sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Kool Aid Day!
Enjoy a refreshing glass of Kool-Aid today! National Kool-Aid Day coincides with the first day of Kool-Aid Days each year, which is always celebrated on the second weekend of August in Hastings, Nebraska, the city where Kool-Aid was created. Hastings' Kool-Aid Days began in 1998, the same year that Kool-Aid was named Nebraska's official state drink.
Edward Perkins lived in Hastings and spent his time experimenting with making products in his mother's kitchen and selling them by mail-order. He created the Perkins Products Company in 1920, and shortly thereafter created Fruit Smack, a liquid concentrate used to make a flavored drink by mixing it with sugar and water. The four-ounce bottles were expensive to ship and sometimes broke in transit. To reduce costs, Perkins made a powdered form in 1927, being inspired by Jello-O. It was sold in packets and was available in six flavors: cherry, grape, lemon-lime, orange, raspberry, and strawberry. The name was first changed to "Kool Ade," production was moved to Chicago in 1931, and Perkins trademarked the name Kool-Aid in 1934.
SU News
Recent Preseason AP Poll Reveals a Brutal SU Schedule – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
If you can believe it, Syracuse football’s season opener is just over two weeks away. While we spent most of last summer dreading opening day after a 1-10 season, there’s some legitimate buzz surrounding this year’s SU squad. It’s bowl or bust for Dino Babers and company, but the newly-released AP Preseason poll shows that ‘Cuse’s road to the postseason won’t be easy.
Two of Syracuse’s 2022 opponents actually crack the preseason Top 5. The Orange play Clemson (No. 4) and Notre Dame (No. 5) in back-to-back weeks in late October. The Tigers were finally pushed off their ACC Champion pedestal last year by Pitt, but some publications (including our own) consider Clemson a conference title threat. SU fell to Clemson in the Dome last season 17-14. Meanwhile, Syracuse didn’t play Notre Dame last year, but the Fighting Irish enter the season highly ranked under head coach Marcus Freeman. ND last defeated Syracuse in the 2020 season finale, 45-21.
NC State is the next highest ranked Syracuse opponent, entering the season at No. 13. The Wolfpack qualified for a bowl last year for the seventh time in nine years under head coach Dave Doeren and finished inside the Top 25 for the first time since 2017. State took down SU 41-17 last season.
Pitt (No. 17) and Wake Forest (No. 22) round out Syracuse’s ranked opponents on the preseason poll. The Panthers are now down former quarterback Kenny Pickett and wideout Jordan Addison, but head coach Pat Narduzzi’s bunch looks to have retained enough talent with 14 returning starters. Dave Clawson’s Demon Deacons bring back the same number, but quarterback Sam Hartman’s health is still an open question after the team announced his indefinite absence for a non-football related condition. Last year, both Wake and Pitt beat Syracuse by scores of 40-37 (OT) and 31-14, respectively.
Syracuse’s Week 3 opponent – Purdue – doesn’t crack the Top 25, but received votes in both the AP and Coaches’ poll. The Boilermakers got 17 votes in the AP Poll after a 9-4 ‘21 season that included a Music City Bowl victory over Tennessee. Purdue now lacks recent NFL draftees in defensive end George Karlaftis and wideout David Bell, but sixth-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell returns after a 28 touchdown campaign. This year’s matchup will mark Purdue’s first-ever trip to the Dome – in the only other meeting in history between the two, the Kyle Orton-led Boilermakers annihilated the Orange 51-0 in West Lafayette on Opening Day in 2004.
Other non-opponent ACC teams to appear in the preseason poll include Miami (No. 16) and UNC (received votes).
New Syracuse OC Robert Anae has vision for Oronde Gadsden II. Why the WR is poised to take on key role in 2022 (247sports.com; $; Bailey)
A conversation between Oronde Gadsden II and Robert Anae early this spring paved the way for a key role to be filled in Syracuse football's new offense. Gadsden, a sophomore receiver who played sparingly last fall, said that the Orange's new offensive coordinator came to him with a pitch.
The flex-wide position in Anae's pro-style scheme was a pivotal part of the plan, and the longtime Virginia OC needed to find a big-bodied skill-position player who could run routes, block and even carry the ball. Together, they watched film of Keytaon Thompson, Virginia's do-it-all receiver who logged 1,237 total yards and five touchdowns in 2021 en route to earning All-ACC second-team honors.
Then Gadsden got to work.
"He needed a dude at flex-wide to fill that No. 99 spot that he had KT at Virginia," Gadsden said after practice on Wednesday. "And all of the coaches collectively thought I could fill that position.
"... It suits me. A lot is in the name ‘flex.’ You’ve got to be flexible. You’ve got to play outside. You’ve got to play inside. You’ve got to be on the hip of the tackle at tight end. Sometimes...
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NEW FACE Robert Anae offensive coordinator. Syracuse spring football practice 2022.Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Meet the new faces of the SU football coaching staff (PS; Leiker)
Dino Babers’ coaching and support staff has undergone a makeover this year to get better results after three-straight losing seasons.
Here’s a look at some of the new faces in the program:
Robert Anae
Position: Offensive CoordinatorAge: 63
Hometown: Laie, Hawaii
Alma mater: BYU (B.S. ‘86, played football 1981-84), Hawaii (M.S. ‘90), BYU (Ph.D. ‘99)
Playing experience: BYU (1981-84)
Previous coaching stops: Virginia (2016-21, OC), BYU (2013-15, OC), Arizona (2011-12, OL), BYU (2005-10, OC), Texas Tech (2000-04, OL), UNLV (1997-98, OL), Boise State (1996, OL), Ricks College (1992-95, OL), BYU (1990-91, GA), Hawaii (1986-87, GA)
Accolades: He’s a three-time nominee for the Broyles Award, presented to the top assistant coach in the nation each season.
Fun fact: Playing at BYU is a bit of a family tradition: His dad, two brothers and oldest son have all played at least one season with the Cougars.
OL Matthew Bergeron on Anae: “I don’t work directly with coach Anae, but I feel like he’s done a good job of teaching me how to be a leader. It’s something I’m really trying to work on.”
Jason Beck
Position: QuarterbacksAge: 42
Hometown: Oxnard, California
Alma mater: BYU (’06), BYU (M.A. ‘11)
Playing experience: BYU (2004-06), College of the Canyons (2003), Ventura College (2002)
Previous coaching stops: Virginia (2016-21, QBs), BYU (2013-15, QBs), Simon Fraser (2012, OC), Weber State (2009-11, QBs), LSU (2008, Intern), BYU (2007, Intern)
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Syracuse football: Will a move the chains offense be the new fast? (TNIAAM; Wall)
Dino Babers is keeping the Syracuse Orange offense pretty guarded as the Orange move through pre-season camp. It certainly makes sense that he doesn’t want to give the Louisville Cardinals anything to prepare for before the opening game. I’m sure Louisville’s staff knows about the running threat of Sean Tucker and Garrett Shrader but it’s not easy to picture them running the 2021 Virginia Cavaliers offense is it? We know that Shrader struggled on the deep ball last year while Brennan Armstrong was among the best in the P5.
Does that mean Syracuse fans can expect to see Shrader airing it out this fall? Perhaps they will but more likely they will see the Orange focus on “moving the chains”.
This makes a lot of sense when you look at the strength of the Syracuse offense. We know what Tucker can do running the ball so if the Orange can get a better mix of play design and play calling they can have an effective passing game. It’s a lot easier to throw when teams are loaded up to stop the run or caught off-balance.
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Pitt Football Thursday QB Notebook: EJ Manuel Breaks Down Slovis v. Patti (SI; Thompson)
Weary eyes have been watching the Pitt Panthers navigate a quarterback battle for the past 17 days. Head coach Pat Narduzzi has given no indication of who is leading the race to start Week 1 against West Virginia and limited views into practice haven't provided much further insight. But on Thursday, the Panthers hosted some visitors that were able to provide a fresher and more detailed evaluation of the competition between Nick Patti and Kedon Slovis.
The ACC Network was in town, visiting the Panthers as part of their ACC Football Road Trip series. EJ Manuel, one of the best quarterbacks in Florida State history during his playing days and now an analyst for the ACC Network, spoke with assembled media after practice. Manuel says that Pitt is in a rare, fortunate spot. With two competent quarterbacks on the roster, they can boast both a talented starter and valuable insurance against injury.
"I think coach Narduzzi has a hard decision, but a good decision," Manuel said. "When you have two quarterbacks you’re always in a good spot because it’s a long year. If you want to go to a championship, we’re talking about 13, 14 games so if something does happen to the first one, it's good to know you have a confident one behind him."
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Braden Smith Completely Healed after Injury Ended his 2021 Campaign - University of Louisville Athletics (gocards.com; Gasparro)
As the University of Louisville prepares for its first game in just over two weeks, the Cards continue to put in the final touches on their preseason in fall camp.
Their season-opening road game against Syracuse will take place on Saturday, September 3 at 8pm ET.
Senior, Braden Smith, is also excited to be back out on the field following a season-ending knee injury in 2021. The wide receiver from Mississippi tore several ligaments in his left knee during the Cardinals' win over Florida State on Sept. 25. Smith had two major knee surgeries and was out for a majority of the 2021 season, facing a recovery process that took a toll on his mental toughness and ability to stay positive.
Smith caught 11 passes for 68 yards in those four games after showing his big-play ability. In his first year with the Cards he 27 receptions for 370 yards.
As the Cardinals rebuilt their wide receiver room in the offseason with a pair of transfers and signees, Smith's veteran presence will be greatly needed.
"One of the things I learned about myself was that you never know how tough you can be until that's your only option. Going through the recovery process is an unknown for a long period of time. It forces you to stay positive and mentally tough through the process," Smith said. "I learned to trust the process."
"When camp started, that was really the first time I was fully ready to go without limitations. It was the first time I was able to bolster that confidence," said Smith. "From then on, having that initial confidence has allowed me to progressively keep growing throughout camp."
Smith has also had to adjust to changes in the roster with an influx of newcomers. His veteran presence in the locker room has forced him to step up and assume more leadership responsibilities.
"It's been excellent. You have guys like Tyler Hudson who compete every day and make ridiculous plays every day. And then you have big body freshmen coming in like Chris Bell, Chance Morrow who are out there making plays, making contested catches," said Smith. "It's been good to see those guys compete every day. They have a very bright future."
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ACC football predictions 2022: 10 transfers to watch (247sports.com; Guzman)
The activity in the college football transfer portal was seemingly discussed everywhere this season, but in the best way. It's allowed for many programs to take their chances and add some much-needed pieces to its teams. The ACC was not being shy to be a part of that mix. With the amount of talent that hit the transfer portal in 2022, there are 10 that standout in the ACC. This list includes the players to watch because of how they can make an immediate impact in the conference and on their respective teams.
Between defensive players, running backs and even quarterbacks, every one of these athletes has the potential to provide game-changing results for its new team. These ACC transfers fill the talent gaps some teams may have needed, while other athletes may have transferred for their own benefit or to reach a higher level of play instead. Either way, they entered the portal for a reason.
Here’s a breakdown of 10 ACC transfers to watch this coming season:
JARED VERSE, DEFENSIVE END, FLORIDA STATE (ALBANY TRANSFER)
Jared Verse might be the top sleeper recruit to climb the ladder to No. 1 in the portal from the ACC. He was hardly recruited out of high school with no FBS offers. He built up his stock tremendously, not just by improving his physical appearance, but by proving he’s a talented defensive end. Verse appeared in 15 games over two seasons at Albany, recording 75 tackles, including 21.5 for loss, with 14.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. The transition into the Power Five with Florida State could be a little rocky, but there’s no question he’s a prize transfer for the Seminoles....
Tre Boston, Taylor Tannebaum join cast of ACC PM with Mark Packer (awfulannouncing.com; Lucia)
On Thursday, ESPN announced more details about its forthcoming ACC Network show ACC PM.
The three-hour show, which premieres at 4 PM on Monday, August 22nd, will be hosted by Mark Packer (as previously announced last month) and airs each weekday at 4 PM ET. Packer will be joined on the show by Tre Boston and Taylor Tannebaum, a pair of new additions to ACC Network
ACC PM’s focus will be on football, while “news and commentary” will also be included.
Boston, an NFL vet who last played in the league during the 2020 season, went to North Carolina and spent five of his seven years in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
Tannebaum went to Florida State and has been a sports anchor and reporter in Indianapolis since 2018.
On July 1st, ACC Network’s Packer and Durham morning show came to an end, with Packer moving on to this show and cohost Wes Durham focusing on play by play for live events on ACC Network.
Duke hopes fresh start under Elko sparks return to success (wnct.com; AP)
It wasn’t long ago that Duke was a regular bowl team that had seemingly moved past years of struggle. Mike Elko has to figure out how to get the Blue Devils back in that position.
The program has slid back into its former losing state as the 14-year run of David Cutcliffe fizzled in the final two seasons, leading the 45-year-old first-time head coach to build a new foundation.
“It’s been a really hard two years between COVID and everything these kids have been through, not having success on the field,” Elko said. “We’ve just tried to pump energy back in it.
“How? You just demand a certain level of excitement. … The next thing, we’ve got to create confidence because then confidence will allow you to sustain success.”
Cutcliffe certainly showed it can be done. Duke went from winning two games over three seasons before his arrival to winning its Atlantic Coast Conference division championship in 2013 amid a run of six bowl trips in seven seasons. But the Blue Devils have lost 23 of 29 games dating to October 2019, including 21 of 23 in the league.
Elko previously coached in the ACC as defensive coordinator under Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson, spent a season at Notre Dame in the same role and then at Texas A&M under Jimbo Fisher.
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Top 5 Returning ACC Quarterbacks | ACC Football 2022 (youtube; video; ADN)
Top 5 Returning ACC Quarterbacks | ACC Football 2022
#9 Clemson OL Jordan McFadden | 2022 ACC Top 25 Returning Players (youtube; video; ADN)
Over the last three seasons, Clemson offensive lineman Jordan McFadden has been one of the most reliable and consistent players at his position. At 6'2" and 302 pounds, he was a Second-Team All-ACC player in 2021.
Big Ten signs huge new TV deals, increasing revenue gap with ACC :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Murphy)
The revenue gap between the ACC and the Big Ten just got a lot bigger.
The Big Ten on Thursday announced new seven-year distribution agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to broadcast games. The rights holders, which also include NBC's Peacock streaming service, Fox Sports 1 and the Big Ten Network, will pay the Big Ten more than $1 billion per year, according to the Associated Press.
The agreements begin July 1, 2023, and run through the 2029-30 season. The Big Ten will have an NFL-style national triple-header each fall Saturday beginning in 2024 with Fox broadcasting a game at noon, CBS at 3:30 p.m. and NBC in primetime.
In the 2019-20 fiscal year, the Big Ten distributed an average of $54.2 million to its members. The payout dipped slightly during the 2020-21 fiscal year because the league played a reduced football season due to the coronavirus pandemic. But at $48.7 million per school, the league still distributed more than the ACC did to its members.
The ACC distributed a record $36.1 million to its members in 2020-21, according to conference tax disclosures reviewed by WRAL News.
The Big Ten currently has 14 members, but will add USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 in 2024. The conference has traditional football powers such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, plus other big Midwestern schools such as Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. The league will stretch from coast to coast in 2024 with Rutgers and former ACC member Maryland on the East Coast and the two Los Angeles schools on the West Coast.
The Big Ten could pay its members at least $62.5 million annually from just its television deal. Conferences also distribute revenue from the College Football Playoff and NCAA men's tournament to its members schools.
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Gameday Virgins (RX; HM)
Gameday Virgins
Thanks to reader "bill Dooley" for pointing this out...What are the eight Power 5 football programs that have NOT hosted ESPN’s College Game Day?
— Duke
— Virginia
— Syracuse
— Maryland
— Rutgers
— Illinois
— Kansas
— California
The first three are ACC schools; do any of them have a shot at getting off this list? Probably not for Duke - they'll need to wait for basketball season - but what about the others?
This year UVa's schedule starts out like this:
Sep. 3 Richmond
Sep. 10 at Illinois
Sep. 17 Old Dominion
Sep. 23 at Syracuse (Fri.)
Oct. 1 at Duke
Oct. 8 Louisville
Oct. 15 OPEN
Oct. 20 at Georgia Tech (Thurs.)
Oct. 29 Miami
If the Wahoos could somehow get to 7-0 before Miami rolls into Charlottesville, maybe ESPN would consider it (assuming Miami is also ranked).
Here's the 2022 schedule for Syracuse:
Sep. 3 Louisville
Sep. 10 at UConn
Sep. 17 Purdue
Sep. 23 Virginia (Fri.)
Oct. 1 Wagner
Oct. 8 OPEN
Oct. 15 NC State
Oct. 22 at Clemson
Oct. 29 Notre Dame
Unless the Orange can run the table, I'm not seeing it. I suppose there's a slim chance if 'Cuse and NC State are both undefeated on October 15th, but if the Orange get to October 29th without a loss to face a zero or one loss Irish team, then we can talk!
The competition.
Assuming Virginia or Syracuse can even get themselves into a position to be considered as a Gameday host, who would they be up against?
On October 15, NC State @ Syracuse would face Penn State @ Michigan, Miami @ Virginia Tech, Clemson @ Florida State, LSU @ Florida, Alabama @ Tennessee, and a bunch more games.
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Top Transfer Players In and Out of the ACC (RX; HM)
Top Transfer Players In and Out of the ACC
From ESPN's "Ranking college football's 40 most impactful transfers over the past five years" by Tom VanHaaren:
Here's a table summarizing his ACC-related selections:
| # | Pos | Player | FROM | TO |
| 5 | WR | Jordan Addison | Pittsburgh | USC |
| 8 | RB | Kenneth Walker III | Wake Forest | Michigan State |
| 12 | OL | Landon Dickerson | Florida State | Alabama |
| 13 | DE | Jermaine Johnson II | Georgia | Florida State |
| 15 | OL | Victor Oluwatimi | Virginia | Michigan |
| 19 | QB | D'Eriq King | Houston | Miami |
| 23 | RB | Jahmyr Gibbs | Georgia Tech | Alabama |
| 24 | DE | LB Jaelan Phillips | UCLA | Miami |
| 26 | DB | Brandon Joseph | Northwestern | Notre Dame |
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Virginia Tech football: Sophomore wide receiver is lost for the season (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
The good news about the start of fall camp means football is right around the corner. The Virginia Tech Hokies began fall camp two weeks ago, and on Wednesday, head coach Brent Pry named Grant Wells the starting quarterback.
Unfortunately, there is always bad news this time of the year regarding injuries. And the Hokies have some injury news of their own this week.
Pry mentioned redshirt sophomore wide receiver Dallan Wright would miss the 2022 season. Wright posted a photo of himself in the hospital on social media, and Pry later confirmed he was out for the season. Pry did not indicate the specifics of the injury but heaped praise on Wright, saying he was having a strong camp, according to David Cunningham of Tech Sideline.
The 6-foot-0, 176-pound Wright, who is from Saluda, South Carolina, was expected to be in the two-deep at wide receiver this season. The speedy Wright did not record any stats from his first two years on campus.
In other injury-related news, sophomore Malachi Thomas, expected to be Tech’s top tailback this fall, is week-to-week with an injury. Thomas wasn’t seen at practice at times, leading those in attendance to wonder if he was injured. Pry offered the following on Thomas.
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Analysis of New B1G TV Contract (RX; HM)
Analysis of New B1G TV Contract
There's a lot to unravel, so I tried to make it as visual as possible...
From Adam Rittenberg's article "Big Ten completes 7-year, $7 billion media rights agreement with Fox, CBS, NBC" posted on ESPN.com, here are some facts about the new Big Ten TV contract:
Length: 7 years (from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2030)
Value: $7 billion (approximately $62.5 million each* for 16 schools)
Networks: Fox, CBS and NBC (plus Peacock)
Approximate Saturday Broadcast Schedule: Fox at noon, CBS at 3:30 and NBC in prime time.
| Network | Time |
| Fox | noon |
| CBS | 3:30 PM |
| NBC | 7:00 PM |
No word on when the Peacock games will air.
Note: NBC will continue to broadcast some Notre Dame night home games, which would replace the Big Ten prime-time game on those weeks.
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Other
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy visits Mario & Salvo's pizzeria in Syracuse, N.Y., as part of his "One Bite Pizza Reviews" series. (Video still)
Best pizza in Central NY? Barstool’s Dave Portnoy reveals his Syracuse, Utica rankings (PS; Herbert)
“One bite, everyone knows the rules.”
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has revealed his picks for the best pizza in Syracuse and Utica. The sports blogging company leader visited a dozen pizzerias in Central New York at the end of July, and shared video from each visit over the past three weeks for his social media series “One Bite Pizza Reviews.”
Portnoy, also known as “El Presidente,” has been filming himself taking one bite (usually more) of a pizza pie and sharing his reactions and ratings as part of a years-long search for the best slice. He said he planned his first-ever visit to CNY around O’Scugnizzo Pizzeria in Utica, home of the upside-down pizza, as part of a July 29 road trip to Saratoga.
“I don’t know what else you’re going to do in Utica,” he joked at O’Scugnizzo in his final review from the trip on Wednesday.
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