sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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SU News
Backup QB Primer: Who Will SU Football Have Behind Starter Terrel Hunt? (PS; Bailey)
A three-headed race for the backup quarterback job was one of the key storylines during Syracuse's 2014 preseason camp. Ultimately, true freshman AJ Long and redshirt freshmen Austin Wilson and Mitch Kimble all had to play due to injury in what became a long season for the Orange offense.
This year, redshirt senior Terrel Hunt returns as the starter and feels fully healthy after fracturing his fibula five games into last season. The group behind him, though, looks a bit different.
Kimble transferred to Eastern Illinois and three new faces have entered offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tim Lester's meeting room:athletic true freshmen Eric Dungey and Kenterius Womack and sophomore walk-on Zack Mahoney.
But barring a shocking rise from one in that trio, it will be Long or Wilson earning the primary backup job, Lester said.
"I'll really let those two kind of battle it out because no one's taken it," Lester said.
Wilson is listed as the second-string quarterback on the Orange's depth chart, but that may have more to do with Long's throwing hand being in a cast, temporarily, than Wilson separating himself. The redshirt sophomore appeared in five games last season, completing 28-of-50 passes for 253 yards and four interceptions. He also suffered a concussion in SU's loss to then-No. 1 Florida State.
Wilson brings excellent arm strength and two years of experience working with Lester. However, he lacks the mobility that makes Hunt and Long weapons in the running game and still struggles reading coverage.
"Austin's biggest thing is his consistency reading defenses," Lester said.
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Fast Start Key for Syracuse Football (auburnpub.com; Sciria)
It may not feel like football weather, considering we were in the 90s last weekend, but the 2015 season is getting closer as the Atlantic Coast Conference held its annual media event earlier this week.
If you're a Syracuse University fan you're probably not too anxious for the season to kick off, but six weeks from tomorrow the Orange buckle up the chinstraps against Rhode Island in the Carrier Dome.
Syracuse football fans can be forgiven if they're not counting down the days before the first game. It wasn't like the end of the 2014 season left them with much optimism. Five straight losses to cap a 3-9 campaign tends to do that.
With injuries at key positions and the loss of starting quarterback Terrel Hunt, this was a season to move on from.
So here comes 2015, with low expectations and lower hype. Sorry, folks, there isn't much to get excited about. The cover of the 2015 Syracuse football media guide is an illustration of a player wearing one of those ugly new uniforms with the No. 44 on it.
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Get to Know Your Orange Man #29 RB Devante McFarlane (TNIAAM; Szuba)
Name: Devante McFarlane
Position: Running Back
Year: (Redshirt) Junior
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 201
Hometown: Wheatley Heights, N.Y.
High School: Half Hollow Hills West High School
2014 Stats: Played in 10 games last season and ran 169 yards on 28 carries. McFarlane also caught four passes for 49 yards. He broke a school record for third longest run in team history by running for 86 yards on one carry against Wake Forrest.
2015 Projections: McFarlane shows good power and figures to split carries as the number one running back. Expect him to take on a bigger role this year along with George Morris II.
How'd He Get Here?: He was recruited by Buffalo, Vanderbilt and Kent State, but decided he'd be best suited in orange.
What'd Recruiting Sites Say?: Three star recruit.
Money Quote: Fellow running back Morris said of he and McFarlane.
"It's really exciting for us the way Coach Lester wants us to run the ball. It's like me and Devante are moving up at the perfect time. That's how it feels."
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Get to Know Your Orange Man #28 SS Christopher Frederick (TNIAAM; Farrell)
Name: Christopher Frederick
Position: Safety
Year: Freshman
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 205
Hometown: Conley, Ga.
High School: Cedar Grove
2014 Stats: He had 74 tackles including 6.0 for a loss and made four interceptions for the Saints. That earned him all-region and All-State First Team honors in Georgia's Class AAA
2015 Projections: Frederick begins the season as the third stringer at strong safety, but it's obviously a pretty fluid situation. The defense lost eight starters so the opportunity is certainly there if Frederick can impress the coaching staff. Both of SU's starters at safety (Antwan Cordy at SS and Chauncy Scissum at FS) are newcomers to the lineup and another pair of freshmen fill in as the backups. Plus, Frederick played corner at times at Cedar Grove and said SU coaches told him he could see time there in college.
How'd He Get Here: He verbally committed to Syracuse even without visiting campus, becoming yet another Georgia recruit to come north. Frederick told Syracuse.com's Stephen Baileythat the combination of SU's coaching staff, academics and opportunity to play early were the key factors in his decision. SU beat Cincinnati, Minnesota and Mississippi State for Frederick, who also drew some late interest from Stanford.
What'd Recruiting Sites Say: Three stars from Scout, Rivals and ESPN.
Money Quote: "I was going to commit earlier, but I was waiting on my parents because they weren't sure about me going that far to school," Fredrick said. "I chose Syracuse because they're great academically and I believe if I go in and work hard, I'm going to be able to play early."
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2015 College Football Preseason Rankings: #73 Northwestern Seeks Postseason Return (PS; Stevens)
It says something about the steadiness of Northwestern's program that the longtime Big Ten doormat just endured consecutive losing seasons for the first time in more than a decade. As a private school wedged into a league littered with large public universities, avoiding even a slightly pronounced dip isn't easy.
Climbing back to midpack respectability isn't the easiest thing, either, even while residing in the more manageable half of the Big Ten. And so much of any rebound from back-to-back 5-7 seasons is going to depend on whether the final three games of 2014 are a more accurate reflection of the Wildcats' offense than the first nine.
Northwestern scored 50 points during a four-game slide, conceding winnable contests against Minnesota (24-17) and Michigan (10-9). And while the running game (led by sophomore Justin Jackson, who rushed for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns last year) has a back to build around, it still needs considerable improvement up front — in both opening holes and protecting whoever plays quarterback.
Defensively, the Wildcats have plenty back from a middle-of-the-pack unit, and project to be particularly strong in the secondary. But it's still a group that was roasted for 40 points by Iowa and lllinois in the second half of last season, and it's worth questioning how much all that experience will ultimately help.
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