Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday - for Football | Syracusefan.com

Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday for Football

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No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY!

EVERYONE IS TO PUT THE CAPS LOCK ON BEFORE TYPING ON INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY, A DAY THOUGHT UP BY DEREK ARNOLD OF IOWA IN 2000. HE STARTED THE DAY AS A PARODY, TO TAKE A JAB AT THOSE WHO WRITE IN CAPS WHEN IT IS NOT NECESSARY. WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS OFTEN USED TO INDICATE THAT THE PERSON TYPING IS SHOUTING, AND ITS USE IS OFTEN SEEN AS BEING RUDE OR ANNOYING. BEING THAT CAPS LETTERS ARE ALL THE SAME HEIGHT, THEY ARE HARDER TO READ THAN LOWER CASE LETTERS. THIS GIVES ONE INDICATION OF WHY THEY MAY BE SEEN AS BEING ANNOYING. THE DAY WAS ORIGINALLY JUST CELEBRATED ON OCTOBER 22, BUT AFTER "INFOMERCIAL KING" BILLY MAYS PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 28 IN 2009, THE DAY BEGAN BEING CELEBRATED ON THAT DATE AS WELL. THIS IS BECAUSE THE CAPS LOCK KEY STARTED BEING CALLED THE BILLY MAYS KEY BECAUSE BILLY MAYS SEEMED LIKE HE WAS ALWAYS YELLING WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT A PRODUCT.

SU News

Film Review: The 5 game-winning plays from 1st half of SU’s season (DO; Andrews)


The sweet taste of victory has become a commonality for Syracuse. Fran Brown’s first year at the helm boasts a 5-1 record, a mark that former head coach Dino Babers only reached once in eight years.

Though, SU has struggled to finish off those victories, like when it blew double-digit leads to then-No. 23 Georgia Tech and then-No. 25 UNLV, or when it lost in a catastrophic blunder to Stanford at home. Yet, the Orange have come away with wins in the strong majority due to making a few more tide-turning plays than the opposition. Brown has built a deep cast of playmakers, and they’ve often shown up when it matters most.

“When we play to our potential, I honestly don’t feel like there’s a lot of people who can mess with us,” senior wide receiver Jackson Meeks said on Oct. 12 after SU’s win over NC State.

Here’s a breakdown of the five game-winning plays for Syracuse (5-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) thus far in 2024:

NC State: 4th quarter, 10:26 — Fourth-down clincher


Starting with SU’s most recent victory in Raleigh, North Carolina, Meeks silenced the Wolfpack late with a two-yard receiving touchdown. It put the Orange up 24-7, to all but clinch the final result. This play enacted some courage for Brown, though, as the head coach opted to roll the dice on fourth-and-goal.

Syracuse lined up just before the NC State two-yard line, splitting five receivers out wide. Three were in a bunch formation to the right of Kyle McCord, while tight end Oronde Gadsden II and running back LeQuint Allen Jr., split left. The Wolfpack stacked the box, rushing just three defensive linemen and dropping eight players into coverage.

McCord took the snap and immediately looked left for Allen Jr. in the flat and Gadsden on a short curl route. But McCord saw two NC State defenders blanket the two near the goal line. The quarterback slightly pivoted his feet to the right and spotted a wide-open Meeks, who ran a quick slant and planted his feet just past the goal line.

McCord noticed Wolfpack linebacker Devon Betty gunning toward Meeks from the wide receiver’s right side, so McCord led Meeks the opposite direction. He tossed a bullet pass above the left shoulder of Meeks, who reeled in the touchdown catch through contact. This simple, but clean connection from McCord to Meeks looked rather routine — which is exactly why Brown trusted his offense on fourth down.

UNLV: 4th quarter, 1:11 — Nixon’s gutsy end-around call


On fourth-and-1 from UNLV’s 24-yard line, down 38-31, this was Syracuse’s final chance to keep the game alive. Offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon went with an unorthodox play call, though it paid off, allowing SU to continue embarking on a game-tying touchdown drive.
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Former Ohio State QB Draws Major NFL Prediction (SI; Massey)
Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord has been putting together an impressive season this year with the Syracuse Orange.

After putting up a solid season with Ohio State last year, McCord opted to transfer. As everyone knows, he landed with Syracuse and the Buckeyes ended up replacing him with Will Howard.

So far this season, McCord has completed 65.6 percent of his pass attempts for 2,160 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He has also scored a touchdown on the ground.

Ahead of this week's game for the Orange against the No. 19 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers, head coach Pat Narduzzi did not hold back his praise from the former Ohio State quarterback.

Narduzzi boldly proclaimed that McCord will be taking his talents to the NFL.

“Kyle McCord is a tremendous football player,” Narduzzi said. "If you're not a Pitt fan, if you're not a Syracuse fan, but you’re a quarterback fan, you should get your tickets now because that guy's going to play in the National Football League. We watched him on third down the other day. I don’t know if he throws an incomplete pass, especially on third and medium.”

That is some high praise to receive from an opposing head coach. McCord has clearly left Narduzzi impressed with how he has played.

For Buckeyes fans, there are many who were disappointed to see McCord go. Others were excited for a change under center.

McCord ended up completing 65.8 percent of his passes last year with Ohio State for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was solid, but did not quite live up to the expectations that the team had for him.

A lot of eyes have been watching his performance and compared it with Howard. So far, McCord has put up bigger production than Howard, although he has turned the football over more.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes for McCord. This week's game is crucial for his success, but he also has a huge matchup to end the season at home against Miami.

Even though things didn't end the way everyone had hoped, McCord is a good quarterback and he played well for the Buckeyes. As long as he isn't playing Ohio State, it's good to see him playing well.

Virginia Tech Football: Kickoff Time vs Syracuse Put on Six Day Hold (SI; Caudell)
Virginia Tech is preparing to face Georgia Tech at home this weekend, but the kickoff time for the Hokies' Nov. 2nd matchup vs Syracuse was expected to be announced today. Instead, the ACC has exercised the six-day flex window for all games this weekend, including the Orange vs the Hokies. The game time will be announced following the conclusion of all week nine games.


These next two games could be called trap games for Virginia Tech. The Hokies have won two in a row and now sit at 4-3 for the season and 2-1 overall. With a huge matchup against Clemson on the horizon, Virginia Tech cannot afford to overlook either the Yellow Jackets or the Orange.

Georgia Tech is coming into the game with injury concerns at the quarterback position, but they have other weapons on offense to hurt Virginia Tech. Running back Jamal Haynes is one of the ACC's best and the duo of Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr can be dangerous. They boast one of the top offensive lines in the conference and an improved defense. Whether Haynes King plays or not, this is a matchup that Virginia Tech must be ready for.

Then they face Syracuse next week and they are going to face one of the top passing attacks in the ACC. Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord has been a great story this year and he has a terrific trio of wide receivers to throw to. While the game against Clemson could have real ACC title game aspirations, Virginia Tech has to show they can handle their business first.

Georgia Tech (5-3, 3-2 ACC) is coming off of a loss to No. 12 Notre Dame and they played that game without starting quarterback Haynes King and starting linebacker Kyle Efford. After the game, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key did not give much of an update on either player but did say that King's injury was not going to be season-ending:
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Javion Hilson, Kaylib Singleton set Syracuse official visits (247sports.com; McAllister)
Syracuse football will host two big time prospects from the Sunshine State for official visits next month, sources confirm to CuseNation.com. Cocoa (FL) High edge Javion Hilson will officially visit Syracuse the weekend of November 2nd when the Orange plays Virginia Tech. Orange Park (FL) Oakleaf defensive back Kaylib Singleton will visit the weekend of November 23rd when the Orange faces UConn.

The news of Hilson's visit was first reported by John Garcia Jr. of Rivals.

Hilson is one of the top prospects regardless of position in the country. He is rate a four star prospect by both 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite. The 6-4, 235 pound edge is ranked the 69th best player in the country by 247Sports, sixth best player at his position and 10th best in the state of Florida. Hilson is ranked the 38th best prospect by the 247Sports Composite, second best player at his position and sixth best in Florida. He unofficially visited Syracuse during the spring as well and was previously committed to Florida State. Hilson has taken officials to Florida, Texas, Central Florida and Florida State previously.

Kaylib Singleton is one of the best cornerback prospects in Florida. He is rated a three star prospect by 247Sports, the 60th best cornerback and 82nd best player in the state of Florida. The 6-1, 173 pounder is ranked the 748th best prospect in the country by the 247Sports Composite, 66th best cornerback and 101st best player in Florida. Singleton was previously committed to Rutgers, but decommitted on Sunday. Florida has been recruiting Singleton hard as well and currently leads in the Crystal Ball predictions.

Brown: Syracuse football targeting Week 10 injury return for key defensive player (PS; $; Leiker)
There‘s officially a targeted return date for one of Syracuse football’s key defensive players who’s spent most of the season injured.

Asked during his Monday press conference whether Marlowe Wax would be available for SU’s Thursday night game at Pittsburgh, coach Fran Brown said the linebacker is more likely to make his return against Virginia Tech on Nov. 2.

“Honestly, it seems like he‘ll probably play next week, but he‘s trying,” Brown said. “He‘s pushing. He’s a tough kid, he wants to go, but just for his safety and all the things, probably next week.”

Wax has been out since the second half of Syracuse’s Week 1 win over Ohio with a lower right leg/foot injury.

He started running again the first week of October and has since returned to practice. On his Thursday radio show preceding the N.C. State game, Brown said Wax had a couple weeks until he’d be available.

Wax was not listed on the team’s Week 9 depth chart.

Brown also updated the statuses of three other players.

Cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr., who’s been out for three full games with a back injury, will be “ready to play” against Pittsburgh.

Barnes warmed up prior to the game at N.C. State but ultimately didn’t suit up.

“We just felt the other guy was a little ahead of where he was at the time, so that was the best thing for us to play the other guy,” Brown said.

He was also asked about wide receiver Yazeed Haynes, who has been completely away from the program since Week 4 with what’s been classified a personal matter.
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ESPN Broadcast Crew Revealed for Pitt vs. Syracuse (pittsburghsportsnow.com; Ludwig)
Pitt is kicking off the second half of its undefeated season against a familiar foe, and the ESPN broadcast crew has been revealed.

Pitt will remain on the main ESPN broadcast this week, drawing a national audience. Matt Barrie will handle play-by-play duties, former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen will serve as his analyst and Harry Lyles Jr. will report from the sideline.

Bill Hillgrove — in his 51st season as the voice of the Pitt Panthers — will handle play-by-play duties on 93.7 the Fan and the Pitt Radio Network, with Pat Bostick serving as his analyst and Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson reporting from the field at Acrisure Stadium.

It’s still a few days away, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Acrisure Stadium Thursday, but DraftKings has set Pitt as a 3.5-point favorite against ‘Cuse. Both teams are coming off a bye week before starting the second half of the season.

Syracuse is off to a strong start in the Fran Brown era, sitting at 5-1 (2-1 ACC) at the midway point. The Orange are led by Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, who has thrown for 2,160 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. ‘Cuse is scoring 33.8 points per game, but like the Panthers, the defensive numbers don’t look great.

It’s a good test for both teams, who still largely control their destiny in the conference. And Pitt is looking for revenge.
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Syracuse football at No. 19 Pittsburgh predictions: See our picks (PS; Staff)
The Syracuse football team will face No. 19 Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh (TV: ESPN).

It’s time for our predictions. The panel includes Brent Axe, sports columnist; Chris Carlson, sports enterprise reporter; Emily Leiker, SU football reporter and Nate Mink, managing producer for sports.

BRENT AXE

Pittsburgh 38, Syracuse 31

Will Syracuse cover? No


Syracuse has done a good job covering up its flaws so far this season, but this is the kind of game where a missed tackle here or a missed field goal there can burn you. I also keep thinking about this stat: Pat Narduzzi is 9-1 out of the bye week in his Pitt tenure.

The Panthers spoil SU’s bid to get into the Top 25 and continue their mastery over the Orange in the Steel City.

CHRIS CARLSON

Pittsburgh 38, Syracuse 35

Will Syracuse cover? Yes

Normally the better quarterback is the right choice, but in this case I’m going with what I think is the more complete team at home.

The matchups are really fascinating.

Kyle McCord has been exceptional against the blitz this season and should burn this average version of the Pitt defense multiple times. The Panthers should also get an occasional stop thanks to their relentless blitzing up the middle and ability to generate big plays (sacks, tackles for loss, pass routes interrupted by questionably handsy defensive backs).

Syracuse’s defense, which has displayed a penchant for missed tackles and is low on defensive line depth, will have to corral one of the most explosive offensive players it’s seen this season in running back Des Reid. His ability to be a weapon both catching and running will require a lot of attention from Justin Barron and Alijah Clark.

Former Syracuse defensive line coach Tim Daoust had his best defensive linemen picked over in the transfer portal by Deion Sanders but has rebuilt the group capably, while SU offensive line coach Dale Williams has improved the SU offensive line through the Orange’s use of the portal.

If the game comes down to a field goal – which I think it will – it favors a home team and Ben Sauls, who hasn’t missed a kick all season and has nailed a 58-yarder.

EMILY LEIKER

Syracuse 42, Pittsburgh 38

Will Syracuse cover? Yes

For the first time since I’ve been here, both teams in this matchup will have competent, healthy offenses. What a treat!

This is still going to be a scrappy game, though in a different way than the past two seasons and will likely have some heated moments. These are two teams that play really physical football and are proud of that.

I think SU beating Pitt will come down to Syracuse executing one of the two-minute drills it’s been so good at this season. Those final two letters in Syracuse’s “DART” acronym are really going to come into play. We saw SU flex them forcing overtime against UNLV at the beginning of the month.

It’s going to take a similar performance to get this job done but will come with more reward, as a top-25 ranking certainly awaits the Orange if it wins.

NATE MINK

Syracuse 37, Pittsburgh 34

Will Syracuse cover? Yes

Both sides will be unrecognizable to anyone who witnessed last year’s meeting in the Bronx, proof in and of itself of how quickly programs can flip in the so-called NIL era.

It‘s hard to pick against Kyle McCord, who is on pace to author one of the best statistical seasons in ACC history. This is the spot where having the senior trumps the first-year starter. McCord has played in these type of high-stakes, nationally televised games, and he’ll carry the Orange into November with its College Football Playoff dreams alive.
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Fran Brown discusses No. 19 Pitt, Wax's status at weekly press conference (DO; Stepansky)
Fresh off its second bye, Syracuse enters a pivotal six-game stretch that will decide the fate of its first season under head coach Fran Brown. The Orange are 5-1 to start the year, winning two games against ranked opponents in then-No. 23 Georgia Tech and then-No. 25 UNLV.

In the Week 9 AP Top 25 Poll, SU received 15 votes, the second most among teams on the outside looking in. And its next opponent gives Syracuse its best chance yet at cracking the top 25 for the first time since October 2022.

The Orange will travel to No. 19 Pittsburgh in a Thursday night primetime matchup. Pitt is off to its best start since 1982, when NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino was a senior. The Panthers are 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 6-0 overall, ranking third in the conference in points per game (40.8). A win would also clinch SU its third consecutive bowl appearance, the first time it clinched three in a row since five straight from 1995-99.

“We just want to go up and try and compete and have a good show. It’ll be a good thing Thursday night, 7:30. We’ll be the only college football team playing at that time, hopefully,” Brown said. “So everybody in the country will get the chance to watch us and see us go out and compete against a good football program.”

Here are some takeaways from Brown’s weekly press conference before Syracuse’s matchup at No. 19 Pitt:

Player availability

Following a Week 1 right leg injury, All-ACC linebacker Marlowe Wax has been sidelined since. The timeline for return was “about six weeks” according to Brown, and though SU survived to win 4-of-5 games without Wax, his absence forced the Orange to shuffle their defense.

The Pitt matchup will be almost seven weeks since the injury, but Brown announced in Monday’s press conference Wax will likely not return against Pitt.

“Honestly, it seems like he’ll probably play next week, but he’s trying,” Brown said. “He’s pushing. He’s a tough kid. He wants to go, but just for his safety and all the things, probably next week.”

As for the return of another key starting defender, freshman cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr. is expected to be back. Brown revealed Barnes Jr. was available versus NC State but the coaching staff felt Jayden Bellamy was “a little ahead,” prompting Barnes to miss his third straight game.

Redshirt freshman Zeed Haynes, an explosive downfield threat at outside receiver, was a key transfer for SU entering the 2024 season. Haynes came over with Meeks and Brown from Georgia and was said to be quarterback Kyle McCord’s top threat through training camp. Through the first two games, Haynes totaled eight receptions for 97 yards.

However, since facing Georgia Tech on Sept. 7, Haynes has been away from the team due to a personal matter. Brown gave an update on Haynes’ situation Monday.

“I’m just gonna make sure I tell everybody. I’m gonna post. I’m gonna throw a party and everything,” Brown said of when Haynes returns. “As soon as he comes back, everybody gonna know. I’m sending balloons. You’re gonna see all these orange and blue balloons coming up from our spot as soon as he back. But he’s not back right now. He’s just handling his family issues that he’s taking care of. You know, everybody handles things different and we think that this is best for (Haynes).”
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Keeping Up With The 315 10-21-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins begins the show reviewing recent Pitt/Syracuse games of note and why this is the most anticipated one he can remember. Then, he plays back some of the biggest moments from Fran Brown’s presser and ponders where Justin Barron will lineup when Marlowe Wax returns. Lastly, a full recap of NFL weekend and some of Jon Rothstein’s takes on SU basketball.
Adam Terry "The 315" 10-21-24 (ESPN; radio; the 315)
Syracuse radio color analyst for Learfield, Adam Terry, joins Brian Higgins to look ahead to the big game against Pittsburgh and where the Orange can improve in the second half of the season.
Fran Brown Press Conference | Pitt Week (youtube; video; Syracuse Orange)

Fran Brown Press Conference | Pitt Week
Fran Brown on Biggest Positives in 2024 for Syracuse Halfway Through (youtube; video; WakeUpCallDT)
“Peeling Back the Orange” - DT w/ Syracuse Orange Head Football Coach Fran Brown on the biggest positives, including surprise positives in the 1st half of the 2024-25 season…
Syracuse vs. Pitt Prediction: Week 9 College Football Picks – KDUS AM 1060 (kdus.com)
Our first Power Four game of Week 9 comes from the ACC and has the potential to be a very good one between Syracuse and Pitt, as a couple of old Big East rivals go at it. Speaking of the Big East, our 2024-25 College Basketball Guide is out Thursday, so give that a look after you get done checking out this football preview.

We also have some Sun Belt action between Georgia Southern and Old Dominion in what has the potential to be another entertaining game. We’ll look at the ACC tilt first and then the other one.

For all of this week’s college football insights, refer to our College Football Week 9 Hub.

Syracuse Orange at Pitt Panthers (-6, 62)

7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Syracuse and Pitt both come into this game with some extra rest and prep. The Panthers are still holding on to an undefeated record, but they had a very close call against Cal back in Week 7. They had Week 8 off to work on some different things, which couldn’t have come at a better time after Eli Holstein only had 133 passing yards in that contest against the Golden Bears.

Syracuse gave one away at home against Stanford, otherwise we’d be talking about another 6-0 squad. Instead, they are 5-1, with wins over Georgia Tech and UNLV when they were ranked. They’ll try to make it 3-for-3 here in what will be their third straight road game.

Even though Syracuse has played two ranked opponents, these teams have faced two of the weaker strengths of schedule among ACC teams. Pitt’s close calls against Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Cal seem to stand out a little more in that context.

If we look only at conference play, Syracuse is outgaining Pitt on a per-play basis. The Panthers are a top-10 offense in yards per play, but they had 10.6 yards per play against Youngstown State and also pummeled some of their other non-con foes. In two conference games, they have 5.99 YPP to Syracuse’s 6.12 in three conference clashes.

The main difference between these two teams is that Syracuse has been objectively bad on defense regardless of opponent, while Pitt is a top-20 team in that regard as well. And they allowed 4.8 YPP to non-conference opponents and have given up 4.8 to conference ones also, so we don’t see a drastic difference.

The one-dimensional nature of Syracuse’s offense has been a surprise. Kyle McCord has thrown for at least 339 yards in each of the six games, but the ground game has only mustered 3.4 yards per carry overall. LeQuint Allen should cross 100 carries and 500 yards in this one with his 4.8 average, but the others who have touched the ball in that regard have not impressed.
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Before Syracuse football takes the field against N.C. State, coach Fran Brown shouts words of encouragement. The Orange return to the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 2. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.comdennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Syracuse football will wait another week for Virginia Tech game time, broadcast designation (PS; $; Leiker)
Syracuse football has to wait another six days before it knows its game time for its Week 10 return home.

The kickoff time and network designation for the Orange’s home game against Virginia Tech on Nov. 2 has been placed on a six-day hold by the ACC and ESPN, as have all five other conference matchups that weekend.

Game time and broadcast information will be released Sunday following the conclusion of the Week 9 slate.

It reflects a belief by the conference and TV network that this weekend’s matchups could significantly shift which of next weeks games will be of most consequence.

The other five games Nov. 2:

  • Louisville at Clemson
  • Stanford at N.C. State
  • North Carolina at Florida State
  • Pittsburgh at SMU
  • Duke at Miami
Syracuse’s game against Virginia Tech is the first it plays at the JMA Wireless Dome since Sept. 28 when it beat Holy Cross, 42-14. The Orange has won road games at UNLV and N.C. State since then and plays at Pittsburgh this Thursday.

The Hokies just moved above .500 last week with a big win, 42-21, over Boston College. They face Georgia Tech at home this week.

Syracuse will be coming off three night games (with a bye between N.C. State and Pittsburgh). It has four total night games this season, kicked off at noon twice and at 3:30 p.m. once.

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 9 (SI; Wallach)
Pitt is one of the few remaining unbeatens left in the country, but will face a stiff test against a high-octane Syracuse offense.

Both teams have been able to score points in bunches with new coaching staffs and transfer quarterbacks showing out with Syracuse counting on the arm of Kyle McCord and Pitt’s offense utilizing Eli Holstein as a dual threat option.

Should we count on both teams to keep up the scoring in a Thursday night showcase?

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Odds, Spread and Total

Spread
  • Syracuse: +5.5 (-105)
  • Pittsburgh: -5.5 (-115)
Moneyline
  • Syracuse: +185
  • Pittsburgh: -220
Total: 62 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh How to Watch

  • Date: Thursday, October 24
  • Game Time: 7:30 PM EST
  • Venue: Acrisure Stadium
  • How to Watch (TV): ESPN
  • Syracuse Record: 5-1
  • Pittsburgh Record: 6-0

Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh Key Players to Watch

Syracuse

Kyle McCord: McCord has been on a tear since arriving in Western New York. He is seventh in passing yards (2,160) with 19 passing touchdowns as the Orange have quickly improved under first year head coach Fran Brown. This is a pass-happy offense that has been chucking it around the yard and McCord will look to continue posting gaudy stats against a Pitt team that is outside the top 100 in EPA/Pass.

Pittsburgh

Eli Holstein: Another transfer quarterback, Holstein is showing out for the revamped Pitt offense under former Western Carolina tactician Cade Bell. The Panthers offense has been a terror for the opposition this season, scoring at least 28 points in all but one game this season. Holstein is at nearly 2,000 all purpose yards with 18 total touchdowns on the year.
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NCAA Football 25 - Syracuse Orange Vs Pittsburgh Pirates PS5 Week 9 (Quick Presentation) (youtube; simulation; TheMainMan)

NCAA Football 25 - Syracuse Orange Vs Pittsburgh Pirates PS5 Week 9 (Quick Presentation)

ACC News

10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 8 in the ACC (saturdaydownsouth.com; Friedlander)


ACC football this season has been like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get from one week to the next.

There was another Miami replay controversy. Another Cal meltdown. An unlikely NC State comeback, yet another history-making new low point in a season full of lows for Florida State and a potentially “big” fundraising opportunity at Wake Forest.

They’re all among the 10 things I’m overreacting to after an eventful Week 8 in and around the ACC.

10. They’re incompetent, not corrupt

It’s become a weekly tradition for Miami to be involved in a controversial officials’ call that inevitably ends up going its way upon review by the ACC’s control center. It happened again Saturday on a play originally ruled a strip sack and score for Louisville. But was changed to an incomplete pass.
The Hurricanes retained possession and eventually scored what proved to be the winning touchdown.

Piled on top of the Hail Mary prayer that was answered against Virginia Tech and the targeting call that wasn’t called against Cal, the reaction on social media was predictable. The outrage is understandable. And the memes were entertaining. But the fun and games ended when Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm got into the act with his postgame comments.

It’s not that he was salty about the call. That’s what coaches do. All would have been fine if he’d have just stopped at “I thought it was a bad call. I don’t know how you overturn it. I really don’t.”

Pay your $200, pass Go and move on to the next game.

That’s not what he did, though.


Brohm crossed the line from blowing off steam to perpetuating a dangerous narrative when he added that “this has happened multiple times, so it’s disappointing.” In doing so, he insinuated that the fix is in and that the ACC is in the tank trying to help Miami stay undefeated and in Playoff contention. By extension, he’s feeding into the frenzy that doesn’t just threaten the integrity of the games, it has the potential to threaten the safety of the guys wearing stripes.

For the record, there’s no evidence of any dark conspiracy to prop up the Hurricanes, Until proven otherwise, their good fortune has been more the product of incompetence than corruption.
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Links, News and Rumors 2024 Oct 22 (RX; HM)

Links, News and Rumors 2024 Oct 22

From CBS Sports: Revisiting 10 bold predictions as 2024 college football season hits second half

1) Clemson is out of national title contention: This was crystalized after the Georgia game. The Tigers were frankly uncompetitive after another year of abstaining from the transfer portal. The key assertion from Clemson has always been that they didn't need to use the portal because the guys on their roster were good enough. It's the platonic ideal of college football roster building, but TMR had come to seriously doubt if Clemson could pull it off.
Now, the Tigers sit 5-0 in ACC play and 6-1 overall, and they've put up at least 40 on four conference opponents. This isn't the Clemson of the Deshaun Watson/Trevor Lawrence days, but this is a team on the cusp of proving its doubters wrong. A massive game with Louisville awaits (in which the Cardinals will try to keep their own faint conference title hopes alive), as do Virginia Tech and Pitt. Win those and Clemson is likely in the conference championship game and would be a favorite on betting apps for a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
4) Florida State can't be that bad, right? It appears, dear reader, that the Seminoles can. Thoughts of an offensive dead cat bounce thanks to new QB Brock Glenn are now done after losing to Duke for the first time in school history (and FSU was an underdog). Games against Miami and Notre Dame remain, and a bowl game is almost certainly out of the picture.
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Updated ACC football power rankings following Week 8 (usatoday.com; Haley)
As the ACC football season progresses, four teams feel like they belong in a class of their own within the conference, and it’s absolutely not the four anyone expected.

The Miami Hurricanes and Clemson Tigers felt obvious from the start. Mario Cristobal finally had his quarterback after he pulled former Washington State star Cam Ward from the transfer portal, and Miami had been a major player on the recruiting trail for the previous few years. The Tigers, with two national championships on their shelf over the past decade, should never be counted out despite a down year in 2023, and six straight wins have Clemson in line for a College Football Playoff appearance.

The other two, however, came from left field. The Pittsburgh Panthers, one year after a dismal 3-9 campaign, are undefeated through six games thanks to former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Eli Holstein. And the SMU Mustangs, who just joined the conference this year amid some major realignment, have rattled off four straight wins to enter the picture in a big way.

Here’s how the ACC stacks up after Week 8.

1 Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes keep asking quarterback Cam Ward and the offense to save them from perilous situations, and so far, it’s working. After double-digit fourth-quarter comebacks against Virginia Tech and California, Miami needed 538 yards of offense and 52 points to hold off the Louisville Cardinals. The Hurricanes are averaging more than seven yards per play in conference play, but turnovers and a defense that looks progressively vulnerable make them beatable.

2 Clemson Tigers

If the first game of the season hadn’t happened, or even merely been competitive, Clemson would be in the top spot. The Tigers have outgained their opponents by 209.3 yards per game and averaged 48.5 points per game over their six-game winning streak, but a part of me feels compelled to point out that the most talented foe they’ve faced in that stretch is a 1-6 Florida State team. Can quarterback Cade Klubnik and his teammates produce against a playoff-caliber defense?

3 SMU Mustangs

Ever since quarterback Kevin Jennings settled into full-time quarterback duties, the Mustangs have looked like a runaway freight train. SMU is third in the ACC in scoring offense and total offense in conference play, behind only Miami and Clemson, and they beat the Seminoles by 10 more points than the Tigers did.

4 Pittsburgh


There’s a reasonable argument to make about the Panthers being one spot higher on this list. After all, the Mustangs have lost a game and Pittsburgh hasn’t. However, the Panthers have pulled some rabbits out of their hats with comebacks against Cincinnati and West Virginia before their 17-15 victory over California. If there’s solace to be found in an underwhelming offensive game against the Golden Bears, Holstein only threw for 133 yards with two interceptions, proving that the Panthers don’t need him to be a superhero.

5 Syracuse Orange

When Syracuse lost to Stanford, it looked like the Orange’s win over Georgia Tech might be an anomaly. Now, with road victories over UNLV and NC State in consecutive weeks, it looks more like the loss to the Cardinal was the odd one out. Kyle McCord’s least productive passing game this season has been his 339-yard, two-touchdown game in that loss.
...


TNIAAM’s ACC Football power rankings for October 21st (TNIAAM; Wall)

At the request of Syracuse Orange fans, we’re going to give you our ACC Football Power Rankings. Let’s get to this week’s list...



1) Miami Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0)- Miami finally got it right with NIL deals because whatever they are paying Cam Ward is better value than whatever they are paying Mario Cristobal

2) Clemson Tigers (6-1, 5-0)- Dabo finally trusts Cade Klubnik and Clemson’s got 225 points in 5 ACC games.

3) Pittsburgh Panthers (6-0, 2-0)- that gasp you just heard is Jim Phillips thinking about another Pittsburgh-Clemson ACCCG

4) SMU Mustangs (6-1, 3-0)- Look at their schedule, SMU is lurking for an ACC Championship game spot and if they won the CFP auto-bid, oh the takes we’d see

5) Syracuse Orange (5-1, 2-1) - that groan you just heard was Jim Phillips thinking about a Syracuse-SMU ACCCG. Clearly Charlotte will want Syracuse to beat Pitt then have Pitt beat SMU so they can keep that Miami-Clemson title dream alive.

6) Duke Blue Devils (5-1, 1-1)- getting your first ever win over FSU moves you up...even if everyone’s beating the Noles this year

7) Louisville Cardinals (4-3, 2-2)- If Louisville was in the SEC, they’d be receiving votes in the top 25 after only losing to ranked opponents
...


ACC Tier Rankings Week 9: Some Surprises! Who Climbed A Tier and Who Fell? Lets Discuss! (youtube; podcast; Talking College Football)

On this episode of Talking College Football with JJ Kitchen, JJ talks about the contenders in the ACC and ranks each of the football programs through 9 weeks of the season and there may be some surprises!
Top 5 Defensive Plays Of The Week | 2024 ACC Football (youtube; video; ACC DN)
Defenses in the ACC were on point over the weekend and were making plays left and right throughout week eight! From Simeon Barrow and Raul Aguirre Jr. wreaking havoc for the Hurricanes to Chandler Rivers flowing on into the end zone, defenses across the conference made huge plays. Cale Sanders Jr. put points on the board with his slick safety for the Mustangs while Ozzie Nicholas and Wade Woodaz both were guilty of theft from opposing offenses with near perfect strips. Check out all the big defensive plays from week 8 right here and see which one earns the No. 1 spot.
Top 5 Offensive Plays Of The Week | 2024 ACC Football (youtube; video; ACC DN)
The Miami Hurricanes once again headline the best plays in this week's edition of the ACC Digital Network's Top 5 Offensive Plays of the Week! From Cam Ward's precision passing to Damien Martinez taking the Louisville' defense for a ride, the Cardiac Canes brought the heat again. Sprinkle in some late-game heroics from "Hollywood" Smothers and another amazing touchdown grab by Eli Ayomanor, and this week's collection of plays will get the juices flowing! Check out our top 5 offensive plays of the week here, and see which one earns the No. 1 spot.
Cal QB Fernando Mendoza Highlights vs. NC State (youtube; video; ACC DN)
While the Golden Bears let another close game slip through their hands, Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza continues to successfully move the football against opposing ACC defenses. Mendoza passed for 282 yards on 30-42 passing against the NC State Wolfpack.

Other

SeanSterling_SP_CollegianHotel_2024-10-9_.jpg

The application to renovate Syracuse’s Mayflower Hotel into a multi-unit apartment complex was approved at a City Planning Commission meeting Monday. The Mayflower is a branch of the Collegian Hotel & Suites.

CPC approves conversion of Mayflower Hotel into multi-family apartments (DO; Goodheart)


The Syracuse City Planning Commission approved the application to convert the Mayflower Hotel, a former branch of the Collegian Hotel & Suites, into an apartment complex at their meeting Monday evening.

The renovation will transform the hotel, housed in an almost 100-year-old structure, into a 52-unit apartment complex. The Mayflower previously served as an extended-stay hotel but ceased operations on Oct. 2, according to site plans submitted to the city.

In April 2024, real estate developer Timberwolf Capital Partners purchased the Mayflower from Scholar Hotel Group Syracuse, which still owns the neighboring Collegian, for $7.4 million. The Mayflower, which also previously housed college students, sits a couple blocks away from Syracuse University’s North Campus.

Brian Bouchard, a project engineer for CHA Consulting, spoke during Monday’s CPC meeting on behalf of applicant and owner John Hoover. Hoover works under Shin Mayflower LLC, a limited liability company created solely for the transaction, Bouchard said. He is also the current manager of Timberwolf Capital Partners.

Bouchard presented plans to renovate the interior of the building into a functional, multi-family apartment complex. The project will focus on interior renovations and keep the facade of the building the same. He did not say whether the building would be marketed toward students.

The six-story building currently holds 82 hotel rooms. According to the application, the proposed renovation will create 52 apartment units. Its 82-space parking lot will remain available for residents.
...

Innovators: Another Uber Eats may be starting in Syracuse with Clutch Delivery (PS; $; Racino)
Most college students are a little too busy studying or navigating their newfound freedom to even consider launching a business during their freshman year.

But Celestin Abwe had already started a company during high school – aerial real estate photography and 3D mapping of construction sites – so seizing an opportunity he noticed during his first year at Le Moyne College wasn’t out of the ordinary.

Clutch Delivery is a simple idea: a college food delivery service that uses the school’s meal plans and employs student drivers who are familiar with the campus. And with help from Syracuse’s Surge Accelerator program over the past year, Abwe now sees a path to scale Clutch from an idea hatched in a dorm to a company servicing colleges across the U.S.

Abwe launched Clutch early on at Le Moyne with a scraped-together website, an Excel spreadsheet and barebones guerilla marketing. With help from advisors at Le Moyne’s Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity, he began to refine his business plan.

In 2022, he was accepted into a college pitch competition – Dolphin Tank – and won several thousand dollars toward his startup.

But for the past 12 months, Abwe has knuckled down with one-on-one advising and help from a network of peers within the accelerator to refine and scale his business.

“Entrepreneurship is a lonely space, especially being a solo founder,” he said. “I love what I do, it keeps me motivated, but it’s super lonely because it’s hard to find people that get it.”
...
 

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