sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 26,689
- Like
- 116,388
I am temporarily filling in for OE as he recovers from surgery. Get well soon Dan.
Recruiting
Emilio Gibbs (right)
Shaquery Wilson (7)
SU Football Targeting LB Emilio Gibbs, WR Shaquery Wilson, 2 More Recruits From Coral Gables (PS; Mink)
Syracuse recently received a verbal commitment from Class of 2015 cornerback Andrew Spence, and it is targeting two more of his teammates at Coral Gables High School in South Florida.
Syracuse has offered middle linebacker Emilio Gibbs and wide receiver Shaquery Wilson. Gibbs has been held for the spring because of a neck sprain, his coaches said, which has slowed down his recruitment.
...
SU News
Malik Brown (90)
The Prodigal Son Returns? Malik Brown Says He Might Transfer to Syracuse (PS; Bailey)
When Doug Marrone left Syracuse to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills last offseason, the Orange lost verbal commitment Malik Brown as well.
The three-star defensive end flipped to Tennessee, citing Marrone's departure, along with that of assistants John Anselmo and Steve Morrison, as the reasoning behind his decision.
However, after an injury-plagued redshirt freshman season with the Volunteers, Browndecided to transfer from Tennessee, and said that he isn't ruling out Syracuse as a destination.
"Yeah," Brown wrote in a text message when asked about the possibility."I'm looking at every option available."
...
ACC News
Athlon Projects SU to Finish 4th in Atlantic (Athlonsports.com; Lassan)
The second tier of the Atlantic Division starts with Syracuse, projected to finish No. 61 nationally. The Orange finished 2013 by winning four of their last six games and return an improving quarterback in Terrel Hunt, along with one of the ACC’s top offensive tackles in Sean Hickey. Syracuse is projected to finish No. 4 in the Atlantic, but Boston College and NC State aren’t far behind. The Wolfpack could be the most-improved teams in the ACC behind transfer quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Ranking ACC OOC Schedules: FSU Has the Toughest, SU is # 5 (newsok.com; Tramel)
Time to rank the non-conference schedules of the Atlantic Coast Conference. And the ACC has a new look. Louisville is in, Maryland is out – I originally called Maryland an ACC school, in my Big 12 blog yesterday. I wasn’t the first and I won’t be the last to make that mistake.
TRAMEL: Ranking the Big 12's non-conference schedule
Anyway, the ACC consistently plays among the toughest non-conference schedules, and while some have lived up to that legacy, others have not. Here are the rankings:
1. Florida State: Oklahoma State in Arlington, The Citadel, Notre Dame, Florida. Wow. The Cowboys are only the third-most marquee team on the list. If the Seminoles aren’t playing the nation’s best non-conference schedule, I want to see who is.
Who Will Be This Year's Duke in the ACC? (ESPN; Hale)
Duke’s surprise run to the ACC title game last season offered a template for big turnarounds in the conference. But the Blue Devils became the first team outside the conference’s traditional power brokers (FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech) to reach 10 wins since 2009, so surprise improvements are hardly an annual tradition.
Still, after a season in which nearly half the league finished with seven wins, there are definitely others poised for a big leap forward in 2014. With that in mind, we’re looked at each of the ACC’s eight teams that won seven or fewer games last season and asked whether they’re capable of making a Duke-like jump in the standings -- i.e. at least four more wins and a spot in the conference title game.
Here’s how we’d rank them entering the summer:
North Carolina (7-6, 4-4 ACC)
Before Duke made its run to the Coastal last season, it suffered through a Jekyll-and-Hyde 2012 campaign. UNC did the same in 2013, only it ended on a high note. A cadre of freshmen blossomed late, offering ample optimism for 2014. And like last season's Duke squad, the Tar Heels are capable of scoring on defense and special teams (nine non-offensive TDs last year), have depth at quarterback and a go-to receiver in Quinshad Davis. The difference for UNC, however, is questions on both sides of the line. Adding four wins might be tough, but UNC travels to Duke in the penultimate game of the regular season, and the Coastal could be on the line.
...
Projecting the Standings for the ACC Coastal Division: UNC #1? (Rantsports.com; Kelley)
The North Carolina Tar Heels enter the 2014 season as the favorite to win the Coastal division after winning six of their final seven games last year, including a 39-14 thrashing of the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Belk Bowl. Their win streak came mostly against mediocre competition, though, with their one loss handed to them by the Duke Blue Devils. UNC still has a lot to prove, but they look like they should have all of the pieces to do it.
Why North Carolina could win the Coastal division:
Marquise Williams is one of the most electric quarterbacks in the conference. Williams was raw last season, but his play had a huge part in North Carolina’s turnaround. As a sophomore, he started five games and threw for 1,698 yards and 15 touchdowns with an additional 536 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. With a year of experience under his belt, Williams should be ready to for a leap forward.
...
ACC Lunch Time Links (ESPN; Fortuna)
Former Players
Macky MacPherson (59)
Macky MacPherson Begins Attempt to Make Bills Final Roster (PS; Bailey)
Macky MacPherson stepped into the Buffalo Bills indoor football facility on Monday afternoon, pausing for a moment of reflection.
It had been more than three weeks since his name went uncalled at the NFL Draft, and more than two since departing the Philadelphia Eagles mini camp without a contract offer.
Finally, he had made it.
A phone call from familiar voice Doug Marrone started the process on Thursday morning. And his physical and contract signing Monday morning completed it.
"'This is pretty cool,'" MacPherson recalls saying in an interview on Tuesday evening. "But once you become satisfied with yourself, that's when things start going awry for you. I'm staying hungry right now, trying to bring my best to every practice, to every meeting and just improve every day.
...
Recruiting
Emilio Gibbs (right)
Shaquery Wilson (7)
SU Football Targeting LB Emilio Gibbs, WR Shaquery Wilson, 2 More Recruits From Coral Gables (PS; Mink)
Syracuse recently received a verbal commitment from Class of 2015 cornerback Andrew Spence, and it is targeting two more of his teammates at Coral Gables High School in South Florida.
Syracuse has offered middle linebacker Emilio Gibbs and wide receiver Shaquery Wilson. Gibbs has been held for the spring because of a neck sprain, his coaches said, which has slowed down his recruitment.
...
SU News
Malik Brown (90)
The Prodigal Son Returns? Malik Brown Says He Might Transfer to Syracuse (PS; Bailey)
When Doug Marrone left Syracuse to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills last offseason, the Orange lost verbal commitment Malik Brown as well.
The three-star defensive end flipped to Tennessee, citing Marrone's departure, along with that of assistants John Anselmo and Steve Morrison, as the reasoning behind his decision.
However, after an injury-plagued redshirt freshman season with the Volunteers, Browndecided to transfer from Tennessee, and said that he isn't ruling out Syracuse as a destination.
"Yeah," Brown wrote in a text message when asked about the possibility."I'm looking at every option available."
...
ACC News
Athlon Projects SU to Finish 4th in Atlantic (Athlonsports.com; Lassan)
The second tier of the Atlantic Division starts with Syracuse, projected to finish No. 61 nationally. The Orange finished 2013 by winning four of their last six games and return an improving quarterback in Terrel Hunt, along with one of the ACC’s top offensive tackles in Sean Hickey. Syracuse is projected to finish No. 4 in the Atlantic, but Boston College and NC State aren’t far behind. The Wolfpack could be the most-improved teams in the ACC behind transfer quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Ranking ACC OOC Schedules: FSU Has the Toughest, SU is # 5 (newsok.com; Tramel)
Time to rank the non-conference schedules of the Atlantic Coast Conference. And the ACC has a new look. Louisville is in, Maryland is out – I originally called Maryland an ACC school, in my Big 12 blog yesterday. I wasn’t the first and I won’t be the last to make that mistake.
TRAMEL: Ranking the Big 12's non-conference schedule
Anyway, the ACC consistently plays among the toughest non-conference schedules, and while some have lived up to that legacy, others have not. Here are the rankings:
1. Florida State: Oklahoma State in Arlington, The Citadel, Notre Dame, Florida. Wow. The Cowboys are only the third-most marquee team on the list. If the Seminoles aren’t playing the nation’s best non-conference schedule, I want to see who is.
Who Will Be This Year's Duke in the ACC? (ESPN; Hale)
Duke’s surprise run to the ACC title game last season offered a template for big turnarounds in the conference. But the Blue Devils became the first team outside the conference’s traditional power brokers (FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech) to reach 10 wins since 2009, so surprise improvements are hardly an annual tradition.
Still, after a season in which nearly half the league finished with seven wins, there are definitely others poised for a big leap forward in 2014. With that in mind, we’re looked at each of the ACC’s eight teams that won seven or fewer games last season and asked whether they’re capable of making a Duke-like jump in the standings -- i.e. at least four more wins and a spot in the conference title game.
Here’s how we’d rank them entering the summer:
North Carolina (7-6, 4-4 ACC)
Before Duke made its run to the Coastal last season, it suffered through a Jekyll-and-Hyde 2012 campaign. UNC did the same in 2013, only it ended on a high note. A cadre of freshmen blossomed late, offering ample optimism for 2014. And like last season's Duke squad, the Tar Heels are capable of scoring on defense and special teams (nine non-offensive TDs last year), have depth at quarterback and a go-to receiver in Quinshad Davis. The difference for UNC, however, is questions on both sides of the line. Adding four wins might be tough, but UNC travels to Duke in the penultimate game of the regular season, and the Coastal could be on the line.
...
Projecting the Standings for the ACC Coastal Division: UNC #1? (Rantsports.com; Kelley)
The North Carolina Tar Heels enter the 2014 season as the favorite to win the Coastal division after winning six of their final seven games last year, including a 39-14 thrashing of the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Belk Bowl. Their win streak came mostly against mediocre competition, though, with their one loss handed to them by the Duke Blue Devils. UNC still has a lot to prove, but they look like they should have all of the pieces to do it.
Why North Carolina could win the Coastal division:
Marquise Williams is one of the most electric quarterbacks in the conference. Williams was raw last season, but his play had a huge part in North Carolina’s turnaround. As a sophomore, he started five games and threw for 1,698 yards and 15 touchdowns with an additional 536 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. With a year of experience under his belt, Williams should be ready to for a leap forward.
...
ACC Lunch Time Links (ESPN; Fortuna)
Former Players
Macky MacPherson (59)
Macky MacPherson Begins Attempt to Make Bills Final Roster (PS; Bailey)
Macky MacPherson stepped into the Buffalo Bills indoor football facility on Monday afternoon, pausing for a moment of reflection.
It had been more than three weeks since his name went uncalled at the NFL Draft, and more than two since departing the Philadelphia Eagles mini camp without a contract offer.
Finally, he had made it.
A phone call from familiar voice Doug Marrone started the process on Thursday morning. And his physical and contract signing Monday morning completed it.
"'This is pretty cool,'" MacPherson recalls saying in an interview on Tuesday evening. "But once you become satisfied with yourself, that's when things start going awry for you. I'm staying hungry right now, trying to bring my best to every practice, to every meeting and just improve every day.
...
