Tag: Syracuse Orange

Alabama transfer offensive lineman commits to ACC program

The Alabama offensive lineman has made a decision.

The latest Alabama Crimson Tide transfer portal entrant to make a decision did so Tuesday afternoon, as offensive lineman Naquil Betrand announced his commitment to play for the Syracuse Orange in 2025.

Betrand was a former transfer from the Texas A&M Aggies last offseason to Alabama, but did not see much playing time in Tuscaloosa prior to entering the transfer portal earlier this month. The offensive lineman primarily served as a backup during his lone season at Alabama.

Taking a look at Alabama in the transfer portal as well, Betrand is now the sixth Crimson Tide player to announce a playing destination for 2025. Now committed to Syracuse as well, Betrand is the first Alabama transfer from this cycle now set to play for an ACC team in 2025.

RELATED: Alabama football 2024-25 offseason transfer portal tracker

Betrand was one-of-two Alabama offensive lineman in the transfer portal, joined by Miles McVay. McVay has yet to make a commitment decision.

Notre Dame men’s basketball defeats Syracuse, ending its losing streak

The losing slide has been stopped for the Irish

It was a much needed win for Notre Dame men’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon, as they defeated Syracuse 69-64 in Purcell Pavilion.

The Irish saw three players score in double-digits, [autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Braeden Schrewsberry[/autotag] and [autotag]J.R. Konieczny[/autotag], with Davis pacing the group with 15-points.

Defensively, Notre Dame didn’t allow a three pointer made by the Orange, although they only attempted just 7 shots from that range. The Irish won the rebounding battle as well, 25-22. They are still having issues with their turnover-to-assist ratio, which saw they give the ball up 12 times to just 5 assists on the game.

Notre Dame ended a five-game losing streak, as they have shown to be extremely streaky this season. They won their first four games, followed by the losing streak, so the hope is that they’ll start another winning streak after this one.

The Irish’s season record now sits at 5-5 with a date with Dartmouth next on Dec. 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET at home.

Notre Dame guard J.R. Konieczny dunks the ball during a NCAA men’s basketball game against Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in South Bend.

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Husker linebacker Stefon Thompson enters transfer portal

The Husker linebacker appeared in 11 games in the 2024 regular season, recording 27 tackles, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

With the regular season ending and the postseason lingering, some Nebraska players already plan to enter the transfer portal. Linebacker Stefon Thompson joined the group Monday.

Thompson arrived at Nebraska after transferring from the Syracuse Orange last year. He appeared in 11 games in the 2024 regular season, recording 27 tackles, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

Prior to Nebraska, he played three seasons with the Orange and missed most of the 2022 season. He averaged over 55 tackles across those three seasons. Thompson now enters the portal along with a few other Nebraska players, including defensive lineman Vincent Jackson.

This comes after it was announced that Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, Tony White, left Nebraska to become the defensive coordinator of the Florida State Seminoles. There is no word on whether or not this affected Thompson’s decision.

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Former Georgia assistant thanks Kirby Smart after massive upset win

Former Georgia assistant thanks Kirby Smart after major upset win

Former Georgia Bulldog defensive backs coach Fran Brown has done great work in revitalizing the Syracuse football program. Brown improved the Orange’s record from 6-7 in 2023 to 9-3 in 2024, earning a top 25 spot and a solid bowl game in his first year on the job.

The Orange boast one of the best offenses in the ACC led by former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and former Georgia wide receiver Jackson Meeks.

Syracuse’s biggest win of the season came in rivalry week, when the Syracuse Orange defeated the No. 6 Miami Hurricanes 42-38. Syracuse was down 21-0 at one point, but the Orange rallied to knock the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship matchup and potentially the College Football Playoff.

Fran Brown gave his old boss Kirby Smart a shoutout after the win: “Hey Kirby Smart, thank you for that message earlier, Kirby. Means so much to me, Coach Smart. I appreciate you, I love you. Thank you,” Brown said.

Syracuse overcomes 21-0 deficit to shock Miami

Kyle McCord and Syracuse rallied to shock Miami

Kyle McCord was Ohio State’s quarterback last season. He’s thrilled to be Syracuse’s signal-caller in 2024.

On a day the Buckeyes lost to Michigan for the fourth straight season, McCord led the Orange to a 42-38 upset of Miami in ACC play on Saturday.

The Hurricanes, who led 21-0, are now at the mercy of the CFP Committee. A win would have earned Miami a sport in the ACC Championship Game against SMU.

Instead, the Hurricanes are done until a bowl game or CFP invite while Clemson plays the Mustangs for the ACC Championship.

McCord threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns against Heisman candidate Cam Ward, who threw for 349 and two TDs.

Syracuse scored 35 points total in the third and fourth quarters.

With the game tied at 35, LeQuint Allen scored on a three-yard run with 9:16 left to make it 42-35.

Mario Cristobal opted for a field goal with 3:42 left to bring the Hurricanes within four but that was as close as the Hurricanes could get.

Georgia transfer ranks among ACC’s top receivers

Former Georgia wide receiver, who is now with Syracuse, is the No. 6 leading receiver in the ACC

Former Georgia Bulldog Jackson Meeks is turning heads with the Syracuse Orange.  Meeks is the No. 6 leading receiver in the ACC with two games left in the regular season.

Meeks has 59 receptions for 691 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season. Amazingly, Meeks is the third leading receiver on Syracuse. The Orange have three of the ACC’s top six leading receivers. Meeks has been a reliable target throughout the season and has helped his NFL draft stock significantly.

Syracuse is a surprising 7-3 under former Georgia Bulldogs defensive backs coach Fran Brown, and a big reason for that is Meeks and the offense. Meeks transferred from Georgia to Syracuse last spring along with fellow receiver Zeed Haynes, who has eight receptions for 97 yards this season.

Brown has done wonders for the Orange and could be a candidate to land a major Power Four job after this season if he does not sign a contract extension.

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Syracuse hosts UConn and Miami over the final two weeks of the season. The Orange will finish with one of their best seasons in recent memory if they’re able to win out.

Pitt scores three pick-sixes en route to 31-0 halftime lead over Syracuse

Pitt destroyed Syracuse in the first half with a trio of pick-sixes

The Pitt Panthers were doing their best to convince anyone and everyone they are for real.

In the first half on Thursday against Syracuse, the Panthers scored three defensive touchdowns on the way to a 31-0 lead in an ACC contest.

Kent McCord, the Orange QB who transferred from Ohio State had the nightmare of nightamres in the first 30 minutes. He was 16-of-34 for 130 yards with four picks before the break.

UGA football transfer is ACC team’s leading receiver

Former Georgia Bulldogs football wide receiver is the leading receiver for Syracuse, who is 5-1 to start the year

Former Georgia Bulldog Jackson Meeks is making a name for himself with the Syracuse Orange. Earlier this month, the UGA transfer was the highest graded wide receiver by Pro Football Focus. This week, he made PFF’s ACC Team for his Week 7 performance.

The receiver was nothing short of dominant against North Carolina State, totaling 116 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions in a 24-17 win. His touchdown effectively won the Orange the game with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Meeks has 459 yards (team-high) and four touchdowns on 38 receptions this season. He has caught a touchdown in each of the last four games, and he’s averaged 96 yards a game during that same span.

Syracuse is a surprising 5-1 under former Georgia Bulldog coordinator Fran Brown, and a big reason for that is Meeks and the offense. Meeks transferred from Georgia to Syracuse last spring, along with Zeed Haynes. The Bulldog transfer has been a star throughout the season, and with more games like these, he could increase his NFL draft stock, too.

 

Meeks and Syracuse have a bye this week before playing Pittsburgh on Oct. 24 in a key ACC game.

Caleb Foster says one new teammate could be the ‘best defender in college basketball’

Caleb Foster thinks first-year Blue Devil Maliq Brown could be the best defender not just on the Duke roster, but in the entire country.

Even though it’s only [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag]’s third full season as the Duke basketball head coach, he’s been around long enough to take most media questions in stride.

During Wednesday’s press conference at ACC Tipoff, however, an inquiry about Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown got him to light up.

“I’m glad you asked about Maliq,” Scheyer said. “I haven’t been asked about him as much.”

“Great versatility, really does whatever you ask him to do,” Scheyer continued. “Great competitor, but just such a great teammate. Selfless, doesn’t care about his own stats…I’ve loved coaching him.”

Brown averaged 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with the Orange last season, including a season-high 26 points against the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium. He’s remarkably efficient, shooting 69.8% from the floor in both of his collegiate seasons, and according to KenPom, he led the ACC with an effective field goal percentage of 71.3%. No other player in the conference finished better than 61.8%.

Scheyer praised Brown’s intelligence and passing ability, but he really focused on the other side of the ball. The Blue Devils coach said he and his staff measure deflections during offseason scrimmages, and the junior forward does better in that category than any player he’s ever had.

“Somebody should ask these guys if they like trying to score on him,” Scheyer said, pointing to returning starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor.

Foster, somehow, sounded even more complimentary of his new teammate.

“Maliq is one of the best defenders I’ve ever played against,” the sophomore said. “His activity on and off the ball is just unmatched, and I think he has a chance to be the best defender in college basketball this year.”

While Brown won’t make his regular-season debut with the Blue Devils until November 4, he’ll take the court at Cameron again in an exhibition game against Lincoln on October 19.

Stanford wins first ACC game, dropping Syracuse on late field goal

Emmett Kenney kicked a field goal as time expired to life Stanford to its first ACC victory

They won’t forget that first conference clash between rivals Stanford and Syracuse.

Yes, Stanford and Syracuse are in the same conference, the ACC, thanks to realignment.

The Cardinal went into Central New York on Friday and won their first ACC games, 26-24, over the Orange on a field goal as time expired.

Stanford was lined up for a 34-yard kick but an offensive lineman flinched causing a five-yard penalty.

Emmett Kenney kicked his fourth field goal of the game from 39 yards and Stanford was perfect in its ACC history.