sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Pasta is made with flour, salt, water, and eggs. It comes in many shapes, like ribbons, cords, and tubes, and can be prepared in myriad ways, with different cooking techniques and in many recipes. It can be tossed with butter, cheese, seasonings, and sauces of tomato, seafood, and cream. Some pasta may be stuffed with meat, cheese, or spinach. Pasta is used in dishes like spaghetti, fettuccine Alfredo, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and penne and pesto, and in soups and casseroles.
Delegations from a number of countries came together at the first World Pasta Congress in Rome, Italy, on October 25, 1995, to discuss how they could promote pasta consumption together. They agreed that knowledge of pasta should be spread around the world "by means of collective initiatives of promotional nature and institutional information campaigns." World Pasta Day was proclaimed in 1998 by the National Pasta Association in an effort to recall and strengthen the goals of the World Pasta Congress. The day was organized and coordinated by a committee consisting of representatives from the National Pasta Association, located in the United States, the UNA.F.P.A., based in Europe, and the pasta associations in Venezuela and Turkey. In more recent years, the International Pasta Organization (IPO), the Italian Trade Agency, and the Italian Association of Confectionery & Pasta Industries—now part of the Unione Italiana Food—have been behind the organization of the day.
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The next day: Syracuse finally musters a game winning drive versus VT (DO; Hernandez)
Syracuse can point to a plethora of reasons it suffered three consecutive losses to Florida State, Wake Forest and Clemson, ranging from missed officiating calls, poor coaching decisions and a lack of execution. But the bottom line is simple — in each game, SU had the ball, and a chance to potentially win the game. And in each, for a variety of reasons, the Orange couldn’t.
“We’re just not finishing the way we should be,” quarterback Garrett Shrader reiterated after the Wake Forest defeat.
And after the Clemson game, where the offense’s final drive stalled and Andre Szmyt missed a 48-yard field goal, multiple Syracuse players collapsed on the ground in disbelief.
In Blacksburg on Saturday afternoon, Syracuse (4-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) reversed the narrative by finally winning a close game. The Orange trailed by two possessions with less than three minutes remaining but closed out the game with a 45-yard touchdown drive, the defense forcing a three-and-out and one more 70-yard scoring drive. In a must-win game, SU got back to .500 on the season behind its first game-winning drive in a month.
“This was Christmas and birthdays, everything wrapped up in one,” head coach Dino Babers said when asked about this win’s significance. “It’s a good celebration in one.”
It started a month ago against Liberty when Cody Roscoe popped the ball out of quarterback Malik Willis’ hand. The score was tied 21-21, and when linebacker Mikel Jones fell on the loose ball, SU was looking at a 48-yard field goal if it didn’t pick up any yards. So the offense went to work.
Sean Tucker ran for 8 yards, and then 1, and later in the drive, Shrader rushed for 8 yards before Szmyt nailed the game-winning 35-yard field goal. But that drive, where the defense’s forced fumble set up an extremely short field, was a minuscule version of what was to come for Syracuse’s offense.
The following week, Syracuse had the ball with 3:20 and the score tied 30-30. The Orange got into field goal range while chewing the clock, and the offense had a good shot at coming out of Tallahassee with a win. But Syracuse managed just one first down before Anthony Queeley slipped on his third-and-7 route that would’ve put SU on the edge of field goal range. It looked like Shrader overthrew Queeley too, and FSU went on to lead its own game-winning drive in response.
“It’s bitter coming up short,” Shrader said after the three-point loss.
In overtime against Wake Forest, Shrader pitched to Tucker along the sideline for a first down, but eventually, SU’s receivers couldn’t get open. Shrader pump-faked on third-and-8 and then was swallowed for a sack. SU kicked a field goal, and Wake Forest responded with a touchdown.
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ACC Power Rankings: How high does Syracuse football deserve to vault after Virginia Tech win? (PS; $; Carlson)
The Syracuse football team spent the previous three weeks building a case that it could compete with nearly anyone in the ACC, building a case it was better than its record.
The Orange made it easy this week, finally winning a Power-Five game after a season full of close calls.
The Orange looks fundamentally changed with Garrett Shrader as its starting quarterback and a run-heavy approach on offense, and Syracuse has shown guts by competing to the final whistle in five consecutive weeks.
With one week before it gets a much-needed break, the Orange are this week’s biggest risers here and, despite the lackluster conference record, there’s an argument to be made that SU is an upper-half ACC team.
How’s that possible after one conference win? Outside of the top two and the bottom one, the league is packed tightly together.
1. Pittsburgh
Record: 6-1 (3-0)Last week’s ranking: 1
Last week’s result: Win 27-17 vs. Clemson
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Miami (Noon, ACC Network)
Why No. 1? Even Clemson was just a speed bump to quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is starting to make a reasonable case for more than ACC Player of the Year.
Pickett has thrown multiple touchdown passes in every game and has amassed a sparking 23-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The Panther defense is its weakest side and even it has feasted the past two weeks, allowing 24 points combined to Virginia Tech and Clemson. Former Christian Brothers Academy start SirVocea Dennis has to be enjoying the season immensely and returned a shovel pass 50 yards for a defensive score against the Tigers.
2. Wake Forest
Record: 7-0 (4-0)Last week’s ranking: 3
Last week’s result: Win 70-56 at Army
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Duke (4 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 2? The Demon Deacons put a spotlight on everything they are in a bonkers victory at Army.
Wake Forest surrendered 416 rushing yards to the Army triple-option (very bad!) but Sam Hartman threw for 458 yards and averaged 15.8 yards per throw (very good!).
3. North Carolina State
Record: 5-2 (2-1)Last week’s ranking: 2
Last week’s result: Loss 31-30 at Miami
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Louisville (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 3? Heading into the week, it felt like we knew North Carolina State’s defense was pretty good. Some of that success may have been a product of playing poor passing teams.
The Wolfpack were strafed by Miami’s backup quarterback for 325 yards and four touchdowns. They’re still one of the ACC’s most balanced team but North Carolina State might be more vulnerable than it looked.
4. Clemson
Record: 4-3 (3-2)Last week’s ranking: 4
Last week’s result: Loss 27-17 at Pittsburgh
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Florida State (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Why No. 4? Clemson’s defense continues to be elite but the challenge for the Tigers will be to keep a one-dimensional team from splintering without its usual goals of an ACC championship or a national title.
The loss to Pittsburgh should end Clemson’s streak of six consecutive ACC titles and the brief benching -- and eventual return -- of quarterback D.J. Uiagaleilei shows how desperate the Tigers are for answers on offense.
Playing without three of their top four receivers due to injury and COVID protocols didn’t help, part of some terrible injury luck for the Tigers this season.
5. Virginia
Record: 6-2 (4-2)Last week’s ranking: 5
Last week’s result: Win 48-40 vs. Georgia Tech
This week’s schedule: Saturday at BYU (10:15 p.m., ESPN2)
Why No. 5?
The ACC has a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback but he’s not leading the conference in passing.
Instead Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong is. He passed for another 398 yards this week, lowering his season average to 402.5 per game.
Virginia, which has won four straight games, was substantially better than Georgia Tech for most of the game before failing to grab multiple onside kicks in the fourth quarter, resulting in a score that looked closer than the competition.
The Cavaliers have an exceptionally difficult finish with games against BYU, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame before their rivalry game with Virginia Tech.
6. Louisville
Record: 4-3 (2-2)Last week’s ranking: 6
Last week’s result: Win 28-14 vs. Boston College
This week’s schedule: Saturday at North Carolina State (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Why No. 6? Louisville snapped a streak of two close losses and three one-score games with a slightly more comfortable performance against the struggling Eagles.
Quarterback Malik Cunningham is one of four quarterbacks among the league’s top 10 rushers, averaging 64.7 yards per game. Syracuse’s Shrader leads the group, averaging 74 yards per game.
7. Florida State
Record: 3-4 (2-3)Last week’s ranking: 10
Last week’s result: Win 59-3 vs. UMass
This week’s schedule: Saturday at Clemson (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Why No. 7? Much like Syracuse, Florida State seems a much-improved team since shifting to a mobile quarterback as its full-time option. Wins over Syracuse and North Carolina are much more meaningful than the one over UMass.
8. Syracuse
Record: 4-4 (1-3)Last week’s ranking: 12
Last week’s result: Win 41-36 at Virginia Tech
This week’s schedule: Saturday vs. Boston College (3:30 p.m., regional sports networks)
Why No. 8? Syracuse has two of the ACC’s top seven performers in rushing yards thanks to Shrader and Sean Tucker.
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Five Takeaways: Syracuse 41 Virginia Tech 36 (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse stunned Virginia Tech with two touchdowns in the final three minutes to beat the Hokies 41-36.
1. Garrett Shrader
236 yards passing. 174 yards rushing. Five total touchdowns. Garrett Shrader was spectacular as he seemed to will Syracuse to victory over Virginia Tech. There are just some things you cannot teach, often called "the it factor." Shrader has that. He is just a gamer who makes big plays in critical moments. Lost in Syracuse's close losses are the fact that he led Syracuse on a game tying touchdown drive late against Wake Forest and put the Orange in position to tie it against Clemson in the final seconds. Combine that with his touchdown pass to Damien Alford to beat Virginia Tech, he just has whatever "it" is. Now with the tangible, I thought he took a step forward as a passer in this game, especially in the second half. There is still a long ways to go in that area of his development, but Saturday should be encouraging.
2. Fourth Down
Syracuse was aggressive in this game, and it paid off. Syracuse went 4-4 on fourth down, each of which was critical to the final outcome. The two biggest ones were the first quarter touchdown run by Sean Tucker on a fourth and one, and the fourth and four that Shrader scrambled for just a couple of plays before the game winning touchdown. Syracuse even went for fourth and one in its own territory. It was good to see Syracuse play aggressive, going for the win, rather than being a bit conservative. There are times for the conservative approach, but Saturday was not one of them.
3. The Run Defense
The run defense had massive issues against Virginia Tech. A Hokies rushing attack that had just one run of at least 30 years all season had several against the Orange. Virginia Tech ran for 260 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, in total. Freshman running back Malachi Thomas came into the game with just 11 carries on the season. He had 22 for 151 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse. The Orange has to get that cleaned up especially with a Boston College team that runs for over 160 yards per game coming to the Dome next week.
4. End of First Half
At the end of the first half, Syracuse had a major meltdown. After getting the ball to the one yard line with 8 seconds left, Syracuse called timeout. That was not the issue. Out of the timeout when Syracuse came onto the field, there was a personnel issue that caused the Orange to use its last timeout of the half before running a play. That prevented the option of running the ball and having the ability to stop the clock if they were stopped. Instead, Syracuse threw the ball on first down, and then elected to kick a field goal with just five seconds left. The short field goal was then missed when Andre Szmyt's kick hit off the upright. It was just a catastrophic sequence of events. After the game, Garrett Shrader placed the blame on the players while Dino Babers placed it on himself. Whoever was at fault, Syracuse has to figure out those situations. Plays getting in quickly seems to be an ongoing issue.
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ESPN Analyst Lists Sean Tucker as Heisman Contender (SI; McAllister)
On SportsCenter Sunday morning, ESPN College Football Analyst Trevor Matich listed his top four Heisman contenders after Saturday's slate of games. His number four pick was Syracuse running back Sean Tucker. Also listed by Matich were Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis and Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral.
Matich played college football for BYU, helping win the 1984 National Championship. He then played in the NFL from 1985 to 1996 with the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Football Team.
Syracuse running back Sean Tucker rushed for 112 yards in the Orange's 41-36 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday. It was the sixth straight game Tucker rushed for more than 100 yards, which sets a program record. It was also Tucker's seventh 100 yard performance of the year, tying the single season mark that is also shared by Jim Brown, Joe Morris and James Mungro. Not terrible company to say the least.
In the game, Tucker also eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. It was the first time an Orange player hit the mark since Jerome Smith in 2012 and just the 17th time in Syracuse history overall. Tucker is the first player in college football this season to hit 1,000 rushing yards.
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Quick Hits: Key plays by Shrader help Syracuse shock Hokies - The Juice Online (the juice; Stechschulte)
Behind Garrett Shrader’s five touchdowns, Syracuse rallied for their first road ACC win in two seasons, downing Virginia Tech, 41-36. Here are some quick hits from the game.
- Sean Tucker had 112 yards on the ground and is now up to 1,060 the season, which puts him just outside the top ten in a single season in SU history with four games remaining. Tucker also has ten touchdowns on the season, which trails Garrett Shrader, who has a dozen scores, putting the latter in a tie for eighth on the single-season list.
- For the second consecutive outing, the Orange defense failed to force a turnover. Stuck on just six turnovers this season, this inability to make the potential game-changing play continues to put the unit under unnecessary stress. It also does not set up the offense with a short field. The only Syracuse drive to start beyond their own 34 was the one set up by Trebor Pena’s long kickoff return.
- To offset this, SU has done a good job protecting the ball on the season, committing just eight turnovers on the season. The Virginia Tech game was their third game without giving the ball away on the season and they have turned it over just three times in their last five contests.
- While Shrader has not been getting significantly better results on accuracy (he has completed 50.4 percent of his passes in his last four games), being able to hit on a couple longer passes helped open things up for the offense. Shrader’s 6.94 yards per pass attempts was his best effort against an FBS team this season and his 236 passing yards are a season high. Connecting on passes of 38 yards to Sharod Johnson and 24 yards to Courtney Jackson in the second quarter likely opened things back up for the run game.
- There is no way to hide that Andre Szmyt is in a slump (or worse). He has made only three of his last seven field goal attempts and none longer than 38 yards. With Syracuse’s penchant for playing close games (today’s five-point win was the team’s biggest margin in either direction in their last five games), Szmyt’s accuracy could very easily swing a game in either direction.
Syracuse football opens up as home favorite over Boston College (PS; Carlson)
The Syracuse football team opened as a 4-point favorite over Boston College in next week’s game in the Carrier Dome, according to the consensus line featured on the website VegasInsider.com. The line jumped quickly to 5.5 points.
It’s the first time that the Orange has been favored in a conference game since hosting Boston College on Nov. 2, 2019, a sign of growing respect for the way Syracuse has played in recent weeks.
Syracuse (4-4, 1-3 ACC) is coming off a win over Virginia Tech and has played to-the-final-whistle games in five consecutive weeks, including close losses against ACC Atlantic Division leader Wake Forest and six-time defending ACC title game winner Clemson.
Boston College (4-3, 0-3) has lost three consecutive games and hasn’t scored more than 13 points in any of them. The Eagles entered their season with high hopes but lost quarterback Phil Jurkovec to a throwing hand injury. While his backup, Dennis Grosel, is experienced, he is also a former walk-on, and the drop-off has begun to eat into the Eagles’ offensive production.
Two of those games have come against Clemson and North Carolina State, a pair of the conference’s better defensive teams. The Eagles lost 28-14 to Louisville last week, surrendering 331 rushing yards against the Cardinals’ mobile quarterback and talented running back, and BC should have its hands full with Garrett Shrader and Sean Tucker.
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Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader (16) waves as he leaves the field after an NCAA college football game against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Va., Saturday, Oct. 23 2021. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP) AP
Axe: SU football has given its fans an easy team to root for no matter the record (PS; $; Axe)
The Syracuse University football team is not as good as it should be eight games into the 2021 season with a 4-4 mark.
The players would be the first to tell you that.
“Yeah, we were pissed off about those last three weeks, you know what I’m saying?” Syracuse wide receiver Anthony Queeley said following SU’s 41-36 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday. “We definitely should have won those games, and I guess that put a little bit of fire, a little bit of beef into our game plan and our motivation, telling each other that we’re not going to lose this game.”
Put aside some close calls in a five-game stretch all decided in the last minute, this has become a Syracuse team that is easy to embrace with its grit, toughness and penchant for drama.
Quarterback Garrett Shrader and running back Sean Tucker lead the way with an old-school approach.
Shrader has endeared himself to Syracuse fans by hanging tough in the pocket on key fourth-quarter throws against Clemson and Virginia Tech the last two games that resulted in him being planted in the turf.
Shrader has helped revive the Syracuse offense with 12 rushing touchdowns, which ranks fourth in the nation.
Tucker would be a leading Heisman contender if Syracuse had a record worthy of the Top 25 poll. He is currently the nation’s leading rusher with 1,060 yards.
Syracuse fans appreciate how Tucker runs over, around and through opposing defenses on the field and his humble approach off of it.
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Syracuse Football: Orange saved its season with miraculous finish on road (itlh; Adler)
Down by nine points with about five minutes remaining in its Atlantic Coast Conference contest against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., on Saturday afternoon, Syracuse football looked like it was on the verge of a fourth-straight close setback in conference competition.
The heartache for the ‘Cuse program and Orange fans alike appeared as if it would continue onward. Following devastating three-point losses at Florida State, and at home to Wake Forest in overtime and to Clemson in Central New York, I figured that Syracuse football would come up just short once more versus Virginia Tech before a raucous Hokies crowd.
Thankfully, I was wrong. The Orange punched two drives into the end zone, capping off a 21-point fourth quarter, and Syracuse football finally got into the win column in ACC play within the 2021 season with a nerve-wracking and thrilling 41-36 conquest of Virginia Tech.
Man, that game proved stressful. But it was equally as delightful when the final seconds ticked off of the clock, and the ‘Cuse (4-4, 1-3) had snatched a somewhat surprising victory from the jaws of defeat against the Hokies (3-4, 1-2).
Syracuse football, if it can keep this momentum going, may be in the hunt for a bowl berth.
Offensive production certainly wasn’t an issue for the Orange versus Virginia Tech. Per cuse.com, Syracuse football collected a whopping 550 total yards, which consisted of a ridiculous 314 rushing yards and 236 passing yards from quarterback Garrett Shrader, who completed 16-of-34 attempts through the air.On the ground, Shrader rushed 22 times for 174 yards and three scores. Meanwhile, running back Sean Tucker eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground for the 2021 stanza, as he registered 20 carries for 112 yards and one rushing touchdown in the team’s win over the Hokies.
For all the tremendous things that Syracuse football did rushing the ball, it was Shrader’s passing that guided the ‘Cuse to a success. First, he connected with wide receiver Courtney Jackson for a 12-yard score with about 2:30 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Then, with fewer than 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Shrader threw a fabulous 45-yard touchdown bomb to another wide receiver, Damien Alford, which resulted in the final 41-36 margin.
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Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse: That 1992 Feeling (sportswar.com; $; Coleman)
If you read last week’s Virginia Tech-Syracuse game preview, you know I had visions of former Lou Groza Award winner Andre Szmyt banging in the game-winner after missing an opportunity to send his team to overtime against Clemson last week. Opposing kickers have all looked like Lou Groza winners against the Hokies over the last couple of years, so expecting an actual Groza Award winner to do that seemed like the natural thing to pick this week.
Instead, Szmyt banged a 19-yard field goal off the upright and had an extra point blocked, which the Hokies then returned for two points. That’s a 6-point swing in the kicking game, and if you had told me before the game that the Hokies would get that, I would have picked them to win.
Instead, despite that help, Tech lost. Again. For the third straight game, and the fourth time in its last five contests. Like most of the rest of them, it was a close one that went down to the wire. When I looked up at the scoreboard with 5:25 remaining, I felt reasonably good about it, because the Hokies were up by two scores and Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader hadn’t shown the ability to beat anybody with his arm this season. Yeah,
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Notable numbers versus Syracuse - Virginia Tech Athletics (hokiesports.com)
Virginia Tech football set some new numbers statistics-wise Saturday against Syracuse in its 41-36 setback at Lane Stadium. You can view those tidbits below.
True Freshman Shines
Malachi Thomas became the first true freshman since 1987 to score three rushing touchdowns in a game. Then-redshirt freshman Ryan Williams had three games in 2009 (Marshall, NC State, Virginia) of scoring three or more rushing TDs and Tommy Edwards' three against Pitt in 1993 mark the only redshirt freshmen on record to do the feat since 1987.
Thomas also became the first to rush for over 100 yards in a game this season, with his 151 yards on 21 carries.
BeamerBall Makes An Appearance During The Throwback Game
With 1:54 remaining until halftime and Syracuse looking to tie the game at 14, Chamarri Conner recorded the first blocked kick of his career when he blocked an extra point attempt by 2018 Lou Groza winner Andre Szmyt. The blocked kick was picked up by Dorian Strong, who took it to the house for the defensive two-point conversion.
The blocked extra point attempt was the the first for the special teams unit since Dadi Nicolas blocked a Michael Badgley kick attempt against Miami in 2014 in Lane Stadium. The ball was picked up by Donovan Riley, but his return attempt for two points failed.
The last time the Hokies blocked an extra point kick and returned it to the house was against East Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte in 2018. John Graves picked up the first blocked kick of his career and Stephen Virgil got the scoop and score. Graves would go on to block a field goal attempt by Furman and another extra point by Georgia Tech in the next two games.
More Special Teams
Tech's special teams unit extended its nation-leading streak of 225 consecutive made extra points, dating back to Oct. 20, 2016 vs. Miami. The NCAA record is 304 straight extra points set in 2019 by Auburn.
Scorigami
The 41-36 final score was a Virginia Tech scorigami. Scorigami is the art of building final scores that have never happened before. More information on scorigami. The score was the 13th such score in FBS scorigami history and first since 2016.
Uniform Tracker
The Hokies wore maroon helmets, maroon jerseys and white pants for the second time this season.
| Helmet | Jersey | Pants | Date | Opponent | Location | Result | 2021 Record | Record since 1987 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | Orange | Orange | Sept. 3, 2021 | North Carolina | Blacksburg, Va. | W, 17-10 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| White | White | White | Sept. 11, 2021 | Middle Tennessee | Blacksburg, Va. | W, 35-14 | 1-0 | 17-8 |
| Maroon | White | Maroon | Sept. 18, 2021 | West Virginia | Morgantown, W.Va. | L, 21-27 | 0-1 | 34-30 |
| Maroon | Maroon | White | Sept. 25, 2021 | Richmond | Blacksburg, Va. | W, 21-10 | 1-0 | 120-41 |
| Maroon | Maroon | Maroon | Oct. 9, 2021 | Notre Dame | Blacksburg, Va. | L, 29-32 | 0-1 | 16-15 |
| White | Maroon | White | Oct. 16, 2021 | Pitt | Blacksburg, Va. | L, 28-7 | 0-1 | 8-1 |
| Maroon | Maroon | White | Oct. 23, 2021 | Syracuse | Blacksburg, Va. | L, 36-41 | 1-1 | 120-42 |
Virginia Tech running back Malachi Thomas breaks out of the pack (roanoke.com; Niziolek)
Short yardage situations have made Virginia Tech fans cringe this season.
The Hokies offense have come up short in key moments despite trying a variety of different approaches, but the group’s latest solution showed some promise.
True freshman running back Malachi Thomas was the team’s featured back on Saturday against Syracuse and he came through on a third-and-1 in the fourth quarter with a 47-yard touchdown run.
“I got the ball and then the O-line just made a beautiful block backside and I just hit it,” Thomas said after the game. “I just was thinking, ‘This time, I’m not going to get caught.’”
Thomas had a 45-yard run down to Syracuse’s 20-yard line on Tech’s previous drive. The pair of explosive runs were the first runs of 40 yards or more for the Hokies all season.
Tech ran for a season-high 260 yards (5.9 yards per carry) on 44 attempts as a team. The Hokies came into the game averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Thomas finished the game with a career-high 151 yards (7.2 ypc) with three touchdowns, and he’s the first Hokies running back this season to get 20 carries in a single game.
“He just continues to get better,” Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. “He’s shown up in fall camp. He’s shown up in the early part of the season. The thing for that is beginning to trust him without the ball in his hands, protections and those sorts of things. He’s made huge strides there. He has a good feel for running the football. He’s somebody that we made a concerted effort this week to get in there and hand him the ball and see what happened.”
Thomas didn’t know that he was going to play so many snaps until right before the game. The 6-foot, 197-pounder’s role had expanded in recent weeks, but it was still a surprise given the expectations he had to start out the fall when he joined a roster with 10 scholarship running backs on the roster.
“Honestly, not really,” Thomas said, when asked if he thought he would play this fall. “I just came in thinking, ‘Just keep my head down, stay humble, practice hard, and then whatever happens, happens.’”
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Syracuse vs Virginia Tech quick reaction & recap 2021 College Football
Gary & Chris give a quick reaction, breakdown & recap to Syracuse’s big 51-46 win vs Virginia Tech from Week 8 of the 2021 College Football season.
Grading the Hokies: Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse (colleigatetimes.com; Kanuoarthy & Bray)
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
The Hokies suffered an avoidable loss of 41–36 against the Syracuse Orange following a devastating setback to the Pittsburgh Panthers the previous week. Braxton Burmeister passed for only 177 yards, coming in at significantly less yardage than the Syracuse quarterback’s 236. While Burmeister did not play at his worst, he was unable to secure more points with a fourth quarter touchdown that could have put the Hokies in a place for a set victory.Burmeister played well enough to keep Virginia Tech in the lead up until the very end of the afternoon home game and was unable to follow through with a win after sustaining the advantage for so long.
Running Backs: A
The running backs were the star of the show this Saturday, with Malachi Thomas and Raheem Blackshear shining with 151 and 78 rushing yards respectively. Thomas was able to score three touchdowns, helping to put the Hokies in the lead until the last minute of the fourth quarter. The offensive line created blockades against the Orange defense and holes for them to weave through, allowing Thomas and Blackshear to be the real MVPs of the game.Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: C
Tré Turner, who usually explodes on the turf, was not in a situation with many opportunities this game. The junior running back only had 12 receiving and 19 rushing yards, a stark contrast from numbers like 102 receiving yards and one touchdown from the matchup against the Richmond Spiders. Tayvion Robinson, the sophomore Hokie wide receiver, was in the same situation this game, but he served as the leading receiver with 57 yards in Lane. Robinson did not score a touchdown, but his yards on field were close to what he normally puts up.Offensive Line: B-
This week, the offensive line was able to block the Syracuse defense better and provide openings for Burmeister to pass and running backs to rush through the line of scrimmage. However, when it came to ensuring that the Orange would not score, the offensive line was unable to stop them, ultimately leading to the third home loss in a row for the Hokies and a losing record of 3–4 for the season.Defense
Defensive Line: D
For the second week in a row, the Hokies’ front four was dominated. Apart from the fact that it failed to record a sack, the defensive line also played a pivotal role in surrendering an unacceptable 314 rushing yards. Ultimately, games are won at the line of scrimmage.Linebackers: D-
Coming into this game, Dax Hollifield and the crew knew that they were going to have to limit star running back Sean Tucker. Not only did they fail to do that, they also allowed Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader to pick up 174 yards on the ground. When a defense allows 7 yards per rush, it’s almost impossible to secure a win.Defensive Backs: C-
Although Virginia Tech’s defensive performance was subpar, the secondary still remained somewhat unruffled. Although they gave up 236 passing yards, they still remained active, finishing with six pass breakups....
Bleav in Syracuse Football - Episode 15 - Shrader and SU Stood Tall Against VT on Stitcher (sticher.com; podcast; The Bleav)
Host Mike McAllister of Sports Illustrated and producer Kyle Leff share their thoughts on a wild come-from-behind victory for Syracuse against Virignia tech 41-36. Special teams failures(and success), Shrader impressing, defensive lapses, and a Mike rant about Dino Babers. What more could you ask for!
Shrader's 5TDs leads Syracuse past Virginia Tech 41-36 (wset.com; photo gallery)
Garrett Shrader's 5 TDs lead Syracuse to a dramatic comeback win over crumbling Virginia Tech...
College football Week 8 overreactions: Pitt's Kenny Pickett is ACC's top QB. Big 12 is unpredictable. (usatoday.com; Smith)
It's easy to get too high or too low after each week's results in college football. Such is the nature of the sport that breeds emotional responses based on what happens positively or negatively every Saturday.
That's why we're here. A step back from the action can provide perspective that rightfully will temper some of the misplaced enthusiasm from positive performances and lift up those feeling down in the dumps after negative results from the weekend.
Week 8 had plenty of examples on both sides of the coin. Here are the five biggest overreactions from the action on the field.
Tennessee is far behind the top of the SEC
Given that the final scores show that the Volunteers lost by 24 at Florida and 28 at Alabama, you'd think that Josh Heupel's first year resembles the disappointing campaigns that marked the recent teams under Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt.
Don't be fooled. Tennessee stood toe-to-toe Saturday with the Crimson Tide for three quarters on the road, one week after a strong effort in a loss to Mississippi. Much of the credit should go to Heupel, who has quickly found success with quarterback Hendon Hooker leading an offense that ranked no higher than 98th in scoring for the past four seasons.
Kentucky and Georgia await in the next two weeks. An upset against the former wouldn't be a surprise. Pushing the Bulldogs wouldn't either. Even if neither happens, Volunteers fans should have hope this program is turning around and will only get better in 2022 with Heupel in his second year.
Anybody knows who will win the Big 12
No conference race may be more unpredictable at this point with Oklahoma one game ahead of the trio of Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. The latter three have all faced each other, splitting the three games equally. Each still has a crack at the Sooners with the Bears and Cowboys both having the leaders at home.
It's reasonable given the state of Oklahoma and its defense that it could lose multiple times in November and fall out of the conference championship game. The hope that Caleb Williams brought was washed away with an awful effort at Kansas.
The team that might have the best chance to break through looks like the Cyclones, who appear to be peaking like they typically seem to do in the second half.
Well, the Pac-12 is definitely going to be won by Oregon
There's a team nobody is talking about lurking in the way of the Ducks. That's Oregon State. The Beavers are quietly 5-2 after impressively taking down Utah, the leaders of the Pac-12 South. Another victory would send Oregon State to a bowl game for the first time since 2013, but the goals for this team can be higher.
With winnable games against California, Colorado and Stanford up next, making a run at the conference title realistic. The Beavers are riding the running of B.J. Baylor and solid play from quarterback Chance Nolan to average 35 points per game.
The division title likely will come down to the Civil War on the final weekend of the regular season. It wouldn't be a shocker if it was Oregon State that emerged victorious.
Kenny Pickett is the best quarterback in the ACC
There's no doubt Pickett deserves mention for his outstanding campaign that has him in Heisman contention. The senior has thrown for 23 touchdowns and just one interception as Pittsburgh is the clear leader in the Coastal Division.
There's two other signal callers worth mentioning, however. Sam Hartman of Wake Forest has been outstanding in keeping the Demon Deacons unbeaten. His performance Saturday against Army - 458 yards and five touchdowns passing - was just the latest big game.
Neither is the leading passer in the league, though. Brennan Armstrong of Virginia has thrown for an average of 402.5 yards, the second-most in the country, as the Cavaliers have won four in a row and are still within shouting distance of Pittsburgh.
The last five weeks should be interesting to sort out who wins all-conference honors.
It was a wild Week 8 in the ACC with several teams dominating their out-of-conference opponents and several shootouts. Florida State put up 59 points on UMass and Wake Forest scored 70 on Army. NC State vs Miami, Syracuse vs. Georgia Tech, and Georgia Tech vs. Virginia were all high-scoring shootouts, with each team scoring 30 or more points. Check out a cut of the touchdowns scored around the ACC right here!
ACC Panic Room: Pack wanted respect, but blew the opportunity (wralsportsfan.com; video; Brownlow & Ovies)
Lauren Brownlow and Joe Ovies discuss NC State's loss at Miami, where the Pack made too many mistakes and now find themselves in an Atlantic Division mess.
ACC Roundup: Chaotic Energy (bcinterruption.com; Graveliese)
In what’s shaping up to be college football’s whackiest year since 2007, the ACC is doing its part to contribute to the chaos.
When we started these ACC roundups at the beginning the of the year, the hope was to chart out a path for BC to the top of the Atlantic Division. With those hopes dashed, we’re now looking through the schedule to see how future opponents are faring and what we think are realistic expectations for the rest of the year.
The rest of BC’s season starts with Syracuse, BC’s next opponent, who toppled Virginia Tech, who BC plays in two weeks, 41-36 at the Carrier Dome. The Orange are now 4-4, while Virginia Tech has slid to 3-4 after three straight losses.
Syracuse looks much improved from the team that eked one out over Liberty back in September, and lost to FSU — since then, they’ve lost two tight games to Wake and Clemson before winning at Lane Stadium. It’s looking like an increasingly challenging #OrangeEagle matchup next week.
After Syracuse and VT, BC travels to Georgia Tech. GT stumbled yesterday, losing 48-40 to Virginia. The Jackets are now 3-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play. GT has given up 127 points in its last three games and looks to be reeling defensively. They will hope to bounce back next weekend against Virginia Tech.
Penultimate BC opponent Florida State had a nice little scrimmage against UMass yesterday, falling behind 3-0 but bursting UMass’s upset hopes by going on a little 59-0 run. The Minutemen were unable to dig themselves out of that one. Don’t look now, but Florida State has won three games in a row and sits at 3-4 after a disastrous start to the season.
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Featured ACCDN Videos, 2021-10-25 (RX; HM)
Featured ACCDN Videos, 2021-10-25
Here are a couple of recommended videos (of course, you may be more interested in your own team):The Pittsburgh Panthers
Defense: The Men Of Steel
The Pittsburgh Panthers Defense: The Men Of SteelPitt's offense has been stealing the headlines, but the Panthers play defense too. They rank in the top 5 of the ACC in PPG allowed (4th ACC), yards allowed (4th ACC) and sacks per game (3rd ACC). With an offense that is prolific, and a defensive unit that is dominant, the sky's the limit in the Steel City. Get familiar with this awesome unit right here!
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Biggest Losers - 2021-10-24 (RX; HM)
Biggest Losers - 2021-10-24
Here are the ranked teams that lost this week...#7 Penn State lost at home to unranked and 5-loss Illinois, 18-20. The manner of their loss is also somewhat remarkable: the Nittany Lions lost in 9 overtimes while scoring only 18.
#8 Oklahoma State lost at Iowa State by a FG, 21-24
#14 Coastal Carolina lost at unranked Appalachian State by a FG, 27-30.
#18 NC State lost at Miami by one point, 30-31.
#25 Purdue was blown out at home by Wisconsin, 13-30.
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Links, news and rumors - 2021-10-25 (RX; HM)
Links, news and rumors - 2021-10-25
From Yahoo! Sports: AP Top 25 Takeaways (2021 Week 8)Clemson was manhandled by Kenny Pickett and No. 23 Pittsburgh, a loss that makes a seventh straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship for the Tigers a long shot. Can you say Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl? Meanwhile, Pitt's a playoff contender?
...The U.S. Military Academy has been playing football since 1890 and has never played in a higher-scoring game than it did Saturday. No. 16 Wake Forest beat the Cadets 70-56 to stay unbeaten. The Demon Deacons put up 638 yards on 52 plays and had the ball for only 17:17...
...Syracuse might have dealt a decisive blow to Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente. The Orange handed the Hokies their third straight home loss. It's the third time in Fuente's six seasons that Virginia Tech has lost consecutive games at Lane Stadium. That had happened to Virginia Tech only twice in 29 seasons under Frank Beamer, Fuente's predecessor...
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AP Poll 2021-10-24 (RX; HM)
AP Poll 2021-10-24
Here's the latest AP Poll after the games of week 8:AP Top 25
| RK | TEAM |
| 1 | Georgia |
| 2 | Cincinnati |
| 3 | Alabama |
| 4 | Oklahoma |
| 5 | Ohio State |
| 6 | Michigan |
| 7 | Oregon |
| 8 | Michigan St |
| 9 | Iowa |
| 10 | Ole Miss |
| 11 | Notre Dame |
| 12 | Kentucky |
| 13 | Wake Forest |
| 14 | Texas A&M |
| 15 | Oklahoma St |
| 16 | Baylor |
| 17 | Pittsburgh |
| 18 | Auburn |
| 19 | SMU |
| 20 | Penn State |
| 21 | San Diego St |
| 22 | Iowa State |
| 23 | UTSA |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina |
| 25 | BYU |
2021 Week 8 - Saturday Results, Part 1 (RX; HM)
2021 Week 8 - Saturday Results, Part 1
Early Games#16 Wake Forest 79 at Army 56
The Deacs had 458 yards passing. The Knights had 416 yards rushing. The teams combined for 1,233 yards, 53 first downs, and 126 points. Army had nearly half and hour more time of possession, committed 2 turnovers, and lost by 2 touchdowns. Next for Wake Forest: Duke
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U Mass 3 at Florida State 59
The Seminoles now have three wins; the Minutemen still have only one. Next up for FSU: at Clemson.
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Syracuse 41 at Virginia Tech 36
The Hokies led 19-13 at the half and 26-20 after 3, but lost the 4th quarter 10-21. Next for these teams: Syracuse hosts Boston College, while VT travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech.
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Other
Doctors and nurses at the Upstate Medical University Hospital Wednesday Dec.16, 2020 have their hands full with a volume of Covid-19 patients at near capacity. N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.comN. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
October brings a spike in Covid-19 deaths in Onondaga County; we’re on track for worst month since winter (PS; $; Coin)
October is likely to be the deadliest month for Covid-19 in Onondaga County in at least eight months — since the tail end of the winter surge.
In the first 22 days of October, 39 people have died of the respiratory illness, according to county data. That’s already equal to the number who died in all of September.
The last time there were more deaths than that was in February, when 60 people died.
And, tellingly, this month has been far deadlier than October 2020, when five county residents died of Covid-19. That was months before vaccines were available and just before the post-Halloween spike that lasted through winter.
Experts say the recent increase in Covid-19 cases, and the hospitalizations and deaths that follow, are likely a combination of peoples’ behavior and the virus itself.
“People are perhaps a little bit more mobile and doing a few more things socially, and maybe not wearing as many masks as we were a year ago,” said Dr. Philip Falcone, chief medical officer at St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse.
Much of life has returned to normal: the Carrier Dome is filled with fans, restaurants and bars are packed again, kids have returned to classrooms and playing fields, offices have reopened. Mask wearing has fallen off as vaccinations have increased confidence and social interactions. Most stores aren’t requiring masks anymore.
The rise of the hyper-contagious delta variant has fueled a rise in cases and a commensurate increase in hospitalizations and deaths, said Dr. Stephen Thomas, head of the Global Health Institute at Upstate Medical University and an infectious disease expert.
“Delta is a nasty, nasty strain,” Thomas said.
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