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AmeriCU Fran Brown Show Debuts Thursday - Syracuse University Athletics
(This has their schedule for the season)
The show originates from Heritage Hill Brewery in Jamesville:
heritagehillbrewery.com
3149 Sweet Rd · 3149 Sweet Rd, Jamesville, NY 13078
You can catch the show on TK99/105 locally, Cuse.com and the 'Cuse App, You can also get it on: https://tunein.com/radio/home/ or https://cuse.com/watch/?Live=6944&type=Live . Fans are invited to participate in the show by calling 888-7Go-Cuse, (1-888-746-2873), or 424-8599 or on twitter (@CuseLearfield) with the hashtag #AskFran or through Cuse.com, (the SU Athletic website): Submit a Question! - Syracuse University Athletics.
And the half-hour follow-up on Twitch will turn up on You-Tube later that evening, (we hope).
Cuse Sports Talk
My Question(s) or Comments (or theories)
“Coach, I was 15 years old when our 10th ranked team went out to California in 1968, turned the ball over 9 times and lost 0-43. I cried myself to sleep that night. That 15 year old is still in me and he thanks you, even after all these years, for beating the Bears Saturday.
We’ve had several games we actually dominated that got close at the end. It’s frustrating because I’d like the rest of the country to see how good this team is. What can we do to finish these games strong?”
For the twitch segment:
“Coach, you’ve now twice taken teams out to the west coast and they have performed well and won the games over pretty good opponents. We’ll be making some more west coast trips in the future. What’s the secret to winning those games?”
The Show
(Since both the show and the Twitch segment were available the same evening the first time out this year, as long as that’s the case, I’m going to just focus on the highlights, including the answers to my questions. I sometimes re-arrange the comments so that statements made on the same subject are reported together, even if they came at different points of the show.)
First the answers to my questions:
Q1- “We continue to learn how not to lose. We need to be on a mission. That takes maturity. Then he joked “I came here in my early 40’s. I now feel like I’m 53.” Then he was kind enough to acknowledge that I am “a really good fan and ask really good questions” and thanked me for them. I told him not to get too many gray hairs.
I’d noticed in his last couple of press conferences that Coach Brown seemed more relaxed and even humorous. I think he just needed to get to know people so he could trust them. Today was a breakthrough for me. The antagonism that seemed to be there on prior shows is gone, (although this will be tested by my last question on next week’s last show of the season.)
Q2 – “We do the same thing we do every week. We’re more locked in. We’ll go wherever they say to go. I just want it to be hot – or in the Dome.” Coach Nixon: “It’s the way we practice. FB: ”We’re just together. No one gets out of the hotel. There’s an officer waiting who lets no one in and no one out. There are two things to do: eat and sleep”.
Steve Infante sat in for Matt Park who is in New York for the basketball game against Texas tomorrow night. He referred to our “dominant first half”. Coach said it was the result of “Guys believing in each other and following their leaders, which he identified as Kyle McCord, Le Quint Allen, Marlowe Wax and Fadil Diggs. “For the most part, we stopped the run.” Steve suggested that we’d avoid consecutive defeats: “Don’t let one team beat you twice.” Coach said that they don’t just look at film of the last game but also the gamer before that. He wants to avoid complacency. “The UCONN game will show us if we re a good team or not. It’s the most important game of the season.”
These brought up Jackson Kennedy who “was not on the initial depth chart”. FB: “Everybody gets an opportunity in practice. He stuck to the grind. He’s a kid of faith, a Christian Kid.” Dom in North Carolian is coming in for the game and sked where he might be able to meet the players. Coach suggested Varsity Pizza, Dinosaur Barbeque, OIP, (Original Italian Pizza or even Heritage Hill. [I don’t if those are places to meet the players after a game or places to meet fellow fans.] “It’s a good deal no matter where you go in Syracuse.”
Chase in the restaurant asked how Coach “pumps up the players after a game”. FB: “I say whatever comes into my heart.” Angel asked about the origins of the ‘senior walk’, which will be done after the Connecticut game rather than the Miami game. Coach Brown said it goes back to Coach Mac. [I thought Dino Babers started it in the late teens.]
Coach Brown never met Coach Mac but has met many of his former players. “They are DART me. They take care of their families. They are loyal to the school. They are down to earth guys and stand-up men.” He mentioned Turnell Soms, Pete Alexander and Keith Bullock. He said that “you can see eras – who coached the guys.” Steve laugh and said “Yes, you can.” FB: “If I can do half of what they’ve done.” [Actually, Fran, we’d like you do all of what they did.] “When you welcome players back you learn a lot about how to build a program. You have to know the history of the program. Syracuse people are all over the country, all over the world. They are always asking “Do you need anything?” He asked Dwight Freeney to talk to Fadil Diggs about rushing the passer. He has “come of the offensive line guys” talk to the current line.
Chris in Camillus wanted to know “How do you ID guys in high school and identify the ‘diamonds in the rough’?” FB: “There’s the camps and the films. We evaluate and identify no matter who he is or what he’s supposed to be. Sometimes a guy we weren’t even looking at ‘pops’ and we check him out. You’ve got to be thorough.”
What does this senior class mean to him? “They made it really easy for me.” He came up with another acronym: CCT: Committed, Caring and Trusting. The seniors were ‘CCT’. “We became a family quickly. It wasn’t a pride thing – they accepted everyone we brought in. My hat’s off to Coach Babers. It doesn’t happen that way with a lot of people.”
How does he teach players – convince them to do things his way? “Watch what I say and what I do. If I have to convince you, go. A great receiver told me it’s not going to work out. I took him over to the compliance office and told them that he wanted to enter the portal. He said “Coach I want to talk about it. I told him ‘I don’t.’”
The ever-philosophical Michael in Manlius said that he threw a stone into the water and a pickerel jumped onto the beach and he caught him. This led to a discussion of ‘trap games’, which he thinks Connecticut is. Coach repeated “This is the biggest game of the season. They are just as good as any team in our conference. I’m not sure about trap games. I guess they eman you are supposed to be way better than your opponent.” He obviously doesn’t think we are – ar at least, that’s what he’s telling the players. “Connecticut has 7 wins, just as we do and they lost close games to Duke and Wake Forest. They play together and can run the ball. Tey have good linebackers and defensive backs. It’s a conference opponent.” [Does he know something we don’t?]
‘Jonsie of the West Lot Crew’, stole what was going to be my lead-in question next week. Are any of our players going to skip the bowl game? What has Fran said to them about it? Coach sai that he isn’t talking to them about that yet. They’ve got to do what is best for them and the team.” [Both at the same time?] Then he said “Whatever they decide to do, I’ll make the decision as to what’s best for them. [?] They might want to play the game to ‘play up’ for the pros.
Steve had some stats: “We are 15th in the country in converting fourth downs” [I would have even better than that.] “Is this analytics, a guy feeling or trust in your offense -and your defense if you don’t make it?’ FB: “It’s faith in each other. Accountability: you want to go for it and get it. I trust the coaching staff. It’s a lot of trust and faith. I don’t care about the ’book’. Steve also said that we are 5-2 in one-score game, tied for the most wins in the country. [Scott Frost, eat your heart out.] FB: We do it in practice. I’m always watching football. I see different scenarios and put them in our practices.
They brought on OC Jeff Nixon. FB: “He’s a detail person, a good father and a good husband. He crushed my NFL dreams”, (probably when he was coaching special teams with the Eagles). “When he went to the Carolina Panthers, they started to score. He researched how to keep McCaffrey and later Saquon Barkley healthy.
Coach Nixon is proud we scored on our first five possessions against Cal, although he wished we didn’t have to settle for field goals on those first two possessions. He played on the West Virginia team that beat us in the Dome in 1993. He said that “I’ve always admired Syracuse from afar.” [It was quite a distance on that day: another 0-43 loss, this one in the Dome.] “George Deleone was a mentor. He was on the staff at Baylor with Coach Brown. “Everything fell into place with Kyle McCord.” His son Willis injured: today was the first day he was allowed to put any weight on his foot. He’ll be ready to go in April for his senior year.” [Isn’t spring practice over by them?]
The Twitch segment, (see the link below) was done with both Coach Brown and Coach Nixon, a good move as the assistant coach usually comes onto the main show with insufficient time.
Gomez referred to the 1993 by saying “I probably booed you!” [Why would you boo a played on the other team unless he didn’t something unsportsmanlike?] Coach Nixon was “pleasantly surprised with all the depth here, especially in the offensive line. LeQuint Allen was all-ACC last year and has a bright NFL future ahead of him. He’s a great third down running back and leads the nation in receptions by a running back. The most important position after quarterback is center. He gts everybody organized up front.”
FB: “Guys get better with practice. Gill stands out, as does Hatcher. Pena is as good as it gets. He’s stayed healthy and is leading the ACC in catches.”
JN: “Everything in football I either borrowed or stolen. You have to get the right play at the right time. If not, go on to the next one.”
FB: “Jakari Williams is taking reps with the 2’s. He’s delivering the hits now. He ahs an opportunity to be really good.”
Gomez asked who are some of the underrated players on the team. FB referred to Tom Callahan, who is trying to finish his senior season with a torn MCL while doing the long snaps. Braylen Ingraham has seen his career end due to injury but shows up for every meeting and every practice – in pads to support the team. Josh Ilaoa does a good job backing up J'Onre Reed. Mark Petry is a leader. Bradford and Washington have done a real god job.“
Coach Nixon said that Yasin Willis had “size, speed and quickness and had just shown the tip fo rht iceberg. He’s still learning our system.”
Connecticut “has one of the top defenses in the country”.
FB: “It’s good to have NFL coaches in college It’s good for the game. It’s becoming the same game. NFL guys can get players a true shot – not just a free agent contract.”
“Players aren’t going to the same schools (the blue-bloods) due to NIL and the backing of the school.”
Coach Brown said that SU has a ‘Syracuse 60’ program designed t get it’s graduates a job within 60 days.
(This has their schedule for the season)
The show originates from Heritage Hill Brewery in Jamesville:
Heritage Hill Brewhouse
Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey. Handcrafted Beer, Homemade Food & Amazing Views set upon our active crop and animal farm. A family friendly destination that's an escape but close enough to call home.
heritagehillbrewery.com
You can catch the show on TK99/105 locally, Cuse.com and the 'Cuse App, You can also get it on: https://tunein.com/radio/home/ or https://cuse.com/watch/?Live=6944&type=Live . Fans are invited to participate in the show by calling 888-7Go-Cuse, (1-888-746-2873), or 424-8599 or on twitter (@CuseLearfield) with the hashtag #AskFran or through Cuse.com, (the SU Athletic website): Submit a Question! - Syracuse University Athletics.
And the half-hour follow-up on Twitch will turn up on You-Tube later that evening, (we hope).
Cuse Sports Talk
My Question(s) or Comments (or theories)
“Coach, I was 15 years old when our 10th ranked team went out to California in 1968, turned the ball over 9 times and lost 0-43. I cried myself to sleep that night. That 15 year old is still in me and he thanks you, even after all these years, for beating the Bears Saturday.
We’ve had several games we actually dominated that got close at the end. It’s frustrating because I’d like the rest of the country to see how good this team is. What can we do to finish these games strong?”
For the twitch segment:
“Coach, you’ve now twice taken teams out to the west coast and they have performed well and won the games over pretty good opponents. We’ll be making some more west coast trips in the future. What’s the secret to winning those games?”
The Show
(Since both the show and the Twitch segment were available the same evening the first time out this year, as long as that’s the case, I’m going to just focus on the highlights, including the answers to my questions. I sometimes re-arrange the comments so that statements made on the same subject are reported together, even if they came at different points of the show.)
First the answers to my questions:
Q1- “We continue to learn how not to lose. We need to be on a mission. That takes maturity. Then he joked “I came here in my early 40’s. I now feel like I’m 53.” Then he was kind enough to acknowledge that I am “a really good fan and ask really good questions” and thanked me for them. I told him not to get too many gray hairs.
I’d noticed in his last couple of press conferences that Coach Brown seemed more relaxed and even humorous. I think he just needed to get to know people so he could trust them. Today was a breakthrough for me. The antagonism that seemed to be there on prior shows is gone, (although this will be tested by my last question on next week’s last show of the season.)
Q2 – “We do the same thing we do every week. We’re more locked in. We’ll go wherever they say to go. I just want it to be hot – or in the Dome.” Coach Nixon: “It’s the way we practice. FB: ”We’re just together. No one gets out of the hotel. There’s an officer waiting who lets no one in and no one out. There are two things to do: eat and sleep”.
Steve Infante sat in for Matt Park who is in New York for the basketball game against Texas tomorrow night. He referred to our “dominant first half”. Coach said it was the result of “Guys believing in each other and following their leaders, which he identified as Kyle McCord, Le Quint Allen, Marlowe Wax and Fadil Diggs. “For the most part, we stopped the run.” Steve suggested that we’d avoid consecutive defeats: “Don’t let one team beat you twice.” Coach said that they don’t just look at film of the last game but also the gamer before that. He wants to avoid complacency. “The UCONN game will show us if we re a good team or not. It’s the most important game of the season.”
These brought up Jackson Kennedy who “was not on the initial depth chart”. FB: “Everybody gets an opportunity in practice. He stuck to the grind. He’s a kid of faith, a Christian Kid.” Dom in North Carolian is coming in for the game and sked where he might be able to meet the players. Coach suggested Varsity Pizza, Dinosaur Barbeque, OIP, (Original Italian Pizza or even Heritage Hill. [I don’t if those are places to meet the players after a game or places to meet fellow fans.] “It’s a good deal no matter where you go in Syracuse.”
Chase in the restaurant asked how Coach “pumps up the players after a game”. FB: “I say whatever comes into my heart.” Angel asked about the origins of the ‘senior walk’, which will be done after the Connecticut game rather than the Miami game. Coach Brown said it goes back to Coach Mac. [I thought Dino Babers started it in the late teens.]
Coach Brown never met Coach Mac but has met many of his former players. “They are DART me. They take care of their families. They are loyal to the school. They are down to earth guys and stand-up men.” He mentioned Turnell Soms, Pete Alexander and Keith Bullock. He said that “you can see eras – who coached the guys.” Steve laugh and said “Yes, you can.” FB: “If I can do half of what they’ve done.” [Actually, Fran, we’d like you do all of what they did.] “When you welcome players back you learn a lot about how to build a program. You have to know the history of the program. Syracuse people are all over the country, all over the world. They are always asking “Do you need anything?” He asked Dwight Freeney to talk to Fadil Diggs about rushing the passer. He has “come of the offensive line guys” talk to the current line.
Chris in Camillus wanted to know “How do you ID guys in high school and identify the ‘diamonds in the rough’?” FB: “There’s the camps and the films. We evaluate and identify no matter who he is or what he’s supposed to be. Sometimes a guy we weren’t even looking at ‘pops’ and we check him out. You’ve got to be thorough.”
What does this senior class mean to him? “They made it really easy for me.” He came up with another acronym: CCT: Committed, Caring and Trusting. The seniors were ‘CCT’. “We became a family quickly. It wasn’t a pride thing – they accepted everyone we brought in. My hat’s off to Coach Babers. It doesn’t happen that way with a lot of people.”
How does he teach players – convince them to do things his way? “Watch what I say and what I do. If I have to convince you, go. A great receiver told me it’s not going to work out. I took him over to the compliance office and told them that he wanted to enter the portal. He said “Coach I want to talk about it. I told him ‘I don’t.’”
The ever-philosophical Michael in Manlius said that he threw a stone into the water and a pickerel jumped onto the beach and he caught him. This led to a discussion of ‘trap games’, which he thinks Connecticut is. Coach repeated “This is the biggest game of the season. They are just as good as any team in our conference. I’m not sure about trap games. I guess they eman you are supposed to be way better than your opponent.” He obviously doesn’t think we are – ar at least, that’s what he’s telling the players. “Connecticut has 7 wins, just as we do and they lost close games to Duke and Wake Forest. They play together and can run the ball. Tey have good linebackers and defensive backs. It’s a conference opponent.” [Does he know something we don’t?]
‘Jonsie of the West Lot Crew’, stole what was going to be my lead-in question next week. Are any of our players going to skip the bowl game? What has Fran said to them about it? Coach sai that he isn’t talking to them about that yet. They’ve got to do what is best for them and the team.” [Both at the same time?] Then he said “Whatever they decide to do, I’ll make the decision as to what’s best for them. [?] They might want to play the game to ‘play up’ for the pros.
Steve had some stats: “We are 15th in the country in converting fourth downs” [I would have even better than that.] “Is this analytics, a guy feeling or trust in your offense -and your defense if you don’t make it?’ FB: “It’s faith in each other. Accountability: you want to go for it and get it. I trust the coaching staff. It’s a lot of trust and faith. I don’t care about the ’book’. Steve also said that we are 5-2 in one-score game, tied for the most wins in the country. [Scott Frost, eat your heart out.] FB: We do it in practice. I’m always watching football. I see different scenarios and put them in our practices.
They brought on OC Jeff Nixon. FB: “He’s a detail person, a good father and a good husband. He crushed my NFL dreams”, (probably when he was coaching special teams with the Eagles). “When he went to the Carolina Panthers, they started to score. He researched how to keep McCaffrey and later Saquon Barkley healthy.
Coach Nixon is proud we scored on our first five possessions against Cal, although he wished we didn’t have to settle for field goals on those first two possessions. He played on the West Virginia team that beat us in the Dome in 1993. He said that “I’ve always admired Syracuse from afar.” [It was quite a distance on that day: another 0-43 loss, this one in the Dome.] “George Deleone was a mentor. He was on the staff at Baylor with Coach Brown. “Everything fell into place with Kyle McCord.” His son Willis injured: today was the first day he was allowed to put any weight on his foot. He’ll be ready to go in April for his senior year.” [Isn’t spring practice over by them?]
The Twitch segment, (see the link below) was done with both Coach Brown and Coach Nixon, a good move as the assistant coach usually comes onto the main show with insufficient time.
Gomez referred to the 1993 by saying “I probably booed you!” [Why would you boo a played on the other team unless he didn’t something unsportsmanlike?] Coach Nixon was “pleasantly surprised with all the depth here, especially in the offensive line. LeQuint Allen was all-ACC last year and has a bright NFL future ahead of him. He’s a great third down running back and leads the nation in receptions by a running back. The most important position after quarterback is center. He gts everybody organized up front.”
FB: “Guys get better with practice. Gill stands out, as does Hatcher. Pena is as good as it gets. He’s stayed healthy and is leading the ACC in catches.”
JN: “Everything in football I either borrowed or stolen. You have to get the right play at the right time. If not, go on to the next one.”
FB: “Jakari Williams is taking reps with the 2’s. He’s delivering the hits now. He ahs an opportunity to be really good.”
Gomez asked who are some of the underrated players on the team. FB referred to Tom Callahan, who is trying to finish his senior season with a torn MCL while doing the long snaps. Braylen Ingraham has seen his career end due to injury but shows up for every meeting and every practice – in pads to support the team. Josh Ilaoa does a good job backing up J'Onre Reed. Mark Petry is a leader. Bradford and Washington have done a real god job.“
Coach Nixon said that Yasin Willis had “size, speed and quickness and had just shown the tip fo rht iceberg. He’s still learning our system.”
Connecticut “has one of the top defenses in the country”.
FB: “It’s good to have NFL coaches in college It’s good for the game. It’s becoming the same game. NFL guys can get players a true shot – not just a free agent contract.”
“Players aren’t going to the same schools (the blue-bloods) due to NIL and the backing of the school.”
Coach Brown said that SU has a ‘Syracuse 60’ program designed t get it’s graduates a job within 60 days.
