already glaring issues in the conference.
After the four weeks of play the only undefeated teams remaining in the conference are Wake Forest and Boston College.
The ACC Network’s Mark Packer tweeted on Sunday morning that his weekly power rankings made him reach for an adult beverage at breakfast time.
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Other
Housemade cheese ravioli awaits its fate at Santangelo's Restaurant, Liverpool, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)
Red sauce reliability at Santangelo’s Restaurant in Liverpool (Dining Out Review) (PS; $; Paventi)
The marinara sauce at Santangelo’s Restaurant in Liverpool is a thick red sauce with chunks of chopped tomatoes. It bursts with simple flavors of tomato and basil with a slight acidity. It clings to pasta as if it were hanging on for dear life.
In Isaac’s Platter ($21.99), it features prominently by providing cover to a variety of items in the sampler dish. A housemade ravioli was stuffed with creamy herbed ricotta cheese. The circular pasta pillow was massive, about as big as the palm of your hand. It was joined by a link of mild Italian sausage that was full of savory fennel and pork flavor, and a large all-beef meatball that was cooked in sauce before serving.
The platter came with a large serving of penne pasta and quite a bit of the water it was cooked in. We picked around that and the baked eggplant, which was tough and watery, as if the breaded vegetable was cooked from frozen. The flavor was fine, but the breading fell off quickly and it took more than the edge of a fork to split each piece.
Little has changed about Santangelo’s since it opened in 1986. The beige exterior and burgundy red sign is a recognizable landmark for regular drivers of Old Liverpool Road, for the past three decades. Dark woods, earth tones and rounded archways inside have been well cared for over the years, with the interior as much of a point of pride as the food.
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