sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to Visit the Zoo Day!
Visit the Zoo Day takes place during the holidays, between Christmas and New Year's Day, at a time when children often have off from school. Family members who live out of town are often visiting as well. Given these circumstances, Visit the Zoo Day provides a great way for families to bond during the holidays.
A Zoo—short for a zoological park—is a place that contains animals and exists to entertain, educate, engage in scientific research, and focus on conservation. Early zoos, known as menageries, were private collections of animals held by the wealthy. They existed as early as 2,500 BCE, being found in Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were found soon afterward in ancient China, Greece, and Rome. Aztec Emperor Montezuma II had one of the first collections of animals in the Western Hemisphere.
SU News
SU 2023 recruiting: Trends, rankings, comments from Babers, Monroe (analysis) (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football has had a busy December.
The Orange lost its offensive and defensive coordinators in a 12-hour span on Dec. 9. Head coach Dino Babers made an internal promotion for one position but conducted a coaching search for the other.
There’s been bowl prep, opt-outs and a handful of departures through the transfer portal.
On top of it all, SU had recruiting to do. It signed 20 players from the high school and junior college ranks as well as from the transfer portal. Many of the players had been verbally committed to Syracuse for months and kept their commitments through the changes in coordinators.
“They never wavered,” Babers said. “They committed to Syracuse University. They committed to the head coach in front of you, and they never wavered one iota.”
Here are three breakdowns of SU’s early signing class at a glance:
Five Storylines to Watch in the Pinstripe Bowl – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Simone)
It’s hard to argue that bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff haven’t lost a lot of their luster over the past few years. That’s for multiple reasons, one is the enhanced focus on the playoff, another is the trend of NFL draft prospects sitting out.
But, for Syracuse fans, there’s plenty to watch for in the Pinstripe Bowl that could provide a glimpse into what next season will look like.
OC Jason Beck
After a decade attached to the hip of Robert Anae, Beck gets a chance to run his own show. Anae leaving could very well end up being a positive for Syracuse. Keeping the two together for much longer probably wasn’t possible, as Beck would have been offered a coordinator job somewhere else at some point.
Instead, he takes the promotion at Syracuse, giving SU the same offensive system from someone with a longer career horizon than Anae, who’s in his 60s.
What will the offense look like? Don’t expect it to be much different. A lot of throws over the middle of the field, a lot of inside zone handoffs and, hopefully, a continuation of the “special plays” as Dino Babers calls them that were so prevalent towards the end of the season. Who knows, though. Maybe Beck will add his own wrinkle.
RB LeQuint Allen
It’s Allen’s show now. With Sean Tucker skipping the game to focus on the draft, the freshman from New Jersey gets a chance to be the bell cow.
Allen ran for 160 yards on 26 carries (6.9 per) in limited opportunities as Tucker’s backup. He also had a 90 yard run against Wagner, SU’s longest play from scrimmage this year.
Allen will surely be the lead back next season, and we’ll get a sneak peak of what that looks like against Minnesota.
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'Cuse in NYC - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
Bowl week is finally here. The Orange football team arrived on site at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 25 to take in a week full of sights and experiences in New York City.
The Orange face Minnesota at 2 p.m. on Dec. 29. Tickets are still available at Cuse.com/Bowl.
Sunday, Dec. 25
'Cuse arrived in the city late in the afternoon, settling into their hotel near Times Square for the week and having a family Christmas Dinner, before hitting Radio City Music Hall to see the world-famous Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Monday, Dec. 26
The day started with a trip to One World Observatory, for breathtaking New York City views, before taking in the 9/11 Memorial Museum to pay respects and learn about the tragic events that day.
Syracuse University lost 30 alums that day, and Orange players placed a rose at each of their names on the reflecting pools where the towers stood.
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University of Minnesota back Mohamed Ibrahim runs the ball against Northwestern on Nov. 12, 2022. Ibrahim rushed for 178 yards and scored three touchdowns against the Wildcats.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Gophers’ Mo Ibrahim on verge of breaking 4 more program records (bemidjipioneer.com; Greder)
Mohamed Ibrahim’s final encore is upon University of Minnesota football fans — and it’s setting up to be an historic finish.
The sixth-year running back can break four major program milestones when Minnesota plays Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Ibrahim has been cresting Darrell Thompson’s perches atop Minnesota’s record books all season — moving into first in career rushing touchdowns, total TDs and 100-yard games — and Ibrahim has almost reached the tallest summit: career rushing yards. Ibrahim sits only 57 yards behind Thompson’s mark of 4,654.
Ibrahim also is on the verge of three single-season records. He is 32 rushing yards behind David Cobb’s 1,626 in 2014 and 10 carries behind Cobb’s 314 set that same year. Ibrahim needs one touchdown to break a tie with Gary Russell’s single-season mark of 19 set in 2006.
“He has meant everything to the program — everything to me,” Gophers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarroocca said last week. “He’s the best back I’ve ever coached and been around. I feel lucky to have been around him.”
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Syracuse football: Looking at the Orange’s Pinstripe Bowl history (TNIAAM; Wall)
With the Syracuse Orange ready to make their third Pinstripe Bowl appearance, it’s a good time to look back at the previous two trips to the Bronx.
In 2010, Syracuse faced the Kansas State Wildcats in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl. A cold December afternoon couldn’t stop these two offenses from lighting up the scoreboard. Delone Carter carried the ball 27 times for 198 yards and two scores. Ryan Nassib threw for 239 and three scores. Marcus Sales hauled in all three of those on his way to 172 yards receiving. The game wasn’t decided until a controversial taunting penalty on Adrian Hilburn forced the Wildcats to attempt a game-tying two-point conversion from the 17-yard line. The Orange defense held and Syracuse had a 36-34 win.
The Orange came back to the Bronx in 2012. This time their Big 12 opponent was the West Virginia Mountaineers. Syracuse started out with a 12-0 lead but a Steadman Bailey touchdown reception closed the gap to 12-7 at the half. The Orange roared out of the locker room and put the game away with 23 points in the third quarter.
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: Where Will Syracuse Football's NFL Prospects Be Drafted? on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine are joined by PFF's Max Chadwick to talk Syracuse Football players who have declared for the draft. Who will get drafted? Where will they fall? What might their NFL outlooks be at this point? It's your Tuesday episode of Locked On Syracuse.
ACC News
Film room: Duke football's Military Bowl matchup against UCF will be a battle of dual-threat quarterbacks (dukechronicle.com; Heintzelman)
Duke will head to Annapolis, Md., to take on UCF at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in the Military Bowl Wednesday. The Blue Zone is here to break down film on the Knights prior to the 2 p.m. matchup:
After a disappointing last-second loss to Pittsburgh, Duke bounced back with a 34-31 victory against Wake Forest in its final game of the regular season. Now, the Blue Devils are up against UCF in what many thought impossible at the beginning of the season: a bowl game. That being said, this will not be an easy win for first-year head coach Mike Elko’s Duke squad.
The Knights are a solid team, and the main driving engine behind their offensive success has been quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee has posed a significant challenge to opposing defenses all year, largely because of his potency as a dual-threat weapon. He has averaged 200.3 passing yards per game and has added 70.1 on the ground. His athleticism is unmatched, as can be evidenced by the circus-like hurdle touchdown he scored against Florida Atlantic earlier this year.
As a result of the threat posed by Plumlee’s legs, the Blue Devil defense may find itself forced to consider leaving a defender as a “spy” near the line of scrimmage to limit the potential damage the dynamic signal caller can do on the ground, which would limit Duke’s ability to bring pressure into the pocket and also open up more single-coverage options in the passing game.
In this clip here, Tulane’s Larry Brooks (No. 31) is caught sitting on the edge of the defensive line to stop a potential running play, and as a result another Tulane defender is caught in single coverage on a slant against UCF’s Kobe Hudson, leading to the easy score in between the hash marks.
When Duke has the ball, it will want to exploit a Knights defense that has struggled to bring pressure on opposing quarterbacks, recording just 22 sacks on the season. As has been seen all year, when signal caller Riley Leonard has time, he finds his receivers downfield. Take the Blue Devils’ matchup against the Demon Deacons, when the sophomore finished with 391 yards through the air. In this clip from the second quarter, Leonard sits in the pocket with plenty of time before he finds speedster Jalon Calhoun for the easy score.
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Pat Narduzzi’s Not Perfect, But He’s Led Pitt to Eight Years of Stability; And An ACC Title (pittsburghsportsnow.com; Ludwig)
Pat Narduzzi was officially announced as the 36th head coach in Pitt history eight years ago today. A stretch of time that has been nothing if not eventful.
However, do not mistake eventful for unstable. Because aside from a conference championship, Narduzzi’s stability has been his greatest contribution to Pitt football.
In the five seasons before Narduzzi’s hire, dating back to Dave Wannstedt’s resignation in Dec. of 2010, six different coaches (Wannstedt, Phil Bennett, Todd Graham, Keith Patterson, Paul Chryst and Joe Rudolph) are credited with coaching at least one game. A list that obviously doesn’t even include Michael Haywood.
Graham and Chryst left unceremoniously for new opportunities. Pitt was forced to name three interim coaches to finish a season over a five-year span. Insert Pat Narduzzi.
Narduzzi, the longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator and 2013 Broyles Award winner as college football’s top assistant, returned a bit closer to his roots by coming to Pitt — after growing up in Youngstown, Ohio and attending Youngstown State. He also immediately began the process of staying true to Pitt’s roots, installing his personal brand of defense.
Through eight seasons, Narduzzi has certainly done so. A style of aggressive, man-on-man defense that is truly unique to Narduzzi himself — for better or worse. From a unique kind of coach that fits Pittsburgh better than perhaps anyone could’ve expected.
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Wake Forest football caps exciting season with Gasparilla Bowl championship - Chatham Journal Newspaper (chathamjournal.com)
Behind a three-touchdown performance from Sam Hartman as he earned MVP honors on Friday night, Wake Forest defeated Southeastern Conference representative Missouri 27-17 to win the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The win marked Wake Forest’s fifth in the last seven years since the Deacs began the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-longest bowl streak back in 2016.
Head coach Dave Clawson’s five bowl victories, which is the most in school history, now ranks tied for fifth in ACC history for postseason wins. Clawson ranks behind Bobby Bowden (Florida State, 11), Dabor Swinney (Clemson, 11), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech, 6) and Danny Ford (Clemson, 6). Meanwhile, he is now tied with Jimbo Fisher (Florida State, 5) and Ralph Friedgen (Maryland, 5).
Hartman earned his second-straight bowl game MVP honor, as he garnered the accolade following his standout performance against Rutgers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in 2021.
With that, the Charlotte, N.C. native is the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career at Wake Forest.
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Virginia Tech football: A look at the Hokies’ 2023 recruiting class (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. While no one will confuse Virginia Tech’s incoming class with Alabama or Ohio State, there were many encouraging signs in head coach Brent Pry’s first full recruiting class.
Over the final month heading into the early signing period, Pry picked up commitments from six high school players and four transfers. And for some of those players, Pry either flipped from other schools or beat some good competition to land those signatures.
Tech landed Kyron Drones on the transfer market, a former four-star QB who spent the past two seasons with Baylor. Drones was a hot commodity and gives the Hokies and offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen the type of passer who can run his offense; that should be RPO-heavy. Drones has three years of eligibility remaining.
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Bhayshul Tuten transfers to Boston College from North Carolina A&T (bcinterruption; Flannery)
On Saturday afternoon, North Carolina A&T RB Bhayshul Tuten announced his commitment to transfer to Boston College.
Boston College fended off some heavy hitters in Tuten’s transfer recruitment. He had offers from Georgia, Florida, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, and more before committing to Jeff Hafley’s Eagles. This addition helps an already exciting RB unit for BC, but with the major caveat that OL play could hold the group back like it did in 2022.
Welcome to the Heights, Bhayshul!
Virginia Football Currently Ranked 4th in the ACC in Transfer Portal Rankings - Sports Illustrated Virginia Cavaliers News, Analysis and More (SI; Newton)
Virginia signed four players from the transfer portal on national signing day on Wednesday. In the 247Sports transfer portal recruiting rankings, Virginia is ranked 23rd overall and 4th in the ACC, trailing only Georgia Tech, Miami, and Florida State.
247Sports 2023 Transfer Football Team Rankings
Miami football 2023 class has best ACC prospect at 6 positions (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
The 2023 Miami football class has the best prospect in the ACC at six different positions. CB Cormani McClain and OT Francis Mauigoa are the best players at their positions nationally in 2023. Mark Fletcher is the best 2023 ACC RB signee, TE Riley Williams, edge rusher Rueben Bain and Malik Bryant at linebacker.
McClain who is the sole 2023 Miami football commit yet to sign is the second-ranked player nationally, top CB and top recruit from Florida. Mauigoa is the eighth-ranked player in the composite rankings, top OT and second in Florida. Offensive tackle Samson Okunlola is the third five-star prospect in the 2023 Miami class.
Okunlola is the 20th-ranked prospect, third OT nationally and top player in Massachusetts. Bain and Jayden Wayne are the top two incoming edge rushers in the class of 2023. Bain is the 70th-ranked prospect, ninth edge rusher and 14th player in Florida in the class of 2023. Wayne is 72nd 11th and 15th.
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Brownlow: New friends for Duke, UNC, old foe for NC State in this week's bowl games :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Brownlow)
Bowl season is here in the ACC! Well, it's been here for awhile. But not yet in the Triangle. Two teams will be facing an opponent for the first time, while the other will see an old ACC foe. Duke will kick things off (well, maybe not literally; depends on the coin toss) on Wednesday against UCF for the first time ever, while that night at 8pm, UNC will take on Oregon for the first-ever meeting between those two. Then on Friday, NC State will face an old friend (or enemy, if you'd rather) in former ACC foe Maryland. Which Triangle teams will end the season on a good note? How will opt-outs and the transfer portal play roles? Let's find out!
TV: ESPN
As good as Duke's offense was this year, UCF's actually finished every so slightly higher in yards per play (6.28 to 6.2). Duke had the slight edge defensively (5.6 yards per play to 5.7 for UCF), but the only offense Duke has faced that ranked higher in yards per play was UNC's and they put up 7.2 yards per play. A lot will depend on the health of UCF"s starting QB, of course, but Duke does have a very favorable matchup when it comes to running the football. Duke was 1-4 this season when allowing 120 or more yards on the ground and 7-0 when it held opponents below that. But UCF relied heavily on running the ball this year and ran for at least 100 yards in all but one game. The Knights were tied for 15th nationally with 5.3 yards per rush. UCF was 0-3 when it rushed for fewer than 150 yards, though, and Duke's going to have to really hold the line when it comes to the run game since regardless of the QB situation, UCF is going to lean on its ground game.
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Jason Maitre transfers to Liberty from Boston College (bcinterruption.com; Flannery)
On Thursday afternoon, Boston College DB Jason Maitre announced his decision to transfer to Liberty in 2023.
Maitre played at Boston College for five seasons before announcing his decision to transfer this offseason. Most of his collegiate career was spent as a depth player in the defensive backfield, but 2022 saw him take on a bigger role as one of the team’s premier safeties. BC is bringing in a few more DBs through the transfer portal and recruiting to fill the gap of Maitre’s and others’ departures.
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All-Time Bowl Records (RX; HM)
All-Time Bowl Records
This tweet claims to show all CFB teams with an all-time non-losing record in bowl games:
8. Wake Forest .647
9. Syracuse .635
13. Florida State .617
26. Georgia Tech .556
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https://michiganstate./news/acc-spotlight-early-signing-period-report-card-1 (r1vals.com; Friedman)
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CLASS OF 2023 COMMITMENT LIST: Syracuse
The Orange had a very good 2022 season but a few assistant coaches moved on to other jobs and this recruiting class suffered. They lost longtime quarterback commit
LaNorris Sellers
to South Carolina during the Early Signing Period and he was the highest-rated player in this class.
With just seven three-stars and a total of 15 signees, Syracuse will be very active in the transfer portal. The top-rated players in the class are defensive linemen
Rashard Perry
,
Jalil Smith
,
Ty Gordon
, and
Oluwademilade Omopariola
along with running back
Ike Daniels
, tight end
David Clement
and linebacker
Lonnie Rice
.
Grade: B-
,,,
Stranded Pitt Players hitch a ride to Sun Bowl (RX; HM)
Best 2023 OOC Games (RX; HM)
Best 2023 OOC Games
2022 All-ECAC Team (RX; HM)
2022 All-ECAC Team
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) has announced it's All-ECAC team, which is littered with Syracuse and Boston College players (no other ACC team is eligible, I think). Five Oranges, two Eagles...
All-ECAC Selections
Sean Tucker – Syracuse University, So., RB
Nicholas Singleton – Penn State University, Fr, RB
Zay Flowers – Boston College, Sr., WR
Kris Thornton – James Madison University, Rs-Sr., WR
Jose Barbon – Temple University, Jr., WR
Oronde Gadsden II – Syracuse University, So., TE
Christian Haynes – University of Connecticut, Jr., OL
Matthew Bergeron – Syracuse University, Jr., OL
Juice Scruggs – Penn State University, Rs-Sr., OL
Olumuyiwa Fashanu – Penn State University, So., OL
Adam Klein – Temple University, Sr., OL
Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College, So., DL
Caleb Okechukwu – Syracuse University, Rs-Jr., DL
Jacob Busic – Navy, Jr., DL
Isaac Ukwu – James Madison University, Rs-Sr., DL
John Marshall – Navy, Sr., LB
Jackson Mitchell – University of Connecticut, Jr., LB
Jalen Mackie – University of Massachusetts, Gr., LB
Jordan Magee – Temple University, So., LB
Tre Wortham – University of Connecticut, Sr., DB
Ji'Ayir Brown – Penn State University, Sr., DB
Joey Porter Jr. – Penn State University, Rs-Jr., DB
Jordan Mahoney – University of Massachusetts, So, DB
Avery Young – Rutgers University, Sr, DB
Adam Korsak – Rutgers University, Sr., P
Aron Cruickshank – Rutgers University, Sr., RS
Grading the 2022 Coaching Carousel (RX; HM)
Grading the 2022 Coaching Carousel
From CBS Sports' 2023 college football coaching carousel grades
Here are the P5 coaches as well as a few other ACC-related hires, with CBS' comments for the ACC-related coaches:
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Other
CNY’s best dishes of 2022: Our food writers pick their favorites (PS; $; Miller)
Our restaurant writers are fortunate enough to have sampled hundreds of dishes this year throughout Central New York. Much were deliciously creative; some were forgettable. A few restaurants, though, put something together that we just can’t get out of our head.
Jared Paventi, Danielle Benjamin, Alicia Cuadrado and Charlie Miller have come up with our list of the best dishes we ate during our travels. They were entrées an entire meal was built around or appetizers that got the whole meal rolling. Some were in fancy dining rooms, some were from a bar.
Here are some of our favorite dishes we ate at restaurants we wrote about in 2022 and why we think you should try them:
From Jared Paventi: Short rib gets my attention on any menu, and I was enticed by the short rib hash with eggs at Brian’s Landing in Jamesville. Braised short ribs were reduced to soft, stringy shreds and grilled with potatoes, caramelized onions and poblano peppers. Charred over an open flame, the mild spice of the pepper and smoky undertone enriched the flavors of the beef. Broken yolks from the two over-easy eggs served on top added a creamy texture to bind the ingredients.
Osso Bucco: Halsey’s Restaurant
An overhead look at the veal osso bucco with crispy brussels sprouts at Halsey's Restaurant, Geneva, NY (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
Address: 106 Seneca St., Geneva; (315) 789-4070
From Jared Paventi: Once a ubiquitous feature on Italian restaurant menus, the braised veal osso bucco has become more difficult to find. Halsey’s Restaurant in Geneva was a massive presentation of the veal shank, slowly roasted so that meat fell away with just the slightest effort, revealing an umami-rich, tender prize. It was served in a red wine demi-glace, which brought added complexity to the dish.
Strozzapreti: Moosewood Restaurant
Address: 219 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca; (607) 273-9610
From Jared Paventi: This was a hefty dish, thanks to the pairing of the heavyweight strozzapreti pasta with meaty shitake and oyster mushrooms. Ithaca’s Moosewood Restaurant used a sherry cream sauce to coat the pasta and vegetable without pooling or being soupy, and a gremolata and breadcrumb topping tied it together with herbal and lemony flavors. There was so much going on in this dish and all of it complemented each other.
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Visit the Zoo Day takes place during the holidays, between Christmas and New Year's Day, at a time when children often have off from school. Family members who live out of town are often visiting as well. Given these circumstances, Visit the Zoo Day provides a great way for families to bond during the holidays.
A Zoo—short for a zoological park—is a place that contains animals and exists to entertain, educate, engage in scientific research, and focus on conservation. Early zoos, known as menageries, were private collections of animals held by the wealthy. They existed as early as 2,500 BCE, being found in Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were found soon afterward in ancient China, Greece, and Rome. Aztec Emperor Montezuma II had one of the first collections of animals in the Western Hemisphere.
SU News
SU 2023 recruiting: Trends, rankings, comments from Babers, Monroe (analysis) (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football has had a busy December.
The Orange lost its offensive and defensive coordinators in a 12-hour span on Dec. 9. Head coach Dino Babers made an internal promotion for one position but conducted a coaching search for the other.
There’s been bowl prep, opt-outs and a handful of departures through the transfer portal.
On top of it all, SU had recruiting to do. It signed 20 players from the high school and junior college ranks as well as from the transfer portal. Many of the players had been verbally committed to Syracuse for months and kept their commitments through the changes in coordinators.
“They never wavered,” Babers said. “They committed to Syracuse University. They committed to the head coach in front of you, and they never wavered one iota.”
Here are three breakdowns of SU’s early signing class at a glance:
- By position: Five O-linemen, five D-linemen, three linebackers, two defensive backs, two running backs, a wide receiver, a tight end and a punter
- By state: Four from New York, three from New Jersey, two from Virginia, one each from California, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, American Samoa
- By year: Twelve freshmen, two redshirt freshmen, two redshirt sophomores, two juniors, two graduate students
Five Storylines to Watch in the Pinstripe Bowl – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Simone)
It’s hard to argue that bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff haven’t lost a lot of their luster over the past few years. That’s for multiple reasons, one is the enhanced focus on the playoff, another is the trend of NFL draft prospects sitting out.
But, for Syracuse fans, there’s plenty to watch for in the Pinstripe Bowl that could provide a glimpse into what next season will look like.
OC Jason Beck
After a decade attached to the hip of Robert Anae, Beck gets a chance to run his own show. Anae leaving could very well end up being a positive for Syracuse. Keeping the two together for much longer probably wasn’t possible, as Beck would have been offered a coordinator job somewhere else at some point.
Instead, he takes the promotion at Syracuse, giving SU the same offensive system from someone with a longer career horizon than Anae, who’s in his 60s.
What will the offense look like? Don’t expect it to be much different. A lot of throws over the middle of the field, a lot of inside zone handoffs and, hopefully, a continuation of the “special plays” as Dino Babers calls them that were so prevalent towards the end of the season. Who knows, though. Maybe Beck will add his own wrinkle.
RB LeQuint Allen
It’s Allen’s show now. With Sean Tucker skipping the game to focus on the draft, the freshman from New Jersey gets a chance to be the bell cow.
Allen ran for 160 yards on 26 carries (6.9 per) in limited opportunities as Tucker’s backup. He also had a 90 yard run against Wagner, SU’s longest play from scrimmage this year.
Allen will surely be the lead back next season, and we’ll get a sneak peak of what that looks like against Minnesota.
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'Cuse in NYC - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
Bowl week is finally here. The Orange football team arrived on site at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 25 to take in a week full of sights and experiences in New York City.
The Orange face Minnesota at 2 p.m. on Dec. 29. Tickets are still available at Cuse.com/Bowl.
Sunday, Dec. 25
'Cuse arrived in the city late in the afternoon, settling into their hotel near Times Square for the week and having a family Christmas Dinner, before hitting Radio City Music Hall to see the world-famous Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Monday, Dec. 26
The day started with a trip to One World Observatory, for breathtaking New York City views, before taking in the 9/11 Memorial Museum to pay respects and learn about the tragic events that day.
Syracuse University lost 30 alums that day, and Orange players placed a rose at each of their names on the reflecting pools where the towers stood.
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University of Minnesota back Mohamed Ibrahim runs the ball against Northwestern on Nov. 12, 2022. Ibrahim rushed for 178 yards and scored three touchdowns against the Wildcats.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Gophers’ Mo Ibrahim on verge of breaking 4 more program records (bemidjipioneer.com; Greder)
Mohamed Ibrahim’s final encore is upon University of Minnesota football fans — and it’s setting up to be an historic finish.
The sixth-year running back can break four major program milestones when Minnesota plays Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Ibrahim has been cresting Darrell Thompson’s perches atop Minnesota’s record books all season — moving into first in career rushing touchdowns, total TDs and 100-yard games — and Ibrahim has almost reached the tallest summit: career rushing yards. Ibrahim sits only 57 yards behind Thompson’s mark of 4,654.
Ibrahim also is on the verge of three single-season records. He is 32 rushing yards behind David Cobb’s 1,626 in 2014 and 10 carries behind Cobb’s 314 set that same year. Ibrahim needs one touchdown to break a tie with Gary Russell’s single-season mark of 19 set in 2006.
“He has meant everything to the program — everything to me,” Gophers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarroocca said last week. “He’s the best back I’ve ever coached and been around. I feel lucky to have been around him.”
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Syracuse football: Looking at the Orange’s Pinstripe Bowl history (TNIAAM; Wall)
With the Syracuse Orange ready to make their third Pinstripe Bowl appearance, it’s a good time to look back at the previous two trips to the Bronx.
In 2010, Syracuse faced the Kansas State Wildcats in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl. A cold December afternoon couldn’t stop these two offenses from lighting up the scoreboard. Delone Carter carried the ball 27 times for 198 yards and two scores. Ryan Nassib threw for 239 and three scores. Marcus Sales hauled in all three of those on his way to 172 yards receiving. The game wasn’t decided until a controversial taunting penalty on Adrian Hilburn forced the Wildcats to attempt a game-tying two-point conversion from the 17-yard line. The Orange defense held and Syracuse had a 36-34 win.
The Orange came back to the Bronx in 2012. This time their Big 12 opponent was the West Virginia Mountaineers. Syracuse started out with a 12-0 lead but a Steadman Bailey touchdown reception closed the gap to 12-7 at the half. The Orange roared out of the locker room and put the game away with 23 points in the third quarter.
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Locked On Syracuse - Daily Podcast On Syracuse Orange Football & Basketball: Where Will Syracuse Football's NFL Prospects Be Drafted? on Apple Podcasts (apple.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Matt Bonaparte and Owen Valentine are joined by PFF's Max Chadwick to talk Syracuse Football players who have declared for the draft. Who will get drafted? Where will they fall? What might their NFL outlooks be at this point? It's your Tuesday episode of Locked On Syracuse.
ACC News
Film room: Duke football's Military Bowl matchup against UCF will be a battle of dual-threat quarterbacks (dukechronicle.com; Heintzelman)
Duke will head to Annapolis, Md., to take on UCF at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in the Military Bowl Wednesday. The Blue Zone is here to break down film on the Knights prior to the 2 p.m. matchup:
After a disappointing last-second loss to Pittsburgh, Duke bounced back with a 34-31 victory against Wake Forest in its final game of the regular season. Now, the Blue Devils are up against UCF in what many thought impossible at the beginning of the season: a bowl game. That being said, this will not be an easy win for first-year head coach Mike Elko’s Duke squad.
The Knights are a solid team, and the main driving engine behind their offensive success has been quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee has posed a significant challenge to opposing defenses all year, largely because of his potency as a dual-threat weapon. He has averaged 200.3 passing yards per game and has added 70.1 on the ground. His athleticism is unmatched, as can be evidenced by the circus-like hurdle touchdown he scored against Florida Atlantic earlier this year.
As a result of the threat posed by Plumlee’s legs, the Blue Devil defense may find itself forced to consider leaving a defender as a “spy” near the line of scrimmage to limit the potential damage the dynamic signal caller can do on the ground, which would limit Duke’s ability to bring pressure into the pocket and also open up more single-coverage options in the passing game.
In this clip here, Tulane’s Larry Brooks (No. 31) is caught sitting on the edge of the defensive line to stop a potential running play, and as a result another Tulane defender is caught in single coverage on a slant against UCF’s Kobe Hudson, leading to the easy score in between the hash marks.
When Duke has the ball, it will want to exploit a Knights defense that has struggled to bring pressure on opposing quarterbacks, recording just 22 sacks on the season. As has been seen all year, when signal caller Riley Leonard has time, he finds his receivers downfield. Take the Blue Devils’ matchup against the Demon Deacons, when the sophomore finished with 391 yards through the air. In this clip from the second quarter, Leonard sits in the pocket with plenty of time before he finds speedster Jalon Calhoun for the easy score.
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Pat Narduzzi’s Not Perfect, But He’s Led Pitt to Eight Years of Stability; And An ACC Title (pittsburghsportsnow.com; Ludwig)
Pat Narduzzi was officially announced as the 36th head coach in Pitt history eight years ago today. A stretch of time that has been nothing if not eventful.
However, do not mistake eventful for unstable. Because aside from a conference championship, Narduzzi’s stability has been his greatest contribution to Pitt football.
In the five seasons before Narduzzi’s hire, dating back to Dave Wannstedt’s resignation in Dec. of 2010, six different coaches (Wannstedt, Phil Bennett, Todd Graham, Keith Patterson, Paul Chryst and Joe Rudolph) are credited with coaching at least one game. A list that obviously doesn’t even include Michael Haywood.
Graham and Chryst left unceremoniously for new opportunities. Pitt was forced to name three interim coaches to finish a season over a five-year span. Insert Pat Narduzzi.
Narduzzi, the longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator and 2013 Broyles Award winner as college football’s top assistant, returned a bit closer to his roots by coming to Pitt — after growing up in Youngstown, Ohio and attending Youngstown State. He also immediately began the process of staying true to Pitt’s roots, installing his personal brand of defense.
Through eight seasons, Narduzzi has certainly done so. A style of aggressive, man-on-man defense that is truly unique to Narduzzi himself — for better or worse. From a unique kind of coach that fits Pittsburgh better than perhaps anyone could’ve expected.
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Wake Forest football caps exciting season with Gasparilla Bowl championship - Chatham Journal Newspaper (chathamjournal.com)
Behind a three-touchdown performance from Sam Hartman as he earned MVP honors on Friday night, Wake Forest defeated Southeastern Conference representative Missouri 27-17 to win the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The win marked Wake Forest’s fifth in the last seven years since the Deacs began the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-longest bowl streak back in 2016.
Head coach Dave Clawson’s five bowl victories, which is the most in school history, now ranks tied for fifth in ACC history for postseason wins. Clawson ranks behind Bobby Bowden (Florida State, 11), Dabor Swinney (Clemson, 11), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech, 6) and Danny Ford (Clemson, 6). Meanwhile, he is now tied with Jimbo Fisher (Florida State, 5) and Ralph Friedgen (Maryland, 5).
Hartman earned his second-straight bowl game MVP honor, as he garnered the accolade following his standout performance against Rutgers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in 2021.
With that, the Charlotte, N.C. native is the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career at Wake Forest.
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Virginia Tech football: A look at the Hokies’ 2023 recruiting class (gobblercountry.com; Manning)
The Virginia Tech Hokies wrapped up the early signing period last week feeling pretty good about the 2023 recruiting class. While no one will confuse Virginia Tech’s incoming class with Alabama or Ohio State, there were many encouraging signs in head coach Brent Pry’s first full recruiting class.
Over the final month heading into the early signing period, Pry picked up commitments from six high school players and four transfers. And for some of those players, Pry either flipped from other schools or beat some good competition to land those signatures.
Tech landed Kyron Drones on the transfer market, a former four-star QB who spent the past two seasons with Baylor. Drones was a hot commodity and gives the Hokies and offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen the type of passer who can run his offense; that should be RPO-heavy. Drones has three years of eligibility remaining.
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Bhayshul Tuten transfers to Boston College from North Carolina A&T (bcinterruption; Flannery)
On Saturday afternoon, North Carolina A&T RB Bhayshul Tuten announced his commitment to transfer to Boston College.
Tuten played two seasons for the Aggies with high usage, logging 1,363 and 13 TDs in 2022 over the course of all 11 games. He was a threat in the passing game as well with 342 receiving yards and 4 receiving TDs in 2022, to boot.
Boston College fended off some heavy hitters in Tuten’s transfer recruitment. He had offers from Georgia, Florida, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, and more before committing to Jeff Hafley’s Eagles. This addition helps an already exciting RB unit for BC, but with the major caveat that OL play could hold the group back like it did in 2022.
Welcome to the Heights, Bhayshul!
Virginia Football Currently Ranked 4th in the ACC in Transfer Portal Rankings - Sports Illustrated Virginia Cavaliers News, Analysis and More (SI; Newton)
Virginia signed four players from the transfer portal on national signing day on Wednesday. In the 247Sports transfer portal recruiting rankings, Virginia is ranked 23rd overall and 4th in the ACC, trailing only Georgia Tech, Miami, and Florida State.
247Sports 2023 Transfer Football Team Rankings
- Michigan
- Florida State
- UCLA
- USC
- Colorado
- Arizona State
- Oregon
- Oklahoma State
- Miami
- LSU
- Maryland
- Kentucky
- Oklahoma
- Auburn
- TCU
- SMU
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Georgia Tech
- Minnesota
- Arkansas
- Ole Miss
- Virginia
- Virginia Tech
- Iowa
Miami football 2023 class has best ACC prospect at 6 positions (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
The 2023 Miami football class has the best prospect in the ACC at six different positions. CB Cormani McClain and OT Francis Mauigoa are the best players at their positions nationally in 2023. Mark Fletcher is the best 2023 ACC RB signee, TE Riley Williams, edge rusher Rueben Bain and Malik Bryant at linebacker.
McClain who is the sole 2023 Miami football commit yet to sign is the second-ranked player nationally, top CB and top recruit from Florida. Mauigoa is the eighth-ranked player in the composite rankings, top OT and second in Florida. Offensive tackle Samson Okunlola is the third five-star prospect in the 2023 Miami class.
Okunlola is the 20th-ranked prospect, third OT nationally and top player in Massachusetts. Bain and Jayden Wayne are the top two incoming edge rushers in the class of 2023. Bain is the 70th-ranked prospect, ninth edge rusher and 14th player in Florida in the class of 2023. Wayne is 72nd 11th and 15th.
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Brownlow: New friends for Duke, UNC, old foe for NC State in this week's bowl games :: WRALSportsFan.com (wralsportsfan.com; Brownlow)
Bowl season is here in the ACC! Well, it's been here for awhile. But not yet in the Triangle. Two teams will be facing an opponent for the first time, while the other will see an old ACC foe. Duke will kick things off (well, maybe not literally; depends on the coin toss) on Wednesday against UCF for the first time ever, while that night at 8pm, UNC will take on Oregon for the first-ever meeting between those two. Then on Friday, NC State will face an old friend (or enemy, if you'd rather) in former ACC foe Maryland. Which Triangle teams will end the season on a good note? How will opt-outs and the transfer portal play roles? Let's find out!
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28
MILITARY BOWL: DUKE (8-4) VS. UCF (9-4)
Time: 2 p.m.TV: ESPN
THE BASICS
This bowl is presented by Peraton, which according to them "drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy." Well then! Duke's first-ever matchup with UCF won't really impact the galaxy, but it's a big deal the Blue Devils are even here. And yet it would feel like a bit of a missed opportunity if the Blue Devils can't manage to add one more win to the slate at the end of the year, especially with the state Central Florida is in. They're down their leading receiver and a starting linebacker and cornerback. And they're down their No. 2 quarterback and ... potentially their No. 1? We'll get to that later. Oh, and they're down their offensive coordinator as UNC poached him after Phil Longo left. But Duke's only missing players due to transfer portal were not starters, and they should be able to go full-out in this game. It's clear they're committed to it, and they'll need to be.As good as Duke's offense was this year, UCF's actually finished every so slightly higher in yards per play (6.28 to 6.2). Duke had the slight edge defensively (5.6 yards per play to 5.7 for UCF), but the only offense Duke has faced that ranked higher in yards per play was UNC's and they put up 7.2 yards per play. A lot will depend on the health of UCF"s starting QB, of course, but Duke does have a very favorable matchup when it comes to running the football. Duke was 1-4 this season when allowing 120 or more yards on the ground and 7-0 when it held opponents below that. But UCF relied heavily on running the ball this year and ran for at least 100 yards in all but one game. The Knights were tied for 15th nationally with 5.3 yards per rush. UCF was 0-3 when it rushed for fewer than 150 yards, though, and Duke's going to have to really hold the line when it comes to the run game since regardless of the QB situation, UCF is going to lean on its ground game.
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Jason Maitre transfers to Liberty from Boston College (bcinterruption.com; Flannery)
On Thursday afternoon, Boston College DB Jason Maitre announced his decision to transfer to Liberty in 2023.
Maitre played at Boston College for five seasons before announcing his decision to transfer this offseason. Most of his collegiate career was spent as a depth player in the defensive backfield, but 2022 saw him take on a bigger role as one of the team’s premier safeties. BC is bringing in a few more DBs through the transfer portal and recruiting to fill the gap of Maitre’s and others’ departures.
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All-Time Bowl Records (RX; HM)
All-Time Bowl Records
This tweet claims to show all CFB teams with an all-time non-losing record in bowl games:
There are quite a few ACC teams in this mix:
8. Wake Forest .647
9. Syracuse .635
13. Florida State .617
26. Georgia Tech .556
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https://michiganstate./news/acc-spotlight-early-signing-period-report-card-1 (r1vals.com; Friedman)
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CLASS OF 2023 COMMITMENT LIST: Syracuse
The Orange had a very good 2022 season but a few assistant coaches moved on to other jobs and this recruiting class suffered. They lost longtime quarterback commit
LaNorris Sellers
to South Carolina during the Early Signing Period and he was the highest-rated player in this class.
With just seven three-stars and a total of 15 signees, Syracuse will be very active in the transfer portal. The top-rated players in the class are defensive linemen
Rashard Perry
,
Jalil Smith
,
Ty Gordon
, and
Oluwademilade Omopariola
along with running back
Ike Daniels
, tight end
David Clement
and linebacker
Lonnie Rice
.
Grade: B-
,,,
Stranded Pitt Players hitch a ride to Sun Bowl (RX; HM)
Stranded Pitt Players hitch a ride to Sun Bowl
Southwest Airlines reportedly canceled 60% of their flights Monday. Not sure which airline these guys were using, but it appears that some Pitt football players were left stranded at the Dallas airport - until a friendly UTEP basketball coach stepped in to help:...
Best 2023 OOC Games (RX; HM)
Best 2023 OOC Games
Schedule Analysis.
Here are the top non-conference ACC football games for the 2023 season. I've included ACC-vs-Notre Dame games, as well as the top Notre Dame games vs. other power teams.Observations:
- BC doesn't play any P5 non-conference teams in 2023.
- 10 of these games are againt SEC opponents.
- There are 7 games against Big Ten teams - 8 if you include Ohio State at Notre Dame.
- Notre Dame will play 6 ACC teams in 2023 instead of the usual 5.
- There are 2 games against Big XII teams (I'm counting Cincinnati).
- No true ACC football team has any games scheduled against Pac-12 teams, though, of course, Notre Dame is set to play both USC and Stanford.
2022 All-ECAC Team (RX; HM)
2022 All-ECAC Team
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) has announced it's All-ECAC team, which is littered with Syracuse and Boston College players (no other ACC team is eligible, I think). Five Oranges, two Eagles...
ECAC Announces 2022 Division I FBS Football All-ECAC and Major Awards
All-ECAC Selections
All-ECAC Offense
Sean Clifford – Penn State University, Rs-Sr., QBSean Tucker – Syracuse University, So., RB
Nicholas Singleton – Penn State University, Fr, RB
Zay Flowers – Boston College, Sr., WR
Kris Thornton – James Madison University, Rs-Sr., WR
Jose Barbon – Temple University, Jr., WR
Oronde Gadsden II – Syracuse University, So., TE
Christian Haynes – University of Connecticut, Jr., OL
Matthew Bergeron – Syracuse University, Jr., OL
Juice Scruggs – Penn State University, Rs-Sr., OL
Olumuyiwa Fashanu – Penn State University, So., OL
Adam Klein – Temple University, Sr., OL
All-ECAC Defense
PJ Mustipher – Penn State University, Sr., DLDonovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College, So., DL
Caleb Okechukwu – Syracuse University, Rs-Jr., DL
Jacob Busic – Navy, Jr., DL
Isaac Ukwu – James Madison University, Rs-Sr., DL
John Marshall – Navy, Sr., LB
Jackson Mitchell – University of Connecticut, Jr., LB
Jalen Mackie – University of Massachusetts, Gr., LB
Jordan Magee – Temple University, So., LB
Tre Wortham – University of Connecticut, Sr., DB
Ji'Ayir Brown – Penn State University, Sr., DB
Joey Porter Jr. – Penn State University, Rs-Jr., DB
Jordan Mahoney – University of Massachusetts, So, DB
Avery Young – Rutgers University, Sr, DB
All-ECAC Special Teams
Andre Szmyt – Syracuse University, Rs-Sr., KAdam Korsak – Rutgers University, Sr., P
Aron Cruickshank – Rutgers University, Sr., RS
ABOUT THE ECAC
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Grading the 2022 Coaching Carousel (RX; HM)
Grading the 2022 Coaching Carousel
From CBS Sports' 2023 college football coaching carousel grades
Here are the P5 coaches as well as a few other ACC-related hires, with CBS' comments for the ACC-related coaches:
| TEAM | COACH | GRADE |
| Nebraska | Matt Rhule | A+ |
| Wisconsin | Luke Fickell | A+ |
| Colorado | Deion Sanders | A |
| Louisville | Jeff Brohm | A |
| Brohm came home. That's all you need to know about a coach who just played for the title in the nation's richest conference (Big Ten). Brohm peaked in sixth season at Purdue, winning 17 games the last two seasons. Brohm will provide a Louisville revival as a native son and a local legend as one of Howard Schellenberger's QBs. It will be easier to win in the reconfigured AAC. Brohm will possibly have a better shot at a College Football Playoff berth with Louisville when the CFP expands. | ||
| Liberty | Jamey Chadwell | A |
| Auburn | Hugh Freeze | A- |
| FAU | Tom Herman | B |
| USF | Alex Golesh | B |
| Purdue | Ryan Walters | B- |
| Miss State | Zach Arnett | B- |
| Coastal Carolina | Tim Beck | C+ |
| Georgia Tech | Brent Key | C |
| Another first-time head coach, Key got the job going 4-4 as the interim after Geoff Collins was fired. Someone, somewhere has to harness all the talent in and around Atlanta. Key is a GT alum who at least knows the path to success even if it is littered with losses. Somewhere, Paul Johnson is still laughing. | ||
| Cincinnati | Scott Satterfield | C |
| Three-fourths of the way through Louisville's season, Satterfield was still on the hot seat. The Cardinals caught fire and finished 8-5. Satterfield finished 25-24 in four seasons. Did he get out ahead of the posse? Hard to tell, but he immediately improved his prospects. Cincinnati heads to the Big 12 two years removed from a CFP berth having played for the last two AAC titles (winning one). | ||
| W. Michigan | Lance Taylor | C- |
Other
CNY’s best dishes of 2022: Our food writers pick their favorites (PS; $; Miller)
Our restaurant writers are fortunate enough to have sampled hundreds of dishes this year throughout Central New York. Much were deliciously creative; some were forgettable. A few restaurants, though, put something together that we just can’t get out of our head.
Jared Paventi, Danielle Benjamin, Alicia Cuadrado and Charlie Miller have come up with our list of the best dishes we ate during our travels. They were entrées an entire meal was built around or appetizers that got the whole meal rolling. Some were in fancy dining rooms, some were from a bar.
Here are some of our favorite dishes we ate at restaurants we wrote about in 2022 and why we think you should try them:
Short rib hash: Brian’s Landing
Address: 6523 E. Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville; (315) 299-5242From Jared Paventi: Short rib gets my attention on any menu, and I was enticed by the short rib hash with eggs at Brian’s Landing in Jamesville. Braised short ribs were reduced to soft, stringy shreds and grilled with potatoes, caramelized onions and poblano peppers. Charred over an open flame, the mild spice of the pepper and smoky undertone enriched the flavors of the beef. Broken yolks from the two over-easy eggs served on top added a creamy texture to bind the ingredients.
Osso Bucco: Halsey’s Restaurant
An overhead look at the veal osso bucco with crispy brussels sprouts at Halsey's Restaurant, Geneva, NY (Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gmail.com)Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
Address: 106 Seneca St., Geneva; (315) 789-4070
From Jared Paventi: Once a ubiquitous feature on Italian restaurant menus, the braised veal osso bucco has become more difficult to find. Halsey’s Restaurant in Geneva was a massive presentation of the veal shank, slowly roasted so that meat fell away with just the slightest effort, revealing an umami-rich, tender prize. It was served in a red wine demi-glace, which brought added complexity to the dish.
Strozzapreti: Moosewood Restaurant
Address: 219 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca; (607) 273-9610
From Jared Paventi: This was a hefty dish, thanks to the pairing of the heavyweight strozzapreti pasta with meaty shitake and oyster mushrooms. Ithaca’s Moosewood Restaurant used a sherry cream sauce to coat the pasta and vegetable without pooling or being soupy, and a gremolata and breadcrumb topping tied it together with herbal and lemony flavors. There was so much going on in this dish and all of it complemented each other.
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