sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Hot Fudge Sundae Day!
Taking place during National Ice Cream Month, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day celebrates one of the most popular sundaes. Said to be invented in the early twentieth century at C.C. Brown's Ice Cream Shop in Hollywood, hot fudge sundaes usually are made of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate fudge, and topped with nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry.
There are a few stories as to how and where ice cream sundaes got their start. One says they got their start in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1881. There, George Hallauer ordered an ice cream dish at Ed Berner's soda fountain. His dish gained popularity, and other nearby fountains began serving it. It was George Giffy, who owned a fountain in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, who decided to serve it only on Sundays—hence the name it received.
Another story says that in Evanston, Illinois, in the 1890s, moralists were speaking out against drinking soda water on the Sabbath. In response, confectioners decided to create "Sundays," which had ice cream and flavored syrups instead of soda water. Another early name for the dessert was "Soda-less Soda." In order to remove any connection to the Sabbath, "Sundays" eventually became known as "sundaes."
Other cities have claimed to be the originator of the ice cream sundae, including Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ithaca, New York; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. No matter where they were created, they were wildly popular by the turn of the twentieth century, and the hot fudge sundae made its debut shortly after, becoming the favorite sundae of many!
SU News
Syracuse Football: 4-star, top-150 national prospect Ayden Pouncey set to visit 'Cuse (itlh; Adler)
Elite 2026 prospect Ayden Pouncey from Florida will soon make a trip to Syracuse football.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Pouncey, a 2026 four-star defensive back/wide receiver, says on his X page that he will visit the Orange this weekend. There was a dead period on the college football recruiting calendar from June 24 through July 24, but now that this has been lifted until August 1, I'd anticipate seeing some 'Cuse targets taking visits to the Hill in the near future.
Pouncey, a top-150 national prospect in the rising high school junior cycle, holds more than 30 offers from a range of high-major programs. He landed a scholarship offer from the Orange on May 6 of this year.
Per recruiting services and his X page, Pouncey's full offer sheet includes schools such as defending national champion Michigan, Rutgers, Buffalo, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Appalachian State, Western Michigan, UMass, Oregon, Arkansas, N.C. State, Florida State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia, Illinois, Louisville, Miami, Ole Miss, Missouri, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Carolina, Texas A&M, UCF, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Duke and USF, among others.
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ACC teams plan earlier travel for cross-country flights (PS; AP)
California’s Fernando Mendoza and Stanford’s Ashton Daniels are quarterbacks for rival football programs in the Golden State, part of the long history of a rivalry known as simply as the “Big Game.”
Last summer, they were united in their dismay at watching the Pac-12 disintegrate as a power conference, leaving their schools briefly without a home.
“Unsettling,” Daniels recalled.
“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t scary,” Mendoza said.
Yet on Tuesday, they were sitting in a hotel across the country representing their programs at the preseason football media days in their new Atlantic Coast Conference home. It’s part of the early stages of a partnership borne of timing: two elite universities and a conference trying to shore up its own future by reaching out of its Eastern Seaboard footprint to become a coast-to-coast superconference.
The next step comes this fall, as Stanford and Cal – along with SMU from the American Athletic Conference – integrate themselves into ACC play amid frequent-flier miles and reconfigured travel plans.
Then again, longer travel beats the alternative when it comes to the Cardinal and Bears keeping their seat at the power-conference table, with Stanford coach Troy Taylor saying the school was grateful to find “safe harbor.”
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ACC Media Day Snubs (orangefizz.net; Gotkin)
As we continue to get closer to August 31st and the start of the SU football season, the preseason events have started to commence. ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina started on Monday. Syracuse is a part of the last group of teams that will speak with the media on Thursday along with Clemson, North Carolina, and NC State.
The Orange announced that the players alongside first-year head coach Fran Brown will be Kyle McCord, LeQuint Allen, Justin Barron, and Fadil Diggs. All of them will be key players to the ‘Cuse this season. It was a big surprising though to see two players left off the list.
Oronde Gadsden
The one guy who most thought would be a lock as the best returning player to the team, Oronde Gadsden is not one of the players at ACC Kickoff. Last year, he was a preseason all-American and was the highest-rated SU player by EA Sports. Gadsden is a bit of a soft speaker however we still expected to hear from him in Charlotte. Considering the injury that ended his season last year and the issues this offseason, it isn’t the most surprising however it’ll be interesting to follow Gadsden ahead of the season.
Marlowe Wax
There might not be a more crucial player to the ‘Cuse in 2024 than Marlowe Wax. The Maryland native has had one of the best careers ever in the 315. Wax has started 38 straight games and appeared in 49 straight since arriving on campus in 2020. The linebacker could be the first player to lead the Orange in tackles for three straight years in 35 seasons. Wax is also a fan favorite as a co-host of the Mob podcast. Another surprise to not see Wax as one of the players who is down in Charlotte.
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Are Annual Trips To California Good Or Bad For Syracuse Football? (orangefizz.net; Papillo)
For the first time since 2011, Syracuse football is headed to the Golden State to take on the California Golden Bears this season. A season with already so much buzz now includes a cross-country road trip smack dab in the middle. But this isn’t just a one-off for 2024. The welcoming of Stanford and Cal to the ACC guarantees a West Coast trip for the Orange each season. Is this a good thing or a bad thing for SU football? Let’s dive into it.
The Good
Taking trips out west could be a blessing in disguise for Fran Brown. Why you may ask? The elite recruiter has an opportunity to really break into an untapped market for Syracuse and encourage some top prospects to consider joining the Orange. The ‘Cuse have had just two recruits come from the Golden State since 2023, and currently have zero for both this season and the next. A warm-weather state with so much talent can’t go unnoticed, especially when the Orange will play there every year and Fran Brown can make some visits. It seems like a GOLDEN opportunity just waiting to happen, no pun intended.
The Bad
California trips sound awesome in theory, but for a New York team, it’s much more than just a getaway to nicer weather in the winter. Syracuse’s game in Berkeley this season comes on November 16th, the fourth consecutive game in a row for the Orange without a bye. A team that could be already tired from games past and possibly dealing with injuries will then have to deal with the three-hour time difference to play a key ACC matchup. This travel could very easily catch up to SU and not allow them to play their best while out west. It’s similar to the men’s basketball team taking a trip to Hawaii last season, except that was before conference play kicked off. This is right in the middle of a pivotal season, and it could pay dividends when it’s all said and done. Also, this will be the second game of Syracuse’s season in the Pacific time zone, as they travel to Las Vegas to battle UNLV earlier in the season as well.
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Syracuse football's 10 best punters of all-time per ChatGPT (247sports.com; McAllister)
Syracuse has had strong special teams throughout its history, including a lot of very productive punters. In part nine of our ChatGPT series on the best players in Syracuse history at each position, punter is up next.
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. PETE RAUB
Player: Pete RaubYears: ???
Stats: ???
ChatGPT Comments: Punter in the late 1960s and early 1970s, known for his strong leg and ability to flip the field..
Our thoughts: Is this a made up player? Several google searches yielded no results on who Pete Raub is, who he played for, or if he even exists as a football player. This is a significant failure by ChatGPT/AI, which did the same for kickers listing him fourth on that list.
9. COLLIN BARBER
Player: Collin BarberYears: 2001-2004
Stats: 11-119 XPs, 42-64 FGs, 237 points
ChatGPT Comments: Punter from 2012 to 2015, known for his consistency and ability to execute in various punting situations.
Our thoughts: Collin Barber ranks seventh in Syracuse history in field goals made and is 10th on the program's field goal percentage list. Despite playing on some teams that took a step back from what the Orange had been in the 90s, Barber continued Syracuse's lineage of really strong, productive college kickers. The issue here is that he was not a punter at any point during his Syracuse career. Therefore, this is a failure from ChatGPT on its first two picks.
8. ROBBIE WALKER
Player: Robbie WalkerYears: 1992-1995
Stats: 500 rush, 2,429 yards, 15 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Punter in the early 1990s, known for his accuracy and ability to pin opponents deep.
Our thoughts: The only Robbie Walker in the early 90s that I could find was a running back who played at West Virginia. There is certainly no indication of a punter by that name ever playing at Syracuse. So far, ChatGPT/AI is 0-3 on its list of Syracuse punters.
7. GREG MONTGOMERY
Player: Greg MontgomeryYears: 1985-1987
Stats: 170 punts, 7,721 yards, 45.4 avg.
ChatGPT Comments: Punter in the mid-1980s, known for his powerful kicks and ability to control field position.
Our thoughts: Greg Montgomery was a really good college punter. The issue here is that he played for Michigan State, not Syracuse. The ChatGPT description is accurate, but he did not play for the Orange. The same thing occurred on the kickers list, so it is unclear why AI thinks Montgomery played for Syracuse when he in fact played for Michigan State. ChatGPT is now 0-4.
6. TOMMY WALSH
Player: Tommy WalshYears: ???
Stats: ???
ChatGPT Comments: Punter in the late 1980s, known for his consistency and ability to execute in pressure situations.
Our thoughts: Google searches could not produce a punter named Tommy Walsh in the 1980s. Nor did that and other searches yield anyone by that name at Syracuse. There was a Tommy Walsh who played quarterback at Rocky Mountain College and a Tommy Walsh that played defensive end at Delaware. Either way, ChatGPT is now 0-5 on its list of Syracuse punters.
5. PAT O'NEILL
Player: Pat O'NeillYears: 1990-1993
Stats: 155 punts, 6,365 yards, 41.1 avg., 32-32 XPs, 10-18 FGs, 62 points
ChatGPT Comments: Punter and kicker in the late 1990s, known for his versatility and ability to contribute in both roles. He was a reliable punter who could also handle kickoff duties.
Our thoughts: Pat O'Neill is certainly one of the better punters in Syracuse football history. He was on some really good teams in the early 90s and had a reputation of having a strong leg. He might be in the discussion for the best punter in Syracuse history. O'Neill is third on the single season punting average list, seventh on the career average list and holds the record for punting average in a game (minimum of three punts) with 55.2 against Virginia Tech in 1993. ChatGPT was off on its timeframe, but got the selection right.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man: #5, WR Umari Hatcher (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
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: Umari Hatcher
Position: Wide Receiver
Year: Redshirt Junior
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 186 lbs.
Hometown: Woodbridge, VA
High School: Freedom
2023 stats: The number two receiver on the Orange with 32 catches for 482 yards and three touchdowns. Had his first-career 100-yard game in the season opener against Colgate and caught the game-winning TD pass against Wake Forest to secure SU’s 6th win.
2024 projections: Hatcher may not profile as high as others in the room, but he could still have a big contribution this season. He dealt with an injury in spring camp, so we haven’t had a chance to see him work out much with the new system. It should help that Kyle McCord has shown he can make more throws towards the sidelines, where Umari primarily ran his routes.
How’d he get here?: Hatcher had a flurry of Power offers: Penn State, Michigan State, Indiana, Maryland, UNC, Virginia, and Virginia Tech all vied for his services before he chose the Orange.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Carried a three-star rating, except from On3, who bumped him up to four. Top-20 prospect out of Virginia in the Class of 2021.
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Syracuse football: a look at the updated 2024 roster (TNIAAM; Ostrowski)
The 2024 Syracuse Orange football roster has been set and we're here to break down the changes since spring camp ended.
The roster has expanded to 107 total players - we'll cover all the new additions, freshmen and transfers alike, in our ongoing Get to Know Your Orange Man series.
Former QB Braden Davis is now listed as a WR. Davis was seen taking some receiving reps in the final week of spring practices, and now the position change is official. He previously made two catches last season at Georgia Tech before going back to QB for the Boca Raton Bowl.
SU's backup options for Kyle McCord are now Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, freshman Jakhari Williams, and FAU transfer Michael Johnson Jr. - who originally committed as an "athlete" but will resume his original position following successful injury rehab.
LB Kadin Bailey was not listed on the updated roster. SU Athletics could not be reached for comment regarding his absence. It's not as big of a loss with Elijah Robinson implementing a 4-2-5 scheme and eliminating a starting LB spot, but still an unpleasant and unexpected update nonetheless.
Bailey was relegated to the special teams unit last season but flashed potential at SU, including during the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl where he had five tackles and a sack. He has two years of eligibility remaining, but with the transfer portal already closed, he may not be playing anywhere this fall.
Senior TE Max Mang has changed his number from #81 to #0. This is Mang's second number change in his four years with the Orange - he wore #47 as a freshman before switching to #81.
Some other notable new numbers:
- CB Clarence Lewis (Notre Dame transfer) - #3
- QB Jakhari Williams - #4
- WR Justus Ross-Simmons (Colorado State transfer) - #12
- TE Jamie Tremble - #13
- LB Fatim Diggs - #45
- OL Codie Hornsby (Grambling State transfer) - #54
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x.com
twitter.com
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "Allow us to reintroduce…. Coach Hicks is BACK in the weightroom full time HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a legend of the program!"
cusefootball on July 24, 2024: "Allow us to reintroduce…. Coach Hicks is BACK in the weightroom full time HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a legend of the program!".
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Syracuse Might Have The Best TE Room In The College Football
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Tom Luginbill of ESPN: How does the ACC change their perception?
Tom Luginbill, ESPN, joined Adam Gold to discuss the upcoming college football games. Tom talks about the importance of conference vs non-conference games. T...
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Syracuse Football 2026 Recruiting Checkup - Can Cuse Keep its Commits? | Syracuse Orange Podcast
Syracuse football currently has three four-star commits in its 2026 class: Izayia Williams, Demetres Samuel Jr., and D'Antae Sheffey. Fran Brown will face st...
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ACC News
ACC football notes: O'Brien a 'good fit' for Boston College (roanoke.com; $; Berman)
Boston College might not have one of the ACC’s marquee football programs, but it does have a big-name coach.
Bill O’Brien, a former head coach with Penn State and the Houston Texans and a former offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach with Alabama and the New England Patriots, was hired in February to steer BC.
“I was with the Patriots last year, I’m from Massachusetts. … My wife, Colleen, went to BC. So it’s a good fit,” O’Brien, 54, said Wednesday during ACC football media days at a Charlotte hotel.
“At this stage of my career, it is about the fit. It’s about the people. It’s about the product. It’s about the university. It’s about what I believe in, the combination of being able to play good football with a really good academic school that really gives back to the community.”
Boston College coach Bill O’Brien speaks during ACC football media days Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. He is entering his first season as BC’s coach.
O’Brien was Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator with the Patriots last season, as well as in 2011. He succeeds Jeff Hafley, who left BC to become the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.
O’Brien steered Penn State from 2012-13 before heading to the NFL to guide the Texans from 2014-20.
He said he had missed being a head coach.
“I love being a head coach because I think you can have a real impact on the guys,” he said. “You can impact their lives in ways other than football.”
After working for then-Alabama coach Nick Saban and Belichick in recent years, does O’Brien like being the one to call the shots again?
“I owe those guys a lot. I loved working for those guys. But to be able to do it your way is good, too,” he said.
As a quarterback, BC’s Thomas Castellanos was excited by O’Brien’s resume.
“He’s coached Bryce (Young at Alabama). He’s coached Deshaun (Watson with Houston). He’s coached Tom (Brady at New England),” he said. “I want to be like those guys. I want to get to the next level. … I’m buying into everything he’s telling me to do.”
Hafley went 22-26 in four years at BC, including 7-6 last year.
Duke turns to Diaz
Former Miami head coach Manny Diaz, who spent the past two years as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, is the new head coach at Duke.
“You’ve probably got (just) one more shot at (being a head coach), so … you want to make sure you’re really, really sure about not just the place you want to be but the people you are aligning yourself with. That’s where I felt like Duke checked every box,” Diaz said.
Duke coach Manny Diaz speaks during ACC football media days Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. The former Miami head coach is entering his first season at Duke.
Diaz, 50, replaced Mike Elko, who was hired by Texas A&M after leading Duke to back-to-back winning seasons.
“When the job came open I was very, very interested because the one thing that everybody said in unison was, ‘The kids in the locker room are just extraordinary in their work ethic and the way they love ball and the way they love each other,’” Diaz said.
He retained Duke sports performance director David Feeley, who had previously been Diaz’s strength and conditioning coach at Miami.
‘You hear coaches all the time throw out words like, ‘We have to establish our culture,’” Diaz said. “I knew it was already established.”
Close losses hurt Miami
Miami went just 7-6 overall and 3-5 in ACC play last season. Four of the team’s six losses were by seven points or less.
How do the Hurricanes turn those close losses into wins this year?
“(Improving in) the red zone on both sides of the ball, third down on both sides of the ball, (reducing) penalties on both sides of the ball and turnovers,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “Those are four areas that … determine outcomes all the time.
“I also think the resilience of our culture, it showed up well in games like Texas A&M, in games like Clemson, in games like Virginia … and then it showed up in a not-positive way at the end of the N.C. State game, at the end of the Louisville game. Those are games that you’re there to close out and it got away.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal speaks during ACC football media days Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. Miami won just three ACC games last year.
Associated Press
“It’s time to take our next step. And that’s our next step — close out the close games on a more consistent basis.”
Miami’s new quarterback is Cam Ward, who threw for 3,732 yards for Washington State last year.
“Cam Ward will allow Miami to do things that Miami hasn’t been able to do in a long, long time,” Cristobal said. “He’s a dynamic player.”
New QB at Louisville
Louisville’s new quarterback, Tyler Shough, is in his seventh year of college football. He transferred from Texas Tech for his final year of eligibility.
“(Louisville) wanted an older, veteran guy to come in and lead the team,” said Shough, who has thrown for 4,625 career yards. “I wanted to go in a situation with this offense and coaching staff where I feel like I can increase my draft stock.”
Shough, 24, spent his first three seasons at Oregon, including a redshirt year.
He then spent three injury-plagued seasons at Texas Tech. He played in just four games last year because of a broken fibula.
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Clawson: ACC Has ‘Perception Problem,’ Not ‘Football Problem’ (theclemsoninsider.com; Oliver)
As a former head coach at Richmond, current Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson is familiar with competing in a conference that regularly sent multiple teams to the playoffs in a season at the NCAA’s Division I FCS level.
So, at the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday – ahead of the inaugural season of the 12-team College Football Playoff – Clawson was asked how important it is for the ACC to be a multiple-playoff-bid league.
“You’re dating me now. I was in that league when it went from the Yankee conference to the A10 to the CAA. That was certainly a sell in that league, that we were one of the stronger back then IAA, now FCS conferences, that we consistently got multiple bids,” said Clawson, who spent four seasons as Richmond’s head coach from 2004-07 and is now entering his 11th season at Wake Forest.
“I think that’s our challenge now in this conference, is to establish a level of play and to have enough teams that we become a multiple-bid conference.”
As for whether the ACC can indeed be a multi-bid conference in the expanded playoff, like the aforementioned Atlantic 10 Conference/Colonial Athletic Association was when he helped turn Richmond into an FCS powerhouse, Clawson says he doesn’t think the ACC has “a football problem” but rather “a perception problem.”
And Clawson knows how the league must fix that problem – by getting its teams in the playoff, of course, and then taking care of business on the field.
“I think our challenge in the ACC, and as ACC coaches, is let’s put a product on the field that warrants getting a second, third bid,” he said. “Then once we get in there, we’ve got to make noise.”
“I don’t think we have a football problem in our league. I think we have a perception problem,” he continued. “The only way to change that perception is to put teams in. Once we get in there, win those games against those other two conferences.”
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What we learned from ACC media days: SMU joins the club, keeping up with the Big 10, SEC (RX; HM)
The last teams are speaking with media Thursday at ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C., but with commissioner Jim Phillips and SMU representatives having already taken the stand, let’s take a look at what we learned ahead of the ACC football season.
SMU confident in ability to compete with the best
Despite being a newcomer to power conference football, the Mustangs believe they have what it takes to succeed in their first season in the ACC.
Coming off a CFP top-25 finish with a standout quarterback in Preston Stone, a strong defense and a manageable schedule, there are a number of reasons to believe in SMU’s chances as a first-year ACC program.
“I feel confident we have a team that’s going to compete,” head coach Rhett Lashlee said in his press conference. “We’re going to gain a lot from being in this conference, and I also think we’re going to add a lot of value to the conference, as well.”
How the ACC plans to keep up financially with the SEC, Big Ten
The biggest question ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is facing is how to remain financially competitive in the changing landscape of college football.
The drastic conference realignment that’s taken place over the last few seasons all boils down to money. And in that department, the ACC hasn’t always had the advantage. Phillips even admitted so.
“How do you close the gap? How do you be competitive?” Phillips said in his address at the ACC Football Kickoff Monday. “The ACC’s never been a league that’s led in revenue generation and distribution. We just haven’t.”
While Phillips and the ACC are aware of the conference’s past, the commissioner said he is actively trying to close that gap — and has made progress financially, which he shared Monday.
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ACC-Big XII Mascot Challenge! (RX; HM)
ACC-Big XII Mascot Challenge!
I got this idea from sparing with Big XII fans on "X" (the app formerly known as "twitter")...
Who would win in a battle of literal mascots between the ACC and the Big XII? Let's find out!
| ACC | vs | Big XII | Winner |
| Blue Devils | vs | Sun Devils | Tie, 2 devils |
| Hurricanes | vs | Cyclones | Canes if near the coast... |
| ...Cyclones if inland. | |||
| Golden Bears | vs | Baylor Bears | Tie, 2 bears |
| Wolf Pack | vs | Wildcats | Pack of Wolves, easily |
| Tigers | vs | Cougars | Tigers, easily |
| Panthers | vs | Bearcats | Panthers, easily |
| Oranges | vs | Buffaloes | Buffalo eats oranges, gets food poisoning, dies. |
| Eagles | vs | Cougars | (see image below) |
| Mustangs | vs | Red Raiders | Red Raiders steal Mustangs, are hanged as horse theives. |
| Cavaliers | vs | Knights | Knights |
| Seminoles | vs | Utes | UNCONQUERED! |
| Demon Deacons | vs | Mountaineers | Depends on how literal is the "Demon" part... |
| Hokies | vs | Jayhawks | Tie, 2 predatory birds |
| Tar Heels | vs | Cowboys | Tar Heels were Civil War soldiers; that beats Cowboys |
| Cardinals | vs | Horned Frogs | Birds eat frogs, don't they? |
That just leaves Stanford on the ACC side. To be honest, I'm not sure what to do with a color (Cardinal) or a tree (just sits there), so I'll give this one to the Big XII: Buffalo pees on tree, tree dies.
As for Eagles vs Cougars, do you have any idea how big an Eagle can grow?
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Best 2024 Road Trips (RX; HM)
Best 2024 Road Trips
I don't really have a mathematical scoring system for ACC football road games, so this one's going to be a bit more subjective than the home games...
2024 ACC football schedules
Boston College
09/02 – at Florida State (Mon.)09/14 – at Missouri
10/05 – at Virginia
10/17 – at Virginia Tech (Thur.)
11/16 – at SMU
Dallas is a destination city; the rest, not so much (and yes, I'm lumping Blacksburg, VA in that pile!)
California
09/07 – at Auburn09/21 – at Florida State
10/12 – at Pitt
11/08 – at Wake Forest (Fri.)
11/30 – at SMU
Auburn and FSU are nice places for a football game, and there are things to do in Pittsburgh and Dallas. Not bad!
Clemson
08/31 – Georgia (in Atlanta)10/05 – at Florida State
10/12 – at Wake Forest
11/09 – at Virginia Tech
11/16 – at Pitt
Games in Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Dome, Doak Campbell Stadium, Lane Stadium, and whatever they're calling the one in Pittsburgh these days -- for a football fan, that ain't bad!
Duke
09/07 – at Northwestern09/21 – at Middle Tennessee
10/05 – at Georgia Tech
11/02 – at Miami FL
11/09 – at NC State
11/30 – at Wake Forest
At least you can see some sights in Chicago (Northwestern) and Atlanta (Georgia Tech), and you can visit the beach in Miami. Off the top of my head, I can't tell you where MTSU is even located. The good thing about NC State and Wake Forest road games: they're easily drivable from Durham.
Florida State
08/24 – Georgia Tech (Ireland)09/28 – at SMU
10/18 – at Duke (Fri.)
10/26 – at Miami FL
11/09 – at Notre Dame
When the list starts with Ireland, you're in a whole different weight class! Then there are trips to Dallas and Miami, and a chance to play in front of "Touchdown Jesus" at Notre Dame. Seems like pretty good road trips to me!
Georgia Tech
08/24 – Florida State (Ireland)09/07 – at Syracuse
09/21 – at Louisville
10/12 – at North Carolina
10/26 – at Virginia Tech
11/30 – at Georgia
GT also starts in Ireland (duh), but the follow-up is not nearly as strong. In fact, I should probably deduct points for playing in Athens, GA!
Louisville
09/28 – at Notre Dame10/12 – at Virginia
10/25 – at Boston College (Fri.)
11/02 – at Clemson
11/16 – at Stanford
11/30 – at Kentucky
Notre Dame and Clemson are good venues to see a game. Boston and Palo Alto are nice weekend getaways. Charlottesville and Lexington, though? Cardinal fans better hope for a good bowl game.
Miami
08/31 – at Florida09/21 – at South Florida
10/05 – at Cal
10/19 – at Louisville
11/09 – at Georgia Tech
11/30 – at Syracuse
Two road trips inside the Sunshine State is a nice way to start the season. Drink some wine while you're in Northern California, and some bourbon in Northern Kentucky. Finish it off with some shopping in Atlanta and some fishing in the Finger Lakes near Syracuse and you have a nice season of road trips.
North Carolina
08/29 – at Minnesota (Thur.)09/28 – at Duke
10/26 – at Virginia
11/02 – at Florida State
11/23 – at Boston College
Does Minneapolis still have the Mall of America? That's probably worth a visit. Duke is a 10-minute drive without traffic. FSU is a good place to see a football game, and Boston is a good place to eat seafood and drink Samuel Adams beer.
NC State
09/07 – Tennessee (Charlotte, NC)09/21 – at Clemson
10/19 – at Cal
11/21 – at Georgia Tech (Thur.)
11/30 – at North Carolina
Charlotte may not be all that exotic for NC State fans, but it's a nice place to visit. The first big away game is at Clemson. Then there are interesting trips to No Cal and Atlanta before the second big away game in Chapel Hill.
Pitt
09/07 – at Cincinnati10/05 – at North Carolina
11/02 – at SMU
11/23 – at Louisville
11/30 – at Boston College
I guess Cincinnati is a nice road trip from Pittsburgh - just don't eat the chilli! (just kidding - it's okay). North Carolina has been a nightmare game for Pitt in the past, but the string of NFL QBs may have finally come to an end. Dallas is an interesting destination, then another potentially driveable (6 hours) road trip to Louisville before finishing in Bean Town. Eat some baked beans while you're there, Panthers!
SMU
08/24 - at Nevada10/05 – at Louisville
10/19 – at Stanford
10/26 – at Duke
11/23 – at Virginia
I'm not a fan of the state of Nevada, but some like the gambling, I suppose. Louisville and Stanford are underrated destinations, IMO, but Durham, NC and Charlottesville, VA are not all that exciting, IMO.
Stanford
09/20 – at Syracuse (Fri.)09/28 – at Clemson
10/12 – at Notre Dame
11/02 – at NC State
11/23 – at Cal
11/30 – at San José State
Upstate New York can be fun, and it's a fairly unique experience playing indoors. Clemson, Notre Dame, and NC State should be three tough away games for the serious football fan. Of course, there's the "Big Game" at Cal (not on Rivalry Weekend), with the big finish in... San Jose? Do you know the way to San Jose?
Syracuse
10/05 – at UNLV10/12 – at NC State
10/24 – at Pitt (Thur.)
11/09 – at Boston College
11/16 – at Cal
Another ACC team playing its first away game in Nevada - what are the odds? Trips to Raleigh (NC State), Pittsburgh, and Boston are "old hat", even if the games themselves are appropriate for the Orange. While in Northern California, Orange fans can compare Upstate New York wines with the local vineyards (think Mogen David vs. Ernest & Julio Gallo)
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Can SMU recruit with the big boys in Texas? (RX; HM)
Can SMU recruit with the big boys in Texas?
Here's a quick lunch-time post for you regarding the SMU Mustangs. Someone asked if they'd be able to recruit the state of Texas being "on an island" in the ACC and all. How are they recruiting Texas? Very well, thank you!
247Sports 2025 Recruting Rankings
for Texas-based schools as of July 24th, 2024:
# 7 Texas A&M: 14 blue-chips, 19 total#16 Texas: 8 blue-chips, 15 total
#20 SMU: 4 blue-chips, 20 total
#23 TCU: 4 blue-chips, 21 total
#29 Baylor: 5 blue-chips, 17 total
#42 Texas Tech: 2 blue, 17 total
#43 Houston: 1 blue, 18 total
Neck-and-neck with TCU and behind only the two SEC schools, Texas A&M and Texas. Not bad!
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Duke football coach Manny Diaz rallies behind ACC, addresses Florida State playoff snub at media days (247sports.com'; Nagel)
The ACC champion is guaranteed an automatic bid in the expanded College Football Playoff field starting in 2024. However, controversy over undefeated Florida State's exclusion from the 2023 season's four-team playoff last season still fuels the debate. As the Big Ten and SEC grow stronger with recent conference expansions, leaders within the ACC are rallying to ensure their league competes on equal footing with the emerging "Power 2." New Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Penn State, returns to the ACC where he previously spent six seasons on the Miami staff (2016-21), including the final three as head coach. The Florida State graduate shared his stance in backing the Seminoles Wednesday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"Think about the game that got everybody bent out of shape about Florida State," Diaz said. "They beat Louisville for the ACC championship. What did Louisville do? Louisville beat the heck out of Notre Dame, which by the way, Duke had Notre Dame beat on a fourth-down-and-long. What did Notre Dame do? Notre Dame was a dropped interception away from beating Ohio State.
"And I know it's a tricky game in college football to compare scores, but what did Ohio State do? Ohio State had the ball, in Ann Arbor, driving down the field down by six to win the game against the team that became the national champion. So, everybody hated on Florida State because they only beat Louisville, 16-6. Louisville was a hell of a team. How do we know? Well, they hammered Notre Dame. The point is what do you get credit for then?"
Florida State became the first undefeated power conference champion excluded from the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles extended their winning streak against ACC opponents to 12 games after defeating Louisville without star quarterback Jordan Travis, who suffered a season-ending injury two weeks prior.
Diaz continued his passionate answer by crediting other ACC members for their recent accomplishments.
"I'm watching from afar," Diaz said. "How come when Duke beats Clemson it's, 'What's wrong with Clemson?' NC State — there's not a team in the Big Ten Conference like NC State. Nobody talks about it. We were in [the Big Ten] for two years. We were 0-4 against Michigan and Ohio State with Penn State. I think the first game I was there against coach (Jeff) Brohm's offense we beat Purdue by one score. I don't think we played anybody else within single digits the last two years I was there."
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The CW Network announces their CFB broadcasters for 2024 ACC football games (tigernet.com)
The CW Network announces the broadcast crews calling the upcoming 2024 season of ACC and Pac-12 college football games, as well as the addition of the new live CW FOOTBALL SATURDAY studio show debuting on Saturday, August 31.
“The second season of college football on The CW will be bigger than ever with coast-to-coast coverage of powerhouse teams from the ACC and Pac-12 conferences,” says Dennis Miller, President, The CW Network. “With the addition of the new live studio preshow and a roster of expert commentators, reporters and analysts, The CW is poised to become a premier college football destination on broadcast television for fans every Saturday this fall.”
The CW’s lead broadcast crew for ACC and select Pac-12 games will consist of veteran broadcaster Thom Brennaman alongside booth analyst Max Browne and sideline reporter Treavor Scales. Brennaman spent 26 years at Fox Sports calling the network’s marquee NFL and MLB games, including numerous postseason and World Series matchups. Brennaman also served as Fox’s lead play-by-play announcer for the Bowl Championship Series, including the BCS National Championship Game, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl. He previously served as the television voice for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. Browne is a former college quarterback who played for USC and Pitt and previously appeared as an analyst for Pac-12 Networks. Returning for his second season as a CW Sports sideline reporter, Scales was a four-time All-Ivy running back at Harvard and currently hosts pre- and post-game shows for the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks.
Pac-12 games on The CW will be called by hall-of-fame play-by-play announcer Ted Robinson, booth analyst Chase Daniel and sideline reporter Nigel Burton. Robinson is a two-time Emmy Award-winning announcer who has spent more than four decades covering a variety of sports, most recently serving as the lead play-by-play announcer for football and men’s basketball on Pac-12 Networks from its launch in 2012 through the 2023-24 season. He has also served as play-by-play announcer for the Golden State Warriors, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants, and works with NBC, Tennis Channel and USA Network calling dozens of major tennis events including the French Open, US Open, Wimbledon and the Gold Medal match at the 2012 Olympics. In total, he has called 13 Olympic Games and was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. Daniel is a former college quarterback for the University of Missouri who spent 14 years in the NFL before retiring in 2023. He has served as an in-studio analyst for NFL Network and hosts the “Chasin’ It” podcast alongside Trey Wingo. Burton served as head coach for Portland State’s football program for five years from 2010-14. He was a three-year starter at safety for the University of Washington and most recently served as a football analyst across Pac-12 Networks studio programming, traveling road show and on game broadcasts.
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Louisville's Takeaways From the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff (SI; McGavic)
The Atlantic Coast Conference held their annual Football Kickoff media event earlier this week, and you can imagine, the Louisville football program was present and had plenty to discuss regarding the upcoming season.
Below are some of the more impactful takeaways points over the course of the four-day event in Charlotte, N.C.
Louisville will kickoff the 2024 season against Austin Peay on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 12:00 p.m. EST at L&N Stadium.
QB Tyler Shough is continuing to become more comfortable within the scheme and the team.
While Louisville put together an objectively good offensive showing during their 2023 season wasn't bad per se, it certainly wasn't what many expected it to look like. It was a run-dominant offense powered by two future NFL running back, while the passing game - a staple under head coach Jeff Brohm while at WKU and Purdue - left some to be desired.
On top of bringing in some upper tier wide receiver transfers and almost completely overhauling the tight end room, Louisville also opted to find their next starting quarterback through the portal. In what was their very first transfer commitment after the end of the 2023 season, former Texas Tech and Oregon signal caller Tyler Shough decided to finish his career at Louisville.
Part of his rationale for choosing the Cardinals was the Brohm brothers' knack for developing quarterbacks and their offensive system as a whole. Fast forward through spring ball, Shough - a seventh year player - has a relatively firm grasp on the playbook.
"Their offensive system being a little more complex, putting a lot on my plate," he said. "We run a lot of different formations, personnel groups. I think that was really attractive to me to come in there and contribute to the team with a high standard. There was no doubt in my mind this was the place to be."
Since spring ball ended a few months ago, Shough has been using the summer to get to know his teammates a lot more and build off-the-field camaraderie. In just a short amount of time, he feels like he's developed significant bonds with the rest of the team.
"This whole summer has been crucial. ... I really, really enjoy the offense," he said. "Building that chemistry, but you're still practicing. I think this whole summer has been better (for building chemistry) on and off the field. Watching film, throwing to guys, it's been really excellent."
Brohm continues to be incredibly high on his defense heading into year two.
While Brohm has been known for his offensive prowess as a head coach, last year's Louisville team was undoubtedly led by their defense. The Cardinals finished the 2023 season with the No. 21 total defense and No. 35 scoring defense last season, giving up just 317.1 yards and 21.3 points per game.
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ACC Football Kick Off 2024 - Miami
Head Coach Mario Cristobal, Linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, Offensive Lineman Jalen Rivers, and Quarterback Cam Ward spoke with the media at the ACC Kickoff.Vi...
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Why the ACC needs multiple CFP teams in 2024 | College Football Enquirer | Yahoo Sports | Yahoo Sports national columnist Dan Wetzel, senior college sports reporter Ross Dellenger and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde look ahead to the playoff... | By Y
Yahoo Sports national columnist Dan Wetzel, senior college sports reporter Ross Dellenger and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde look ahead to the playoff...
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Wes Durham on FSU and Clemson lawsuits and the upcoming ACC football season
Wes Durham, ACC Network joined Adam Gold to discuss the upcoming college football season and the lawsuits within the ACC. What are FSU’s and Clemson’s motive...
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Syracuse University submitted a map to the City Planning Commission showing the impact of shadows on nearby properties, including the E.M. Mills Rose Garden, from its proposed 703-bed dorm along Ostrom Avenue. (Syracuse University)
Just how massive is SU’s proposed new dorm? Its shadow would reach Thornden Park’s roses (PS; $; Boyer)
Sonia Kragh’s mind immediately began thinking about changes that might be needed at the E.M. Mills Rose Garden, the 100-year-old community treasure at Syracuse’s Thornden Park.
Kragh, the rose garden committee chair for the Syracuse Rose Society, was with her team of volunteers doing weekly garden maintenance Wednesday morning when she learned that Syracuse University’s plans for a massive new dormitory across the street had been released.
The city Planning Commission posted SU’s dorm project application, which shows designs for a 703-bed residence hall. The 272,000-square-foot residential hall would be four to six stories tall and 630 feet long along Ostrom Avenue. If approved, it would be the largest student housing building in Syracuse. Its square footage is comparable to the 12-story downtown Marriott hotel.
The giant structure would cast a late afternoon shadow over the rose garden, the university acknowledged in its application. It will also bring an estimated 22 months of construction activity before hundreds of new residents move in.
“It will impact the garden in a lot of ways,” Kragh said. “I am concerned about the noise. ... This is a contemplative garden.”
Initial thoughts that popped into her head included planting some more shade-resistant rose plants on the side of the garden closest to the proposed building, as well as installing some natural buffer plants to help reduce noise.
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Syracuse Ukrainian Festival at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, Syracuse, N.Y., Friday July 29, 2022. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Syracuse Ukrainian Festival is serving up 18,000 pyrohy in its 83rd year (PS; Duffie)
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church kicks off its 83rd Syracuse Ukrainian Festival this weekend with at least 18,000 pyrohy, thousands of holubsti and ways to donate to those impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the free two-day event, which starts Friday.
This year attendees can expect the same memorable celebration as years past. There will be dance performances by Syracuse Ukrainian Cultural Center’s ODESA dance group, craft vendors from around the country, and special guests for everyone to enjoy.
“As always we’re going to put our best foot forward and show local communities what Ukrainians are all about,” said Nick Fruscello, who has been the festival’s director for the last 10 years.
The festival is bringing back a beer that was created in collaboration with Meier’s Creek, a local brewery based in Cazenovia. The beer’s name, “Hero’s Glory,” is a nod to the war. A QR code is printed on the can and can be scanned to donate directly to charities for Ukraine.
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Demolition is underway at the warehouse at 400 Erie Blvd. W. on the outskirts of downtown Syracuse, seen Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
Crumbling 120-year-old warehouse in Syracuse to be demolished for apartments (PS; $; Moss)
A crumbling seven-story brick warehouse on the outskirts of downtown Syracuse will be demolished over the next several months to make way for apartments, officials said.
The former cold storage facility at 400 Erie Blvd. W. was ordered taken down June 17 and again June 21, according to city spokesperson Brooke Schneider.
The building was deemed unsafe for occupancy two days earlier on June 15, city records show. Officials responded that day to calls that bricks fell into the road, Schneider said. It also has several other active code violations.
Construction workers were at the building Tuesday and Wednesday. Part of the wall facing West Street was gone Wednesday afternoon.
The building was sold by the city in June 2003 for $11,000 to 400 Erie Boulevard LLC, which at the time shared an address with Brang Commercial Real Estate, of Fayetteville. The company now lists the address of Bowers Development, of East Syracuse, state records show.
Bryan Bowers, the president of Bowers Development, said the aging building will be taken down in a “deliberate and methodical manner.” Any contaminated soil or groundwater will be remediated in collaboration with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, he said.
Bowers said he intends to build an apartment building with 125 to 150 units on the site of the warehouse. He hopes it will be “the ultimate transformation of the gateway into downtown Syracuse.”
His firm appears to be involved in redeveloping other aging structures across Central New York, including the Schine Theater in Auburn.
The western section of the building, near Plum Street, was demolished in 2015 after part of it collapsed. That section was once home to an ice cream company, according to Post-Standard archives.
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