sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Pretzel Day!
Soft or hard, twisted into a knot or straight, large or small, salted or plain, served with mustard or cheese—there are many types of pretzels and ways to eat them. National Pretzel Day was first proclaimed in 1983 after being thought up by Representative Robert Walker of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whose favorite food was pretzels. It was subsequently declared by Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell in 2003. In more recent years, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania has declared the day.
Pretzels may be the world's oldest snack. Legend has it that an Italian monk invented the soft variety in 610 CE when he rolled and baked thin strips of dough into the shape of children's arms folded in prayer, and gave them as a reward to children who learned their prayers. The monk called them pretiola, the Latin for "little reward," and parents of the children called them brachiola, meaning "little arms." When they made their way to Germany—one of the countries where they remain most popular today—they became known as bretzels.
SU News
Top Carrier Dome moments: Syracuse football (TNIAAM; Wall & Haller)
It’s the final week of the Syracuse Orange hosting events in the building known as the Carrier Dome. We’re going to take some time this week to look back at some of the top moments in the Dome’s history...along with some other content that you’d expect from us here. To kick things off we start with the sport that opened the Dome...football.
...
Syracuse football has tough competition for 4-star, top-30 Philly cornerback (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football recently extended a scholarship offer to a four-star, top-30 cornerback within the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Kenny Woseley II said via his Twitter page that he had picked up an offer from the Orange coaching staff. The 5-foot-11 Woseley is a sophomore at the Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia.
Although his recruiting process likely has a way to go, it’s encouraging to see the ‘Cuse pledge an offer to Woseley. Competition for his services, however, is going to prove intense as Syracuse football hopes to prevail in his recruitment.
Already, Woseley holds around 20 scholarship offers, according to his Twitter account, media reports and recruiting services. And some of the other schools vying for Woseley are heavyweights in the sport of college football.
According to his Twitter page, it looks like Woseley has taken trips to several college campuses, including West Virginia, Pitt, Penn State and Rutgers.
Naturally, I’m hopeful that Woseley will eventually take a visit to the Hill, and we’ll of course continue to monitor whether that transpires.
As far as his national rankings in the 2024 class are concerned, at this juncture, has Woseley as three stars and No. 28 at cornerback.
The industry-generated 247Sports Composite and 247Sports rate him as three stars, with the 247Sports recruiting service placing him as the No. 34 cornerback and the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania.
Over at On3, Woseley is three stars, No. 250 nationally, No. 24 at cornerback and No. 11 in Pennsylvania.
The On3 Consensus, meanwhile, ranks him as four stars, No. 223 overall, No. 26 at cornerback and No. 11 in Pennsylvania.
...
Four Things For SU Football To Improve In 2022 – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
As we venture towards the Summer, the flow of Syracuse sports news has slowed to a trickle. SU men’s hoops has been off for some time and doesn’t appear to be making any more big plays towards its 2022 recruiting class, and the men’s lacrosse team is a game away from ending a disappointing year. At least women’s lacrosse is good.
The recent rise in the mercury means that SU football’s summer practices are nearing. From wideout transfer CJ Hayes to returning talents in Sean Tucker and Mikel Jones, there’s going to be plenty of things to keep your eye on as the calendar inches towards Fall. However, there are some concrete things Syracuse will have to sort out in ’22, regardless of who wins or loses certain position battles.
Last year, SU converted just 33.1% of its third downs and ranked dead last in the ACC in that category by over a full percentage point. There’s more than one reason why the Orange were so bad in such situations, but note that SU ranked last in 2020 at 26.1% and ninth in 2019 at 38.0%. Under two different quarterbacks, different offensive personnel, and two different offensive coordinators, third downs have been a bugaboo. With new offensive coordinator Robert Anae in the fold and minimal skill position turnover, the onus for ‘Cuse over the summer should be to get itself together on third downs and maximize its efficiency.
The first disadvantage that struck SU’s receivers was that the team transitioned to a ground-and-pound outfit virtually on the fly. After Tommy DeVito struggled mightily against Rutgers last September, Garrett Shrader took over the starting job at quarterback against Liberty and never relinquished it. Shrader’s skillset as a runner caused the offense to lurch into a more option-heavy scheme. The change may have contributed to the transfer of former wideout Taj Harris, whose short ’21 season in Orange – 16 catches for 171 yards and no scores – looked like a disappointment even before his departure.
...
Class of 2025 QB Benjamin Newman Details 'Memorable' Syracuse Visit (SI; McAllister)
Class of 2025 Rochester (NY) Aquinas quarterback Benjamin Newman is one to watch in his cycle. He recently spent a day on the Syracuse campus getting a closer look at the Orange program.
"I really enjoyed my visit to SU," Newman said. "I was impressed by both the athletic and academic facilities. My one on one with coach Beck was informative. I feel that the spread offense is something that works to my strengths. It focuses on efficiency with big play opportunities. Even though I'm early in my recruiting process, SU definitely stood out. I enjoyed meeting the staff. They put together a memorable visit."
During the visit, Newman was given a tour of the campus and facilities. That, and speaking with the coaches, were significant highlights from the trip.
"Coach Ahmed led my campus tour," Newman said. "We got to see the Carmelo Anthony Center, as well as the other indoor training facilities including weight room, team film room, and locker room. The staff described what’s planned for the new athletic center. It’s going to be incredible. We toured the quad on University Hill. What stood out was that everything is a ten minute walk away. Due to the monster truck event, we were unable to get inside the Dome, but I’ve been there before for football and basketball games.
"Before the meetings with the position coaches, we had a photo shoot. Those are always fun and my pictures turned out great. I got to pose alongside the Heisman Trophy. As I said before, the one on one meeting with coach Beck was a great opportunity to ask questions about the offense and what type of quarterback he looks for. Even though coach Beck is new to the program, he has so much valuable experience. I was invited back for camp on June 4th, and I’m really looking forward to it."
...
Troy Nunes is an Absolute Podcast: Lacrosse, Basketball, and football historical struggles (TNIAAM; Pregler, Haller & De Guzman)
Listen: things aren’t going great around Syracuse Orange sports land. The men’s lacrosse team is flailing, the Women’s teams are marching towards the inevitable challenges of the conference tournament, and so a Syracuse themed podcast may go slightly off the rails. You live and learn.
In this week’s edition of the Podcast, the guys talked about...
Let’s look at last week’s Syracuse sports feedback results (TNIAAM; Wall)
Last week we asked you to share your thoughts on several Syracuse Orange sports topics and around 200 of you decided to chime in. Let’s look at the results
We asked you about some of the Syracuse spring sports which are carrying the flag for title hopes this year.
1) How far will women’s lacrosse go this season?
18% thought that Kayla Treanor’s first season will end before the Final Four. The other 82% believe that the Orange will be playing into the final weekend with 16% feeling that the women will be claiming the 1st National Championship in program history.
...
ACC Spring Players to Watch Football (lancasteronline.com; Kraus)
A look at Atlantic Coast Conference players this spring who are poised to have standout seasons this fall:
ATLANTIC DIVISION
BOSTON COLLEGE: TE George Takacs is a transfer from Notre Dame who started five games last season, serving largely as a blocker. But at 6-foot-6, 247 pounds, Takacs could be a top target for his past and current teammate in quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
CLEMSON: WR Joseph Ngata was injury free and living up to the reputation as the next great Tigers wideout in the spring. Ngata, bothered by injuries and inconsistencies his first three seasons, has 47 career catches for 761 yards and four TDs.
FLORIDA STATE: DE Derrick McClendon II, at 6-4, 240 pounds, could be a defensive disrupter with ACC defensive player of the year Jermaine Johnson off to the NFL. McClendon had 3.5 sacks and forced a fumble as he played in all 12 games as a backup.
LOUISVILLE: WR Tyler Hudson is a transfer from FCS Central Arkansas who is expected to bolster the Cardinals' offense. Hudson had 1,242 yards in catches to go with eight touchdowns.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE: TE Fred Seabrough, a freshman, emerged as a target for QB Devin Leary as Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren limited reps for older starters. Seabrough caught three passes for 38 yards in the spring game and could be an option this fall.
SYRACUSE: QB Justin Lamson played in place of injured starter Garrett Shrader and showed the Orange may be deep behind center. Lamson completed 7 of 10 throws for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
WAKE FOREST: DT Kobie Turner is a 6-3, 285-pound transfer from Richmond, who could find a spot at that position. He had 54 tackles including 10.5 for loss in FCS play last season.
COASTAL DIVISION
DUKE: WR Sahmir Hagans is a sophomore who made an impression this spring. Hagans had six catches for 82 yards and a score in the Blue Devils spring game.
GEORGIA TECH: RB Dontae Smith will look to take a step forward with the transfer of Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama. Smith had 296 yards last season, including a team-best 6.9 yards per carry.
MIAMI: DE Jahfari Harvey has had strong showings this spring that have impressed new coach Mario Cristobal. While Harvey missed the spring game, he will likely get a long look at starting this fall.
NORTH CAROLINA: QB Drake Maye had a strong spring as the Tar Heels seek to replace four-year starter Sam Howell. Maye completed nine of 12 passes for 113 yards and two touchdown in the spring game.
PITTSBURGH: LB Bangally Kamara is a rising junior who will look to stabilize a position where the Panthers lost two of three starters from their ACC championship team. Kamara played just 80 snaps last fall.
VIRGINIA: RB Mike Hollins was the Cavaliers' third-leading rusher behind quarterback Brennan Armstrong and tailback Wayne Taulapapa. But with Taulapapa in the transfer portal, there's a chance for Hollins to fill the void.
VIRGINIA TECH: QB Grant Wells is a Marshall transfer in a position battle with South Carolina transfer Jason Brown. Wells threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game. First-year coach Brent Pry said the competition will continue in fall camp.
What if Nick Saban took over mediocre teams around the country? How many places would he make the playoff in 5 years? College Football Survivor Show (PS; podcast)
* When Saban took over at Alabama in 2007, the Tide had gone 36-27 the previous five years and finished out of the year-end top 25 rankings three times. In Saban’s first five seasons, Alabama was 55-12 with two national titles, and after a reset first-year of 7-6, Alabama finished sixth, first, 10th and first in the final rankings.
That’s a jump in winning percentage over two five-year periods from .571 to .821. (Plus .250.)
That’s a leap from generally disappointing to the start of a modern dynasty.
* When Saban took over at LSU in 2000, the Tigers had gone 33-24-1 the previous five years. In his five seasons there, LSU was 48-16 and won a national title.
That’s a jump in winning percentage from .578 to .750. (Plus .172).
* When Saban took over at Michigan State in 1995, the Spartans had gone 27-29-1 the previous five years. In his five seasons there, Michigan State was 34-24-1 and in his last season there finished No. 7 in the final AP poll, the Spartan’s only top-10 AP finish in a 25-year period between 1988 and 2012.
That’s a jump in winning percentage from .482 to .585. (Plus .103).
That’s the Saban difference. Would the Saban difference travel again?
That’s what Doug Lesmerises and Shehan Jeyarajah are curious about on The College Football Survivor Show, and what they plan to ask about this spring and summer. What if the best coach ever was given five years at other programs around the country trying to make a leap?
Underachieving former powers? Schools more fixated on basketball than football? Group of Five programs hoping to regularly challenge bigger programs? Schools with the recruiting grounds and resources to be better that are stuck in a rut? Programs with connections to various times in Saban’s life?
On this bonus episode of The College Football Survivor, found on Apple Podcasts, Doug and Shehan drafted the 20 programs in the country where they’d most like to see Saban take a shot. This is a podcast that talks about the College Football Playoff all year, and that’s the question here -- what are the programs good enough to become playoff teams if they hired the best coach in the game?
...
Other
The Syracuse Food Truck Association is holding a "takeover" of space at Great Northern Mall in Clay each Wednesday from April 27 through mid-October. (Charles Wainwright photo)
Food truck season in CNY: Mall gatherings, downtown rodeos and a big battle (PS; Cazentre)
Central New York food trucks are about to hit their high traffic season.
While individual trucks have been out and about since the warmer weather returned, the big gatherings of mobile food providers starts this week.
“It’s that time of year when things get rolling,” said Nick Sanford, president of the 40-plus member Syracuse Food Truck Association (and owner of Toss & Fire Pizza, which has both brick and mortar locations and mobile trucks).
Upcoming events include weekly food trucks gatherings at Great Northern Mall in Clay and outside the Everson Museum of Art in downtown Syracuse. There’s also a big “Food Truck Battle” set for the New York State Fairgrounds on Saturday May 14.
Here’s a closer look at each event:
Food is served from 4 to 8 p.m. each week. There is usually live music (it’s Just Joe from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. this week). The is the second season for the Great Northern events.
See the lineup for each week (and some menu information).
Note: In 2021, the food truck association also held similar events at Shoppingtown in DeWitt, but Sanford said the group hasn’t yet been able to nail that down for this year. They are hoping to put a schedule together for the summer.
...
Soft or hard, twisted into a knot or straight, large or small, salted or plain, served with mustard or cheese—there are many types of pretzels and ways to eat them. National Pretzel Day was first proclaimed in 1983 after being thought up by Representative Robert Walker of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whose favorite food was pretzels. It was subsequently declared by Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell in 2003. In more recent years, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania has declared the day.
Pretzels may be the world's oldest snack. Legend has it that an Italian monk invented the soft variety in 610 CE when he rolled and baked thin strips of dough into the shape of children's arms folded in prayer, and gave them as a reward to children who learned their prayers. The monk called them pretiola, the Latin for "little reward," and parents of the children called them brachiola, meaning "little arms." When they made their way to Germany—one of the countries where they remain most popular today—they became known as bretzels.
SU News
Top Carrier Dome moments: Syracuse football (TNIAAM; Wall & Haller)
It’s the final week of the Syracuse Orange hosting events in the building known as the Carrier Dome. We’re going to take some time this week to look back at some of the top moments in the Dome’s history...along with some other content that you’d expect from us here. To kick things off we start with the sport that opened the Dome...football.
Syracuse beats #1
The 1984 Orange had started their season 2-1 but were coming off a 19-0 home loss to Rutgers when the top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers came to town. Against any odds that could be thrown at them, Syracuse showed up and pulled off a 17-9 upset of thHuskers in their prime in front of 47,000 plus in the Dome. It broke a win streak spanning three seasons and sent the Huskers packing. It led to we the Dome crowd rushing the field, and I would say this one was justified.Coach Mac’s Onions
With an undefeated season on the brink of being ruined by the rival West Virginia Mountaineers, Don McPherson drives the Orange to a late 4th-quarter touchdown to cut the deficit to 1 point. Rather than kick the extra point and take the tie, Dick MacPherson lets his team make the call and Syracuse goes for two and the win......
Syracuse football has tough competition for 4-star, top-30 Philly cornerback (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football recently extended a scholarship offer to a four-star, top-30 cornerback within the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Kenny Woseley II said via his Twitter page that he had picked up an offer from the Orange coaching staff. The 5-foot-11 Woseley is a sophomore at the Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia.
Although his recruiting process likely has a way to go, it’s encouraging to see the ‘Cuse pledge an offer to Woseley. Competition for his services, however, is going to prove intense as Syracuse football hopes to prevail in his recruitment.
Already, Woseley holds around 20 scholarship offers, according to his Twitter account, media reports and recruiting services. And some of the other schools vying for Woseley are heavyweights in the sport of college football.
Syracuse football has entered the recruiting mix for top-flight CB Kenny Woseley.
Per various sources, other teams that have offered Woseley include Georgia, which won the College Football Playoff national championship earlier this year, Michigan, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Florida, Georgia Tech, Penn State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Maryland, Ole Miss and Tennessee, among others.According to his Twitter page, it looks like Woseley has taken trips to several college campuses, including West Virginia, Pitt, Penn State and Rutgers.
Naturally, I’m hopeful that Woseley will eventually take a visit to the Hill, and we’ll of course continue to monitor whether that transpires.
As far as his national rankings in the 2024 class are concerned, at this juncture, has Woseley as three stars and No. 28 at cornerback.
The industry-generated 247Sports Composite and 247Sports rate him as three stars, with the 247Sports recruiting service placing him as the No. 34 cornerback and the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania.
Over at On3, Woseley is three stars, No. 250 nationally, No. 24 at cornerback and No. 11 in Pennsylvania.
The On3 Consensus, meanwhile, ranks him as four stars, No. 223 overall, No. 26 at cornerback and No. 11 in Pennsylvania.
...
Four Things For SU Football To Improve In 2022 – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
As we venture towards the Summer, the flow of Syracuse sports news has slowed to a trickle. SU men’s hoops has been off for some time and doesn’t appear to be making any more big plays towards its 2022 recruiting class, and the men’s lacrosse team is a game away from ending a disappointing year. At least women’s lacrosse is good.
The recent rise in the mercury means that SU football’s summer practices are nearing. From wideout transfer CJ Hayes to returning talents in Sean Tucker and Mikel Jones, there’s going to be plenty of things to keep your eye on as the calendar inches towards Fall. However, there are some concrete things Syracuse will have to sort out in ’22, regardless of who wins or loses certain position battles.
1. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY
Sean Tucker deservedly grabbed plenty of headlines in his second season running the football and Garrett Shrader established himself as a serviceable signal-caller, but talent alone couldn’t save the Orange offense from struggling in a key area: third downs. 3rd-and-whatever situations have been a consistent problem for Dino Babers dating back to 2019 when his offense began its post-Eric Dungey comedown, and the numbers bear it out.Last year, SU converted just 33.1% of its third downs and ranked dead last in the ACC in that category by over a full percentage point. There’s more than one reason why the Orange were so bad in such situations, but note that SU ranked last in 2020 at 26.1% and ninth in 2019 at 38.0%. Under two different quarterbacks, different offensive personnel, and two different offensive coordinators, third downs have been a bugaboo. With new offensive coordinator Robert Anae in the fold and minimal skill position turnover, the onus for ‘Cuse over the summer should be to get itself together on third downs and maximize its efficiency.
2. RECEIVING PRODUCTION
One of the big reasons that Syracuse struggled on third downs that went unmentioned above is that its receiving corps disappointed in 2021. Nobody was ever going to mistake Anthony Queeley and Courtney Jackson for Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, but the Orange receiving room didn’t produce for a few different reasons.The first disadvantage that struck SU’s receivers was that the team transitioned to a ground-and-pound outfit virtually on the fly. After Tommy DeVito struggled mightily against Rutgers last September, Garrett Shrader took over the starting job at quarterback against Liberty and never relinquished it. Shrader’s skillset as a runner caused the offense to lurch into a more option-heavy scheme. The change may have contributed to the transfer of former wideout Taj Harris, whose short ’21 season in Orange – 16 catches for 171 yards and no scores – looked like a disappointment even before his departure.
...
Class of 2025 QB Benjamin Newman Details 'Memorable' Syracuse Visit (SI; McAllister)
Class of 2025 Rochester (NY) Aquinas quarterback Benjamin Newman is one to watch in his cycle. He recently spent a day on the Syracuse campus getting a closer look at the Orange program.
"I really enjoyed my visit to SU," Newman said. "I was impressed by both the athletic and academic facilities. My one on one with coach Beck was informative. I feel that the spread offense is something that works to my strengths. It focuses on efficiency with big play opportunities. Even though I'm early in my recruiting process, SU definitely stood out. I enjoyed meeting the staff. They put together a memorable visit."
During the visit, Newman was given a tour of the campus and facilities. That, and speaking with the coaches, were significant highlights from the trip.
"Coach Ahmed led my campus tour," Newman said. "We got to see the Carmelo Anthony Center, as well as the other indoor training facilities including weight room, team film room, and locker room. The staff described what’s planned for the new athletic center. It’s going to be incredible. We toured the quad on University Hill. What stood out was that everything is a ten minute walk away. Due to the monster truck event, we were unable to get inside the Dome, but I’ve been there before for football and basketball games.
"Before the meetings with the position coaches, we had a photo shoot. Those are always fun and my pictures turned out great. I got to pose alongside the Heisman Trophy. As I said before, the one on one meeting with coach Beck was a great opportunity to ask questions about the offense and what type of quarterback he looks for. Even though coach Beck is new to the program, he has so much valuable experience. I was invited back for camp on June 4th, and I’m really looking forward to it."
...
Troy Nunes is an Absolute Podcast: Lacrosse, Basketball, and football historical struggles (TNIAAM; Pregler, Haller & De Guzman)
Listen: things aren’t going great around Syracuse Orange sports land. The men’s lacrosse team is flailing, the Women’s teams are marching towards the inevitable challenges of the conference tournament, and so a Syracuse themed podcast may go slightly off the rails. You live and learn.
In this week’s edition of the Podcast, the guys talked about...
- We start with EPL talk because this was not a great week for Syracuse sports.
- The men’s lacrosse had a rough time. Again.
- This has been a historically bad year for the big Syracuse sports. Is football the best case at a rebound?
- The women’s lacrosse team went 1-1 this week, which around here is downright amazing.
- We talk the #15 ranked Women’s Crew team and the big upset of #11 Duke in softball!
- HOMEFIELD APPAREL (Use promo code NUNES for 10% off your first order)
- MLS Roundup: We deep dive into Mo Adams and Ryan Roposso.
- Tajon Buchannon is an absolute magician.
- MOON KNIGHT TALK
Let’s look at last week’s Syracuse sports feedback results (TNIAAM; Wall)
Last week we asked you to share your thoughts on several Syracuse Orange sports topics and around 200 of you decided to chime in. Let’s look at the results
We asked you about some of the Syracuse spring sports which are carrying the flag for title hopes this year.
1) How far will women’s lacrosse go this season?
18% thought that Kayla Treanor’s first season will end before the Final Four. The other 82% believe that the Orange will be playing into the final weekend with 16% feeling that the women will be claiming the 1st National Championship in program history.
2) Will either rowing squad win a championship this spring?
The Syracuse women are ranked in the top 15 while the Syracuse men are in the top 10. Both squads expect to be competing into late May and early June. 14% of you think the Orange will take home a title this year while 66% think we’ll see a Syracuse boat earn a top-5 finish....
ACC Spring Players to Watch Football (lancasteronline.com; Kraus)
A look at Atlantic Coast Conference players this spring who are poised to have standout seasons this fall:
ATLANTIC DIVISION
BOSTON COLLEGE: TE George Takacs is a transfer from Notre Dame who started five games last season, serving largely as a blocker. But at 6-foot-6, 247 pounds, Takacs could be a top target for his past and current teammate in quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
CLEMSON: WR Joseph Ngata was injury free and living up to the reputation as the next great Tigers wideout in the spring. Ngata, bothered by injuries and inconsistencies his first three seasons, has 47 career catches for 761 yards and four TDs.
FLORIDA STATE: DE Derrick McClendon II, at 6-4, 240 pounds, could be a defensive disrupter with ACC defensive player of the year Jermaine Johnson off to the NFL. McClendon had 3.5 sacks and forced a fumble as he played in all 12 games as a backup.
LOUISVILLE: WR Tyler Hudson is a transfer from FCS Central Arkansas who is expected to bolster the Cardinals' offense. Hudson had 1,242 yards in catches to go with eight touchdowns.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE: TE Fred Seabrough, a freshman, emerged as a target for QB Devin Leary as Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren limited reps for older starters. Seabrough caught three passes for 38 yards in the spring game and could be an option this fall.
SYRACUSE: QB Justin Lamson played in place of injured starter Garrett Shrader and showed the Orange may be deep behind center. Lamson completed 7 of 10 throws for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
WAKE FOREST: DT Kobie Turner is a 6-3, 285-pound transfer from Richmond, who could find a spot at that position. He had 54 tackles including 10.5 for loss in FCS play last season.
COASTAL DIVISION
DUKE: WR Sahmir Hagans is a sophomore who made an impression this spring. Hagans had six catches for 82 yards and a score in the Blue Devils spring game.
GEORGIA TECH: RB Dontae Smith will look to take a step forward with the transfer of Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama. Smith had 296 yards last season, including a team-best 6.9 yards per carry.
MIAMI: DE Jahfari Harvey has had strong showings this spring that have impressed new coach Mario Cristobal. While Harvey missed the spring game, he will likely get a long look at starting this fall.
NORTH CAROLINA: QB Drake Maye had a strong spring as the Tar Heels seek to replace four-year starter Sam Howell. Maye completed nine of 12 passes for 113 yards and two touchdown in the spring game.
PITTSBURGH: LB Bangally Kamara is a rising junior who will look to stabilize a position where the Panthers lost two of three starters from their ACC championship team. Kamara played just 80 snaps last fall.
VIRGINIA: RB Mike Hollins was the Cavaliers' third-leading rusher behind quarterback Brennan Armstrong and tailback Wayne Taulapapa. But with Taulapapa in the transfer portal, there's a chance for Hollins to fill the void.
VIRGINIA TECH: QB Grant Wells is a Marshall transfer in a position battle with South Carolina transfer Jason Brown. Wells threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game. First-year coach Brent Pry said the competition will continue in fall camp.
What if Nick Saban took over mediocre teams around the country? How many places would he make the playoff in 5 years? College Football Survivor Show (PS; podcast)
* When Saban took over at Alabama in 2007, the Tide had gone 36-27 the previous five years and finished out of the year-end top 25 rankings three times. In Saban’s first five seasons, Alabama was 55-12 with two national titles, and after a reset first-year of 7-6, Alabama finished sixth, first, 10th and first in the final rankings.
That’s a jump in winning percentage over two five-year periods from .571 to .821. (Plus .250.)
That’s a leap from generally disappointing to the start of a modern dynasty.
* When Saban took over at LSU in 2000, the Tigers had gone 33-24-1 the previous five years. In his five seasons there, LSU was 48-16 and won a national title.
That’s a jump in winning percentage from .578 to .750. (Plus .172).
* When Saban took over at Michigan State in 1995, the Spartans had gone 27-29-1 the previous five years. In his five seasons there, Michigan State was 34-24-1 and in his last season there finished No. 7 in the final AP poll, the Spartan’s only top-10 AP finish in a 25-year period between 1988 and 2012.
That’s a jump in winning percentage from .482 to .585. (Plus .103).
That’s the Saban difference. Would the Saban difference travel again?
That’s what Doug Lesmerises and Shehan Jeyarajah are curious about on The College Football Survivor Show, and what they plan to ask about this spring and summer. What if the best coach ever was given five years at other programs around the country trying to make a leap?
Underachieving former powers? Schools more fixated on basketball than football? Group of Five programs hoping to regularly challenge bigger programs? Schools with the recruiting grounds and resources to be better that are stuck in a rut? Programs with connections to various times in Saban’s life?
On this bonus episode of The College Football Survivor, found on Apple Podcasts, Doug and Shehan drafted the 20 programs in the country where they’d most like to see Saban take a shot. This is a podcast that talks about the College Football Playoff all year, and that’s the question here -- what are the programs good enough to become playoff teams if they hired the best coach in the game?
...
Other
The Syracuse Food Truck Association is holding a "takeover" of space at Great Northern Mall in Clay each Wednesday from April 27 through mid-October. (Charles Wainwright photo)
Food truck season in CNY: Mall gatherings, downtown rodeos and a big battle (PS; Cazentre)
Central New York food trucks are about to hit their high traffic season.
While individual trucks have been out and about since the warmer weather returned, the big gatherings of mobile food providers starts this week.
“It’s that time of year when things get rolling,” said Nick Sanford, president of the 40-plus member Syracuse Food Truck Association (and owner of Toss & Fire Pizza, which has both brick and mortar locations and mobile trucks).
Upcoming events include weekly food trucks gatherings at Great Northern Mall in Clay and outside the Everson Museum of Art in downtown Syracuse. There’s also a big “Food Truck Battle” set for the New York State Fairgrounds on Saturday May 14.
Here’s a closer look at each event:
Great Northern Mall
On Wednesday (April 27), the season’s first food truck “takeover” comes to the parking lot at Great Northern Mall in Clay. About 20 trucks will participate each Wednesday through mid-October, though the exact lineup will change each week depending on the availability of trucks.Food is served from 4 to 8 p.m. each week. There is usually live music (it’s Just Joe from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. this week). The is the second season for the Great Northern events.
See the lineup for each week (and some menu information).
Note: In 2021, the food truck association also held similar events at Shoppingtown in DeWitt, but Sanford said the group hasn’t yet been able to nail that down for this year. They are hoping to put a schedule together for the summer.
Everson Museum of Art
Starting on Friday, May 6, the Everson Museum of Art hosts a food truck “rodeo” featuring three to four (or more) vendors each week. These events are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Friday through mid-August at the Everson Community Plaza adjacent to the museum at 401 Harrison St. Live music is from 12:30to 1:30 p.m....
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