In the Huddle: N.C. State

in the • oct. 31 - nov. 1, 2014

huddlesyracuse vs. n.c. state

2 october 31 - november 1, 2014 dailyorange.com

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Family valuesN.C. State senior linebacker Rodman Noel uses experience growing up in an athletic, close-knit family to excel with the Wolfpack.See Page 15

Always returningDe’Mornay Pierson-El is a freshman at Nebraska and has quickly established himself as the country’s top punt returner.See Page 19

cover photo by logan reidsma staff photographer

october 31 - novermber 1, 2014 3 dailyorange.com [email protected]

By Phil D’Abbraccioasst. sports editor

Syracuse’s running backs haven’t scored a touchdown since Aug. 29.

But head coach Scott Shafer raved about the running backs’ willingness to do what-ever Syracuse’s coaches have asked. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester mentioned the puzzle of an offense he has and how these particular pieces fit into it. Asking the running backs to do more, quarterback AJ Long said, would be like “break-ing the camel’s back.”

Yet ask the tailbacks themselves and

Prince-Tyson Gulley grades his group as doing an “average job” while fellow senior Adonis Ameen-Moore gives a similar assessment.

Eight games into the year, Syracuse’s depth at running back has yielded a healthy but under-performing group. The collection of backs hopes to take a step up and re-enact the rushing onslaught Syracuse (3-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) laid on North Carolina State last year when the Wolf-pack (4-4, 0-4) comes to the Carrier Dome for a 3 p.m. meeting on Saturday.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Gul-ley said. “We’re all getting enough touches, but we just need to produce. We need to put some points up at the end of the day.”

The tailbacks have tallied just two of the Orange’s nine rushing touchdowns on the year, which is tied for second-to-last of all ACC teams.

And both rushing touchdowns were scored in Syracuse’s season opener against Villanova — two

months and 518 plays ago.Before this season, former Syracuse running

back Jerome Smith predicted a “five-headed monster” forming in the Orange’s backfield. And it was conceivable.

It would combine Gulley’s leadership and shift-iness, Ameen-Moore’s short-yardage downhill running and George Morris II’s pass-protection

skills. Fellow junior Devante McFarlane would fill in the cracks and incoming freshman Ervin Philips was the wildcard who could contribute on special teams.

But while the strength in numbers has lent itself to a mostly durable rotation, the strength hasn’t translated to stats, nor the scoreboard.

see running backs page 4

running on emptyA Syracuse running back hasn’t scored a touchdown since Adonis Ameen-Moore’s 2-yard score in the season opener against Villanova on Aug. 29. The five SU running backs have only accounted for two total scores on the season, both coming against the Wildcats. Here are four things that have happened since Ameen-Moore’s third-quarter touchdown.

147 – points Syracuse has scored without a touchdown by a running back

11 – offensive touchdowns scored, without one by a running back

518 – number of plays Syracuse has run

1,281 – Syracuse rushing yards

THE PACKSU running backs’ scoring struggles hold back Orange

PRINCE-TYSON GULLEY is part of a running back corps that hasn’t scored a touchdown since the first game of the season, Syracuse’s 27-26 double-overtime win against Villanova on Aug. 29. Though the Orange is seventh in the ACC in rushing yards, 518 plays have passed since the last SU running back scored. logan reidsma staff photographer

BACK OF

4 october 31 - november 1, 2014 dailyorange.com [email protected]

from page 3

running backs

“We’re definitely getting used a lot,” Ameen-Moore said. “Some of us are doing things that some of us haven’t done, being outside in the slot and stuff like that. We’re just trying to figure out avenues since we’re so deep in the backfield, just try to figure out ways in which we can all get the ball.”

As the offense as a whole continues to sput-ter, SU’s tried to get creative with the running backs. Philips, Gulley and even the 5-foot-11, 234-pound Ameen-Moore have lined up in the slot.

“It’s hard with five guys,” Lester said.Morris hasn’t received many snaps. Touted as

somewhat of a hybrid between Gulley and Ameen-Moore, Morris — who is playing well on kickoff coverage, his teammates and Shafer said — didn’t get any carries as the Orange lost in Death Valley.

He’s been given 26 rushing attempts on the year, including just 16 over the last six games, and has 57 yards — 15 more than punter Riley Dixon — to show for it on the season.

“It definitely is (a surprise),” Ameen-Moore said of Morris not being involved. “Even though it’s not the carries that he wants, he still knows he’s helping this team out a lot.”

Though the scoring output isn’t there for the running backs, the yardage is.

SU is seventh out of 14 in the ACC in rushing yards per game, right on point with Gulley’s “aver-age” assessment. And in six of SU’s eight games, at least one running back has racked up 80 yards on the ground.

“The running backs are by far the biggest con-tributors so far, besides Cole (Murphy),” Long

said. “Everybody else, including myself, has to step up and help them out because they’ve been the focal point of our offense so far.”

When Syracuse trekked to Raleigh, North Car-olina last October, quarterback Terrel Hunt threw for 74 yards. But he accumulated 92 yards on the ground while Gulley and Smith scampered for at

least 130 yards apiece. Each of the threescored touchdowns in the

SU victory.And the Orange, coming off a loss to Clemson a

week prior, ran past the Wolfpack when it couldn’t prevail aerially.

If Syracuse can place the right pieces together,

now wouldn’t be a bad time to get off the ground for a repeat performance.

“We’re doing everything that needs to be done,” Gulley said. “We need to go over that and stop being, ‘OK, that’s what’s expected.’ We need to go beyond that.”

[email protected] | @PhilDAbb

ERVIN PHILIPS (BOTTOM) has become a part of the Syracuse running back rotation. But he, along with the Orange’s four other running backs, has struggled to execute. Senior Prince-Tyson Gulley said the group has to improve as a whole. logan reidsma staff photographer

october 31 - november 1, 2014 5 dailyorange.com [email protected]

RILEY DIXON gets recognized on campus despite being Syracuse’s punter and the hashtag #DixonForHeisman surfaces every time he booms a punt downfield. His longest punt on the season was a 60-yarder against Wake Forest on Oct. 18 and nine of his punts have eclipsed 50 yards. On the season, Dixon has an average of 43.4 yards per punt, with four touchbacks added in. Fifteen of his punts have been downed or have landed inside the 20-yard line and the senior also recorded a passing touchdown against Villanova. margaret lin photo editor

the specialistSyracuse punter Dixon gains recognition with consistent punting, offensive exploits as one of the conference’s top specialists

By Sam Blumasst. copy editor

Riley Dixon tries to block it all out.

Students recognizing him on cam-pus despite his position. The #Dixon-

ForHeisman Twitter campaign that comes after every one of his lengthy, well-placed punts. The jokes and jabs his teammates give him in the locker room.

He’s dealt with it all this season, but doesn’t think too much about it.

“I definitely appreciate the support from anybody who supports me,” Dixon said. “Do I pay attention to it? Not necessarily. My job is to punt the football.”

Dixon has done his job well. The senior’s

43.5 yards per punt rank him just 0.9 yards off the Atlantic Coast Conference lead. His 1,869 punting yards are fourth in the confer-ence. More than one-third of his punts have pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line.

And while his season’s been defined by his punting, it’s been highlighted by his offensive capabilities. When Syracuse faced Villanova on Aug. 29, Dixon threw a game-winning touchdown on a fake field goal in double over-time to help SU capture a 27-26 win. Against Notre Dame on Sept. 27, he faked a punt and ran 42 yards, becoming SU’s leading rusher for the game in the process.

Whether he’s contributing on trick plays or punting the football, he’ll continue to be

see dixon page 6

Player Team Yards Punts

Alexander Kinal Wake Forest 2,310 53

Bradley Pinion Clemson 2,183 51

A.J. Hughes Virginia Tech 1,905 46

Riley Dixon Syracuse 1,869 43

Tommy Hibbard North Carolina 1,833 45

Ryan Johnson Louisville 1,742 42

Alec Vozenilek Virginia 1,675 38

Alex Howell Boston College 1,657 38

Wil Baumann N.C. State 1,594 34

Ryan Winslow Pittsburgh 1,530 38

conference ranksPunter Riley Dixon has been one of Syracuse’s best, most consistent contributors this sea-son. Here’s how he stacks up with the other punters in the ACC.

top 10 acc punters by yards

a key for the Orange (3-5, 1-3 ACC) against North Carolina State (4-4, 0-4) at 3 p.m. in the Carrier Dome on Saturday.

“For a specialist to be making plays, that’s awesome,” SU senior long snapper Sam Rod-gers said. “To see him excelling so much this year, it’s really cool.”

Dixon was a quarterback in his first two years on the Christian Brothers (Syracuse) Academy football team. But once his junior season came along, Tyler Hamblin, a current Harvard tight end, took over the role and Dixon picked up punting “out of nowhere.”

He said it was a passion of his when he was younger; he would go out into the street and punt footballs to his father, Tom Dixon.

And once he picked it up again he didn’t stop.“It’s definitely a craft that I don’t ever

think can be perfected,” Dixon said. “I think there are guys that are very good at it, but I

think it’s impossible to hit your ‘A’ ball every single time. It’s the constant drive to be per-fect, even though it may not be possible.”

Dixon emerged to take over the prima-ry punting duties from Jonathan Fisher in the second game of last season and has held the job since. In December, the walk-on was rewarded with a scholarship.

Rodgers says that as a specialist, much of the job is repetition. It’s about developing a craft, a niche, and getting better and better at it.

And Dixon, Rodgers said, takes it to anoth-er level. He’s his own coach and if he’s not feeling it, he’ll just keep punting until he does.

“One thing that’s really cool about Riley is that he just really loves to punt footballs. It’s not something that people really like to do,” Rodgers said. “… He’ll just punt footballs until you make him stop.”

Even though Dixon’s celebrity has cooled off as his 42-yard run goes deeper into the depths of an up-and-down season for Syra-cuse, he’s been a beacon of consistency.

SU head coach Scott Shafer said Dixon has a great ability to get the ball high in the air. When his punts remain in the air upward of five seconds, it allows the coverage unit to get down the field and force fair catches or no yardage gains, Shafer said.

Dixon’s notoriety may be partially due to his trick play success, but his punting’s been a constant all season.

“It’s great to have a great punter,” Shafer said. “He’s done a very good job. I’m very proud of the way he’s worked at it, and I’m happy for him. He’s having a great season.”

[email protected] | @SamBlum3


One thing that’s really cool about Riley is that he just really loves to punt footballs. It’s not something that people really like to do. ...He’ll just punt footballs until you make him stop.

Sam Rodgerssu long snapper

from page 5

dixon

RILEY DIXON says that his job is simply to “punt the football.” He’s received attention for throwing a touchdown and a long rush against Notre Dame earlier in the season, but blocks that out to focus on his main job. margaret lin photo editor


By Phil D’Abbraccioasst. sports editor

Last week, Syracuse’s offense was suddenly infused with the re-additions of its top two talents at wide receiver. Now both are back on the shelf.

Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer said H-backs Ashton Broyld and Brisly Estime will both be unavailable for Saturday’s 3 p.m. game against North Carolina State. Cornerback Wayne Morgan and offensive tackle Ivan Foy are still out, Shafer added. They have missed time due to lower-body injuries.

The head coach sighed heavily before answering the question about Foy and Morgan.

“Yeah, they’re doing,” Shafer said before sighing again, “they’re doing a good job. They won’t be ready for this weekend.”

SU released its full injury report a few hours after Shafer’s press conference. Also ruled out for Saturday’s game are: linebacker Luke Arciniega (lower body), wide receiver Adly Enoicy (upper body) and nose tackle Wayne Williams (lower body).

Right guard Nick Robinson is listed as doubt-ful with lower-body injury and left guard Rob Trudo is questionable with a lower-body injury.

Broyld and Estime returned from their low-er-body injuries last week and played during

the Orange’s 16-6 loss at Clemson on Satur-day. Broyld bounced back from a four-game absence and was SU’s leading receiver with four catches for 49 yards. Estime, seeing the field after missing three games, didn’t have any catches in the loss to the Tigers.

Shafer added that sophomore quarterback Austin Wilson, who had a turn at the starting

job in between the injury to Terrel Hunt and AJ Long’s ascension to the starting role, has practiced this week. Wilson had a “pretty good headache” following a hit he took during SU’s loss to Florida State on Oct. 11 and has missed the last two games.

“Austin’s doing good, he practiced. He was a little bit rusty, he’d probably be the first one to tell you that,” Shafer said. “But he practiced and got a little bit better Wednesday and he’s got a big, strong arm.”

Shafer refrains from discussing trip to Chicago for NCAA hearing

Shafer stepped up to the podium at 6:03 p.m. and began an opening statement on the game.

His weekly Thursday press conference in Manley Field House’s Iocolano-Petty Foot-ball Wing auditorium had been rescheduled from its usual 10 a.m. start time because he had to travel to Chicago and back for a hearing regarding the NCA A’s wide-ranging inquiry of the Syracuse’s football and basket-ball programs.

As Shafer summed up his opening remarks about Saturday’s game, he addressed the elephant in the room before it could be addressed to him.

“With regards to today, I know you guys probably have questions,” Shafer said, “I’m not going to talk about the NCAA matters other than to say that I had a good trip out there earlier this morning, got back for meetings and practice today and I feel great about our situ-ation. I feel great about my time here at Syra-cuse and we’ll just let that process take care of itself and focus on this N.C. State game.”

A couple of minutes after the press confer-ence began, Shafer was asked to comment on which time period in SU’s football program the NCAA is investigating. Shafer declined and reiterated that he wouldn’t discuss it.

The first question Shafer fielded was about how much harder the trip to Chicago made his job as a head coach.

“It doesn’t. Fortunately or unfortunately, as Missy knows, we in college football are used to that kind of day,” Shafer said, referring to his wife, who was in attendance of the press con-ference. “Getting up early in the wee hours of the morning, jumping on an airplane, running around chasing 18-year-old kids and hustling back and coaching football.

“... For me, it just felt like a quick recruiting trip, except once I got there, I didn’t have to work at all. I just got to be a spectator and watch and listen.”

Shafer also said he simply worked harder earlier in the week to prepare for N.C. State in anticipation of having to leave.

“To be quite honest with you, my prepara-tion for the game is probably the most over-rated on the staff,” Shafer said. “The guys that really do the work are my coordinators and my assistant coaches, the young coaches and more importantly, the kids.

“I just try to manage things and I’m sure they were glad that I was out of the office,” Shafer said, prompting a bit of laughter from his audience, “for a few hours this morning.”


Shafer: Key players out; Chicago trip not an issue in prep

SCOTT SHAFER‘s weekly Thursday press conference was moved from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. because he was in Chicago for a hearing about the NCAA’s investigation involving Syracuse’s foot-ball and basketball programs. The SU head coach declined to comment on NCAA matters, but said it was a “good trip” and he feels “great” about the situation. margaret lin photo editor

spreading it around

When Broyld and Estime combine for at least one catch (5 games) – 209 receiving yards per game

When neither has a catch (3 games) – 191 receiving yards per game


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No. 24 Duke (6-1, 2-1) at Pittsburgh (4-4, 2-2), noon, ESPNU

The Blue Devils earned their spot back in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week after dropping out of the No. 23 rank after week five and steadily accumulating votes throughout the last few weeks. Duke has rebounded from a late-September loss to Miami, knocking off then-No. 22 Georgia Tech on Oct. 11 and taking over the top spot in the ACC’s Coastal Division. The reeling Panthers have lost four of their last five games, the latest being a 56-28 shortcoming against the Yellow Jackets.

Boston College (5-3, 2-2) at Virginia Tech (4-4, 1-3), 12:30 p.m., ACC Network

Boston College, one win away from bowl eligibility, could be in jeopardy of not making the postseason if it doesn’t beat the Hokies. Waiting for the Eagles after this week are No. 25 Louisville, No. 2 Florida State and a Syracuse team that could return quarterback Terrel Hunt in time to make one last push for a bowl game in the regular-season finale for both sides on Nov. 29. But the Hokies have faltered since their upset of then-No. 8 Ohio State in early September. VT has fallen to the very bottom of the Coastal Division, ranking third to last in the conference in scoring offense and dropping four of its last six games.

North Carolina (4-4, 2-2) at Miami (5-3, 2-2), 12:30 p.m., ACC Network

The Tar Heels have recovered from a four-game losing streak and are winners of their last two games. Junior quarterback Marquise Williams, the ACC’s second-leading passer, has flexed his dual-threat abilities over the past two weeks, running for two touchdowns and throwing five. The Hurricanes boast the fifth-best rushing game in the conference and rode that attack to victory the past two weeks, featuring a pair of 100-plus-yard rushers in both wins over Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. Miami running back Duke Johnson, the ACC’s No. 2 rusher, racked up 169 and 249 yards in those games, respectively.

Virginia (4-4, 2-2) at Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2), 3:30 p.m., ESPNU

With a pair of losses in their last three games, the Yellow Jackets have fallen from the top spot in the Coastal Division. A 56-28 beating of Pittsburgh last weekend — powered by 465 yards from GT’s rushing attack, best in the ACC and top five nationally — clinched bowl eligibility for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have a chance to pad their resume with matchups against lowly Virginia on Saturday and North Carolina State next weekend. The Cavaliers, stuck in the lower half of the Coastal, have hit a two-game skid and their rush defense, No. 3 in the ACC, is in for a challenge on the road against the Yellow Jackets’ high-profile running game.

— compiled by Phil D’Abbraccio, asst. sports editor, [email protected] | @PhilDAbb

around the accAs Syracuse, North Carolina State try to battle their way out of the bottom half of the

Atlantic Division, here is a quick look at Saturday’s matchups from across the conference


pregame playbook

beat writer predictions

PHIL D’ABBRACCIO syracuse: 21 n.c. state: 13

Hopin’ for Raleigh

Syracuse’s offense might

roll on like a wagon wheel,

but it’s not a particularly smooth ride.

JESSE DOUGHERTY n.c. state: 28 syracuse: 20

Wolfed down

Syracuse didn’t get into

the red zone against

Clemson so the problems

there didn’t persist last week. Now they’ll

pick up where they left off.

JACOB KLINGER syracuse: 24 clemson: 21

Howlin’ for (S)U

Syracuse outcrawls N.C.

State’s tepid offense,

leaving the Carrier Dome faithful barking at

the moon or whatever the roof is made of.

key players

prince-tysongulleyr u n n in g b ac kHT: 5’8 WGHT: 193 YEAR: SENIOR

shadrach thortonr u n n in g b ac kHT: 6’1 WGHT: 206 YEAR: JUNIOR

darius kellys t r o n g s a f e t yHT: 5’9 WGHT: 195 YEAR: SENIOR

rodman noel l in e b ac k e rHT: 6’4 WGHT: 223 YEAR: SENIOR

syracuse

n.c. state

leader of the packThe senior running back was one of the few bright spots for an otherwise stagnant Syracuse offense on Saturday, rushing for 80 yards against Clemson. For a running backs corps that has no touchdowns since the first week of the season, the Orange needs Gulley to continue playing well.

i’ll take thatAgainst the Tigers, Kelly was fifth on the team in tackles with six, with five of them coming solo. The safety also had a tackle for loss and returned an interception 20 yards. He, along with the rest of the secondary, will be key in defending against North Carolina State quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has thrown for 16 touchdowns on the year.

the finisherThe junior running back is tied for fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven rushing touchdowns. He’s only lost 5 yards on the season and after Syracuse had trouble with Clemson running back Wayne Gallman, Thornton could pose a similar challenge.

here, there, everywhereNoel leads the Wolfpack with 6.5 tackles for loss and is third on the team with 48 total tackles. The senior linebacker has also returned an interception for 21 yards and deflected three passes, tied for fourth on the team.

last time they played

syracuse 24n.c. state 10

SU had three rushing TDs, one each from Terrel Hunt, Prince-Tyson Gulley and Jerome Smith. The team totaled 362 rushing yards on the day, compared to the Wolfpack’s 129.

413

SYRACUSE N.C. STATE

stat comparisons

20.5

tackles for loss

passing yards

SYRACUSE N.C. STATE

74226

29.2

points per game

SYRACUSE

N.C. STATE

passing yards per game

197.8 225.5

rushing yards per game

177.1 180.8

Here’s a comparison of Syracuse and N.C. State’s offensive numbers going into Saturday’s matchup.

riley dixon

poster series


Shafer compares Brissett to Steelers’ RoethlisbergerBy Phil D’Abbraccioasst. sports editor

In the Mid-American Conference, Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer had to game-plan his defenses for Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion who’s a big, yet still mobile NFL quarterback.

He sees a similar style of play in North Carolina State (4-4, 0-4 Atlantic Coast) quar-terback Jacoby Brissett.

“I think before he finishes his career in the ACC that he’ll be one of the better quarter-backs — just my opinion,” Shafer said at his weekly press conference Thursday evening. “He reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger.”

Brissett, a 6-foot-4, 231-pound redshirt junior, linebacker Rodman Noel and the rest of the Wolfpack go up against Syracuse (3-5, 1-3) at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Carrier Dome.

Brissett is third in the ACC in individual offense per game, averaging 248 yards. The quarterback is also fourth in the conference in passing yards per game with 224.5. Although Brissett has just one rushing touchdown and has just one carry longer than 20 yards this season, Shafer praised his ability to extend plays from lengths of three or four seconds to seven or eight.

“He moves extremely well. He’s got to have huge hands,” Shafer said. “He made a couple of plays against Florida State that were really exceptional football plays. I mean, a couple of the better college football plays I’ve seen this year.”

In a 56-41 loss to the Seminoles on Sept. 27, Brissett threw for 357 yards and three touch-downs, while completing 32-of-48 without throw-ing a pick to the reigning national champions.

Shafer also likened the quarterback to his own starter, Terrel Hunt.

“I think we have to do a good job of containing him on the outside and pressing the pocket on the inside,” Shafer said of Brissett. “He does a really good job stepping up through windows and sliding to his right or left and making plays on the run, or just tucking it and moving the chains.”

Shafer added that the NCSU defense reminds him of the units that Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack’s head coach, used to coordinate at Wisconsin. Shafer was Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2008.

Noel, the brother of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Nerlens Noel, is a 6-foot-4, 233-pound senior linebacker. He ranks within the top 30 of the ACC in tackles per game.

He’s the Wolfpack’s third-leading tackler and his 6.5 tackles for loss on the year are best on the team.

“The thing I like about him is that he proba-bly is the guy who takes charge of the defense as well. You can see him making calls and getting lined up,” Shafer said. “They’re an extremely well-coached defensive team.

“(Noel) makes a lot of good, sure tackles in space and he’s a physical football player, as you well know.”



1 Ashton Broyld WR

1 Julian Whigham CB

2 Quinta Funderburk WR

2 Wayne Morgan CB

3 Durell Eskridge FS

3 Mitch Kimble QB

4 AJ Long QB

4 Brandon Reddish CB

5 Luke Arciniega LB

5 Austin Wilson QB

6 Ritchy Desir SS

7 Troy Green WR

7 Oliver Vigille LB

8 Steve Ishmael WR

8 Darius Kelly SS

9 Brisly Estime WR

10 Terrel Hunt QB

10 Josh Kirkland LB

11 Colton Moskal LB

11 Corey Winfield CB

12 Ryan Norton K

13 Ron Thompson DE

14 Ervin Philips RB

15 Juwan Dowels CB

16 Keenan Hale WR

16 Rodney Williams FS

17 Jonathan Thomas LB

19 Joe Nassib CB

20 Cordell Hudson CB

21 Chauncey Scissum FS

22 Adrian Flemming WR

23 Prince-Tyson Gulley RB

24 Jaston George FS

25 Eric Jackson CB

25 Jeremiah Kobena WR

27 George Morris II RB

28 Antwan Cordy CB

29 Devante McFarlane RB

30 Parris Bennett LB

31 Clay Cleveland FB

32 Travon Burke FB

33 Marqez Hodge LB

34 Adonis Ameen-Moore RB

35 Dyshawn Davis LB

36 Alex Hodgkinson K

38 Cameron Lynch LB

39 Greg Tobias RB

41 Eric Anthony SS

42 Jacob Green TE

42 Joe Stanard CB

45 Zaire Franklin LB

46 PJ Batten TE

47 Sam Rodgers LS

48 Cole Murphy K

49 Alryk Perry LB

50 John Raymon NT

51 Donnie Simmons DE

52 Eric Crume NT

53 Nathan Hines LS

54 Kennedy Kodua DE

55 Marcus Coleman DT

55 Rob Trudo OG

56 John Miller C

57 Omari Palmer OG

58 Hernz Laguerre LB

58 Donnie Foster C

59 Aaron Roberts OG

60 Sean Hickey OT

63 Rony Charles DL

65 Jamar McGloster OT

67 Michael Lasker OT

68 Nick Robinson OG

69 Keith Mitsuuchi LS

70 Jesse Wolf-Gould OG

71 Alex Hayes OG

72 Ivan Foy OT

73 Jon Burton OT

74 Seamus Shanley OG

75 Denzel Ward OT

75 Wayne Williams NT

77 Keaton Darney OL

78 Jason Emerich C

79 Taylor Hindy OL

80 Tyler Provo TE

81 Jamal Custis WR

82 Alvin Cornelius WR

83 Sean Avant WR

84 Ben Lewis WR

86 Adly Enoicy WR

87 Kendall Moore TE

88 Jarrod West WR

89 Josh Parris TE

90 Cameron MacPherson TE

91 Isaiah Johnson DE

92 Riley Dixon K/P

93 Micah Robinson DE

94 Robert Welsh DE

95 Chris Slayton DE

96 Jalen Harvey DT

97 Kayton Samuels NT

98 Trevon Trejo DE

99 Ryan Sloan DT

SYRACUSE

2014 ROSTER

N.C. STATE1 Jarvis Byrd S

2 Jalan McClendon QB

2 Josh Jones S

3 Jumichael Ramos WR

4 Jerod FernandezLB

5 Rodman Noel LB

5 Josh Taylor QB

6 Tim Buckley S

7 NaQuan Brown WR

7 Sean Paul CB

8 Dravious Wright S

10 Shadrach Thornton RB

11 Juston Burris CB

11 Garrett Leatham QB

12 Nicholas Lacy CB

12 Jacoby Brissett QB

13 Bra’Lon Cherry WR

14 Malcolm Means CB

14 Woody Cornwell QB

15 Johnathan Alston WR

19 Maurice Morgan WR

19 Evan Brabrand QB

20 Hakim Jones S

20 Brady Bodine RB

21 Elliott Davis CB

21 Matt Dayes RB

22 Dayton Campos WR

22 Troy Vincent, Jr. CB

24 Shawn Boone S

25 Niles Clark CB

26 Tony Creecy RB

26 Trace Batten S

27 Dakwa Nichols RB

27 Kalen McCain S

28 Jaylen Samuels TE/FB

29 Jack Tocho CB

30 Mike Stevens CB

30 Gavin Locklear WR

31 Germaine Pratt S

32 Stephen Morrison WR

32 Niklas Sade PK

33 Ty Linton LB

33 Charlie Twitty CB

34 Ben Grazen RB

34 Dexter Wright S

35 Kentavius Street DE

36 Wil Baumann P

36 Max Stoffer LB

37 Jackson Maples PF

37 Josh Sessoms S

38 Garrett Bradbury TE

39 Brandon Pittman LB

41 Cole Boroughs CB

42 M.J. Salahuddin LB

43 Coult Culler LB

44 Devin O’Connor TE

45 Artemis Robinson LB

46 Ernie Robinson LB

47 Tyler Purvis FB

47 William Stephenson P

48 Bryan Smith LB

48 Cole Cook TE

49 Brdley Chubb LB

50 Tony Adams C

52 Cole Blankenship C

53 Tyler Jones OL

54 Joe Thuney OG

54 Daivon Alfred DE

55 Deonte Holden DE

56 Bryce Kennedy OG

57 Peter Daniel OT

58 Airius Moore LB

59 John Tu’uta C

60 Quinton Schooley C

61 Ali Kassem OG

62 R.C. Brunstetter LS

64 Tyler Reagan OT

66 Will Richardson OT

67 Clark Eyers DT

67 Evan Pritt OL

69 Thomas Teal DT

70 Terronne Prescod OG

71 Alex Barr OG

73 Andy Jomantas OT/OG

74 Tyson Chandler OT

75 T.Y. McGill DT

76 Eric Shute OL

78 Rob Crisp OT

79 Tyler Smith DT

80 Bryan Underwood WR

82 Bo Hines WR

83 Lucas Wilson TE

84 Marquez Valdes-Scantlin WR

85 Micah Till TE

86 David J. Grinnage TE

87 Pharaoh McKever DE

87 Maurice Trowell WR

88 Stephen Louis WR

89 Benson Browne TE

90 Mike Rose DE

91 Drew Davis DE

92 Hampton Billips DE

93 Justin Jones DT

94 Monty Neldson DT

95 Art Norman DE

96 Scott Thompson LS

96 Kenton Gibbs DT

97 Deshaywn Mddleton DT

98 B.J. Hill DT

Editor’s note: In 1942, before Syracuse hosted North Carolina Pre-Flight on Halloween, The Daily Orange sent a reporter to the Hotel Syracuse to track down former Cornell back Lou Buffalino. The photos and cutline are from the original story, which ran under the headline “Where Angels Fear to Tread.”

By Florence Feiler

Ever try to keep a drooling hungry bear from his chow? Then you have a hazy mental pic-ture of us blocking Lou Buffalino’s mad sweep around end to dining hall D last night in Hotel Syracuse. With four gold-braided sailors run-ning interference, he would have made a first down if we hadn’t flung ourselves recklessly into his path.

“Sir,” we panted, as Navy men piled up on the carpet, “Are you happy to return to Syracuse?”

“Make mine steak,” shouted the frail 180-pound fullback to a passing waitress. We won-dered if the energetic Mr. Buffalino, already bursting vitamins, would be primed by that steak for a neat massacre of Bill Orange.

“Sleepy Jim” Crowley strolled by and thumped Lou on back in a friendly fashion—such a thump would have cut a lesser man in half—but Buffalino took it like a true Navy man. Watching his coach disappear into the dining hall, Lou shrugged his shoulders and settled down for a cozy chat.

Battering Buff admitted that a 40-hour train ride wasn’t the best training for a football game, but he had confidence in the

stamina of his team. And why shouldn’t he be smug with those All-American ends and a choice assortment of Fordham Unpronounce-ables “to stand beside him and guide him?”

Sorry because all the Syracuse men he used to tangle with have graduated, the Swamp-scott gob was somewhat nervous about meet-ing the new Piety crowd miles away from Schoelkopf field. Buff recalled that Orange-men do not tender receptions for visiting

firemen or ex-Cornellians. With only a few million sailor fans to root for

him, Lou feels lost without the rah-rah spirit us coeds are full of. Training at Chapel Hill differs somewhat from collegiate standards, too— breakfast starts at 6:10 and the boys don’t remember whether it was kris pies or crunches they munched, for only the number of calories mean anything to the naval dynamos.

For two week periods, sports training is

crammed between 7:10 and 9:30 in the morn-ing, while the varsity footballers are sent out for a two-hour swim before pigskin practice in the afternoon. Such a variety of activities keeps all muscles developing in equal propor-tions, Buffalino explains witha better smile. Our heart begins to bleed for this tired athlete.

Reluctantly, Lou admitted that the few boys who play football come from such unheard of schools as Temple, Fordham, Cornell, Boston College, Colgate, Tennessee, Columbia, Dartmouth, Alabama, ’n Pebble Hill prep. Len Eshmont, fastest back seen in these parts, is the only player worth mention-ing, Buffalino confided.


time machine

Former SU rival, Cornell star revisits Hill in 1942 matchup

LOU BUFFALINO (LEFT), a Cornell backfield ace two seasons ago, will join up with his for-mer teammate, Mort Landsberg, to captain the Naval Fliers in today’s gridiron battle. Both gridders led Big Red attack against Hillmen two years ago. daily orange file photo


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By Chris Libonati staff writer

Rodman Noel played basketball in his driveway, touch football with his friends at nearby Everett (Massachusetts) High School and little bit of baseball, too. In some ways, he was a typical kid.

But he and his brothers, Jim and Nerlens, all became Division I athletes. They grew up the sons of Haitian immigrants and blue-collar workers. When they arrived home most nights, the house was empty. Their community helped raise them.

Those experiences growing up in Everett fostered his competitive spirit and taught him to be a leader. Together, Rodman, Jim and Nerlens built each other’s competitiveness on the basketball court and on the football field, which Rodman will apply as a senior linebacker for N.C. State’s when it faces Syracuse for a 3 p.m. game in the Carrier Dome on Saturday.

Nerlens is starting his first NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers after starring dur-ing his one season at Kentucky in 2012–13. Jim is a graduate assistant at Temple football after being cut by the Seattle Seahawks during the 2013 preseason and Rodman leads the Wolfpack defense with 48 total tackles and an interception through eight games.

“Their family’s important,” said John DiB-iaso, the head football coach at Everett High School, “they’re brothers and they’ve got to look out for each other.”

Basketball games in the Noel’s driveway ratcheted up the brothers’ competitiveness.

But before the driveway, the boys had to go to the park because they had no hoop.

The three Noel brothers stayed at the park until late hours. Dorcina Noel, their mother, would demand they come home and when they refused, she brought home a basketball hoop. She put up the hoop so if they stayed out late, at least they were in their own driveway.

On the first night they played until 2 a.m.“When it would start to get real competitive,

Brothers, coach shape Noel’s competitiveness, leadership

RODMAN NOEL and his brothers would get rides home from practice from their high school football coach, John DiBiaso. With neither of their parents home, DiBiaso often bought them chicken nuggets from McDonald’s for dinner. courtesy of nc state athletics

Their family’s important. They’re brothers and they’ve got to look out for each other.John DiBiaso everett high school head coach

see noel page 17


we would start shoving each other. If somebody had the game-winning basket, it would start getting a little physical,” Rodman said. “And the other one would get mad because he called a foul, the other person would think it wasn’t a foul and we would start getting into it.”

When Rodman was 10, they’d play basketball at Everett and get rides home from DiBiaso. They played with his son and DiBiaso bought them all chicken nuggets on the way home.

“I’d be bringing them home and the lights would all be out, their mother and father would still be working,” said DiBiaso who usually dropped the Noels off between 10 and 11 p.m.

Dorcina Noel worked in a hospital and Yonel Noel drove cabs to support the family.

The Noel brothers relied on each other. Jim played a “big-brother-slash-father” role to Nerlens and Rodman, DiBiaso said.

When all three played on the football team during Nerlens’ freshman year, they’d get to practice at different times. DiBiaso said Jim arrived five minutes early, Rodman on time and Nerlens always 20 minutes late. It prompted DiBiaso to teach them to stick together.

What Rodman learned growing up trans-lated at Milford (New York) Academy — a cut-throat prep school for football players who want to improve on and off the field.

Milford head coach Bill Chaplick said that making it through Milford speaks to Noel’s competitiveness and toughness.

“You’re here with players that this is the last shot in their life and if they don’t make it, they’re not going anywhere,” Chaplick said.

“You throw that all in with 55 guys, you’ve got to fight everyday for what you get here and you only get what you earn.”

At North Carolina State, head coach Dave Doeren praises Rodman for working off the field to get results on it and calls him a “great

preparation guy.”Now Rodman hopes the late-night basket-

ball games, extra year at Milford and four years at North Carolina State make him the third Noel brother to play a professional sport.

It wouldn’t be a coincidence.

“It would mean the world to me. I just know that I am blessed — I came from a great family, a great competitive family and I just thank god,” said Noel. “I’m just gonna have to keep working every day.”

[email protected]

from page 15

noel

RODMAN NOEL has the third-most tackles for N.C. State in 2014. But he grew up competing and learning with his brother Nerlens, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jim, a former football star at Boston College. courtesy of nc state athletics


No. 3 Auburn at No. 4 Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPNThe Tigers (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern) and Rebels (7-1, 4-1) square off in what could be an elimination game for a College Football Playoff spot. Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall has accounted for 18 touchdowns on the year, with seven coming on the ground. Ole Miss signal-caller Bo Wallace has tallied 18 scores strictly in the air and the Rebels come in with the nation’s top defense, only allowing 10.5 points per game.

No. 7 Texas Christian at No. 20 West Virginia, 3:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN2The Horned Frogs (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) would still be undefeated and in firm control of a playoff spot if not for a fourth-quarter collapse against Baylor on Oct. 11. Now, TCU and dynamic quarter-back Trevone Boykin will face off against the Mountaineers (6-2, 4-1). The Horned Frogs put up 82 points against Texas Tech last week and rank first in the nation in points per game (50.4), but W VU quarterback Clint Trickett ranks fifth in the country in passing yards (2,763) and Kevin White is third in the nation in receiving yards (1,047).

No. 12 Arizona at No. 22 UCLA, 10:30 p.m., ESPNThe Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Pac 12) are coming off a 59-37 shootout win over Washington State as the Bruins (6-2, 3-2) just survived a double-overtime scare in a three-point win over Colorado. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley hasn’t quite lived up to his preseason Heisman expecta-tions, but he’ll face an Arizona defense that is only 81st in the nation in points allowed per game (28.3).

No. 17 Utah at No. 14 Arizona State, 11 p.m., FOX Sports 1The Utes (6-1, 3-1 Pac 12) squeaked out a three-point win against USC last week, while the Sun Devils (6-1, 4-1) beat Washington by two touchdowns. Both teams rank in the top 30 in the country in points per game despite not having anybody who’s accounted for more than 10 scores. Utah’s only loss is a one-point defeat to Washington State on Sept. 27, while Arizona State’s lone defeat came in a 35-point drubbing at the hands of UCLA.

— Compiled by Matt Schneidman, asst. copy editor, [email protected] | @matt_schneidman

around the nationCountry’s best face off Saturday after 1st release of new College Football Playoff poll


By Connor Grossmanstaff writer

As he was about to receive the first punt of his college career, De’Mornay Pierson-El told himself, “Just catch the ball, please just don’t drop your first return.”

The ball sailed right into his arms as a pack of defenders flew into him, and the play resulted in a 1-yard loss.

For Pierson-El, a freshman punt returner for Nebraska, it was uncharacteristic for him to start his collegiate football career with a mistake. From his first organized football team at 6 years old through his high school years, his versatility has allowed him to step forward and beyond what was expected from him.

After spending his entire career meaning everything to his teams as a quarterback, punt returner and receiver, he’s now just one integral piece to a massive operation with the Cornhusk-ers (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten), who are currently in first place in the conference’s West division.

And in his one main job, he’s the best punt return man in the country. Pierson-El’s got a Division I-best 396 punt return yards and a 104-yard buffer on second place.

“He’s fearless,” Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said. “I think he understands that he’s only scratched the surface of what he’s going to be.”

He’s been returning punts as long as he can remember playing, but his speed and power off the line of scrimmage also made him a danger-ous dual-threat quarterback in high school.

He rushed for 20 touchdowns and 1,007 yards in his senior season at West Potomac (Virginia) High School in 2013.

“Everybody was ‘that’ guy in high school,” Pierson-El said, “but it’s just about getting here and adjusting to the game.

“I wasn’t intimidated, I was looking forward

to the challenge. I like challenges.”Speed was never a problem for Pierson-El.

He was always faster than his teammates growing up and mindlessly weaved in and out of defenses for years.

His speed was also essential to his success as a punt returner, as was knowing where his blockers were going to be and when.

Executing a punt return was no longer a one-man show, rather an orchestrated sym-

phony — every part needs to be played at the right time — with Pierson-El as the conductor.

“At this level of the game it’s about playing with your eyes, playing with your mind,” Pier-son-El said. “Knowing how to run your route, knowing how to set up a defender and see a block.

“Mentally the game has changed a lot for me.”Pierson-El’s first collegiate touchdown was

actually an 8-yard pass against Florida Atlan-tic in the Cornhuskers’ season opener. His 86-yard punt return for a score was his second.

His versatility has led him to one more touchdown in the return game and another through the air, as his first eight collegiate games are just as indicative of his work ethic as they are of what could come of it.

“I’m not going to say I imagined I’d be the best at (returning) as quickly as things have happened,” Pierson-El said, “But I came in working my butt off and knew I was prepared to step into whatever role they need me in.”

[email protected]

national

Nebraska freshman adjusts to limited role, leads country

DE’MORNAY PIERSON-EL was a multi-position player, but now mostly returns punts. The freshman leads the nation in punt return yards with 396. courtesy of nebraska athletics

At this level of the game it’s about playing with your eyes, playing with your mind. Knowing how to run your route, knowing how to set up a defender and see a block. Mentally the game has changed a lot for me.

De’Mornay Pierson-Elnebraska punt returner

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In the Huddle: N.C. State