Syracuse Pittsburgh Recap

Pittsburgh’s Defense Stifles Syracuse, Orange Remain Winless in Conference

SYRACUSE, NY- It was a slow start for both Pittsburgh and Syracuse, but it was Pittsburgh’s defense that recorded nine sacks en route to their fourth-straight victory.

The Panthers knocked off the Orange 27-20 inside the Dome.

THE GAME:

This one started slow. Four punts to start the game before Pitt (5-2, 2-1 ACC) finally got their offense rolling. The Panthers moved the ball down the field for 52-yards on seven plays and broke the tie with a 47-yard field goal from Alex Kessman.

Syracuse (3-4, 0-3 ACC) got some momentum going after Maurice Ffrench muffed a punt return and Cameron Jordan recovered it. A sack and a penalty forced the Orange to kick a 28-yard field from Andre Szmyt to tie the game with 3:07 left in the first quarter.

Ensuing Panthers possession, quarterback Kenny Pickett threw a 43-yard touchdown strike to Aaron Mathews off a flea-flicker trick play to put Pitt up 10-3 with 1:23 left in the first quarter.

To start the second quarter, Syracuse was driving deep into Pittsburgh territory.

The Orange had first-and-goal from the four-yard line, but could not find the end zone and settled for a Szmyt 20-yard field goal.

Pittsburgh got the ball on Syracuse’s 39-yard line after forcing a punt deep in Orange territory.

The Panthers took five plays to go 39-yards, capped off by an A.J. Davis 5-yard touchdown rush putting Pittsburgh up 17-6 with 4:53 left in the first half.

Syracuse goes three-and-out and next Pittsburgh possession, they score once more. Pickett connected with Ffrench from 14-yards out with 23-seconds left on the clock in the second quarter.

That touchdown sent Pitt to halftime with the 24-6 lead.

TOMMY DEVITO INJURED, INCOMES CLAYTON WELCH:

After both Syracuse and Pitt punted, Clayton Welch came in for an injured Tommy Devito at the 12-minute mark in the third quarter. Devito took a huge hit to his shoulder after he escaped the pocket and left the game and did not return.

On third-and-eight, Welch dropped back and dropped a dime to Taj Harris who shrugged off the cornerback and ran away from everyone for a 94-yard touchdown reception.

Welch’s first career touchdown pass cut into the Pittsburgh lead. Syracuse was down 24-13 with 11:12 left in the third quarter.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter after nothing happened the rest of the third. Syracuse had a third-down and two-yards to go, Welch was sacked and the 49-yard field goal attempt by Szmyt was hooked left.

Pitt added a 34-yard field goal with 7:03 remaining, extending their lead by two touchdowns.

Welch led Syracuse on a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off by a Welch to Aaron Hackett four-yard reception. The touchdown was Hackett’s fourth of the season.

Welch finished the game 8-for-20 with 176-yards and two touchdowns. Welch also ran for 62-yards on ten rushes.

Pittsburgh still had the lead 27-20 with 2:44 left in the game.

Syracuse could not stop Pittsburgh on a third-and-two and the Panthers ran out the clock, securing the 27-20 victory.

HEAR FROM DINO:

Head Coach Dino Babers expected to use Welch at some capacity during the game, but he was not expecting to use him this much. After Devito went out, Welch got to play the most football he ever has in an Orange uniform and Babers could not be more proud.

“It was good to see him finally get out there as a senior,” Babers said. “It might be his last time playing football.”

No team has given up more sacks this season than Syracuse. After giving up nine sacks tonight, Syracuse’s season total climbs to 35.

Through seven games, Syracuse’s offensive line is clearly exposed and coach Babers says it’s time for a reevaluation.

“Everyone’s job is in jeopardy,” said Babers. “It’s not fair to keep playing the same guys if the results do not change. There are certain guys in the game that are not doing good enough.”

This is the second game in a row that Devito has exited with an injury. Devito finished his night 11-for-23 with 101 yards. Devito also was sacked six times.

Coach Babers said Tommy wanted to go back out, but Dino said enough is enough.

“You have done enough,” Babers said. “Those guys are like my stepsons and that hit was enough for me. I did not need to see him go through that again.”

WHAT’S NEXT:

Now seven games into the season and Syracuse is 3-4. The Orange have lost two-straight to ACC opponents and are still winless in the conference. Syracuse now travels south to Tallahassee to face the Florida State Seminoles.

The Seminoles (3-3, 2-2 ACC) play Wake Forest on Saturday, October 19^th.

For Syracuse, the clock is ticking. Five games remain, they need to win three to become bowl eligible. Three of those five remaining games are on the road.

Coach Babers would not say who he would start at quarterback against Florida State. He said it is all about how guys heal. It is a banged-up Syracuse squad. They have eight days to heal and prepare for Florida State.

Kickoff at Doak Campbell Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m.

Passionate About Winning

Click Here for my passion

Cheerleading is a Sport

Watch Video Here: Video

Stop Crying in Baseball

Purpose Behind the Why

One Shinning Moment

A link to my video: One Shinning Moment

March Madness is unlike anything in sports. I think that it has so many different story lines and is a way to engage not just sports fans but anyone. 

Teaching Kids The Right Way to Play - My Passion for Teaching Kids How to Play Basketball

Darron Wallace

I’ve always been adamant about teaching kids the right way to play basketball from the moment they first touch a ball. In an era dominated by Ballislife and HoopMixtape, kids are exposed to flashy plays and dunks that a majority of them will never even be capable of. Today, I talked about that problem, and how it is important to teach kids the right way to play from day 1.

https://youtu.be/y00h6MN3Vk0

The Story Behind the Story

Mental Health Awareness in Collegiate Athletics

Mental Health Awareness in College Athletics 

Guya Scopas

"I See Me On TV"

Juma John Stephen

The Dayton Flyers Connection

LOVE MEANS NOTHING ....my passion for tennis

https://youtu.be/XGKbz75AWcc

We The North : How One Team Transformed A City

Protecting Athletes

Story telling in combat sports

Kids in Sports

Dynasties in Sports

Dynasties are something that don't come by often. I respect them and have learned to embrace them as they come and go. We aren't going to see another New England Patriots-like organization in the NFL for a long time. Accept it. Believe it. Hold on to it, because you'll be able to tell your grandchildren that you watched one Quarterback and Head Coach duo win five Super Bowl rings together over a two decade span. It's incredible to witness.

My passion: India vs Pakistan in cricket

Passion for officiating

Video. One minute about a topic I'm passionate about.

Lebron James Receives Backlash For Supporting His Son

Family Matters. You should never be criticized for celebrating your family and their accomplishments.


Click The Link
https://youtu.be/bJgzskWe7TY

Burning or "Freezing" Passionate about the Growth of Women's Hockey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jTd7XPLWFc

Passionate About: The greatest home run in MLB history

B-roll and some audio from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX2dJ4K0Oew

Let Me Serve It To You

Click here to check out my passion

Division 1 college football players should not sit out post season games

Dangerous Play Is Not OK

International ultimate frisbee is a self-officiated, non-contact sport. I know self officiation is a crazy concept for many ultimate newcomers to imagine, and I promise that some incidental contact occurs without issue.

But the rules of the international game explicitly state that all participants must avoid dangerous play. Those rules also state that all players must fully understand all rules - like the one directing players to avoid dangerous play - before entering the playing field.

So what happens when a defender dives straight into a receiver’s knees on the final play of a gold medal game?

Practically speaking, there are no competitive consequences for that dangerous play.

But that doesn’t make the dangerous play acceptable. The ensuing discussion throughout the ultimate frisbee community highlights a disturbing level of ignorance--intentional or unintentional--that needs to improve if the sport is to continue in a self-officiated manner.

After public review of the play in question, some tried to defend or excuse the dangerous play. “It’s a gold medal game,” they argued. “He was a few inches away from touching the disc,” they spouted.

But the rules of the game don’t get rewritten when the stakes rise. Fouls aren’t excused if players were just a few inches or milliseconds from a legal play. Dangerous contact doesn’t suddenly become permissible just because a gold medal is on the line. Players are obligated to assess risk before leaving their feet. If dangerous play is on the table, players are required to avoid the dangerous play.

If ultimate players and fans want to argue that the rules of the international game should change to permit more contact, that’s one thing. If they want to argue that the international game needs more active enforcement, in the form of referees or third party observers issuing rulings or penalties during a game, that’s another, as well. But under international ultimate’s current self-officiated governance structure, there’s no place for conscious dangerous play or ignorant, ill-informed defense of it.

Mark Sanchez Made Me ove American Football

My Passion: Top Golf Is Ruining Golf History

Hockey: My Sport of Passion

My Passion for the NHL

Video Link

Randy Scott's Dedication Secured Him his Dream Job

When Randy Scott was only 10 years old, he knew he wanted to be a sports anchor. Growing up without cable, on rare occasions he would see "Sportscenter" on television, and he was in awe. He realized that people had found a way to make a career out of being funny and smart, but most of all, he learned you could make a career out of loving sports. From the moment he watched ESPN as a kid, he knew it was his dream to be a part of the show.

In pursuit of a career in broadcasting, he attended Northwestern University and earned a degree in journalism. By his second job, he was the sports director at WNEG in Toccoa, Georgia. However, he learned some of his biggest lessons when the station suddenly let him go.

Despite his disappointment, he pushed through and learned that being let go is an unfortunate part of the business. But more importantly, the experience taught him the importance of working hard and being kind to everyone you meet.

Scott's big break came while he was working in Boston when a friend got him in contact with Steve Levy. He sent a few demo reels, which Levy immediately criticized. But this didn't deter him. He created a new reel, and before he knew it, he was auditioning for ESPN. He was hired to host a show called "The Highlight Express".

After all the hard work and time, he considers telling his wife and his mother about being hired by ESPN the highlight of his career. With a lifetime of dreams secured, he made sure "The Highlight Express" wasn't his finish line.

He works hard each and every day with a crew he loves to create the best show he can. Now, he's an anchor for "Sportscenter: AM". Because of his dedication, talent, and character, Randy Scott has made a career out of being funny and smart. But most of all, he's made a career out of loving sports.

He's Having a Blast Because There's Always Something New

 Sports writing was the dream until he stepped into the sports information office on St. Bonaventure University's campus. Chris Laplaca quickly gravitated towards Media Relations, which exposed him to covering the Men's Basketball Team that won the NIT tournament and later moved onto the NCAA Tournament. LaPlaca had plans but he quickly learned that his exposure would introduce him to newer ideas.

LaPlaca had an intense encounter with an older gentlemen in the beginning of his career that would impact him for this rest of his journey. Jim Dullaghan was the 3rd guy in the company and he observed 23 year old LaPlaca. Dullaghan expressed to LaPlaca that he was very serious about getting this new company off the ground because he left a job that was a guarantee and he believed that LaPlaca was to humorous. LaPlaca quickly explained to him that although that was his demeanor, to never question his commitment . Dullaghan saw something bright in LaPlaca and wanted to make sure he understood the severity of this new situation. Dullaghan served as LaPlaca's mentor and taught him many things about the business. The conversation with Jim Dullaghan was tough but  LaPlaca  never forgot it.

 LaPlaca walked into a company that only existed for 9 months and chose to help his team reach their goal  for sports fans to be able to have access to all sports at all times. 39 years later ESPN is a household name and LaPlaca still finds new innovative ways to peak his interest in the sports world. Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Chris LaPlaca is going into his 40th year of service at ESPN and loves what he wakes up to do.

Audio & Q&A.

Joe Davis: Los Angeles Dodgers and Fox Sports television play-by-play

Expectations were high for Joe Davis when he was announced as Vin Scully's successor in 2015.  Davis says the advice that Vin Scully gave him before taking over the play-by-play role was (and something that Red Barber told Vin Scully before his first year) to just be yourself.  In LA, there were a lot of questions about the new face to the television broadcasts.  Joe Davis answered those by simply being himself and not allowing the pressure of filling Vin Scully's shoes get to him.  He used his ability to describe the game in his own manner to win over the hearts of Dodgers fans.  Another piece of advice that Scully gave Davis was to be simple in a way that captures the magnitude of the situation and allows to let the crowd to do the talking.  Joe Davis has done this on several occasions.  A few weeks back, the Dodgers were in Philadelphia in a back-and-forth contest that saw a two-hour rain delay sandwiched in the middle of it.  Rookie Matt Beaty came to the plate after the delay with two men on base and promptly hit a three-run home run.  Joe Davis said a line after the ball left the park that garnered the approval of Dodgers fans when he said, "Rain clears.  Lightning strikes.  Dodgers take the lead in the ninth."  It is simple, but to someone who was watching the game and knew the situation, it resonates deeper.  Joe Davis says this kind of call requires taking into account the entire situation and that it doesn't just come naturally.  

There is a hint of another Joe when you hear Joe Davis.  Joe Buck has been a staple in the big games that the current generation of young broadcasters have seen, so Davis says there was the natural influence from him.  For someone who knew what he wanted to do when he was 10-years-old, Joe Davis says he is living the dream everyday that he goes to work.

Empire wins annual Karen Community in Syracuse soccer tournament  

By Juma John Stephen

Emire Soccer Club celebrating their win over Buffalo Elites on Sunday at the CNYFSC

Empire Soccer Club are the champions of the Karen Community in Syracuse after beating the Buffalo Elites 3-5 goals on Sunday at the Central New York Family Sports Centre.

Empire started scoring with a penalty right at the 11^th minute of the game before Buffalo equalized at the 40^th minute of the game.

The second half was more competitive when the goals started flying in. Speaking to the Team Captain for Empire Soccer Club Lwehla after the game he said they believed in their skills and teamwork as they went into the game.

“We believed we had every chance to win the tournament. They (Buffalo) beat us in the group stages two goals to nil but we knew we can beat them and we did” Lwehla said, “Never give up was our motto. We are going to a party and it's our recovery time."

Lee Rou, the assistant Team Captain for Empire Soccer Club, said leaving in a refugee camp inspired him to work harder. "My dream is to have an opportunity to play at the highest level. We want to showcase our skills as a refugee to the world." Said Rou.

Pa-Lu is a Player-Coach for the Buffalo Elites soccer club established in 2017 to play in the Karen Community in Syracuse Annual games. Most of the players are high school and college students. Last year they were the runner up too.

I spoke to Pa-Lu before the game and he stated that "Our tactics is to play the ball quickly and pass well."  And added "Winning always feels good." Though he scored and gave an assist Buffalo Elites lost to Empire.

The Karen Community in Syracuse tournament is organized by the Karen Community in Syracuse, however, the chief organizer Sah Powah, the annual soccer event is meant for the people of Boma. The entry requirements are; the team has to have enough players and pay the $350 entry fee which helps in securing the venue ($2650 for two days) and food.

“The players are getting better, younger people now playing. The main goal of the tournament is to bring more people together, the youth and the community to know themselves and have fun.”  The 25-year-old Powah said "I am happy for the winners. I am also happy that the tournament went without any major injury. The players showed sportsmanship and we enjoyed soccer”

According to Eh Mwee, the Chairman of Karen Community in Syracuse, the games are getting better every year and the Thailand Refuges community is growing every year.

The entry fee for each team was $350 and there were 16 teams this year competing. Second place $1, 500 USD and the Champions get $3,500. The tournament will start again in the summer of 2020.

Peggy Iralson's Story From Science To PR

Peggy Iralson is a talent producer for Barstool Sports and a talent producer for NFL Network, but she didn’t start off that way. In high school, Iralson was always drawn to sports. Iralson graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Exercise Science and Physiology and continued with a few post graduate classes in nutrition, however, she was not sure this was her calling. After she graduated, Iralson got into the exercise science field but quickly learned how it diminished her passion for herself. She decided that she couldn’t be in the gym all day with others then have the energy to go to the gym for herself. And with this, her love for health faded away and she decided to try another path in Philadelphia with the 76ers. Here, she worked a full time, unpaid public relations internship for a year, holding two other jobs on the side to pay for her to live in the city. It was also here that she realized public relations was the route she wanted to go. For 10 years, she worked to brand the Exos Company (originally known as Athletes Performance), a workout center for professional and amateur athletes and this is where she was, for the first time, able to combine her passions of health and sports in a way that she loved, through Public Relations. Today, as a talent producer, she has specified her public relations skills into a very unique job where she gets to work in the sports industry that she loves.

Interview Transcript 
Audio Transcript

How journalism found Rodger Wyland...

It was just an ordinary day at church for 15-year-old Rodger Wyland or at least so he thought. He would soon realize that this day was the beginning of a long career ahead of him. Standing in front of the whole church Wyland would get up and begin reading scripture, but this time was different. After the service finished Wyland was approached by the general manager of a local radio station in town. He was intrigued by his voice and asked if he’d ever be interested in a job in radio because of the potential he saw in Wyland. 

From that day on Wyland never stopped working in journalism. He was always fascinated by TV but in order to get there he worked in all areas of the broadcast. Anyway, Wyland could get involved he wanted to, and he did. Wyland experienced journalism at such a young age he has been able to watch journalism evolve throughout the years. For instance, the way he covers breaking news in sports. 

“There is nothing like being able to break news in the 6:20 sportscast,” said Wyland. 

Unfortunately, now social media is a main source for breaking news. This being one of the main changes since he started. Wyland could’ve chose to switch careers when things changed but he said he could never see himself doing anything else. Journalism is what he knows. 

Audio

From Tape Recorder to the Voice of the Bengals: Dan Hoard

From a very early age Dan Hoard watched sports. He was interested in what the players were doing on the field, what play changes were being called, what the coaches reaction are; But it was the voices behind the action he quickly grew enamored with. 

Hoard would turn down the TV, plug in his tape recorder and record himself calling games. Little did he know, fast forward a job change from the announcer of the Syracuse Chiefs to a Cincinnati sports director at WXIX, Dan Hoard would become the next “voice of the Bengals.”

Hoard has one of the most successful podcasts in Cincinnati called “Bengals Booth Podcast.” Every week he sits down with former Bengal Dave “Lap” Lapham. Hoard owes the success of the show to the chemistry he has with his co-host. He said there is a little bit of luck involved, but when it comes to Lap, it’s hard not to have chemistry with him.

From their very first broadcast in 2011, Hoard knew the potential of his broadcast, even on what was said to be the beginning of a difficult season. Hoard recounts the Cincinnati duos first broadcast: “The Bengals were coming off a 4-12 season, Carson Palmer was holding out. They had just signed Andy Dalton, expectations from the national media were cold. The Bengals were suspected to be the worst team in the NFL. We did a preseason opener at Detroit and lost. Very badly. As we get on the bus to go home, it’s silent, because things did not go well. And I’m sitting in the front of the bus giddy with excitement. Because I thought the broadcast went extremely well. Lap and I had great chemistry right off the bat.” 

Except for the six weeks between mini camp and training camp, Hoard is constantly preparing for the next game. In addition to Bengals games, he also broadcasts University of Cincinnati football, basketball games. Nothing compares to Gameday says Hoard, “This is the closest I get to becoming a professional athlete.” 

For future broadcasters, Hoard says broadcasting can’t be taught in a classroom. You can learn important building blocks, but you can’t become a broadcaster without getting out there.” 

Getting Wright: A Pizza Date That Changed Everything

Media Personality, Nick Wright

     For Nick Wright, all the credit goes to his wife. Early on, knew he wanted to be involved with sports. A chance encounter with Bob Costas as a pre-teen led to an interview with the Newhouse dean, an early start at WAER his freshman year, and some early friendships made him confident that he would succeed. He says he felt slightly privileged, but that's him being modest. Wright attended Syracuse University for his undergraduate studies and graduated in '07. After graduating, he moved to Kansas City, with a promise that he could host his own show once a week. He made it onto Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (I am not kidding) and started on his journey to the top. But it was in Kansas City where he developed a gambling addiction and smoking habit. 

     The game show appearance netted him 50 thousand dollars but with 5 casinos in the area, it was gone pretty quickly. With a meager salary, and a gambling problem, one can imagine that life wasn't all gravy for Nick at the time. But then he met the one. After some failed attempts at securing a date, Nick finally scored when he told her he was moving to Seattle for a job in a week (that he actually didn't get), and she agreed to meet him at Da Bronx Pizzeria a couple days later. When he showed up, she was with her two children, a two year old girl, and a 9 year old boy. After hanging out and eating some pizza, Nick must've said all the "wright" (I'm sorry) things to her because she told him that her sister could watch her kids and they could go on a real date later that same night. 

     They dated for some time before getting serious, and after learning the rigors of being a single mother without much support, Nick realized it was time to wake up. His wife was working three jobs at once just to support her kids. Nick says, "I was watching this woman who had none of the privilege or opportunity I had just make it happen." It was at that point that he started to get himself together for the sake of his relationship, his career, and her children. Nick went on to become who the personality that he is because he learned to grow up quickly. 

     Nick is currently a co-host for "First Things First" on FOX Sports that airs weekdays at 6:30 in the morning. Nick is arguably the biggest LeBron James fan you could ever meet, and he makes sure that you know why. He is a husband, father, and friend. He got to where he is because he is driven, passionate, prepared, and tenacious. But to him, he is absolutely nothing without his wife. At 23, a date at Da Bronx essentially gave those who support him, the Nick Wright that exists today. "People see single black mom, two kids, and then see me, people would say things to me like oh what a blessing you are for that family, and I get the sentiment, but that's not really how it happened." Nick Wright shows up on the screen, he makes the tweets, and he talks to the players, but if you let him tell the story, she's the reason the chips have fallen where they have.