sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to National Kitten Day!
National Kitten Day celebrates kittens and highlights the plight of those that are homeless in an effort to save as many as possible through adoption. It was created in 2012 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige as an adjunct holiday to National Cat Day, and it was first held the following year. For its first two years, it was celebrated in December, but it was then moved to July. For a few years in the mid-2010s, it was sponsored by BLUE Naturally Fresh Cat Litter, which appears to have been a collaboration between The Blue Buffalo Company and Naturally Fresh cat litter.
There are usually two to five kittens in a litter, but there can be as few as one kitten, or even more than ten. They go through a long process of growth, during which they must rely on their mothers. First and foremost, they must rely on their mothers for milk. During their first few weeks, they need their mothers to stimulate them so they can urinate and defecate, as they can't release waste on their own. During their first few weeks, they also need their mothers to keep them warm, as they can't regulate their own body temperature. Kittens can open their eyes after approximately seven to ten days, but it takes until they are about ten weeks old until they can see as well as older cats.
SU News
Syracuse wide receiver Donovan Brown (87) is tackled after a catch for short yardage against Colgate on Sept. 2. Brown will not be with the Orange this fall. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Donovan Brown no longer with Syracuse football, door left open for return: ‘He actually matured a lot’ (PS; $; Leiker)
Donovan Brown will not be with the Syracuse football program this fall, head coach Fran Brown said Tuesday night.
The former Orange wide receiver will play at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania in 2024.
Fran Brown shared the update while speaking with media after his public comments at the ‘Cuse Coaches Caravan event in Rochester, New York.
He left the door open for Donovan Brown, who was just a redshirt sophomore in 2023, to return to the program.
“We hope that things can go well,” Brown said. “I wish the best for the kid. Seems like we’d be able to get him back, but Donovan Brown’s a great kid, great athlete. Done a lot of stuff.
“He actually matured a lot from the time when I first got here to when he ended up not being (able to participate) in spring. Kid did a really good job. Really happy for him. Excited about his future at junior college ‘cause I think he’s gonna go and kill it. We’ll just see if we’re lucky enough to be able to have the chance to let him come back here.”
Donovan Brown became absent from team activities during Syracuse’s spring camp.
After the spring game, at which Donovan Brown wasn’t present, Fran Brown said he was not currently with the team and had “some things he has to take care of between himself and the university.”
Donovan Brown had an explosive start to the past season, accumulating 298 yards on 22 catches over the first six games.
His strongest game was his Week 2 performance when he had an 86-yard breakaway touchdown.
In other personnel news, Fran Brown also said that tight end Oronde Gadsden II and wide receiver Jackson Meeks are both back to being full participants in team workouts after each having surgeries mid-spring camp.
Gadsden had the screws removed from his foot that were inserted in mid-September to fix his Lisfranc injury. Meeks had surgery to repair a hairline fracture in his foot.
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Syracuse football's 10 best wide receivers of all-time per ChatGPT (247sports.com; McAllister)
Syracuse football has had some talented and productive wide receivers in its history, many of which had strong professional careers. In part three of our ChatGPT series on the best players in Syracuse history at each position, wide receiver is up next.
PREVIOUS CHATGPT LISTS:
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Simply doing our ranking of the 10 best players at a specific position is too stale. It has been done a million times, and so we are doing so with a little twist to make it more fun. We are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to come up with the list.
That's right. We asked ChatGPT who the 10 best players in Syracuse history at each position to come up with the list. We used the phrase (Syracuse football's 10 best [Position]), and will display the results here. Some are straightforward and expected. They make perfect sense and fit in line with what most Syracuse fans would have. Some results, however, are quite the opposite. It makes for an entertaining list that will provoke thoughts and laughter alike.
We count backwards from 10 all the way up to the top spot. We also include players that were omitted but deserved consideration. Note that we displayed the results exactly as ChatGPT produced them, not correcting for errors or duplicates.
10. JEROME SMITH
Player: Jerome SmithYears: 2011-2013
Stats: 464 att, 2,219 yards, 16 TDs, 17 rec, 161 yards, 1 TD
ChatGPT Comments: Known for his strong hands and ability to come up with clutch catches during his time with Syracuse.
Our thoughts: Jerome Smith was a good player at Syracuse. However, he was a running back who only had 17 receptions during his career. He never played wide receiver and given the glaring omissions in this list, this is a significant failure by ChatGPT. That is not to disrespect Smith in any way, but he does not belong anywhere near the list of Syracuse's best wide receivers. We're off to a fantastic start!
9. ROB CARPENTER
Player: Rob CarpenterYears: 1989-1990
Stats: 93 rec, 1,656 yards, 10 TDs, 4 att, 83 yards, 1 TD
ChatGPT Comments: Played in the early 1980s and was known for his consistency and ability to make tough catches.
Our thoughts: Rob Carpenter was a good receiver for Syracuse across two seasons. Despite playing in a run oriented offense, he still put up solid numbers. Averaging nearly 18 yards per reception made one a really good deep threat that turned into an NFL career. His inclusion makes sense as he was a really good player. Whether or not some would include him over the omissions is a matter of opinion, but this was not a significant error by AI.
8. ART MONK
Player: Art MonkYears: 1976-1979
Stats: 254 att, 1,174 yards, 4 TDs, 102 rec, 1,644 yards, 9 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Played in the late 1970s and was a key receiver for Syracuse during his time, later having a successful NFL career.
Our thoughts: Art Monk was an extremely versatile college player, making an impact at both running back and wide receiver. He was an All-American at wide receiver who was statistically one of the best in Syracuse history for decades. He has since dropped out of the top 10 as offenses became more pass heavy. That said, there is no question Monk deserves to be on this list, but ChatGPT has him too low.
7. ALEC LEMON
Player: Alec LemonYears: 2009-2012
Stats: 201 rec, 2,596 yards, 18 TDs, 6 att, 12 yards, 1 TD
ChatGPT Comments: Played from 2009 to 2012 and ranks among Syracuse's all-time leaders in receptions and receiving yards.
Our thoughts: Alec Lemon is third in Syracuse history in receptions and yards. He owns two of the top six best single seasons in total receptions. Most probably do not realize how incredibly productive Lemon was during his career with the Orange that puts him all over the career receiving lists. His inclusion does make sense given where he falls historically. Lemon also had what was the second best receiving yards game in Syracuse history at the time with 244 against Missouri in 2012. That currently ranks third in program history.
6. DORIAN GRAHAM
Player: Dorian GrahamYears: 2008-2011
Stats: 24 rec, 260 yards, 2 TDs, 9 att, 102 yards, 1 TD, 29 KOR, 685 yards, 1 TD
ChatGPT Comments: A versatile receiver who contributed both as a pass-catcher and return specialist from 2008 to 2011.
Our thoughts: Dorian Graham converted from safety to wide receiver and therefore only played two seasons on offense. However, he was a reserve receiver who primarily contributed as a returner. Graham does not belong on the list of top 10 receivers in Syracuse history. He does not have the accolades or production to warrant inclusion. This is another failure by ChatGPT, especially when you see who was omitted at the end of this list.
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Audio Vault (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins expands upon his Fran Brown recruiting research by comparing the current SUFB head coach to Dino Babers, recaps last night’s Judah Mintz vs. Buddy Boeheim Summer League matchup before being interrupted by an angry caller, and spends a brief moment discussing a quote out of Big 12 Media Day.
Syracuse men’s hoops and football hurt Directors’ Cup standings (orangefizz.net; Burstein)
It’s hard to truly define what universities are the “best” at sports. But every year since 1993 the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics tries its best to do just that with the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup. Division One schools gets points based on how their athletics teams perform, and those scores are combined for the rankings
With all 2023-24 school year NCAA championships wrapped up now, the final standings for this past year have been released, and Syracuse placed 44th. While tied for the third-highest finish ever for the Orange, it still was only the eighth-highest finish of ACC schools.
Some Syracuse sports, like Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s Cross Country and Field Hockey, brought in high point totals to boost up the standings. Syracuse finished with 538 points, which are obtained by postseason qualification and performance. But of all those points, only 25 came from two of Syracuse’s marquee programs – football and men’s basketball.
Of the ten teams that brought points for Syracuse, football was one, with their bowl appearance at the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.
But a crushing defeat to South Florida would grant SU only 25 points in the Director’s Cup standings. This was tied for 53rd best among programs.
Syracuse men’s basketball was even worse. After failing to make March Madness for a third straight year and declining a NIT bid, there was no postseason play for SU. This meant no points in the standings.
While at the end of the day, the Directors’ Cup does not mean much, it is one of the easier ways to look at how Syracuse stacks up to other ACC and national competition.
Teams like Syracuse Women’s basketball, who had 50 points after a Round of 32 appearance in March Madness, made huge jumps this year and it showed in the standings.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #19 DL, KingJoseph Edwards (TNIAAM; De Guzman)
It’s time to start preparing for the 2024 Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get to know a lot of new faces to kick off the Fran Brown Era.
Next up is...
Name: KingJoseph Edwards
Position: Defensive Line
Year: Freshman
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 230 lbs.
Hometown: Hoschton, GA
High School: Mill Creek
2023 stats: Transferred to Mill Creek and totaled 34 tackles, including four TFLs and six sacks.
2024 projections: Who knows what the summer will bring, but it should feel very good for Edwards and Syracuse fans that the promising defensive lineman was running with the twos regularly in spring practice and the spring game. Edwards’ speed and hands on the line could throw opposing offensive linemen off when a defensive line rotation comes in.
How’d he get here?: Syracuse secured Edwards’ signature over Colorado and Florida State, mainly due to Edwards’ relationship with Fran Brown and Nick Williams.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Four stars by 247Sports and ESPN, three stars by On3 and Rivals.
Money Quote: Edwards immediately hosted a community outreach even at STEAM at Dr. King Elementary School on January 14, only a couple of days after he enrolled at Syracuse (via Ashley Wenskoski - CNY Central)
Twitter feed: @KingjosephE
Instagram feed: @kingjosepheric
Interesting nugget o’interest: Because we are a track and field blog, we are legally obligated to mention that Edwards ran track in high school
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #21 DB, Jaeden Gould (TNIAAM; De Guzman)
It’s time to start preparing for the 2024 Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get to know a lot of new faces to kick off the Fran Brown Era.
Next up is...
Name: Jaeden Gould
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Redshirt Sophomore
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs.
Hometown: Somerset, NJ
High School: Bergen Catholic
Previous School: Nebraska
2023 stats: Played every game, starting one. Recorded 19 total tackles with an interception.
2024 projections: Given the excitement of the new players and high-profile returners, it can be easy to forgot the spark that Gould provided when he entered the game. He’s a great player to substitute in if the safety group needs a rest or a change of pace. Gould should feature regularly in the rotation, albeit first on the bench.
How’d he get here?: Gould joined Syracuse 11 days after announcing he would enter the transfer portal from Nebraska.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Three stars in the transfer portal by On3. Four stars out of high school by 247sports, ESPN and Rivals, three stars by On3.
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Syracuse Athletics NIL Live Shot & Package (youtube; podcast; GDP)
Syracuse Athletics NIL Live Shot & Package
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "no time to wait ⏱️ "
cusefootball on July 9, 2024: "no time to wait ⏱️ ".
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ACC News
Big 12 commissioner appears to throw shade at ACC a month before college football season (yahoo.com; Jensen)
Which conference truly is the best in college sports – with a narrowed focus on football?
It’d be easy to say the SEC, based on the success of Alabama and Georgia alone, but an SEC school hasn’t won the CFP National Championship in two seasons.
Is it the Big 10, with Michigan beating Washington in the National Championship on New Year’s Day? How about the ACC, with Clemson winning the 2016 and 2018 titles?
I wish the North Carolina Tar Heels could add to the ACC’s football argument, but late-season collapses don’t help their cause.
According to Big 12 commissioner Brett Yorkmark, none of the above conferences I mentioned are the best in college sports.
Despite the Big 12 not winning a National Championship in college football since 2006, when a Mack Brown-led Texas Longhorns squad beat USC, Yorkmark says the Big 12 is college football’s deepest conference.
Please, make it make sense. The success doesn’t add up.
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“We solidified ourselves as one of the top three conferences in America,” Yormark said during Big 12 Media Day. “There has never been a better time than right now to be part of the Big 12. We are truly a national conference in 10 states, four time zones and all eyes are now on the Big 12 for all the right reasons. I think it’s safe to say we are more relevant now than ever before.”
In a recent story published on ESPN, which contains the above quote, Yormark points to the SEC and Big 10 being second and third interchangeably. He said nothing about the ACC.
In Yormark’s defense, the Big 12 did grow in the offseason with additions of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and Arizona State. Utah and Arizona enjoyed solid years in 2023 and the Buffaloes improved, but them and Arizona State finished in the Pac-12’s cellar.
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Virginia Tech Football: 4 layup wins & 3 potential losses on the Hokies 2024 schedule (fightinggobbler.com; Roche)
Potential Loss: at Miami, Sept. 27
Another season and a lot of hype surrounding the Hurricanes. Last season they were not able to back it up in Year 2 of Mario Cristobal and as he begins his third season in South Florida, transfer portal additions he made might be enough to get Miami over the hump. Washington State QB transfer Cam Ward will be under center and he'll be handing off to a talented back in Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez.This is about as tough of an ACC opener as anyone could have. This game for the Hokies is on a Friday night off a short week with a home game against Rutgers the week before. The week after, Virginia Tech will make the cross-country trip to California to play Stanford. It'll be interesting to see how this game plays out.
Potential Loss: at Syracuse, Nov. 2
This game is the trap game of all trap games. One week before hosting Clemson, the Hokies head to New York to play the new-look Orange in a place that is very difficult for everyone to win at. Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord is a good one and you have to think that Syracuse will play with a lot of energy all season long for first-year head coach Fran Brown.A lot of people are sleeping on Syracuse this season, but not me. If healthy, this will be a team that will have a say in how things shape out in the ACC. Last season the Hokies rolled at home in a blowout victory on a Thursday night and you have to think that the returning Orange players have this game circled on their schedule.
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3 ACC schools surprisingly listed as teams that could regress in 2024 (fightinggobbler.com; Roche)
Going into the 2024 season, there are some ACC teams on the rise and nobody has more hype about taking the next step than Virginia Tech. They are still behind some of the top teams in the conference, but they will have the opportunity to go against two of the best in Miami and Clemson.
Florida State is still considered the top team and rightfully so, but after FSU, Clemson, and Miami, there are different takes on who is next in line to knock off those three. However, not everyone is high on Florida State and two other ACC teams going into the season.
247Sports lists three ACC schools who could regress in 2024
Carter Bahns of 247Sports listed eight schools that could see some regression going into the upcoming season and one of the three is somewhat surprising if we're being honest. Florida State, coming off a 12-0 regular season, an ACC Championship victory over Louisville, and being snubbed for the four-team College Football Playoff at 13-0, was one of the surprising teams on his list.
The Seminoles lost some key players, yes like everyone else, but Bahns wrote, "losses at star players at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and defensive line create significant hurdles on the path to a second-straight ACC title.'' Will it keep them from getting back to the ACC title game or winning it again? Time will tell, but even a one or two-loss FSU team likely gets into the expanded 12-team CFP this season.
Louisville was another team that Bahns thinks could regress from the ACC. The Cardinals were in last season's championship game and are blowing out the Hokies at home in November and their roster went through an extensive overhaul in the offseason with them taking in a bunch of transfers who need to make a huge impact. If they do, there is no reason why they can't return to Charlotte again this December.
The final ACC school Bahns thinks could regress is North Carolina and honestly, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Tar Heels take a step back again under Mack Brown. If they are not going to take a step back, transfer quarterback Max Johnson is going to have to have a big season for UNC and it feels like he's a downgrade from Drake Maye, who was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round back in April's NFL Draft. If the Tar Heels finish in the middle of the ACC, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising.
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Where Does Justin Wilcox Rank Among ACC Football Coaches? (SI; Curtis)
How do the experts view the skills of Cal head coach Justin Wilcox relative to the impact made by other football coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Well, in general, they are not particularly impressed with the Golden Bears’ coach as Cal begins play in the ACC this year.
CBS Sports published its ranking of the ACC football coaches a few days ago, and we present CBS’ ranking as well as the ACC coach rankings of three other sites published earlier this year.
Here’s how these four sites ranked ACC coaches, with a comment from each regarding Wilcox:
CBS Sports (Chip Patterson)
--- 1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
--- 2. Mike Norvell, Florida State
--- 3. Dave Doeren, North Carolina State
--- 4. Jeff Brohm, Louisville
--- 5. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
--- 6. Mario Cristobal, Miami
--- 7. Mack Brown, North Carolina
--- 8. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
--- 9. Rhett Lashlee, SMU
--- 10. Manny Diaz, Duke
--- 11. Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
--- 12. Bill O’Brien, Boston College
--- 13. Brent Key, Georgia Tech
--- 14. Justin Wilcox, Cal
Justin Wilcox (No. 57 overall): Entering Year 8 at Cal, Wilcox boasts a 36-43 overall record with just three bowl appearances and no seasons with a winning record in conference play. But with 2023 feeling a step back in the right direction, Wilcox has a chance to reverse some of those trends with a strong debut in the ACC. He's got a veteran team and true star in running back Jadyn Ott, leaving the results of 2024 to tell us a lot about his future in these rankings. Last year: N/A in the ACC
--- 15. Troy Taylor, Stanford
--- 16. Tony Elliott, Virginia
--- 17. Fran Brown, Syracuse
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Florida State's DJ Uiagalelei will skip ACC Football Kickoff to help put spotlight on members of 2023 team (cbssports.com; Cobb)
Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will not attend the ACC Football Kickoff event this month, he announced Tuesday. Instead, Uiagalelei is deferring to returning players from the 2023 team that won the ACC title and finished 13-1.
"I feel strongly that Florida State should be represented by players who were part of last year's ACC championship team," Uiagalelei wrote in a social media post. "The players who helped put this program back on top of the ACC should have the opportunity to be recognized for their contributions. This team is more than its quarterback, and I'm excited for my teammates who will experience this fantastic event."
Uiagalelei is FSU's projected starting QB and a natural pick for coach Mike Norvell to help represent the Seminoles at the preseason media event, which is set for July 22-25 in Charlotte. But after spending three seasons at Clemson and the 2023 campaign at Oregon State, Uiagalelei appears to be taking a measured approach as he enters a leadership role with his new program.
Stepping into Florida State's quarterback job means following in the footsteps of Jordan Travis, who spent five seasons at FSU. Travis passed for 8,644 yards and 65 touchdowns with another 31 scores on the ground during his time with the Seminoles, winning 2023 ACC Player of the Year and establishing himself as a revered leader. By comparison, Uiagalelei will be a one-year rental as the 'Noles look to remain atop the league following heavy losses from the 2023 roster.
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Best ACC Running Backs Returning for 2024 (lastwordonsports.com; McMichael)
Three yards and a cloud of dust. The fullback. Running the ball 35 times a game. This is how football was characterized for most of its existence. You don’t have to look very far to realize that football is changing. From conference realignments to the Transfer Portal, our game is changing. On the field, the game continues to evolve. Teams are more likely to use a 10-personnel formation (one running back and four receivers) than a 22-personnel setup (two running backs, two tight ends, and one receiver). Today’s running backs are expected to break a few big runs rather than carry the ball 25+ times a game. So, what were the criteria for selecting top returning ACC running backs for 2024? We looked at career yards. Explosive plays. And the “it” factor. We also went out of the box; more on that later.
Best ACC Running Backs Returning for 2024
#5 RB Jaylan Knighton, SMU
Knight enters his second season at SMU and comes in at #5 on our ACC running back’s list. Knighton began his career with Miami, playing three seasons in Coral Gables. In 2021, despite being limited to eight games due to injury, he led the Hurricanes in rushing with 561 yards and eight touchdowns.
Last year in Dallas, he appeared in 12 games, leading SMU with 745 rushing yards and tying for the lead with seven touchdowns. Knighton finished the season with 834 total yards, the highest on the team, and recorded the second-longest run in program history with a 95-yard touchdown at Charlotte. He was named to Athlon Sports’ Preseason 4th Team All-ACC this season.#4 QB Thomas Castellanos, Boston College
Before my editor yells at me, there’s a good reason why we have a quarterback listed as one of the top returning ACC running backs in 2024. Castellanos transferred to Chestnut Hill after his freshman season at UCF, where he played all 13 games for the Eagles, starting 12. His stats were electric—unless your team played BC, you probably didn’t hear about him.Castellanos racked up 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards, making him the first 2,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in BC history and only the fifth in ACC history since 1996. While his passing stats deserve their article, his legs did the talking. Castellanos averaged 5.2 yards per carry and scored 13 rushing touchdowns, ranking third in the ACC. He had back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games against Army and Georgia Tech. He capped off the season as Offensive MVP of the Fenway Bowl with 156 rushing yards, two touchdowns against SMU, and 102 passing yards. Proving once and for all that quarterbacks can be running backs, too!
#3 RB LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
Allen is a third-year running back for the Orange. He was the Orange’s #1 running back last year and made his impact known right away. Allen earned Second Team All-ACC running back and Honorable Mention All-ACC all-purpose player in 2023. He rushed for 1,064 yards (12th in program history) on 245 carries (6th most) with nine touchdowns, leading the team. Allen also had 38 receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown. He tied for second in program history with seven 100-yard games and had four consecutive 100-yard games, tying for third-most. He ranked fifth in the ACC in all-purpose yards per game (105.0), third in rushing yards (1,064), and ninth in rushing touchdowns (9). Entering 2024, he has appeared in 26 games with 14 starts, totaling 1,338 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and ranking 37th on Syracuse’s all-time rushing list.#1A RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
The awards are long for the third-year running back out of Chapel Hill: Walter Camp First-Team All-American (2023), Doak Walker Award Finalist (2023), and First-Team All-ACC (2023). Hampton is coming off one of the best performances by a running back in 2023. He recorded 253 carries for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns, and 29 receptions for 222 yards and a touchdown.His 1,504 rushing yards rank second on UNC’s single-season list, while his 15 touchdowns rank sixth. He rushed for over 100 yards in seven games and posted six consecutive 100-yard games. Hampton scored multiple touchdowns in six games and finished fifth in the FBS in rushing yards, rushing yards per game (115.7), and yards from scrimmage per game (132.8). He led the ACC in rushing yards, attempts, touchdowns, and yards per game while ranking second in all-purpose yards per game (132.8). Hampton would have locked out the top ACC running back spot if the conference had not expanded West.
#1B RB Jaydn Ott, California
Berkley had a few bright spots on the gridiron in 2023. One of the few was running back Jaydn Ott. After a solid freshman year with 897 yards and 8 touchdowns, Ott excelled in his second season at Cal. The sophomore averaged over 18 carries per game, totaling 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.As the 2024 season begins, Ott ranks second among active FBS players with an average of 92.2 rushing yards per game and fourth with 119.58 all-purpose yards per game. He has accumulated 2,212 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 416 carries (5.3 yards per carry), 71 receptions for 514 yards and 5 touchdowns, and one kickoff return for a touchdown. Ott has the second-most rushing yards through 24 games in Cal history, behind J.J. Arrington (2,452, 2003-04), and has six games with 150+ rushing yards and five touchdown runs of 40+ yards. Not bad for the top ACC running back, even if they are on the other coast!
Teams that will leap forward in 2024? (RX; HM)
Teams that will leap forward in 2024?
Are there some ACC football teams about to have breakout seasons?
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CFBSelect predicts big years for Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and Boston College... but wait, there's more! From Big Game Boomer...
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So, BGB sees big things ahead for Miami, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse.
That means two different predictors picked two of the same teams: Virginia Tech and Syracuse.
Why the ACC is a bargain for ESPN (RX; HM)
Why the ACC is a bargain for ESPN
So many people are saying "the ACC is doomed once FSU and Clemson leave". OMG, is the sky really falling?
Um, no, it's not.
One could make the argument that, while the cost of a Big XII team is approximately $31M to ESPN and Fox (I haven't found anything which defines the breakdown percentage-wise, but I have to assume ESPN is paying at least half, if not slightly more than half), the cost of an ACC team is the T1 contract value minus ESPN's share of the ACC Network profits. For example, the ACC is about to get $24M per school for 2024 T1 media rights (i.e. games on ABC and the ESPN networks). It will get another $9M or so from profits of the ACC Network. What does all that cost ESPN?
Since the ACCN money comes from profits of that network, and the games are all produced by the schools themselves, it costs ESPN nearly zero. In fact, since ESPN gets 50% of the profits, it must be making approximately 15 shares X $9M = $135M/year (that was for 2022; the estimate for 2023 is $11M per school, or $165M - but we'll use the smaller number for this article).
That ACCN profit helps ESPN to offset the T1 cost of ACC media rights (15 X $24M = $360M), so that the true cost to ESPN is only $360M - $135M = $225M. Divide that by 15 shares and you get a cost to ESPN of $15M per ACC school.
Let that sink in for a moment. ESPN is getting $135M from the ACCN plus whatever they normally make from ESPN/2/U/+ subscriptions and advertisements while only paying the ACC a net of $15M per school per year. There is simply no way ESPN is not going to extend that ACC TV contract!
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Is FSU About To Find The Smoking Gun To Get Out Of The ACC? | Crazy Realignment Suggestion (youtube; podcast; Locked on ACC)
Is Florida State about to receive the documents that will contain the smoking gun that will help them break the ACC’s Grant of Rights? A court order in Florida has asked Leon County Judge John C. Cooper to compel the ACC to hand over an unredacted copy of their TV agreements with ESPN. It’s worth noting that this order was jointly agreed by FSU and the ACC. If Cooper signs it, Florida State will get their copy. For FSU’s lawyers, the hope would be to find language in the agreements to back up their argument that the ACC cannot hold on to FSU’s TV rights (until 2036) after they’ve left the conference. Can FSU find their smoking gun?
The Monty Show LIVE: Will The ACC Conference Meltdown This Week? (youtube; podcast; The Monty Show)
The Monty Show is live talking about the ACC Conference, and what the future holds for the ACC Conference. Will the ACC Conference meltdown before we get to fall camp for ACC Football? Are Florida State and Clemson leaving the ACC Conference for more money in the SEC Conference? Can the comparison be made between the BIG 12 exits of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, and the current situation with Florida State and Clemson?
Massive announcement coming: What it could mean for college football (southboundanddown.com; Bartell)
The Florida State Seminoles could be announcing sooner rather than later their decision to leave the ACC. Recent rumors according to LockedOn ACC indicate that the Seminoles could announce within the next couple of weeks.
Florida State’s controversy with the ACC and its status has been going on for over a year now. Much of it centers around a bad revenue sharing deal that was put in place by the ACC awhile back, and now members of the conference are seeing greener pastures with other teams’ income stream with their deals in conferences like the Big 10 and SEC which seem to outpace the ACC by a longshot.
Because of this, the Seminoles and other ACC members are filing lawsuits, and trying to leave the league for good.
What other schools are considering leaving the ACC?
The North Carolina Tar Heels and Clemson Tigers are two other schools that have been in the news a lot lately involved in their individual cases to leave the ACC themselves. If these three traditional schools leave a conference that is based largely at this point off of the geographic footprint that these schools bring, it could spell trouble for the conference as a whole.What is the current status of the ACC?
The ACC is expanding this year by three schools as they are adding SMU, Stanford and California. Geographically, this makes little sense for a conference named after the “Atlantic coast.” But this is college football in 2024. And aside from the SEC, very little credence is given to geographical footprint now a days it seems.If Florida State leaves the ACC, what comes next?
If the Seminoles decide to leave the ACC, rumors are it could be for the Big 10 or SEC, with the Big 10 seemingly in the lead to acquire the program. This not only will shift the ACC, but the entire college football landscape.Not only will it make the Big 10 even more competitive against the SEC, but it will inevitably make the ACC have less appeal, and most likely cause a domino effect with other top performing football conference member Clemson departing shortly thereafter.
Ultimately if these two college football powers shift to either the SEC or the Big 10, we could see a “power two” at some point, with these two leagues having a superior amount of revenue and talent compared to all other conferences at the FBS level.
Other
Sam Deb presents a chicken bacon honey hot pizza from The Deli on Valley, the 27th stop on our CNY Pizza Tour. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)
CNY Pizza Tour, stop #27: This deli in a former Italian mainstay is an oasis in a pizza desert (PS; $; Miller)
For 40 years, Pizzaz Pizza was one of few places to grab a slice in the Valley and Elmwood neighborhoods on the city’s South Side. That ended on Jan. 29, 2023, when the owner retired.
A few months later, Luigi’s Italian Restaurant shut down after a 70-year run and took all their oversized plates of pasta and fish dinners with it.
“Suddenly we weren’t just in a pizza desert down here; we were stuck in a food desert down here,” said local business owner Sam Deb. “We couldn’t let that happen.”
Deb and his cousin, Mado Abdel, bought the old Luigi’s building on Valley Drive across the street from Gannon’s Ice Cream shop with a mission to fill that void. They sought to replicate their Deli @700 on Geddes Street.
The Deli on Valley opened Feb. 9. Like their other takeout restaurant, they’re serving burgers, wings and oversized sandwiches.
Enough about that. We’re here to talk about the pizza, and this new deli is the 27th stop on our CNY Pizza Tour.
Let’s grab a slice ...
Address: The Deli on Valley, 1524 Valley Drive (formerly Luigi’s). (315) 937-4040.
Do they deliver: Yes, through delivery apps such as Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats.
What I ate: A large Valley Bomb pizza, a specialty pizza not on the menu.
Why this pizza? Owner Sam Deb thought long and hard on this one. He started to suggest a Buffalo Chicken pizza, but I cut him off mid-sentence and told him to go back to the cutting board. He quickly corrected himself and suggested the honey hot pizza, simply because of his homemade sauce. Good move, Sam.
RATINGS (out of 5)
Crust: 4/5. Sam and Mado have the space to make their own dough here because what once was the Luigi’s dining room is now part of a huge kitchen. They just don’t want to.
“If I can’t make the perfect crust, I’m going to find a person who can,” Sam said. “And we did.”
Geddes Bakery in North Syracuse delivers dough at 6 a.m. each day, four hours before the deli opens.
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Syracuse wins $6.7M to help YMCA, children’s center rise near Interstate 81 (PS; $; Weiner)
Syracuse will receive at least $6.7 million from the federal government to help build a children’s center and YMCA in a neighborhood slated to rise when Interstate 81 is torn down and replaced with a street-level boulevard.
The infusion of federal aid marks a key milestone for one of the proposed anchors of the new neighborhood.
The Children Rising Center and YMCA would be constructed in a new, two-story building at South State and East Taylor streets where public housing now stands.
The center would focus on children and families through three programs: An early learning and child care center with slots for 112 children, a YMCA and a space for parents and children to play modeled on The Play Space in Auburn.
The Syracuse Housing Authority would use a $3.7 million federal grant to make way for the center by demolishing 25 units of public housing on Latimer Terrace in McKinney Manor.
The money would help pay for relocating residents, demolition work and any environmental cleanup needed to prepare the site for the Children Rising Center, said Bill Simmons, the authority’s executive director.
“It really is great news,” Simmons told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. “It’s going to take the project a long way.”
Separately, a $3 million federal grant will help move the Children Rising Center a step closer to its goal of building a structure that would span about 78,000-square feet.
Blueprint 15, a nonprofit formed by the city, Syracuse Housing Authority and Allyn Family Foundation, is overseeing development and fundraising for the center.
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More than 2 inches of rain could fall across a broad area of Upstate New York today. Areas that see repeated thunderstorms could get twice that much.National Weather Service
Risk of severe storms, flooding keep growing as Beryl remnants near Upstate NY (PS; Coin)
As the remnants of Hurricane Beryl push toward Upstate New York, the risk of severe storms and flooding continues to grow.
Much of Upstate New York is now in what the National Weather Service calls “enhanced” risk for storms severe enough to cause flooding and power outages. Winds could reach 60 mph and rainfall rates could exceed 2 inches per hour.
“Damaging winds, some tornadoes and heavy rainfall will be the main threats,” the weather service said.
A flood watch has been issued for counties from Central New York to the northern Adirondacks. At least 2 inches of rain are expected today across those regions, and if thunderstorms pass over the same area repeatedly, up to 4 inches of rain could fall.
About 3 inches of rain falls in a typical summer month.
The flood watch is in effect from noon to midnight, although it could be extended if rain is heavier than forecast.
The storms are predicted to start around noon and continue well past dark, the weather service said.
The area of the worst storms has nudged north -- on Tuesday it looked like the greatest risk would be in the Southern Tier -- and the odds have increased from about 15% to 40% or greater. Western New York should escape the worst of the storms and heavy rain today.
In Syracuse, the rain is expected to start mid-morning, with the heaviest rain falling this afternoon into the evening. The flood watch is in effect until midnight.
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