sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Comic Book Day!
It's National Comic Book Day! These creative and inventive books have been entertaining children and adults alike for more than 200 years!
While comic books have quite a storied history, they reached massive popularity in the late 1930s. By the mid 1940s, comic books were outselling traditional books. From Spider-Man to Batman to Superman, we all know a little something about these sketched panel books.
To celebrate National Comic Book Day, take a few minutes to catch up on your favorite comic or watch a movie based on your favorite series!
SU News
Zack Mahoney Becomes SU Starter Just Weeks From Serving as 5th-String QB (DO; Blum)
Richard Mahoney sat a few rows up on the Carrier Dome’s 50-yard line to watch his son Zack play in a game they never expected him to appear in.
So too did Zack’s mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle and three cousins, all of whom made the trip from LaGrange, Illinois. Richard, his father, wasn’t sure what it meant when he saw Zack put the headset on following Eric Dungey’s injury. And he wasn’t sure what it meant when he took it off to start warming up with Austin Wilson.
A few days before, Zack had told his dad that he had gotten a few more reps in practice. He thought maybe Zack would get in for a play or two. He couldn’t imagine that his son would be leading the game-winning drive.
“It was past exciting,” Richard said.
Mahoney started the season as the fifth-string quarterback. When he wasn’t taking limited reps in training camp, he was with special teams holding kicks. Now a week after leading a game-winning overtime drive, he’ll be tasked with the starter’s role when Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) hosts No. 8 Louisiana State (2-0, 2-0 Southeastern) at noon in the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
Four years ago, Mahoney was the quarterback that couldn’t win the starting job as a junior at Lyons Township (Illinois) High School. The last time he started a football game, it was against Lindenwood-Bellville JV. As recently as the spring, SU head coach Scott Shafer struggled to remember his name. Now, Mahoney’s starting under center against the eighth-best team in the country.
“Coming in as a walk-on transfer, you don’t expect to start,” Mahoney said. “But you’ve got to prepare yourself every week that you can go in whenever. I like to think I’ve prepared myself.”
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How Did an LSU-Syracuse Matchup Come to Fruition? (nola.com; podcast; Rosetta)
It's not every day -- or every decade or generation or that matter -- that LSU heads to a faraway corner of the country to play a football game.
That is precisely the case this week, though, as the No. 8/9-ranked Tigers (2-0) take a long junket to Central New York to take on Syracuse (3-0) from the ACC on Saturday (11 a.m. | ESPN).
The notion of an LSU showdown with the Orange isn't something that most fans would default to when thinking about a power-conference matchup they'd like to see. But Syracuse was a team that Associate Athletic Director Verge Ausberry could get to agree to a home-and-home series without a several-season waiting period.
Ausberry joined me on 'Tiger Topics with Randy Rosetta' to talk about how the game in New York came about, as well as several other high-profile games coming up on the horizon, both near and way off in the distance.
Listen to the podcast below:
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When Was the Last Time LSU Lost an OOC Game in the Regular Season? (nola.com; Boudwin)
The 2015 LSU Tigers have been the talk of the college football world this past week. Behind running back Leonard Fournette and his 228 rushing yards against Auburn last Saturday, the Tigers are 2-0 as they travel to New York this weekend to face Syracuse (3-0).
It has been more than a decade since LSU lost to a non-conference team in the regular-season -- 13 years to be exact.
In the 2002 season opener, No. 14 LSU traveled to Blacksburg, Va., and played No. 16 Virginia Tech. The Tigers made mistakes from start to finish, which played a major factor as the Hokies won, 26-8.
An illegal block took away a touchdown on the fifth play of the game, a blocked punt with five seconds remaining and at least seven dropped passes were just a few of LSU's problems.
Who can forget the three timeouts burned in the game's first 18 minutes by the Tigers?
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http://pictures.replayphotos.com/images/LSU/lg/louisiana-state-university-football-sun-sets-on-tiger-stadium-lsu--x-00061lg.jpg
Drone Video Shows Inside Death Valley (ncaa.com; Richmond)
LSU’s Death Valley is one of the most intimidating places to play for opponents; however, it has another, more serene side to it. Thanks to 4K drone video taken before LSU’s home-opener this season, we can take an aerial view of an empty Tiger Stadium and it’s breathtaking.
The lighting of the stadium at night looks absolutely incredible, which is the result of an LED system the Tigers installed in 2012.
Tiger Stadium opened in 1924 and has a current capacity of 102,321.
The Fabulous Future (and Present) for LSU's Leonard Fournette (usatoday.com; Myerberg)
Leonard Fournette is halfway through an answer when the doors burst open. Les Miles bounces in, full of manic energy, with a suggestion.
“Hey! I just want you to know one thing,” Miles says, “We’re just fixing to get started here! We ain’t even started! Don’t look back, all right? All that’s gonna happen here in the future, right?”
Fournette smiles. He nods.
“Yessir,” he says — because what else could he say to that?
Then the coach is gone again. The volume level in the recruiting lounge at LSU’s football facility reverts to normal. But the coach’s direction makes perfect sense.
Fournette is 20 years old. He’s played two games of his sophomore season. The current buzz — the running back as your new Heisman leader, for example — is largely because of one spectacular performance last week against Auburn. There’s a long way to go this season, and before we discover how good he might be.
And yet, the future for LSU and Fournette seems to have arrived.
The 228-yard, three-touchdown performance last Saturday was so much more than the statistics. It was the stunning highlights, showcasing a rare blend of speed, power, size and agility. Fournette ran over, around and past Auburn defenders. On a play you’re going to see roughly forever, he shrugged off safety Tray Matthews, using his right arm to push him right over his head, without even slowing down en route to the end zone. It looked like a father tossing a toddler onto a sofa.
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LSU-Syracuse Breakdown with LSU Blog Death Valley Voice (deathvalleyvoice.com; Criswell)
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What are the expectations surrounding Zack Mahoney heading into his first career start?
The expectations are mixed for Mahoney. He looked great running the option last week and threw a few crisp passes, but other than that there isn’t much to go off of. He’s technically Syracuse’s 4th string quarterback, and when you get that low on the depth charts, it’s hard to really predict how he’ll do. I have to imagine SU will try and make the offense very run-heavy to ease him into the game. Expect to see a lot of the triple option and lots of short screen passes at the start of the game.
Brisly Estime has established himself to be a reliable playmaker for the Orange this season. What is the biggest asset that he brings to the table?
The easy answer on Estime is that he’s got speed. But I don’t think that’s what sets him apart. It’s his field vision. That’s why he’s the punt/kick returner, and why he has 1 TD (nearly 2) on returns already. Even in the passing game, his big play came on somewhat of a busted play where he adjusted his route when he saw Dungey was in trouble. It’s that vision and awareness that makes him a special player, and someone that will make waves all season.
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LSU Has Been There, Done That, Just Not That Often (nola.com; Kleinpeter)
LSU is making a long trek to Syracuse for this week's football game, an uncommonly long road trip in a seldom seen section of the country.
But LSU has been in the northeastern part of the country before. It's been a while since the last time when the 1947 Tigers beat Boston College, 14-13, on Oct. 17.
That was the last of six previous trips. Oddly enough, four of those games were played at baseball stadiums, including the aforementioned game at Braves Stadium, where the Major League Baseball team now in Atlanta originated.
LSU has also played at Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn, N.Y.; The Polo Grounds in New York City; and Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Here is the complete list compiled by Todd Politz of LSU sports information:
Nov. 7, 1931: Army 20, LSU 0 at West Point
Nov. 10, 1934: LSU 6, George Washington at Griffith Stadium, Washington D.C.
Oct. 12, 1935: LSU 32, Manhattan 0 Ebbetts Field, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Oct. 7, 1939: LSU 26, Holy Cross 7 at Holy Cross
Nov. 7, 1942: LSU 26, Fordham 13 at The Polo Grounds, NYC
Oct. 17, 1947: LSU 14, Boston College 13, Braves Stadium, Boston, Mass.
Is It Possible for LSU Fans to Drink Syracuse Dry? (foxports.com; Torres)
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That's all I really have to say about this game, but since we're talking LSU, let me add this: Did anyone see the crazy side-story that emerged about this game a few days ago? The one about Syracuse officials being concerned that the entire city might run out of alcohol, with LSU visiting this weekend?
First of all, this might be my single favorite story of 2015 that include the words "Bret Bielema" and "Toledo." Two, do you realize how much alcohol you need to consume to drink a city dry? Especially when that city is Syracuse?
Look, I'm not trying to rag on Syracuse here, but I've spent a lot of time in upstate New York. Outside of shoveling snow, watching Syracuse basketball and eating Dinosaur Bar-B-Cue (maybe the single best meal I've ever had), there's nothing to do in Syracuse but drink. Saying you're "going to drink Syracuse dry" is like saying you're going to "eat all the maple syrup in Canada." I don't even think it's possible.
Then again, when it comes to LSU fans and alcohol, they've been making the "impossible" seem possible for decades now.
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Here is How Important Dungey Is to SU Football (TNIAAM; Pregler)
Welcome to our new weekly feature Breaking Math: Syracuse Football. Each week, we'll do our best to zero in on some fancy stats, where exactly the Syracuse Orange stand with them, and if it means anything.
First, a quick recap of the week: Syracuse backup quarterback Eric Dungey (our newest Lord and Savior) was knocked out of this past Saturday's game with an upper body injury. His replacement looks to be a JUCO transfer new to the Orange program, Zack Mahoney.
We all know losing Dungey is a big deal but against LSU that may be a moot point. The reason I do this now is that we clearly have a Dungey-led sample size (ish) to work off and these numbers will probably drastically change next week.
So while it's all nice and shiny, get to know Explosiveness. SB Nation's Bill C came up with this one as one of the Five Factors that teams have explicit control over that lead to success. Explosiveness is, to boil it down, how effective an offense is at creating plays that move the ball down the field (Full Glossary of terms can be found here).
The reason I chose this stat is because of Syracuse's ranking in said stat this week:
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Time Machine: Michael Vick Cannot Be Stopped (DO; Bishop)
Editor’s note: The article below is a republished story from The Daily Orange’s preview of Syracuse-Virginia Tech, highlighting Michael Vick’s return to Syracuse on Oct. 21, 2000.
Right now, in the college town of Blacksburg, Va., there resides a quarterback among the city’s 39,050 residents who should remind Syracuse football fans of Donovan McNabb.
Like McNabb, he’s athletic enough to warrant consideration from a sport he doesn’t specialize in.
Like McNabb, he’s at his best when improvising on college football’s stage, truly a man among some very big boys.
And like McNabb, Virginia Tech’s all-everything quarterback, Michael Vick, was drawn to Syracuse in the recruiting process.
But Vick doesn’t like comparisons. He doesn’t like cold weather, either. He doesn’t like being far away from his mom, who lives in Newport News, Va.
He never wanted to be the next Donovan McNabb.
So while Syracuse struggles to find a replacement for its best quarterback ever, the would-be heir to the Salt City throne is wearing Orange — mixed with maroon — while taking snaps for the No. 2 Hokies.
“I was real close to coming to Syracuse, but in the end it came to me wanting to be my own person,” said Vick, who will visit the Carrier Dome on Saturday for a 7 p.m. tilt.
“I wanted to be the first Michael Vick.”
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