sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to International Chicken Wing Day!
SU News
SU Among Top Five Teams for 3-Star RB Tre Bryant (PS; Carlson)
Tre Bryant, a 3-star running back out of Missouri, named Syracuse as one of his top five schools when he posted his list on Twitter on Tuesday night.
Syracuse joins hometown teams Kansas and Kansas State, as well as Minnesota and Northwestern. Missouri and Vanderbilt were among the schools Bryant reportedly had offers from that were left off his top-five list.
Listed on recruiting websites as a 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back from Christian Brothers Academy, Bryant is likely being recruited as a hybrid at Syracuse. While 24/7 Sports' composite rankings list him as a 3-star, the website's original rankings consider him a 4-star, the seventh best running back in the Class of 2016 and the No. 240 overall player. According to his Hudl website, Bryant ran a verified 4.53 40-yard dash.
Prized recruit Robert Washington has said he's been told he'll be the only traditional running back the Orange plans to take this cycle. As a hybrid, Bryant could still carry the ball. In offensive coordinator Tim Lester's offense the hybrid is a versatile piece that lines up on the wing, in the slot and in the backfield and receives the ball in both the pass and run game.
Bryant visited Syracuse on an unofficial visit on June 23 and seemed pleased with his time on campus.
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SU Football 2015 Position Preview: Coaching Staff (TNIAAM; Cassillo)
The Syracuse football season is getting closer and closer. In the lead-up to kickoff, we'll be previewing every position group on the Orange squad, making sure you're fully prepared for September 4. Today, we start with... people who aren't players at all. It's the...
Syracuse Orange Football Coaching Staff
Last we covered the Orange coaching staff in full, it was all the way back in December, just days after the end of a disappointing, 3-9 season. Our "stock watch" gave a glimpse at where the coaches stood following 2014, and what they'd need to do to stick around past 2015. This preview expands upon the future -- in particular, this coming fall.
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Scott Shafer, Head Coach
If you ask Jim Boeheim, questioning Shafer's job security is the "most ridiculous way to think that (he's) ever heard in (his) life." But a step back from 7-6 to 3-9 warrants at least questions, and that's where the Orange head man starts off his 2015. If last year's (rash of) injuries can be avoided, he'll get an ample shot to prove his mettle (in-game, in particular) against a manageable slate of opponents. Where last year's team seemed to frustrate -- making adjustments, overall decision-making and a general lack of competitiveness -- this year's will need to show improvement, at the very least. And all of that falls on Shafer. Obviously the recruiting success helps too. But Shafer will (and must) be judged first and foremost on the results this squad's able to produce. That could mean some tough decisions too, which he's typically shied away fromduring his tenure.
Tim Lester, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
After a regrettable second half of 2014, we were... not high on Lester to continue as SU's offensive coordinator. We've heard some good thingsabout his offense being"multiple" and for two-tight end sets, and a two-running back approach. All of these things seem to have us pointed in the right direction, but like everyone on this coaching staff, the on-field production is what's going to ultimately decide whether Lester passes or fails. In some respects, he'll have a low bar to jump over in comparison to 2014. In others, last season's shortcomings are going to be running side-by-side with whatever occurs this fall. The Orange get three very winnable games to start the year before the real work begins. Lester will have to get things started very quickly with this offense to stave off the fan base's worries.
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2015 SU Football Preview: South Florida Bulls (sujuiceonline.com; Cheng)
HOT SEAT?: Willie Taggart’s seat may be getting a little hot. Taggart and South Florida went 2-10 in his inaugural season with the Bulls, and things only got slightly better in 2014. USF finished 4-8 and missed the postseason for the fourth straight year. That led to Taggart dismissing his offensive and defensive coordinators at the end of the season, which in turn led to huge changes in philosophies. Taggart ditched his old smash-mouth offensive philosophy for a spread offense, while on the defensive side of the football, the Bulls are switching to a 4-2-5 formation.
» Related: Previewing SU’s non-conference game against LSU
WHO TO WATCH FOR: Another season, another quarterback battle. Last year, Taggart vacillated between QBs Mike White, Steven Bench and Quinton Flowers. None were particularly effective, with the Bulls ranking 97th in the country in passing at 196.8 yards per game. White was more of a traditional pocket passer, and when Taggart switched to a spread offense, White transferred to Western Kentucky. While Taggart hasn’t officially named a starter yet, it’s hard to see anyone but Flowers starting. Flowers has the athleticism to run a spread offense, though he will need to work on his throws as evidenced by his combined 8-20 passing for zero touchdowns and two interceptions in his true freshman campaign.
PREDICTION: On top of settling on a quarterback and installing a new offensive scheme, Taggart will also need to rebuild an offensive line that just lost three-year starter Austin Reiter. That seems like a lot for an offense to overcome, and a lot will need to fall into place for Taggart to reach the golden six win mark. SYRACUSE 27, USF 24.
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Other
Heavy Flooding Disrupts Traffic, Floods Roads and Basements in Onondaga County (PS; Sturtz)
Thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain on Onondaga County Tuesday night, creating miserable driving conditions and forcing the closure of many flooded roads.
The National Weather Service extended a flash flood watch for northeast Onondaga County to 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Although heaviest rain had moved, the weather service said more rain was possible which could cause more flooding. Streams, creeks and low-lying areas with poor drainage were affected most by flooding. Flooding caused problems across much of Onondaga County, but especially in the city of Syracuse.
Rain pounded Syracuse and flooding of several low spots on I-81 in the city forced the highway to a standstill for more than an hour.
As emergency responders worked to make the highway passable, impatient motorists stuck on on-ramps began trying to turn around or back up. Some vehicles went down embankments, bottomed out and careened onto dark side streets. Traffic slowly began moving again around 11:30 p.m.
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