sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to American Beer Day!
American Beer Day is a day dedicated to drinking brews made in America. Over 200 million barrels of American beer are sold each year, and Americans spend over $100 million on beer annually. The United States is only second to China in the number of breweries it has and the amount of beer it produces. Beer consumption in America has ebbed and flowed, but as of the late 2010s, beer has been flowing more than ever.
Beer making can be traced to about 6,000 years ago in ancient Sumeria. At that time, beer was cloudy because of the lack of filtering, and it was drunk through a straw. By 2000 BCE, the Babylonians were brewing twenty types of beer. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans made beer, although wine became much more popular with the Romans—they considered beer to be the drink of the Barbarians and it was only popular on the edges of the Empire. Germanic groups were brewing beer by 800 BCE.
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OPPONENT PREVIEW: What to know about Notre Dame (DO; Alandt)
No. 16 Syracuse returns home to the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday after a 27-21 loss in which the Orange went the entire second half without scoring, blowing an 11-point lead against Clemson. A Notre Dame squad in a down year will be SU’s first rebound attempt of the season. The Fighting Irish began the season ranked in the top 10, but fell to No. 2 Ohio State before a stunning upset loss in South Bend to Marshall. They most recently blew out UNLV after losing a close matchup to Stanford.
Head coach Marcus Freeman is in his opening season as the frontman for the Fighting Irish. Though ND has slid to 4-3, including a 2-2 record at home, Freeman has led the team to four wins in the last five games, even after starting quarterback Tyler Buchner’s season-ending injury.
“If you get a win over Notre Dame, it’s a big thing,” Babers said on Monday. “They know that everybody gives them their best shot, and they’re always ready for everyone.”
The Orange haven’t beaten ND in the Dome since 2003, but they entered as two-point favorites over the Fighting Irish. Here’s everything you need to know about Notre Dame.
Last time they played
Syracuse traveled to South Bend to cap off the abysmal pandemic-riddled 2020 season that featured a 1-10 record, tied for the worst record in program history. The Orange trailed 3-0 after the first quarter. But then the roof came off, and Ian Book threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Two Notre Dame running backs finished with over 100 yards on the ground, and Javon McKinley led all receivers with 111 yards and three touchdowns.
Syracuse’s offense posted a season-best 229 rushing yards, led by Cooper Lutz’s 114 yards. Rex Culpepper went 18-for-29 with 185 yards, one touchdown and an interception in his final collegiate game. Syracuse had just 15 first downs all afternoon.
Ja’Had Carter, who forced an interception against Clemson last week, intercepted Book — his second pick that season. Dino Babers chalked up the Orange’s mistakes all season to their inexperience and lack of practice time. SU lost, 45-21.
Notre Dame’s rush defense ranks No. 61 in the country at 139.4 yards per game. But it’s allowed 1,414 yards through the air for an average of 202 yards per game, which ranks 35th in the NCAA.
Babers stated that the Fighting Irish are an “extremely well coached team,” and they’re bound to make key halftime adjustments, just like Dabo Swinney did in Clemson. The game might come down to whether or not Anae and Babers can properly respond. If Notre Dame takes away Tucker’s effectiveness again, Syracuse needs to find ways to include him in short passing sets. If the long ball is locked down, Syracuse needs to work through a balanced approach of read options and short throws. Most importantly, the Orange have to get back to the creativity that their offense had through six games.
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‘MR. DO-IT-ALL’: Michael Mayer’s ‘eagerness to learn’ helped him become Notre Dame’s leading receiver (DP; Ern)
Michael Mayer’s career began with a phone call.
Ted Edgington, his freshman football head coach at Covington Catholic (Kentucky) High School, didn’t know much about Mayer. But Mayer’s father, Andy, called Edgington and insisted his son needed to play football.
Mayer was focused on basketball and baseball and wasn’t interested in playing football. But Edgington told him to try it — if he didn’t like the sport, he could quit. Although Mayer later said Edgington “strong-armed him” to play, Edgington stands by the fact that Mayer was “right on board.”
Regardless, this call made Mayer pick up a football for the first time. Now, he leads Notre Dame in receiving yards and touchdowns as a tight end. He’s tied with Ken MacAfee for most career touchdown receptions by a Fighting Irish tight end. As a junior, Mayer is one of the top-rated tight end prospects for the upcoming NFL draft.
Before Notre Dame, Mayer was an eager learner who started late in the sport. He soon became a player who could do anything for the Covington Catholic football program, starting his legacy of breaking records.
Mayer’s delayed start did not hinder his ability on the field. Edgington admired his commitment to the game.
“I think that what made him so successful was his eagerness to learn,” Edgington said. “Besides, he’s just a hell of an athlete and that’s always a bonus. Then you got some tools to work with like he has, and it just comes easy for him.”
Edgington wanted to give Mayer the best conditioning program possible, making him do the same drills as the varsity team to help him “drink the Kool-Aid” and buy into the program. But after Mayer’s freshman year, Edgington pointed to varsity head coach Eddie Eviston as someone who helped Mayer learn the game more.
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Last Leg For Greg: Reliving Syracuse’s 2008 upset over Notre Dame (DO; Alandt)
Three jet drive, X shallow cross.
A simple play drawn up in the midst of the 2008 training camp. Nothing special. Syracuse ran it numerous times throughout the season, sometimes with success, other times not so much. The play wouldn’t lead the Orange to a national championship, bowl game or winning season. It wouldn’t erase a 2-8 record or a one-conference win season.
Cameron Dantley was supposed to look at his first read on three jet drive, X shallow cross and pump the ball. His first and second reads were both tightly covered, so he pivoted his hips and fired to the middle of the field, where he saw Donte Davis ahead of his man in the middle of the end zone.
“You couldn’t end a drive any other way,” Dantley said.
Three jet drive, X shallow cross wouldn’t save Greg Robinson’s job. He was fired at the end of the season. Defensive end Arthur Jones and several others went on to play in the NFL, but 2008 — a relatively lost, forgettable season in SU history — stands as the last time the Orange beat Notre Dame, who’s headed to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday.
Since taking over the Orange in 2005, his first and only head coaching job, Robinson’s tenure had been marred with NCAA violations, close defeats to teams that had no business playing close with Syracuse and blowout losses. It might have been Robinson’s playcalling, the inexperienced roster, two quarterbacks or a combination of it all that led a 2-8 Syracuse into South Bend.
That team was close, Jones said, and their record doesn’t reflect how tightly knit the group was. Heading into the game, Jones, who ended with a career-high 15 tackles in a game that “put (him) on the map,” was contemplating leaving for the NFL Draft.
“We just wanted to send him off the right way, getting that win,” Jones said.
Robinson still had more energy than he’d ever had, according to linebacker Jake Flaherty. During practice that week, Robinson lowered his shoulder into Averin Collier’s chest on a scout team drill. After the win, Jones said the locker room felt like they’d just won the Super Bowl.
“That was our bowl game,” he said.
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‘It’s a big deal’: Local Notre Dame fans excited for Irish to visit Syracuse (DO; Smith)
Stephen Erwin’s earliest memories of Notre Dame football were sitting with his grandpa on Sundays as a little kid, listening to replays on the radio. Dan Hulihan’s family rushed home from church to watch the Fighting Irish’s highlights before NFL games.
“We just were big, big Notre Dame fans,” Hulihan said.
Erwin was born and raised in the Syracuse area. Hulihan in Albany. Both are dedicated Fighting Irish fans. They’ve spent time as presidents of local ND alumni clubs. But there’s a catch — neither went to Notre Dame. Instead, they’re Subway Alumni, devoted Notre Dame fans who didn’t attend the university, but usually have Irish Catholic backgrounds. The name was termed since fans traveled via the New York City subway to watch the Fighting Irish.
As an Irish Catholic, Hulihan’s dad was a big Fighting Irish supporter, which trickled down to his son, who’s now the president of the Northeastern New York Notre Dame Alumni Club in Albany. Erwin, who spent 10 years as president of the Central New York Notre Dame Alumni Club, fell in love with ND when he visited in 1969 with his dad and grandfather, and “was raised” on Notre Dame.
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Beat writers agree on Syracuse returning to the win column against Notre Dame (DO; Staff)
No. 16 Syracuse suffered a heartbreaking loss at No. 5 Clemson on Saturday. It led by 11 points at halftime but couldn’t score for the rest of the game, resulting in the Orange’s first loss of the season. Notre Dame began the season as a potential playoff contender, yet a combination of upsets and inconsistent play have pushed the Fighting Irish outside the rankings and in need of victories in order to achieve bowl eligibility.
Here is what our beat writers think will happen when Notre Dame visits the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday:
Alex Cirino (5-2)
Back on track
Syracuse 28, Notre Dame 17
Last week’s loss in Death Valley was a much needed reality check. And that’s fine. But it proved Syracuse can handle just about any team that it will face for the rest of the season. Yes, the Orange’s first loss of the season was mostly self-inflicted, but it gives them even more of a claim for a bounce-back performance in their penultimate home game of the season.
Ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll, Notre Dame has fallen unranked and is just a game over .500 through seven games after its losses piled up after its Week 1 loss to Ohio State. Since then, the Fighting Irish have allowed over 15 points in each game and played once on the road. Syracuse, on the other hand, is coming off two of its toughest games of the season where it was competitive and showcased how dangerous its passing game will be.
The Orange have already clinched a bowl game, so let’s see how high up the rankings they can go. A win on Saturday should see that number rise.
Connor Smith (5-2)
Luck of the Orange
Syracuse 31, Notre Dame 17
Notre Dame, one of college football’s most prestigious programs, is visiting Syracuse for the first time in nearly 20 years — and just the third time ever — on Saturday. SU’s lucky, then, that the Irish are in the middle of a down season after playing in three New Year’s Six bowls over the last five seasons, including two visits to the College Football Playoff. Led by 36-year-old first-year head coach Marcus Freeman, ND is 4-3 and lost at home to Marshall and a struggling Stanford team. After entering the season ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25, Notre Dame enters this weekend unranked.
Regardless of Notre Dame’s strength this year, this is a big game for the Orange. Not only is it a nationally televised matchup in front of an expected sellout crowd inside the JMA Wireless Dome, it’s a chance to bounce back from a devastating loss at No. 5 Clemson last Saturday — one SU should’ve won. Syracuse needs to come out strong this weekend, give Sean Tucker an appropriate number of carries and be leading somewhat comfortably for most of the game. The Orange still have a chance at a monumental season in front of them. Achieving that starts with a good showing Saturday by beating the Irish, even in a down year for them.
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Tucker says he's healthy. He should be getting more carries (PS; $; Leiker)
Sean Tucker didn’t have much to add Tuesday when asked about only touching the ball a total of 10 times in Syracuse football’s 27-21 loss to Clemson.
He’d already said most of it in one of his fabled postgame tweets: He wasn’t pleased with the outcome of the game. He was pleased with his performance but said there was more he can do.
He ended his post like this: “I’m healthy.”
Ever since he briefly left SU’s season-opener against Louisville — and two other games since — speculation has been that Tucker is injured, despite no official word he is.
When asked Tuesday about the added comment in his tweet, Tucker smiled and said he wanted “to put the rumors to rest.”
Orange fans were outraged Saturday when Tucker finished the game with just five carries. Though SU coach Dino Babers said postgame that was simply a result of Clemson having a “good scheme,” he switched course Monday, saying it was something that should not happen.
Syracuse’s solution to Clemson trying to take Tucker away as a ground threat was running a quarterback read-option all game, resulting in Garrett Shrader having 21 carries for 71 yards.
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Syracuse Football Recruiting: Visitor List vs Notre Dame (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football hosts Notre Dame on Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome's second straight sellout. The Orange will have a plethora of recruits in attendance for the game. Here are some of the notable names that will be in the stands on Saturday.
CLASS OF 2023
Player: Kahlil Ali
Position: Athlete
Height/Weight: 6-1, 190 lbs
School: Pennsauken (NJ)
Player: Jayden Bass (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-5, 295 lbs
School: Springfield Central (MA)
Player: David Clement (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Tight End
Height/Weight: 6-5, 265 lbs
School: CBA (NY)
Player: Bryce Cohoon (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6-1, 175 lbs
School: Maize (NY)
Player: TJ Conley
Position: Running Back
Height/Weight: 6-1, 180 lbs
School: Fayetteville Manlius (NY)
Player: Ike Daniels (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Running Back
Height/Weight: 5-10, 185 lbs
School: Mountain View (VA)
Player: Steven Davis Jr.
Position: Offensive Line/Defensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-2, 260 lbs
School: North Schuylkill (PA)
Player: Luis Garcia Jr
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-1, 170 lbs
School: Kennedy Catholic (NY)
Player: Rashard Perry (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Defensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-1, 250 lbs
School: Bennett (NY)
Player: Rahmir Stewart
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-0, 195 lbs
School: Imhotep Institute (PA)
Player: Cameron Stodghill
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-3, 170 lbs
School: La Salle Institute (NY)
Player: Dorrion White
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-0, 160 lbs
School: Mountain View (VA)
CLASS OF 2024
Player: Tanner Burlingame
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-5, 260 lbs
School: Maine Endwell (NY)
Player: Colin Cubberly
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-6, 300 lbs
School: Arlington (NY)
Player: Marcus Harrison
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-7, 310 lbs
School: Saint Francis (NY)
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Syracuse football: let’s not hit the panic button just yet (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
While it’s been a couple of days, the pain still resides from the Syracuse Orange football team’s close loss to the Clemson Tigers on Saturday.
The once-undefeated ‘Cuse lost 27-21 to Clemson, falling to 6-1 on the year and leaving the Tigers as the only remaining undefeated team in the ACC.
We can draft up a college-level thesis project on what went wrong for the Orange: Syracuse’s offense going away from Sean Tucker, Will Shipley’s A-grade performance against SU’s defense, the questionable calls, etc.
At the end of the day, we Syracuse fans can all agree that the loss left a bitter taste in our mouths. For once, we’ve seemed beatable. In our biggest test of the season, we failed.
Or did we?
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: What Should Syracuse Expect Hosting Notre Dame This Saturday? on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine talk Notre Dame on your Thursday episode. What should the Orange expect in the Irish this coming weekend? Who are the players to watch out for? What is Notre Dame playing for? All that and more on today's episode.
Meet the Enemy: Notre Dame’s Facts and Players to Know – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Griffin)
We’ve yet to see how Syracuse plays after a loss this season. After a heartbreaker against Clemson last weekend, that won’t remain the case for much longer. The opponent? A Notre Dame squad coming to Central New York for the first time since 2003, and there are storylines aplenty surrounding this Irish squad.
However, Notre Dame hasn’t exactly had the luck of the Irish in 2022. ND came into the season ranked #5, but two losses straight out of the gate put the top-5 notion to bed rather quickly. When you factor in that one of the losses was to an unranked Marshall squad, it looks even worse. Since then, the Irish have suffered another home loss at the hands of Stanford. This year’s Notre Dame is definitely not what we’re used to seeing.
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ORANGE ZONE: #16 Syracuse vs. Notre Dame (youtube; podcast; Orange Zone)
Syracuse vs Notre Dame Preview
Hitting the reset button: How SU football can bounce back after a tough loss (cnycentral.com; Hodges)
Through 30 minutes in Death Valley it looked like Syracuse Orange fans would have the chance to celebrate a major upset win. Over the course of the next 30 minutes, those same Orange fans went from confident, to concerned, to (maybe) crying over what could have been.
Half a week later, the only direction Orange fans are looking is forward, and as long as the now #16 Syracuse Orange are doing the same, they'll have no problem bouncing back.
As a matter of fact this team has already been living by that mantra all season long. We heard it straight from the player's mouths all of last week.
"6-0 that's great right now," was the message last week from sophomore linebacker Marlowe Wax. But it came with a caveat. "If we lose the rest of our games then nobody is going to care that we were 6-0."
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Can Syracuse slow down Michael Mayer and the Notre Dame offense? (cbssports; video)
James Finneral Analysis Syracuse vs Notre Dame
Watch: JD Bertrand On Targeting And Preparing for Syracuse (cbssports.com; video)
Linebacker JD Bertrand talked about the frustration of not being able to play in the first half of two games due to targeting. The Alpharetta, GA native and leading tackler also discussed preparing for Syracuse and the importance of executing the game plan.
Syracuse tops ACC defenses; Clemson closing gap (yahoo.com; AP)
As the season nears the start of its final quarter, fifth-ranked Clemson isn't the top dog on defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference, its calling card in its rise to national prominence seven years ago. But don't count out the Tigers just yet.
No. 16 Syracuse, with its aggressive 3-3-5 defensive scheme under coordinator Tony White, quickly ascended to the top spot after opening the season with a convincing 31-7 victory over nemesis Louisville and its multitalented quarterback Malik Cunningham. The Orange (6-1, 3-1 ACC) lead the conference in scoring defense (15.14 points per game), tied for sixth nationally, and total defense (296.20 yards per game), 16th nationally. North Carolina State (310.9), Florida State (332), and Clemson (332.5) round out the conference's top four in total defense and the Wolfpack (16.86) and Clemson (19.88) trail the Orange in scoring defense. The Tigers remain No. 1 against the run (87.9), well ahead of Miami (112.7), N.C. State (122.4) and Syracuse (123.3).
''The Mob,'' the nickname the Syracuse defenders have adopted, isn't interested in the numbers.
''We game plan and do what we do,'' said Orange defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu, who had a pick-6 in a two-point win over Purdue. ''I guess right now it looks that way, that we're at the top of the conference, and that's a blessing. But that's just not really our main focus. Our goal is to be the best defense we can be and let everybody else worry about the numbers.''
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Pete Sampson "The 315" 10-26 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
The Athletic’s Notre Dame beat writer Pete Sampson joins Brian Higgins to preview Saturday’s game, discuss Marcus Freeman’s performance as Fighting Irish head coach, and more.
Douglas Farmer "On The Block" 10-26 (ESPN; radio; On The Block)
Douglas Farmer, author for NBC Sports’ Inside The Irish, joins Brent Axe to look ahead to Saturday’s game between Syracuse and Notre Dame.
Jason Benetti "The 315" 10-26 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Jason Benetti of Fox Sports joins Brian Higgins to break down all things diners and chat college football and the World Series.
Newhouse At Night 10-25 (ESPN; radio; Newhouse at Night)
Josh Golden and Harry Kelly lead off the Tuesday edition of Newhouse At Night breaking down Syracuse’s loss to Clemson. Later, Josh is joined by Danny Tow to preview the Notre Dame football team ahead of the game on Saturday.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: What Should Syracuse Expect Hosting Notre Dame This Saturday? on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine talk Notre Dame on your Thursday episode. What should the Orange expect in the Irish this coming weekend? Who are the players to watch out for? What is Notre Dame playing for? All that and more on today's episode.
5 Things to Know: Syracuse vs. Notre Dame - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
No. 16 Syracuse hosts Notre Dame in front of what will be a sold out crowd at the JMA Wireless Dome. Here's five things to know about the matchup:
1. Wear Orange
Saturday's game will be an Orange Out. Fans are encouraged to dress in as much orange-colored apparel as possible.
If you need a refresh on a wardrobe item, visit shop.cuse.com.
2. Sold Out
General public tickets are sold out for Saturday's game. A limited number of student tickets remain and can be purchased by students here: student tickets.
Fans still seeking to get into Saturday's game can purchase verified resale tickets through Ticketmaster.
3. A Rare Visit
While 'Cuse and Notre Dame have played each other every-other year since 2014, this will be the Fighting Irish's first trip to the 315 since 2003 and just the third trip to Syracuse in the now 11 meetings between the programs.
The two teams have played at Metlife Stadium (twice), Yankee Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium (twice) since their last trip to 'Cuse.
4. Defend the Dome
Syracuse puts a five-game home winning streak to the test on Saturday. While it just begun this season, it already ranks in the top-18 nationally and is the second-longest active streak in the ACC behind Clemson (38) and NC State (14).
A win on Saturday would equal the most home wins in a season since the Dome opened in 1980, tying 2018 (6-0), 2001 (6-0), 1988 (6-0) and 1987 (6-0).
5. A Historic Season Brewing on Defense
Syracuse ranks sixth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 15.1 points per game. The Orange are keeping their opponents out of the end zone at a pace that hasn't been achieved in the past 25 years.
The last time Syracuse's opponents averaged less than 20 points per game was in 2010 (19.3). If the season ended today, the 15.1 points per game would be the lowest for the Orange under the direction of head coach Dino Babers and their lowest total since 1997 (15.9).
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Syracuse football suffers first loss of the year to No. 5 Clemson (thenewshouse.com; Sherman)
After six games filled with game winning drives, ACC player of the week awards and victories, Syracuse’s undefeated season came to a close on Saturday in Death Valley against Clemson, falling 27-21.
The Orange, now ranked No. 16, had an 11-point lead going into the half. However, a quarterback change for Clemson in the third quarter, helped the Tigers come back and defeat Syracuse for their 38th consecutive home win, which is now officially the longest streak in ACC history.
There were some questionable calls from the Orange coaching staff throughout the game. Star running back Sean Tucker had a season low of five carries for 54 yards. Less than two minutes remaining in the game, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers waited an extra 25 seconds to call a timeout. If he didn’t wait, Syracuse could’ve had the ball back with more time than they did.
While the defeat was a demoralizing one for the Orange, there were some bright spots for the team during the game.
Syracuse caused four Clemson turnovers, which marked the Tigers’ most turnovers in a game all year. One of these four turnovers included an impressive fumble that was recovered by defensive back Ja’Had Carter, who then returned it for a 90-yard touchdown. Wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II continued his pace towards a 1,000 yard season with six catches for 86-yards.
While the loss for the Orange was a painful one considering the double digit lead they possessed, Syracuse remains a top 20 ranked team and will attempt to avenge themselves at home Saturday at noon against Notre Dame (4-3).
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Notre Dame vs Syracuse: Confidences & Concerns (usatoday.com; Kennedy)
As I sit and write this I can’t help but think of what a rollercoaster this column has been since I started it a month or so ago here at Fighting Irish Wire. Much like the actual Notre Dame season, these confidences and concerns come and go and rise and fall rapidly. Too rapidly. I take this as a sign that Notre Dame has struggled to find itself this year. Items that appear as a confidence one week and concern the next are inconsistent, a perfect description of this Irish team overall in 2022.
Despite having no shot at reaching any postseason games that will carry much weight, Notre Dame has a shot at ending the year strongly against 3 highly ranked teams in Syracuse, Clemson, and USC that would help change the narrative entering the first Freeman offseason. Let’s take a look are some New York state of mind confidences and concerns.
Notre Dame has simply played better away from Notre Dame Stadium this year and against the upper middle tier of the schedule at the time the games were played as well. The trip to the venue formerly known as the Carrier Dome matches that exact description.
Let it be known, Notre Dame’s inability to defend its home turf this year versus inferior opponents is not to be condoned in any way, it’s not an overall positive. But maybe there’s something to be said for this year’s team feeling more comfortable away from South Bend. Ever since the Marshall loss, there is a feeling of angst on home game days. It feels like half excitement/half dread of what’s coming next to me. If I feel that the minute I step on campus, can’t the team also feel it? It’s an awkward vibe.
Michael Mayer is Notre Dame’s best player. It’s clear when you watch him that he is soon going to be playing on Sundays. While it’s terrific that Notre Dame has a player this gifted, it’s hard not to be frustrated that he won’t be on a Notre Dame team that is known for its overall accomplishments.
Notre Dame can and should continue to lean on Mayer. Whenever he is even remotely open, throw him the ball. But I’d also like to start seeing Drew Pyne use Mayer as more of a decoy when it makes sense to do so. Lead defenses to him with his eyes then hit a different target. Mayer can impact plays in this way without even catching balls in this way.
Syracuse was undefeated up until last week’s game with Notre Dame’s next opponent, also undefeated Clemson. They are a very solid team and should be respected as such. But for as respectable as they are, I see their offense as fairly straightforward to slow down, unlike some others the Irish have or will face.
Syracuse quarterback Garret Shrader was by far the Oranges’ leading rusher last week. He’s nifty and loves to pull the ball and make plays happen to scramble. In the passing game, 6’5 wide receiver Oronde Gadsden, II is the clear and number one most dangerous target. If the Irish can focus on containing Shrader’s legs and ensure solid coverage on Gadsden, the rest of the Syracuse offense can be tamed.
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Scouting Report . . . Syracuse Orange (247sports.com; Prister)
On the heels of 5-7, 1-10 and 5-7 seasons, seventh-year HC-Dino Babers has turned Syracuse back around to 2018 days when the Orange went 10-3 and won their first bowl game in five seasons with a Camping World Bowl victory over West Virginia.
Babers, on the hot seat after going 11-24 since the 2018 uprising, made an important change in the coaching staff. He replaced OC-Sterlin Gilbert with Virginia OC-Robert Anae, whose QB-Brennan Armstrong-led offense averaged 34.6 points, 514 yards total offense and 393 yards passing per game in ‘21. Syracuse has responded by averaging 33.9 points per game (36th) after averaging 24.9 in 2021.
Record: 6-1 (3-1) – W31-7 Louisville, W48-14 @ UConn, W33-29 Purdue, W22-20 Virginia, W59-0 Wagner, W24-9 N.C. State, L27-21 @ Clemson.
Shrader has become a force for the Orange. He’s thrown for more yards in seven games than he did all last season with 13 touchdowns, just four interceptions and a 69.7 completion percentage while accruing 1,601 yards.
What makes Shrader particularly dangerous is the 6-foot-4, 228-pounder’s ability to run the football. He did that last year, too, when he had 14 rushing touchdowns and 781 yards on the ground to supplement RB-Sean Tucker’s 1,496 yards rushing and 12 scores on the ground.
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Notre Dame football: Irish must focus on their strengths against Syracuse (slapthesign.com; Weiss)
The Notre Dame football team will play a fired-up Syracuse Orange squad on Saturday, and the focus should be on their strengths.
The Notre Dame football team goes into their matchup with the Syracuse Orange with a 4-3 record, nowhere near where we all figured they would be through the first eight weeks of the college football season. Still, they have some solid wins on the resume, including against ranked BYU, their only win against a ranked team this season.
On Saturday, they will have the chance to beat another ranked opponent in the Orange, a team that has gotten out to a shocking 6-1 record this season. Their only loss came last weekend against the Clemson Tigers, a team that many feels will be in the College Football Playoff this season, so this has been a strong year for Dino Babers and his team.
Playing a team like Syracuse, on the road in front of a packed Carrier Dome crowd, the Irish need to keep it simple. By focusing on their strengths, they can control the line of scrimmage, and possibly leave upstate New York with their best victory of the season.
The Orange have been outstanding this season, and are a team that could certainly beat the Irish, especially at home. However, I believe the Irish are going to go into that game with a big chip on their shoulder, and much like they have done all season long when their backs are against the wall, they will come out on top.
College Football Data Preview: Notre Dame VS Syracuse (onefootdown.com; JoBro13)
Talk about the tale of two teams. Last week’s UNLV game presented us with a data story of a team going through rough times, across the board. This week’s opponent, the Syracuse Orange, are in a very different situation. Syracuse is coming into this Week 9 matchup, 6-1 with it’s only loss on the season coming by way of Clemson last week.
Syracuse’s early opponents weren’t tomato cans (except potentially Wagner) but the Orange are just starting to get into the meat of their schedule. Their Week 7 game against now #24 NC State ended up with a 24-9 victory for the Orange. Last week Clemson brought a lot of its own issues and it took the Tigers putting 17 points up in the 4th quarter to seal Clemson’s 27-21 victory.
Overall, though, Syracuse has been playing at a high-level and after 2 week’s of somewhat flimsy data previews for Stanford and UNLV we can have a bit more fun this week. So let’s dig in.
Scoring summary for Notre Dame and Syracuse going into their Week 9 matchup.
A big thing that sticks out is Syracuse’s tendency to turn defensive turnovers into points.
Forcing turnovers, much less scoring from them, isn’t an area that Notre Dame’s defense has really gotten around to this season. While Notre Dame’s offense is generally doing ok with hanging onto the ball, it’ll be interesting to see how things in this area play out during the game.
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ACC News
ACC football predictions for Week 9: Our experts pick the winner of every game (fayobserver.com; Staff)
ACC football rolls into Week 9 with a Thursday night matchup featuring Virginia Tech at No. 23 NC State and a six-game slate Saturday.
The USA TODAY Sports Network's ACC expert panel has a success rate of 74% with its weekly predictions. This week's biggest vote-splitter is the Notre Dame at No. 16 Syracuse game, with our panel giving the Fighting Irish a one-vote advantage.
Here's a look at all of the Week 9 games featuring ACC football teams and our panel's predictions.
Louisville football vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to know about ACC matchup, betting line (C-J; Cubit)
Louisville football dug deep after a bleak start and earned its second ACC victory via a 24-10 win over Pittsburgh. The Cardinals are now fifth in the Atlantic Division standings with an opportunity to build on that this week.
Louisville (4-3, 2-3 ACC) is set to host No. 10 Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cardinal Stadium. The Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1) are third in the division standings and became bowl eligible after beating Boston College 43-15 last weekend.
Weekend rewind:Photos from Louisville's 24-10 win over Pitt
Here are three things to know about the upcoming contest:
That opportunity to prove that again is even more magnified with Wake being U of L’s first top 10-ranked opponent since it faced Notre Dame, ranked fourth at the time, in 2020.
Should Louisville be able to pull off the huge upset and avenge last year’s heartbreaking defeat, it’ll not only give the Cardinals a crucial top-10 conference win but also three straight league wins. Louisville hasn’t accomplished that feat since 2016, when the Cardinals were a top-10 team and beat Duke, NC State and Virginia in consecutive weeks.
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2022 VT / NC State Preview (RX; HM)
That's an interesting way to describe NC State - the "better Virginia Tech" - but it's not without merit. As Treadmill Horse puts it,
That might be an understatement. The way the Hokies have looked on offense most of this season, I wonder if they'll score at all against the Wolfpack.
__________
Preview, from the ACC weekly football release:
Head Coaches:
Virginia Tech - Brent Pry (2-5 in first season at Virginia Tech and overall)
NC State - Dave Doeren (68-50 in 10th season at NC State; 92-54 in 12th season overall)
Notes: The teams meet in Raleigh for the first time since 2010 • The Wolfpack claimed a 17-16 win in the first ACC meeting between the teams in Blacksburg in 2004 • The Hokies have since won five straight in the series, which was first played in 1900 • The schools met 22 times at neutral sites between 1906 and 1959, with Virginia cities Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke and Portsmouth, plus Bluefield, West Virginia, all hosting games • Virginia Tech won 45-24 in Blacksburg in the most recent meeting two seasons ago despite playing most of the game with its third-string quarterback • With starting QB Hendon Hooker unavailable to play due to quarantine and backup Braxton Burmeister injured in the opening minutes, Hokies sophomore Quincey Patterson II completed 4-of-6 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and also carried the ball 10 times for 47 yards and a score.
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2022 Pitt/UNC Preview/Factoids (RX; HM)
From the official ACC weekly football release...
Head Coaches:
Pitt - Pat Narduzzi (57-40 in eighth season at Pitt and overall)
North Carolina - Mack Brown (96-64-1 in 14th season at UNC; 271-140-1 in 34th season overall)
Notes: Saturday night’s prime time game carries huge Coastal Division implications and matches two programs that have played an inordinate number of close games head-to-head in previous years • Pitt won the last two such meetings in overtime, including last season’s 30-23 game at Heinz Field • The Tar Heels won all six ACC meetings between the teams prior to 2019, when Pitt broke through with a 34-27 overtime victory • QB Kenny Pickett had a hand in both game-winning TDs for the Panthers, throwing for the go-ahead score last season and scoring himself in 2019 on a 3-yard keeper • Each of the last 10 series games – and 12 of 15 overall – have been decided by a touchdown or less • UNC won 38-35 in the most recent game played at Kenan Stadium in 2018 and is 6-0 versus the Panthers at home • The series began with six nonconference meetings between 1974 and 2000.
This might get your goat if you're a Panther fan...
Links, News, and Rumors 2022 Oct 25 (RX; HM)
From Sporting News: Texas A&M, Miami among 5 most disappointing college football teams in 2022
The "preseason polls don't matter" people have more than enough material to work with in 2022.
Five teams that were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 have flopped this season from College Football Playoff hopefuls to scrounging for bowl eligibility. The material? Three of these teams were ranked in the top 10, and the other two have losing records...
Here are SN's 5 most disappointing college football teams, along with their comments on the two ACC-related teams (click the link above to read about the other 3, 2 of which are kinda ACC-related, too):
2022 GT/FSU Preview/Factoids (RX; HM)
Head Coaches:
Georgia Tech - Brent Key, interim (2-0 in first season at Georgia Tech and overall)
Florida State - Mike Norvell (12-15 in third season at FSU; 50-30 in seventh season overall)
Notes:
Following an off week, Florida State looks to end its current three-game losing streak (Wake Forest, at NC State, Clemson) when it hosts Georgia Tech at noon on Saturday.
Georgia Tech seeks its third consecutive win versus the Seminoles after winning the previous two matchups by a 22-16 score in 2015 (in Atlanta) and 16-13 at Tallahassee (2020).
Georgia Tech QB Jeff Sims led the way two years ago as a GT team picked to finish last in the ACC preseason poll stunned the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium, but the 2015 game was even more stunning, as Lance Austin returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game to lift Tech to the 22-16 win over the No. 9 Seminoles.
FSU owns a 6-2 record versus the Yellow Jackets in Tallahassee, with Tech’s other road win coming in 2009 (a high-scoring 49-44 contest).
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Other
Syracuse local responsible for '1 of the best card collections' (DO; Vasudevan)
In The Metropolitan Museum of Art, past a towering Spanish choir screen from the Valladolid cathedral and a Bronze sculpture of Diana, up one floor, accessible by an entirely glass elevator, sits the Mezzanine level of the American wing. Buried deep beyond paintings, vases, furniture and the rest of the 10,000 works of art is a collection of pieces that could fit in the palm of your hand — baseball cards.
The exhibit takes up three sides of a wall with 11 framed pieces featuring players like Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and Stan Musial. At the beginning is a single sign explaining the importance of Syracuse native Jefferson R. Burdick, the man behind the cards.
Burdick knew his cards deserved a place next to Leonardo Da Vinci drawings, and for almost 60 years, they’ve lived at The Met. After a career as an engineer at the Crouse-Hinds Company, Burdick, originally from Central Square, New York, spent 15 years donating roughly 300,000 baseball cards, postcards and other ephemera to the museum until his death in 1963.
Known as the “father of baseball card collecting,” he worked as the nexus for a network of collectors by creating “The American Card Catalog.” Today, almost a million Americans still collect and trade baseball cards at conventions, which routinely happen in his hometown.
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American Beer Day is a day dedicated to drinking brews made in America. Over 200 million barrels of American beer are sold each year, and Americans spend over $100 million on beer annually. The United States is only second to China in the number of breweries it has and the amount of beer it produces. Beer consumption in America has ebbed and flowed, but as of the late 2010s, beer has been flowing more than ever.
Beer making can be traced to about 6,000 years ago in ancient Sumeria. At that time, beer was cloudy because of the lack of filtering, and it was drunk through a straw. By 2000 BCE, the Babylonians were brewing twenty types of beer. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans made beer, although wine became much more popular with the Romans—they considered beer to be the drink of the Barbarians and it was only popular on the edges of the Empire. Germanic groups were brewing beer by 800 BCE.
SU News
OPPONENT PREVIEW: What to know about Notre Dame (DO; Alandt)
No. 16 Syracuse returns home to the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday after a 27-21 loss in which the Orange went the entire second half without scoring, blowing an 11-point lead against Clemson. A Notre Dame squad in a down year will be SU’s first rebound attempt of the season. The Fighting Irish began the season ranked in the top 10, but fell to No. 2 Ohio State before a stunning upset loss in South Bend to Marshall. They most recently blew out UNLV after losing a close matchup to Stanford.
Head coach Marcus Freeman is in his opening season as the frontman for the Fighting Irish. Though ND has slid to 4-3, including a 2-2 record at home, Freeman has led the team to four wins in the last five games, even after starting quarterback Tyler Buchner’s season-ending injury.
“If you get a win over Notre Dame, it’s a big thing,” Babers said on Monday. “They know that everybody gives them their best shot, and they’re always ready for everyone.”
The Orange haven’t beaten ND in the Dome since 2003, but they entered as two-point favorites over the Fighting Irish. Here’s everything you need to know about Notre Dame.
All time series
Notre Dame leads 7-3.Last time they played
Syracuse traveled to South Bend to cap off the abysmal pandemic-riddled 2020 season that featured a 1-10 record, tied for the worst record in program history. The Orange trailed 3-0 after the first quarter. But then the roof came off, and Ian Book threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Two Notre Dame running backs finished with over 100 yards on the ground, and Javon McKinley led all receivers with 111 yards and three touchdowns.
Syracuse’s offense posted a season-best 229 rushing yards, led by Cooper Lutz’s 114 yards. Rex Culpepper went 18-for-29 with 185 yards, one touchdown and an interception in his final collegiate game. Syracuse had just 15 first downs all afternoon.
Ja’Had Carter, who forced an interception against Clemson last week, intercepted Book — his second pick that season. Dino Babers chalked up the Orange’s mistakes all season to their inexperience and lack of practice time. SU lost, 45-21.
The Fighting Irish report
Backup quarterback Drew Pyne entered the Marshall loss following what would end up being a season-ending injury for Buchner. He finished 3-for-6 with 20 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. Since then, he’s led the Fighting Irish back from an 0-2 start to a 4-3 record, averaging 179.5 passing yards and two touchdowns per game for the year. He’s flanked by three running backs that have garnered at least 299 yards on the ground this season. Audric Estime is the leader of the three-pronged rushing attack, followed by Logan Diggs and Chris Tyree. The trio have combined to score 10 total touchdowns.
Notre Dame’s rush defense ranks No. 61 in the country at 139.4 yards per game. But it’s allowed 1,414 yards through the air for an average of 202 yards per game, which ranks 35th in the NCAA.
How Syracuse beats Notre Dame
Syracuse should slice up the second level of that Fighting Irish defense. Sean Tucker should get the ball more than five times. A more balanced approach, like Syracuse ran against Virginia and Louisville, is needed. Shrader can’t be tasked to throw the ball deep as much as he did against the Tigers either. Devaughn Cooper is a threat across the middle on short yardage gains to test the ND linebackers.Babers stated that the Fighting Irish are an “extremely well coached team,” and they’re bound to make key halftime adjustments, just like Dabo Swinney did in Clemson. The game might come down to whether or not Anae and Babers can properly respond. If Notre Dame takes away Tucker’s effectiveness again, Syracuse needs to find ways to include him in short passing sets. If the long ball is locked down, Syracuse needs to work through a balanced approach of read options and short throws. Most importantly, the Orange have to get back to the creativity that their offense had through six games.
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‘MR. DO-IT-ALL’: Michael Mayer’s ‘eagerness to learn’ helped him become Notre Dame’s leading receiver (DP; Ern)
Michael Mayer’s career began with a phone call.
Ted Edgington, his freshman football head coach at Covington Catholic (Kentucky) High School, didn’t know much about Mayer. But Mayer’s father, Andy, called Edgington and insisted his son needed to play football.
Mayer was focused on basketball and baseball and wasn’t interested in playing football. But Edgington told him to try it — if he didn’t like the sport, he could quit. Although Mayer later said Edgington “strong-armed him” to play, Edgington stands by the fact that Mayer was “right on board.”
Regardless, this call made Mayer pick up a football for the first time. Now, he leads Notre Dame in receiving yards and touchdowns as a tight end. He’s tied with Ken MacAfee for most career touchdown receptions by a Fighting Irish tight end. As a junior, Mayer is one of the top-rated tight end prospects for the upcoming NFL draft.
Before Notre Dame, Mayer was an eager learner who started late in the sport. He soon became a player who could do anything for the Covington Catholic football program, starting his legacy of breaking records.
Mayer’s delayed start did not hinder his ability on the field. Edgington admired his commitment to the game.
“I think that what made him so successful was his eagerness to learn,” Edgington said. “Besides, he’s just a hell of an athlete and that’s always a bonus. Then you got some tools to work with like he has, and it just comes easy for him.”
Edgington wanted to give Mayer the best conditioning program possible, making him do the same drills as the varsity team to help him “drink the Kool-Aid” and buy into the program. But after Mayer’s freshman year, Edgington pointed to varsity head coach Eddie Eviston as someone who helped Mayer learn the game more.
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Last Leg For Greg: Reliving Syracuse’s 2008 upset over Notre Dame (DO; Alandt)
Three jet drive, X shallow cross.
A simple play drawn up in the midst of the 2008 training camp. Nothing special. Syracuse ran it numerous times throughout the season, sometimes with success, other times not so much. The play wouldn’t lead the Orange to a national championship, bowl game or winning season. It wouldn’t erase a 2-8 record or a one-conference win season.
Cameron Dantley was supposed to look at his first read on three jet drive, X shallow cross and pump the ball. His first and second reads were both tightly covered, so he pivoted his hips and fired to the middle of the field, where he saw Donte Davis ahead of his man in the middle of the end zone.
“You couldn’t end a drive any other way,” Dantley said.
Three jet drive, X shallow cross wouldn’t save Greg Robinson’s job. He was fired at the end of the season. Defensive end Arthur Jones and several others went on to play in the NFL, but 2008 — a relatively lost, forgettable season in SU history — stands as the last time the Orange beat Notre Dame, who’s headed to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday.
Since taking over the Orange in 2005, his first and only head coaching job, Robinson’s tenure had been marred with NCAA violations, close defeats to teams that had no business playing close with Syracuse and blowout losses. It might have been Robinson’s playcalling, the inexperienced roster, two quarterbacks or a combination of it all that led a 2-8 Syracuse into South Bend.
That team was close, Jones said, and their record doesn’t reflect how tightly knit the group was. Heading into the game, Jones, who ended with a career-high 15 tackles in a game that “put (him) on the map,” was contemplating leaving for the NFL Draft.
“We just wanted to send him off the right way, getting that win,” Jones said.
Robinson still had more energy than he’d ever had, according to linebacker Jake Flaherty. During practice that week, Robinson lowered his shoulder into Averin Collier’s chest on a scout team drill. After the win, Jones said the locker room felt like they’d just won the Super Bowl.
“That was our bowl game,” he said.
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‘It’s a big deal’: Local Notre Dame fans excited for Irish to visit Syracuse (DO; Smith)
Stephen Erwin’s earliest memories of Notre Dame football were sitting with his grandpa on Sundays as a little kid, listening to replays on the radio. Dan Hulihan’s family rushed home from church to watch the Fighting Irish’s highlights before NFL games.
“We just were big, big Notre Dame fans,” Hulihan said.
Erwin was born and raised in the Syracuse area. Hulihan in Albany. Both are dedicated Fighting Irish fans. They’ve spent time as presidents of local ND alumni clubs. But there’s a catch — neither went to Notre Dame. Instead, they’re Subway Alumni, devoted Notre Dame fans who didn’t attend the university, but usually have Irish Catholic backgrounds. The name was termed since fans traveled via the New York City subway to watch the Fighting Irish.
As an Irish Catholic, Hulihan’s dad was a big Fighting Irish supporter, which trickled down to his son, who’s now the president of the Northeastern New York Notre Dame Alumni Club in Albany. Erwin, who spent 10 years as president of the Central New York Notre Dame Alumni Club, fell in love with ND when he visited in 1969 with his dad and grandfather, and “was raised” on Notre Dame.
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Beat writers agree on Syracuse returning to the win column against Notre Dame (DO; Staff)
No. 16 Syracuse suffered a heartbreaking loss at No. 5 Clemson on Saturday. It led by 11 points at halftime but couldn’t score for the rest of the game, resulting in the Orange’s first loss of the season. Notre Dame began the season as a potential playoff contender, yet a combination of upsets and inconsistent play have pushed the Fighting Irish outside the rankings and in need of victories in order to achieve bowl eligibility.
Here is what our beat writers think will happen when Notre Dame visits the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday:
Alex Cirino (5-2)
Back on track
Syracuse 28, Notre Dame 17
Last week’s loss in Death Valley was a much needed reality check. And that’s fine. But it proved Syracuse can handle just about any team that it will face for the rest of the season. Yes, the Orange’s first loss of the season was mostly self-inflicted, but it gives them even more of a claim for a bounce-back performance in their penultimate home game of the season.
Ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll, Notre Dame has fallen unranked and is just a game over .500 through seven games after its losses piled up after its Week 1 loss to Ohio State. Since then, the Fighting Irish have allowed over 15 points in each game and played once on the road. Syracuse, on the other hand, is coming off two of its toughest games of the season where it was competitive and showcased how dangerous its passing game will be.
The Orange have already clinched a bowl game, so let’s see how high up the rankings they can go. A win on Saturday should see that number rise.
Connor Smith (5-2)
Luck of the Orange
Syracuse 31, Notre Dame 17
Notre Dame, one of college football’s most prestigious programs, is visiting Syracuse for the first time in nearly 20 years — and just the third time ever — on Saturday. SU’s lucky, then, that the Irish are in the middle of a down season after playing in three New Year’s Six bowls over the last five seasons, including two visits to the College Football Playoff. Led by 36-year-old first-year head coach Marcus Freeman, ND is 4-3 and lost at home to Marshall and a struggling Stanford team. After entering the season ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25, Notre Dame enters this weekend unranked.
Regardless of Notre Dame’s strength this year, this is a big game for the Orange. Not only is it a nationally televised matchup in front of an expected sellout crowd inside the JMA Wireless Dome, it’s a chance to bounce back from a devastating loss at No. 5 Clemson last Saturday — one SU should’ve won. Syracuse needs to come out strong this weekend, give Sean Tucker an appropriate number of carries and be leading somewhat comfortably for most of the game. The Orange still have a chance at a monumental season in front of them. Achieving that starts with a good showing Saturday by beating the Irish, even in a down year for them.
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Tucker says he's healthy. He should be getting more carries (PS; $; Leiker)
Sean Tucker didn’t have much to add Tuesday when asked about only touching the ball a total of 10 times in Syracuse football’s 27-21 loss to Clemson.
He’d already said most of it in one of his fabled postgame tweets: He wasn’t pleased with the outcome of the game. He was pleased with his performance but said there was more he can do.
He ended his post like this: “I’m healthy.”
Ever since he briefly left SU’s season-opener against Louisville — and two other games since — speculation has been that Tucker is injured, despite no official word he is.
When asked Tuesday about the added comment in his tweet, Tucker smiled and said he wanted “to put the rumors to rest.”
Orange fans were outraged Saturday when Tucker finished the game with just five carries. Though SU coach Dino Babers said postgame that was simply a result of Clemson having a “good scheme,” he switched course Monday, saying it was something that should not happen.
Syracuse’s solution to Clemson trying to take Tucker away as a ground threat was running a quarterback read-option all game, resulting in Garrett Shrader having 21 carries for 71 yards.
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Syracuse Football Recruiting: Visitor List vs Notre Dame (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football hosts Notre Dame on Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome's second straight sellout. The Orange will have a plethora of recruits in attendance for the game. Here are some of the notable names that will be in the stands on Saturday.
CLASS OF 2023
Player: Kahlil Ali
Position: Athlete
Height/Weight: 6-1, 190 lbs
School: Pennsauken (NJ)
Player: Jayden Bass (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-5, 295 lbs
School: Springfield Central (MA)
Player: David Clement (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Tight End
Height/Weight: 6-5, 265 lbs
School: CBA (NY)
Player: Bryce Cohoon (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6-1, 175 lbs
School: Maize (NY)
Player: TJ Conley
Position: Running Back
Height/Weight: 6-1, 180 lbs
School: Fayetteville Manlius (NY)
Player: Ike Daniels (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Running Back
Height/Weight: 5-10, 185 lbs
School: Mountain View (VA)
Player: Steven Davis Jr.
Position: Offensive Line/Defensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-2, 260 lbs
School: North Schuylkill (PA)
Player: Luis Garcia Jr
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-1, 170 lbs
School: Kennedy Catholic (NY)
Player: Rashard Perry (Syracuse Commit)
Position: Defensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-1, 250 lbs
School: Bennett (NY)
Player: Rahmir Stewart
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-0, 195 lbs
School: Imhotep Institute (PA)
Player: Cameron Stodghill
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-3, 170 lbs
School: La Salle Institute (NY)
Player: Dorrion White
Position: Defensive Back
Height/Weight: 6-0, 160 lbs
School: Mountain View (VA)
CLASS OF 2024
Player: Tanner Burlingame
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-5, 260 lbs
School: Maine Endwell (NY)
Player: Colin Cubberly
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-6, 300 lbs
School: Arlington (NY)
Player: Marcus Harrison
Position: Offensive Line
Height/Weight: 6-7, 310 lbs
School: Saint Francis (NY)
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Syracuse football: let’s not hit the panic button just yet (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
While it’s been a couple of days, the pain still resides from the Syracuse Orange football team’s close loss to the Clemson Tigers on Saturday.
The once-undefeated ‘Cuse lost 27-21 to Clemson, falling to 6-1 on the year and leaving the Tigers as the only remaining undefeated team in the ACC.
We can draft up a college-level thesis project on what went wrong for the Orange: Syracuse’s offense going away from Sean Tucker, Will Shipley’s A-grade performance against SU’s defense, the questionable calls, etc.
At the end of the day, we Syracuse fans can all agree that the loss left a bitter taste in our mouths. For once, we’ve seemed beatable. In our biggest test of the season, we failed.
Or did we?
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: What Should Syracuse Expect Hosting Notre Dame This Saturday? on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine talk Notre Dame on your Thursday episode. What should the Orange expect in the Irish this coming weekend? Who are the players to watch out for? What is Notre Dame playing for? All that and more on today's episode.
Meet the Enemy: Notre Dame’s Facts and Players to Know – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Griffin)
We’ve yet to see how Syracuse plays after a loss this season. After a heartbreaker against Clemson last weekend, that won’t remain the case for much longer. The opponent? A Notre Dame squad coming to Central New York for the first time since 2003, and there are storylines aplenty surrounding this Irish squad.
SEASON/PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Notre Dame is deeply engraved in the history of college football. From Knute Rockne to Lou Holtz to Brian Kelly, the Irish have been in the national spotlight for a long time. 11 national championships (though none since 1988). The famous “Play Like a Champion” sign. The Band of the Fighting Irish. Rudy. Touchdown Jesus. What more could you ask for?However, Notre Dame hasn’t exactly had the luck of the Irish in 2022. ND came into the season ranked #5, but two losses straight out of the gate put the top-5 notion to bed rather quickly. When you factor in that one of the losses was to an unranked Marshall squad, it looks even worse. Since then, the Irish have suffered another home loss at the hands of Stanford. This year’s Notre Dame is definitely not what we’re used to seeing.
HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN
First-year coaches tend to go through growing pains, and Freeman is no exception. A former linebacker at Ohio State, Freeman worked his way through college football coaching ranks before securing the defensive coordinator job at Notre Dame for the 2021 season. After Kelly left South Bend for LSU, Freeman stepped in. As mentioned above, it hasn’t come easy for the Dayton, OH native. The Irish are just 4-3. It certainly hasn’t been the prettiest route for Freeman thus far, but it wasn’t exactly pretty for Dino Babers at Syracuse (with the exception of 2018) entering this season.QB DREW PYNE
Tyler Buchner, Notre Dame’s preseason starting QB, saw his season end due to a shoulder injury in week two. Pyne stepped in and has had an interesting time under center. The New Canaan, CT native looked great in a win over then-ranked BYU, tossing for over 260 yards and three scores while completing over 75% of his passes. The very next week, Pyne had a completion percentage under 50% against Stanford. So that begs the question, which version of Pyne will the Dome crowd witness on Saturday?...
ORANGE ZONE: #16 Syracuse vs. Notre Dame (youtube; podcast; Orange Zone)
Syracuse vs Notre Dame Preview
Hitting the reset button: How SU football can bounce back after a tough loss (cnycentral.com; Hodges)
Through 30 minutes in Death Valley it looked like Syracuse Orange fans would have the chance to celebrate a major upset win. Over the course of the next 30 minutes, those same Orange fans went from confident, to concerned, to (maybe) crying over what could have been.
Half a week later, the only direction Orange fans are looking is forward, and as long as the now #16 Syracuse Orange are doing the same, they'll have no problem bouncing back.
As a matter of fact this team has already been living by that mantra all season long. We heard it straight from the player's mouths all of last week.
"6-0 that's great right now," was the message last week from sophomore linebacker Marlowe Wax. But it came with a caveat. "If we lose the rest of our games then nobody is going to care that we were 6-0."
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Can Syracuse slow down Michael Mayer and the Notre Dame offense? (cbssports; video)
James Finneral Analysis Syracuse vs Notre Dame
Watch: JD Bertrand On Targeting And Preparing for Syracuse (cbssports.com; video)
Linebacker JD Bertrand talked about the frustration of not being able to play in the first half of two games due to targeting. The Alpharetta, GA native and leading tackler also discussed preparing for Syracuse and the importance of executing the game plan.
Syracuse tops ACC defenses; Clemson closing gap (yahoo.com; AP)
As the season nears the start of its final quarter, fifth-ranked Clemson isn't the top dog on defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference, its calling card in its rise to national prominence seven years ago. But don't count out the Tigers just yet.
No. 16 Syracuse, with its aggressive 3-3-5 defensive scheme under coordinator Tony White, quickly ascended to the top spot after opening the season with a convincing 31-7 victory over nemesis Louisville and its multitalented quarterback Malik Cunningham. The Orange (6-1, 3-1 ACC) lead the conference in scoring defense (15.14 points per game), tied for sixth nationally, and total defense (296.20 yards per game), 16th nationally. North Carolina State (310.9), Florida State (332), and Clemson (332.5) round out the conference's top four in total defense and the Wolfpack (16.86) and Clemson (19.88) trail the Orange in scoring defense. The Tigers remain No. 1 against the run (87.9), well ahead of Miami (112.7), N.C. State (122.4) and Syracuse (123.3).
''The Mob,'' the nickname the Syracuse defenders have adopted, isn't interested in the numbers.
''We game plan and do what we do,'' said Orange defensive lineman Caleb Okechukwu, who had a pick-6 in a two-point win over Purdue. ''I guess right now it looks that way, that we're at the top of the conference, and that's a blessing. But that's just not really our main focus. Our goal is to be the best defense we can be and let everybody else worry about the numbers.''
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Pete Sampson "The 315" 10-26 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
The Athletic’s Notre Dame beat writer Pete Sampson joins Brian Higgins to preview Saturday’s game, discuss Marcus Freeman’s performance as Fighting Irish head coach, and more.
Douglas Farmer "On The Block" 10-26 (ESPN; radio; On The Block)
Douglas Farmer, author for NBC Sports’ Inside The Irish, joins Brent Axe to look ahead to Saturday’s game between Syracuse and Notre Dame.
Jason Benetti "The 315" 10-26 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Jason Benetti of Fox Sports joins Brian Higgins to break down all things diners and chat college football and the World Series.
Newhouse At Night 10-25 (ESPN; radio; Newhouse at Night)
Josh Golden and Harry Kelly lead off the Tuesday edition of Newhouse At Night breaking down Syracuse’s loss to Clemson. Later, Josh is joined by Danny Tow to preview the Notre Dame football team ahead of the game on Saturday.
Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: What Should Syracuse Expect Hosting Notre Dame This Saturday? on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine talk Notre Dame on your Thursday episode. What should the Orange expect in the Irish this coming weekend? Who are the players to watch out for? What is Notre Dame playing for? All that and more on today's episode.
5 Things to Know: Syracuse vs. Notre Dame - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
No. 16 Syracuse hosts Notre Dame in front of what will be a sold out crowd at the JMA Wireless Dome. Here's five things to know about the matchup:
1. Wear Orange
Saturday's game will be an Orange Out. Fans are encouraged to dress in as much orange-colored apparel as possible.
If you need a refresh on a wardrobe item, visit shop.cuse.com.
2. Sold Out
General public tickets are sold out for Saturday's game. A limited number of student tickets remain and can be purchased by students here: student tickets.
Fans still seeking to get into Saturday's game can purchase verified resale tickets through Ticketmaster.
3. A Rare Visit
While 'Cuse and Notre Dame have played each other every-other year since 2014, this will be the Fighting Irish's first trip to the 315 since 2003 and just the third trip to Syracuse in the now 11 meetings between the programs.
The two teams have played at Metlife Stadium (twice), Yankee Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium (twice) since their last trip to 'Cuse.
4. Defend the Dome
Syracuse puts a five-game home winning streak to the test on Saturday. While it just begun this season, it already ranks in the top-18 nationally and is the second-longest active streak in the ACC behind Clemson (38) and NC State (14).
A win on Saturday would equal the most home wins in a season since the Dome opened in 1980, tying 2018 (6-0), 2001 (6-0), 1988 (6-0) and 1987 (6-0).
5. A Historic Season Brewing on Defense
Syracuse ranks sixth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 15.1 points per game. The Orange are keeping their opponents out of the end zone at a pace that hasn't been achieved in the past 25 years.
The last time Syracuse's opponents averaged less than 20 points per game was in 2010 (19.3). If the season ended today, the 15.1 points per game would be the lowest for the Orange under the direction of head coach Dino Babers and their lowest total since 1997 (15.9).
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Syracuse football suffers first loss of the year to No. 5 Clemson (thenewshouse.com; Sherman)
After six games filled with game winning drives, ACC player of the week awards and victories, Syracuse’s undefeated season came to a close on Saturday in Death Valley against Clemson, falling 27-21.
The Orange, now ranked No. 16, had an 11-point lead going into the half. However, a quarterback change for Clemson in the third quarter, helped the Tigers come back and defeat Syracuse for their 38th consecutive home win, which is now officially the longest streak in ACC history.
There were some questionable calls from the Orange coaching staff throughout the game. Star running back Sean Tucker had a season low of five carries for 54 yards. Less than two minutes remaining in the game, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers waited an extra 25 seconds to call a timeout. If he didn’t wait, Syracuse could’ve had the ball back with more time than they did.
While the defeat was a demoralizing one for the Orange, there were some bright spots for the team during the game.
Syracuse caused four Clemson turnovers, which marked the Tigers’ most turnovers in a game all year. One of these four turnovers included an impressive fumble that was recovered by defensive back Ja’Had Carter, who then returned it for a 90-yard touchdown. Wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II continued his pace towards a 1,000 yard season with six catches for 86-yards.
While the loss for the Orange was a painful one considering the double digit lead they possessed, Syracuse remains a top 20 ranked team and will attempt to avenge themselves at home Saturday at noon against Notre Dame (4-3).
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Notre Dame vs Syracuse: Confidences & Concerns (usatoday.com; Kennedy)
As I sit and write this I can’t help but think of what a rollercoaster this column has been since I started it a month or so ago here at Fighting Irish Wire. Much like the actual Notre Dame season, these confidences and concerns come and go and rise and fall rapidly. Too rapidly. I take this as a sign that Notre Dame has struggled to find itself this year. Items that appear as a confidence one week and concern the next are inconsistent, a perfect description of this Irish team overall in 2022.
Despite having no shot at reaching any postseason games that will carry much weight, Notre Dame has a shot at ending the year strongly against 3 highly ranked teams in Syracuse, Clemson, and USC that would help change the narrative entering the first Freeman offseason. Let’s take a look are some New York state of mind confidences and concerns.
Confidence 1: Notre Dame Plays Better On Road
Notre Dame has simply played better away from Notre Dame Stadium this year and against the upper middle tier of the schedule at the time the games were played as well. The trip to the venue formerly known as the Carrier Dome matches that exact description.
Let it be known, Notre Dame’s inability to defend its home turf this year versus inferior opponents is not to be condoned in any way, it’s not an overall positive. But maybe there’s something to be said for this year’s team feeling more comfortable away from South Bend. Ever since the Marshall loss, there is a feeling of angst on home game days. It feels like half excitement/half dread of what’s coming next to me. If I feel that the minute I step on campus, can’t the team also feel it? It’s an awkward vibe.
Confidence 2: Michael Mayer for Mayor
Michael Mayer is Notre Dame’s best player. It’s clear when you watch him that he is soon going to be playing on Sundays. While it’s terrific that Notre Dame has a player this gifted, it’s hard not to be frustrated that he won’t be on a Notre Dame team that is known for its overall accomplishments.
Notre Dame can and should continue to lean on Mayer. Whenever he is even remotely open, throw him the ball. But I’d also like to start seeing Drew Pyne use Mayer as more of a decoy when it makes sense to do so. Lead defenses to him with his eyes then hit a different target. Mayer can impact plays in this way without even catching balls in this way.
Confidence 3: Stopping Syracuse's Offense
Syracuse was undefeated up until last week’s game with Notre Dame’s next opponent, also undefeated Clemson. They are a very solid team and should be respected as such. But for as respectable as they are, I see their offense as fairly straightforward to slow down, unlike some others the Irish have or will face.
Syracuse quarterback Garret Shrader was by far the Oranges’ leading rusher last week. He’s nifty and loves to pull the ball and make plays happen to scramble. In the passing game, 6’5 wide receiver Oronde Gadsden, II is the clear and number one most dangerous target. If the Irish can focus on containing Shrader’s legs and ensure solid coverage on Gadsden, the rest of the Syracuse offense can be tamed.
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Scouting Report . . . Syracuse Orange (247sports.com; Prister)
On the heels of 5-7, 1-10 and 5-7 seasons, seventh-year HC-Dino Babers has turned Syracuse back around to 2018 days when the Orange went 10-3 and won their first bowl game in five seasons with a Camping World Bowl victory over West Virginia.
Babers, on the hot seat after going 11-24 since the 2018 uprising, made an important change in the coaching staff. He replaced OC-Sterlin Gilbert with Virginia OC-Robert Anae, whose QB-Brennan Armstrong-led offense averaged 34.6 points, 514 yards total offense and 393 yards passing per game in ‘21. Syracuse has responded by averaging 33.9 points per game (36th) after averaging 24.9 in 2021.
Record: 6-1 (3-1) – W31-7 Louisville, W48-14 @ UConn, W33-29 Purdue, W22-20 Virginia, W59-0 Wagner, W24-9 N.C. State, L27-21 @ Clemson.
THE TRIGGERMAN
With QB-Garrett Shrader (6) running the show for the Orange for the second straight season after transferring from Mississippi State, Anae has stirred up the Orange offense and transformed Shrader, who completed just 52.6 percent of his passes for 1,445 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions last season.Shrader has become a force for the Orange. He’s thrown for more yards in seven games than he did all last season with 13 touchdowns, just four interceptions and a 69.7 completion percentage while accruing 1,601 yards.
What makes Shrader particularly dangerous is the 6-foot-4, 228-pounder’s ability to run the football. He did that last year, too, when he had 14 rushing touchdowns and 781 yards on the ground to supplement RB-Sean Tucker’s 1,496 yards rushing and 12 scores on the ground.
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Notre Dame football: Irish must focus on their strengths against Syracuse (slapthesign.com; Weiss)
The Notre Dame football team will play a fired-up Syracuse Orange squad on Saturday, and the focus should be on their strengths.
The Notre Dame football team goes into their matchup with the Syracuse Orange with a 4-3 record, nowhere near where we all figured they would be through the first eight weeks of the college football season. Still, they have some solid wins on the resume, including against ranked BYU, their only win against a ranked team this season.
On Saturday, they will have the chance to beat another ranked opponent in the Orange, a team that has gotten out to a shocking 6-1 record this season. Their only loss came last weekend against the Clemson Tigers, a team that many feels will be in the College Football Playoff this season, so this has been a strong year for Dino Babers and his team.
Playing a team like Syracuse, on the road in front of a packed Carrier Dome crowd, the Irish need to keep it simple. By focusing on their strengths, they can control the line of scrimmage, and possibly leave upstate New York with their best victory of the season.
Notre Dame football must pound Syracuse into submission
Looking ahead to this Saturday, Notre Dame football needs to keep it simple, and by that, they must focus on the run game. The offensive line has played outstanding football in recent weeks, and as we saw against UNLV, keeping the ball on the ground enables the Irish to control the clock, the line of scrimmage, and eventually, the outcome of the game.The Orange have been outstanding this season, and are a team that could certainly beat the Irish, especially at home. However, I believe the Irish are going to go into that game with a big chip on their shoulder, and much like they have done all season long when their backs are against the wall, they will come out on top.
College Football Data Preview: Notre Dame VS Syracuse (onefootdown.com; JoBro13)
Talk about the tale of two teams. Last week’s UNLV game presented us with a data story of a team going through rough times, across the board. This week’s opponent, the Syracuse Orange, are in a very different situation. Syracuse is coming into this Week 9 matchup, 6-1 with it’s only loss on the season coming by way of Clemson last week.
Syracuse’s early opponents weren’t tomato cans (except potentially Wagner) but the Orange are just starting to get into the meat of their schedule. Their Week 7 game against now #24 NC State ended up with a 24-9 victory for the Orange. Last week Clemson brought a lot of its own issues and it took the Tigers putting 17 points up in the 4th quarter to seal Clemson’s 27-21 victory.
Overall, though, Syracuse has been playing at a high-level and after 2 week’s of somewhat flimsy data previews for Stanford and UNLV we can have a bit more fun this week. So let’s dig in.
Scoring Edge to Syracuse (Surprise Surprise!)
Syracuse has outscored Notre Dame in total points 237-186. We’re all pretty familiar with the Irish’s scoring troubles and we’ve trailed in this metric across almost all of our opponents this season. The Orange are averaging around 34 points per game, with that stat being skewed by their 48-14 win against UConn and 59-point shutout of Wagner.
Scoring summary for Notre Dame and Syracuse going into their Week 9 matchup.
A big thing that sticks out is Syracuse’s tendency to turn defensive turnovers into points.
Forcing turnovers, much less scoring from them, isn’t an area that Notre Dame’s defense has really gotten around to this season. While Notre Dame’s offense is generally doing ok with hanging onto the ball, it’ll be interesting to see how things in this area play out during the game.
A Solid but Downward Trending Orange Offense
Syracuse is averaging around 413 total yards of offense per game. They’ve had their most success early on and once again, against Wagner. ND and the Orange have been trending in opposite directions, excepting the Stanford debacle....
ACC News
ACC football predictions for Week 9: Our experts pick the winner of every game (fayobserver.com; Staff)
ACC football rolls into Week 9 with a Thursday night matchup featuring Virginia Tech at No. 23 NC State and a six-game slate Saturday.
The USA TODAY Sports Network's ACC expert panel has a success rate of 74% with its weekly predictions. This week's biggest vote-splitter is the Notre Dame at No. 16 Syracuse game, with our panel giving the Fighting Irish a one-vote advantage.
Here's a look at all of the Week 9 games featuring ACC football teams and our panel's predictions.
Thursday
Virginia Tech at No. 23 NC State (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
Picks: NC State 7, Virginia Tech 0- Sammy Batten, Fayetteville Observer: NC State
- Carter Karels, Tallahassee Democrat: NC State
- Alexis Cubit, Louisville Courier Journal: NC State
- Jim Rice, Greenville News: NC State
- David Thompson, Fayetteville Observer: NC State
- Scott Keepfer, Greenville News: NC State
- Todd Shanesy, Greenville News: NC State
Notre Dame at No. 16 Syracuse (noon, ABC)
Picks: Notre Dame 4, Syracuse 3- Sammy Batten, Fayetteville Observer: Notre Dame
- Carter Karels, Tallahassee Democrat: Notre Dame
- Alexis Cubit, Louisville Courier Journal: Notre Dame
- Jim Rice, Greenville News: Notre Dame
- David Thompson, Fayetteville Observer: Syracuse
- Scott Keepfer, Greenville News: Syracuse
- Todd Shanesy, Greenville News: Syracuse
Georgia Tech at Florida State (noon, ACC Network)
Picks: Florida State 7, Georgia Tech 0- Sammy Batten, Fayetteville Observer: Florida State
- Carter Karels, Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State
- Alexis Cubit, Louisville Courier Journal: Florida State
- Jim Rice, Greenville News: Florida State
- David Thompson, Fayetteville Observer: Florida State
- Scott Keepfer, Greenville News: Florida State
- Todd Shanesy, Greenville News: Florida State
Boston College at UConn (noon, CBSSN)
Picks: Boston College 7, UConn 0- Sammy Batten, Fayetteville Observer: Boston College
- Carter Karels, Tallahassee Democrat: Boston College
- Alexis Cubit, Louisville Courier Journal: Boston College
- Jim Rice, Greenville News: Boston College
- David Thompson, Fayetteville Observer: Boston College
- Scott Keepfer, Greenville News: Boston College
- Todd Shanesy, Greenville News: Boston College
Louisville football vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to know about ACC matchup, betting line (C-J; Cubit)
Louisville football dug deep after a bleak start and earned its second ACC victory via a 24-10 win over Pittsburgh. The Cardinals are now fifth in the Atlantic Division standings with an opportunity to build on that this week.
Louisville (4-3, 2-3 ACC) is set to host No. 10 Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cardinal Stadium. The Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1) are third in the division standings and became bowl eligible after beating Boston College 43-15 last weekend.
Weekend rewind:Photos from Louisville's 24-10 win over Pitt
Here are three things to know about the upcoming contest:
Revenge on the brain?
During ACC Kickoff before the season, Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield noted 2021's loss against Wake Forest still sticks with him. The Demon Deacons’ go-ahead field goal with less than 30 seconds left in the game to win 37-34 was a prime example of Louisville’s struggles to close out games. At the same time, it showed the Cardinals can hang with some of the better teams in the conference.That opportunity to prove that again is even more magnified with Wake being U of L’s first top 10-ranked opponent since it faced Notre Dame, ranked fourth at the time, in 2020.
Should Louisville be able to pull off the huge upset and avenge last year’s heartbreaking defeat, it’ll not only give the Cardinals a crucial top-10 conference win but also three straight league wins. Louisville hasn’t accomplished that feat since 2016, when the Cardinals were a top-10 team and beat Duke, NC State and Virginia in consecutive weeks.
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2022 VT / NC State Preview (RX; HM)
2022 VT / NC State Preview
Do you love defense? Are you a fan of the TFL?* If so, this week's Thursday night game may be just for you...On twitter, Treadmill Horse (a Hokie and a blogger) made this observation:
That's an interesting way to describe NC State - the "better Virginia Tech" - but it's not without merit. As Treadmill Horse puts it,
That might be an understatement. The way the Hokies have looked on offense most of this season, I wonder if they'll score at all against the Wolfpack.
I'm not sure what the "over/under" line is for this game, but I could see single digits. I haven't seen a 3-0 game in a very long time. The offenses couldn't be that bad, could they?
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Preview, from the ACC weekly football release:
Thursday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.; ESPN
Virginia Tech (2-5, 1-3 ACC) at #24 NC State (5-2, 1-2 ACC)
VT leads series, 28-18-4; Last meeting: VT, 45-24 (2020)Head Coaches:
Virginia Tech - Brent Pry (2-5 in first season at Virginia Tech and overall)
NC State - Dave Doeren (68-50 in 10th season at NC State; 92-54 in 12th season overall)
Notes: The teams meet in Raleigh for the first time since 2010 • The Wolfpack claimed a 17-16 win in the first ACC meeting between the teams in Blacksburg in 2004 • The Hokies have since won five straight in the series, which was first played in 1900 • The schools met 22 times at neutral sites between 1906 and 1959, with Virginia cities Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke and Portsmouth, plus Bluefield, West Virginia, all hosting games • Virginia Tech won 45-24 in Blacksburg in the most recent meeting two seasons ago despite playing most of the game with its third-string quarterback • With starting QB Hendon Hooker unavailable to play due to quarantine and backup Braxton Burmeister injured in the opening minutes, Hokies sophomore Quincey Patterson II completed 4-of-6 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and also carried the ball 10 times for 47 yards and a score.
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2022 Pitt/UNC Preview/Factoids (RX; HM)
2022 Pitt/UNC Preview/Factoids
From the official ACC weekly football release...
Saturday, Oct. 29th, 8:00 pm on ACC Network
Pitt (4-3, 1-2 ACC) at #21 North Carolina (6-1, 3-0 ACC)
UNC leads series, 10-5; Last meeting: Pitt, 30-23, OT (2021)Head Coaches:
Pitt - Pat Narduzzi (57-40 in eighth season at Pitt and overall)
North Carolina - Mack Brown (96-64-1 in 14th season at UNC; 271-140-1 in 34th season overall)
Notes: Saturday night’s prime time game carries huge Coastal Division implications and matches two programs that have played an inordinate number of close games head-to-head in previous years • Pitt won the last two such meetings in overtime, including last season’s 30-23 game at Heinz Field • The Tar Heels won all six ACC meetings between the teams prior to 2019, when Pitt broke through with a 34-27 overtime victory • QB Kenny Pickett had a hand in both game-winning TDs for the Panthers, throwing for the go-ahead score last season and scoring himself in 2019 on a 3-yard keeper • Each of the last 10 series games – and 12 of 15 overall – have been decided by a touchdown or less • UNC won 38-35 in the most recent game played at Kenan Stadium in 2018 and is 6-0 versus the Panthers at home • The series began with six nonconference meetings between 1974 and 2000.
This might get your goat if you're a Panther fan...
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Links, News, and Rumors 2022 Oct 25 (RX; HM)
Links, News, and Rumors 2022 Oct 25
From Sporting News: Texas A&M, Miami among 5 most disappointing college football teams in 2022
The "preseason polls don't matter" people have more than enough material to work with in 2022.
Five teams that were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 have flopped this season from College Football Playoff hopefuls to scrounging for bowl eligibility. The material? Three of these teams were ranked in the top 10, and the other two have losing records...
Here are SN's 5 most disappointing college football teams, along with their comments on the two ACC-related teams (click the link above to read about the other 3, 2 of which are kinda ACC-related, too):
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2022 GT/FSU Preview/Factoids (RX; HM)
2022 GT/FSU Preview/Factoids
Saturday, Oct. 29, Noon; ACCN
Georgia Tech (3-3, 2-1 ACC) at Florida State (4-3, 2-3 ACC)
FSU leads series, 14-11-1; Last meeting: GT, 16-13 (2020)Head Coaches:
Georgia Tech - Brent Key, interim (2-0 in first season at Georgia Tech and overall)
Florida State - Mike Norvell (12-15 in third season at FSU; 50-30 in seventh season overall)
Notes:
Following an off week, Florida State looks to end its current three-game losing streak (Wake Forest, at NC State, Clemson) when it hosts Georgia Tech at noon on Saturday.
Georgia Tech seeks its third consecutive win versus the Seminoles after winning the previous two matchups by a 22-16 score in 2015 (in Atlanta) and 16-13 at Tallahassee (2020).
Georgia Tech QB Jeff Sims led the way two years ago as a GT team picked to finish last in the ACC preseason poll stunned the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium, but the 2015 game was even more stunning, as Lance Austin returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game to lift Tech to the 22-16 win over the No. 9 Seminoles.
FSU owns a 6-2 record versus the Yellow Jackets in Tallahassee, with Tech’s other road win coming in 2009 (a high-scoring 49-44 contest).
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Other
Syracuse local responsible for '1 of the best card collections' (DO; Vasudevan)
In The Metropolitan Museum of Art, past a towering Spanish choir screen from the Valladolid cathedral and a Bronze sculpture of Diana, up one floor, accessible by an entirely glass elevator, sits the Mezzanine level of the American wing. Buried deep beyond paintings, vases, furniture and the rest of the 10,000 works of art is a collection of pieces that could fit in the palm of your hand — baseball cards.
The exhibit takes up three sides of a wall with 11 framed pieces featuring players like Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth and Stan Musial. At the beginning is a single sign explaining the importance of Syracuse native Jefferson R. Burdick, the man behind the cards.
Burdick knew his cards deserved a place next to Leonardo Da Vinci drawings, and for almost 60 years, they’ve lived at The Met. After a career as an engineer at the Crouse-Hinds Company, Burdick, originally from Central Square, New York, spent 15 years donating roughly 300,000 baseball cards, postcards and other ephemera to the museum until his death in 1963.
Known as the “father of baseball card collecting,” he worked as the nexus for a network of collectors by creating “The American Card Catalog.” Today, almost a million Americans still collect and trade baseball cards at conventions, which routinely happen in his hometown.
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