Orangeyes Daily Articles for Tuesday for Football

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Welcome to New Year's Eve!

New Year's Eve takes place on the last day of the Gregorian calendar. The first New Year's Eve festivities date back approximately 4,000 years, to the time of ancient Babylon; Babylonians celebrated the new year during the first new moon after the vernal equinox, in late March. During antiquity, the first days of the new year were celebrated at different times around the world, and the day was usually tied to an agricultural or astronomical event. For example, Egyptians celebrated their new year as the Nile flooded, and the Chinese New Year has long begun with the second new moon after the winter solstice.

In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar consulted with prominent astronomers and mathematicians, and introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the Gregorian calendar. He made January 1 the first day of the year, partly to honor Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. At the time, the new year was celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, decorating homes with laurel branches, the attendance of parties, and the exchanging of gifts. During the Middle Ages, Christian leaders in Europe changed the date of New Year's celebrations to coincide with religious holidays such as Christmas and the Feast of Annunciation. In 1582, New Year's was reestablished to follow the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory XIII.

SU News

Syracuse Football: Kyle McCord an ACC legend, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy (itlh; Adler)

Syracuse football record-setting quarterback Kyle McCord wrapped up his senior season on the Hill in a wonderful manner, further cementing his place as a 'Cuse and an Atlantic Coast Conference legend.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound native of Mount Laurel, N.J., a four-star transfer from Ohio State, put on a show this past Friday night as No. 21 Syracuse football defeated Washington State, 52-35, at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

The Orange (10-3 overall) reached 10 wins in a season for the first time since 2018. In the Holiday Bowl, McCord threw for 453 yards and five scores through the air, earning offensive MVP honors in this exciting bowl-game triumph for the 'Cuse.

McCord's 2024 season consists of these tremendous statistics: he completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Not too shabby for a guy who Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn't appear to want even after McCord led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 mark in the 2023 regular season.

Syracuse football quarterback Kyle McCord boasted a historic 2024 season.

McCord is the first signal-caller on the Hill to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He tallied at least 300 passing yards in 12 of the Orange's 13 games in the 2024 stanza, which is remarkable.

Along the way, McCord has shattered several Syracuse football single-season program records, such as total passing yards, total completions and total touchdowns through the air. An All-ACC second-team performer in 2024, McCord finished at No. 10 in the voting for this term's Heisman Trophy, the highest finish for an Orange player dating back to 2001.
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Syracuse Football: Kyle McCord an ACC legend, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy (itlh; Adler)

Syracuse football record-setting quarterback Kyle McCord wrapped up his senior season on the Hill in a wonderful manner, further cementing his place as a 'Cuse and an Atlantic Coast Conference legend.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound native of Mount Laurel, N.J., a four-star transfer from Ohio State, put on a show this past Friday night as No. 21 Syracuse football defeated Washington State, 52-35, at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

The Orange (10-3 overall) reached 10 wins in a season for the first time since 2018. In the Holiday Bowl, McCord threw for 453 yards and five scores through the air, earning offensive MVP honors in this exciting bowl-game triumph for the 'Cuse.

McCord's 2024 season consists of these tremendous statistics: he completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Not too shabby for a guy who Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn't appear to want even after McCord led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 mark in the 2023 regular season.

Syracuse football quarterback Kyle McCord boasted a historic 2024 season.

McCord is the first signal-caller on the Hill to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He tallied at least 300 passing yards in 12 of the Orange's 13 games in the 2024 stanza, which is remarkable.
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Experts weren't high on Syracuse football; Fran Brown and his team proved them wrong (itlh; Adler)

Syracuse football wasn't forecast to finish high up in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings during the recently completed 2024 campaign, but that's why the games are played, and preseason prognostications have to get taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

The Orange, under first-year head coach Fran Brown, his top-flight staff and their talented - yet significantly revamped - 2024 roster, was projected at No. 12 in the ACC's preseason media poll.

To be fair, the 'Cuse, ahead of the 2024 term, possessed a first-time head coach, a lot of new assistants, and a bunch of different players from the previous stanza. Additionally, while Syracuse football had made two straight bowl games entering 2024, the Orange also went a combined 13-13 in 2022 and 2023 under former head coach Dino Babers.

National and ACC experts viewed the 'Cuse as somewhat of a mystery before the 2024 season commenced, with pundits noting the team's favorable schedule (at least on paper) and numerous key weapons, both among returnees and college transfers, and via high school recruiting.

However, the consensus, at least in that ACC preseason poll, was that the Orange wouldn't likely amount to a top-tier squad in the conference, even as the buzz among the 'Cuse fan base was palpable about the program's future prospects.
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LeQuint Allen's Future with Syracuse Football: STAY or GO? | Syracuse Orange Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syrcause)

Syracuse Orange Football Running Back LeQuint Allen has a decision to make with Head Coach Fran Brown. Allen can stay with Syracuse and be a focal-point of Jeff Nixon's offense once again next season. The All-ACC back can decide to enter the 2025 NFL Draft by January 15th. Or, LeQuint can enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. Each option has its pros and cons.

Jackson Holzer explains the decision LeQuint Allen must make on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.

0:00- The Three Choices
8:43- Pros of Each Choice
16:23- Cons of Each Choice

Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

Syracuse football: the dialogue around bowl games (seriously) needs to change (TNIAAM; Chiappone)

The Syracuse Orange wrapped up their season on Friday night with their convincing Holiday Bowl win. While the rest of the college football world continues to make their way through this year’s bowl season, it’s hard to argue navigating that path in 2024 is way different than what it used to be before.

A new 12-team College Football Playoff has radically changed the postseason (with more changes possibly on the horizon) and placed forward the narrative of bowl games “not mattering.” Players (not all, but plenty) are choosing to opt-out, hit the transfer portal and find their next destination; ditto for the coaches, just like Syracuse’s bowl opponent in the Washington State Cougars dealt with. Conference realignment could lead to a massive shake-up over the traditional bowls where the matchups were decided by old conference affiliations.

In short, there’s plenty of conversation as the season starts to wind down over the bowl games.

But after watching Syracuse’s double-digit win over WSU in the Holiday Bowl, I firmly believe the opposite can be argued: bowl games absolutely still matter and the way we, the college football community, talk about them needs to change.

Using the situation of Syracuse as the core of our argument, being in favor of the bowl system comes down to four reasons:

Ending year on right or wrong note​

This one is the biggest one, and I’ll start by posing a simple question: would you have still felt as happy if Syracuse lost rather than won the 2024 Holiday Bowl?

The Orange entered that game as a multi-score favorite and would end up beating the Cougars 52-35.

The game still absolutely carried some weight, even with Syracuse on the fringes of the top-25 and not in the CFP picture really at all.

The numbers are pretty simple to digest: 10-3 and ending the year on a win does look better than 9-4 dropping the final game of the year. Considering how coach Fran Brown’s first regular season concluded with the upset victory over the Miami Hurricanes, a loss at the end would’ve made us all feel... weird. Not bad (nine wins in year one is impressive regardless), but certainly different.
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Syracuse Orange WR Jackson Meeks declares for NFL Draft (cnycentral.com; Worden)

Syracuse wide receiver Jackson Meeks has been with the Orange for just one season, and is now declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Meeks announced the news on his Instagram account Monday evening.

Jackson Meeks on Instagram: "THANK GOD…"

yeaimjack on December 30, 2024: "THANK GOD…".

www.instagram.com

Meeks transferred to Syracuse from the University of Georgia along with Head Coach Fran Brown.

He became a frequent target of quarterback Kyle McCord, catching five passes in the recent Holiday Bowl Game to surpass the 1,000+ receiving yard mark.
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Syracuse linebacker pulls his name out of transfer portal, will return to Orange (PS; Carlson)

Syracuse linebacker Anwar Sparrow has withdrawn his name from the NCAA’s transfer portal, signifying that he will return to the Orange.

Sparrow pulling his name from the portal was first reported by 247 Sports reporter Mike McAllister. It was confirmed by Syracuse.com with a source who has access to the portal.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown had previously hinted that he expected Sparrow to return last week at the Holiday Bowl. He praised the linebacker’s improvement over the past month. Sparrow had entered his name into the portal at the start of December.

The Orange will need to replace both of its starting linebacker next season, finding replacements for two of its better defensive players and two team leaders.

Justin Barron led Syracuse in tackles this season. Marlowe Wax led the team last year. The two veterans have been credited with helping create a culture that welcome in a wave of transfers under head coach Fran Brown.

The linebackers also finished second and third on the Orange in quarterback pressures, trailing only departing defensive end Fadil Diggs.

Sparrow made a big play in the Holiday Bowl win for the Orange, helping stop Washington State quarterback Zevi Eckhaus on a critical 4th-and-1. He finished the season with 10 tackles.
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Syracuse football: Orange exceed expectations and now the real challenge begins (TNIAAM; Wall)

The Syracuse Orange offense was the story of the 2024 season, but overall the Orange started to show some of the signs of a winning program. Under Fran Brown’s direction, Syracuse showed determination as they fought their way to the first 10-win season since 2018.

Like that 2018 team a lot of Orange fans are quick to credit the quarterback play as the reason for the team’s success. Certainly Kyle McCord played a major role in the team’s success, but I’d caution fans not to be so dismissive of a number of players who were critical to this season. The buy-in from returners like Marlowe Wax, Justin Barron, Oronde Gadsden and LeQuint Allen was critical for Brown’s debut season. Adding veterans like Fadil Diggs, Jackson Meeks and Savion Washington gave the Orange players who had been through the ups and downs of college football.

Syracuse’s schedule wasn’t as “easy” as it looked on paper in August. Yes, the Orange would love to have the Stanford and BC games back, but the team showed on multiple occasions that they were resilient. Twice the Orange marched fourth-quarter drives to force overtime where they took care of business. They battled some baffling calls in Raleigh and rallied from 21-0 against a top 10 Miami squad. Performances like that, and avoiding losing streaks, are signs of a strong culture and give hope that this team could finally find that consistently good range.
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COACHING CHANGE: Fran Brown Expected to Let-Go Syracuse Football Special Teams Coach James Vollono (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)

Syracuse Orange Football is expected to let-go of special teams coach James Vollono, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Fran Brown's Syracuse team enjoyed tremendous success in 2024, but the special teams did not. Vollono's unit was statistically one of the worst in the ACC and the special teams had repeated blunders throughout the season. Overall, Fran Brown is not resting on his laurels.

Jackson Holzer reacts to an expected coaching change on this mini edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.

Episode 512- Syracuse Football: Holiday Bowl Postgame! (youtube; podcast; Cuse Militia)

What's up Cuse Nation?!?! Syracuse Football get their tenth win of the season! We'll let you know what we think as the season comes to a close!

Syracuse Football on Instagram: "going out on @_justinbarron"

cusefootball on December 30, 2024: "going out on @_justinbarron".

www.instagram.com

Syracuse University Dance Team on Instagram: "Closing out football season we wanted to share one of our favorite routines from game day! See ya next year cuse football!"

300 likes, 7 comments - cusedance on December 30, 2024: "Closing out football season we wanted to share one of our favorite routines from game day! See ya next year cuse football!".

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ACC News

College football transfer portal rankings: Which ACC team leads the conference? (thebiglead.com; Reed)

The ACC earned two spots in the College Football Playoff. However, SMU and Clemson have both already been sent home after ugly first-round losses.

While the ACC wasn't the only conference to have an ugly first round, it feels that it is the conference that gets picked on the most.

So, 2025 will be a big year for the conference, which means talent is at a premium. With that, which program is getting a head start by crushing the transfer portal?

Check out below.

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Seminoles Are On A Mission​

17. Wake Forest
16. Syracuse
15. Stanford
14. Georgia Tech
13. Boston College
12. NC State
11. Pitt
10. Cal
9. North Carolina
8. SMU
7. Virginia
6. Clemson
5. Virginia Tech
4. Louisville
3. Duke
2. Miami
1. Florida State

On3 Sports has Florida State as the number one team in the ACC transfer portal. The Seminoles have brought in 11 players but also have lost 21 players to the portal.
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Three ACC Teams in Postseason Action This Week (theacc.com)

Three Atlantic Coast Conference football teams will wrap up their 2024 football seasons this week, as Louisville will compete in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl on December 31, Duke will play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on January 2 and Virginia Tech will play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 3.

The three games will wrap up the ACC’s postseason play, as the league had a record of 13 teams reaching bowl eligibility this season, tied for the most of any conference.

Tuesday, December 31, 2 p.m. ET
Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl; El Paso, Texas
Louisville (8-4) vs. Washington (6-6)
Series: First-ever meeting
CBS: Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)
School Radio Feed: Louisville
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 139 / SiriusXM 204 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 / SiriusXM 966

Louisville is set to square off against Washington in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, December 31. The contest will mark the first meeting between Louisville and Washington.

The Cardinals finished the regular season at 8-4 and closed the year with two wins over Pitt and Kentucky. Louisville snapped its five-game losing streak to the Wildcats with a 41-14 win at Kroger Field to end the regular season.

The Cardinals were led by the trio of quarterback Tyler Shough, running back Isaac Brown and wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks, who became only the third trio in school history to pass for 3,000 yards, rush for 1,000 yards and total 1,000 receiving yards. However, Shough and Brooks have opted out of the bowl game, with both electing to begin preparing for a professional career.

Brown, who was named the ACC Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushed for 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns, becoming the first true freshman to run for over 1,000 yards in school history and broke Lamar Jackson's freshman rushing record. The first-year Cardinal recorded five 100-yard games and was named the Most Valuable Player after rushing for a career-high 178 yards in the win over Kentucky.

The Cardinals will head to a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season. This will be the second trip for the Cards to the Sun Bowl after beating Drake 34-20 in 1958. Louisville is 12-13-1 in 26 previous bowl appearances.
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2024-25 Bowl Officiating Crews (RX; HM)

2024-25 Bowl Officiating Crews​

There have been plenty of bad calls this college football season, but it seems like it's gone to a whole new level in the postseason. Who's to blame for these bad calls? Now we know, thanks to the Football Zebras 2024-25 bowl officiating assignments! (For names of individual officials, click the link)

College Football Playoffs​

First Round Playoffs	Match-up	Officials
Friday, Dec. 20
CFP First-Round Game	¹⁰Indiana vs. ⁷Notre Dame	Big 12
CFP First-Round Game	¹¹SMU vs. ⁶Penn State	SEC
CFP First-Round Game	¹²Clemson vs. ⁵Texas	Big Ten
CFP First-Round Game	⁹Tennessee vs. ⁸Ohio State	ACC
Quarterfinal Playoffs
Tuesday, Dec. 31
Fiesta Bowl (CFP)	⁶Penn State vs. ³Boise State	SEC
Wednesday, Jan. 1
Peach Bowl (CFP)	⁵Texas vs. ⁴Arizona State	Big Ten
Rose Bowl Game (CFP)	⁸Ohio State vs. ¹Oregon	ACC
Sugar Bowl (CFP Qtr)	⁷Notre Dame vs. ²Georgia	Big 12

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ACC Bowl Preview: 2024 Dec 31 - 2025 Jan 3 (RX; HM)

ACC Bowl Preview: 2024 Dec 31 - 2025 Jan 3​

From the official ACC release of Monday, December 30, 2024...

3 ACC Teams in Postseason Action This Week​

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Three Atlantic Coast Conference football teams will wrap up their 2024 football seasons this week, as Louisville will compete in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl on December 31, Duke will play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on January 2 and Virginia Tech will play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 3.
The three games will wrap up the ACC’s postseason play, as the league had a record of 13 teams reaching bowl eligibility this season, tied for the most of any conference.

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2 p.m. ET​

Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl; El Paso, Texas​

Louisville (8-4) vs. Washington (6-6)​

Series: First-ever meeting
CBS: Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)
School Radio Feed: Louisville
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 139 / SiriusXM 204 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 / SiriusXM 966
Louisville is set to square off against Washington in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, December 31. The contest will mark the first meeting between Louisville and Washington.
The Cardinals finished the regular season at 8-4 and closed the year with two wins over Pitt and Kentucky. Louisville snapped its five-game losing streak to the Wildcats with a 41-14 win at Kroger Field to end the regular season.
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Other

The shuttered 197-room former Ramada by Wyndham at 441 Electronics Parkway in Salina has been sold. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

Prominent Syracuse-area hotel closed 2 years ago. Soon, it will reopen under new owner (PS; Moriarty)
A large and prominent Syracuse-area hotel that closed two years ago and was once proposed for luxury senior housing has a new owner who plans to reopen it in early 2025.

A limited liability company affiliated with Buffalo-area hotel investor Jayesh Patel bought the former Ramada by Wyndham at 441 Electronics Parkway in Salina for $3.3 million, according to a deed recorded in the Onondaga County Clerk’s office on Dec. 18.

Patel also bought the attached Staybridge Suites extended stay hotel for $7.7 million, which is directly behind the former Ramada.

Both properties were sold by First Republic, a New York City-based real estate and hotel company.

Patel plans to keep both properties operating as hotels, he told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

Patel, president of Rudra Management, owns a portfolio of more than two dozen hotels in western New York -- primarily the Buffalo and Niagara Falls areas -- with most operating under various national hotel brands. The former Ramada and the Staybridge are his first major acquisitions in the Syracuse area.

Harshal Patel, a representative of Rudra Management, said the former Ramada will reopen “in the coming months” and initially operate as an independent hotel while a new national brand affiliation is sought.

After a brand is signed up, the hotel will be renovated and reopen under its new flag once the renovations are complete, he said.
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Update: Central NY under a winter storm watch from Wednesday to Sunday (PS; ALWA)

On Tuesday at 3:04 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated winter storm watch valid from Wednesday 1 p.m. until Sunday 4 p.m. for Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga and Madison counties.

"Heavy lake effect snow possible. Total snow accumulations of greater than 7 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph, producing blowing and drifting snow," can be anticipated according to the weather service. "This will be a long duration event with fluctuating lake effect snow bands. Though heavy snowfall is anticipated, there is still uncertainty in specific snowfall totals and locations."



"Travel could be very difficult to impossible at times within the heaviest lake effect snow bands," explains the weather service. "Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow to dry weather just a few miles away. Visibilities can also vary greatly. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions."

Staying safe on winter roads: Winter driving tips from the weather service​

Winter's icy grip often turns roads treacherous, leading to over 6,000 weather-related vehicle fatalities and more than 480,000 injuries each year. When you find yourself on snowy or freezing rain-slicked roads, your top priority should be safety. Slow down and exercise caution. In temperatures near freezing, it's prudent to assume icy patches on the road and adjust your driving accordingly. Be on alert for ice accumulating on power lines and tree branches, as they may break and fall. If possible, avoid driving in these conditions altogether. But if you must venture out, choose routes with fewer trees and power lines, and never touch a downed power line. If you encounter one, dial 911 immediately. Here are additional winter driving tips from the weather service:

Share your travel plans:

When venturing out of town in hazardous winter weather, be sure to inform family or friends of your destination, your intended route, and your estimated arrival time.
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