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

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Monday for Football

sutomcat

No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
25,010
Like
107,422
hanukkah-gettyimages-157389389.jpg
Welcome to The Start of Hanukkah!

Hanukkah, which is the Hebrew word for "dedication," is a Jewish celebration that lasts eight days and eight nights. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where, according to Jewish belief, a miracle occurred that allowed oil to light a menorah for eight days, when there only was enough oil for one day. The holiday begins on a different day each year, as it follows the lunisolar Jewish calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. It starts on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which usually falls between late November and late December.

SU News

Projecting SU's depth chart for the Pinstripe Bowl (PS; $; Leiker)


Syracuse football will be without a handful of its 2022 starters when it faces off against Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 29.

Cornerback Duce Chestnut and safety Ja’Had Carter were two big names to depart the program via the transfer portal last week. SU has lost nine total players to the portal this offseason, four on defense and five on offense.

Then running back Sean Tucker announced Saturday he is opting-out of the bowl as he begins preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft.

But Syracuse’s depth chart is still in relatively good shape in the absence of those players.

Quarterback Garrett Shrader and his favorite receiving target, tight end Oronde Gadsden, are still in place to play in the bowl. Though left tackle Matthew Bergeron is expected to be moving on to the NFL after this season, too, — he accepted a Senior Bowl invite — he hasn’t opted out of the final game of the season.

Freshman cornerback Jeremiah Wilson withdrew his name from the portal and will likely line up opposite redshirt senior Isaiah Johnson. Defensive end Caleb Okechukwu confirmed via Twitter he’s playing in the bowl.

The Orange also has the chance to return players who missed one or more games throughout the season due to injury.

Linebackers Mikel Jones and Derek McDonald, who both missed the final game of the season with lower leg injuries, should be back for the bowl. Photos shared by the team to Twitter showed Jones smiling and in practice attire, seemingly indicating that he’s back and working after his injury from the Wake Forest game.

Young players who made scattered appearances throughout the season have the chance to see larger chunks of playing time in the bowl, too.

Denis Jaquez Jr. (DL), Kevin Jobity (DL), Dan Villari (TE) and Umari Hatcher (WR) will be some names to watch for.

Here’s syracuse.com’s projected depth chart for the Pinstripe Bowl.


Depth Chart.png



...

JUCO offensive lineman J’Onre Reed commits to Syracuse - The Juice Online (the juice; Sears)

Syracuse received a commitment from Hutchinson (KS) CC interior offensive lineman J’Onre Reed on Sunday, he announced via Instagram.

Reed had offers from Oregon, New Mexico, Coastal Carolina, UAB and UNLV, among other schools.



Reed continues a commitment spree for the Orange, and is its second OL transfer commit in this cycle. Syracuse also received a commitment from Richmond transfer Joe More last weekend.

Other offensive linemen in the 2023 class include Pennsylvania’s Vincent Carroll-Jackson, who committed last weekend, and Massachusetts’ Jayden Bass.

The 6-foot-4, 325 pound offensive lineman played at Eisenhower (TX) High, and was a 2019 prospect coming out of high school.

It was Syracuse’s second commitment on Sunday, with 2023 defensive lineman Oluwademilade Omopariola also committing to Syracuse.
...


Syracuse football stung by transfer portal but has added some solid pieces (itlh; Adler)

In the short period of time between when I wrote this column and when it published, it’s likely that another Syracuse football player has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal – or that the Orange coaching staff, conversely, has plucked a player from another school out of the portal and onto the Hill.

I say this only half kidding, because the transfer portal is simply crazy these days, with guys going in and out of it all the time, just as coaching staffs around the country, too, also see makeovers. Candidly, it’s challenging to keep up!

Sure, it has proven a whirlwind last week or so for Syracuse football, but the ‘Cuse is far from the only college squad to experience coaching and player defections, even if many Orange fans feel that their team is getting stung worse than other groups nationwide.

The ‘Cuse Mob defense, which for a solid chunk of the 2022 season was absolutely sensational, is going to look a whole lot different in 2023 for the Orange.

Syracuse football fans have a lot of developments to digest of late.

Okay, so last week, ‘Cuse defensive coordinator Tony White left for Nebraska. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae bolted for N.C. State. Quarterbacks coach Jason Beck has been promoted to offensive coordinator, while defensive passing game coordinator/safeties Nick Monroe has been named the Orange’s interim defensive coordinator.

That’s merely the coaching news. On the portal front, when I penned this column, I counted at least nine players on the Syracuse football 2022 roster who have elected to transfer.
...


Rocky Long leaving UNM football for Syracuse (abqjournal.com; Wright)

Yes, it’s true.0

Rocky Long, the former University of New Mexico head football coach who has served as UNM’s defensive coordinator the past three years under his longtime protege Danny Gonzales, has left the Lobos to take the D-coordinator’s position at Syracuse University.

The announcement, following days of rumors, was made Saturday at the Syracuse end.

‘I’m excited to be here and to get to work,” Long, 72, said in a news release. “I’m grateful for my time at New Mexico and the chance to work with Coach Gonzales again these past few years, but looking forward to this new opportunity here in Syracuse.”

In a UNM news release, he added: “It’s bittersweet, but our defense is on solid footing and this will allow Coach Gonzales to continue to grow as a head coach. I’m sure Coach Gonzales and I will talk frequently, but this was an offer I couldn’t pass up to run a defense at a Power 5 school in a great Power 5 conference (the Atlantic Coast Conference). I may be moving to Syracuse, but my heart will always be with UNM and the Lobos. I consider New Mexico my home.”

In the UNM release, Gonzales said:

“I cannot thank Coach Long enough for everything he has done for me and for this program. While this wasn’t an easy decision for him, it’s a tremendous opportunity for him. We accomplished our goal of improving our defense from where it was to where it is now.”

Saturday’s announcement is the culmination of Syracuse head coach Dino Babers’ three-year-long campaign to get Long on his staff.


We want to thank Coach Long for the past three years coordinating our defense and coming back to the school he loves, and the town he calls home! Best of luck in the ACC!!! #GoLobos | #WIN5Rocky Long Takes Syracuse DC Position pic.twitter.com/eYc37G6xVT
...

Rocky Long hired as SU's new defensive coordinator (PS; Leiker)


Syracuse football has hired Rocky Long as its new defensive coordinator, and he’ll take his post immediately.

His official hiring was confirmed Saturday via a news release from the team.

Long, 72, was first reported as a target for the job Monday by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. A source close to the program told syracuse.com Thursday that Long had been on campus this week.

“I’m excited to be here and to get to work,” Long said in the news release. “I’m grateful for my time at New Mexico and the chance to work with Coach Gonzales again these past few years, but Iooking forward to this new opportunity here in Syracuse.”

A longtime teacher of the 3-3-5 defensive system SU has been running, Long spoke with Dino Babers during the 2020 hiring cycle about the open defensive coordinator job when Babers targeted someone who could run that style.

Long both coached and worked alongside Zach Arnett, the initial hire Babers made in 2020, and Tony White, who served as the Orange’s defensive coordinator for the past three seasons before departing for Nebraska last week.

Syracuse found success using Long’s system under White’s tutelage, finishing No. 29 in total defense this season just a few years after clocking in at No. 115 in 2019. The Orange also finished No. 19 in passing yards allowed and No. 36 in scoring defense.
...


Syracuse football: a new coach and new player for the Orange defense (TNIAAM; Wall)

The Syracuse Orange football program appears to have found its new defensive coordinator.

Reports out of Albuquerque have New Mexico Lobos’ defensive coordinator Rocky Long moving across the country to join the Orange, and in time for the Pinstripe Bowl.


Sources also tell 101.7 The TEAM that Long will coach Syracuse's defense in its bowl game. Syracuse plays Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl on December 29. https://t.co/pu2nz7XCzn
— ESPN Albuquerque 101.7FM The TEAM (@1017theteam) December 16, 2022
The 72-year old Long will take over running the 3-3-5 defense from Tony White, a player Long recruited and coached at UCLA. What’s interesting is that in 2020, Syracuse hired Zach Arnett who was Long’s defensive coordinator at the time. When Arnett left for Mississippi State (where he’s just been named HC), Dino Babers tried to convince Long to take the job and nearly three years later the two are going to be working together.

Long is known as the architect of the 3-3-5 and it would seem like this could be an opportunity for him to mentor Nick Monroe and others in Syracuse.
...


Syracuse football: Sean Tucker declares for NFL Draft (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)

A decision that was expected since the regular season finale is now official. Sean Tucker, the electrifying running back that has pleased Syracuse Orange fans with his back-to-back thousand-yard rushing seasons, will enter the 2023 NFL Draft. He has played his last game as a member of the ‘Cuse.

Tucker made the announcement today on his social media, first updating his Instagram bio to say “2023 NFL Draft” and following it up with an official statement.
...

Sean Tucker on Instagram: "My Dream #nfl #nfldraft #nfldraft2023 #dream #beginning #collegefootball #syracuse #syracuseuniversity #cuse #orange #forever"
Is Anthony Queeley’s Transfer Part of a Worrying Trend? – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)

Syracuse football’s news stories have been coming down the chute at breakneck speed over the past two weeks. SU’s two coordinators from this past season are out, but a veteran and scheme expert has replaced one of them. ‘Cuse’s defensive backfield is suddenly scrambled, and there are intriguing pieces coming through the transfer portal. It’s enough to make your head spin or whet the appetite of an optimist, but there’s still a simmering issue developing beneath the surface the Orange may have to reckon with sooner rather than later.

When wideout Courtney Jackson announced his decision to hit the transfer portal on November 29th, the news didn’t move the needle. Fellow pass-catcher Anthony Queeley’s move to Georgia Southern didn’t either, following a one-catch campaign in 2022. But once star running back Sean Tucker announced his intent via Instagram to test NFL Draft waters, the waters for SU’s offense got a whole lot choppier. Jackson and Queeley didn’t contribute a ton in 2022, but their departures alongside Tucker’s worsen a potential depth shortage at Syracuse’s skill positions.

The 2023 Orange are bound to look a lot different than the ‘22 bunch, but there are now priorities in place for Dino Babers and company to avoid a sudden cliff-dive from the perch of a rock-solid offensive unit.
...

How much is ex-Syracuse OC Robert Anae making at N.C. State? (PS; $; Leiker)

Former Syracuse football offensive coordinator Robert Anae has signed a three-year deal with N.C. State, his official contract with the university states.

Syracuse.com acquired the contract Saturday via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed earlier this week.

News broke that Anae was leaving the Orange program after one season on Dec. 8. His hiring at N.C. State was made official Dec. 12. Anae signed the contract Friday.

The contract began on Dec. 10, 2022, and runs through Feb. 28, 2025.

Anae will receive an annual gross salary of $850,000 as the Wolfpack’s offensive coordinator. His salary during his single season at SU is unknown.

In addition to his salary, Anae will receive a $15,000 relocation allowance and other non-monetary compensation.
...

ACC News

Louisville's Jawhar Jordan Knocks It Out Of Fenway Park | ACC Must See Moment (youtube.com; video; ACCDN)


Check out Louisville's Jawhar Jordan going back to the well for his second rushing score of the day. This one from 41 yards out for what is surely an ACC Must See Moment!

2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl Result (RX; HM)

2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl Result

Wa-SA-bi!
The Fenway Bowl, that's what!
Budweiser - Wasabi

Cincinnati 7, Louisville 24

TEAM STATSUCUL
1st Downs1024
3rd down efficiency2-137-14
4th down efficiency1-21-1
Total Yards127419
Passing83132
Comp-Att7-1513-23
Yards per pass5.55.7
Interceptions thrown02
Rushing44287
Rushing Attempts3849
Yards per rush1.25.9
Penalties3-255-25
Turnovers24
Fumbles lost22
Sacks17
Possession27:3132:29

I've highlighted whichever team won each statistic to show just how dominant the Cardinals were in this game. Besides more points, Louisville also had more first downs, passing yards, rushing yards, time of possession, and a lot more sacks. Here are the highlights:
Cincinnati vs. Louisville Wasabi Fenway Bowl Highlights (2022)

Cincinnati vs. Louisville: The Cardinals got a resounding 24-7 victory in the 2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl over Cincinnati. Jawhar Jordan and Maurice Turner combined for 275 yards rushing for Louisville. Jordan provided the 2 rushing scores from 41 and 49 yards out for the 'Cards. Brock Domann passed for a TD and the UL defense registered 7.0 sacks, 10.0 tackles for loss and forced 4 turnovers. Louisville finishes their season 8-5.

Current Louisville, Cincinnati interim coaches are no strangers to Keg of Nails rivalry (C-J; Cubit)

Remembering specific details of a game that happened 22 years ago isn’t easy, but there were a couple of moments that stuck out for Deion Branch in the 2000 Keg of Nails contest.

The former Louisville wide receiver’s memories were limited to making a catch on an out route during one of the last plays of the game and his helmet coming off as he was tackled out of bounds.

“And we won the game,” Branch, who will lead Louisville this weekend against the Bearcats, said of the Cardinals’ 38-24 home victory over Cincinnati on Oct. 14, 2000.

Branch, who had just transferred in from Jones (Miss.) County Junior College, may not remember that he also had a 45-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Dave Ragone during the first few minutes of the game. He finished with a then-career high 194 yards on eight receptions, including passes of 37 and 69 yards, before getting treatment on a rolled ankle he sustained a week earlier in a 38-17 win over UAB.

Who could’ve predicted that over two decades later, Branch would be Louisville’s head coach for a bowl game that revived the Keg of Nails rivalry in Boston, where he spent most of his professional career as a New England Patriot? And who would’ve known that, after Kerry Coombs left Cincinnati for Ohio State in 2012, he’d be the Bearcats’ interim head coach for the same bowl game in his first year back with the program a decade later?

It's an unlikely turn of events, yet here we are.

Coombs will lead Cincinnati and Branch will be Louisville’s head coach in the inaugural Fenway Bowl game at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fenway Park.

“It's a weird game,” Coombs said. “You've got two coaches who weren't the head coaches (during the regular season) this game and so certainly different and unique. … The fact that it's a team that's 100 miles away from us, a rivalry game that our players that are on the team right now haven't experienced but I certainly did as a coach the first time around at Cincinnati.

"i know what the Keg of Nails means. We're excited to have all of those parts involved in this game. It's not just a regular old bowl game. There's a lot of interesting facets to it.”

Both programs underwent coaching changes over the last few weeks, with Luke Fickell leaving Cincinnati for Wisconsin. Scott Satterfield then parted ways with Louisville to be the Bearcats’ new head coach and Jeff Brohm returned to U of L to lead his alma mater.

For one game, though, Coombs, UC’s special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach, and Branch, who came back to Louisville in January as the program’s director of player development, have been called upon to lead the squads.

A better storyline couldn’t have been written up. the Keg of Nails game has taken a nine-year hiatus, but the two interim head coaches, unlike their predecessors, have firsthand experience with the rivalry. They can give that insight to their players, many of whom were in middle school or younger the last time the two teams faced off.

“We had the opportunity to play against UK. That's our original rival,” Branch said of the Governor’s Cup. “But this one here is even more. This one here, it's even better for our guys. It dates back over 100 years and the last time we played was in 2013.”

Louisville offensive lineman Caleb Chandler and Cincinnati quarterback Evan Prater share common knowledge about a moment from that game at Nippert Stadium.
Both football players mentioned the well-known GIF of then-Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater taking a break from his pregame stretching routine to do the UC chant along with the Bearcats student section behind him He rolled his arms to the right, clapped his hands three times then perfectly executed both the ‘U’ and ‘C.’

That wasn’t even Bridgewater’s biggest troll of Cincinnati that day: he threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns with 17 more yards on six carries in the 31-24 victory. Having won the game the year prior, the Keg of Nails has been in Louisville for the past 10 years and was brought to Boston, according to a Louisville spokesperson.

“That's kind of like what sparked my interest in (the rivalry),” Prater said of Bridgewater's actions, “and so just being a Cincinnati kid growing up hearing about the Keg of Nails and then finally getting the opportunity to play in it, I'm just extremely excited and never thought it would be at Fenway Park.”
Chandler’s from Georgia and, outside of the GIF, isn’t as familiar with the Keg of Nails history. He has heard about it during his time at Louisville, though.
“I've heard that this rivalry was just as big as UK at one point,” he said. “It's just an honor and a blessing to be able to get this game back going and in this type of situation in this bowl game so really looking forward to it.”
...

Cincinnati depleted, defeated by Louisville in Wasabi Fenway Bowl (cincinnati.com; Springer)

A Hallmark holiday ending may have resulted in University of Cincinnati interim coach Kerry Coombs jumping on someone as Will McEnaney did to Johnny Bench to end the 1975 World Series at Fenway Park. Instead, Scott Satterfield's old team beat his new squad and did so soundly, 24-7.

Both teams started quarterbacks who primarily were reserves during the season. Both teams had opt-outs and players leaving via the transfer portal. But, the game is won up front by linemen imposing their will.

Louisville's offensive line bulldozed the Bearcats as freshman Maurice Turner and junior Jawhar Jordan both surpassed the century mark on the ground. Turner finished with 160 yards and Jordan had 115 with 89 of those coming on first-half touchdown trots. Louisville outrushed UC a whopping 287-55 and outgained them overall 419 yards to 138.

"That's a well-coached group and those two running backs are special players," Coombs said. "My hat's off to coach (Deion) Branch and the coaching staff that was there for the game. That's a good football team."

Louisville Cardinals running back Maurice Turner is forced out of bounds by Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Sammy Anderson.

UL RB Maurice Turner is forced OB by UC CB Sammy Anderson


Defensively Louisville was second in the nation in sacks and showed why Saturday, planting redshirt sophomore quarterback Evan Prater into the temporary sod seven times. Louisville had no interceptions but didn't need them as UC's passing game was offset by the relentless pressure of the Cardinal defenders.
...

Friedlander: Revisiting my preseason ACC Atlantic Crystal Ball Predictions - Saturday Road (saturdayroad; Friedlander)

The National Enquirer once employed a psychic named Jean Dixon, who made a name for herself during the 1970s and ‘80s with her predictions about celebrities and world events.

She got most of them wrong.

But on those rare occasions that she got a prediction right, the supermarket tabloid went to great lengths to celebrate her success.

In keeping with that tradition, I submit to you a look back at my Crystal Ball Predictions for the 2022 ACC football season, celebrating the few I actually hit while owning the many I missed.

In some cases, missed badly.

Today’s rewind deals with the Atlantic Division (click on the team’s name to link to the original Crystal Ball Story). On Monday, we’ll shift our attention to the Coastal.

And please resist the urge to call me Jean.

Boston College

Crystal Ball prediction: 6-6 (3-5)

Actual record: 3-9 (2-6)

Nailed it: In my preseason assessment of the Eagles’ chances of becoming a sleeper Atlantic contender, I wrote that it could happen. But only if quarterback Phil Jurkovec “stays healthy, the young offensive line grows up in a hurry and the defense figures out how to stop the run.”

As a postscript, I added that “the odds are against it.”

Were they ever.

BC struck out on all 3 variables.

Jurkovec suffered a season-ending knee injury during a loss to UConn during the 8th game. His effectiveness before that was limited by an offensive line that lost All-ACC tackle Christian Montgomery in preseason camp and never came together. And on defense, the Eagles ranked next-to-last in the ACC in run defense, allowing 25 rushing touchdowns and an average of 167 yards per game on the ground.

I came within a game of hitting the Eagles’ ACC record, with a loss to Duke, whose emergence into the surprise team of the ACC nobody saw coming, being the difference. I did, however, nail the 4-game midseason losing streak that ended their hopes for a winning season and 1st bowl trip since 2019.

Big whiff: The schedule set BC up to get off to a fast start, which I predicted. Instead of soaring out of the gate, the Eagles ended up stumbling.

They lost by a point to Rutgers in their opener, allowing the go-ahead touchdown with just less than 4 minutes remaining before getting manhandled by a Virginia Tech team that won only 3 games. They also got beat by UConn, another game I picked them to win.

Notable: Wide receiver Zay Flowers was among the few bright spots in an otherwise dark season for BC’s offense. The star senior caught 2 touchdown passes in the season finale against Syracuse to break Kelvin Martin’s career school record of 29. He also became only the 4th player in school history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season while earning 1st team All-ACC and 3rd-team All-American honors.

Quotable: “One thing that will help Hafley do a better job is the return of a healthy Jurkovec. The former Notre Dame transfer completed 61% of his passes while throwing for 2,558 yards and 17 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions 2 seasons ago.

“Without him for a majority of last year, the Eagles finished dead last in the ACC in total offense. A return to form would make a huge difference in the numbers BC puts onto the stat sheet, though with a schedule that leaves little margin for error, even that might not be enough to break that 6-7 win rut.”
...
...

Syracuse

Crystal Ball prediction: 4-8 (1-7)

Actual record: 7-5 (4-4)

Nailed it: Frankly, I didn’t get much right when it comes to predicting the Orange’s 2022 season. About my only success was projecting the positive impact offensive coordinator Robert Anae and quarterbacks coach Jason Beck would have on Garrett Shrader.

Shrader was a 56.2% passer with 1,445 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2021 before Anae and Beck arrived from ACC rival Virginia, where they helped Brennan Armstrong lead the league. After their arrival, his numbers improved to a much more efficient and productive 65% for 2,310 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Big Whiff: Where do I start? OK, how about at the start. That’s the start, as in the 1st game of the season, an emphatic win against Louisville that equaled the number of conference wins I predicted all season for the Orange. It matched its projected win total for the season by the 4th game.

Despite a dire prediction about coach Dino Babers’ job security, Syracuse won its 1st 6 games to earn bowl eligibility and get him off the hot seat by the midway point in the season.

I at least came close to correctly forecasting that the Orange would go winless during November for the 5th time in Babers’ 7-season tenure. But in the end, Syracuse proved me wrong again by closing out the regular season by beating Boston College to snap a 5-game losing streak.

Notable: When Syracuse rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat Boston College and snap a 5-game losing streak in the final game of the regular season, it marked the biggest comeback during Babers’ 7-season tenure. It also guaranteed the Orange of its first winning season since 2018 and its highest season win total since 2012.

Quotable: “Babers’ hopes for lowering the temperature rest on his ability to build off a 2021 season that saw 3 of the Orange’s 7 losses decided by a field goal or in overtime and by winning at least 6 games to earn bowl eligibility this season. The pieces are there to make a realistic run at accomplishing the goal.

“How much improvement is possible from a passing game that ranked dead last in the ACC? Who will step forward on an untested offensive line and receiving corps? Can the defense find a replacement for top pass rusher Cody Roscoe and his 8.5 sacks? And most importantly, will any of the above matter against a schedule brutal enough to give any coach nightmares? Let alone one whose job likely depends on his ability to get through it.”
...

Does the ACC have a team that could challenge the Clemson Tigers in 2023? (audacy.com; podcast; College Gametime)

ESPN's Chris Low joined College Football Gametime to discuss the state of the ACC and who could start to push the Clemson Tigers in 2023 and beyond.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have truly dominated the ACC at an unprecedented level.

Clemson has won seven of the last eight conference championships by an average of 25.7 points per contest and only has six losses to its 60 wins within the conference in that span. They have been the torch-bearer in the College Football Playoff and represent six of the ACC's seven appearances.

The Tigers are clearly the king of this jungle, and have been for some time.

How much longer can this be sustained? Is there anyone that could potentially usurp them? Chris Low joined College Football Gametime to discuss Dabo's dominance, but also who could challenge him now that they seem to be at their most vulnerable state.
...

Former Clemson WR is on the move to ACC rival (usatoday.com; Robertson)

A former Clemson wide receiver is switching teams to a familiar foe.

After officially entering the transfer portal on Dec. 5, Dacari Collins took to Twitter on Saturday to announce he will make the move to NC State.

Collins left the Clemson program this season after three games, during which he only caught one pass for 8 yards. The former four-star recruit finished his career at Clemson with 17 receptions for 229 yards.

“First and foremost I want to give all the glory to my God,” Collins wrote his announcement last month. “Without him nothing is possible. I want to thank Coach Swinney, the Clemson coaching staff, and all of Tiger Nation for an amazing two years of my life. Thank you for the opportunity to pursue my dreams academically and athletically. Thank you for helping me grow as a person.

“To my teammates, love y’all boys. We built relationships that will last forever and I’m grateful for that. I wish the best for all of you. After talking to God and my family, I will be entering the transfer portal. Not an easy decision, but I feel is the best. Thank you for prayers and support #GodSpeed.”

With Collins’ in-conference move, he will face off against his former team sometime next season, with the date to be determined.


Let’s work #WPN pic.twitter.com/MC4EkQY59A
— Official Dacari Collins ☥ (@Gods__gift3) December 18, 2022
...

Virginia Tech football: Hokies remain hot, pick up commitment from DB Antonio Cotman (gobblercountry.com; Manning)

The Virginia Tech Hokies stayed hot on the recruiting trail Sunday, adding defensive back Antonio Cotman to the 2023 recruiting class. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cotman plays at Life Christian Academy in Colonial Height, Virginia.

Cotman, who recently decommitted from Boston College, is Virginia Tech’s seventh commitment over the past week. He is the fifth high-school commitment during that time, and quarterback Kyron Drones and wide receiver Ali Jennings were added via the NCAA transfer portal.

Rivals ranks Cotman as a four-star prospect, while 247Sports sees him as a three-star. He plays at one of the more prestigious schools in the state and had 21 listed offers. When Cotman initially committed to Boston College earlier this year, the Hokies were his other finalist.

Cotman spoke about his commitment to Brian Dohn of 247Sports.

“It’s close to home, and they treat me like family,” Cotman said. “They are family oriented. I really love that. They [were close] with my family.”

Cotman said there was no contact with the Hokies throughout the fall as he remained committed to BC, but things apparently changed recently.
...

2022-23 Bowl Map: Too Far North? (RX; HM)

2022-23 Bowl Map: Too Far North?

Here's a map of all 2022 bowl sites, courtesy of Fox College Football:


The location of every Bowl Game this season

Which Bowl Games have you been to? pic.twitter.com/C18zfq7a1f
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 12, 2022

...and here's a tweet from fellow blogger and Hokies fan "Treadmill Horse":

Here me out, no bowl game should be played north of this line unless it is played in a dome pic.twitter.com/MEramNNhpe
— Treadmill Horse (@treadmillhorse) December 14, 2022

Treadmill is not wrong - nobody wants to sit out in the cold to watch two teams play that are barely above .500 - even if it's a short drive to get there.
Here's the problem: of the five bowls Treadmill identified as being too far North, three of them - the Fenway Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, and Military Bowl - are affiliated with the ACC.

True, the ACC is the conference with the most Northeastern teams (and the other two conferences with teams in the upper right-hand corner of the United States - the Big Ten and the American - are also affiliated with those three bowls).
Finally, Treadmill says the Northern Bowls are ok IF they are played in domes. I concur - but which Northern stadiums have domes over them? Ironically, they are mostly in the South. Here are the ones which could host bowls (but most don't):
...

Florida Gators and Home Field Advantage (RX; HM)

Florida Gators and Home Field Advantage

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know by now that Florida just lost their bowl game - to Oregon State, in a blow-out. Most people thought the Gators would win that game, but honestly, I'm not surprised.
Let me start by saying this is not about SEC-bashing. I have nothing to say against Alabama or Georgia; noth of those teams are very, very good. However, a lot of what is touted by the media as SEC football superiority is really just home field advantage - and no team exemplifies that better than the Gators.

P5 Teams that Florida has played at the other team's home field since 2013: Florida State. That's it - that's the whole list. In fact, the Gators have only played one other non-conference team in a true away game - period. That's the USF Bulls (aka South Florida).
...

Final 2022 ACC Soccer Factoids (RX; HM)

Final 2022 ACC Soccer Factoids

Men's Soccer

Syracuse won the first NCAA men’s soccer national championship in program history on Monday evening in the NCAA Men’s College Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Following 110 minutes and a 2-2 draw, the No. 3 seed Orange outlasted No. 13 Indiana, 7-6, in a penalty-kick shootout.
ACC teams have now won 19 NCAA men’s soccer championships, including 10 since 2001.
Syracuse is the fourth team in ACC men’s soccer history to win an ACC regular-season title, ACC Championship and NCAA Championship in the same season, joining Virginia (1991, 1992) and North Carolina (2011). The Orange finished the season on a 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0-3) to conclude the season with a 19-2-4 record.
Seven current ACC programs have won at least one national championship, the most of any conference. Eleven different league programs have reached the Men's College Cup. Sixty-one ACC teams have reached the Men's College Cup all-time.
Virginia has won seven NCAA men's soccer championships, which is third most all-time. Clemson (3), North Carolina (2), Duke (1), Notre Dame (1), Syracuse (1) and Wake Forest (1) also have won titles.
Six ACC teams were ranked in the final United Soccer Coaches poll - most of any conference: Syracuse (1), Duke (3), Pitt (8), Clemson (13), Virginia (16) and Wake Forest (24).
This marked the fourth straight tournament in which the ACC boasted two College Cup participants, with Pitt and Syracuse. The ACC has had at least one participant in the Men’s College Cup in 21 of the last 22 seasons.
Eight ACC teams earned bids to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, most of any conference in this tournament. The ACC also claimed four of the top eight national seeds: Syracuse (3), Virginia (4), Clemson (6) and Duke (7).
This marks the 10th straight season in which the ACC placed the most teams in the tournament and the 22nd consecutive season that at least five league teams earned a bid.
Duke junior midfielder Peter Stroud and Syracuse senior forward Levonte Johnson are two of the three finalists for the 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy, presented to the nation's top college soccer player. The award will be presented Jan. 6 in St. Louis, Missouri.
...

Track which conferences are winning the 2022-23 bowl season (ncaa.com)

Bowl season is finally here. There are more than 40 FBS bowl games on the calendar, with matchups featuring conference champions, ranked teams and more. Conference bragging rights are up for grabs as well. We'll be keeping track of the conferences with the best bowl records all bowl season.

This article will be updated after each game. Conference representatives are in bold.


CONFERENCE (BOWL TEAMS)RECORDWINNING PERCENTAGE
AMERICAN (7)0-2.000
ACC (9)1-01.000
BIG 12 (8)0-0
BIG TEN (9)0-0
C-USA (6)1-3.250
INDEPENDENTS (5)1-01.000
MAC (6)0-1.000
MOUNTAIN WEST (7)2-01.000
PAC-12 (7)1-1.500
SEC (11)0-1.000
SUN BELT (7)2-01.000

American Athletic Conference (7)

Record: 0-2
WATCH THEM ALL: Complete bowl game TV schedule
...


Other


Tuba Christmas lights up Liverpool auditorium with rumbling bass and red sweaters (video) (PS; Struck)


The auditorium of the Liverpool High School rumbled ferociously Saturday with the sound of 80 jolly horn players.

This was the 20th annual “Tuba Christmas,” a seasonal event that brings together low brass players for a holiday concert each year. There are Tuba Christmas groups all around the U.S., and the founding group in New York City gathers on the Rockefeller Center ice rink each winter.

“Tubas do not usually get the spotlight,” said Melissa Fulmer Cannan, Liverpool Central School District instrumental music teacher and the organizer for the Syracuse tuba event.

Cannan plays the euphonium, one of the smaller horns present on the day. In addition to the tubas and euphoniums, there were a couple specialty instruments — one tuba onstage was made in 1911 and had played in John Philips Sousa’s band, another was a gleaming horn with two separate bells.

The thunderous 80 players were more than Cannan was hoping for post-Covid hiatus, with a strong showing of teachers and high school band players. There were a good number of general enthusiasts as well, and a smattering of college students and elementary school kids.

“We often have anybody from 8 to 80,” said Cannan. “We have band teachers and people who just play for fun.”
...
 
Looking forward to a Pinstripe Bowl victory for the Orange.

Now, about that basketball team...
 

Similar threads

    • Like
Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday for Football
Replies
7
Views
1K
    • Like
Orangeyes Daily Articles for Monday for Football
Replies
5
Views
605
    • Like
Orangeyes Daily Articles for Friday for Football
Replies
8
Views
831
    • Like
Orangeyes Daily Articles for Thursday for Football
Replies
4
Views
4K
Orangeyes Daily Articles for Thursday for Football
Replies
10
Views
473

Forum statistics

Threads
167,127
Messages
4,681,573
Members
5,900
Latest member
DizzyNY

Online statistics

Members online
70
Guests online
1,730
Total visitors
1,800


Top Bottom