sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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National Voter Registration Day, which was started in 2012, is a holiday celebrating democracy in the United States, in which the goal is to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. Awareness is raised so that tens of thousands of people register to vote who may not be reached otherwise. Volunteers work on the ground and with technology and media to make sure this happens. The day is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and State Election Directors., which was started in 2012, is a holiday celebrating democracy in the United States, in which the goal is to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. Awareness is raised so that tens of thousands of people register to vote who may not be reached otherwise. Volunteers work on the ground and with technology and media to make sure this happens. The day is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and State Election Directors.
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ACC Bowl Watch: How did projections change during Syracuse football’s week off? (PS; $; Carlson)
A week away from the football field caused Syracuse’s bowl projections to dip slightly, with some of the marquee projections that national experts made last week disappearing.
The ACC teams that the Orange are likely to be competing with for spots in the biggest bowl games either won games last week or didn’t play.
ESPN’s Football Power Index projects Syracuse’s most likely record at 7-5. The only bowl destination projected by multiple national experts was a trip to the Fenway Bowl.
I think Syracuse will be better than that and have the Orange projected to a higher-caliber bowl game than most.
Here’s how the ACC bowl picture could look.
College Football Playoff: Miami
With the SEC owning six of the top seven teams in the country at the moment, the College Football Playoffs seem destined to be loaded with teams from the powerhouse conference. Miami is the only ACC team currently ranked among the 12 best teams in the national college football polls. With five automatic bids and seven at-large spots, this assumes Miami will be the ACC champions and earn the league’s automatic bid.
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida) vs. SEC: Louisville
The ACC traditionally sends one of its better teams to this game. Louisville is expected to be one. The Cardinals will have to play to those expectations and overcome a treacherous schedule.
Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, Florida) vs. Big 12: Notre Dame
The ACC has sent a ranked team to this game for seven consecutive years. Notre Dame is always immensely attractive and would make the bowl operators happy. Right now, the Fighting Irish are outside the College Football Playoff conversation.
Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, New York) vs. Big Ten: Boston College
Boston College and Pittsburgh are the logical options to anchor this Northeastern bowl. I’m higher on the Eagles at the moment. I ruled out Syracuse since the Orange appeared in 2022.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, North Carolina) vs. Big Ten: Clemson
This bowl game has picked a team from North Carolina or Virginia for nine consecutive years. This year it might have the rare opportunity to snag Clemson. The bowl operators wouldn’t think twice. Clemson hasn’t played here since 2010.
Holiday Bowl (San Diego, California) vs. Pac-12: Syracuse
Syracuse is looking like one of the ACC’s better teams this season, so it gets a bowl game with a strong tradition.
Fenway Bowl (Boston, Massachusetts) vs. American: Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh and Syracuse are the logical options here. I’m slightly higher on the Orange. Pitt is it.
Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas) vs. Pac-12: North Carolina
North Carolina is currently unbeaten so I have the Tar Heels headed to the final ACC bowl game that guarantees a matchup of Power-Four teams.
Military Bowl (Annapolis, Maryland) vs. American: North Carolina State
This game has taken teams from North Carolina or Virginia for six straight years. It’s never taken NC State. That’s a perfect match.
Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, Texas) vs. Big 12: California
The ACC’s Pac-12 contingent will be placed in Pac-12 bowl games this season. California is unbeaten and deserves a good one. This one avoids an ACC-ACC matchup.
Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida) vs. TBD: Virginia Tech
The Hokies travel well which will make them appealing to this bowl. This is an appealing destination for a lower-tier bowl game.
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Stanford football ready for a loud crowd in Syracuse (SI; Grausz)
The Stanford Cardinal (1-1) are coming off of a bye week, and after beating Cal Poly the last time that they stepped out onto the field, the team is locked in and focused on getting ACC play off to a fast start, with a big game on the road against the Syracuse Orange (2-0) next on the docket. As is the case during every game week, head coach Troy Taylor met with the media on Monday afternoon to discuss the upcoming matchup. Here are five takeaways from what coach Taylor had to say.
Team will not stay on East Coast during week prior to game
This season will bring about a lot of change and require a lot of adjusting, with one adjustment being the need to travel to the East Coast to play games. And while Stanford has two of those games in back to back weeks, having to fly to Syracuse this week with a game against Clemson next week, the team will opt to come back to Palo Alto during the week, to give the players and coaches the chance to still go about their routines.
“Comfort wise and not being home and for our players, the academic part of it is a huge part of it and then also our facilities are here, our ability to lift and train and eat and try to keep it as normal as possible,” Taylor said. “Also the fact we are playing on a Friday so that even though we are going to travel back and it’ll be late and throw our sleep schedule off a little bit, they will have all day Saturday to recover and then we’ll be able to get on a normal routine on Sunday.”
The travel will be a big adjustment this year and while it may take a little bit of time to fully get used to, being able to establish a consistent routine early on could help tremendously as the schedule starts to get even more difficult as the season progresses.
The Syracuse crowd will be a major factor in an indoor space
Playing on the road can be very tough, especially when college football crowds tend to be extremely large in a lot of areas. Not only will Stanford have to deal with the possibility of a large crowd to back Syracuse, but playing in a domed stadium could amplify the noise of an already loud crowd.
“It’s unique,” Taylor said. “I’ve never been there but speaking to Justin [Lamson] and a number of people that have played there or coached there, they say it’s really loud. So yeah, that’s a huge advantage for Syracuse, the crowd noise, for sure. So we’ve been preparing in the bye week and this week to deal with [that] on the offensive side of the ball specifically and being able to communicate and get off on the snap count and all that. So it’s a challenge, it’s definitely a home field advantage when you have that kind of environment and so we’ve prepped and we’ll see if we’re ready for it.”
Syracuse will provide a big test, but if the Cardinal are able to step up to the challenge and put together a solid effort and even a win, that will be able to really tell just how much this year’s team is capable of accomplishing.
Practice schedule did not change much during the bye week
During a bye week, it is very common for teams to veer away from their routines in order to give players a chance to rest, recover and regroup. But for a Stanford team that has a lot to prove and that is looking to make noise in its new conference this season, the effort levels were minimally changed, even if there was no game to prepare for last week.
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Fran Brown talks ACC realignment, Stanford offense before Week 4 matchup (DO; Girshon)
Fran Brown’s first two games as Syracuse’s head coach went as well as he could’ve hoped for. The Orange took care of business versus Ohio before Brown notched his first win versus an Atlantic Coast Conference and AP Top 25 opponent, defeating then-No. 23 Georgia Tech 31-28.
SU didn’t have a chance to build on its early season momentum in Week 3 due to its bye week. Thirteen days after their win over GT, the Orange host Stanford in the JMA Wireless Dome. This is the Cardinal’s first ACC football game since joining the conference.
“I’m happy that Stanford gets to come here,” Brown said, “battle of the block ‘S.’”
Here are some takeaways from Brown’s weekly press conference before Syracuse’s (2-0, 1-0 ACC) first-ever matchup against Stanford (1-1, 0-0 ACC):
Conference realignment
In the ever-changing landscape of college sports, conference realignment’s prominence has rapidly increased over the last few years. Now, the ACC has programs residing on the West Coast, with SMU, Cal and Stanford joining the conference this season.SU’s matchup versus Stanford marks the first ACC football game for either of the three newly added teams to the conference, but the Orange’s first-year head coach doesn’t think of it that way.
“It’s my first time coaching, I don’t really care who we play,” Brown said.
What Brown, 247Sports’ No. 1 recruiter, does care about, however, is that making trips out west can further Syracuse’s recruiting base. In the new-look ACC, teams are required at least one trip to the West Coast a season.
“It gives you an opportunity to go and recruit some guys and for them to be comfortable knowing that they’ll get the opportunity to travel back home twice a year,” Brown said of playing on the West Coast.
Hailing from Camden, New Jersey, Brown’s ties have led him to dominate northeast recruiting. If he can expand his influence westward, Brown will continue reshaping and overhauling SU’s program closer to national prominence.
Stanford’s offensive scheme
In the Orange’s Week 2 win over Georgia Tech, its dual-threat quarterback Haynes King threw for 266 yards and a touchdown while running for 67 yards and two more scores. Coming off the bye week, SU faces another dual-threat quarterback in Ashton Daniels.Across two games, Daniels has accumulated 384 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 118 rushing yards. Brown said that he likes the Stanford signal caller, noting his athleticism and strengths as a scrambler.
Beyond Daniels, Brown praised Stanford’s wide receiver group. SU’s head coach called Elic Ayomanor — who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in 2023 — “legit,” while adding that sophomore Ismael Cisse is a good player and saying he liked Mudia Reuben’s game.
“We’re just going to try and go out there and play the defense that (defensive coordinator Elijah) Robinson calls, and just try to hope that we get the right fits, the right time for the right things, to be able to just knock them off track a little bit,” Brown said of containing Stanford’s offense.
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Stanford Heads to Syracuse for Inaugural ACC Matchup (gostanford.com)
The Opening Kickoff
- Stanford makes history on Friday night as it plays its first ACC game, heading east to take on Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 pm PT on ESPN.
- This road game at Syracuse marks the first of two consecutive road games to begin Stanford's ACC slate. Next week, the Cardinal play at Clemson. Additional road games in ACC play will be at NC State (Nov. 2) and at California (Nov. 23).
- The Cardinal is coming off its first home win in the Troy Taylor era by beating Cal Poly 41-7 on Sept. 7. Stanford used a 27-0 second half to pull away from the Mustangs. The win snapped a 10-game home losing streak overall, and an eight-game skid under Coach Taylor.
- Special teams played a huge role in swinging momentum towards Stanford. Against Cal Poly, Stanford's special teams unit blocked a field goal, successfully executed a fake punt, and returned a punt for a touchdown.
- The punt return came from Tiger Bachmeier, on just his second collegiate punt return. Bachmeier took it 90 yards to the house for the first Stanford punt return since Christian McCaffrey in the 2016 Rose Bowl Game vs. Iowa. It is also tied for the second-longest punt return in Stanford history, trailing only Thomas Henley's 92-yard punt return vs. Oregon in 1986.
- Another key for the Cardinal was shutting down the run against the Mustangs. On 20 carries, Cal Poly gained only 25 yards, the third-fewest in a game with Bobby April as the defensive coordinator. In addition, Cal Poly picked up just one first down on the ground. The last time a Stanford defense held a team to just one first down on the ground came in the 2014 Fosters Farms Bowl vs. Maryland.
- A theme of Stanford in wins under Coach Taylor has been the Card's ability to stop the run. Stanford is allowing an average of just 39 rushing yards per game to opponents in wins since the start of the 2023 season, or 156 yards in four games. Through three weeks of the 2024 season, Stanford's run defense ranks tenth in the NCAA and leads the ACC.
Syracuse football leaned on its offense to overcome poor tackling in its first game.
It played three excellent quarters only to have special teams mistakes turn a comfortable win into a nail-biter in its second.
Heading into the Orange’s third game of the season, head coach Fran Brown preached the need for consistency -- both to help this year’s team reach its potential and for his program to shrug off the weight of a two-decade malaise.
“With football you have to show them some consistency,” Brown said. “I don’t think we’ve been consistent enough for them to say (the Dome) has to be packed. We haven’t been consistent enough.”
Despite some inconsistencies, Syracuse has already experienced some heady moments this season as it prepares to host Stanford on Friday night.
Brown is the first Syracuse coach to win his first two games since Paul Pasqualoni in 1991. He earned his first win over a ranked team faster than any SU coach in the modern era.
The Orange are on the cusp of appearing in the national college football polls. Quarterback Kyle McCord’s strong start has been a popular topic among prominent college football voices.
Syracuse entered an open week on an emotional high note with Brown declaring its win over Georgia Tech was “personal” to him and using quotes from head coach Brent Key as a motivational tool for his team.
Brown said that during two weeks of preparation for Stanford’s visit, the SU coaching staff has worked to keep players grounded by pointing out those successes matter little in terms of how the team will ultimately be judged.
“We’re just focused on today,” Brown said. “Locked in on Monday and keeping the guys grounded and making sure they understand that no one cares what happened before. They will all change up so fast. It’s about what have you done for me lately. And I mean the last 10 minutes, not last week’s game or anything like that. Nobody cares about that anymore. We’re focused on now and moving along so we can continue to try to do what our mission is and be able to accomplish that.”
This is the third consecutive season that the Orange has won its first two games. The previous two saw Syracuse fade as competition toughened and injuries mounted.
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Syracuse Orange wide receiver Trebor Pena (2) stretches for the touchdown putting the Orange on the board 6-0 on the first run as the Syracuse Orange battled the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Dome in Syracuse Saturday, September 7, 2024. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syra
Axe: 4 trends Syracuse football would love to see continue out of the bye week (PS; $; Axe)
What do you know about a football team after two games and a bye week?
We’ll continue to build the answer to that question on Friday night when the Syracuse University football team hosts Stanford (7:30 p.m., ESPN) at the JMA Wireless Dome in its second ACC (which in this case stands for the All Coasts Conference) matchup.
It may only be a two-game sample size, but there are several statistical categories where Syracuse players or the team rank near the top of the country.
If these four trends keep pace for the Orange going forward, it can only lead to good things.
1. Money McCord
The biggest story for Syracuse football so far has been the instant impact Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord has made on the Orange offense.
Pick a stat, any stat, that McCord has engineered through two games.
McCord ranks:
- First in the nation with 29.5 completions per game.
- Second nationally with 367 passing yards per game.
- 11th with eight touchdown passes.
- Hat tip to the Orange offensive line here, but McCord has been sacked only twice.
McCord’s steady hand, instant chemistry with his top targets (more on that below) and command of offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon’s playbook are clearly the reasons why the Orange offense shot out of a cannon to start the season.
2. Top Targets
McCord has connected with nine different targets so far, but there are two players that clearly top the receiving hierarchy.Oronde Gadsden II has picked up right where he left off as one of the country’s best tight ends after a Lisfranc injury cut his 2023 season short. He ranks 17th in the country, averaging 100.5 yards per game, with three touchdowns.
Trebor Pena is tied for fourth in the country with four receiving touchdowns. Pena has been an escape hatch for McCord all season, with success in the short passing game and running sideline routes. Pena’s explosive play resembles Buffalo Bills receiver Khalil Shakir. He has a total of 12 catches for 166 yards.
Stanford’s defense doesn’t look like one, at least on paper, that will put a crimp in the SU passing game.
The Cardinal ranks 73rd in the country overall. That dips to 118th when you put the spotlight on its passing yards allowed (278 per game).
3. Third-Down Dominance
Syracuse ranks fifth in the country on third down, converting 59.4% of the time (19-of-32).Most of this success points to SU’s air attack as 39 of SU’s 52 first downs overall have come in the passing game, but having a weapon like LeQuint Allen as your feature back helps the cause as a running or pass threat.
Wide receivers Zeed Haynes, Jackson Meeks and Umari Hatcher, tight end Dan Villari and backup running backs Will Nixon and Yasin Willis give Nixon plenty of matchup options when Syracuse has to move the chains.
4. Diggs’ D
All of the trends mentioned so far tilt toward offense, so let’s give the defense some flowers.Syracuse defensive end Fadil Diggs is tied for second in the country with six tackles for loss.
That stat is even more impressive when you account for the fact that he didn’t even play this past weekend with SU on a bye, and it holds water against players that have three games in the books compared to just two for Diggs.
No play speaks to Diggs’ disruptive ability more than the massive fourth-down stop he had against Georgia Tech in the fourth quarter.
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Stanford vs. Syracuse Prediction: Spread, DFS Picks, and More (CFN; Lynch)
Stanford will kick off its first ACC matchup on Friday night in upstate New York against the Syracuse Orange. The Cardinal will enter 1-1 following a blowout win over Cal Poly. Syracuse comes in 2-0 and 1-0 in conference play with a big ACC win over Georgia Tech.
With the ACC seemingly wide open, this is an essential weekend for both squads that want to make noise in the conference. Stanford looks to assert itself as a threat in the ACC, while Syracuse has conference-title aspirations.
Stanford vs. Syracuse Betting and DFS Preview
All Stanford vs. Syracuse odds are from DraftKings and are correct as of Monday, Sept. 16.
- Spread
Syracuse -9.5 - Moneyline
Stanford +255, Syracuse -330 - Over/Under
57.5 - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
JMA Wireless Dome| Syracuse, NY - How to Watch
ESPN
The total has jumped a bit as the Stanford offense continues to surprise people in 2024. It initially opened at 55.5 and climbed to 57.5. There is a chance this number will continue to climb before kickoff on Friday.
Both teams enter this contest 1-1 against the spread and have gone 1-1 on the total.
Top DFS and Fantasy Plays
- QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
- QB Ashton Daniels, Stanford
- RB LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
- RB Micah Ford, Stanford
- RB Sedrick Irvin, Stanford
- WR Ismael Cisse, Stanford
- WR Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse
- WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
- WR Trebor Pena, Syracuse
Two targets have emerged for the Orange as McCord’s favorites, Oronde Gadsen and Trebor Pena. Both have put up big numbers in the early going in the Syracuse passing game. Gadsen has logged 13 catches for 201 yards and three scores, while Pena has added 12 catches for 166 yards and four touchdowns for ‘Cuse.
Both should be considered legitimate DFS receiving options on Friday night.
On the other side, Ashton Daniels has been a Mr. Do-It-All for the Cardinal. Daniels is the Cardinal’s leading rusher with 118 yards on the season and has thrown for another 384. If the Cardinal are going to stay in this game, Daniels will have to go off.
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Syracuse football: what college football is saying about the Orange after week 3 (TNIAAM; Wall)
Each week, we’ll take a look at what other college football media sites are saying about the Syracuse Orange. Let’s see what they are saying after the Orange’s first bye week
Syracuse.Com
Chris Carlson keeps Syracuse up to 4th this week between Boston College and Clemson. Stanford is 15th this week.
ESPN
In this week’s SP+ rankings Syracuse moves up three to the 64th spot with the offense 52nd while the defense ranks 72nd. The Orange are ranked between Cincinnati and JMU. Stanford is ranked 81st with their offense 67th and defense 89th.
The Football Power Index keeps Syracuse in 59th place between North Carolina and Vanderbilt. FPI predicts the Orange for 6.8 wins and gives them a 77.4 % chance of making a bowl game. Stanford is 70th in this week’s FPI.
ACC Network
Andrea Adelson has Syracuse 3rd between Cal and Clemson. Stanford is 15th.
David Hale has the Orange 6th between BC and Cal. Stanford is 16th.
Eric Mac Lain puts Syracuse 4th between Clemson and Pitt. Stanford is 15th.
CBS Sports
In the CBS Sports power rankings Syracuse is up 4 to 29th between California and UCF. Stanford is ranked 83rd.
The Athletic
The Orange drops 3 spots to 31st in The Athletic’s Top 134 Power Rankings placing them in between Texas A&M and Boise State. Stanford is 91st this week.
AP and Coaches Poll
Syracuse received 62 votes in the AP Poll, which put them only two spots outside the Top 25. In the Coaches Poll, the Orange received 32 votes which is five spots outside the Top 25.
ACC Week Three Scores
Louisiana Tech 20 NC State 30
Memphis 20 Florida State 12
Boston College 21 Missouri 27
West Virginia 34 Pitt 38
Ball State 0 Miami 62
VMI 7 Georgia Tech 59
UConn 21 Duke 26
NC Central 10 North Carolina 45
Virginia Tech 37 Old Dominion 17
Ole Miss 40 Wake Forest 6
Maryland 27 Virginia 13
San Diego St 10 California 31
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Fran Brown gives injury updates for three Syracuse players, including transfer wide receiver (PS; $; Leiker)
Fran Brown said two Syracuse football players who have been out the opening weeks of the season are returning to practice this week.
Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons and defensive back Greg Delaine will both be active participants at practice this week.
Ross-Simmons has been battling a hamstring injury for around a month, missing the back half of fall camp and being unavailable the first two games.
Delaine has a broken hand. He will practice despite still wearing a cast.
Neither is listed on the Week 4 depth chart. Brown said their return to practice does not necessarily mean they’ll see the field during Friday night’s game against Stanford.
“Just ‘cause you come back doesn’t mean you have to play,” Brown said. “You have to compete now. You have to beat some of the other guys out, ‘cause everybody’s doing a good job.”
x.com
twitter.com
Kyle McCord, Syracuse welcome Stanford to ACC - National Football Post (nationalfootballpost.com; FLM)
After a long run in the Pac-12 Conference, Stanford makes its Atlantic Coast Conference debut Friday night when it visits Syracuse and its impressive quarterback, Kyle McCord.
The Cardinal (1-1, 0-0 ACC) are now part of a 17-team league that features a recognizable face in Cal, another newcomer in SMU and the 14 returning teams from a season ago. The Orange (2-0, 1-0) are included in that latter group and are coming off a big victory against another veteran ACC foe, Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets, then ranked No. 23, visited the Orange two weekends ago and left with a 31-28 loss. McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdown passes for Syracuse, giving him 735 yards and eight TD strikes through the first two games of the season.
“I’m very thankful, of course, and the team is thankful to have him as our quarterback,” Orange coach Fran Brown said of the Ohio State transfer.
Meanwhile, Stanford trounced FCS foe Cal Poly its last time out, posting a 41-7 victory as Ashton Daniels and Elijah Brown combined to complete 26 of 30 passes for 318 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
“So much of a quarterback is just experience and knowing what to expect,” Cardinal coach Troy Taylor said of Daniels, “and he just continues to grow in that area. He’s a dynamic runner, he’s a physical runner and he gives us a chance (to win). … I’m sure glad he stuck around to stay with us.”
Special teams could be key in determining the winner of this one. Stanford returned a punt for a touchdown, blocked a field goal and converted a fake punt in its last game, while Syracuse had a punt blocked, had a field goal blocked and failed to recover a Georgia Tech onside kick in its most recent contest.
“Those things are momentum changers,” said Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright, who recorded an interception in the Week 2 win.
This is the first ever meeting between the teams.
Orange Ready for Friday Night Lights - Syracuse University Athletics (cuse.com)
The eyes of the nation will be on Syracuse on Friday night when it hosts Stanford on ESPN. The college football world has been abuzz with the Orange after their first two performances of the season.
Fans can purchase tickets to the first-ever meeting between Syracuse and Stanford at Cuse.com/tickets. Only lower bowl premium and upper (200-300) level tickets remain. Kickoff in the JMA Wireless Dome is set for 7:30 p.m.
One of the top offenses in the country will be on display when the Orange take the field. Syracuse is averaging 497.5 yards of offense through the first two games, which ranks 15th in the nation. 'Cuse recorded 515 yards in the victory against Georgia Tech, its highest total versus an FBS opponent since the 2021 season.
Quarterback Kyle McCord has been the field general that Orange Nation hoped for when he announced he would transfer to Syracuse from Ohio State. The Mt. Laurel, New Jersey native leads the nation in touchdown passes per game (4.0) and is second in passing yards per game (367.5) and total offense (372.0). With four touchdown passes in each of the first two games, McCord joins Tommy DeVito as the only quarterbacks in program history to post four touchdown passes in back-to-back games. DeVito accomplished the feat in 2019.
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"I'm excited, happy, it's where we wanted to be," head coach Fran Brown said of his quarterback's fast start to the season. "There's a lot of things that he is still working on and working towards, and we all are. So, we're constantly trying to evolve on a regular basis. But I'm very thankful, of course the team is thankful to have him as our quarterback. I think he's thankful and happy to be here."
Fadil Diggs, another transfer on the defensive side of the ball, is causing havoc in opponents' backfields. Diggs, who came to Syracuse from Texas A&M after last season, leads the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 3.0 per game. His four TFLs in the season opener against Ohio tie for the most by an FBS player this season and tie for the sixth-highest single-game total in program history.
While newcomers have certainly played a big role in the early going for Syracuse, it's the way they have meshed with the returners that have been key for the Orange. Perhaps there is no better example of that than on the offensive line. J'Onre Reed, Mark Petry and Jakob Bradford are returning starters, while Savion Washington and Da'Metrius Weatherspoon transferred from Colorado and Howard, respectively. Add Enrique Cruz, Joe Cruz and Trevion Mack into the mix and you have a unit that has more depth than any in recent memory. The group has helped the Orange rank third in the nation in passing offense and ninth in tackles for loss allowed.
"Keeping Kyle healthy, that's really all I care about," Brown said when asked what has impressed him most about the group's play. "Making sure Kyle stays healthy, making sure they make the hole big enough for LeQuint (Allen Jr.) to be able to get through those holes. Those guys communicate and they're spending time with each other. What's most impressed me though, honestly, is that relationship – how they've grown, how they are helping each other."
Friday night marks the 44th anniversary of the opening of the Dome. The first game was a 36-24 victory for the Orange over Miami (OH) on Sept. 20, 1980. That game sparked a new era for Syracuse, just as Brown hopes the 2024 campaign catapults the Orange back to national prominence. Syracuse is just outside the top 25 in both the AP and coaches polls and a victory over Stanford would tie Brown for fourth place for the most wins for a Syracuse coach to start his tenure with three.
How Will Fran Brown Come Off Syracuse's Bye? (orangefizz.net; Aitken)
Fran Brown has checked a lot of boxes during his first two games as Syracuse’s head coach. He’s managed the clock well, installed a successful offense, and made good defensive adjustments. Still, there’s a lot of challenges Brown hasn’t had to deal with yet. Right now, he’s in the midst of handling his first bye week.
There’s lots of positive opportunities with a week off. Fran Brown can rest his most used players, like like receiving threats Oronde Gadsden and Trebor Peña. Plus, it’s another opportunity for adjustments, which are sorely needed in the special teams department. However, bye weeks can also be a bad thing.
Under Dino Babers, Syracuse football was 4-9 coming off more than a week of rest. If you take away the Orange’s flukey 10-3 season in 2018, that mark would be 2-9.
Clearly, bye weeks can be bad in the hands of a bad coach. Why? It’s the age-old debate of rest vs. rust. For the last eight years, SU has started flat after a week off.
So how will Fran Brown do in this department? Well, it’s hard to tell. With him not being a head coach before, it’s almost impossible. You could look at how Georgia, Rutgers, Temple, and his other coaching stops did coming off byes when he was there, but how much control did he have as a secondary coach or a co-defensive coordinator? Maybe a decent amount, but those weren’t his teams or gameplans.
Based on the success Fran Brown has had so far, it’s probably fair to be optimistic. Regardless, how Syracuse plays in the first quarter against Stanford on Friday will say a lot about Brown and the Orange. Plus, with another bye week coming up in October, it’s all the more important for him to get this right.
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Stanford Football Weekly Press Conference | Syracuse Week (youtube; video; Stanford Athletics)
Stanford Football Weekly Press Conference | Syracuse Week
Eric Dungey talks about how Syracuse can stop Stanford (youtube; radio; Cuse Sports Talk)
For Syracuse Quarterback Eric Dungey joins Gomez and Company to discuss Friday night's game between Syracuse and Stanford, give an update on his neck, and more
30 Minutes in Orange Nation 9-16-24 (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
With Steve’s absence, Mike McAllister joins Paulie as guest host today, and the guys start the show discussing Syracuse being favored to beat Stanford, look at the ACC Football power rankings, and end things going over college basketball recruiting, and more!
Adam Terry Previews Syracuse Football vs. Stanford, Talks Kyle McCord's season & more (youtube; radio; Cuse Sports Talk)
Syracuse football radio analyst Adam Terry jumps on, as he does every Monday, to preview the Syracuse/Stanford game, discuss where the Orange sit in the conference and more.
Syracuse Great Don McPherson previews Stanford Game (youtube; radio; Cuse Sports Talk)
Former Syracuse Quarterback Don McPherson joins Gomez and Company to discuss Stanford, tell a great story about a baseball legend, and more.
Podcast: Flaherty sees '8-10' wins for Syracuse after 2-0 start (r1vals.com; podcast; Juice on the Cuse)
Syracuse linebacker Jake Flaherty was on hand for the Orange's 31-28 win over No. 23 Georgia Tech at the JMA Wireless Dome, and liked what he saw.
Flaherty appeared in 48 games for the Orange between 2005-08 and was elected team captain in his senior season, and sees SU as a program that can make some noise this season, he said on the latest Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by Rivals and Bleav.
“I could easily see them winning eight to ten games," Flaherty said. "I really think if they play like that and improve on special teams and not turn the ball over, I think this team could be very, very good. They have to stay healthy, but if they stay healthy and play like that, we’re going to a warm weather bowl game."
We also preview Syracuse's upcoming matchup with Stanford and discuss the impact of the latest round of realignment in the Pac-12 and its effects on the ACC.
Dan Tortora on Instagram: "“Peeling Back the Orange” - DT w/ Syracuse Orange Head Football Coach Fran Brown on how the team handled the bye week & getting time to spend w/ his family when he had the blessing of seeing his son Frannie play LB for St Francis in their home game vs CCSU, & get to speak w/ Frannie & eat as a family afterward… #Syracuse #collegefootball #sports #sportstalk #family #familyfirst #StFrancis #Cuse #CuseFB #OrangeNation #SupportCNY #CNY #CentralNY #UpstateNY #ACC @thecoachfranbrown" (youtube; podcast; WakeUpDT)
“Peeling Back the Orange” - DT w/ Syracuse Orange Head Football Coach Fran Brown on how the team handled the bye week & getting time to spend w/ his family when he had the blessing of seeing his son Frannie play LB for St Francis in their home game vs CCSU, & get to speak w/ Frannie & eat as a family afterward…
Syracuse Football: Texas has analyst buzz for 5-star edge who plans to visit 'Cuse (itlh; Adler)
Syracuse football is expected to get a visit in the coming months from 2025 five-star edge Javion Hilson, although another one of his suitors is garnering buzz from recruiting analysts.
Earlier this month, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Hilson, a consensus top-75 national prospect in the high school senior class, said via his X page that he was de-committing from fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Florida State and reopening his recruitment.
In the wake of that announcement, On3 national recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett said in a post on X that Hilson planned to visit the Orange, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Michigan and possibly other college teams.
In recent days, On3 vice president of national college football recruiting and the transfer portal Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction in the direction of Southeastern Conference powerhouse Texas for Hilson, while assigning a confidence rating of 50 percent.
I'm not seeing any other official analyst projections for Hilson at this juncture, although several national experts recently discussed his recruitment as well.
...
Stanford vs. Syracuse Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 4 (SI; Wallach)
Syracuse will welcome Stanford to the ACC with a Friday night matchup.
The Orange have showcased a revamped roster that is putting up explosive plays on offense while Stanford is looking to make a strong showing in its conference debut. After playing a close game in Week 1, Stanford beat up on an FCS foe ahead of its BYE week, can the team go across the country and keep it competitive?
Here's our best bet for it.
Stanford vs. Syracuse Odds, Spread and Total
Spread- Stanford: +9.5 (-110)
- Syracuse: -9.5 (-110)
- Stanford: +265
- Syracuse: -335
Odds courtesy of FanDuel
Stanford vs. Syracuse How to Watch
- Date: Friday, September 20th
- Game Time: 7:30 PM EST
- Venue: JMA Wireless Dome
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Stanford Record 1-1
- Syracuse Record: 2-0
Stanford vs. Syracuse Key Players to Watch
StanfordAshton Daniels: Daniels struggled to pass against TCU in the team’s lone matchup against FBS foes, but he did showcase his capable legs with 17 carries for 87 yards in the team’s close loss. Can he do similar against Syracuse’s defense that has struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks thus far? Parker Navarro of Ohio and Haynes King of Georgia Tech have averaged nearly five yards per carry.
Syracuse
Kyle McCord: The Ohio State transfer is liking his new digs in Western New York quite a bit, completing 69% of his passes for 735 yards and eight touchdowns through two games with the Orange.
Stanford vs. Syracuse Prediction and Pick
Stanford showcased some capabilities against TCU in a close loss in Week 1, but ultimately, the team had a sub-15% win expectancy in that game. The team does minimize its mistakes and has some big play capability with Daniels as a dual-threat and a stud wide receiver in Elic Ayomanor.However, Syracuse has shown it has way more firepower than the typical ACC team and can find big plays down the field, which TCU exposed as a weak point in the Cardinal secondary. While it's only one data point, Stanford ranked outside the top 100 in EPA/Pass last season and TCU passed for 342 in Week 1.
McCord will push it down the field and put up points, but I do have some questions about Syracuse’s defense and its ability to limit chunk plays. The team is 95th in EPA/Play to start the season and showed as a big favorite that teams can keep the game respectable (Ohio scored 22 on this Orange defense).
I’ll go with the over on Friday night.
...
1979 Syracuse at Pitt (youtube; video; Tim McCartney)
Dan Marino, Russ Grimm, Ricky Jackson, Art Monk- pro football hall of fame. Hugh Green, Mark May, Marino-college hall of fame.
Syracuse Football on Instagram: "GAME WEEK‼️"
cusefootball on September 16, 2024: "GAME WEEK‼️".
www.instagram.com
ACC News
Teel: Are Seminoles humbled by their 0-3 start? Might they reconcile with ACC? (fredericksburg.com; $; Teel)
Florida State has scored four touchdowns in three games this season. The Seminoles averaged 4.3 touchdowns per game last year.
In two home games, 120 minutes of football, Florida State has yet to lead.
FSU is the first preseason ACC favorite ever — the conference’s summer media poll dates to 1976 — to open 0-3.
The Seminoles are averaging 15.3 points per game. Each of the ACC’s other 16 teams is averaging at least 26.
Oh, and let’s not forget that delusional Florida State administrators, trustees, donors and fans consider the Seminoles too good for the ACC. So good that last December the university sued the conference seeking to invalidate contracts the presidents of all league members signed — twice,
...
ACC Announces Week 5 Football Game Times & TV Networks (theacc.com)
The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for Week 5, September 27-28.
Friday, September 27
- Virginia Tech at Miami - 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN – previously announced
- Western Kentucky at Boston College – Noon ET on ACC Network
- Holy Cross at Syracuse – Noon ET on ACCNX – previously announced
- Northern Illinois at NC State – Noon ET on The CW
- Louisiana at Wake Forest – 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
- Louisville at Notre Dame – 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock – previously announced
- North Carolina at Duke – 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
- Stanford at Clemson – 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Florida State at SMU – 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network
Through Week 3 of the 2024 season:
- Week 0 – Florida State versus Georgia Tech saw 5.0 million viewers and was the most-watched Week 0 game on any network since 2019.
- College GameDay from Ireland was the most-watched Week 0 episode ever – 41 percent over the previous most-watched Week 0 show (2022) and averaged 1.6 million viewers, including 2.0 million in the final hour.
- Week 1 – ACC was part of a historical day on Saturday, August 31, as it was ABC’s second-most-watched Kickoff Saturday on record.
- 7.9 million viewers - The Clemson versus Georgia Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta was the most-watched Week 1 Noon Game on record, peaking at 9.5 million viewers.
- 6.6 million viewers - The in-state rivalry contest between Miami and Florida in Gainesville, Florida, was the most-watched Week 1 Late Afternoon Game since 2017.
- The ACC has three teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll this week – Miami (No. 8), Louisville (No. 19), and Clemson (No. 21).
- Five other teams received votes in the poll - Syracuse (62), Boston College (47), California (11), North Carolina (3) and Pitt (1).
- The ACC has three teams ranked in the Coaches Poll this week – Miami (No. 11), Clemson (No. 19) and Louisville (No. 20).
- Six other ACC teams received votes in the coaches poll - Syracuse (32), Pitt (17), North Carolina (14), NC State (12), California (10) and Boston College (6).
- The ACC has seven teams undefeated after three weeks of play – tied for the second-most among all FBS conferences.
- Eight ACC teams are undefeated in non-conference play – tied for the second-most among all FBS conferences.
- The ACC is 31-9 overall in non-conference play.
- Week 4 features eight non-conference games - including three against Power 4 opponents.
- Three of the four conference games in ACC play this year have been decided by one score or less (eight points or less).
- Week 4 features four ACC games – including the first-ever conference games as ACC members for Stanford (Friday) and California (Saturday).
https://allsportsdiscussion.com/202...taying-in-acc-its-not-so-far-fetched-anymore/ (ASD; JFann)
Most of us figured Clemson and FSU leaving the ACC was a forgone conclusion. Well as Lee Corso says, not so fast my friend.
If you have access to the Clemson site TigerIllustrated.com, they dropped a nugget that had realignment followers doing double takes. Also, none of these so-called insiders had a peep about this until today.
Clemson and FSU could reach a settlement that allows them to stay in the ACC and drop their lawsuit.
This is a paraphrased highlight from that piece.
Florida State and Clemson are in negotiation with the ACC about getting even bigger portions of the revenue share. In turn they would drop the lawsuits and remain in the conference.
It’s behind a paywall, but the rest of the article is here if you can get to it.
Ok so many questions here.
How valid is this?
Well, the author is a pretty reputable Clemson insider Larry Williams. Of course, school insiders have often been wrong, but I certainly give more credence to this over your garden variety realignment Twitter account. I don’t think Williams puts this in print without some kind of knowledge of the situation.
Why would the ACC consider this?
Even if the ACC is in a stronger legal position, you end the lawsuit and anyone else considering leaving basically starts litigation all over again. The current litigation wasn’t even close to being resolved. You might not have a stable ACC in the long term, but you buy yourself 5 maybe 10 years more. In the current landscape that’s an eternity.
Why would the other ACC schools even consider this?
Going back to question #2, anyone who wants to leave will have to go to court yet again. The majority of ACC schools won’t have a P2 invite, and please don’t start with the Big 12. Nobody is suring the ACC to join the Big 12. The P2 isn’t inviting anyone until the legal issues are resolved either. I believe during this lookin ESPN is going to increase to some extent the value media rights deal. In fact, this is almost a guarantee. We know ACC buyback rights to start the ACCN come off the books in 2027, and the 3rd and 4th tier rights that currently are with CW, revert back to ESPN marginally increasing the media deal. It is rumored a 9th conference game could be added as well. These are incremental additions, which would not add up enough to not catch the P2, but could put a small dent in that gap.
Why would Clemson and FSU consider this?
No guarantee of winning the lawsuit, and more money is more money.
How would this even work?
This is not without precedent. When the Big 12 nearly imploded in 2011, Texas and Oklahoma stayed in the Big 12 10+ more years when they could negotiate their own 3rd year TV deals. Obviously the ACCN won’t allow that, but prior to that the Big 12 had a model based on network TV reach. It can be done.
Why would ESPN get behind this?
They want to maintain the successful ACC Network. The reasons for ESPN to keep the ACC intact are the same now as 2 years ago when we first addressed this topic.
...
Watching MSU football on TV this week might require a little extra effort – and money (lansingstatejournal.com; Ellis)
When Michigan State University's football team travels to take on Boston College this week, Spartan fans will have to navigate yet another way of watching their team on television.
After the season's first three games were carried on the Big Ten Network, MSU's game against BC at 8 p.m. Saturday is available only on the ACC Network, which isn't available on most basic cable and satellite packages. That means to be able to watch the Spartans (3-0) against the Eagles (2-1), many fans will have to pay for a higher-tier sports package or pay for access to a streaming platform — or at least sign up for a free trial and cancel before the trial ends.
Fans can also venture out to an area bar or restaurant carrying the game.
DirecTV offers the ACC Network in its sports package — a $14.99 per-month add-on to the basic plan — or it's included in pricier monthly options, according to its website.
Streaming options with the ACC Network include:
- Sling TV Orange Plan with sports add-on, $35 a month for base and $10 for sports add-on
- Hulu and Live TV for $65 a month
- YouTubeTV for $65 a month
- fuboTV for $65 a month
- Playstation Vue for $50 a month
- DIRECTV STREAM for $75 a month; On DirecTV, ACC Network is channel 612. The service offers ACC Network in its sports package for $14.99 per month with basic service or included with higher-tier options.
- ESPN+ is a streaming platform separate from Hulu, and a separate subscription would be required.
Xfinity and other cable customers can get the ACC Network by upgrading to an expanded tier. Check your cable package to see if you have it. You can usually pay for one month of the expanded tier and then downgrade.
This will be Michigan State's seventh all-time matchup with Boston College, with MSU's win coming in 1995. In the teams' most recent meeting, Spartans lost 24-21 on the road in 2007.
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College Football Week 3: Conference Teams of the Week and Player Awards (pff.com)
• PFF grades are LIVE for college football Week 3: Every Week 3 game is unlocked in PFF Premium Stats. Dive in now!
• Dillon Gabriel leads Oregon to victory: Gabriel was nearly flawless, posting a 95.8% adjusted completion percentage with two big-time throws.
National
QB: Dillon Gabriel, OregonRB: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
WR: Nick Nash, San Jose State
WR: Omari Kelly, Middle Tennessee
TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Flex: WR De'Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State
LT: Percy Lewis, Auburn
LG: Simon Wilson, Middle Tennessee
C: Addison West, Western Michigan
RG: John Hofer, Western Michigan
RT: Malachi Carney, South Alabama
EDGE: Marcel Walker-Burgess, Ohio
EDGE: Chris Murray, Sam Houston State
DI: Santana Hopper, Appalachian State
DI: Javon Denis, Memphis
LB: LaVonta Bentley, Colorado
LB: Davon Gilmore, Georgia Southern
CB: Charles Brantley, Michigan State
CB: Jermari Harris, Iowa
S: Phillip Dunnam, FAU
S: Ky’won McCray, Jacksonville State
Flex: CB Cam Lockridge, Fresno State
SEC
QB: Hank Brown, AuburnRB: Ja'Quinden Jackson, Arkansas
WR: Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
WR: Ryan Wingo, Texas
TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Flex: WR Tre Harris, Ole Miss
LT: Percy Lewis, Auburn
LG: Dylan Fairchild, Georgia
C: Jake Slaughter, Florida
RG: Kamryn Waites, Florida
RT: Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida
EDGE: Jared Ivey, Ole Miss
EDGE: R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
DI: Alex Huntley, South Carolina
DI: Glenn Seabrooks III, Vanderbilt
LB: Deontae Lawson, Alabama
LB: Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss
CB: Jason Marshall Jr., Florida
CB: Jahdae Barron, Texas
S: Trey Washington, Ole Miss
S: Malachi Moore, Alabama
Flex: CB Julian Humphrey, Georgia
Big Ten
QB: Dillon Gabriel, OregonRB: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
WR: Giles Jackson, Washington
WR: A.J. Henning, Northwestern
TE: Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
Flex: WR Miles Cross, Indiana
LT: Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
LG: Nishad Strother, Oregon
C: Jack Bailey, Northwestern
RG: Josh Thompson, Northwestern
RT: Ben Wrather, Northwestern
EDGE: Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern
EDGE: Quashon Fuller, Maryland
DI: Derrick Harmon, Oregon
DI: Mason Graham, Michigan
LB: Jordan Turner, Michigan State
LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa
CB: Charles Brantley, Michigan State
CB: Jermari Harris, Iowa
S: Makari Paige, Michigan
S: Sebastian Castro, Iowa
Flex: CB Jalen Huskey, Maryland
Big 12
QB: Jake Retzlaff, BYURB: RJ Harvey, UCF
WR: Jack Bech, TCU
WR: De'Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State
TE: Brant Kuithe, Utah
Flex: WR Kobe Hudson, UCF
LT: Dalton Cooper, Oklahoma State
LG: Dartanyan Tinsley, Cincinnati
C: Bryce Foster, Kansas
RG: Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
RT: Nick Malone, West Virginia
EDGE: Samuel Okunlola, Colorado
EDGE: Chase Kennedy, Arizona
DI: Jackie Marshall, Baylor
DI: Keanu Tanuvasa, Utah
LB: LaVonta Bentley, Colorado
LB: Jalen Garner, Houston
CB: Cameron Calhoun, Utah
CB: Mello Dotson, Kansas
S: Tre Gola-Callard, Cincinnati
S: Chapman Lewis, Texas Tech
Flex: CB Evan Johnson, BYU
ACC
QB: Haynes King, Georgia TechRB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
WR: Jacolby George, Miami (Fl.)
WR: Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech
TE: Kyle Morlock, Florida State
Flex: WR Sean Brown, Duke
LT: Anthony Belton, NC State
LG: Matthew McCoy, Miami (Fl.)
C: Zach Carpenter, Miami (Fl.)
RG: Timothy McKay, North Carolina
RT: Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fl.)
EDGE: Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech
EDGE: Kam Butler, Virginia
DI: Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech
DI: Ahmad Moten, Miami (Fl.)
LB: Caden Fordham, NC State
LB: Tah'j Butler, Georgia Tech
CB: Zachary Tobe, Georgia Tech
CB: Fentrell Cypress II, Florida State
S: Antonio Clary, Virginia
S: Taye Seymore, Georgia Tech
Flex: CB Daryl Porter Jr., Miami (Fl.)
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdczDKL0GUU (youtube; podcast; WahooBrad)
2024 ACC Football Week 3 Recap and Week 4 Predictions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI9eHO4S6Wg (youtube; podcast; The Sports Shop)
Guest: Kenton Gibbs - Locked On ACC/Wolfpack - NC State FootballSeptember 16, 2024 • 15 minsReese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Kenton Gibbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBltsckvbKQ (youtube; video; ACC DN)
As fall weather brought cool air in, the action on ACC football fields in week 3 was red hot! From Eli Holstein and Daejon Reynolds hooking up for a clutch TD for the Panthers to Kyron Drones and Jaylin Lane conquering the Monarchs on more than one occasion, ACC players exerted their will on their opponents regularly on Saturday afternoon and evening. Check out the ACC Digital Network's top 5 plays of the week here, and see which one earns the No. 1 spot.
https://chopchat.com/posts/fsu-football-acc-power-rankings-after-week-three-2024-01j7y1c7ybb5 (chopchat.com; Hunt)
Week three of college football is already in the books, and things are starting to take shape in the ACC. This past week saw little ACC action amongst teams in the conference. Boston College had a strong showing against SEC foe and No. 6 Missouri. Wake Forest got demolished against Ole Miss. The rest of the ACC teams won their matchups outside of FSU's loss to Memphis and Virginia's loss to Maryland. It was a week with most ACC teams playing weak non-conference teams. Here's where we are with our ACC Power Rankings after three weeks:
- Miami (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
- Louisville (2-0, 0-0 ACC)
- Boston College (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
- Syracuse (2-0, 1-0 ACC)
- Duke (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
- Pittsburgh (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
- North Carolina (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
- Clemson (1-1, 0-0 ACC)
- Georgia Tech (3-1, 0-1 ACC)
- California (3-0, 0-0 ACC) (^1)
- Virginia (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
- SMU (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
- NC State (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
- Stanford (1-1, 0-0 ACC)
- Virginia Tech (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
- Wake Forest (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
- FSU (0-3, 0-2 ACC)
Clemson was on a bye and Georgia Tech beat VMI. California beat San Diego State and Virginia lost to Maryland. NC State struggled with Louisiana Tech and Stanford was on a bye. Virginia Tech beat a bad Old Dominion team.
Week four should be good to shake things up. Stanford travels to Syracuse, and NC State travels to Clemson. Georgia Tech travels to Louisville, and California looks to get their second road win on the east coast as an underdog when they travel to Tallahassee.
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-s...ck-miami-clemson-fsu-virginia-louisville-duke (backingthepack.com; PWolf)
1. Miami (last week: 62-0 W vs Ball State)
I mean, what are you really going to learn in a game against Ball State? Anyways, the Hurricanes did exactly what you’d expect a team getting the hype they’re getting to do: outgained the Cardinals 750-to-115 and blanked their MAC opponent. The Canes play at South Florida this week. The Bulls, honestly, might be the toughest team Miami has played so far.2. Louisville (last week: Bye)
The Cards cruised through their first two weeks. Now following the bye week, they host Georgia Tech and then head to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.3. Clemson (last week: Bye)
Dabo’s dudes got an extra week to prepare for the home game against NC State. I really hope they wasted all that time by just repeatedly going down the slide in their football center.4. Pittsburgh (last week: 38-34 W vs West Virginia)
In true Pat Narduzzi fashion, this Panthers team is finding ways to win - much more than can be said for the NFL team brandishing the same nickname. The win over West Virginia was the second straight 4th quarter come-from-behind-win for Pitt. With 3:21 to go in the game, WVU had a 96.7% chance of winning the game. One play later was a 40-yard touchdown pass, then a Mountaineers three-and-out, followed by a 6-play, 77-yard TD drive to take the lead and the win. Impressive stuff. The Panthers should move to 4-0 this week with a matchup against Youngstown State before an off week.5. Boston College (last week: 21-27 L @ Missouri)
So the Eagles are for real, huh? While BC went on the road trip with a small number next to their name, many expected a blowout loss at the hands of Missouri. Instead, BC led 14-3 early and stayed within striking distance, managing to cut within a touchdown with under 4:00 to play. The running game was bottled up by the Tigers defense, but the passing attack had some explosive moments and the defense joined Ohio State and Georgia as the only teams to hold Missouri to under 30 points over their last 14 games.6. Syracuse (last week: Bye)
After BC, Cuse has been the biggest surprise thus far. The Orange are primed for a 4-0 start to the season with home games against Stanford and Holy Cross next.7. Georgia Tech (last week: 59-7 W vs VMI)
In a similar vein to Miami, we learned nothing about GT in their rout of VMI. The Yellow Jackets held the Keydets to 104 total yards of offense and played turnover free football while racking up 572 yards of their own. Cool beans. The schedule gets a lot harder a lot quicker with their game at Louisville this Saturday.8. California (last week: 31-10 W vs San Diego State)
Kudos to the Golden Bears who just keep on winning. Minus top rusher Jaydn Ott, Jaivian Thomas stepped up to rush for 169 yards on 17 carries. Xavier Carlton registered 2.5 sacks for a defense that also came up with a pair of picks against the Aztecs and held their opponent to under 50% passing for the game. Cal heads to FSU this week before a bye week. We’ll find out a lot about this team soon....
https://dukewire.usatoday.com/lists/acc-football-ranked-espn-fpi-week-3/ (usatoday.com; Haley)
Through three weeks of the 2024 college football season, the ACC looks nothing like fans expected.
The Florida State Seminoles and Clemson Tigers, who have won 12 of the last 13 conference titles, are a combined 1-4 midway through September. One year removed from winning every single game in the regular season, FSU remains in search of its first win after a 20-12 home loss to Memphis.
Conversely, after the Miami Hurricanes failed to meet preseason expectations in the first two seasons of the Mario Cristobal era, they’re absolutely rolling in year three. Former Washington State quarterback Cam Ward has 11 touchdown passes through his first 12 quarters with the team, and the Miami offense has scored more points in each successive game.
From a Boston College team excelling under new coach Bill O’Brien to an NC State team that is drastically underperforming, here’s how the ACC stacks up in ESPN’s FPI rankings after Week 3.
1 Miami Hurricanes
FPI: 17.9
National Rank: 8 (up 4)
Record: 3-0
Previous Game: 62-0 win over the Ball State Cardinals
2 Louisville Cardinals
FPI: 14.7
National Rank: 13 (down 2)
Record: 2-0
Previous Game: 49-14 win over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (Week 2)
3 Clemson Tigers
FPI: 13.0
National Rank: 16 (down 2)
Record: 1-1
Previous Game: 66-20 win over the Appalachian State Mountaineers
4 Boston College Eagles
FPI: 10.2
National Rank: 23 (up 1)
Record: 2-1
Previous Game: 27-21 loss to the Missouri Tigers
5 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
FPI: 5.8
National Rank: 36 (even)
Record: 3-1
Previous Game: 59-7 win over the VMI Keydets
6 SMU Mustangs
FPI: 5.4
National Rank: 37 (up 5)
Record: 2-1
Previous Game: 18-15 loss to the BYU Cougars (Week 2)
7 Virginia Tech Hokies
FPI: 5.2
National Rank: 38 (up 12)
Record: 2-1
Previous Game: 37-17 win over the Old Dominion Monarchs
8 California Golden Bears
FPI: 5.1
National Rank: 40 (even)
Record: 3-0
Previous Game: 31-10 win over the San Diego State Aztecs
9 Florida State Seminoles
FPI: 4.4
National Rank: 42 (down 10)
Record: 0-3
Previous Game: 20-12 loss to the Memphis Tigers
10 Pittsburgh Panthers
FPI: 3.0
National Rank: 55 (down 2)
Record: 3-0
Previous Game: 38-34 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers
11 North Carolina Tar Heels
FPI: 2.3
National Rank: 58 (down 15)
Record: 3-0
Previous Game: 45-10 win over the NC Central Eagles
12 Syracuse Orange
FPI: 2.0
National Rank: 59 (even)
Record: 2-0
Previous Game: 31-28 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Week 2)
...
https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2024/09/still-unbeaten-2024-sep-16.html (RX; HM)
Still Unbeaten 2024 Sep 16
Correction: Stanford is not undefeated!
Unbeatens
31 "power" teams haven't lost a game yet:
- ACC (7): Syracuse, Cal, Duke, Miami, UNC, Pitt, Louisville
- XII (7): UCF, Kansas St, Utah, Arizona St, BYU, Oklahoma St, Iowa St
- B1G (9): Indiana, Mich. St, Illinois, Nebraska, Oregon, Ohio St, Penn St, Rutgers, USC
- Pac (1): Washington St
- SEC (7): Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas
12 "group of five" teams are still undefeated:
- AAC (3): Army, Navy, Memphis
- USA (1): Liberty
- MAC (2): Toledo, NIU
- MWC (2): San Jose St, UNLV
- SBC (4): Coastal, JMU, Louisiana, ULM
Unbeaten vs Unbeaten
Some of these unbeaten teams are set to play each other this weekend:Friday night, 2 match-ups of undefeated teams
- Illinois at Nebraska (B1G)
- San Jose State (MWC) at Washington State (Pac 12)
- Memphis at Navy (AAC)
- Utah at Oklahoma St (XII)
- Tennessee at Oklahoma (SEC)
- ULM (SBC) at Texas (SEC)
- Kansas St at BYU (XII)
...
https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2024/09/links-news-and-rumors-2024-sep-16.html (RX; HM)
Links, News and Rumors 2024 Sep 16
From Yahoo! Sports: College football winners and losers (2024 Week 3), here are some ACC-related highlights...
That same article discussed winners and losers...
...
https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2024/09/looking-ahead-to-week-5.html (RX; HM)
Looking Ahead to Week 5
From the official ACC release of Monday, September 16, 2024...
ACC Announces Week 5 Football Game Times & TV Networks
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times* and networks for Week 5, September 27-28.
Friday, September 27
- Virginia Tech at Miami - 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Saturday, September 28
- Western Kentucky at Boston College – Noon ET on ACC Network
- Holy Cross at Syracuse – Noon ET on ACCNX
- Northern Illinois at NC State – Noon ET on The CW
- Louisiana at Wake Forest – 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
- Louisville at Notre Dame – 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock
- North Carolina at Duke – 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
- Stanford at Clemson – 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Florida State at SMU – 8 p.m. ET on the ACC Network
Why only one OTA (and The CW, at that)? Because most of these games just aren't very good, and the best game by far was moved to Friday night, while the best of the rest are on ESPN/2 and Peacock.
FCS opponent for Syracuse? Move it to streaming. G5 opponents for BC and Wake Forest? SMU hosting the Florida State train wreck? Ship 'em off to the ACC Network.
...
https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2024/09/redundant-mascots.html (RX; HM)
Redundant Mascots
I got the idea to write this article when I saw the score of the Arizona vs Kansas State game Friday night. It was Wildcats 7, Wildcats 7 at half time.
XII
- Arizona and Kansas State Wildcats
- BYU and Houston Cougars
- Georgia and Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Auburn, LSU, and Missouri Tigers
- none
- none
- FAU, Rice, and Temple Owls
- Clemson could end up in the SEC, giving them FOUR sets of Tigers.
- The Big XII could've added the Washington State Cougars to BYU and Houston.
Other
Micron Technology would destroy more than 200 acres of wetlands, like these along Burnet Road, in the town of Clay, and fill in more than a mile of stream banks to build a semiconductor manufacturing complex.Glenn Coin | gcoin@syracuse.com
https://www.syracuse.com/business/2...-project-from-environmental-heavyweights.html (PS; $: Coin)
Two federal agencies have criticized Micron Technology for not providing enough information on how the company will lessen the impact of filling in hundreds of acres of wetlands at the company’s planned chipmaking plant in Central New York.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a formal letter last month that Micron’s plans did not conform to federal law and that the project “may result in substantial and unacceptable impacts to aquatic resources of national importance.”
Another federal agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said basically the same thing in a letter filed in July. Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard obtained the letters as part of a freedom of information request.
The two letters are the first public pushback the Micron project has received from federal agencies. While neither of the critical letters are binding or will necessarily slow down the project, they reveal a frustration about how forthcoming Micron has been and a desire for a more stringent review of the biggest single development in New York state history.
The criticism also sets up an odd, though not unusual, tension among federal agencies in the Biden administration. On one side is the Commerce Department, which is doling out billions of dollars to fast-track building computer chip plants like Micron’s across the country. On the other are the EPA and Fish & Wildlife, agencies charged with protecting water and the environment.
The agency said that Micron, more than a year after the company was told its original wetlands application was incomplete, still hasn’t provided enough information to decide if there’s a more environmentally friendly way to build the chipmaking complex. Micron has said it plans to build four fabrication plants, or fabs, on a 1,400-acre site in the town of Clay.
“EPA does not currently have enough information on proposed mitigation to determine if unavoidable project impacts” could be avoided, the agency said Aug. 22.
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https://www.syracuse.com/business/2...-for-ambitious-redevelopment-of-the-mall.html (PS; $; Moriarty)
The owner of the former Sears store at ShoppingTown Mall isn’t going away quietly, and that could mean further delays for a proposed $400 million redevelopment of the dead mall.
Transform Saleco LLC, a Sears entity that controls some of the retail chain’s closed stores, is suing the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency to stop it from using its eminent domain power to take possession of the former Sears at ShoppingTown.
For now, the decision is before a state appellate court in Rochester. And it means, for now, that plans to transform ShoppingTown into a residential, business and entertainment center remain on hold.
In February, the agency voted 5-0 to take a preliminary step toward seizing the property. It declared it is in the public’s interest to use eminent domain powers to acquire the former Macy’s and Sears stores and Sears auto center at the shuttered mall to assist private developers’ plans to transform the property.
The county later dropped any plans to use eminent domain against Benderson Development, the owner of the former Macy’s store, after reaching a deal in which Benderson would become a partner in the mall’s redevelopment.
That leaves the owner of the old Sears’ properties as the final holdout.
So far, the county agency has not taken the final step in a eminent domain proceeding against the former Sears store. That would involve asking a state Supreme Court judge to “condemn” the store and hand ownership over to the agency for later sale to OHB Redev, the local group that wants to redevelop it.
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https://www.syracuse.com/living/202...amboree-17-things-to-do-this-week-in-cny.html (PS; Sneha KC)
Get ready to say your last hoorah as summer officially comes to an end this weekend.
Central New York has a jam-packed schedule this week, offering a final chance to soak up the summer before autumn arrives.
Syracuse Stage’s sketch comedy production takes the stage starting Wednesday. Syracuse football faces Stanford on Friday along with the start of the Syracuse International Film Festival.
Annual festival favorites like the ON Farm Fest across Onondaga County, the Tap Root Fields Harvest Party in Skaneateles, an Autumn Equinox Festival and the Clay Historical Fall Fest return. And let your canine companions join in on the fun with the first-ever Canine Jamboree in Jamesville.
Round out your weekend with the Westcott Street Cultural Fair and Battle of the Brunch on Sunday.
TUESDAY
Syracuse Mets
Catch the Syracuse Mets at their last home stand against the Charlotte Knights at NBT Bank Stadium starting Tuesday. Some highlights of the week are Irish Night with a jersey giveaway on Thursday, a pre-game youth soccer parade and post-game fireworks on Friday, and a fan appreciation night on Saturday. On Sunday, the last game of the year, kid-friendly activities will take the spotlight with balloon art, free food for children, and bobblehead and jersey giveaways.Where: 1 Tex Simone Dr., Syracuse.
When: Tuesday through Saturday at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
How Much: $21-$45. Tickets are available here.
WEDNESDAY
Second City at Syracuse StageSyracuse Stage returns this fall with the legendary sketch comedy troupe “The Second City,” starting Wednesday through September 29. Now in its 65th year, the company was once home to a line-up of iconic comedians including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Eugene Levy. The original production revolutionized comedy by incorporating improv and invented sketch comedy as we know it. For show schedule and ticket information, click this link. The event will also include pre-show trivia for ticket holders on opening night at 6 p.m. Ticket holders can register for trivia here for free.
Where: 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse
When: Wednesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
How Much: $30-$50
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https://www.syracuse.com/entertainm...ff-2025-concert-series-with-country-tour.html (PS; Hernandez)
Thomas Rhett’s Better in Boots Tour is the first announced concert at the Empower Amp in Syracuse, New York.
The Better in Boots Tour will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 21, 2025, at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview outdoor concert venue.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m. ET from LiveNation.
The country singer will be on tour with special guests Tucker Wetmore and country girl group The Castellows.
He also has concerts planned for nearby Saratoga Springs on June 20, Jones Beach in Wantagh on July 12, and Buffalo’s Darien Lake on Aug. 7.
The eight-time Academy of Country Music Award winner last performed in Syracuse in 2018. He is known for songs like “Die a Happy Man,” “What’s Your Country Song,” After the Bars Are Closed,” “Look What God Gave Her” and “Beautiful as You.”
The Better in Boots Tour announcement comes following the August 2024 release of his seventh studio album, “About A Woman.”
Rhett is nominated for one award at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards, and his duet with Morgan Wallen, “Mamaw’s House,” is up for the Collaboration of 2024.
Sign up on LiveNation to take advantage of 2025 Premium Season Tickets.
