sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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SU News
Andy Talley Has Won 204 Games and Won a National Title for the Wildcats in 2009
What You Need to Know About Villanova (PS; Stevens)
THE BASICS
Best player
QB John Robertson
The CAA's preseason player of the year, Robertson has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his credit, including a 1,405-yard season as a redshirt sophomore. Robertson has thrown or 27 touchdowns and rushed for 34 more over the last two seasons, and scampered for 94 yards in last year's season opener against Boston College. He is the centerpiece of a Villanova team that should return to the FCS (former Division I-AA) playoffs after a one-year hiatus.
Other top players
LB Don Cherry: The Connecticut product led the Wildcats in tackles (99) and tackles for loss (12.5) a season ago and should be one of the CAA's top linebackers.
T Vince Kowalski: The 305-pound senior has started all 34 games of his Villanova career and is a fixture on the right side of the line for the Wildcats.
WR Poppy Livers: The senior was Villanova's top target last year, hauling in 53 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns.
Best unit
Quarterback
Robertson is one of the finest players in the FCS, so his value is easy to establish. But backup Chris Polony started four games as a true freshman in 2011 (while Robertson redshirted) and another in 2012, and he remains a capable backup (though one with different skills than the electric Robertson).
...
Everything You Need to Know About SU-Villanova: TV Channel, Live Stream, Kickoff Time, etc. (PS; Bailey)
Syracuse's season opener against Villanova in the Carrier Dome on Friday at 7:30 p.m. will be available for viewing on ESPN3 online and through mobile devices.
If you are a Time Warner Cable customer in New York state and the Northeast with aSports Pass subscription, the game can be found on channel 398.
Below is a list of some of the more popular cable/satellite providers that provide access to ESPN3:
...
Will Veteran DE Rob Welsh Lead the Team in Sacks?
5 Things to Watch for as Scott Shafer's 2nd Season Kicks Off vs Villanova (PS; Mink)
...
With that, here are five things I'm watching for later tonight in the opener.
1. Need for speed
Quarterback Terrel Hunt and the Syracuse offense have been hearing all offseason about the necessity to improve in Year 2.
With a streamlined play-calling system and a desire to play at an even faster tempo, the onus will be on Hunt to pull the cords and show better efficiency with the ball.
The wide receiver unit has most of its key contributors back from last season, and guys such as Jarrod West, Adrian Flemming, Brisly Estime and Ashton Broyld will look to offset a deep and proven running back unit led by Prince-Tyson Gulley.
2. Who steps up on the defensive line?
Jay Bromley is collecting a paycheck from the New York Giants, and Syracuse has had to dip into its defensive end pool to help fill the void left by the Queens native.
...
Why is Syracuse Playing Villanova on Friday Night If It is Not for Television? (PS; Carlson)
College football games traditionally happen on Saturdays when travel is easier for alumni, tailgaters can truly unwind and the country can commune in a day-long celebration of colossal collisions.
Syracuse is bucking that trend this year, opening up on a Friday night against Villanova.
For many schools, picking a day other than Saturday has been done in an effort to get onnational television, but Syracuse's game against Villanova remains televised foronly a limited audience.
Joe Giansante, the chief of communications for the Syracuse athletic department, said the choice belonged to Syracuse and the reasons for the Friday night kickoff are multiple.
"In the past few years, the Friday night games have really worked for our fans," Giansante said. "My understanding is that the evening games have generated a great response."
...
Eric Crume, Human Fire Hydrant
Outside of Eric Crume, Who Makes the Biggest Impact on the DL? (PS; Mink)
What will be the starting D-line and who do u think will make the biggest impact outside of Crume?
— @MrSUFootball (via Twitter)
The defensive line has gotten a lot of attention throughout the spring and preseason as it looks to replace the major hole left by Jay Bromley.
Senior defensive ends Micah Robinson and Rob Welsh join senior Eric Crume and redshirt sophomore Marcus Coleman as starters on the Week 1 depth chart, but we all know Syracuse is going to rotate several linemen in throughout the game.
In terms of impact, Crume is certainly going to be a key piece on the interior. But don't overlook Robinson and Welsh, two players who return a lot of experience. Defensive line coach Tim Daoust has churned out productive lines in each of his previous three years on staff, and each unit has always gotten strong play from its seniors.
Don't forget about Ron Thompson and Isaiah Johnson either. Those are two players who can play inside and outside and could be sitting on a big year.
...
Recruiting
See SU Verbal LB Troy Henderson Play on ESPNU Sunday (PS; Bailey)
Troy Henderson, the linebacker whose grandfather grew up across the street from Ernie Davis, and No. 12 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) High School will take on The Gilman (Baltimore, Md.) School at 4 p.m. Sunday. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
St. Edward is 18-1 in its last two regular seasons and returns all of its starting linebackers, including Henderson. Gilman finished 7-3 last season and features junior defensive tackle Ellison Jordan, ranked 112th in the ESPN 300.
Henderson chose the Orange "by a percentage" over Nebraska and Rutgers in mid-July.
Offensive linemen Sam Clausman and Colin Byrne lead St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) High School into its season opener against American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High School on Friday at 7 p.m. Watch a live stream onFoxSportsFlorida.com.
...
ACC Coverage
BC Must Move On Without Andre Williams (PS; Mink)
1. Aside from Duke, I'm not sure there was a bigger surprise in 2013 than Boston College. Certainly there has been a lot of turnover. With a limited number of returning starters, what do you think success looks like for BC this season?
Thompson:BC had a solid senior class back last season that underperformed before Addazio. Seven wins was not out of the question. With a late defensive stop at Syracuse the Eagles would have had eight. Last season set an unreasonable higher bar for this season that, with all the turnover, they have little chance of attaining. BC plays its first five games in Massachusetts and they could get three wins (UMass, Maine, Colorado State). They beat three (Wake, Virginia Tech and N.C. State) at home last year. That's three of BC's four ACC road teams this year. Six wins would theoretically be a winning season.
2. Point blank: How do you replace a 2,100-yard back? Is sophomore Myles Willis capable of being the featured back? And is there a chance Baldwinsville native Tyler Rouse gets a significant number of touches this year?
Thompson:Willis is the featured ball carrier in a one back set but will not see more than 15 carries a game. Rouse will get plenty of snaps and Addazio wants to play his three freshmen. All the backs will be involved in the passing game, a tactic seldom used last year. Williams and Rouse had zero catches, and Willis had five. Rouse is a great kid.
...
College News
UTC WR Tommy Hudson Runs for 70 Yard TD Against CMU
Central Michigan Beats UTC 20-16 (timesfreepress.com; Hargis)
UTC Once Led the Game 16-0...
The opportunity to pull off a road upset of an FBS opponent was within reach for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team, right up until the final two minutes of Thursday's season-opening game.
But turnovers and other mistakes, often the deciding factors in early-season games, led to a 20-16 loss to Central Michigan at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
"Penalties and turnovers. We're going to win games by not turning it over and not having stupid penalties, and too many of those things happened," UTC coach Russ Huesman said. "But you have to give them a lot of credit. We played an FBS program that's a good team and well coached.
"We had some guys who made big plays. Obviously Jacob [Huesman, the Mocs' quarterback] didn't play very well. He'll bounce back. When they tip four passes, something's not right.
...
Central Michigan Rallies Past Chattanooga 20-16 (newsobserver.com; AP)
Thomas Rawls ran for one touchdown, Cooper Rush passed for another and Central Michigan scored on its first two second-half drives in a 20-16 comeback victory over Tennessee-Chattanooga on Thursday night.
Rawls finished with 123 yards on 25 carries, and Rush completed 15 of 26 passes for 176 yards and two TDs for the Chippewas in the season opener for both teams.
Chattanooga scored the first 16 points, with Jacob Huesman finding Tommy Hudson with scoring passes of 8 and 70 yards. Hudson, a senior, had only one previous TD catch.
Central Michigan cut it to 16-7 when Rush hit Jesse Kroll from 18 yards inside the final 2 minutes of the opening half. The Chippewas kept rolling after halftime with scoring drives of 74 and 20 yards. Central Michigan kept Chattanooga deep in its own territory through the second half, and intercepted four of Huesman's passes — two in the fourth quarter.
Wake Forest Offense Sputters in Loss to ULM in Dave Clawson's Debut (PS; Stevens)
It was early in the fourth quarter Thursday night when ESPN play-by-play man Dave Lamont asked heading into a commercial if Wake Forest could go 99 yards.
He meant on the next drive, of course, but his rhetorical question could have covered the entire game. Wake Forest, after all, mustered a meager 94 yards in its 17-10 loss at UL Monroe to open the ACC's football season.
Considering how poor the Demon Deacons' offense looked in its Michael Campanaro-less state last November (averaging 223.3 yards in the final four games of the season), it wasn't a surprise to see Wake Forest sputter with a true freshman at quarterback, a young offensive line and an almost entirely new cast of contributing receivers. But the degree of difficulty in merely achieving a first down (Wake had five for the game) was a bit startling.
...
Washington State WR Dom Williams Scoring a 64 Yard TD
Rutgers Stuns Washington State 41-38 in Battle of Last Place Programs (columbian.com; Rice)
After Thursday's slip in Seattle, Washington State is pining for the Palouse.
The Cougars' season opened with a 41-38 loss to Rutgers in the final "home" game for WSU in Seattle.
The 30,927 in a half-full CenturyLink Field saw a vintage performance from one of Washington State's most productive quarterbacks. Connor Halliday's third career 500-yard passing game had WSU in position to win.
They also nearly saw a classic Cougar collapse.
Leading 38-34 with 7:13 to play, WSU's defense forced Rutgers to punt from its own 16-yard line. But River Cracraft fumbled the punt, and Rutgers recovered at the 50 yard line.
Eight plays later, Paul James scored his third touchdown of the game, a 3-yard rush, to put Rutgers ahead 41-38 with 3:24 to play. Washington State's following drive ended when Johnathan Akin pried the ball from the hands of Cracraft, who nearly caught a pass on fourth-and-13 from the WSU 38-yard line.
...
Andy Talley Has Won 204 Games and Won a National Title for the Wildcats in 2009
What You Need to Know About Villanova (PS; Stevens)
THE BASICS
Best player
QB John Robertson
The CAA's preseason player of the year, Robertson has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his credit, including a 1,405-yard season as a redshirt sophomore. Robertson has thrown or 27 touchdowns and rushed for 34 more over the last two seasons, and scampered for 94 yards in last year's season opener against Boston College. He is the centerpiece of a Villanova team that should return to the FCS (former Division I-AA) playoffs after a one-year hiatus.
Other top players
LB Don Cherry: The Connecticut product led the Wildcats in tackles (99) and tackles for loss (12.5) a season ago and should be one of the CAA's top linebackers.
T Vince Kowalski: The 305-pound senior has started all 34 games of his Villanova career and is a fixture on the right side of the line for the Wildcats.
WR Poppy Livers: The senior was Villanova's top target last year, hauling in 53 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns.
Best unit
Quarterback
Robertson is one of the finest players in the FCS, so his value is easy to establish. But backup Chris Polony started four games as a true freshman in 2011 (while Robertson redshirted) and another in 2012, and he remains a capable backup (though one with different skills than the electric Robertson).
...
Everything You Need to Know About SU-Villanova: TV Channel, Live Stream, Kickoff Time, etc. (PS; Bailey)
Syracuse's season opener against Villanova in the Carrier Dome on Friday at 7:30 p.m. will be available for viewing on ESPN3 online and through mobile devices.
If you are a Time Warner Cable customer in New York state and the Northeast with aSports Pass subscription, the game can be found on channel 398.
Below is a list of some of the more popular cable/satellite providers that provide access to ESPN3:
...
Will Veteran DE Rob Welsh Lead the Team in Sacks?
5 Things to Watch for as Scott Shafer's 2nd Season Kicks Off vs Villanova (PS; Mink)
...
With that, here are five things I'm watching for later tonight in the opener.
1. Need for speed
Quarterback Terrel Hunt and the Syracuse offense have been hearing all offseason about the necessity to improve in Year 2.
With a streamlined play-calling system and a desire to play at an even faster tempo, the onus will be on Hunt to pull the cords and show better efficiency with the ball.
The wide receiver unit has most of its key contributors back from last season, and guys such as Jarrod West, Adrian Flemming, Brisly Estime and Ashton Broyld will look to offset a deep and proven running back unit led by Prince-Tyson Gulley.
2. Who steps up on the defensive line?
Jay Bromley is collecting a paycheck from the New York Giants, and Syracuse has had to dip into its defensive end pool to help fill the void left by the Queens native.
...
Why is Syracuse Playing Villanova on Friday Night If It is Not for Television? (PS; Carlson)
College football games traditionally happen on Saturdays when travel is easier for alumni, tailgaters can truly unwind and the country can commune in a day-long celebration of colossal collisions.
Syracuse is bucking that trend this year, opening up on a Friday night against Villanova.
For many schools, picking a day other than Saturday has been done in an effort to get onnational television, but Syracuse's game against Villanova remains televised foronly a limited audience.
Joe Giansante, the chief of communications for the Syracuse athletic department, said the choice belonged to Syracuse and the reasons for the Friday night kickoff are multiple.
"In the past few years, the Friday night games have really worked for our fans," Giansante said. "My understanding is that the evening games have generated a great response."
...
Eric Crume, Human Fire Hydrant
Outside of Eric Crume, Who Makes the Biggest Impact on the DL? (PS; Mink)
What will be the starting D-line and who do u think will make the biggest impact outside of Crume?
— @MrSUFootball (via Twitter)
The defensive line has gotten a lot of attention throughout the spring and preseason as it looks to replace the major hole left by Jay Bromley.
Senior defensive ends Micah Robinson and Rob Welsh join senior Eric Crume and redshirt sophomore Marcus Coleman as starters on the Week 1 depth chart, but we all know Syracuse is going to rotate several linemen in throughout the game.
In terms of impact, Crume is certainly going to be a key piece on the interior. But don't overlook Robinson and Welsh, two players who return a lot of experience. Defensive line coach Tim Daoust has churned out productive lines in each of his previous three years on staff, and each unit has always gotten strong play from its seniors.
Don't forget about Ron Thompson and Isaiah Johnson either. Those are two players who can play inside and outside and could be sitting on a big year.
...
Recruiting
See SU Verbal LB Troy Henderson Play on ESPNU Sunday (PS; Bailey)
Troy Henderson, the linebacker whose grandfather grew up across the street from Ernie Davis, and No. 12 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) High School will take on The Gilman (Baltimore, Md.) School at 4 p.m. Sunday. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
St. Edward is 18-1 in its last two regular seasons and returns all of its starting linebackers, including Henderson. Gilman finished 7-3 last season and features junior defensive tackle Ellison Jordan, ranked 112th in the ESPN 300.
Henderson chose the Orange "by a percentage" over Nebraska and Rutgers in mid-July.
Offensive linemen Sam Clausman and Colin Byrne lead St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) High School into its season opener against American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High School on Friday at 7 p.m. Watch a live stream onFoxSportsFlorida.com.
...
ACC Coverage
BC Must Move On Without Andre Williams (PS; Mink)
1. Aside from Duke, I'm not sure there was a bigger surprise in 2013 than Boston College. Certainly there has been a lot of turnover. With a limited number of returning starters, what do you think success looks like for BC this season?
Thompson:BC had a solid senior class back last season that underperformed before Addazio. Seven wins was not out of the question. With a late defensive stop at Syracuse the Eagles would have had eight. Last season set an unreasonable higher bar for this season that, with all the turnover, they have little chance of attaining. BC plays its first five games in Massachusetts and they could get three wins (UMass, Maine, Colorado State). They beat three (Wake, Virginia Tech and N.C. State) at home last year. That's three of BC's four ACC road teams this year. Six wins would theoretically be a winning season.
2. Point blank: How do you replace a 2,100-yard back? Is sophomore Myles Willis capable of being the featured back? And is there a chance Baldwinsville native Tyler Rouse gets a significant number of touches this year?
Thompson:Willis is the featured ball carrier in a one back set but will not see more than 15 carries a game. Rouse will get plenty of snaps and Addazio wants to play his three freshmen. All the backs will be involved in the passing game, a tactic seldom used last year. Williams and Rouse had zero catches, and Willis had five. Rouse is a great kid.
...
College News
UTC WR Tommy Hudson Runs for 70 Yard TD Against CMU
Central Michigan Beats UTC 20-16 (timesfreepress.com; Hargis)
UTC Once Led the Game 16-0...
The opportunity to pull off a road upset of an FBS opponent was within reach for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team, right up until the final two minutes of Thursday's season-opening game.
But turnovers and other mistakes, often the deciding factors in early-season games, led to a 20-16 loss to Central Michigan at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
"Penalties and turnovers. We're going to win games by not turning it over and not having stupid penalties, and too many of those things happened," UTC coach Russ Huesman said. "But you have to give them a lot of credit. We played an FBS program that's a good team and well coached.
"We had some guys who made big plays. Obviously Jacob [Huesman, the Mocs' quarterback] didn't play very well. He'll bounce back. When they tip four passes, something's not right.
...
Central Michigan Rallies Past Chattanooga 20-16 (newsobserver.com; AP)
Thomas Rawls ran for one touchdown, Cooper Rush passed for another and Central Michigan scored on its first two second-half drives in a 20-16 comeback victory over Tennessee-Chattanooga on Thursday night.
Rawls finished with 123 yards on 25 carries, and Rush completed 15 of 26 passes for 176 yards and two TDs for the Chippewas in the season opener for both teams.
Chattanooga scored the first 16 points, with Jacob Huesman finding Tommy Hudson with scoring passes of 8 and 70 yards. Hudson, a senior, had only one previous TD catch.
Central Michigan cut it to 16-7 when Rush hit Jesse Kroll from 18 yards inside the final 2 minutes of the opening half. The Chippewas kept rolling after halftime with scoring drives of 74 and 20 yards. Central Michigan kept Chattanooga deep in its own territory through the second half, and intercepted four of Huesman's passes — two in the fourth quarter.
Wake Forest Offense Sputters in Loss to ULM in Dave Clawson's Debut (PS; Stevens)
It was early in the fourth quarter Thursday night when ESPN play-by-play man Dave Lamont asked heading into a commercial if Wake Forest could go 99 yards.
He meant on the next drive, of course, but his rhetorical question could have covered the entire game. Wake Forest, after all, mustered a meager 94 yards in its 17-10 loss at UL Monroe to open the ACC's football season.
Considering how poor the Demon Deacons' offense looked in its Michael Campanaro-less state last November (averaging 223.3 yards in the final four games of the season), it wasn't a surprise to see Wake Forest sputter with a true freshman at quarterback, a young offensive line and an almost entirely new cast of contributing receivers. But the degree of difficulty in merely achieving a first down (Wake had five for the game) was a bit startling.
...
Washington State WR Dom Williams Scoring a 64 Yard TD
Rutgers Stuns Washington State 41-38 in Battle of Last Place Programs (columbian.com; Rice)
After Thursday's slip in Seattle, Washington State is pining for the Palouse.
The Cougars' season opened with a 41-38 loss to Rutgers in the final "home" game for WSU in Seattle.
The 30,927 in a half-full CenturyLink Field saw a vintage performance from one of Washington State's most productive quarterbacks. Connor Halliday's third career 500-yard passing game had WSU in position to win.
They also nearly saw a classic Cougar collapse.
Leading 38-34 with 7:13 to play, WSU's defense forced Rutgers to punt from its own 16-yard line. But River Cracraft fumbled the punt, and Rutgers recovered at the 50 yard line.
Eight plays later, Paul James scored his third touchdown of the game, a 3-yard rush, to put Rutgers ahead 41-38 with 3:24 to play. Washington State's following drive ended when Johnathan Akin pried the ball from the hands of Cracraft, who nearly caught a pass on fourth-and-13 from the WSU 38-yard line.
...
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Syracuse Northeast@SNCCSYR
