Orangeyes Daily Articles for Friday - for Football | Syracusefan.com

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Friday for Football

sutomcat

No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome
to National 311 Day!


Google worked with Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, San José, and its county, Santa Clara County, to create National 311 Day in 2020. National 311 Day aims to raise awareness about the non-emergency number 311 and how to use it, so that non-emergency calls go to that number instead of 911, speeding up response time to emergencies. The day also honors the "first" first responders who take emergency calls. San José unveiled their new SJ311 omnichannel network on the first observance.

The first 311 system was established in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996, and the Federal Communications Commissions established it as a number in 1997. It is the non-emergency number to report issues like abandoned vehicles, graffitti, potholes and other road damage, streetlight outages, illegal dumping, trees that need trimming, and noise. It can also be used to learn about city services and ask other questions. By the time of the creation of National 311 Day, over 200 cities had 311 systems, including most major cities in the United States and Canada. The 311 systems have continued to expand and innovate since.

SU News

SF-LANORRIS-SELLERS.jpg

The Professor

LaNorris Sellers commitment: A phone call with Syracuse great Donovan McNabb sealed deal for 'The Professor' (247sports.com; $; Bailey)


Class of 2023 quarterback LaNorris Sellers picked up more than just some mechanical fine-tuning when he attended the QB Legacy Foundation mini camp in Atlanta last April. The South Florence (S.C.) High School standout was donned with a slick nickname for his glasses -- 'The Professor' -- and made an NFL contact that ultimately helped him lock up his recruitment.

Sellers bonded with former Syracuse football and NFL standout Donovan McNabb during the camp. At the time, the Orange wasn't in the picture at all for Sellers, so much of his discussion with McNabb focused around the goal of the event -- preparing quarterbacks for success on and off the field.

But nearly 11 months later, on the verge of locking in a pledge to the Orange, the two discussed McNabb's days in Central New York and why he thought Sellers would fit in well there.

...

Orange Watch: Spring practice signals a new chapter of Syracuse football - The Juice Online (the juice; Bierman)

Item: The first week of Syracuse football spring practice is underway, a total of 14 allotted practice sessions including the annual Spring Game on April 1 (7:00 p.m. ET/ACC Network) in the Dome. Spring ball is a time for Dino Babers and his coaching staff to get on the same page, teach fundamentals, break in new schemes, and size up the roster depth for a crucial seventh season of Babers goal for a winning season and bowl game appearance.

“It feels great to be back,” was the opening salvo from Babers to the media this week as he looked forward to getting his players back on the field, with a tilted emphasis on the offense now that his fourth offensive coordinator in seven seasons (Robert Anae), new quarterback coach (Jason Beck) and a new wide receiver coach (Michael Johnson) are on staff.

In addition, expect the special teams units to sport a new style of play under the direction of that group’s new leader Bob Ligashesky, and it certainly helps that 2018 Lou Groza Award winner Andre Szmyt changed his mind in early December to come back and redeem himself from an uncharacteristic down season in which he missed five field goals and two PATs.

As usual in football, all eyes are on the most important position, the quarterback taking snaps. For the second straight season the program turned to the transfer portal to nab a player from a Power 5 school in redshirt freshman Dan Villari (jersey No. 12) from Michigan, to join incumbent Garrett Shrader after Tommy DeVito’s 2021 in-season departure and eventual landing spot at Illinois.

Villari is built in the Shrader mold at a listed 6’4” and 237 lbs., only bigger. He played sparingly (four games and only three passing attempts) in the Wolverines surprising run to the College Football Playoffs last season, but as the old adage goes, the backup quarterback is just a hit away from racing out onto the field, and Shrader (now jersey No. 6) certainly took a lot of hits last season rushing for 781 yards and 14 touchdowns, second-best in any season in school history.

“He’s been good,” Babers said of his newcomer this week. “He’s been learning a new (offense) as well. But to have a big old strapping guy back there who can do some things is going to be awesome. You need to have two (quarterbacks) just in case something happens, if you want to stay the same (competitive).”

With Sean Tucker’s return after a First Team All-American season and a Syracuse single season rushing mark of 1,496 yards, there needs to be more balance to the passing attack that was hampered by dropped passes and seemingly numerous occasions in games where the timing between Shrader and his receiving corps was off by a fraction of a yard here and there.
...


(youtube.com; video)

Syracuse Football kicked off spring practice Sunday. One Syracuse player has had a journey unlike any other. My story on defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu’s journey back to the playing field.

5 college football teams that could end conference title droughts in 2022 )saturdayblitz.com; Muldowney)

Michigan ended a lengthy conference title drought in 2021. Which other college football teams could follow suit and do just that in 2022?

Almost every year, we see teams ending lengthy conference title droughts. Sure, some college football conferences have the usual winners such as the SEC with Alabama or Georgia, the Big Ten with Ohio State, the ACC with Clemson, and the Big 12 with Oklahoma.

But things changed in 2021.

While the SEC still saw Alabama win the conference title, the Big Ten saw Michigan win the conference crown which ended a 17-year drought. Baylor ended a seven-year Big 12 title drought, Utah ended a 13-year conference tight drought (its last conference title came back in 2008 when the Utes were in the Mountain West), and Pitt ended an 11-year drought (last title came in 2010 when it was in the Big East).

It was a big season for conference title droughts coming to an end as every Power Five league besides the SEC saw a team end a seven-plus-year drought to win the crown.

With that in mind, 2022 could see more of the same.

Which Power Five teams could end some lengthy conference title droughts this coming season much like Michigan, Baylor, Pitt, and Utah did last year?

5. UCLA Bruins (Last title: 1998)

Chip Kelly was hired at UCLA to lead the Bruins back to Pac-12 relevance and a potential conference title, but through the first three years, he hadn’t recorded a winning season. That changed in 2021 as he led the Bruins to an 8-4 record and they looked like legit contenders in the Pac-12 for the first time in a while.

This momentum should carry over into 2022, especially with Dorian Thompson-Robinson opting to return for one final season at quarterback. He turned a corner last season and should be one of the Pac-12’s best quarterbacks in 2022.

Along with DTR, the Bruins return Zach Charbonnet at running back who was a stud for UCLA as a transfer from Michigan last season. This offense will be really good.

UCLA hasn’t won a Pac-12 title since 1998 which almost seems like a typo but this program has been in a serious drought but I think Kelly is going to change that sooner rather than later. Why not in 2022 with USC and Oregon employing new head coaches?

4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Last title: 2006)

When you think of the ACC, you think of teams like Miami, Clemson, and Florida State. Pitt actually broke the mold of the same teams pushing for a conference title in 2021, winning the ACC for the first time under Pat Narduzzi.

Pitt beat Wake Forest in the ACC title game and now I think it might just be the Demon Deacons’ time to shine.

Dave Clawson is one of the most underrated coaches in the country and when you look at the fact that he actually has a winning record at Wake Forest in eight years, it’s impressive considering how difficult it is to win there. The program wasn’t exactly in a good place when he took over, but he just led Wake Forest to an 11-win season in 2021. He’s a master of building programs which he did at Fordham, Richmond, and Bowling Green before coming to Wake Forest.

Clawson will have potential All-American quarterback Sam Hartman back and he could be the best the ACC has to offer and that offense will be electric.

If the defense can catch up, the Demon Deacons might be the favorite to win the ACC and end a 16-year drought.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks (Last title: 1989)

If you like underdogs, you should really buy stock in Arkansas in 2022. The Razorbacks play in a conference that’s dominated by the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and LSU, but they might just have the pieces to contend for a conference title and shock the aforementioned SEC powers.

Sam Pittman has turned an otherwise dead program around in just a couple of seasons after Bret Bielema and Chad Morris ran it into the ground.

In year one, he went just 3-7, but his three SEC wins were three more than Morris had in the two previous seasons. He carried that momentum (yes, a three-win season was a step in the right direction) over into the 2021 season, going 9-4 with an Outback Bowl win.

KJ Jefferson stood out as a star at quarterback and he’ll be back in 2022 and he could be a legitimate Heisman contender for the Razorbacks. He’ll lead a strong offense while the defense continues to improve.

If you’re looking for a dark-horse SEC title contender, I think Arkansas is the pick and it would end a 33-year drought.
...


2022 ACC Storylines (RX; HM)

2022 ACC Storylines

ESPN posted these "Spring storylines to watch for teams in 2022 Way-Too-Early college football Top 25"

6. Notre Dame: Who will seize control at quarterback?

New head coach Marcus Freeman has a veteran defense at his (and defensive coordinator Al Golden's) disposal. His offensive line should be stout. He has tight end Michael Mayer, one of the best security blankets in the country. But he doesn't have running back Kyren Williams, and he doesn't have quarterback Jack Coan. The running back corps appears stocked with options, so this spring's biggest storyline will be pretty obvious: Can either Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne seize control of the quarterback job? Buchner, a top-50 recruit in the 2021 class, completed 21 of 35 passes and flashed major explosiveness with his legs, but Pyne thrived late in the Irish's big win over Wisconsin. Both bring unique skill sets to the table. Will one stand out over the other? -- Bill Connelly

8. NC State: Complicated backfield situation

The Wolfpack are poised to have a special season in 2022, returning virtually every key defender, along with star QB Devin Leary. But the big, looming question is in the backfield, where finding a consistent ground game has been an ongoing problem for years. The problems seem to start up front, with the Wolfpack ranking 98th in yards per rush before contact last season, 113th in 2020 and 105th in 2019. But the fact that NC State also loses playmaker Bam Knight to the NFL draft makes the backfield situation even more complicated. Spring ball can be a tough time to figure out the ground game without risking injuries, but this needs to be a priority if the Wolfpack want to take the next step into playoff contention in 2022. -- David M. Hale

11. Clemson: Will Uiagalelei lose his job?

In a spring filled with new faces in new places, the most interesting storyline is the QB returning at Clemson. D.J. Uiagalelei was supposed to be a superstar, a Heisman Trophy candidate, the next in a long line of elite Clemson QBs. Instead, he slogged through a miserable 2021. While his national ad campaign with Dr. Pepper aired dozens of times every Saturday, Uiagalelei threw just nine TD passes. How can he recover from that? There's optimism that he got better as the season progressed, and certainly Clemson is in a better position to support him at the offensive skill positions. But with so many new coaches on staff and freshman Cade Klubnik enrolled early and pushing for reps, it will be interesting to see whether Uiagalelei can finally blossom into the player so many folks thought he would be, or if he'll end up losing his job and moving on from the Tigers. -- Hale

14. Wake Forest: Learning a new defense

Defense, defense, defense. As good as Wake was on offense last year -- and for much of the season, the Deacons were as explosive as any team in the country -- it was nearly as miserable on defense. The end result was coordinator Lyle Hemphill moving on to Duke, replaced by former Charlotte coach Brad Lambert. It's a great addition for Dave Clawson's staff, but now the hard work comes, getting the players attuned to Lambert's system and finding out who's ready to step up into a bigger role as the Deacons look to replace their top pass rusher (Luiji Vilain) and their defensive leader (LB Luke Masterson). -- Hale

Not bad, but I have a few storylines of my own:

Miami: Can Cristobal return the Canes to the national spotlight?

The Hurricanes aren't spending millions on a top-notch coaching staff just to finish second in the ACC Coastal Division! Cristobal has a reputation as a very good recruiter - especially in Florida - and as a coach who runs a tough, physical football program. That's something that's been missing from Coral Gables for many years.

Virginia Tech: How long will it take Brent Pry to restore VT football?

Like the Hurricanes, the Hokies spared no expense obtaining a head coach and a solid group of assistants all with a reputation for recruiting Virginia and surrounding states. I definitely get the sense that "coaching up" 3-star players will no longer be accepted as the primary strategy.

Pitt: What will Narduzzi do for an encore?

Having finally won an ACC football championship, where will the Panthers go from here? Their Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback is gone - although they do have a Pac-12 starter coming in via the transfer portal. Defensively, the team should be solid once again.

Other Thoughts:
  • Can Boston College take another step under Coach Hafley?
  • Is this the year Syracuse tells Coach Babers "win or go home?"
  • How short is Coach Collins' leash at Georgia Tech, and will he coach another COFH?
  • Now that no one talking about Florida State, is this finally their year?
...

Warning: Division I Requirements May Change! (RX; HM)

Warning: Division I Requirements May Change!​

The NCAA has sent out a warning shot across the bow of any school thinking they'll be "grandfathered" into Division I.

NCAA sent a memo to its members this week "including those that may be contemplating reclassification to Division I" to inform them that the D-I membership requirements may change.

Not too surprising, considering Transformation Committee charge. Memo, obtained by @TheAthletic: pic.twitter.com/pZ3zfU5k7K
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) March 9, 2022
No additional information at this time as to what those D-I requirements might be, but you can be sure that the biggest schools will not sit by while tiny schools with unprofitable athletic departments leech off the rest of the NCAA member institutions. That could be good news for basketball-first schools - maybe they'll finally get more of the pie they've been baking all these years!
.
Posted 10 hours ago by
Hokie Mark

Other


Bank invests $2M in run-down Syracuse mansion to create neighborhood branch like no other (PS; $; Moriarty)


Three years ago, community leaders showed Pathfinder Bank executives a parking lot on Syracuse’s West Side, in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. They hoped the bank would build a new branch there.

But the executives were more interested in the building already on the property – a century-old mansion that once was the home of a prominent family but in recent years had sat vacant and fallen into disrepair.

Now, the small commercial bank headquartered in Oswego is putting the finishing touches on a $2.2 million transformation of the old mansion into a bank branch like no other.

On the first floor, a former living room at the front of the home has been turned into a bank lobby, but it still looks much like a living room. On one side are two teller stations. On the opposite side of the room is a restored fireplace that once helped to heat the home.

Another room on the first floor will serve as the branch manager’s office. The lower portion of the room’s walls feature restored wooden wainscoting, while the upper half is covered with original fabric wallpaper. The office also has what no other branch manager’s office within Pathfinder’s network has -- a fireplace.

The office, which Pathfinder is calling its Southwest Branch, will open this spring at 506 W. Onondaga St. It will be the bank’s fourth office in Onondaga County and 10th branch overall.

In addition to traditional banking services such as mortgages and investment services, the branch will offer programs targeted to neighborhood residents and business owners. They include low-cost checking, and micro personal and business loans.
...
 
That Okechukwu video is awesome.

What an incredible journey this young man has been thru, and an unbelievable comeback.

Here’s hoping he fulfills all of his dreams on the field this year!
Agree.

I posted one of him and Goode yesterday in the Daily Articles. It turns out they were very tight in high school. I think there is a better than a good chance we also get Goode.
 
Agree.

I posted one of him and Goode yesterday in the Daily Articles. It turns out they were very tight in high school. I think there is a better than a good chance we also get Goode.
Goode to hear
 

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