sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Teddy Bear Day!
National Teddy Bear Day is dedicated to the stuffed bear that was named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. In November 1902, Roosevelt, an avid hunter, went on a hunting excursion organized by Mississippi's governor, Andrew Longino, in Smedes, Mississippi. Roosevelt was accompanied by some aides, other hunters, and reporters, as well as a hunting guide, Holt Collier, and his hunting dogs. After a few days without success, Roosevelt and the hunting dogs were on the trail of a black bear. Having thought that they had lost the bear, Roosevelt went back to camp, but Collier and his dogs kept searching. Collier and his dogs found the 235 pound bear, and the dogs circled it and began biting and attacking it. The bear killed one of the dogs, and Collier clubbed the bear over the head and tied it to a tree. He bugled for Roosevelt, who found the bear mauled from the the dogs, and refused to shoot it. He also forbade anyone else from shooting it, but as the bear was so injured, he had the bear put out of its misery by having it be killed with a hunting knife.
A few days later, a cartoon titled "Drawing the line in Mississippi", which showed Roosevelt refusing to shoot the bear, was drawn by Clifford Berryman, and appeared in the Washington Post. Rose and Morris Mitchom, store owners in New York City, saw the cartoon and were inspired to create the teddy bear, which they originally called "Teddy's bear". They eventually founded the Ideal Toy Company which produced the bears, and even allegedly wrote to Roosevelt asking his permission to use his name for their bear. About the same time as the Mitchom's debuted their bear, Richard Steiff of Germany created a stuffed teddy bear as well, which also became very popular.
SU News
Elijah Robinson’s idea to give Syracuse DE Fadil Diggs a crash course at linebacker was ‘really brilliant’ (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse’s biggest question coming out of its season opener was obvious. The answer wasn’t clear to anyone except defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson.
In an effort to replace star linebacker Marlowe Wax and improve the team’s run defense in its second game against Georgia Tech, Robinson gave star defensive end Fadil Diggs a crash course in a new position.
Diggs lined up primarily at linebacker against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, tying for the team lead with seven tackles, making two of the Orange’s three tackles for loss and delivering the most important defensive play of the game.
Syracuse coach Fran Brown had bemoaned Syracuse’s lack of physicality in its opener, when the Orange missed 19 tackles. Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said he believed the game would be decided by his team’s physicality, comments that rankled Brown.
So Syracuse placed its most impressive physical presence into the middle of the melee. Diggs, listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, delivered for the second straight week.
“Coach (Elijah Robinson) is really brilliant,” Brown said. “We knew they hadn’t faced that. We knew they didn’t practice against that. We also felt like Fadil was athletic enough and he’s big. There’s a difference when most guys are getting hit by a 230-pound linebacker and now you’re getting hit by 6-5, 265 who likes contact. That’s why we went and did that.”
Georgia Tech rushed for 112 yards. That was 143 fewer yards than Ohio had against the Orange in the opener. Syracuse limited Georgia Tech’s running backs to just 45 yards on run plays. Pro Football Focus found just six missed tackles by SU defenders.
“We came out with a completely new defense,” Brown said. “Coach E had the vision, man. (Our coaches) were in this one room (all week). At the end of the week I didn’t want to go in there no more. It started stinking. They were just barricaded in there.”
Through two games, Diggs has been a game-wrecker, piling up six tackles for loss and two sacks.
Brown said Syracuse coaches hoped that Diggs’ reputation for hitting would make Georgia Tech’s smaller running backs and dual-threat quarterback less eager to run the ball. Brown had compared the quarterback, Haynes King, to former Texas star Vince Young over the course of the week.
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Oronde Gadsden grabs 2 touchdowns in SU’s win over GT (DO; Girshon)
Heading into last season, Oronde Gadsden II was on the cusp of becoming one of the best skill position players in college football. In 2022, the wide receiver turned tight end emerged as a breakout star. Gadsden notched just under 1,000 receiving yards en route to becoming a First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.
Following his dominant sophomore campaign, Gadsden was named a 2023 AP Preseason All-American. His junior year was supposed to be one where he not only was the focal point of Syracuse’s offense, but one that saw him shoot up draft boards and become a 2024 NFL Draft selection.
Instead, a Lisfranc injury ended his year five quarters into the season. At the time, it was unclear what Gadsden’s next step would be. He could’ve entered the portal or left for the NFL. Instead, he returned to SU.
After SU brought in transfer quarterback Kyle McCord in December, Gadsden locked in his decision to return to the Orange. In his return to the field last week versus Ohio, Gadsden registered seven receptions, 108 receiving yards and a touchdown. Against then-No. 23 Georgia Tech Saturday, he continued his dominance, notching six receptions, 93 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Gadsden’s 13 catches and 201 receiving yards lead SU thus far.
“It feels great being able to come back, do what I do week in and week out,” Gadsden said postgame after defeating GT.
Gadsden’s performance against Georgia Tech was his first muti-touchdown game since SU defeated then-No. 15 NC State on Oct. 15, 2022 — the Orange’s last time beating an AP Top 25 opponent. Though against the Yellow Jackets, Gadsden started slowly.
As Syracuse took a 14-7 lead in the beginning of the second quarter, the tight end was held to just two catches for 11 yards. Meanwhile, Trebor Peña, who totaled three Week 1 touchdowns, caught both of SU’s scores. Additionally, the Orange had eight players with receptions throughout the game, their second consecutive game with as many pass catchers.
“I feel like if they’re going to try to take away a guy like (Gadsden), it’s going to free up somebody else, and vice versa,” McCord said.
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Kyle McCord let his little league self out against Georgia Tech: ‘Just playing free and having fun’ (PS; Leiker)
“Little league Kyle” is an alter ego of sorts that Fran Brown has tried to pull out of Syracuse football quarterback Kyle McCord since the two arrived at SU.
Brown remembers McCord’s little league days back in New Jersey. He was there.
The rest of Syracuse finally got to see what he means by “little league Kyle” on Saturday.
“Just playing free and having fun,” McCord said of what the idea embodies. “Not getting caught up on one mistake and letting that kind of ruin the drive. Just having short-term memory and letting it rip out there. I think that definitely came out today.”
McCord completed 32 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns in the Orange’s win against Georgia Tech. He’s the first Syracuse quarterback since Ryan Nassib in 2012 to have multiple 300-yard, four-touchdown games.
The pass game wasn’t where “little league Kyle” manifested most, though.
That energy shone through on the sideline, where McCord fired up teammates with some strong language.
The bubble really popped when McCord scrambled for 15 yards up the sideline for the longest rush of his career and a Syracuse first down.
“The 3rd-and-3 scramble meant a lot to our program,” Brown said. “I’m always telling Kyle in practice when he’ll run inside, I’m cussing at him and chasing him, ‘You should be running. You’re afraid to run. I wanna see the little league Kyle McCord.’
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My Gawd! Kyle McCord leaves Ohio State and becomes a new man (what they’re saying) (PS; Mink)
Kyle McCord is showing a side of himself that rarely surfaced last year at Ohio State.
The senior quarterback was lauded all offseason for his even-keel demeanor and leadership traits as he took the reins at Syracuse.
But McCord showed a different side of his competitive nature during Saturday’s 31-28 win against No. 23 Georgia Tech in the JMA Wireless Dome.
He let out a little expletive-laced trash talk marching down the sideline after leading the offense to a breezy touchdown drive on the game’s opening possession.
Later, he spiked the football in celebration at the end of a 15-yard run to pick up a first down.
And when the final margin was set and the clock expired, McCord chucked the football into the crowd.
McCord has earned the right to be a bit braggadocios after starting the year with back-to-back career outings on the heels of his sudden exit from Columbus.
Last week, first-year Syracuse coach Fran Brown quipped he should send Ohio State coach Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for greasing the tracks that led McCord to Syracuse.
This week, after McCord shredded Georgia Tech for 381 yards and four touchdowns, the champagne emojis popped off on social media.
Here’s what else social media is saying about McCord after the Orange’s 2-0 start:
Warning: Some content contains explicit language not suitable for younger audiences.
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Which Syracuse football players improved most from Week 1 in win over Georgia Tech? (PFF grades) (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football went to work between Weeks 1 and 2 to lock down its run defense after a sloppy start to the season.
It worked, as the Orange held Georgia Tech to just 112 rushing yards, about half what it had averaged on the ground against its first two opponents.
As part of its effort to shore that particular area up, and to replace last week’s highest-graded defensive player, Marlowe Wax, defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson moved Fadil Diggs back to the second level to play off-ball linebacker.
Diggs’ overall defensive grade jumped 5.8% with the move. He finished Saturday’s game with a leading 70.6% defensive grade among players who appeared for 20 plus snaps.
Derek McDonald, who played alongside Diggs at linebacker, also saw a jump in his grade with the change to Syracuse’s defense, going from a 52% against Ohio to 70.1% against the Yellow Jackets.
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Syracuse Football Downs No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28 in ACC Opener – CitrusTV (citrustv.com; Wilkes)
Everyone knows that football is physical and requires toughness. That’s especially true for Syracuse head coach Fran Brown, I mean it’s the T in his sacred acronym D.A.R.T. So, when he felt that Georgia Tech’s Brent Key questioned his team’s toughness, it lit a spark. A spark that ignited the Orange to a 31-28 win over the 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets. For Coach Brown, those doubts were the perfect motivation.
“I did take that very personal,” explained Brown. “I want to make sure everyone understands that when you play us, just be quiet. That way, we’re just going to worry about us throughout the week. Don’t give me any ammo. If you give ammo to me, I’m coming at you full tilt.”
SU tight end Oronde Gadsden II added some more insight into the team’s mentality.
“The whole week we were just listening to that clip over and over and over and over again,” said Gadsden. “When you thought it was done, [Fran Brown] kept bringing it up and kept playing it again. So, we were kind of playing with something.”
The Orange’s headman also set the record straight on his program’s image.
“Syracuse has been physical forever,” proclaimed Brown. “I wanted to make sure that that will never be said about us. We’re not soft.”
This win marked Syracuse’s first over a ranked opponent since October 15, 2022 against NC State. SU hopes to carry this momentum through the bye week and into its meeting with Stanford on September 20th. That inaugural ACC clash is set for 7:30 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Kyle McCord shining for Syracuse early in 2024 season (247sports.com; Wainscott)
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord delivered a career-best performance on Saturday, leading the Orange to a thrilling 31-28 victory over #23 ranked Georgia Tech. McCord's arm was the driving force behind the upset, as he threw for a career-high 381 yards, surpassing his previous record of 354 yards set in Syracuse's season opener against Ohio. He also tied his personal best with four touchdown passes, continuing his impressive start to the season. This week, McCord's four touchdowns rank second most in the ACC, just behind Clemson's Cade Klubnik, and his 381 passing yards are also second in the conference, trailing only Wake Forest's Hank Bachmeier.
McCord currently ranks third in the nation in passing yards (735) and first in the nation in passing touchdowns (8). He is on pace to throw for over 4,400 yards this season, which would shatter the single season school record (Ryan Nassib, 2012, 3,749).
McCord showed impressive accuracy, completing 32 of 46 passes (70%) while connecting with multiple receivers throughout the game. His connection with playmakers like Trebor Pena and Oronde Gadsden II was on full display, as he threw three first-half touchdowns—including two to Pena—and added a fourth in the fourth quarter to Gadsden to cement Syracuse's lead. The Orange were up by 17 midway through the fourth quarter, but Georgia Tech mounted a late comeback that ultimately fell short.
Beyond his passing stats, McCord showed signs of improvement in an area many have been eager to see: his mobility. While not yet known for his dual-threat capabilities, McCord showed flashes of growth with his legs. In the third quarter, with 10:30 remaining, he scrambled for a critical first down, a notable improvement from a similar attempt in last week's game against Ohio that came up short. Though he finished the game with just 10 rushing yards on three attempts, McCord's comfort in moving outside the pocket and extending plays was evident, adding a new dimension to his game.
Head coach Fran Brown expressed pride in McCord's development, especially his growing willingness to use his legs when the moment calls for it.
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Syracuse Triumphs Over No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28, behind Kyle McCord Career Performance (newhousesports.com; Watson)
Syracuse’s Kyle McCord dazzled, and Fran Brown picked up his first ACC win as the Syracuse Orange beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 31-28 on Saturday.
The Orange had a specific motivation for Saturday’s game following an early-week press conference with Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key. When referring to Syracuse, Key’s comments implied that the Orange lacked physicality.
“I took it personal when he talked about (it), it wasn’t about x’s and o’s, it’s about coming up here and being physical,” Coach Brown said. “I took it personal because of what the S means, you know it’s Syracuse, we’ve been physical forever.”
Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Dwight Freeney has his jersey retired at halftime. Freeney is only the seventh player in Syracuse football history to have his jersey retired. Photo credit: Chelsea Reeves.
Syracuse legendary pass rusher Dwight Freeney was in the house Saturday as Syracuse Football retired his iconic number 54. Freeney embodied physicality, and during halftime, had a conversation with senior defensive lineman Fadil Diggs.
Diggs said the NFL Hall of Famer “was just giving me some knowledge as a pass rusher… I learned a lot from him in the span of 10 minutes.” In his second start in the JMA Dome, Diggs recorded seven tackles, including a pair of tackles for a loss.
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NCAAF: Georgia Tech at Syracuse 9/7/24 (youtube; video; JMRacer7)
NCAAF: Georgia Tech at Syracuse 9/7/24
Fran Brown praises Georgia's Kirby Smart after Syracuse beats Bulldogs rival Georgia Tech (onlineathens.com; Curtright)
Former Georgia football assistant Fran Brown has Syracuse rolling through two games this season.
Brown, the former defensive backs coach for the Bulldogs and now the head coach for the 2-0 Orange, secured a 31-28 win on Saturday vs. Georgia Tech, ranked No. 23 in the Week 2 AP Top 25 poll.
After securing the ranked victory, Brown said the win was "personal" vs. the Yellow Jackets. He also gave a shout to his former coach, Kirby Smart:
"This game was very personal," Brown said of Georgia Tech after the win. "And then you know that I coached with Kirby Smart and (Will) Muschamp, so why would we not be a tough, physical football team? That's just what they do. And that's what we're about, and that's where I was at. And I did take that very personal, and I wanna make sure everyone understands that.
"When you play us, just be quiet."
Brown, who spent two seasons at Georgia, was a big loss for the Bulldogs' defensive staff during the offseason. But Georgia fans can probably admire his sentiment Saturday after displaying how his time at Georgia helped mold his coaching philosophy.
Georgia beat Georgia Tech 31-23 last season and 37-14 two seasons ago in Brown's two years with the Bulldogs.
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Syracuse football: the leaders deliver for Orange when they needed it most (TNIAAM; Wall)
The Syracuse Orange defeated the #23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a game where the Orange controlled the first 52 minutes and then held on for dear life in the final eight.
So the bad news is that Syracuse had some terrible special teams plays that almost cost them a winnable game. That gives the coaches something to work on the next two weeks, but this is about focusing on the good news and the best news out of the win on Saturday was the leadership on display inside the JMA Dome.
Kyle McCord was excellent through the air, but he was also visibly demonstrative throughout. McCord was seen yelling on the sidelines and after his 15 yard scramble he spiked the ball with enthusiasm. Most of all when Syracuse needed him to make throws, he was on target. The final two McCord throws to Oronde Gadsden gave Syracuse their final touchdown and a critical 3rd down conversion which sealed the win.
Gadsden had a couple of tough drops, but he made those two enormous plays when the Orange needed them. Both catches were in traffic and showed that the standout tight end was able to put the mistakes behind him to come up in the clutch.
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Overheard after Syracuse football’s win over No. 23 Georgia Tech: ‘He just kept playing that clip over and over’ (PS; $; Axe)
Emphasizing toughness, perceived slights, lessons learned and a message that kept being sent to the Orange “over and over and over” again were just some of the things I overheard after Syracuse football’s 31-28 win over Georgia Tech.
Here are some highlights from postgame press conferences and conversations with players.
Fran Brown
On how the Syracuse defense improved against the run:“It’s contact. Me in practice being a maniac. Coach E (Elijah Robinson) going crazy. The movement where we put guys. We came out with a completely new defense. Something we worked on and went through. Coach E had a vision. Him, Coach Rob (Robert Wright), Coach Schaef (Joe Schaefer) and Coach (Nick) Williams. Those dudes were just in this one room. At the end of the week, I didn’t want to go in there. It started stinking in the room they was in. They stayed in there and were barricaded in there. I was very thankful that they did that. We just was hitting.
We’ve got (former Syracuse basketball star) Derrick Coleman over there (Coleman was in the press room). How did he play basketball? Physical and tough. I wasn’t going to have Dwight Freeney come back and we play soft. We’re going to be a physical, tough program and put the “S” back on the map.”
Oronde Gadsden II
On Brown harping on his belief that Georgia Tech thought they were more physical than Syracuse:“He just kept playing that clip over and over and over and over at practice. He just kept getting it through our heads. It looked like we were the more physical team out there, especially on the last drive of the game, getting that big catch on third down and LeQuint on that run to secure the win.”
Fadil Diggs
On how SU changed its defense with Marlowe Wax out:“We played a different scheme. We played more of three-down. I was playing more in the middle, helping guys line up. Just violent, more downhill stuff. Marlowe usually do that. We tried to get some of that energy back. I had an opportunity to do that and I’d like to thank Coach E (Robinson) for the opportunity to step up and do that.”
On some tests the Syracuse defense had to pass in a tough game:
“Going against an ACC opponent all together. Then they said they were going to try to out-physical us. That was the big thing for us all week. No one was more physical than us. No one was going to dominate us on the line of scrimmage and we got an opportunity to come back and show it because of what happened in the first week. We didn’t like that, so we had to come out with a mindset to have our heads on fire.”
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Syracuse football beats Georgia Tech in game Fran Brown "took very personal"
On the latest episode of Syracuse Sports, Brent Axe and Emily Leiker recap Syracuse football's 31-28 win over Georgia Tech at the JMA Dome on Saturday aftern...
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Fran Brown sends message to future Syracuse opponents: ‘Just be quiet’ (podcast) (PS; podcast; Syracuse Orange)
The image of a football coach trying to motivate his players before a big game is a common one.
But there was a different intensity in the way Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown greeted his team after the Quad Walk in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Brown admitted he took a perceived slight from Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key personally and had a warning for future opponents.
“When you know who I am and you come at me about toughness, don’t do that,” Brown said. “This game was very personal for me. You know that I coached with Kirby Smart and (Will) Muschamp. So why would we not be a tough, physical football team? I did take that very personal.”
It reminds of Michael Jordan smirking at an iPad during ESPN’s “The Last Dance” and saying a similar line about taking things personally.
”I want to make sure everyone understands that when you play us, just be quiet,” Brown said. “Don’t give no ammo to me. I’m coming at you full tilt.”
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Week 2 Big Picture Takeaways for Syracuse Football vs. Georgia Tech | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Orange Football took down Georgia Tech 31-28 yesterday. Kyle McCord has so many weapons to throw to like Oronde Gadsden and Trebor Pena. Syracuse running back Will Nixon is a great backup to LeQuint Allen. Elijah Robinson switched Fadil Diggs' position to linebacker for the game which helped contain Georgia Tech's running game with Jamal Haynes and Haynes King. Fran Brown is off to a great start, but the special teams must be better.
Jackson Holzer gives his big picture takeaways from week two on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
Syracuse Football Has SO MANY Weapons | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse; premieres at 10 AM EST)
Syracuse Orange Football has so many weapons. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord has an All-ACC tight end in Oronde Gadsden, plus Zeed Haynes, Umari Hatcher, Trebor Pena, and LeQuint Allen. Plus Fran Brown's offensive line has looked solid and Will Nixon appears to be a great backup running back.
Jackson Holzer gives his offense takeaways against Georgia Tech.
Episode 487- Syracuse Football: Georgia Tech Postgame/Fan Feedback! (youtube; podcast; Cuse Millitia)
Episode 487- Syracuse Football: Georgia Tech Postgame/Fan Feedback!
Syracuse coach Fran Brown uses Brent Key’s words as motivation for Orange upset (ajc.com; Sugiura)
In his first visit as head coach to a university renown for its school of communications, Georgia Tech coach Brent Key learned a valuable lesson about the power of words.
And that lesson is, be careful what you say around Syracuse coach Fran Brown. A seemingly innocuous comment that Key made about Saturday’s Tech-Syracuse game was turned into a personal affront and a rallying point for the Orange, who rode the emotional edge to a 31-28 win over the Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome.
“I want to make sure that everyone understands that, when you play us, just be quiet,” Brown said.
At his Tuesday news conference, Key first said that the game wasn’t going to be decided by plays, coverages and the like.
“This game’s about our ability to go be the most physically tough football team we can possibly be from 12 until about 4 o’clock on Saturday. That’s it. Hands down.”
Coaches make similar statements frequently. But here’s what Brown, the first-year coach hired from coach Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia, had to say about it afterward.
“I took it personal when he talked about, it wasn’t about X’s and O’s, it was about coming up here and being physical and tough for four hours. We’re from the Northeast – like, what do you mean by that? Like we don’t play football. Like we’re not physical and tough. I took that very personal.”
If this were a courtroom TV drama, Brown would be sitting in the witness stand, Key’s attorney would dryly read his comment, hand Brown a copy of the transcript and say, “Now, Mr. Brown, for the benefit of the jury, can you point out where coach Key said or even implied anything – anything – about the lack of toughness of football teams from the Northeast?”
It was as though Brown went to see “Frozen” and when someone asked him about it, he said, “By the end of it, all I wanted to do was wipe that smirk off that smug snowman Olaf’s face.”
In fairness, Key probably set him off. On Monday, Brown – who played on defense for Western Carolina in 2004, the same year that Key coached running backs and tight ends for the Catamounts – spoke with generosity toward Key, saying that he was “a part of just helping me become successful.”
On Tuesday, when Key was asked about Brown, he gave an answer that, while apparently honest, did not respond in kind.
Key said of Brown that “I remember he was a good football player,” that he was an older player on the defense while Key coached on offense, he was on the Catamounts staff only briefly and that it was a long time ago. He did also later praise Brown’s team for its physical play. But you could understand why Brown, given that he seemingly went out of his way to complement Key, might have been irked.
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Everything From Brent Key After Georgia Tech's 31-28 Loss to Syracuse (SI; Caudell)
It will be a very brief stay in the AP top 25 for Georgia Tech after they lost to Syracuse on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets gave up over 500 yards of total offense today in the loss and took far too long to get going on the offensive side. The Yellow Jackets struggled to run the ball today and could not get any pressure on Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, who had another four-touchdown day.
After the game, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.
Opening Statement...
"Congrats to Syracuse and Fran, they played a good football game. You know, it's good to see another team in the league. We've been working to be a good football program. They played well today. So credit to them. Look, I think the biggest work is inconsistency. And that's what we've been working on and trying to come it's consistent. Well, this game was an epitome of that from the offensive standpoint with inconsistency where I'm just looking, you're talking about, you know, 10 drives total in the game where five we had long drives and five were, you know, three and out or four and out. So, you know, ability to sustain, be positive on first downs and get it to and be able to keep the chains moving. We weren't able to do that. You know, then one of those long drives was one right before half of missed a goal. So the inconsistency was all over the place there. And that's where we have to, you know, come back in and really see how we can become better in that aspect of the defensive side. You know, We knew we were going against this really good quarterback, and we were not able to affect him with the rush, and he was able to sit back there and hit some open receivers. So, you know, for the seam game, you know, the guys were hitting up the pipe, and I think it was three or three or four big third downs, where they were able to hit the ball and get the ball to the intended target, and we didn't challenge the guy. So we've got a lot of work to do. That's what we know we are as a football team. We'll come back in tomorrow and be getting to work with the guys and the team. Better version of ourselves next week than we were this week."
1. On not being the more physical team...
"You know, that's the thing. We have, we knew coming up here, right, that they were going to have a physical football team. You turn on the tape from the first game, and you see that, you know that, right? You know they were a physical team, so we had to be a more physical team coming here, and that's what we control. We control that. And I thought at times, you know, today it really showed that we were not. Hey, and look, you know, I'm not talking about guys, you know, you get a run, no run. I'm talking about ability to set the line of scrimmage, okay? Ability to stop the run in a short guard situation. You know, won't really any kicks covered in that aspect, you know, with the touchbacks or the one on side and the other of the points where, you know, actually had a really good day coming to the ball. So, You know, look, at the end of the day, when you can't convert those things and stop them from converting, all right, that comes down to the physicality and inability to, you know, set the line of scrimmage and start the line of scrimmage."
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Scions E233: Football @ Syracuse, Volleyball @ Lipscomb/BYU (fromtherumbleseat.com; podcast; Staff)
A busy Saturday (virtually) on the Flats featured a noon football kickoff in Syracuse and a late, late, late show for volleyball in Provo. On the docket today:
- Football @ Cuse: a made-up pregame beef? run defense? I’m Ron Burgundy?
- Volleyball vs Lipscomb
- Volleyball @ #14 BYU: five-set thriller in a packed Smith Fieldhouse versus a home team that’s only lost nine times at home in the last ~10 years.
- Misc: Softball, Golf, Club Hockey, Institute Address
Syracuse football is receiving national buzz just two games into Fran Brown’s tenure.
The Orange received votes in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll on Sunday after beating No. 23 Georgia Tech, 31-28.
The votes were not enough yet for SU to end up ranked in either. Georgia Tech did drop out of both polls.
Syracuse (2-0, 1-0 ACC) racked up 63 points in the AP poll, good for No. 29 if the ranking extended that far. It received 33 points in the coaches poll which would have made it No. 28.
Four ACC teams are currently ranked in the AP poll.
Miami leads at No. 10, followed by Louisville (No. 19), Clemson (No. 22) and Boston College (No. 24).
The Eagles are a new addition after beating Florida State in Week 1 and moving to 2-0 with a 56-0 win over Duquesne on Saturday.
Syracuse is on bye this week. Its next game is Friday, Sept. 20 against Stanford.
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Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney waves to cheering fans as his jersey is honored at halftime as the Syracuse Orange battled the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMS Dome in Syracuse Saturday, September 7, 2024. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com
Dwight Freeney has jersey honored in ‘the loudest building I’ve ever played in my entire life’ (PS; Carlson)
Syracuse legend Dwight Freeney had his jersey honored at halftime of Syracuse’s 31-28 win over No. 23 on Georgia Tech on Saturday, becoming the seventh player in program history to have his individual jersey placed in a position of prominence.
Freeney’s 54 joined Larry Csonka (39), Tim Green (72), John Mackey (88), Donovan McNabb (5), Don McPherson (9) and Joe Morris (47). Syracuse has also retired the number 44, honoring the legacy of the number and players like Jim Brown, Ernie David and Floyd Little.
Freeney has enjoyed a memorable year, joining the College Football Hall of Fame and the Professional Football Hall of Fame within the past year. He will be honored in Indianapolis tomorrow at halftime of the game between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. He will receive his Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence.
“Man, this year I’m 44,” Freeney said. “Obviously 44 is special here. It’s been a great year. It’s been a ride. It just keeps going. I hope it keeps going.”
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Syracuse Football on Instagram: "nobody will remember: - your salary - how ‘busy you were’ - how many hours you work ppl will remember: - @kylemccord leading the nation in passing TDs"
cusefootball on September 8, 2024: "nobody will remember: - your salary - how ‘busy you were’ - how many hours you work ppl will remember: - @kylemccord leading the nation in passing TDs".
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ACC News
FOOTBALL: Wake Forest Recap (youtube; video; Virginia Sports TV)
A strong 4th quarter pushes the Hoos to a 31-30 victory in the ACC opener.
Friedlander: Biggest ACC takeaways from Week 2 (saturdaydownsouth.com; Friedlander)
The sun came up on Sunday. As it always does.
It signaled the start of a new day, with all the promise the future holds.
That’s about all Dave Doeren and his NC State football team have to look forward to as they try to pick up the pieces from the 51-10 beatdown they absorbed from Tennessee at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night.
The loss was every bit as thorough as the score indicates. And the details of the performance that led to it are even more unsightly in the light of day than they were under the national network television lights the night it happened.
“We needed to play complementary football in this game, which means we possess the ball, we score points,” Doeren said. “We didn’t get points and we turned the ball over 3 times. And one of them was a touchdown. If you don’t rush the football, you don’t control the line of scrimmage, you don’t stop people on 3rd-and-long, it’s hard to win. Bottom line.”
That pretty much sums it up.
Doeren’s Wolfpack were beaten in every phase of the game, especially on the line of scrimmage.
They were outgained 460-143 and produced only 39 yards on 28 rushing attempts. They turned the ball over 3 times, including the pick-6 Doeren mentioned. They were stopped twice on 4th-and-inches in their own territory and allowed Tennessee to convert half of its 14 3rd-down opportunities.
Many of the problems that plagued them for the first 3 quarters of last week’s opener against Western Carolina – an inability to run the ball effectively, inconsistent quarterback play from prized transfer Grayson McCall and a propensity for giving up big plays on defense – showed up again against Tennessee. They were just magnified by the faster, more physical and significantly more talented Volunteers.
Doeren was understandably downtrodden afterward. But he expressed confidence in his team’s ability to bounce back and contend for the ACC championship it’s been chasing since 1979. He and the Wolfpack don’t have much time to get things right, though. There’s a lot to fix and not much time to do it with only 1 more dress rehearsal – at home next week against Louisiana Tech – before opening their conference schedule.
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https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article292091645.html (newsobserver.com; Carter)
A question worth considering, in light of N.C. State’s debacle in Charlotte on Saturday night: When was the last time a college football team from North Carolina — any college football team — delivered on the kind of stage the Wolfpack had all to itself against Tennessee?
It’s important to understand the dynamics of that stage, too. State entered Saturday night as a ranked team, and as something of a trendy, dark horse pick to compete for the ACC championship and maybe even for a spot in the College Football Playoff. It was playing against a marquee, name-brand opponent that was also ranked — with the Volunteers in the top 15.
It was not only a nationally-televised game (as a great many college football games are these days), but the marquee, prime-time game on ABC. Kirk Herbstreit was in the house (along with his well-traveled dog). The nation was watching. The stakes, for State, were incredibly high. A victory would have validated all the talk and the hype and could have signified something of an arrival.
And then came three-plus hours of Wolfpack pain, and a 41-point defeat.
A great humbling, really. A clear statement that, no: State is not ready to take that next step.
That it didn’t even look anywhere all that close to making such a move.
But back to the question: When was the last time any North Carolina college football program truly took advantage of the kind of opportunity N.C. State had Saturday night? To put it another way: When presented with the chance of breaking through, nationally, and announcing itself as a viable national contender, when is the last time any North Carolina team seized the moment?
We’re not talking about beating a “better” opponent or pulling off a surprise here and there. That happens fairly often: Duke over Clemson at the start of last season. Appalachian State over Texas A&M the year before that. Even N.C. State over Clemson, twice, in recent years. Great moments, all, for the in-state schools, and worthy of celebration, but not really moments that signified a national arrival for any.
We’re not talking, either, about beating fringe top-25ish type teams. UNC dispatched Miami at home last season amid considerable fanfare, but was it a moment of program elevation for the Tar Heels? Not really. Same thing with N.C. State’s victory a season ago at Virginia Tech, or any number of “solid” wins for a number of in-state teams over the years.
Part of the problem with the question at the top is that you have to earn the right to be on a larger stage in the first place. North Carolina schools rarely do that, to start with. But then, upon those rare opportunities, you have to produce. You have to prove you’re worthy of belonging. You have to win, outright, to take that next, elusive step. And for schools in this state, it just seems to never, ever happen — for any of them.
Going back even decades, it’s difficult to find an answer to the question. Maybe UNC’s 2020 win against a top-10 Miami team qualifies — but that was an awfully wonky season, in the middle of a pandemic, and it’s hard to take anything that happened that year all that seriously.
There are probably only two good answers, at least this century:
Wake Forest winning the ACC championship in 2006, and App State’s victory at Michigan in 2007. Wake remains the only North Carolina school that has won the ACC in the past 30-plus years. The Mountaineers, meanwhile, owe a lot of their football identity to that triumph in Ann Arbor (which came even before they made the jump to the FBS).
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NC State football 'laid an egg' vs Tennessee, shows it's not ready to be 'elite' (fayobserver.com; Baxley)
N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren had a clear message at ACC Kickoff in late July.
“We don't want to be good, we want to be the best at what we do,” Doeren said of the expectations surrounding the Wolfpack ahead of the 2024 season.
“We want to be elite.”
A few months later, in the same city, Doeren’s squad showed in a measuring-stick game against No. 14 Tennessee that it didn’t measure up.
Focused on taking the next step to become a championship program, No. 24 N.C. State took a step back against the vaunted Vols in a 51-10 loss at Bank of America Stadium.
NC State took a wall-to-wall walloping
“Wasn’t what I expected to see. They won the line of scrimmage, we weren’t physical enough, we turned the ball over too much. We didn’t get it done,” Doeren said late Saturday night.
“It starts with me. … This is a really good bunch of guys, and they will go back to work, I know that. They’ll stick together. There'll be a lot of people telling them they’re no good, and that’s fine. It’s a lot of football in front of us."
The latter is true: N.C. State has 10 more regular season games to prove it’s ready to elevate itself as the second team in program history to win double-digit games and the first since 1979 to win an ACC championship.
But Saturday, the Wolfpack wasn’t ready to match what quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the Vols brought to the Duke’s Mayo Classic. In a wire-to-wire walloping of the Wolfpack, Tennessee was elite and like a College Football Playoff contender.
The game shifted in the second quarter. Trailing 10-3, N.C. State was in the red zone with an opportunity to possibly tie the game. Instead, quarterback Grayson McCall threw a pick-six and the Vols scored the next 27 points to send a wave of red-and-white clad fans to the exits.
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Scott German: Cal has the biggest win of the weekend for the ACC (augustafreepres.com; German)
SMU was thought to be the best of the trio of ACC realignment schools on the football field.
Maybe not.
The Mustangs won 11 games and the American Athletic Conference championship last season.
Many thought SMU could contend for the conference title.
Friday night, the Mustangs lost to BYU in Dallas, 18-15.
The Cougars pushed SMU around all game.
Cal travelled across the country (get used to that) into the center of the SEC and beat Auburn in front of its 80,000 fans, 21-14.
The Golden Bears picked off four Tiger passes, and QB Fernando Mendoza completed 25 of 36 passes for 233 yards and two scores.
After an opening drive score by Auburn, Cal blanked the Tigers for the next 3 1/2 quarters.
Cal made a statement to the ACC that their value was more than their share of the Northern California TV market.
Virgina needs to be solid, and may just be
It’s good for the conference if some of the flagship programs are good.Yes, Virginia is a flagship program in the conference.
It’s not been a cakewalk for Tony Elliott in his time in Charlottesville.
Saturday’s battle of endurance against Wake Forest, resulting in a thrilling 31-30 UVA win, may have been a turning point for Elliott and the program.
It’s Virginia’s first 2-0 start since Bronco Mendenhall‘s final season in 2021.
Five of UVA’s losses in 2023 were by a touchdown or less, three coming by three or fewer points.
Saturday night, Virginia didn’t pack the bags early.
UVA battled back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win a close game.
That’s the significant factor here.
New Poll: Boston College Football Ranked 24th in the Country (bcinterruption; Flannery)
On Sunday afternoon, the latest college football AP poll was released for the country’s top-25 teams, and Boston College found itself ranked #24 in the country.
This comes off of the heels of a great 2-0 start for the Eagles, who went down to Tallahassee to defeat Florida State in Week 1, and then took care of business this past weekend in a 56-0 home win over Duquesne. New head coach Bill O’Brien has certainly raised the bar for Boston College already, as they are playing with a lot more discipline and are dominating in the trenches. They are certainly going to be competitive in the ACC this season against a schedule that has a lot of “coin-flip” games.
Up next on BC’s slate, though, is a match-up with #6 Mizzou. Things certainly won’t be as easy for BC next weekend as they were against Duquesne or even FSU. They’ll be going into a hostile environment and taking on a top-10 team, and this time one that actually deserves their ranking. Mizzou has an electric offense that could seriously threaten to blow open the Boston College secondary, which is fairly thin and has a number of new starters this season. But the BC offense led by Thomas Castellanos has the capability to dominate on the ground and could slow down the pace of the game to seriously threaten to pull off another upset.
Be sure to keep your eye on BC Interruption this week as we preview this high-profile match-up as the Eagles try to destroy everybody’s expectations!
2024 ACC College Football Power Index - ESPN (ESPN)
ACC Conference Football Power Index 2024
TEAM | W-L | FPI | RK | TREND | PROJ W-L | WIN OUT% | 6WINS% | WIN DIV% | WIN CONF% | PLAYOFF% | MAKE NC% | WIN NC% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LOU | 2-0 | 14.9 | 11 | 2 | 9.1-3.3 | 2.5 | 97.2 | 0.0 | 23.6 | 35.9 | 4.6 | 1.8 |
MIA | 2-0 | 14.3 | 12 | -1 | 9.7-2.7 | 4.0 | 99.0 | 0.0 | 19.4 | 39.9 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
CLEM | 1-1 | 13.4 | 14 | 8 | 9.1-3.4 | 6.2 | 97.7 | 0.0 | 27.5 | 31.8 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
BC | 2-0 | 9.1 | 24 | 10 | 8.3-3.9 | 0.6 | 93.8 | 0.0 | 10.7 | 17.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 |
FSU | 0-2 | 7.0 | 32 | 4 | 5.5-6.5 | 0.2 | 51.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
GT | 2-1 | 5.9 | 36 | -1 | 6.5-5.6 | 0.1 | 74.7 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
CAL | 2-0 | 5.0 | 40 | 10 | 7.9-4.3 | 0.3 | 90.3 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 9.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
SMU | 2-1 | 4.8 | 42 | -11 | 6.8-5.3 | 0.2 | 77.8 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
UNC | 2-0 | 4.4 | 43 | -- | 8.2-3.9 | 0.4 | 93.7 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 8.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
VT | 1-1 | 3.7 | 50 | 6 | 5.9-6.2 | 0.1 | 58.1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
PITT | 2-0 | 3.2 | 53 | -8 | 6.8-5.2 | 0.0 | 77.6 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
SYR | 2-0 | 2.3 | 59 | 3 | 7.2-4.9 | 0.1 | 84.7 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
DUKE | 2-0 | 1.3 | 64 | -1 | 6.9-5.1 | 0.1 | 79.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
STAN | 1-1 | -0.8 | 67 | 5 | 4.4-7.6 | 0.0 | 25.4 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
WAKE | 1-1 | -1.0 | 68 | -8 | 4.8-7.2 | 0.0 | 33.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
UVA | 2-0 | -1.1 | 69 | 9 | 4.9-7.1 | 0.0 | 35.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
NCSU | 1-1 | -2.8 | 82 | -25 | 5.1-6.9 | 0.0 | 41.9 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Looking Ahead to Week 4, 2024 (RX; HM)
Looking Ahead to Week 4, 2024
Matt Sarzyniak has posted his predictions for Week 4 television slots; here are the ACC-related games:
If you want to know what game was deemed more worthy of ABC Prime Time slot than your team's game (an excellent question, btw), you'll need to click the link above!CFB TV Guesses for 2024 Week 4 (9/21/24)
12pm ABC: Miami (FL) at South Florida
12pm ESPN2: Michigan State at Boston College
12pm ESPNU: Virginia at Coastal Carolina
12pm ACCN: Georgia Tech at Louisville
3:30pm ESPN: California at Florida State
3:30pm ACCN: James Madison at North Carolina
7pm ESPN: NC State at Clemson
8pm ACCN: Rutgers at Virginia Tech
TBD, ESPN+: Duke at Middle Tennessee
Saturday Early Game Results 2024 Sep 7th (RX; HM)
Saturday Early Game Results 2024 Sep 7th
How did the noon games turn out?
Pittsburgh 28
at Cincinnati 27
At one point the Panthers trailed by 3 touchdowns (6-27), then roared back to score 22 points (3 TDs and a FG, with a pair of failed 2-point conversion attempts). Pitt had more rushing yards, more passing yards, and one fewer turnover, yet it took all they had to win this game. FWIW, it's also the first ACC win over a Big XII team this season._____
#23 Georgia Tech 28
at Syracuse 31
The Orange held serve at home in what was obviously a pretty even match-up. We also see why they were so excited to bring in Kyle McCord (transfer QB from Ohio State):
Cmp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
32/46 | 381 | 4 | 0 |
The Yellow Jackets are still a good team (and may have won this game in Atlanta), but now we know that Syracuse is ready to play some football in 2024.
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Saturday Late Results 2024 Sep 7 (RX; HM)
Saturday Late Results 2024 Sep 7
Who won the late games?
Marshall 14
Virginia Tech 31
The Hokies finally started playing Virginia Tech football.#14 Tennessee 51
#24 NC State 10
Why were the Wolfpack ranked again?Virginia 31
Wake Forest 30
Just when you thought UVA would stink again, they pull off this come-from-behind win at Wake!...
Biggest Losers 2024 Week 2 (RX; HM)
Biggest Losers 2024 Week 2
Ranked Losers, Week 2
#10 Michigan lost by 19 at home to #3 Texas, 12-31#5 Notre Dame lost by 2 at home to Northern Illinois
#19 Kansas lost by 6 at Illinois, 17-23
#21 Iowa lost at home to in-state rival Iowa State, 19-20
#23 Georgia Tech lost at Syracuse, 28-31
#24 NC State lost to #14 Tennessee, 10-51
Of these, at least Iowa and Georgia Tech kept it close. I'm not sure if these other losers even deserve to be ranked - time will tell.
Don't buy the hype
#4 Alabama led visiting USF by one point at home after 3 quarters, then pulled away late. I think the term ESPN likes to use is "game control" - they didn't.#7 Oregon scraped by visiting Boise State, 37-34
#8 Penn State trailed Bowling Green 20-24 at halftime, only winning 34-27
...
P4 OOC Report, 2024 Sep 9th (RX; HM)
P4 OOC Report, 2024 Sep 9th
How are the P4 conferences performing out of conference, against each other and lower leagues? Here's your up-to-date table of results through Week 2...
B1G | Wins | Losses |
SEC (1-1) | USC 27, LSU 20 | Texas 31, Michigan 12 |
ACC (0-2) | Minnesota 17, N Carolina 19 | |
Duke 26, Northwestern 20 | ||
XII (3-1) | Penn St 34, West Virginia 12 | Iowa St 20, Iowa 19 |
Colorado 10, Nebraska 28 | ||
Kansas 17, Illinois 23 | ||
Pac-12 (0-0) | ||
American (1-0) | Michigan St 16, Florida Atlantic 10 | |
Ind FBS (1-0) | Maryland 50, Connecticut 7 | |
MAC (7-0) | Ohio St 52, Akron 6 | |
Northwestern 13, Miami (OH) 6 | ||
Wisconsin 28, W Michigan 14 | ||
Akron 17, Rutgers 49 | ||
Bowling Green 27, Penn St 34 | ||
E Michigan 9, Washington 30 | ||
W Michigan 0, Ohio State 56 | ||
MWC (4-0) | Michigan 30, Fresno St 10 | |
UCLA 16, Hawaii 13 | ||
Boise St 34, Oregon 37 | ||
Utah St 0, USC 48 | ||
S Belt (0-0) | ||
CUSA (2-0) | Indiana 31, Florida Intl 7 | |
Nebraska 40, UTEP 7 | ||
FCS (9-0) | Illinois 45, Eastern Illinois 0 | |
Rutgers 44, Howard 7 | ||
Oregon 24, Idaho 14 | ||
Iowa 40, Illinois St 0 | ||
Purdue 49, Indiana St 0 | ||
Washington 35, Weber St 3 | ||
Rhode Island 0, Minnesota 48 | ||
S Dakota 13, Wisconsin 27 | ||
W Illinois 3, Indiana 77 | ||
Total: | 27 | 5 |
The Big Ten is doing great against P4 opponents except for those from the ACC. Unlike other P4s which get fat on FCS teams, the B1G gets about half of their cupcakes from the MAC.
SEC | Wins | Losses |
B1G (1-1) | Texas 31, Michigan 12 | LSU 20, USC 27 |
ACC (3-2) | Georgia 34, Clemson 3 | Florida 17, Miami (FL) 41 |
Vanderbilt 34, Virginia Tech 27 | Cal 21, Auburn 14 | |
Tennessee 51, NC State 10 | ||
XII (1-2) | Houston 12, Oklahoma 16 | Arkansas 31, Okie St 39 |
Miss. St 23, Arizona St 30 | ||
Pac-12 (0-0) | ||
American (2-0) | Oklahoma 51, Temple 3 | |
USF 16, Alabama 42 | ||
Ind FBS (0-1) | Texas A&M 13, Notre Dame 23 | |
MAC (1-0) | Buffalo 0, Missouri 38 | |
MWC (1-0) | Texas 52, Colorado St 0 | |
S Belt (2-0) | Kentucky 31, Southern Miss 0 | |
S. Carolina 23, Old Dominion 19 | ||
CUSA (2-0) | Alabama 63, West Kentucky 0 | |
Middle Tenn. 3, Ole Miss 52 | ||
FCS(11-0) | Arkansas 70, AR Pine Bluff 0 | |
Auburn 73, Alabama A&M 3 | ||
Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3 | ||
Mississippi St 56, E. Kentucky 7 | ||
Mississippi 76, Furman 0 | ||
Missouri 51, Murray St 0 | ||
McNeese St 10, Texas A&M 52 | ||
Tenn. Tech 3, Georgia 48 | ||
Samford 7, Florida 45 | ||
Alcorn St 0, Vanderbilt 55 | ||
Nicholls St 21, LSU 44 | ||
Total: | 24 | 6 |
The SEC is 5-5 against P4 teams, 24-6 overall. Nearly half of those wins are FCS opponents. For shame!
ACC | Wins | Losses |
B1G (2-0) | N Carolina 19, Minnesota 17 | |
Duke 26, Northwestern 20 | ||
SEC (2-3) | Miami (FL) 41, Florida 17 | Clemson 3, Georgia 34 |
Cal 21, Auburn 14 | Virginia Tech 27, Vanderbilt 34 | |
Tennessee 51, NC State 10 | ||
XII (1-2) | Pitt 28, Cincinnati 27 | Stanford 27, TCU 34 |
BYU 18, SMU 15 | ||
Pac-12(0-0) | ||
American (1-0) | Charlotte 20, UNC 38 | |
Ind FBS (0-0) | ||
MAC (2-0) | Pittsburgh 55, Kent St 24 | |
Syracuse 38, Ohio 22 | ||
MWC (1-0) | SMU 29, Nevada 24 | |
S Belt (3-0) | Georgia Tech 35, Georgia St 12 | |
Marshall 14, Virginia Tech 31 | ||
App State 20, Clemson 66 | ||
CUSA (1-0) | Jax. St 14, Louisville 49 | |
FCS (10-0) | Louisville 62, Austin Peay 0 | |
California 31, UC Davis 13 | ||
Duke 26, Elon 3 | ||
SMU 59, Houston Baptist 7 | ||
Wake Forest 45, NC A&T 13 | ||
NC State 38, W Carolina 21 | ||
Virginia 34, Richmond 13 | ||
Duquesne 0, Boston College 56 | ||
Florida A&M 9, Miami 56 | ||
Cal-Poly 7, Stanford 41 | ||
Total: | 23 | 5 |
The ACC is undefeated against the Big Ten (so far) and finally got into the win column against the Big XII. The league will have quite a few more chances to beat the other P4 leagues before it settles in for its usual 5 games against Notre Dame.
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ACC football power rankings: Miami remains on top, Syracuse makes big jump after Week 2 (usatiday.com; Meyer)
Another week of college football has further clarified the picture surrounding the 17-team hierarchy in the ACC.
The top three teams in the conference remained pat, with No. 12 Miami (2-0) once again remaining the class of the conference after securing a 56-7 victory over a Florida A&M team it was expected to beat. Elsewhere, No. 20 Clemson (1-1) beat up on a Appalachian State team with a history of shocking upsets, downing the Mountaineers 66-20. Louisville was also impressive against inferior competition, downing Jacksonville State 49-14.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week came from Fran Brown's Syracuse team, which downed Georgia Tech 31-28 and experienced the biggest jump of any team after Week 2: The Orange jumped eight spots after downing previously unbeaten Georgia Tech.
Here's how the rest of the ACC shakes out after Week 2:
ACC football power rankings for Week 3
1. Miami (2-0)
- Last week: 1
- This week: vs. Ball State
2. Clemson (1-1)
- Last week: 2
- This week: Bye
3. Louisville (2-0)
- Last week: 3
- This week: Bye
4. Boston College (2-0)
- Last week: 6
- This week: at No. 8 Missouri
5. Syracuse (2-0)
- Last week: 13
- This week: vs. Stanford
6. Georgia Tech (2-1)
- Last week: 6
- This week: vs. VMI
7. NC State (1-1)
- Last week: 4
- This week: vs. Louisiana Tech
8. Florida State (0-2)
- Last week: 7
- This week: vs. No. 25 Memphis
9. North Carolina (2-0)
- Last week: 9
- This week: vs. North Carolina Central
...
2024 ACC Football Power Rankings: Week Three (SI; Caudell)
Another week is in the books in the ACC and it feels like there is not much clarity after the top three teams.
Miami had an easy matchup vs FAMU, Clemson annihilated App State, and Louisville pulled away late from Jacksonville State. Those three teams seem like the clear top three, but what about everyone else?
Syracuse got arguably the biggest ACC win yesterday by beating Georgia Tech and transfer quarterback Kyle McCord continues to look fantastic. Cal went on the road and beat Auburn Virginia had a comeback win over Wake Forest. There is still plenty to sort out heading into week three.
17. Florida State (0-2, 0-2)- Last week: 17
FSU was off this week and they will be trying to get their first win of the year next week vs Memphis.
16. Wake Forest (1-1, 0-1)- Last week: 12
Despite Hank Bachmeir throwing for over 400 yards, Wake could not get the win over Virginia and their bowl hopes took a serious hit in the process. This felt like a game that Wake needed to win and they could not get stops all game. They have a huge task next week when they face Ole Miss, who is firing on all cylinders to start the season.
15. Stanford (1-1, 0-0)- Last week: 15
They took a little bit to get going, but Stanford finally pulled away from Cal Poly last night and won 41-7. The Cardinal will have the week off in week three.
14. Virginia Tech (1-1, 0-0)- Last week: 16
Virginia Tech did get the win, but they did not look very good doing so, especially on offense. This team still seems like they can't move the ball consistently, but their defense looked better than it did against Marshall. Can the Hokies avoid the upset next week vs Old Dominion?
13. SMU (2-1, 0-0)- Last week: 9
SMU continues to look shaky to start the year, but unlike when they played Nevada in week zero, the Mustangs could not pull out a win. The quarterbacks have been inconsistent and the offensive line has looked bad through the first three games. SMU has a lot to figure out before their next game.
12. NC State (1-1, 0-0)- Last week: 6
NC was hoping to prove their week one close call vs Western Carolin was a fluke, but after getting blown out by Tennessee, the Wolfpack look like a team with lots of problems. The offense outisde of K.C. Concepcion is dreadful and the defense could not stop the Tennessee offenes, especially the running game. They should get a win vs Louisiana Tech next week, but this does not look like a team that can contend in the ACC right now.
11. Pitt (2-0, 0-0)- Last week: 11
It looked like Pitt would drop in these rankings for much of yesterday's game vs Cincinnati, but credit to Pat Narduzzi's team because they fought hard and the offense got going in the second half in their big comeback win over the Bearcats. The defense still looks very shaky, but the Panthers are 2-0 and have their rivalry game vs West Virginia coming up.
10. Duke (2-0, 0-0)- Last week: 13
It was not pretty for Manny Diaz's team on the road vs Northwestern, but Duke got the overtime win and they got a win that was crucial for their bowl game hopes this year. The offense is still a question mark, but they stil have time to get things figured. out. The Blue Devils host UConn this week.
9. Georgia Tech (2-1, 1-1)- Last week: 2
Yesterday was a nightmare for the Georgia Tech defense. After looking improved through the first two weeks, the Yellow Jackets defense looked like the 2023 version of themselves. The pass rush was non-existent vs Syracuse yesterday and the defensive backs had a hard time sticking with the Syracuse receivers. What might be more troubling though is that the running game could not get going against a Syracuse team that allowed 255 yards rushing to Ohio the week before. Georgia Tech has a lot of work to do, but they should get a win vs VMI this weekend before going to Louisville.
8. Virginia (2-0, 0-0)- Last week: 10
Tony Elliott has done a good job so far this season in getting his team ready to play and UVA got a huge win yesterday vs Wake to start the ACC slate for them. After seeing Maryland get beat by Michigan State on Saturday, that game looks very much winnable and a potential 3-0 start is on the table for the Cavaliers.
7. North Carolina (2-0, 0-0)- Last week: 7
A pretty ho-hum week for UNC against Charlotte. They took care of business and got the win, but they were far from dominant. The Tar Heels should stay right here in next week's rankings after they face NC Central.
6. Cal (2-0, 0-0)- Last week: 14
Cal's defense was fantastic yesterday against Auburn on the road yesterday and the Golden Bears stunned the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Justin Wilcox coached a great game and Cal is another team whose bowl game hopes got a serious boost with a win this weekend. Cal faces San Diego State this Saturday.
5. Syracuse (2-0, 1-0)- Last week: 8
Credit to Fran Brown and Syracuse for getting the win as an underdog yesterday vs Georgia Tech. The passing game looks great to start the year and the defense stepped up in a big way against a very good Georgia Tech offensive line. It looks like the Orange are going to have an offense that can keep them in most ACC games they play.
4. Boston College (2-0, 1-0)- Last week: 5
It was a tough call between Boston College and Syraucse for No. 4, but I think the Eagles have looked more impressive in both of their games, while Syracuse was only impressive to me yesterday. The Eagles rolled Duquesne this week and they could make a big statement this weekend when they travel to Missouri to face the Tigers.
3. Louisville (2-0, 0-0)- Last week: 4
It is starting to feel like their is a gap between the top three teams in the ACC and the rest of the conference. The Cardinals started a little slow yesterday, but they eventually rolled over Jacksonville State and head into their bye week healthy and looking good. Their first real challenge of the year will come in week four when they host Georgia Tech.
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ACC power rankings after Week 2: Miami, Clemson solidify themselves at the top of the league (saturdaydownsouth.com; Friedlander)
Week 2 of ACC action is in the books.
It was another eventful week for the league. The ACC went 10-2 in nonconference matchups, with Cal and Duke picking up what were arguably the biggest wins of the weekend for the ACC.
Miami and Clemson retained the top spots after they turned in dominant performances, but there’s plenty of movement this week elsewhere in the rankings.
Here’s Saturday Down South’s updated Week 2 power rankings:
17. Wake Forest (Previously: 16)
Tough loss for Wake Forest, who was leading Virginia for most of the game but couldn’t find enough stops late in the game.16. Florida State (Previously: 15)
Florida State was off this week and will look for its first win of the year in Week 3 against Memphis — Mike Norvell’s former team.15. Stanford (Previously: 14)
Stanford crushed Cal Poly in Week 2.14. Duke (Previously: 17)
Duke moves out of the basement after it won on the shores of Lake Michigan against Northwestern on Friday night. Jordan Moore is a stud and Maalik Murphy played very well in the win as well. Manny Diaz and his staff deserve quite a bit of credit.13. SMU (Previously 9)
SMU has been a walking red flag this season and it finally caught up to Rhett Lashlee’s team in Week 2. The Mustangs fell 18-15 against BYU on Friday night, relying solely on field goals to put points on the board. I’m not sure if Preston Stone or Kevin Jennings is the better quarterback — or if either is even good enough for it to matter. SMU is in big trouble if things don’t get figured out in a hurry.12. Virginia (Previously: 13)
Virginia looked like it was in trouble for most of its game against Wake Forest, but it ended up securing a big road win in Winston-Salem. Anthony Colandrea continues to be one of the most volatile quarterbacks in the country — he had 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the win on Saturday. For Virginia in 2024, I’m considering volatility to be a good thing.11. Pitt (Previously: 12)
Pitt moves up a spot this week after its gutsy win over Cincinnati. The Panthers scored the final 22 points of this game to earn a 1-point win over the Bearcats. Impressive stuff from new offensive coordinator Kade Bell and quarterback Eli Holstein in this one.10. Virginia Tech (Previously: 7)
Virginia Tech slides down 3 spots, but that has more to do with the other teams in this area than it does with the Hokies. Brent Pry’s group earned their first win of the year against a pretty bad Marshall team.9. Boston College (Previously: 8)
Boston College keeps the No. 8 spot this week after it dominated Duquesne. Thomas Castellanos threw touchdown passes on 4 of his 10 attempts in this one.8. Cal (Previously: 11)
What a win for Cal at Jordan-Hare! The Golden Bears turned in a special defensive performance against Auburn and got just enough offense to pick up a huge road win over an SEC foe. Cal’s defensive struggles from last season appear to be a thing of the past.7. Georgia Tech (Previously: 3)
Disappointing showing for Georgia Tech against Syracuse. The Yellow Jackets couldn’t stop anything Kyle McCord and the Orange wanted to do. The offense is strong, but this defense will need to get a lot better if they’re going to compete near the top of this league.6. Syracuse (Previously: 10)
Welcome to the No. 6 spot, Syracuse. The Orange totaled 515 yards and only punted twice in a 31-28 win over Georgia Tech. Picking up a ranked win in Week 2 is a pretty strong start to the Fran Brown era....
FSU football: Contenders and Pretenders in ACC through week two (chopchat.com; Hunt)
FSU football had a much-needed bye week in week two to regroup after its 0-2 start before hosting Memphis in week three. Week two had some interesting games and told us a bit more about some teams in the ACC. Some teams rebounded from a tough week one loss, while others suffered embarrassing losses. Here are my contenders and pretenders after two weeks:
Contenders
- Miami
- Louisville
- Syracuse
- Clemson
- Boston College
- California
Pretenders
- NC State
- Georgia Tech
- SMU
- Duke
- Pittsburgh
All of the remaining teams have already lost a game or both and don't look anywhere near ready to compete for an ACC championship so far.
ACC Football: List of ACC alums on NFL rosters in 2024 (augustafreepress.com; Graham)
More than 360 former student-athletes from the current 17 football-playing members of the ACC are listed on NFL rosters for Week 1 action.
A total of 363 former ACC standouts are on the NFL’s active roster, physically unable to perform lists and practice squads, with 262 players on active 53-man rosters to start the season.
Following Clemson’s conference-best 38 players, Miami and Florida State are tied for the second-most with 31 players, while Stanford has 29 players. NC State and Pitt round out the top five in the conference with 28 and 27 players on NFL rosters for Week 1, respectively.
A Clemson Tiger can be found on 21 of the NFL’s 32 teams.
Arizona Cardinals
- Kelvin Beachum, SMU, OL
- Trey Benson, Florida State, RB
- Joey Blount, Virginia, S
- Evan Brown, SMU, OL
- Kel’Trel Clark, Louisville, CB
- James Conner, Pitt, RB
- DeeJay Dallas, Miami, RB
- Victor Dimukeje, Duke, OLB
- Greg Dortch, Wake Forest, WR
- Elijah Higgins, Stanford, TE
- Justin Jones, NC State, DL
- Xavier Thomas, Clemson, OLB
- Garrett Williams, Syracuse, CB
- Michael Wilson, Stanford, WR
- Elijah Jones, Boston College, CB (Injured/Reserve)
- Sage Surratt, Wake Forest, TE (Injured/Reserve)
- Michael Carter, North Carolina, RB (Practice Squad)
- Jaden Davis, Miami, CB (Practice Squad)
- Luke Tenuta, Virginia Tech, OL (Practice Squad)
Atlanta Falcons
- Jessie Bates III, Wake Forest, S
- Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse, OL
- Drew Dalman, Stanford, OL
- Eddie Goldman, Florida State, DL
- Grady Jarrett, Clemson, DL
- Chris Linstrom, Boston College, G
- Ray-Ray McCloud III, Clemson, WR
- Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson, DT
- Bradley Pinion, Clemson, P
- Justin Simmons, Boston College, S
- James Smith-Williams, NC State, DL
- Kentavius Street, NC State, DL
- A.J. Terrell Jr., Clemson, CB
- Nathan Peterman, Pitt, QB (Practice Squad)
Baltimore Ravens
- Zay Flowers, Boston College, WR
- Lamar Jackson, Louisville, QB
- Patrick Mekari, Cal, OL
- Trenton Simpson, Clemson, ILB
- Brandon Stephens, SMU, DB
- Brent Urban, Virginia, DE
- Devontez Walker, North Carolina, WR
- Nate Wiggins, Clemson, CB
- Trayvon Mullen, Clemson, CB (Injured/Reserve)
- Malik Cunningham, Louisville, QB (Practice Squad)
- Devin Leary, NC State, QB (Practice Squad)
Buffalo Bills
- DeWayne Carter, Duke, DT
- Keon Coleman, Florida State, WR
- Damar Hamlin, Pitt, S
- Mack Hollins, North Carolina, WR
- Greg Rousseau, Miami, DE
- Baylon Spector, Clemson, LB
- Casey Toohill, Stanford, DE
- Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina, QB
- Shane Buechele, SMU, QB (Injured/Reserve)
- Matt Milano, Boston College, LB (Injured/Reserve)
- Te’Cory Couch, Miami, DB (Practice Squad)
- Branson Deen, Miami, DT (Practice Squad)
- Kingsley Jonathan, Syracuse, DE (Practice Squad)
Carolina Panthers
- Raheem Blackshear, Virginia Tech, RB
- Ikem Ekwonu, NC State, T
- Mike Jackson, Miami, CB
- Yosh Nijman, Virginia Tech, T
- Jammie Robinson, Florida State, S
- Chandler Zavala, NC State, G
- Dane Jackson, Pitt, CB (Injured/Reserve)
- Amaré Barno, Virginia Tech, OLB (Physically Unable to Perform/Reserve)
- Deon Cain, Clemson, WR (Practice Squad)
- Jack Plummer, Louisville, QB (Practice Squad)
Chicago Bears
- Keenan Allen, Cal, WR
- Josh Blackwell, Duke, DB
- Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech, LB
- Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech, RB
- Elijah Hicks, Cal, DB
- Travis Homer, Miami, RB
- Tyrique Stevenson, Miami, DB
- DeMarcus Walker, Florida State, DL
- Jake Curhan, Cal, OL (Practice Squad)
- Chris Glaser, Virginia, OL (Practice Squad)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Cal Adomitis, Pitt, LS
- KJ Henry, Clemson, DE
- Tee Higgins, Clemson, WR
- B.J. Hill, NC State, DT
- Trenton Irwin, Stanford, WR
- Matt Lee, Miami, C
- Germaine Pratt, NC State, LB
- Sheldon Rankins, Louisville, DT
- Myles Murphy, Clemson, DE (Injured/Reserve)
- DJ Ivey, Miami, CB (Physically Unable to Perform/Reserve)
- Devin Cochran, Georgia Tech, OT (Practice Squad)
- Shaka Heyward, Duke, LB (Practice Squad)
Cleveland Browns
- Javion Cohen, Miami, G
- Dustin Hopkins, Florida State, K
- Rodney McLeod Jr., Virginia, S
- David Njoku, Miami, TE
- Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech, G
- Juan Thornhill, Virginia, S
- Jamari Thrash, Louisville, WR
- Deshaun Watson, Clemson, QB
- Jameis Winston, Florida State, QB
- Nyheim Hines, NC State, RB (Non-Football Injury/Reserve)
- James Proche II, SMU, WR (Practice Squad)
- Blake Whiteheart, Wake Forest, TE (Practice Squad)
Dallas Cowboys
- Bryan Anger, Cal, P
- Andrew Booth, Clemson, CB
- Caelen Carson, Wake Forest, CB
- Brock Hoffman, Virginia Tech, C
- Asim Richards, North Carolina, OL
- Juanyeh Thomas, Georgia Tech, S
- Dalvin Cook, Florida State, RB (Practice Squad)
- Kelvin Harmon, NC State, WR (Practice Squad)
Denver Broncos
- Zach Allen, Boston College, DE
- Riley Dixon, Syracuse, P
- Lucas Krull, Pitt, TE
- Damarri Mathis, Pitt
- Justin Strnad, Wake Forest, ILB
- Courtland Sutton, SMU, WR
- Javonte Williams, North Carolina, RB
- Damarri Mathis, Pitt, CB (Injured/Reserve)
- Jordan Miller, SMU, NT (Practice Squad)
Detroit Lions
- Jared Goff, Cal, QB
- Alim McNeill, NC State, DL
- Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse, S
- DJ Reader, Clemson, DL
- Michael Badgley, Miami, K (Injured/Reserve)
- Antoine Green, North Carolina, WR (Injured/Reserve)
- Christian Mahogany, Boston College, OL (Reserve/Non-Football Illness)
- Michael Agude, Miami, LB (Practice Squad)
- Erick Hallett, Pitt, S (Practice Squad)
- James Mitchell, Virginia Tech, TE (Practice Squad)
Other
How can Syracuse train workers in the age of Micron? Look to the west for answers (PS; Racino)
A major part of Syracuse’s plan to train workers for the semiconductor industry is based largely on a model that’s been operating for years in Buffalo: the Northland Workforce Training Center.
Northland is an immense facility that trains hundreds of people each year and has been held up as the gold standard for finding, educating and placing talent in advanced manufacturing.
Graduates have become electricians, welders, machinists, mechanics and technicians, earning on average around $45,000 a year.
Gov. Kathy Hochul described Northland as “an incredible model” that she’s seeking to replicate with her One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships (ON-RAMP) program, which will have a flagship location in Syracuse. The $200 million effort will support four facilities spread out between Buffalo and Albany that provide credentials and training related to advanced manufacturing.
The need is urgent.
Micron Technology’s proposal to invest $100 billion into four semiconductor fabrication plants in Central New York prompted a rush of preparation, with job training a priority.
CenterState CEO, the region’s economic development agency, has been charged with helping to plan Syracuse’s ON-RAMP and has been studying Northland.
“I’m a big fan of the model,” said Dominic Robinson, senior vice president of inclusive growth at CenterState CEO.
But here’s the rub: While Northland has been praised and studied, its output of graduates would barely make a dent in filling the thousands of jobs Micron could generate here.
That’s the harsh reality of workforce development. It’s a task that, even when executed well, is hard and costly.
It’s not just helping job seekers fill out resumes or learn how to interview. These programs seek to train people with a limited work history but with potential.
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https://www.syracuse.com/entertainm...igh-note-as-rain-makes-early-exit-photos.html (PS; $; phot gallery; Miller)
Saturday was supposed to be a total washout, as forecasters predicted rain would start overnight and stick around. If they had been right, it would be the second straight year that Syracuse’s downtown Irish festival would come to a soggy end.
Showers slowed after the 11 a.m. Mass and eventually became a trickle by the time musicians started playing. As the Syracuse University football ended, Clinton Square filled up with people and sunshine.
"See? We Irish are lucky,” said Chow Downey, the weekend’s host and emcee.
Festival-goers were treated to 11 hours of music including The Public House, a local Irish-centric band led by John Gooley.
Two Celtic groups from Ontario, Canada, closed out the festival: The Glengarry Bhoys and Hadrian’s Wall.
Hootie and the Blowfish at the Empower FCU Amphitheater Thursday September 6, 2024, in Geddes, N.Y. (Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com)
https://www.syracuse.com/music/2024...long-show-at-syracuses-amp-review-photos.html (PS; Herbert)
Almost 30 years to the day that Hootie & the Blowfish catapulted to fame with an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on Sept. 2, 1994, the South Carolina rockers, along with fellow 1990′s staples Collective Soul and Edwin McCain, took an estimated crowd of 14,000 plus at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview back.
Back to where?
You tell me.
A raging college party with “Only Wanna Be With You” blaring?
Riding with the windows down with your buddies in the car and belting out the “YEAH!” part during “Shine?”
An eighth-grade dance when “I’ll Be” came on for a slow song?
No matter where Hootie and friends took us on the type of September weather night you pine for why shoveling eight inches of lake effect off your driveway, it was anywhere but 2024.
And that was the whole point.
Hootie led off with “I Go Blind,” which was on the soundtrack of the television show that defined the 90′s most― “Friends.”
“Wishing” and “I Will Wait” followed before it was time to give “Cracked Rear View,” the grunge palate cleanser (and trust me that’s no insult, I LOVE grunge) that arrived in July of 1994 and skyrocketed to over 20 million album sales and counting since.
“Can you believe it’s been 30 years since that s*** came out?” Hootie lead singer Darius Rucker polled the crowd.
Darius, considering that album got worn out in my dorm room during my college days and I just recently dropped off my daughter at college, well, let’s just not talk about that.
“Time,” “Running From an Angel,” “Hannah Jane,” and “Not Even the Trees” all came next from Cracked Rear View mixed in with a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” (we’ll come back to this).
Rucker gathering bandmates Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld for an intimate playing of “Will the Circle Be Broken/Desert Mountain Showdown” and a cover of Tom Waits’ “I Hope I Don’t Fall In Love With You” in a tight quartet at the front of the stage must have reminded of the days they played to small bar crowds in the late 80s and early 90s before their big break on Letterman in 1994.
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![A3I647ZIXJAEFO4Y2EHMUGU43Q.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syracuse.com%2Fresizer%2Fv2%2FA3I647ZIXJAEFO4Y2EHMUGU43Q.jpg%3Fauth%3D51ff479c61f65310240e61501c202918ff6afc94e3562541d98c6d5ed581d646%26width%3D800%26quality%3D90&hash=63241151ee6989fbf4af40f9c6e018e8)
Post Malone performs onstage during the 57th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 08, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage via Getty Images)WireImage
https://www.syracuse.com/celebrity-...d-for-post-malones-syracuse-concert-buzz.html (PS; Herbert)
An indie country band is set to open for Post Malone on his “F-1 Trillion” tour dates, including next week’s Syracuse concert.
Muscadine Bloodline, an Alabama duo featuring Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster, revealed Wednesday that they were canceling plans for their own headlining fall tour after accepting an offer to open for Posty.
“We got a curve ball of a life-changing call this morning and Post Malone just offered us to be direct support on the F-1 trillion tour,” Stanton and Muncaster said. “We’re talking Nissan Stadium, Fenway Park, arenas and amphitheaters across the country. In our 9 years of doing this we would have never dreamed of an opportunity like this. To tour the country with one of the biggest artists in the world for his entire tour.”
The Muscadine Bloodline bandmates apologized to fans, but said they couldn’t turn down a “once in a lifetime opportunity” that they’ll “tell our grandkids about on day.” Refunds will be offered for canceled shows, and the pair vowed to make those cities a “priority” for their next tour.
Muscadine Bloodline is an independent act that released its fourth album, “The Coastal Plain,” last month. The band is best known for the 2016 hit “Porch Swing Angel,” plus songs like “Can’t Tell You No,” “Put Me in My Place” and “Pieces.”
Muscadine Bloodline will open for Malone on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview. The Syracuse concert is sold out, but resale tickets are available through Live Nation, VividSeats and StubHub.
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