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

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Monday for Football

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Welcome to Cyber Monday!

Cyber Monday takes place on the Monday after Thanksgiving, and is the largest online shopping day of the year in the United States. The term was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation, while working with Scott Silverman and others, at Shop.org. In 2005, shortly before Thanksgiving, Shop.org put out a press release highlighting the growing amount of sales that took place on the day. Research from 2004 had shown that the day was the 12th largest online shopping day of the year. After the term made its debut, it has been used as a marketing tool by retailers, and the public has embraced the day. As of 2017, sales have increased each year since its inception, transforming the day from the 12th largest online shopping day, to the largest. In 2006 there were $610 million of sales on the day, and in 2016 there were $3.45 billion in sales, marking the first time online sales had passed $3 billion on a single day in the United States. Half or more of the sales from the day are from work computers, suggesting that consumers still want to do more shopping after Black Friday, want to take advantage of the days' deals, or want to hide the gifts they are buying for family members.

SU News

Damien Alford's 58-yard touchdown headlines Syracuse’s return to explosive plays (DO; Alandt)


It had been developing all evening. A “horrendous” stretch of over 53 minutes led SU to a 2nd-and-5 play at its own 42-yard line. The ensuing play, a dynamic pass from Garrett Shrader and a tremendous showcase of Damien Alford’s speed, was well blocked, perfectly executed and “raised” the intensity of a defensive unit that was sputtering out.

Most importantly, it lifted Syracuse into the driver’s seat against a 3-8 Boston College team that started Emmett Morehead for just the fourth time in his collegiate career. The pass — and SU’s ensuing 14 unanswered points — ensured a winning season for just the second time under head coach Dino Babers.

It took just a simple juke move from Alford, and a ball that Babers said was up in the air for too long, to complete the touchdown. Alford outran another safety and Isaiah Farris, gliding into the end zone to put the Orange on top 18-17.

“He ran a great route and influenced that guy,” Babers said. “He stepped around and stepped on his toes. What a pro.”

Throughout the majority of Syracuse’s five-game losing streak, it was missing big plays, those chunk-yardage opportunities that afforded it chances to bury teams or overcome a deficit. The Orange had them in the first six wins: a 55-yard pass against Louisville, 47 yards against UConn and 46 yards against Purdue.

Then, Shrader didn’t completed a pass over 40 yards for his next five games. But last week against Wake Forest, Syracuse saw flashes of that big-play offense that it showcased early on. Throughout the second half of SU’s (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) 32-23 win over Boston College (3-9, 2-6 ACC), it utilized long plays to galvanize a comeback win.

Babers said that Boston College’s linebackers do a good job running downhill, which in part led to Syracuse allowing seven sacks. But that tendency to blitz instead of sit back in zone coverage opens up opportunities for opposing passing games to dump passes over the top.

Shrader said the Eagles threw some different looks at SU than it was expecting, which led to the slow start throughout the first three quarters. But once it adjusted, it was “very effective,” Babers said.
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The next day: Lack of discipline could hurt Syracuse in its upcoming bowl game (DO; Smith)

It’s become somewhat of a familiar sight in college football. A visiting team beats a rival and a player ends up with a flag in his hands. The goal, usually? To plant it on the home team’s turf. Midfield is typically the spot.

Baker Mayfield famously did it at Ohio State in 2017. NC State upset No. 18 North Carolina Friday, and did it. When No. 2 Michigan beat No. 3 Ohio State Saturday afternoon, there was a blue flag with a gold “M” at Ohio Stadium’s 50-yard line.

And Saturday night, after trailing for most of the game and pulling out a 32-23 win over 3-9 Boston College, Syracuse tried to become the latest team to stick its logo at midfield. Devaughn Cooper said someone handed him the white flag with a big orange “S”, and he wanted to celebrate the win postgame by waving it.

What happened next — Boston College players seeing the flag and running toward SU’s sideline; pushing, shoving, even apparent punches thrown by both Donovan Ezeiruaku and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson; police officers and coaches trying to separate the two sides; D’Marcus Adams running around with the flag and trying to stick it in the turf until Dino Babers took it away — provided an appropriate ending to a chippy game where one Syracuse player was ejected for throwing multiple punches, and trash talk was plenty evident.

“They just didn’t like us having the flag, I guess,” Cooper said postgame. “That wasn’t our intention, we didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Cooper said Syracuse wasn’t trying to start a fight. But they still did. And the Orange’s lack of discipline wasn’t just a one-time, postgame incident Saturday night. It affected them all game, nearly leading to a sixth straight loss. Syracuse recorded 14 penalties for 91 yards, including multiple personal fouls that cost it points or led to Boston College points. SU did win behind 26 fourth-quarter points, but the penalties, a recurring theme all season, nearly prevented that. The Orange — already hurting for depth — could have several key players suspended in their bowl game as a result of the postgame madness.

“There were some things that were just rivalry-type things that the players have to understand that this game is different,” Babers said. “And we need to do a better job of adjusting to them.”

When asked about Cruz’s ejection, Babers said something “absolutely” prompted that. Ezeiruaku, the same player who punched Kevon Darton in the postgame scuffle and got knocked by Del Rio-Wilson, was in Cruz’s face. The offensive lineman responded with right and left punches, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pushed Syracuse out of field goal range late in the first half. Regardless of what Ezeiruaku did, Cruz still shouldn’t have reacted that way, Babers said.
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Babers condemns SU trying to plant flag on Boston College’s turf (PS; $; Leiker)


A bit of a scrap over Syracuse football waving its flag turned into a full-on brawl Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.

After a few moments of players from both teams playing tug-of-war with SU’s flag, tensions quickly rose. Footage shows Boston College defensive edge Donovan Ezeiruaku threw the first punch, landing a hit on the left side of SU defensive lineman Kevon Darton’s helmet.

Quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson then bursts in from the right side of the frame, landing a right hook on Ezeiruaku.

The situation escalated, though it doesn’t appear any more punches were thrown, with coaches and cops both attempting to break up players on the field and get both teams to their respective locker rooms.

SU beat Boston College 32-23 in what Orange coach Dino Babers described as a “good game between two Northeast rivals.”

However, Babers condemned the attempted planting of the Syracuse flag on Boston College’s turf, a rivalry week move that was popularized by Baker Mayfield following Oklahoma’s 2017 win over Ohio State.

“We’re not gonna be doing that stuff,” Babers said. “I think the flag ended up in the right person’s hand. You saw what happened to the flag after the right person had it.”

pic.twitter.com/FHJrYDli6Q
— Mike McPherson (@Mike71277) November 27, 2022

The flag passed through several hands before ending up with Babers.

Wide receiver Devaughn Cooper was one of the first to touch it, saying postgame he’d had it handed to him and that the team “didn’t mean for (the fight) to happen.” Cooper just wanted to wave the flag.

It then made its way into the hands of wide receiver D’Marcus Adams, galloped around near one of the end zones with the flag waving before Babers took it, rolled it up and handed it off to offensive lineman Dakota Davis to carry into the locker room as he made sure the rest of his players cleared the field.

Babers said he thought he handled the situation “like a dad would.”
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Five Takeaways: Syracuse 32 Boston College 23 (SI; McAllister)

Syracuse football used a fourth quarter rally to knock of Boston College Saturday night and snap its five game losing streak in the regular season finale. Here are five takeaways from the victory.

1. The Mob

How good was the Syracuse defense? The Orange allowed only 341 yards of total offense, forced two turnovers, gave up only 2.5 yards per carry and sacked Emmett Morehead three times. Do not let the 23 points allowed fooled you. Ten of those points came off of possessions where Boston College started inside the SU-20 after a fumble and blocked punt. Another six points came in garbage time after the game was essentially over. Marlowe Wax and Anwar Sparrow had particularly strong games. Wax finishes with seven tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. Sparrow finishes with six tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In addition, Caleb Okechukwu had four tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. There were certainly some less than stellar moments, but overall, a good defense did what it needed to against a below average offense.

2. Garrett Shrader

Shrader struggled mightily for three quarters, let's not kid ourselves. He still did not look healthy enough to use his legs as a weapon. However, to his credit, he bounced back with a superb fourth quarter where he went 11-13 passing with two touchdowns as he led the Orange to a comeback victory. All in all, it hard to complain with 21-27 for 285 yards and two scores. Yes he held the ball in the pocket too long at times. Yes there were some poor throws in the first three quarters. But Shrader made plays when he needed to, even some with his legs in critical spots. Now he should have weeks to rest up and get ready for the bowl game.
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Syracuse wide receiver Damien Alford, left, is chased down the sideline and tackled by Boston College's CJ Burton, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Syracuse wide receiver Damien Alford, left, is chased down the sideline and tackled by Boston College's CJ Burton, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Escape from the Eagles: SU football defeats Boston College (Axe recap) (PS; $; Axe)

The Syracuse University football team finally got out its own way and avoided dubious history in Chestnut Hill on Saturday night.

SU’s 32-23 victory over Boston College snapped a five-game losing streak. Syracuse barely avoided becoming just the third FBS team to open a season 6-0 and finish it 6-6.

So 7-5 it is for the Orange with a chance to improve the record to 8-5 in its bowl game a few weeks down the line.

It’s just the seventh time this century Syracuse finished with a record above .500 and just the second time in coach Dino Babers’ tenure.

Babers will have a winning season no matter the result of SU’s bowl game, but he didn’t earn a batch of new support with SU’s eye-popping rate of penalties against Boston College and SU’s 1-5 mark in the last six games of the season.

The win barely gets his athletic director, John Wildhack, off the hook on having a serious discussion about Babers’ future had the Orange stumbled to 6-6 with a loss to the lowly Eagles, who finished 2022 at 3-9.

SU’s win over BC also narrowly avoided what would have been one of the saddest Saturdays in modern SU history if in concert with Syracuse basketball’s 73-72 loss to Bryant at the JMA Wireless Dome earlier in the day.
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wax.jpeg


By The Numbers: How SU Righted Its Ship Against BC, 32-23 – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)

For the third time in the last seven years, Syracuse football just ended a regular season with a victory over Boston College. This time, SU had to work deep into the fourth quarter to overcome the woeful Eagles and to end its regular season 7-5 – the program’s first winning season since 2018. Before we take a look toward bowl season, let’s break down some of the numbers that helped the ‘Cuse get past BC.

26

For most of the evening, Syracuse looked primed to lose its sixth game in a row to end the year and join a select club of 6-0 to 6-6 sufferers. Only 2011 Illinois and 2016 Baylor had ever pulled off the feat at the FBS level, but SU staved off the ghosts of ultimate collapse with a 26-point fourth quarter explosion. The Orange trailed 17-6 with 12:58 to go in the game, but launched an 11-point comeback to prevail by nine. Only a last second feel-good touchdown to get BC wideout Zay Flowers some additional program records prevented a larger margin of victory.

The 26 points scored by SU in its final period marked the most for an Orange squad since Dino Babers’ first season in 2016. That year, Syracuse traveled down to Pitt in its season finale and lost a game so noteworthy that it has its own Wikipedia page. In a 76-61 (!) drag race, SU laid on 27 points in the fourth quarter but still couldn’t catch up to the Panthers’ future NFL tandem in quarterback Nathan Peterman and running back James Conner.

105

Part of the reason Syracuse was behind by two scores in the fourth was due to a familiar and nagging issue. SU’s penalty problems have marred its entire season and Babers’ seven-year tenure. The Orange racked up 14 penalties for 91 yards against BC and finished with 105 on the regular season, good for most in the ACC, second-most of Babers’ SU career (107 in 2019), and the most of any FBS squad in a 131-team division. Yikes.

On a day when SU athletics embarrassed itself on more than one playing surface, Syracuse football threw tar on an otherwise positive win with some humiliating moments. From Enrique Cruz’s haymaker and ejection to ‘Cuse’s teamwide postgame flag incident, Babers’ squad was again cringeworthy with its lack of discipline. It’s an open question as to why things like this are still happening in Year 7 under Babers’ regime, but all he and the rest of Orange Nation can do now is hope penalty problems don’t ruin whatever bowl game the ‘Cuse draws.

1,162

On a lighter note, Syracuse’s offensive performance lit up the field for the second straight week. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae’s unit started slowly, but eventually came to life against a weak BC defense. Syracuse rolled up 443 total yards and achieved a rare feat of balance. Garrett Shrader threw for 285 yards, Sean Tucker ran for 125, and tight end/wide receiver Oronde Gadsden tacked on 106 receiving yards to lead the team. The game marked the first time in 1,162 days that Syracuse finished with a 280-plus yard passer, a 100-yard rusher, and a 100-yard receiver in the same game.
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College football: SU back on course after win, testy emotions on the field (yahoo.com; St Croix)

The Syracuse University football team vanquished a pair of personal demons and potentially reignited the passion behind a classic regional rivalry Saturday night in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Syracuse beat Boston College, 32-23, to close the regular season by ending a five-game losing streak and snapping an overall 10-game skid in November/December games dating back to 2019.

The bowl-bound Orange (7-5 overall, 4-4 ACC) ended each drought in a game defined by frequent physicality and intensity that boiled over multiple times, some appreciated and other incidents condemned by head coach Dino Babers.

"I think the game was very aggressive, a lot of emotion was tied into this game, we're basically rivals, so it was a lot of emotion," said SU seventh-year senior wide receiver, Devaughn Cooper.

"As a team, we're just happy," he added. "The five-game losing streak, that's no fun at all. I think we needed this and it's going to motivate us to do well in the bowl game."

Syracuse offensive tackle Enrique Cruz was ejected for throwing multiple punches at a Boston College player after a play in the second quarter. That was among the altercations Babers categorized on the bad side, though he did say the action was instigated without providing details.
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Syracuse Football Snaps Five-Game Losing Streak with 32-23 Win at Boston College (youtube;l video; CitrusTV)

Syracuse rattled off 26 fourth quarter points, erasing an 11-point deficit en route to a 32-23 win over Boston College in its regular season finale at Alumni Stadium. Reporter Zach Letson details the first win for the Orange since Oct. 15.

Syracuse football snaps five-game losing streak with 4th quarter rally (localsyr.com; Sacco)

Down early, the Syracuse football team utilized a 29-13 second half advantage to storm past Boston College, 32-23, Saturday night.

The Orange scored 26 unanswered points in the fourth to pick up a rivalry win over the Eagles and head into bowl season with seven wins – the best mark since 2018.

Syracuse (7-5, 4-4 ACC) picked up 125 yards from Sean Tucker, who moved into third on the ‘Cuse all-time rushing list, along with two touchdowns. He is the first player in more than a decade to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.

Garrett Shrader completed 78 percent of his passes, connecting on 21-of-27 chances for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Oronde Gadsden II reeled in 106 of those yards while Devaughn Cooper and Damien Alford caught the touchdowns. ‘Cuse accumulated 443 yards of total offense.

The Orange defense held Boston College to just 89 yards on the ground. Marlowe Wax finished with two tackles for loss, including a sack, while Anwar Sparrow had three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a sack. Sparrow and Steve Linton each recovered a fumble.
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Syracuse Recruiting Falls Short of ACC Standard (waer.org; Hentschel)

When Syracuse football takes the field today, it will be for the final time this regular season. A slew of injuries to starters have made it an unexpectedly tough run to the finish line. Just like every season, Dino Babers and the Orange have a new slew of recruits coming to the 315 for next season, but compared to the rest of the ACC, that might not be much comfort.

According to 24/7 Sports, Syracuse has the worst recruiting class in the conference for the class of 2023. On top of that, SU is the only school without a single four-star recruit inked on for next season.

To find the last time Dino Babers got that much-desired four-star, you’d need to turn the calendar back to 2018 when Trill Williams out of White Plains, N.Y. jumped aboard to play his college ball at Syracuse. Three seasons, 93 games and four picks later, Williams was on the move again, this time to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, where he is today.

Former starting quarterback Tommy DeVito was another four-star to sign his intent to play in the Dome. The New Jersey man then lost the starting spot to Garrett Sharder before taking his talents to the University of Illinois.

Wherever the former four-star recruits ended up, the poit remains: there arn’t many of them playing in Syracuse. Matt Bonaparte of the Locked on Syracuse podcast says that the recruiting train is severely underperforming, even after the Orange made a Bowl Game after the 2018 campaign.

“It would be one thing if he was never able to move the needle if the team was never successful,” Bonaparte said. “But the fact that you were never moving the needle in recruiting after you had a 10-win season, kind of unacceptable.”

Immediately following that Camping World Bowl victory, Syracuse added 20 new signings – all of them three-stars – from the class of 2019. While Dino Babers doesn’t get many four-stars, he does have a great nose for talent. Mikel Jones, Matthew Bergeron, Courtney Jackson and Garrett Williams were all part of that 2019 signing class, and have performed well above what their ranking would indicate. One year later, a running back named Sean Tucker – you may have heard of him – joined SU as a three-star too.

So maybe there are some proverbial diamonds in the proverbial rough, but there is certainly something missing from the upcoming recruiting class.

“There’s not a defensive back committed,” Owen Velentine, also of Locked on Syracuse said. “You sent three defensive backs to the NFL in 2021, with Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Trill Williams…why is there no momentum swung from ‘hey look at the recent success.’”
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Syracuse vs. Boston College - Game Recap - November 27, 2022 - ESPN (ESPN; AP)


Syracuse hadn't won in more than a month and trailed by 11 in the regular-season finale. That's when the Orange snapped out of it and snapped a five-game skid.

“I think we just had enough,” said Devaughn Cooper, who caught seven passes for 80 yards the first of four unanswered touchdowns to help Syracuse beat Boston College 32-23 on Saturday night. “Five-game losing streak, that’s no fun at all. We needed this, it’s going to motivate us to go win a bowl game.”

Garrett Shrader completed 21 of 27 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and Syracuse scored 26 straight points to overcome a two-score, fourth-quarter deficit. Oronde Gadsden II caught six passes for 106 yards and Damien Alford caught four for 83 yards and the go-ahead score for the Orange (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Sean Tucker ran for 125 yards and two TDs to help Syracuse win its first game since Oct. 15, when it improved to 6-0 and No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25.

“Those five weeks ... it just shows you how tough this league is and how precious a win is,” said Syracuse coach Dino Babers, noting that the Eagles beat North Carolina State, which beat North Carolina, which is playing in the ACC title game.

“That game seems like it’s 5 hours to me, like two-and-a-half movies, drive-in theaters A and B,” he said. “It just seems like a lot of stuff happened.”

Emmett Morehead completed 29 for 38 passes for 252 yards for BC (3-9, 2-6), but he also fumbled twice. Zay Flowers caught eight passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing 3,000 yards in his career and setting a school record with his 11th and 12th TD catch of the season.

BC took a 17-6 lead early in the fourth. But Shrader hit Cooper for for an 8-yard touchdown and then, after BC went five-and-out, Shrader needed just three plays and 50 seconds to go 73 yards, taking an 18-17 lead on a 58-yard strike to Alford with 7:05 to play.

BC’s next possession ended on a strip-sack by Steve Okechukwu at the Eagles 37, allowing the Orange to extend the lead to 25-17 on Tucker’s 5-yard TD run. BC turned the ball over on downs and Tucker broke free for a 29-yard score to make it 32-17.
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ACC News

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/bowl-projections-2022 (athlonsports.com; Lassan)


The 2022-23 bowl schedule features 42 overall games, and Athlon Sports is here with complete projections and predictions for all of the matchups. With 13 weeks of the season in the books, it’s never too early to take a peek at what the bowl games could look like at its conclusion.

The postseason officially begins on Dec. 16 with two matchups and continues until Jan. 9 with the national championship at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The semifinals for the College Football Playoff take place on Dec. 31 this year, with the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl hosting the matchups.

The actual selection process is more complicated than in previous years, and as usual, some trading of teams to fill spots is likely to happen by December. However, nearly all of the necessary information regarding the 2022-23 bowl schedule has been released. Projections will be updated every week during the year. 82 teams are needed to fill all bowl slots, but it's possible not enough programs will reach six victories. If necessary, 5-7 teams are projected (and selected) using APR for the 2022 season.

Note: Bold indicates team has accepted bid to game. How will the postseason matchups look by December? Below are Athlon Sports' predictions for every bowl and playoff game in 2022 after Week 13:

College Football Bowl Projections for 2022-23

Bahamas Bowl (Dec. 16)

Tie-In: Conference USA vs. MAC
Projection: UAB vs. Miami (Ohio)

Cure Bowl (Dec. 16)

Tie-In: AAC/C-USA/MAC/MW/Sun Belt
Projection: UConn vs. Marshall

Fenway Bowl (Dec. 17)

Tie-In: ACC vs. American
Projection: Syracuse vs. East Carolina
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Bowl Eligible Teams, Who's Out, Who's In: Updated After Each Game (CFN; Staff)

Bowl Eligible Teams, Who’s On The Bubble Updated After Each Game
What teams are bowl eligible, and which teams will be left out of the fun?

Below is the status of every college football team the it comes their respective bowl situations. Who’s in with six wins – with at least five over FBS teams – and who’s out?


Bowl Eligible Teams, Who’s On The Bubble
ACC | AAC | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USA
IND | MAC | M-West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt

ACC Bowl Eligible Teams

Teams in italics moved categories this week

Bowl Eligible
Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Pitt, Syracuse, Wake Forest

Who Isn’t Bowl Eligible
Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Will Likely Go Bowling
None

Bowl Bubble/Likely Won’t Go Bowling
None
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https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/article269275722.html (newsobserver.com; Carter)

Not everything is always black and white. One or the other. “It’s this, so it can’t be that.” It’s important to remember, after what was probably the most memorable college football season in North Carolina in recent memory, that multiple things can be true at once.

Some examples of what we’re talking about: It’s possible to have a down year, on the field, and still have arguably the best program in the state, in terms of culture and maximizing potential. (See: Appalachian State.)

It’s also possible to have what appears, on paper, to be a very good season — while still having real questions about that program’s direction. (See: North Carolina). And one last one: We can say the ACC was down this season — and it was — while also acknowledging the reality that, among the Big Four, this is about as good as it gets. Not perfect, by any means, as N.C. State, UNC and Wake Forest all have reasons to ruminate, and wonder “what if?”

State had the injuries, and a bad loss against Boston College. Wake has lost four out of five. UNC, all of a sudden, has lost two games it very much thinks it should’ve won, and the luster from its 9-1 start is gone. Yet still, it bears repeating: This is about as good as it gets, collectively, for these four schools. It’s the first time since 1947 that they all finished the regular season with winning records.

And you can make arguments, for all four, that the future is brighter than the present, or at least as good. UNC, after all, has another year with Drake Maye. State loses a lot of personnel, but Dave Doeren has built a culture as strong as any program in North Carolina. Wake isn’t going anywhere (in a good way) as long as Dave Clawson sticks around. And at Duke, Mike Elko is “going to be a problem,” as the kids say these days (if, in fact, they still say that).

Jim Phillips, the ACC Commissioner, has talked a lot about the need for the conference to become stronger in football. Not just stronger, really, but for ACC schools to be all-in. Schools are making the investments, for better or worse. It’s certainly debatable, on a lot of levels, whether it’s money well-spent, but North Carolina schools — so rooted in their shared basketball history — are spending the money on football: on coaching salaries, facilities and anything else.

And sure, fans are greedy and, well, fanatical. Nothing ever seems good enough. This was supposed to be State’s season, and it wasn’t. Wake ascended to the top 10, then took a dive. UNC was 9-1, and in the conversation for the College Football Playoff, and then just as quickly UNC was 9-3. Success doesn’t always follow a straight line. Multiple things can be true at once. Good seasons aren’t always reflective of the programs behind them, and vice versa.

Still, one thing has become clear enough over the past three months: For the Big Four, this is about as good as it gets, collectively, in football. Throw in ECU (7-5) and App State (6-6 and not bowl eligible, but the Mountaineers will always have that win at Texas A&M) and perhaps this was the best college football season ever in North Carolina. That’s either depressing or uplifting, depending on your perspective.

From Clemson to Chapel Hill, rivalry weekend delivered in the Carolinas in a way that it rarely has. N.C. State, for the second consecutive year, delivered to UNC the kind of defeat that just isn’t easy to move on from. A soul-snatching defeat, is one way to put it. Speaking of snatching souls, South Carolina beat Clemson for the first time since 2013, back when “Clemsoning” was still a thing. And Duke rallied for a dramatic victory against Wake at Wallace Wade Stadium, where a small but spirited crowd stood witness. A tip of the cap to all who partook. A good show, indeed.
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https://www.si.com/college/wake-forest/football/acc-football-power-rankings-week-14 (SI; Thayer)

Rivalry week was a wild one in the ACC, and as a result, we have a new No. 1 team for the final power rankings of the regular season. For two teams, a championship battle awaits, others a bowl. And for the programs at the bottom of the list, this is the end of the road.

Note: Due to the cancellation of their final two games of the season, Virginia will not be ranked in this edition

Read below for how the conference stacks up leading into the ACC Championship.

1. Florida State (9-3)

Last Week: 2

Game Result: 45-38 win over Florida

Behind an exceptional performance from quarterback Jordan Travis and running back Trey Benson, the Seminoles snagged the keys to the state of Florida, and our No. 1 spot, with a win over the Gators. Despite only tossing one touchdown, Travis added two on the ground, including an electrifying 29-yard scamper to tie the game in the second quarter. Benson tallied three rushing scores, including the game-winner, on 111 yards. Despite a fumble and missed field goal for the Seminoles, a Jarrian Jones interception proved to be enough to win. Florida State will now go to one of the premier ACC bowls.

Up Next: Bowl Season

2. Clemson (10-2)

Last Week: 1

Game Result: 31-30 loss to South Carolina

A week after admonishing Josh Heupel and Tennessee for overlooking South Carolina, Dabo Swinney and the Tigers fell to the Gamecocks at home to conclude their regular season. After Clemson started with a 14-0 lead, which was kicked off with a pick-six, South Carolina battled back ended the game on a 10-0 run to complete the stunning comeback. Controversial starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei only completed eight passes and tossed an interception — though he did add both a rushing and a passing touchdown. Running back Will Shipley led the way with 132 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Tigers added 11 tackles for loss to go with the interception, but allowed 360 passing yards, including a critical 72-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to Antwane Wells Jr. The Tigers now face an opportunity to right the ship and win some silverware in the ACC Championship.

Up Next: vs North Carolina, Saturday, 8 ET, ABC

ESPN Projection: Orange Bowl vs Tennessee

3. NC State (8-4)

Last Week: 6

Game Result: 30-27 win over North Carolina

Behind a breakout performance by freshman quarterback Ben Finley, NC State claimed the Big Four crown with a double-overtime victory over the Tar Heels. In just his second game of the season, Finley completed 27 passes for 271 yards and two scores. Both of his touchdowns were bombs of more than 25 yards. Late in the fourth quarter, a key Tanner Ingle interception led to a Wolfpack touchdown drive that could’ve been the game-winner, but a UNC score sent the game to overtime. After trading field goals, North Carolina missed their second attempt in double-overtime, sealing the victory for NC State. The Wolfpack will take some time off before looking for win No. 9 in a bowl.

Up Next: Bowl Season

ESPN Projections: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Maryland; Sun Bowl vs UCLA

4. North Carolina (9-3)

Last Week: 3

Game Result: 30-27 loss to NC State

With the double-overtime loss to NC State, the Tar Heels are on a two-game skid and hobbling their way into the ACC Championship. Quarterback Drake Maye, while solid, was not at the Heisman level he played at for much of the season, throwing for 233 yards and a touchdown. He also added the aforementioned critical interception that opened the door for the Wolfpack. Antione Green led the way for North Carolina with eight receptions and a score, but on defense, the Tar Heels only registered one sack. Kicker Noah Burnette was 50% on the night — along with the double-overtime miss, he couldn’t convert from 27 yards early in the fourth quarter. An easy way to get over a painful loss — beat Clemson on Saturday and claim the program’s first ACC title since 1980.

Up Next: vs Clemson, Saturday, 8 ET, ABC

Opening Line: North Carolina +8

Bowl Projections: Holiday Bowl vs Oregon; Cheez-It Bowl vs Texas Tech

5. Pittsburgh (8-4)

Last Week: 5

Game Result: 42-16 win over Miami

With wide receiver Jared Wayne leading the way — he caught all three Kedon Slovis touchdowns along with 199 receiving yards — Pittsburgh rolled Miami to end their regular season. The offense didn’t slow down all night — the Panthers opened the game on a 28-0 run. Running back Israel Abanikanda pitched in two scores and 111 yards in another solid performance. On defense, Pittsburgh sacked quarterback Jake Garcia six times, three of which came from DL Dayon Hayes, and posted 11 tackles for loss. Now on a four-game winning streak, the Panthers will look to make it five straight in a bowl.

Up Next: Bowl Season

ESPN Projection: Pinstripe Bowl vs Iowa

6. Duke (8-4)

Last Week: 8

Game Result: 34-31 win over Wake Forest

Led by a four-touchdown performance from sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard, Duke squeaked out a hard-fought victory over Wake Forest. Of the 391 air yards, 174 went to Jalon Calhoun, who caught 11 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. Fellow receiver Sahmir Hagans plagued the Deacons with 139 yards and two scores. Trailing by three with less than three minutes remaining, Calhoun and Hagans proved to be the difference-makers for Duke — on a two-play touchdown drive, they hauled in passes of 30 and 20 yards respectively. With the victory, the Blue Devils reached eight wins for the first time since 2018, likely sealing the ACC Coach of the Year Award for first-year coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils will now prepare for their first bowl since that same 2018 season.

Up Next: Bowl Season

ESPN Projections: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs Maryland; Sun Bowl vs UCLA

7. Louisville (7-5)

Last Week: 4

Game Result: 26-13 loss to Kentucky

Without the services of starting quarterback Malik Cunningham for much of the game, Louisville fell to Kentucky to close the regular season. In a game that never truly felt winnable, the Wildcats went on two separate 13-point scoring runs to take a 26-7 lead. The game was effectively over from there. In limited action, Cunningham only completed three passes and tossed an interception while adding a rushing score. Filling in, Brock Domann contributed both a touchdown and interception. Running back Jahwar Jordan led the Cardinals’ offense with 145 yards on the ground. Louisville will now play in their second-straight bowl game.

Up Next: Bowl Season

ESPN Projections: Military Bowl vs Cincinnati/SMU

8. Wake Forest (7-5)

Last Week: 7

Game Result: 34-31 loss to Duke

A critical fourth-quarter interception from DB Jermal Martin Jr. did not prove to be enough for the Demon Deacons, who dropped the fourth of their last five games in a heartbreaking loss to Duke. Quarterback Sam Hartman turned in one of his best performances of the season, completing 26 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Hartman has now tied Tajh Boyd’s ACC record for career touchdown passes at 107. On defense, Wake Forest’s secondary again proved to be their weakest link — they allowed 12 throws of over 15 yards, and five for 30 or more. Most notably, each of Leonard’s four touchdowns came on a long pass. In what has been a disappointing season after heightened expectations, the Deacs will look to end on a high note in their seventh-straight bowl appearance.

Up Next: Bowl Season

ESPN Projections: Fenway Bowl vs UCF; Gasparilla Bowl vs UConn

9. Syracuse (7-5)

Last Week: 10

Game Result: 32-23 win over Boston College

Trailing 17-6 leading into the fourth quarter, Syracuse embarked on a 26-0 run to win the game. Quarterback Garrett Shrader and star back Sean Tucker led the Orange with two touchdowns each. Shrader added 285 yards through the air, while Tucker rushed for 125. Receiver Oronde Gadsden II was also impressive with 106 yards on six catches. On defense, the Orange forced two fumbles, one of which came in the fourth quarter. Putting an end to their five-game losing streak, Syracuse will now have a chance to get to eight wins for the first time since 2018, which was the year of their last bowl appearance.

Up Next: Bowl Season

ESPN Projections: Fenway Bowl vs Cincinnati; Birmingham Bowl vs Missouri
...


https://augustafreepress.com/news/a...clemson-unc-heading-to-charlotte-with-losses/ (AFP; German)

The ACC regular season ended with a whimper, as three of four conference teams lost to SEC rivals. Florida State was the lone conference winner against a state rival, as FSU turned back Florida, 45-38.

As expected, Georgia shellacked Georgia Tech, but Clemson saw its College Football Playoff hopes fizzle with a stunning 31-30 home loss to South Carolina, and in the process have its 40-game home winning streak end.

In the Bluegrass State, Kentucky doubled-up Louisville 26-13; the Cardinals, after winning, four straight closed the regular season, lost two of their last three games.

So, the ACC Championship game on Saturday in Charlotte welcomes two teams that arrive limping into Bank of America Stadium. A trip to the Orange Bowl awaits the winner, but the game certainly lost a bit of its luster because of Saturday’s results.

It was certainly an up-and-down season for the conference. About the only stability was indeed Clemson, who was No. 1 in the first ACC power rankings and was never lower in the Atlantic Division while the Coastal was chaotic all season.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

  1. Clemson (10-2, 8-0 ACC) The Tigers limp into the ACC title game after a 31-30 loss to South Carolina.
  2. FSU (9-3, 5-3 ACC) The Seminoles beat their in-state rival, Florida, 45-38. It was the highest scoring game in the series history. FSU finished the 2022 regular season strong, winning five straight.
  3. NC State (8-4, 4-4 ACC) Behind their fourth-string quarterback, a former scout-team player, Ben Finley, the Wolfpack finished strong, beating UNC.
  4. Louisville (7-5, 4-4 ACC) The Cardinals lost to Kentucky 26-13 in their regular-season finale.
  5. Syracuse (7-5, 4-4 ACC) The Orange snapped a five-game losing streak, beating Boston College, 32-23. Syracuse finished the game scoring the final 26 points.
  6. Wake Forest (7-5, 3-5 ACC) WF lost four of five to finish regular-season play.
  7. Boston College (3-9, 2-6 ACC) Tough season concludes for BC. The Eagles played tough in their last game against Syracuse.

COASTAL DIVISION

  1. North Carolina (9-3, 6-2 ACC) UNC closed the regular season losing two straight. The Tar Heels get a chance to turn things around in the ACC title game with Clemson.
  2. Pittsburgh (8-4, 5-3 ACC) The reigning ACC champion finished strong, winning four straight, including a 42-16 win over Miami Saturday.
  3. 3. Duke (8-4, 5-3 ACC) Just go ahead and Give Duke coach Mike Elko his ACC Coach of the YearDuke’s 34-31 win over Wake Forest gave the Blue Devils their first eight-win season since 2014.
  4. Georgia Tech (5-7, 4-4 ACC) A wild year for GT, that saw its coach fired early, only to regroup and finish even in ACC play.
  5. Miami (5-7, 3-5 ACC) The Hurricane looked horrible and bored in a 42-16 loss to Pittsburgh Saturday. First-year coach Mario Cristobal is officially on the hot seat.
  6. Virginia (3-7, 1-6 ACC) and Virginia Tech (3-8, 1-6 ACC)

https://saturdayroad.com/acc/acc-football-what-we-learned-2022/ (saturdayroad.com; Friedlander)


There’s still 1 game to be played in the 2022 ACC football season. But because both Clemson and North Carolina are out of the Playoff picture and are coming off losses, the championship they’ll decide in Charlotte next Saturday feels a lot like a consolation prize.

About the best thing that can be said for the regular season is that it’s over.

Sure, there were some memorable moments. And the folks at NC State, Florida State and Duke are all in a celebrating mood after their teams’ rivalry victories in Week 13.

But overall, the lows far outweighed the highs. Both on the field and tragically, off it.

Now that it’s done, let’s take a look back at what we learned about all 14 teams during the 2022 regular season.

Boston College

The Eagles were by far the biggest disappointment in the conference this season. They started the season with the goal of surpassing the 6-7 win plateau on which they’ve been stuck for the past few seasons. But instead of earning 8 victories, they lost 9 times.

If we learned anything from their struggles, it’s that it takes more than a talented quarterback-receiver duo for an offense to succeed. Zay Flowers had a solid season, setting the school record for career touchdown catches with 29 in Saturday’s season-ending loss to Syracuse. But senior Phil Jurkovec struggled behind a depleted offensive line before going down with a season-ending injury.

One positive in an otherwise lost season was the emergence of redshirt freshman Emmett Morehead as BC’s quarterback of the future. He provided a rare highlight when he led a last-minute game-winning drive to beat NC State on Nov. 12.

While coach Jeff Hafley’s job isn’t on the line after receiving a vote of confidence from athletic director Blake James, his seat will be among the ACC’s warmest once the 2023 season begins.

Clemson

The Tigers returned to the top of the Atlantic Division standings after a 1-season absence and will be playing for their 7th league championship in the past 8 years. But while literally every other team in the conference would consider that a success, 2022 will be looked upon as a disappointment by Clemson’s higher standards.

Dabo Swinney has some serious evaluations to make this offseason after a campaign in which an 8-0 record against a weak ACC was offset by losses to Notre Dame and South Carolina, the 2 most important nonconference opponents on the schedule.

It’s a review that’s likely to start with his decision to hire replacement coordinators from within rather than considering outside candidates after Tony Elliott on offense and Brent Venables on defense left for head coaching positions.

New offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter will likely come under the most scrutiny. Whether he continues in that position or not, it’s almost certain the Tigers will have a new starting quarterback in 2023. DJ Uiagalelei failed to build on a solid start and struggled with turnovers for the 2nd straight year, leaving the door open for highly-touted Cade Klubnik to get his shot at leading Clemson back to national prominence.

Duke

While Coastal Division rivals Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech all struggled to adjust to new coaching staffs, the Blue Devils clicked immediately on the way to becoming the surprise success story of the ACC.

Mike Elko and his staff injected a badly needed jolt of energy into a program that had stagnated during the final few seasons of former coach David Cutcliffe’s tenure. They made several important personnel moves, including the move of Jordan Moore to wide receiver after he lost the starting quarterback battle with Riley Leonard and instilled an aggressive, opportunistic mentality on defense.

Duke’s 8 wins and counting are its most since 2018 and its 5 conference wins are 1 more than it earned in the past 3 seasons combined. The Blue Devils finished the regular season in the top 5 of the league in scoring offense and defense and rank No. 2 nationally with a plus-14 turnover margin while firmly establishing Elko as the front-runner for ACC Coach of the Year honors.

Florida State

The book is still out on whether the Seminoles are “back” as an ACC championship contender. But if they’re not there yet, the final 5 weeks of the season showed that they’re certainly on an upward trajectory.

With 9 wins already and a bowl game to come, they’ve got a shot at reaching double digits for the first time in 6 years.

Mike Norvell’s team bounced back from a 3-game midseason losing streak to Wake Forest, NC State and Clemson to finish the season as the league’s hottest team. It dominated the first 4 opponents in its current 5-game winning streak by a combined margin of 173-39 before outlasting Florida for its first win against the Gators since 2016.




While FSU has found a formula for success in a ground attack that churned out more than 200 rushing yards in each of its final 7 games, the catalyst for its late-season success has been dual-threat quarterback Jordan Travis – whose strong finish has positioned himself as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in 2023.

Georgia Tech

It’s yet to be seen if interim coach Brent Key is given the keys to the program on a permanent basis. Whether he’s retained or not, we learned that the Yellow Jackets owe their proud alumnus a debt of gratitude for helping to make the best of a bad situation.

After taking over from Geoff Collins in Week 5 following a 1-3 start, the former offensive line assistant led Tech to 4 wins in its final 8 games – including upsets of 2 ranked opponents, both on the road. And he did it while using 4 different quarterbacks because of injuries and other external factors. Defensively, the Yellow Jackets ranked among the top 10 nationally with 24 takeaways and had 2 of the ACC’s top 5 tacklers in linebackers Ayinde Eley and Charlie Thomas.

Key’s work helped build an unexpectedly solid foundation on which to build for whoever gets the job on a permanent basis.

Louisville

The Cardinals taught us that it’s not wise to make judgments on a team’s season until all the results are in. They were all but written off after an 0-3 start in the ACC. Coach Scott Satterfield reportedly had 1 foot out the door.

But the team continued to grow and improve as the year went along. Bolstered by a defense that was among the nation’s best in both sacks and takeaways, along with a running game that took considerable pressure off star quarterback Malik Cunningham, Louisville turned its season around.

It won 4 straight at one point late in the year, guaranteeing a winning record despite Saturday’s loss at rival Kentucky.

Miami

Maybe we finally learned to stop judging the Hurricanes on their long-distant past. Maybe we learned to stop taking enthusiastic coaches that talk a good ballgame at face value.

Then again, probably not.

The voters on the ACC’s preseason were fooled again when they picked Miami as the favorite to win the Coastal Division in Year 1 under alumnus Mario Cristobal. It’s a prediction that started to sour just 3 weeks in with an upset at the hands of Middle Tennessee State. And the Hurricanes never fully recovered.

An injury to quarterback Tyler Van Dyke didn’t help. But things weren’t going well even before he went down. They lost 4 straight at home, their longest skid since 1973, suffered their worst-ever loss to rival FSU and with an opportunity to salvage a bowl bid on the line, they went out with a whimper not a bang in a 42-16 thumping at the hands of Pittsburgh.

More than likely, Cristobal will look to clean house over the next few weeks. A major rebuild is in his future.

North Carolina

The assessment of the Tar Heels’ 2022 season depends on whether you’re a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty kind of person.

It’s half full if you consider that Mack Brown’s team went 6-0 on the road, won 9 games and the Coastal Division title and still has a shot at its first outright ACC championship since 1980. It’s half empty if you consider that just 3 weeks ago, UNC was 9-1 and ranked as high as 12th in the nation before losing its final 2 at home to unranked opponents, most painfully to rival NC State.

Either way, it’s been an eventful year for the Tar Heels. We learned that they have a superstar quarterback in Drake Maye, who is as good as anyone in the country when he gets time to throw. But that wasn’t always the case. UNC’s offensive line surrendered 36 sacks, the 3rd-most in the league.

That negative aside, Maye and the Tar Heels’ offense taught us that a good offense can overcome a bad defense. At least to a point. But we also learned that playing close games every week isn’t necessarily a great recipe for success. After winning its first 6 games decided by a touchdown or less, the law of averages caught up with UNC with a pair of 1-possession losses to finish the year.

NC State

The biggest takeaway from the Wolfpack’s season is that the Law of the Wolf is alive and well. Whenever the team’s prospects seem to be their most promising, that’s when the results turn out to be their most disappointing.

State’s hopes for its first ACC title since 1979 ended early with a loss at Clemson in Week 5. Its chances for only the second 10-win season in school history died shortly thereafter with a season-ending injury to quarterback Devin Leary.

But despite the setbacks and a parade of replacement quarterbacks that followed, the Wolfpack never quit on coach Dave Doeren and his staff.

Their resilience and an ACC-leading defense anchored by the linebacking corps of Drake Thomas, Payton Wilson and Isaiah Moore, helped them finish on a high note in spite of the adversity. In the words of 4th-string quarterback Ben Finley after leading Friday’s win at UNC, the double-overtime victory in Chapel Hill “put a big-ole Band-aid on the season.”

Pittsburgh

The Panthers learned that it’s not easy replacing a Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback and an All-American receiver. Even with the emergence of Israel Abanikanda as the ACC’s leading rusher and 1 of the top touchdown producers in the nation, Pat Narduzzi’s team wasn’t able to develop a consistent enough passing game without Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison to seriously challenge for a 2nd straight league title.

It didn’t help that several top players on their highly-ranked defense, including Outland Trophy semifinalist Calijah Kancey and fellow pass rushers Habakkuk Baldonado and Deslin Alexandre, missed time with injuries.

Despite the obstacles, Pitt still managed to recover from its midseason doldrums, win its final 4 games and earn bowl eligibility.

Syracuse

The Orange taught us that it’s never a good idea to celebrate an accomplishment before the job is done.

That’s what they did after a field-storming victory against NC State on Oct. 15 that improved their record to 6-0, clinched bowl eligibility and raised their national ranking to No. 16 and, presumably, saved coach Dino Babers’ job.

Then they promptly lost the next 5 games to thrust Babers right back onto the hot seat.

It took until the final 15 minutes of the final game, a 32-23 win against lowly BC in which they scored 23 4th quarter points to avoid losing out, for them to finally get their mojo back. As it is, they finished with a more-than-respectable 7-5 record and their first winning season since 2018.
...


https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2022/11/2022-acc-week-13-late-results.html (RX; HM)


2022 ACC Week 13 Late Results

Wake Forest 31, Duke 34
A month ago, the Deacs were ranked 10th and the Blue Devils were 5-3, yet Duke finishes with a better record than Wake.

Syracuse 32, Boston College 23

BC led 10-6 going into the 4th quarter, then 'Cuse exploded for 26 points in the final period to win the game.

Pitt 42, Miami 16

The Panthers jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead in this one. Clearly, the Canes have a lot more work before they are ready to compete at the P5 level again.

BONUS: Notre Dame 27, USC 38

The Trojan jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, then matched the Irish score-for-score the rest of the way.
...


https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2022/11/ap-ranking-analysis-2022-nov-28.html (RX; HM)

AP Ranking Analysis, 2022 Nov 28

What do I think of this week's AP poll?

To be honest, I thought the AP voters did the ACC a solid by keeping UNC in the Top 25...

ACC teams in the AP Top 25 at the end of the regular season:

#10 Clemson (10-2)
#14 Florida State (9-3)
#19 Notre Dame (8-4)
#24 N. Carolina (9-3)
Others receiving votes:

#27 NC State
#35 Pitt
What this means is that the ACC will feature a ranked-on-ranked championship game... but more than that, the game it will be up against - the Big Ten CCG - will not. Here's a look at the 2022 conference football championship games, based on AP rankings:
...


https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2022/11/biggest-losers-2022-nov-27th.html (RX; HM)

Biggest Losers 2022 Nov 27th

Top 25 Ranked Losers:
#2 Ohio State lost by 22 at home to #3 Michigan, 23-45
#5 LSU suffered their 3rd loss at Texas A&M, 23-38
#8 Clemson lost by 1 at home to South Carolina, 30-31
#9 Oregon lost by 4 at #21 Oregon State, 34-38
#15 Notre Dame lost by 11 at #6 USC, 27-38
#17 UNC lost by 3 at home in 2OT to NC State, 27-30
#20 Ole Miss lost by 2 at home to Miss. State, 22-24
#24 Cincinnati lost by 3 at home to #19 Tulane, 24-27
#25 Louisville lost by 13 at Kentucky, 13-26

Other Notable Losers:

Kansas lost at #12 Kansas State, 27-47, but that's not the remarkable part. The Jayhawks began the season 5-0 and ranked - then finished 1-6 to barely become bowl-eligible.
New Head Coach Brent Venerables had a tough first season at Oklahoma. The Sooners end up 6-6 also after losing to Texas Tech in the finale, 48-51.
Liberty hasn't won a game since beating Arkansas on the road. In their final 3 games, the Flames have lost to UConn (33-36), Virginia Tech (22-23), and now New Mexico State (14-49). Of those, only UConn is bowl-eligible (6-6).
...


Other

XXH2DLCPHRF5TPTCXKPWHZ5LVU.JPG

Darl Johnston, owner of Rogue's Roost, stands next the "Bridgeport Canal" at the sixth hole of his East Course. Johnston died Oct. 29, 2022 at age 96. (Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard | File photo, 2003)

https://www.syracuse.com/news/2022/...onstruction-company-built-2-golf-courses.html (PS; $; Wagner)

If Walter Mitty had met Darl K. Johnston, he would had been envious. The fictional character’s fantasy world and imagination simply couldn’t have compared to Johnston’s real life.

Sleep with rattlesnakes and not get bit? Check. Outrun a mountain lion? Check. Escape middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania during the Great Depression to become a forest firefighter … and owner of a construction company … and builder of apartments … and designer of two golf courses … and parachutist at age 84? Check, check, check, check and check.

Oh, and for the ultimate one-upmanship, Johnston did all this despite losing an eye as a child and never going to college.

No, Walter Mitty had nothing on Darl Johnston.

Johnston died Oct. 29 at age 96, leaving behind a litany of accomplishments as wide as his smile. The twin Rogues Roost golf courses in Bridgeport stand as his two prized emeralds, each 18-hole tract designed, built and maintained with the sweat of his own brow and roar of backhoes and excavators he operated until he was 88.

How he accomplished so much and developed such a keen mind for business remains a mystery. But those who worked with him will point first to one quality: the man had unlimited energy.

“He was gifted with a lot of energy and he channeled it well,” said his wife of nearly 49 years, Deanna Johnston, of Nedrow.

“He always put 110 percent into a project and there was nothing that would stop him,” said PGA club professional Bill Galloway, who helped Johnston design and build the second Rogues Roost course.
...
 

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