sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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- Aug 15, 2011
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Welcome to National Drink Beer Day!
Recognized nationwide among beer enthusiasts,[1][2] National Beer Day is an unofficial holiday in the United Statescelebrated every year on April 7, celebrating the day in 1933, the first day in 13 years,[3] that people could legally buy, sell, and drink beer.
National Beer Day is a celebration of the Cullen–Harrison Act being signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 22, 1933. That law went into effect on April 7 of that year, allowing people to buy, sell and drink beer again as long as it was < 3.2% alcohol-by-weight (4.05% alcohol-by-volume). People across the country responded by gathering outside breweries, some beginning the night before. On that first day, 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed, inspiring the future holiday.[4] Today, April 7 is recognized as National Beer Day and April 6 is known as New Beer's Eve.[5]
SU News
How the LSU Game Affects SU Football Recruiting (TNIAAM; Pilatzke)
On this blog and beyond, it has been debated whether the Syracuse Orange should be scheduling all weak non-conference opponents to boost its win total and give the program a better chance of achieving bowl eligibility every year. It is a strategy that has worked for other programs trying to become nationally relevant again.
So far, Syracuse has largely stuck to a formula of scheduling three weaker non-conference games, and one game against a national powerhouse. In recent years, we've seen Syracuse play USC, Penn State, Notre Dame and now this year, LSU. One benefit of playing these big time programs is that Syracuse can garner national attention, at least for that week. What may decide if playing these teams is worth it to the program is how competitive Syracuse makes the game.
In past years, Syracuse has played each of the other programs tough, but ultimately the Orange could not play well enough to pull out the win. Yesterday against LSU was different. Playing with a walk-on quarterback, everyone counted the Orange out, especially in the second half after each time LSU scored another touchdown. No one, except the Syracuse players themselves, seemed to think Syracuse's struggling offense would be able to put more points on the board against the athletic SEC defense, but they did. This time, Syracuse didn't beat themselves as they did against Penn State and Notre Dame. They played a better, more athletic, nationally renowned program and hung tough, and recruits took notice:
Moran is a four-star running back who is committed to Illinois that Syracuse re-engaged with after Robert Washington de-committed.
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Tim Lester Shows Leadership Ability in Making the Most of Difficult QB Situation (DO; Blum)
Tim Lester walked through the bowels of the Carrier Dome following Syracuse’s Sept. 4 win over Rhode Island. His face was sweaty, but he masked discomfort and displeasure with a welcoming smile.
The 47-0 win was a secondary topic of conversation. Lester had lost his quarterback, Terrel Hunt, likely for the whole season. He had to portray uncertainty and even optimism onto a situation that was assuredly inevitable.
Two weeks and one day later, he needed to ease a man that had at one point been a fifth-string quarterback, into a starter. Eric Dungey, who only just begun to excel, had taken a hit to the head.
First, Lester went to the more experienced Austin Wilson, but always with the intent to make Mahoney the man. And then when Mahoney did go in, he gradually expanded the types of plays he called as the games progressed and the nerves faded.
“It’s not easy,” Lester said when asked if he was frustrated. “Coach (Scott Shafer) says control the controllables, and that’s something we can’t control. I think the thing that’s frustrating the most is a lot of (the injuries) are flukes.”
Nothing about what Lester has dealt with as the Syracuse offensive coordinator has been easy. Whether it was running George McDonald’s futile offense with backup quarterbacks the final seven games of last season or installing his own during spring practice and fall training camp.
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What We Learned From the LSU-Syracuse Game (thejuice.com; Cheng)
Syracuse lost its first game of the season, 34-24, against LSU. Here are a few thoughts from the game:
MAHONEY BOUNCES BACK IN SECOND HALF
Walk-on quarterback Zack Mahoney had a first half to forget. He completed just 5 of 13 passes for 35 yards and zero rushing yards, and had offensive coordinator Tim Lester threatening to bench him if he didn’t produce better results. It was clear that Mahoney was nervous, badly misfiring on several short throws. “There were some nerves in the first half,” Mahoney said. “And those nerves kind of messed up my motion a little bit.” But those nerves were gone in the second half, as Mahoney electrified the Carrier Dome, completing 11 of 25 passes for 119 yards, three touchdowns and 40 rushing yards. That included a nifty 40-yard bomb to Brisly Estime for a touchdown that pulled the Orange to within 7. “I feel like I played okay. Not nearly as well as I can and should,” Mahoney said. “I felt like as the game went on, I progressed with a lot of things.”
» Related: Syracuse hangs tough, but can’t top LSU
FOURNETTE MEETS LITTLE AFTER MONSTER GAME
Leonard Fournette was as good as advertised against Syracuse, as the early Heisman front-runner rushed for a career-high 244 yards and two touchdowns, which makes the first time in LSU history that a running back has posted back-to-back 200 yard games. “He’s very explosive,” Syracuse linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “His vision is up there. He’s able to read his line, and hit it full speed.” Afterward, Fournette met SU legend Floyd Little and took a photo with him. “He told me I did a great job and he was going to continue to pray for my success,” Fournette said. “Syracuse started Running Back U.”
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Dave Doeren Loves Cupcakes
ACC Football Roundup: Down to Four Undefeated Teams (dukebasketballreports.com; Sours)
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North Carolina State (4-0) – The only team in the conference with four wins. Their running backs combined for five touchdowns in the Wolfpack’s victory over yet another cupcake, and will face a real test next week in their ACC opener as they face… never mind. It’s Louisville.
ACC Title Contenders
Duke (3-1) – The loss to Northwestern looks better every week, and starting the ACC season with a win over a ranked Georgia Tech team hopefully doesn’t foreshadow the Ramblin’ Wreck winning the division like last year. But what does it take to get a team ranked nowadays? Holding the triple option to 173 yards on the ground is an impressive feat, and Duke’s S&P+ is 19th in the nation. Where are the votes?
Boston College (3-1) – A tough win over a Northern Illinois team that was one score away from an upset of The Ohio State University looks good. The matchup against Duke in Wallace Wade next week looks like a whole lot of fun between two good defenses.
Syracuse (3-1) – Don’t look now, but Syracuse looks serious. They’ve gotten stronger with every win, and a 10-point loss to the LSU Leonard Fournettes is like three moral wins for the Orange. Heck, there’s a lot of ranked teams I’d expect to lose by more than ten points to LSU.
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