In the Huddle: Clemson

in the • november 13–14, 2015

huddlesyracuse vs. clemson

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t h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t u d e n t n e w s p a p e r o f s y r a c u s e , n e w y o r k

Cover photo by Bryan Cereijo | staff photographer

Sports Editor Sam BlumPresentation Director Chloe MeisterPhoto Editor Logan ReidsmaWeb Editor Jesse DoughertySocial Media Producer Laina PisanoMultimedia Director Leslie EdwardsWeb Developer Brendan WinterAsst. Sports Editor Connor GrossmanAsst. Sports Editor Matt SchneidmanDesign Editor Emma ComtoisAsst. Copy Editor Chris LibonatiAsst. Copy Editor Paul SchwedelsonAsst. Sports Web Editor Sam Fortier

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Mara CorbettEDITOR IN CHIEF

Brett SamuelsMANAGING EDITOR

Whitness protectionFreshman safety Kielan Whitner is helping protect the SU secondary while learning from his mistakes. He’s gradually improved during his first year at SU.See page 7

Thomas the tank Jonathan Thomas’ first sport was soccer, but he’s progressed with football at SU as he makes the most of the reps he’s given as a backup linebacker.See page 13

november 13-14, 2015 3 dailyorange.com [email protected]

Terrel Hunt only spoke at every other media opportunity during the pre-season. He was the face of a program

turnaround that would’ve been swamped every day to shed light on his, and Syracuse’s, quest for redemption. Seven minutes and 27 seconds into that quest, a torn Achilles ended his season before it even began.

Since then, the fate of Syracuse’s offense has rested mainly in the hands of a freshman often cri-tiqued by coaches for taking too many hits on the run, with a game and a half belonging to a walk-on and eight passing attempts to a third-stringer.

Add in a medically disqualified sophomore who started five games last year and SU’s quar-terbacking corps has taken as many hits as Eric Dungey out of the pocket. Hunt. Dungey. Zack Mahoney. Austin Wilson. AJ Long. Quar-terback-turned-wide receiver-turned-corner-back-turned-emergency quarterback Kente-rius Womack is currently third in line.

Now, Dungey is out after another hit to the head. Syracuse is 3-6 with three games remaining and it’s up to Mahoney, the walk-on

from the College of DuPage whose only other start came against LSU, to salvage SU’s bowl hopes against No. 1 Clemson this Saturday.

“Have I ever been around a situation where a walk-on gets to start against two high-cal-iber teams like LSU and Clemson?” SU head coach Scott Shafer said Thursday, referring to a question he got earlier in the week, “and I was like ‘… nope, haven’t seen that.’”

Here’s how that came to be, with a look at the evolution of Syracuse’s quarterback situa-tion this year.

Preseason: After fracturing his fibula on Oct. 3, 2014 against Louisville, Hunt is primed to make up for a lost year. He’s grown more comfortable in a leadership role and held himself and his team-mates more accountable in the offseason.

“I really don’t care what anybody says. The media can write what they write. The fans

can say what they say,” Hunt said before the season. “But my teammates believe in me. And they know that I believe in them. It really doesn’t matter what’s being said. I feel like I got way better. I got smarter.”

Week 1: Hunt tears his Achilles doing what he wanted to prove he could do more of, escaping

the pocket. He’s replaced by Dungey in the first quarter against Rhode Island and the freshman throws for two scores before being relieved by

Wilson in the third quarter of a 47-0 SU win. “We really didn’t anticipate or want to

throw him to the wolves like this so quick,” Shafer said after the game. “But God love him … I liked his reads, he was on the right side of the field with a lot of his preparation.”

Week 3: After Dungey throws for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 2 win against Wake Forest, he leaves in the second quarter of SU’s Week 3 win against Central Michigan after taking a hit to the head. Wilson and Mahoney share snaps and the latter eventually guides the Orange to an overtime win.

“I saw him get hit, the helmet-to-helmet thing, and you know it’s unfortunate,” offensive coordinator Tim Lester said after the game. “He laid down for a minute and he started getting up and I got excited. But he’s safe and he seems to be doing good.”

Week 4: Then-No. 8 LSU only beats Syr-acuse by 10 and Dungey doesn’t play. After a shoddy first half, Mahoney throws for three touchdowns in the second but likely sees his

How SU’s bowl hopes fell in Mahoney’s hands against No. 1 ClemsonMATT SCHNEIDMANCLASS IS IN SESSION

ZACK MAHONEY began the season as a fifth-string walk-on after transferring from the College of DuPage, in Illinois. He started for Syracuse against Louisiana State on Sept. 26 for injured freshman quarterback Eric Dungey. He’ll start against Clemson on Saturday as Dungey is out due to injury again. logan reidsma photo editor

see schneidman page 4

Syracuse’s four quarterbacks’ combined completion percentage this season.

56.78%COMPLETIONS


By Paul Schwedelson asst. copy editor

Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) hosts No. 1 Clemson (9-0, 6-0) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome and the game will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN2. The Orange is 1-9 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams, its only victory coming against Nebraska, 17-9, in 1984. Follow along with all of The Daily Orange’s Syracuse-Clemson coverage here and on Twit-ter @DOSports.

To learn more about the Tigers, The Daily Orange spoke with The Post and Courier beat writer Aaron Brenner.

The Daily Orange: Quarterback Deshaun Watson is widely considered one of the best play-ers in the country. What makes him so good? Aaron Brenner: Watson is a zone-read quarterback at his core; fans and media are only beginning to see his full capabilities as a runner in the last few games as he’s hovered around the 100-yard mark on the ground three times in Clemson’s last six games. But he also

throws a terrific deep ball, and makes light-ning-quick decisions at the line of scrimmage to exploit the best matchup, even if that means a simple inside handoff or a quick screen pass to the perimeter. Beyond his physical skills, Watson has the “it” factor, leading his team-mates everywhere they go and saying all the right things in front of the media. The D.O.: Syracuse’s secondary has strug-gled throughout the entire season. What would it take from the Orange’s defense for wide receiver Artavis Scott not to have a monster game? A.B.: Well, to be honest, Scott’s statistics aren’t always on fire, so that particular quest might not actually be too difficult for Syr-acuse. Scott is a little banged up right now, too, but his teammates are more than capable of exploding for long scores or big yardage games. But to the heart of the question, Scott is extremely difficult to bring down in space. Even though he’s built more like a lightning bug, he’s surprisingly strong, which might catch the Orange defenders off-guard. Mainly, as any good defensive coordinator would tell

you, they’ll have to take correct angles and tackle well, even if that requires two or three defenders at a time. The D.O.: Cornerback Mackensie Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the country. In what ways have opposing offenses tried to limit his effect on the game? A.B.: Alexander backed up his talk in the Notre Dame game when he shut down Will Fuller; that’s still the only game in which Fuller has not found the end zone. However, opponents have tried their hand at testing Alexander more this season than last, per-haps because it’s just not viable to ignore half the football field against a defense as talented as Clemson’s. The D.O.: Who are a few players on Clemson that might not be in the spotlight as much but Syracuse fans should be aware of? A.B.: I’d keep an eye on Clemson first-year left tackle Mitch Hyatt, who just became the first true freshman in Clemson history to win ACC Lineman of the Week against Florida State. He’ll be matched up on Ron Thompson. Also look out for freshman receiver Deon Cain, who

has stepped in for the injured Mike Williams and scored in each of his last two games. On Clemson’s defense, freshman defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is a full-grown man, even though he’s only 19 years old. He’s also from the northeast, a Connecticut kid. And finally, walk-on placekicker Greg Huegel will try to stay perfect in ACC play, having made all 13 field-goal attempts so far. He, too, is a freshman. The D.O.: What area would Syracuse have to expose in order to pull off the upset? A.B.: On offense, Syracuse will have to find a way to run the ball effectively; Matt Dayes (N.C. State) and Dalvin Cook (FSU) pulled off some long gains the past two weeks. On defense, I’d advise the Orange to take some chances and see if it can’t force some turnovers; though Watson’s been better lately, he does have seven interceptions this year. And on special teams, it’s all about the kick returns, as Clemson has been dreadful on kick return coverage this year. Brisly Estime certainly has the Tigers’ attention, and he’ll probably be the best punt returner Clemson sees this season.

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last meaningful snaps for the foreseeable future. Syracuse has a bye week and Dungey looks good to return against South Florida.

“He threw for three touchdowns,” Shafer said. “That’s not too damn bad for a young man that we were just figuring out his name here a few months ago.”

Week 5: Long is medically disqualified after suffering multiple concussions at SU. In an interview with The Daily Orange, he says Shafer told him to be ready to play against LSU. Long was participating in practice after recovering from a hand injury, but a concus-sion suffered the Wednesday before playing the Bulls further thins SU’s QB situation.

Week 6: Syracuse loses to one-win Virginia in triple overtime after falling to one-win USF the week before. The highlight of the game comes right before halftime when Dungey hurdles All-Amer-ican safety Quin Blanding before being leveled in the head and spinning into the end zone. Despite coaches’ instructions to slide more or throw the ball away on the run, Dungey doesn’t oblige.

“They want me sliding and not taking any shots,” Dungey said after the game. “It’s not really in my nature.”

Week 8: A blowout loss to Florida State follows a game decided on the last play against Pittsburgh. Syracuse loses but the talk again centers around Dungey’s head. He takes a hit in the third quarter and lies motionless on the ground for several seconds. Trainer Denny Kellington has to restrain Dungey from going back on the field but the freshman eventually finishes out the 23-20 loss.

“Obviously, we are hypersensitive to our guys getting hit and not getting up,” Shafer said after the game. “He popped right up and wanted to go right back in, but our medical staff did a nice job.”

Now: Dungey is out after suffering yet another hit to the head in a 41-17 loss to Lou-isville last Saturday. He was knocked out of the game with 4:21 remaining and the Orange down 31, but Shafer thought Dungey could jumpstart a comeback. Mahoney has looked good in practice, coaches say, and is less ner-vous than the week leading up to LSU.

“He knows who he is and he knows who he isn’t,” Shafer said of Mahoney.

Mahoney is a quarterback also held back from the media, this time to gain a competitive advantage against the country’s best team. Who he isn’t is the one Syracuse expected to try and save its season.

[email protected] | @matt_schneidman

from page 3

schneidman

Clemson Q&A with The Post and Courier’s Aaron Brenner

ERIC DUNGEY has suffered several hits to the head, including against Louisville and Central Michigan. Zack Mahoney will start in place of the true freshman against No. 1 Clemson after Dungey was drilled against the Cardinals. jessica sheldon staff photographer

TERREL HUNT (10) suffered his second straight season-ending injury in Syracuse’s first game of the season against Rhode Island on Sept. 4. Dungey replaced the quarterback immediately after he tore his Achilles. david salanitri staff photographer


By Sam Blum sports editor

Floyd Little got a glimpse of the structure that will forever enshrine him on the Syracuse University campus. A look, just to see, before a ceremony on Saturday would make its exis-tence official. A statue of Little that people will walk by and always know what he meant to the football program and the school.

He wanted his look to be quick. He wanted the moment on Saturday to still feel novel, as if he was seeing it for the first time, just like everybody else.

“To see a statue,” Little said, before paus-ing. “I don’t know how to feel, because it’s something that’s totally different. To realize that you’ve lived long enough to see a statue of you on the campus of Syracuse University in perpetuity. All the kids for years to come will be able to see an image of me on the campus. That’s huge for me.”

On Saturday at 11:45 a.m. outside the Ensley Athletic Center, Little will be honored along with Jim Brown and the late Ernie Davis. Each will have a statue side by side in what is being dubbed Plaza 44. When the groundbreaking took place in May, the school announced the restoration of the No. 44 out of retirement, but its future has been in ambiguity ever since.

Later in the day at 3:30 p.m., Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) will host No. 1 Clemson (9-0, 6-0) in the Carrier Dome. It’s a moment that Little says is a “separate entity” from the festivities that morning. And one he’s looking forward to because his entire extended family will be there to support him.

“To be able to go back and honor our three great legends of 44 … is sensational,” Cliff Ens-ley said. “Floyd was always my hero and still is.”

Director of Athletics Mark Coyle and Chancellor Kent Sy verud will both be in attendance. Brown had yet to respond about his attendance as of Monday afternoon, but Little said he’d love for the fellow Syracuse icon to come.

Regardless, Little said being cemented in Syracuse history next to two other No. 44

legends is all that he could ask for. “It’s important we recognize some of the

heroes,” Little said. “It’s like the Pro Football Hall of Fame, to honor the heroes of the game. That’s what this is all about. Honoring the heroes of the game.”

[email protected] | @SamBlum3

what is plaza 44The Plaza will have three statues to commemorate SU greats Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little, all who wore No. 44. Former head coach Ben Schwartzwalder will also be honored by Syracuse on Saturday.

Floyd Little happy to have No. 44 statue: ‘That’s huge for me’

FLOYD LITTLE will be honored along with Jim Brown and Ernie Davis on Saturday with ini-vidual statues. All three wore the famed No. 44 for the Orange. daily orange file photo

All the kids for years to come will be able to see an image of me on the campus. That’s huge for me.

Floyd Little assistant to the athletic director

FLOYD LITTLE is the only player in Syracuse history to be named a three-time All-American. He ran for 2,750 yards and 35 touchdowns from 1964-66 and now works as a special assistant to the athletic director at SU. The Pro Football Hall of Famer will have his statue unveiled on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. outside the Ensley Center. logan reidsma photo editor


Destiny USA

By Brett Samuelsmanaging editor

No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 6 Baylor, 8 p.m. Saturday Baylor (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) is undefeated, but

ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings due to its weak schedule. It begins a stretch of games against ranked opponents when it faces a respectable opponent when No. 12 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) visits Waco, Texas. Baylor’s prolific offense is paced by wide receiver Corey Coleman, who leads the nation with 20 receiving touchdowns.

No. 2 Alabama at No. 17 Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. Saturday

The Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern) are rolling after handling then-No. 2 LSU, 30-16, last week. Now, Alabama travels to Starkville, Mississippi, as the newly ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff. The Tide will take on No. 17 Mississippi State, (7-2, 3-2 SEC). The Bulldogs have won four straight games, though only two of those were against confer-ence opponents.

Oregon at No. 7 Stanford, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

For the past half-decade, this game has typical-ly decided the Pac-12 North division champion. That’s not the case this year, as Oregon (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) visits Stanford as an underdog. The Cardinal (8-1, 7-0 Pac-12) are two games up in the standings, and have gone undefeated after losing its season-opener on the road to No. 18 Northwestern. Stanford running back Chris-tian McCaffrey is quietly building a Heisman Trophy case, averaging 6.1 yards per carry on 198 attempts so far this season.

No. 21 Memphis at No. 24 Houston 7 p.m. on Saturday

Memphis (8-1, 4-1 American Athletic) was a dark horse to make the College Football Play-offs up until last week, when the Tigers were blown out by Navy, 45-20. Undefeated Houston

(9-0, 5-0 AAC) is ready to replace Memphis as the non-power conference front-runner. Both teams have high-powered offenses, with Houston averaging 43.5 points per game this season, and Memphis tallying 42.5 points per game thus far.

Minnesota at No. 5 Iowa, 8 p.m. Saturday

The Hawkeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) have flown under the radar to this point, riding two road wins against top 25 teams to the No. 5 spot in the most recent College Football Playoff rank-ings. In order to reach its best start in school history, Iowa will have to defeat Minnesota (4-5, 1-4 Big Ten). The Golden Gophers have had a rocky season and head coach Jerry Kill stepped down two weeks ago for health rea-sons. But Minnesota could turn things around with a road victory over No. 5 Iowa.

SUNY Cortland at Ithaca College, 12 p.m. Saturday

In the biggest of central New York football rivalries, Cortland takes on Ithaca in the annual showdown for the Cortaca Jug. It’s the 57th matchup between the two schools, with Ithaca leading the Jug series 34-22. Cortland won last season’s game in dramatic fashion, 23-20, after a botched field goal snap led to an improbable touchdown pass on the game’s final play.

Columbia at Cornell, 1 p.m. Saturday

In a battle of Ivy League basement-dwellers, Cornell (0-8, 0-5 Ivy) travels to Ithaca to take on the Lions (2-6, 1-4 Ivy). Both teams close their seasons the following week, leaving the Big Red just two more opportunities to capture its first victory of the season. In 2014, it was Columbia finishing 0-10 on the year, while Cornell went 1-9.

[email protected] | @Brett_Samuels27

around the nation

Cortaca, undefeated Iowa highlight slate of national games

By Paul Schwedelsonasst. copy editor

When recruits ask Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer about his job security, he tells them what he knows: He has one year left on his contract and wants to keep his job for longer.

“‘If you join us, you’ll help us be here for a long time,’” Shafer said. “So that’s what I tell them. It’s as simple as that, nothing more.”

Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) has gone 13-21 in Shafer’s nearly three seasons and is potentially facing back-to-back 3-9 years. As questions about his job security have been raised among fans, recruiting is at the fore-front of discussions regarding the effect of a coaching change.

In 2013, after then-head coach Doug Mar-rone left for the Buffalo Bills’ job, Shafer had to scramble to complete the recruiting class. Syracuse’s 2016 class currently includes 15 play-ers and its 2017 class includes two, but if a head coaching change was made, they may choose other schools and leave the new coach scram-

bling the way Shafer was in his first offseason.Uncertainty among recruits about who will

be the head coach could factor in to them ulti-mately choosing a different school.

“When I talk to kids in recruiting, whether it’s a couple years ago when I first started at it or today, tomorrow, it’s the same message,” Sha-fer said. “Here’s where we’re going, here’s how we’re going to ramp up the program, here are the models that we’ve been a part of or we think are comparable to ours and this is where you fit in.”


Shafer addresses recruiting pitch amid job controversy

If you join us, you’ll help us be here for a long time, so that’s what I tell them. It’s as simple as that, nothing more.

Scott Shafersu head coach

SCOTT SHAFER tells recruits that he has one year left on his contract and that he hopes to be around for more when he makes his pitch. SU is 3-6. logan reidsma photo editor


By Paul Schwedelson asst. copy editor

An unlucky bounce led to a fumble, a missed tackle led to a touchdown and an unintentional personal foul contributed to an eventual 21-point loss. Each one brought more attention to fresh-man safety Kielan Whitner for the wrong reasons.

Syracuse had a shot in the fourth quarter against South Florida on Oct. 10 but mistakes piled up and Whitner’s were the most glaring.

After the game, veteran teammates Ron Thompson and Julian Whigham consoled him in the locker room. Whitner tweeted an apology to his team. He was distraught on the plane.

Whitner responded the same way he does after every game. He went to his South Campus apartment, prayed, and only let it sit with him Gathering more playing time due to injuries to other safeties, Whitner has recorded 18 total tackles in the last five games and is coming off his best performance. Against Louisville, he had nine tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

As the freshman continues to adjust to the col-lege game, his progression on the field reflects it.

“They’re going to make those mistakes, but do they learn from them?” defensive coordina-tor Chuck Bullough said. “Now he’s where he’s supposed to be; if he’s supposed to be in the mid-dle of the field, he’s in the middle of the field.”

The most important aspect Whitner is work-ing on is reading opposing offenses. Depending on the play call, he has different assignments of where to look. Whitner said if his reads aren’t perfect, he might not be able to make the play. At Mountain View (Georgia) High School, he could get away with it. In college, he can’t.

He has to trust his eyes more than ever and Bullough has been impressed with his play just nine games into his career. Whitner’s tackling could improve, he said, but if he’s not in the right position to begin with, that chance doesn’t exist.

In high school, Whitner played both safety positions, cornerback and even occasionally outside linebacker.

His versatility prepared him for the role

he has now. Whether it’s giving breathers to Cordy at strong safety or Rodney Williams and Chauncey Scissum at free safety, he’s learned to play both spots at the collegiate level.

“I’m just kind of a utility guy,” Whitner said. “Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to go do it.”

Whitner was told during his recruitment that

he’d have a chance to play right away. He thought about it all offseason and has been listed as the second-string strong safety behind Antwan Cordy since the beginning of the year. In the first four games, he recorded only three tackles and no other stats. Since, his game has clicked.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to be baptism by fire,” Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer said, “… (but) Whit’s doing a great job. I’m excited about his future.”

His willingness and ability to play strong and free safety has created opportunities. And recently, Whitner’s taken advantage.

Whitner knows there’s still a lot to improve on. He only spent 24 hours after Louisville thinking about the game and he’ll only spend 24 hours after playing Clemson thinking about that.

That mindset is what’s gotten him to this point and, like his improvement, he doesn’t plan on changing.

“You can’t be too high, you can’t be too low,” Whitner said. “You just got to stay steady.”


KIELAN WHITNER (25) cracked the safety rotation as a freshman and has received opportunities to play as a result of a banged up secondary. While learning to play both free safety and strong safety, Whitner has worked on his ability to read what opposing offenses are trying to do against Syracuse. jessica sheldon staff photographer

Kielan Whitner learns from mistakes to grow as freshman

LAST 5 GAMESFIRST 4 GAMES

TOTAL TACKLES

13

18

0PASS

BREAK UPSFORCED

FUMBLES

10

POSTER SERIES

JOSH PARRIS (89) celebrates with a team-mate during Syracuse’s game against LSU on Sept. 26. The Tigers won that game, 34-24, and now the Orange takes on another top-10 Tigers team when Clemson visits SU. logan reidsma photo editor


DATE OPPONENT TIME

Saturday, Nov. 14 Clemson 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21 at North Carolina State 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 28 Boston College TBA

syracuse football schedule


By Chris Libonati asst. copy editor

A young Eric Mac Lain ran off the peewee foot-ball field to his father because he was upset. He couldn’t touch the ball because Ohio peewee football rules prevent players over a certain weight from being ball carriers.

“I said, ‘What’s the matter?’” his father, Mike Mac Lain recalls asking him.

“They’re calling me names, daddy,” Eric responded.

“Well, that’s just because he’s not a good sport, he’s a poor sport,” Mike recalls firing back. “Just keep knocking him down. You’re doing what you’re supposed to do and people are going to call you names.

“That really bothered him,” Mike said. Peewee football that season was the only

time Eric had ever played on the offensive line before reaching Clemson many years later. Rated the No. 59 overall recruit in the country and the sixth-ranked tight end by Scout.com, run-ning routes past defensive backs has since been replaced by making blocks on defensive linemen.

After a rough start injury-wise for Eric dur-ing his sophomore season, he volunteered to make the switch to guard.

“There was tons of times where I was doubt-ing if that was the right move for me, if this was really best for me and the team, or if I really wanted to do it,” Eric said. “So there was a

bunch of come-to-Jesus meetings I had with myself and my roommate Ryan Norton.”

All Eric wanted to do was be like former Tennessee Volunteers tight end Jason Witten, so his dad helped groom him to fit that mold. He weighed 245 pounds in high school and his father would never let him lift weights because he didn’t want Eric to weigh 300 pounds as a sophomore in high school. As a redshirt senior with the Tigers, he’s now 315.

Mike said if his son lifted weights as heavily as some high-school teammates, Eric likely

would have tipped the scales at 300 pounds. Despite being such a highly ranked tight end coming out of high school, his pass-catching ability rarely went used in a run-heavy offense. He had to go to various camps, including the Volunteers’, as a rising freshman in high school, to get exposure.

“Jason (Witten) was a big white boy that played tight end for Tennessee,” Mike said. “Big country boy. We were Tennessee people … He wanted to play football for Phillip Fulmer … You have a responsibility as a father to allow your kids to pursue your dreams.”

His father is adamant that Eric has the best hands for Clemson even after spending the last three years at guard. But those skills flew out the window when offensive linemen Gifford Timothy and Tyler Shatley went down against North Carolina State in 2012. The Tigers’ depth was sparse and head coach Dabo Swinney had already told Eric that he would take fewer snaps at tight end given his size and speed not match-ing up with the Clemson offense, Mike said.

Eric sat down with Norton, Clemson’s cen-ter, and discussed whether a move to guard would be better for the team. He then went to Swinney, who was “all about it.”

The wide-open space that Eric had to oper-ate as a tight end has been cut down between hulking linemen up front. Instead of caring where the safety is, Eric has to worry about how the defensive line is positioned, who is

going to blitz and line checks to be made. “You really don’t have any particular line

calls you make as a tight end, so (it’s like) learn-ing a completely new language,” Mike said.

That’s on top of learning how to hand fight in the trenches and acclimate to the precise footwork it takes to release from the line of scrimmage.

At least twice a practice, the team practices hand fighting. Even after three years at the posi-tion, Eric is still trying to master his footwork.

He’ll leave games each week with stories about how he asked an opponent a math prob-lem or told them they had bad breath. No longer are the stories about leaning too far forward or missing a step. He’s planting in the right places, getting his hands on defensive linemen’s pads and now he’s the one with his jaws moving.

“Tackle might have been a little bit eas-ier, but there’s so many little nuances on the offensive line with technique that take you a lifetime to perfect. I got a fast-forwarded version of it.”

[email protected] | @ChrisLibonati

Eric Mac Lain switches from tight end to guard for TigersERIC MAC LAIN gave the introductory speech for Vice President Joe Biden at an “It’s On Us” event at Clemson. Mac Lain transitioned from tight end to guard in his sophomore season at Clemson after a rash of injuries left the team’s depth thin on the offensive line. He’s found success while learning the nuances of the position. courtesy of ashley jones

Jason (Witten) was a big white boy that played tight end for Tennessee. Big country boy. We were Tennessee people… He wanted to play football for Philip Fullmer…You have a responsibility as a father to allow your kids to pursue your dreams.Mike Mac Laineric’s father

38Number of snaps Mac Lain played at tight

end before switching to guard.


86

By Liam Sullivan staff writer

As Britain Covey quarterbacked his high school team to its second straight Division 4A state championship, Utah wide receiver Ken-neth Scott watched the game on television. Escaping collapsing pockets, making defend-ers miss in the open field and possessing a nose for the end zone, Covey impressed his future teammate.

Set to join Utah for the following season, Scott knew Covey’s talents would allow him to make an immediate impact.

“I was like, ‘this kid can play — he’s elusive and explosive,’” Scott said. “I knew right away that he’d help in the slot.”

Even with his quarterbacking ability throughout high school, Covey’s exceeded expectations this season for No. 10 Utah. He leads the team with 450 receiving yards. He has four touchdowns on 37 receptions. His 235 yards on 18 punt returns — an average of 13.1 yards — is first in the Pacific-12.

But despite clawing his way into the start-ing lineup and finding success, Covey — a devout Mormon — plans to leave football for a two-year church mission at the season’s end.

“He’s been a big bright spot for us and we’re going to miss him in two years as he goes,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “… He’s been everything we’ve hoped for and more.”

Though his brother Stephen played football at BYU, Covey felt drawn to play football for Utah. Being the first big program to express interest and offer a scholarship coupled with

the Utes history of dynamic slot players made it the obvious choice.

While Covey’s 5-foot-8 frame makes him a natural candidate for slot receiver, the tran-sition from high school quarterback didn’t happen organically. Covey knew throughout high school he would never play as a Division I quarterback and used free time to run routes with his brothers, Stephen and Christian.

Each a quarterback in high school, the trio spent early mornings on their high school’s field. Covey’s older brothers threw passes to him while he ran routes.

Preparing for his inevitable position change proved challenging, but a commitment to running hard, sharp and clean routes helped Covey learn to separate from defenders and catch passes.

“I have a good level of quickness. I have good hands,” Covey said. “But where I really excel is when I get the ball in my hands and can make guys miss.”

His size led Covey to believe he needed to prove himself to his teammates, prove that he belonged. During the final week of summer conditioning, he ran the 40-yard dash.

Covey ran one of the fastest times on the team — 4.4 seconds. As teammates congrat-ulated him on the accomplishment and the gritty work ethic from which it stemmed, Covey felt validated and could turn his atten-tion to the field.

Still, people questioned his decision to leave Utah behind at season’s end in favor of a two-year long church mission. Covey, who’s assigned a destination in December, doesn’t

doubt his decision. He wants to film his team-mates’ reactions when he tells them where he’ll be serving.

Faith has always opened doors for him and he decided before the season started that, regardless of his success at Utah, he would still partake in the journey he’s dreamed about as a kid.

One of Covey’s favorite quotes comes from the movie “Chariots of Fire” and reads, “I believe that God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel

his pleasure.” For the freshman receiver, this mantra

holds true to football. Football’s given him a platform to spread the word of his Mormon faith and with three years of eligibility left upon his return from the mission, Covey isn’t done with the sport.

“I’m not dumb. I definitely am giving up some great opportunities by going on this mis-sion,” Covey said. “… But football’s fleeting and being able to do good lasts a lot longer.”

[email protected]

By Matt Schneidman asst. sports editor

Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey is out for Saturday’s game against Clemson, according to the injury report released by Syracuse on Thursday night.

The freshman quarterback took another hit to the head last Saturday against Louis-ville, knocking him out of the game late in the fourth quarter. Sophomore walk-on Zack Mahoney is the next in line and will make his second start of the season. He made his first against then-No. 8 LSU and threw for three touchdowns in the second half of Syracuse’s 34-24 loss.

Dungey took his fourth noticeably big hit to his head area against the Cardinals after suf-fering ones against Central Michigan, Virginia and Pittsburgh. SU head coach Scott Shafer was asked Thursday morning if any thought has gone toward shutting Dungey down for the season. Here’s how he answered:

“With Eric and all of our players, the No. 1 priority is to make sure that they’re healthy

before we put them on the field and listen to the doctors,” Shafer said. “And if there’s a green light, we play them. And if they tell us that we shouldn’t, we won’t. It’s as simple as that.”

Wide receiver Sean Avant, cornerback Corey Winfield, linebacker Parris Bennett, defensive end Luke Arciniega, safety Daivon Ellison and tight end Kendall Moore were also all ruled out.

Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) kicks off against No. 1 Clemson (9-0, 6-0) at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome on Saturday.

[email protected] | @matt_schneidman

Eric Dungey and 6 others out for SU’s matchup with Tigers

Covey excels for Utah in final season before 2-year mission

4The number of games Eric Dungey will have entirely missed or been knocked out of this

season, including the Clemson game.

450Receiving yards for Covey to

lead Utah

BY THE NUMBERS

4Touchdowns

13.1Yards per punt return for Covey, second

most in the Pac 12

37Receptions

235Punt return yards

He’s been a big bright spot for us and we’re going to miss him in two years as he goes, He’s been everything we’ve hoped for and more.

Kyle Wittinghamutah head coach

HIS KINGDOM

Freshman Britain Covey leads No. 10 Utah in several receiving categories this season despite standing at just 5 feet, 8 inches.


By Sam Blum sports editor

Each week during the summer, Syracuse line-backer Jonathan Thomas went to the soccer fields on South Campus and kicked the ball around with SU soccer midfielders Juuso Pasanen and Julian Buescher.

It’s hard to find time during the fall sea-son, with little free time between both teams’ games and practices. But for Thomas over the summer, playing soccer gave him a taste of the sport he grew up on.

“He only played two years of football (in

high school),” SU head coach Scott Shafer said. “He was a very good athlete, a soccer player coming up. His ability to figure out this game at this level is something that I’ve been pleased with.”

His transition from soccer to football has been far from seamless, and he says he’s still learning the game. After a friend and football coach recruited him to play football after his sophomore year of high school,

Thomas stuck with both sports during the same season at Collins Hill High School in Georgia. He didn’t want to completely give up a sport that he was second-team all state, and

first team all-region in. Now a contributor in his second season for

Syracuse (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast), Thomas has found more playing time with injured linebacker Parris Bennett sidelined. Against Florida State on Oct. 31, Thomas recorded a career-high seven tackles.

“It was tough last year because it was different, mentally and physically than in high school,” Thomas said. “Because in high school, I was almost bigger than everyone else. When you get here, freshman year, you’re the littlest kid.”

After football practice, he would go to soccer

practice. After Friday night football games, he would make sure to get a good night sleep for the soccer game the day after. After switching from free safety, he was moved to linebacker and was able to dominate from the sheer size and strength advantage that he had over opponents.

Syracuse was Thomas’ first offer and he received it on Halloween of 2013. He committed during his official visit in Jan-uary 2014, and was on the field playing for Syracuse later that year. He didn’t redshirt despite his lack of experience. In November, he forced his first fumble.

“He’s learning to be a linebacker, a football player actually,” defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough said. “As he keeps progressing from last year to this year, he made a huge jump in terms of playing football.”

Before the Florida State game, linebacker and team captain Zaire Franklin said Thomas was “just on” in whatever drill he did.

He’s become more comfortable moving his body around. He started to use his hands more, something he would have avoided while play-ing soccer.

Thomas said during practice, he just likes to play. He does his thing, and tries to have fun. It’s when he looks at the film later, with linebackers coach Clark Lea — the man who recruited him — that he actually makes improvements to his game, which is perpetu-ally a work in progress.

“There’s still a lot for me to improve on,” Thomas said. “Just being an overall better player.”

[email protected] | @SamBlum3

Thomas develops as football player after soccer career

JONATHAN THOMAS (23) had limited experience playing football in high school since he originally played soccer. After being recruited to try out football as a sophomore in high school, Thomas has improved his mobility on the football field. The sophomore linebacker has 22 total tackles this season. courtesy of jim damaske

TOTA

L TA

CK

LES

GAME

GAME 1: 3

GAME 2: 1 GAME 3: 1

GAME 4: 4

GAME 5: 1

GAME 6: 1

GAME 7: 0

GAME 8: 7

GAME 9: 4

TRENDING UPSophomore linebacker Jonathan Thomas has made the most of increased playing time with 11 total tackles in the past two weeks following an injury to fellow linebacker Parris Bennett.


No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown (High School/Previous School/Club)1 Kearse, Jayron S 6-5 220 Jr. Fort Myers, Fla. (South Fort Myers HS)1 Thompson, Trevion WR 6-2 200 R-Fr. Durham, N.C. (Hillside HS)2 Alexander, Mackensie CB 5-11 195 R-So. Immokalee, Fla. (Immokalee HS)2 Bryant, Kelly QB 6-3 215 Fr. Calhoun Falls, S.C. (Wren HS)3 Scott, Artavis WR 5-11 190 So. Clearwater, Fla. (East Lake HS)4 Watson, Deshaun QB 6-2 210 So. Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville HS)5 Hopper, Germone WR 6-0 180 R-Jr. Charlotte, N.C. (Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology)6 O’Daniel, Dorian LB 6-1 215 R-So. Olney, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel HS)7 Williams, Mike WR 6-4 220 Jr. Vance, S.C. (Lake Marion HS)8 Cain, Deon WR 6-2 200 Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Technical HS)9 Gallman, Wayne RB 6-1 215 R-So. Loganville, Ga. (Grayson HS)10 Boulware, Ben LB 6-0 240 Jr. Anderson, S.C. (T.L. Hanna HS)10 Israel, Tucker QB 5-11 195 Fr. Orlando, Fla. (Lake Nona HS)11 Bell, Shadell WR 6-2 200 Fr. Decatur, Ga. (Columbia HS)11 Blanks, Travis LB 6-1 210 R-Jr. Tallahassee, Fla. (North Florida Christian School)12 Schuessler, Nick QB 6-3 200 R-Jr. Grayson, Ga. (Grayson HS)12 Wiggins, Korrin S 6-0 200 Jr. Durham, N.C. (Hillside HS)13 Renfrow, Hunter WR/P 5-10 175 R-Fr. Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Socastee HS)14 Johnson, Denzel CB 6-0 200 Fr. Columbia, S.C. (A.C. Flora HS)15 Green, T.J. S 6-3 205 Jr. Sylacauga, Ala. (Sylacauga HS)16 Leggett, Jordan TE 6-5 255 Jr. Navarre, Fla. (Navarre HS)17 Gibson, Jefferie S 6-4 200 R-Fr. Hope Mills, N.C. (Gray’s Creek HS)18 Barnes, James QB 6-1 175 Fr. Sumter, S.C. (Sumter HS)18 Johnson, Jadar S 6-1 205 Jr. Orangeburg, S.C. (Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS)19 Muse, Tanner S 6-2 230 Fr. Belmont, N.C. (South Point HS)19 Peake, Charone WR 6-3 215 R-Gr. Moore, S.C. (Dorman HS)20 Chalmers, Kaleb CB 5-11 180 Fr. Greenwood, S.C. (Greenwood HS)21 Baker, Adrian CB 6-0 180 R-So. Hallandale, Fla. (Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory)21 Davidson, C.J. RB 5-10 200 R-Gr. Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)22 Dye, Tyshon RB 6-0 215 R-So. Elberton, Ga. (Elbert County Comprehensive HS)23 Smith, Van S 6-0 190 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (William Amos Hough HS)24 Brooks, Zac RB 6-1 200 Sr. Jonesboro, Ark. (Jonesboro Senior HS)24 Fields, Mark CB 5-10 195 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (William Amos Hough HS)25 Tankersley, Cordrea CB 6-1 195 Jr. Beech Island, S.C. (Silver Bluff HS)26 Choice, Adam RB 5-9 215 So. Thomasville, Ga. (Thomas County Central HS)27 Fuller, C.J. RB 5-10 210 R-Fr. Easley, S.C. (Easley HS)29 Edmond, Marcus CB 6-0 170 R-So. Hopkins, S.C. (Lower Richland HS)30 Williams, Jalen LB 5-9 225 Fr. Columbia, S.C. (Blythewood HS)31 Carter, Ryan CB 5-9 175 R-So. Grayson, Ga. (Grayson HS)32 Cote, Kyle S 5-10 175 Fr. Six Mile, S.C. (Daniel HS)32 Teasdall, Andy P 5-11 190 RJr. Winston-Salem, N.C. (R.J. Reynolds HS)33 Davis, J.D. LB 6-1 225 Fr. Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)34 Joseph, Kendall LB 6-0 230 RFr. Belton, S.C. (Belton-Honea Path HS)34 McCloud, Ray-Ray WR 5-10 180 Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Sickles HS)35 Hall, Quintin LB 6-0 225 Sr. Piedmont, S.C. (Wren HS)36 Lakip, Ammon PK/P 5-10 200 R-Sr. Johns Creek, Ga. (Chattahoochee HS)37 Davis, Judah LB 6-1 230 Fr. Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)37 Scott, Cameron S 5-10 205 R-Fr. Florence, S.C. (Wilson HS)38 Goodnature, Brennan RB 5-11 205 R-Sr. Naples, Italy (Naples American HS)38 Trapp, Amir CB 5-8 155 Fr. Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)39 Bianchi, Jordan WR 6-6 215 R-Sr. Greer, S.C. (Riverside HS)39 Groomes, Christian PK/P 5-10 185 RFr. Central, S.C. (Daniel HS)40 Brice, Jaquarius DE 6-1 215 R-So. Lancaster, S.C. (Lancaster HS)40 Byers, Roderick DT 6-4 295 R-Sr. Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS)41 Burrell, T.J. LB 6-0 215 R-Jr. Goose Creek, S.C. (Goose Creek HS)42 Wilkins, Christian DT 6-4 315 Fr. Springfield, Mass. (Suffield (Conn.) Academy )43 Smith, Chad LB 6-4 235 Fr. Sterling, Va. (Dominion HS)44 Goodson, B.J. LB 6-1 250 R-Sr. Lamar, S.C. (Lamar HS)44 Williams, Garrett TE 6-2 235 Fr. Orlando, Fla. (The First Academy )45 Register, Chris DE 6-2 245 R-Fr. Browns Summit, N.C. (Dudley HS)46 Magwood, Jarvis LB 6-0 215 R-Fr. Greenville, S.C. (James F. Byrnes HS)47 Spence, Alex PK 6-1 190 So. Florence, S.C. (West Florence HS)48 Reader, D.J. DT 6-3 325 Sr. Greensboro, N.C. (Grimsley HS)49 Brown, Beau S 6-0 195 R-Sr. Beaufort, S.C. (Beaufort HS)49 Yeargin, Richard DE 6-3 255 R-Fr. Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (University School of Nova Southeastern University)50 Falcinelli, Justin OL 6-3 305 R-Fr. Middletown, Md. (Middletown HS)50 Robinson, Jabril DT 6-2 280 R-Fr. Leland, N.C. (North Brunswick HS)51 Hearn, Taylor OL 6-5 330 R-Fr. Williston, S.C. (Williston-Elko HS)52 Prevost, Connor LB 6-0 220 R-So. Raleigh, N.C. (Cardinal Gibbons HS)52 Spence, Austin LS 6-2 195 Fr. Florence, S.C. (West Florence HS)53 Aiken, Martin LB 6-2 225 R-Jr. Smoaks, S.C. (Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS)54 Riggs, Zach OL 6-5 275 R-So. Greer, S.C. (J.L. Mann HS)55 Crowder, Tyrone OG 6-2 330 R-So. Marston, N.C. (Richmond Senior HS)56 Pagano, Scott DT 6-3 295 R-So. Honolulu, Hawaii (Moanalua HS)57 Guillermo, Jay OL 6-3 325 R-Jr. Maryville, Tenn. (Maryville HS)58 Norton, Ryan C 6-3 285 R-Gr. Simpsonville, S.C. (Mauldin HS)59 Mauldin, Collins DE 6-1 240 R-Gr. Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS)59 Tatko, Bradley LS 6-0 225 R-So. Greenwood, S.C. (Greenwood HS)60 Bevelle, Kelby DE 6-4 260 R-So. Apopka, Fla. (Apopka HS)61 Cockerill, William OT 6-6 270 Sr. Sumter, S.C. (Sumter HS)61 Estes, David LS 6-1 200 R-Jr. Mauldin, S.C. (St. Joseph’s Catholic School)62 Bevelle, Kaleb DE 6-4 255 R-So. Apopka, Fla. (Apopka HS)63 Fruhmorgen, Jake OT 6-6 280 Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS)64 Godfrey, Pat OL 6-3 260 Fr. Greenlawn, N.Y. (Harborfields HS)65 Stone, Daniel OT 6-5 285 Sr. Simpsonville, S.C. (Southside Christian School)67 Huggins, Albert DT 6-4 295 Fr. Orangeburg, S.C. (Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS)69 Morris, Maverick OG 6-5 300 R-So. Broxton, Ga. (Coffee HS)70 Penner, Seth OG 6-3 320 Fr. Naples, Fla. (First Baptist Academy)71 Green, Noah OL 6-5 285 Fr. Boiling Springs, S.C. (Boiling Springs HS)72 Tisch, Logan OL 6-2 290 Fr. Chapel Hill, N.C. (Chapel Hill HS)73 Gore, Joe OT 6-6 300 R-Gr. Lake Waccamaw, N.C. (East Columbus HS)75 Hyatt, Mitch OT 6-5 295 Fr. Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett HS)76 Brown, Jim LS 6-4 235 R-Gr. Walterboro, S.C. (Pinewood Prep School)77 Giella, Zach C 6-5 295 Fr. Lincolnton, Ga. (Augusta Christian Schools)78 Mac Lain, Eric OG 6-5 315 R-Gr. Hope Mills, NC (Jack Britt HS)79 Tucker, Harrison OL 6-4 325 R-Sr. Ninety Six, S.C. (Ninety Six HS)80 Richard, Milan TE 6-2 250 R-Fr. Savannah, Ga. (Calvary Day School)81 Seckinger, Stanton TE 6-5 235 R-Gr. Isle of Palms, S.C. (Porter-Gaud School)82 Dunn, Adrien WR 5-7 175 RSo. Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)83 Fisher, Jesse TE 6-4 215 Fr. Travelers Rest, S.C.84 Smith, Cannon TE 6-5 260 R-Fr. Columbia, S.C. (Hammond School HS)85 Rogers, Dane DE 6-3 275 R-So. Shelby, N.C. (Crest HS)85 Ryan, Seth WR 6-0 175 R-So. Summit, N.J. (Summit HS)86 Thomason, Ty WR 5-10 210 Fr. Greenville, S.C. (Eastside HS)87 Greenlee, D.J. TE 6-2 245 R-So. Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)88 Mac Lain, Sean WR 6-4 210 Jr. Hope Mills, S.C. (Jack Britt HS)89 McCullough, Jay Jay TE 6-3 255 R-Jr. Fort Mill, S.C. (Nation Ford HS)90 Lawson, Shaq DE 6-3 270 Jr. Central, S.C. (Daniel HS)91 Bryant, Austin DE 6-4 265 Fr. Pavo, Ga. (Thomas County Central HS)92 Huegel, Greg PK 5-11 185 RFr. Blythewood, S.C. (Blythewood HS)93 Johnson, Sterling DE 6-4 295 Fr. Clayton, N.C. (Cleveland HS)94 Watkins, Carlos DT 6-3 300 R-Jr. Mooresboro, N.C. (Chase HS)95 Cervenka, Gage DT 6-3 305 Fr. Greenwood, S.C. (Emerald HS)96 Batson, Michael P 5-10 200 Fr. Central, S.C. (Christ Church Episcopal School)98 Dodd, Kevin DE 6-5 275 R-Jr. Taylors, S.C. (Riverside HS)99 Ferrell, Clelin DE 6-5 255 Fr. Richmond, Va. (Benedictine HS)

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown (High School/Previous School/Club)

1 Julian Whigham CB 6-1 200 Sr. West Palm Beach, Fla./ Dwyer

2 Eric Dungey QB 6-3 202 Fr. Lake Oswego, Ore. / Lakeridge

2 Wayne Morgan CB 5-11 190 Jr. Brooklyn, N.Y. / Erasmus Hall

3 Ervin Philips RB 5-11 181 So. West Haven, Conn./West Haven

4 Zaire Franklin LB 6-0 230 So. Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College

4 AJ Long QB 6-0 181 So. Bethlehem, Pa. / Friendship Christian (Tenn.)

5 Luke Arciniega DE 6-4 243 Jr. Sparks, Nev. / Spanish Springs

5 Austin Wilson QB 6-3 217 So. Camp Hill, Pa. / East Pennsboro

6 Rodney Williams S 5-10 196 R-Fr. Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill West

7 Troy Green WR 6-1 180 So. Skaneateles, N.Y. / Skaneateles

7 Oliver Vigille LB 6-2 235 Sr. Miami, Fla. / Miami Central

8 Antwan Cordy S 5-8 175 So. Homestead, Fla. / South Dade

8 Steve Ishmael WR 6-2 203 So. Miami, Fla. / North MIami Beach

9 Brisly Estime WR 5-9 178 Jr. Delray Beach, Fla. / Atlantic Community

10 Sterling Hofrichter K/P 5-9 178 Fr. Valrico, Fla. / Armwood

10 Terrel Hunt QB 6-3 238 Sr. Rosedale, N.Y. / Christ the King

11 Trey Dunkelberger TE 6-5 238 So. Shillington, Pa. / Governor Mifflin

11 Corey Winfield CB 6-1 181 So. St. Louis, Mo. / Riverview Gardens

12 Ryan Norton K 5-11 188 Sr. Garden City, N.Y. / Garden City

13 Ron Thompson DE 6-3 255 Jr. Southfield, Mich. / Southfield

14 Kenterius Womack WR 6-1 170 Fr. Luverne, Ala. / Luverne

15 Juwan Dowels CB 5-10 177 R-Fr. Sunrise, Fla. / American Heritage School

16 Zack Mahoney QB 6-2 192 So. LaGrange, Ill. / Lyons Township

17 Jamal Custis WR 6-5 224 So. Philadelphia, Pa. / Neumann-Goretti

18 Dontae Strickland RB 5-11 194 Fr. Dayton, N.J. / South Brunswick

19 Daivon Ellison S 5-8 168 Fr. Linden, N.J. / Don Bosco Prep

20 Cordell Hudson CB 5-11 182 R-Fr. Largo, Fla. / Largo

21 Chauncey Scissum S 6-2 207 So. West Henrietta, N.Y. / Rush-Henrietta

22 Jordan Fredericks RB 5-10 208 Fr. Inwood, N.Y. / Lawrence

23 Jonathan Thomas LB 6-1 214 So. Lawrenceville, Ga. / Collins Hill

24 Shyheim Cullen LB 6-0 209 Fr. Lowell, Mass. / Lowell

25 Kielan Whitner S 6-0 196 Fr. Lawrenceville, Ga. / Mountain View

26 Tyrone Perkins HB 6-0 208 Fr. Glen Head, N.Y. / Friends Academy

27 George Morris RB 6-0 192 Jr. Lawrenceville, Ga. / Central Gwinnett

28 Christopher Fredrick S 5-11 173 Fr. Conley, Ga. / Cedar Grove

29 Devante McFarlane RB 6-0 199 Jr. Wheatley Heights, N.Y. / Half Hollow Hills West

30 Parris Bennett LB 6-0 216 So. Detroit, Mich. / University of Detroit Jesuit

31 Kyle Kleinberg LB 6-0 223 Fr. Armonk, N.Y. / Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)

33 Marqez Hodge LB 5-11 221 Jr. Miami, Fla. / Miami Central

34 Jacob Hill RB 5-6 165 Fr. Detroit, Mich. / Detroit County Day

35 Eric Jackson CB 5-9 170 Sr. Inglewood, Calif. / Pacific Palisades

37 Ted Taylor LB 6-1 193 Jr. Riviera Beach, Fla. / Dwyer/Dodge City Community College

39 Troy Henderson LB 5-11 225 Fr. Cleveland, Ohio / St. Edward

41 Eric Anthony S 6-0 196 Jr. Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker

42 Jacob Green TE 6-1 250 Sr. Seattle, Wash. / Seattle Prep

42 Joe Stanard S 5-10 199 Jr. Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker

43 Terrell Drayton LB 5-11 215 So. Rosedale, N.Y. / Townsend Harris

46 PJ Batten TE 6-3 234 So. Miami, Fla. / Dade Christian

47 Matt Keller LS 5-11 217 Fr. Willow Street, Pa. / Penn Manor

48 Cole Murphy K 6-3 188 So. Castaic, Calif. / Valencia

49 Alryk Perry LB 6-1 221 So. Columbus, Ala. / Glenwood School

50 John Raymon DT 6-5 308 Sr. Richboro, Pa. / Council Rock North

51 Donnie Simmons DE 6-2 264 Sr. White Plains, N.Y. / Archbishop Stepinac

52 Kayton Samuels NT 6-0 300 R-Fr. Ellenwood, Ga. / Arabia Mountain

53 Lucas Albrecht DE 6-2 260 Sr. Hudson Falls, N.Y. / Hudson Falls

53 Nathan Hines LS 6-6 245 So. Catonsville, Md. / Catonsville

54 Tyler Cross DT 6-2 283 Fr. Douglassville, Ga. / Northview

55 Rob Trudo C 6-4 301 Sr. Farrell, Pa. / Farrell

56 Kenny Carter DE 6-4 257 Fr. Plainfield, N.J. / Plainfield

57 Omari Palmer OT 6-3 305 Jr. Coram, N.Y. / Longwood

58 Donnie Foster C 6-3 310 So. Savannah, Ga. / IMG Academy (Fla.)

58 Hernz Laguerre LB 6-1 230 Sr. Spring Valley, N.Y. / Spring Valley

59 Aaron Roberts OG 6-4 280 R-Fr. Chicago, Ill. / De La Salle Institute

60 Cody Conway OT 6-6 281 Fr. Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield North

61 Samuel Clausman OG 6-3 317 Fr. Pembroke Pines, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas

62 Andrejas Duerig C 6-3 297 Fr. Lowell, Ind. / Mount Carmel

63 Evan Adams OG 6-6 314 Fr. Norwalk, Conn. / Norwalk

63 Rony Charles NT 6-2 312 Sr. Medford, Mass. / St. Clement

64 Colin Byrne OT 6-5 303 Fr. Coral Springs, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas

65 Jamar McGloster OT 6-7 319 So. Hillside, N.J. / Saint Anthony

67 Michael Lasker OT 6-5 295 Sr. Corona, Calif. / Santiago

68 Nick Robinson OG 6-6 302 Sr. Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker

69 Keith Mitsuuchi LS 5-10 223 Sr. Torrance, Calif. / South Torrance

71 Alex Hayes OG 6-2 279 So. Ellenwood, Ga. / Tucker

72 Steven Clark NT 6-2 303 Fr. Arab, Ala. / Brindlee Mountain

72 Ivan Foy OT 6-5 280 Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y. / Fort Hamilton

73 Jon Burton OT 6-8 304 So. Spotsylvania, Va. / Courtland

74 Seamus Shanley OG 6-1 281 Sr. Syracuse, N.Y. / West Genesee

75 Denzel Ward OT 6-8 325 R-Fr. Chicago, Ill. / Neal F. Simeon

76 Keaton Darney OT 6-3 280 R-Fr. Los Angeles, Calif. / Loyola

78 Jason Emerich C 6-3 273 Jr. New Ringgold, Pa. / Blue Mountain

79 Anthony Giudice DT 6-1 273 Fr. Monroe Township, N.J. / Avon Old Farms (Conn.)

79 Taylor Hindy OG 6-4 312 Jr. West Hills, Calif. / Chaminade Prep

80 Tyler Provo TE 6-2 223 So. West Palm Beach, Fla. / American Heritage School

82 Alvin Cornelius WR 6-1 183 Jr. Staten Island, N.Y. / Tottenville

83 Sean Avant WR 5-10 207 So. Miramar, Fla. / Miramar

84 Ben Lewis HB 6-2 213 Jr. Middletown, Md. / Middletown

85 Nesean Crofford WR 5-10 178 Fr. Alpharetta, Ga. / Alpharetta

86 Adly Enoicy WR 6-5 226 R-Fr. Delray Beach, Fla. / Atlantic Community

87 Kendall Moore TE 6-5 245 Jr. Chicago, Ill. / Neal F. Simeon

88 Clay Austin WR 5-9 164 So. Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep

89 Josh Parris TE 6-4 246 Jr. Stone Mountain, Ga. / Stephenson

90 Cameron MacPherson TE 6-3 248 Jr. Syracuse, N.Y. / Christian Brothers Academy

92 Riley Dixon P 6-5 219 Sr. Blossvale, N.Y. / Christian Brothers Academy

93 Qaadir Sheppard DE 6-3 247 Fr. Bronx, N.Y. / Iona Prep

95 Chris Slayton DT 6-4 288 R-Fr. University Park, Ill. / Crete Monee

97 Amir Ealey DE 6-3 237 Fr. Coatesville, Pa. / Coatesville

99 Jake Pickard DE 6-5 244 Fr. Short Hills, N.J. / Millburn

syracuse roster clemson roster


Editors’ note: This was an editorial published in the Nov. 24, 1936 edition of The Daily Orange after Syracuse lost 116-45 to Colgate and football head coach Vic Hanson resigned.

The resignation of Vic Hanson as head coach of the football team is a definite indi-cation that Syracuse, like so many of her sister institutions has decided to take the gay, bedecked, calliope-lined road to the three ring circus of professionalization. Howling by disgruntled alumni has finally gained enough volume to blow Hanson and the athletic system under which he worked right off the campus.

Syracuse is now definitely headed for the “big time.” No official announcement to that effect has been made, of course. Yet who would be naïve enough to deny it?

One could predict, without dire fears of eventually being proved wrong, that the great metropolitan papers will carry stories in a few months — if not sooner — about Syracuse’s new “big time” coach, Syracuse’s reversal of athletic policy, Syracuse’s deci-sion to climb on the gaudy bandwagon head-ed for the big top.

“Ah — that’s what we want! Large type, banner headlines, publicity. Something to put our school on the map …” So go the comments.

•••And where does all this glorious publicity get the school?

Certainly it has had little effect on the enrollment of most other colleges. Long and intensive studies by university officials thru-out the country have proved that.

And those who should know have pointed out that the expense of outright subsidiza-tion is so great that the total profits under such a system are usually no greater than they are under the present middle-of-the road system.

Buy an expensive coach. Then what? Buy his expensive retinue of assistant coaches. Then what? Buy an expensive contingent of young football stars, which every expensive coach demands. Then what? Send those stars to an expensive prep school for training for a year or two. Then what? Your traditional gridiron rival goes you one better. You try to keep up. So it goes — until the fantastic bubble breaks.

The University of Chicago is one of the finest educational institutions in the coun-try. It prepares its students to lead happy, enriched lives after graduation. How many of its graduates are sorry they attended Chi-cago just because its football team doesn’t crash the headlines?

A certain Southern university has one of the best football teams in the nation. But the

school’s academic rating is laughably low. The alumni may be proud of their team—but as for the school itself, watch those alumni blush.

The point is this: The team may lose, but is the team everything? The publicity may be lacking, but is publicity everything?

•••The Daily Orange does think the football players do deserve some financial consider-ation for their entertainment of the Satur-

day afternoon crowds. Certainly they do not deserve any scholastic concessions—at least no more than does anyone working his way thru college.

Certainly Syracuse should continue to be an educational institution with a football team—not a football team with an educational setup hanging on.

But the die is cast. All aboard for the trip across the Rubicon — where the circus holds sway.

Time machine: SU head coach resigns following 116-45 loss

blown outAn 116-45 defeat sent Vic Hanson on his way out of Syracuse after seven seasons as the head football coach. Hanson compiled a 33-21-5 record during those seasons. The 116-45 loss is the second worst in program history and is only rivaled by a 75-0 drubbing by Union in 1891.

daily orange file photo


other 25.7%

PREGAME PLAYBOOKkey players they said it beat writer predictions

last time they played

We know that we have one heck of a challenge with the No. 1 team in the country coming into the Dome. It’s a great opportunity for us to go head to head with the best.Scott Shafer su head coach

The Orange traveled to Death Valley for the first time in program history and ultimately fell short despite keeping it close entering the fourth quarter. AJ Long threw for just 82 yards and had two interceptions as the Tigers held on to its 10-point lead.

209

CORDELL HUDSONc o r n e r b ac kHT: 5’11” WGHT: 182 YEAR: R-FR.

peakingIn his first career start, Hudson recorded a team-high nine tackles and an interception that he returned for 18 yards. It wasn’t nearly enough to dig the Orange out of a massive hole, but gave signs of optimism as he heads into his second start against Clemson.

syracuse

ERVIN PHILIPSh y b r i dHT: 5’11” WGHT: 181 YEAR: SOPHOMORE

swervePhilips scored Syracuse’s first touchdown in last weekend’s 41-17 loss to the Cardinals and has nine touches in each of the last four games. He’s been more of a threat in the passing game, with four of his five touch-downs coming in the air, and could pose a threat to a vaunted Clemson defense.

DESHAUN WATSONq ua r t e r b ac kHT: 6’2” WGHT: 210 YEAR: SOPHOMORE

megawatts The Tigers’ quarterback is first in the ACC in total offense, amassing 302.9 yards per game on the ground and in the air. He’s run for four scores and passed for 21, also good for most combined touchdowns in the conference. It’s fair to say Syracuse will have its hands full.

SHAQ LAWSONd e f e n si v e e n dHT: 6’3” WGHT: 270 YEAR: JUNIOR

shaq attackLawson leads Clemson with 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He ranks sixth and fourth in the conference, respectively, in those cat-egories and will likely get a few chances to terrorize Mahoney when he lines up under center for the Orange.

clemson

other 10%

freshmen 74.3%

resulting in a score

90%

stats to know

CLEMSON

SYRACUSE

oct. 25, 2014clemson 16syracuse 6

PASSING YARDS

THIRD-DOWN PERCENTAGE

82

35.3

18.8

You can’t be too high, you can’t be too low. You just got to stay steady.Kielan Whitnersu safety

There’s nothing on the tape that says these guys have three wins. All you do is just watch them play.Dabo Swinney clemson head coach

JESSE DOUGHERTYclemson 52, syracuse 9

They mooore than

gooood... they’re GREAT

Syracuse will not be able

to keep up with Clem-

son. Not in its own stadi-

um, not on the road, not

in its dreams. Cole Murphy accounts for

all of the Orange’s offense, and it’s on to

North Carolina State for New York’s Col-

lege something or other.

SAM BLUMclemson 59, syracuse 14

House arrest

What’s that old Scott

Shafer saying about

locking opponents in the

Dome? Well, on Satur-

day, it will be Syracuse

that’s imprisoned in its own nightmare

and not even officer Zack Mahoney can

help break the Orange out.

MATT SCHNEIDMANclemson 48, syracuse 13

What do Tigers

dream of?

Playing Syracuse.

Clemson is the No. 1

team in the country and

Syracuse isn’t. Clemson

has a Heisman contender as its quarter-

back and Syracuse doesn’t. Clemson has

allowed over 24 points once and Syracuse

has allowed over 40 in four of the last five

games. Have a nice day everyone.

PAUL SCHWEDELSONclemson 52, syracuse 10

The real game is in

Ithaca

Syracuse will be blown

out by the No. 1 team in

the country as the most

exciting college foot-

ball game in New York on Saturday will

be the Cortaca Jug between Cortland

and Ithaca. Deshaun Watson continues

his push to be the nation’s best quar-

terback and the Orange defense allows

more than 40 points for the fifth time in

the last six games.

When I talk to kids in recruiting, whether it’s a couple years ago when I first started at it or today, tomorrow, it’s the same message. Here’s where we’re going, here’s how we’re going to ramp up the program, here are the models that we’ve been a part of or we think are comparable to ours and this is where you fit in.Scott Shafersu head coach on job security and recruiting

by the numbers

Freshman nose tackle Steven Clark scooped up a pair of fumbles against Louisville. The last Syracuse player to do that was Arthur Jones on Oct. 3, 2009.2

Fourteen of Syracuse’s scor-ing drives have lasted less than two minutes this sea-son. In 2014, the Orange only had four scoring drives last-ing less than two minutes.14 SU has lost nine

of its 10 games against the AP’s top-ranked team.9

Years since Syracuse upset No. 1 Nebraska at the Carrier Dome, 17-9, the program’s only win against a team ranked No. 1 in the nation. 31

syracuse offensive

yards

red-zone trips

BEAT WRITER STANDINGS1. PAUL SCHWEDELSON (8-1)2. MATT SCHNEIDMAN (7-2)3. SAM BLUM (6-3)3. JESSE DOUGHERTY (6-3)

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In the Huddle: Clemson