Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
#CuseCamp17: Week 1 Notebook
8/6/2017 12:00:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange football team completed its first week of preseason camp Sunday with a two-hour workout outside on the Schwartzwalder and Katz Practice Fields. Second-year head coach Dino Babers likes the improvement he's seen over the course of seven practices, but he's reserving any judgments about Syracuse's overall progress until the team holds its first live scrimmage next week.Â
"We see a lot (of growth) in the techniques and fundamentals," Babers said Sunday. "We still have to wait for the first scrimmage when the game is real. Right now, you got coaches behind you telling you what to do. The tempo is not truly game tempo. We have to see what the young people do when there is no one behind them telling them what to do before the snap."
The team is off Monday. Syracuse returns to the practice field Tuesday morning for the first of three sessions prior to Friday's scrimmage.
PHILIPS KEEPING ELITE COMPANY
Senior inside receiver Ervin Philips is one of three players in team history with 1,000 career receiving yards and 400 career rushing yards. The others: College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk and All-American Qadry Ismail. Philips enters the 2017 campaign tied for fifth all-time at Syracuse and second among active ACC receivers with 134 career catches. The West Haven, Conn. native caught 90 balls in 2016. With 68 receptions in his final season, Philips would become the leading receiver in school history, eclipsing Alec Lemon's record of 201 catches.
Earlier this week, Philips checked in with Cuse TV's Brian Higgins about the start of preseason camp and his place in SU history.
ORANGE HOSTS 9-YEAR OLD FAN CJ LaFRANCE
On Monday, Syracuse invited CJ LaFrance, a 9-year-old with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and his family to practice. LaFrance played catch with Ervin Philips, chatted with quarterback Eric Dungey and left the field with memories that will last a lifetime.
Full Story:Â bit.ly/2ubFCA4Â (Syracuse.com)
'CUSE RECEIVES VOTES IN AMWAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL
The preseason Amway Coaches Top 25 poll was released on Thursday and Syracuse was one of 36 teams in the "Others Receiving Votes" category. The Orange earned three points in the rankings, marking the first time since the 2011 season Syracuse received votes in either of college football's two major polls.
In all, 10 of the 14 teams in the ACC were recognized by voters with Florida State (No. 3), Clemson (No. 5), Louisville (No. 17), Miami (No. 18) and Virginia Tech (No. 22) appearing in the poll and Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, NC State, North Carolina and the Orange garnering votes.Â
Complete Poll:Â usat.ly/1oIMmLJ
WHITNER ADJUSTING TO LINEBACKER LIFE
There haven't been many position changes since the spring, but junior Kielan Whitner going from safety to linebacker is noteworthy. The 6-0, 202-pound Lawrenceville, Ga. product played 22 games in the secondary over his first two seasons and made 68 tackles. A crowded defensive backfield and Whitner's physicality and ball skills made him the ideal candidate for the strong-side linebacker position in coordinator Brian Ward's 4-3 alignment.Â
Cuse TV's Brian Higgins caught up with Whitner Friday after practice to talk about the transition.
SPEND YOUR FALL WEEKENDS WITH US
It's not too late to make your plans to support the Orange in 2017. Season tickets, partial plans and group tickets are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Season tickets start at $125 for SU's seven home games.
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Single-game tickets are also on sale now. Tickets start at $25 for non-conference games against Central Connecticut State, Middle Tennessee and Central Michigan, $30 for ACC matchups with Wake Forest and Boston College, $35 for the Oct. 7 Pittsburgh game on Orange Central Weekend, and $45 for the Clemson game on Oct. 13.
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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"We see a lot (of growth) in the techniques and fundamentals," Babers said Sunday. "We still have to wait for the first scrimmage when the game is real. Right now, you got coaches behind you telling you what to do. The tempo is not truly game tempo. We have to see what the young people do when there is no one behind them telling them what to do before the snap."
The team is off Monday. Syracuse returns to the practice field Tuesday morning for the first of three sessions prior to Friday's scrimmage.
PHILIPS KEEPING ELITE COMPANY
Senior inside receiver Ervin Philips is one of three players in team history with 1,000 career receiving yards and 400 career rushing yards. The others: College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk and All-American Qadry Ismail. Philips enters the 2017 campaign tied for fifth all-time at Syracuse and second among active ACC receivers with 134 career catches. The West Haven, Conn. native caught 90 balls in 2016. With 68 receptions in his final season, Philips would become the leading receiver in school history, eclipsing Alec Lemon's record of 201 catches.
Earlier this week, Philips checked in with Cuse TV's Brian Higgins about the start of preseason camp and his place in SU history.
ORANGE HOSTS 9-YEAR OLD FAN CJ LaFRANCE
On Monday, Syracuse invited CJ LaFrance, a 9-year-old with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and his family to practice. LaFrance played catch with Ervin Philips, chatted with quarterback Eric Dungey and left the field with memories that will last a lifetime.
Full Story:Â bit.ly/2ubFCA4Â (Syracuse.com)
'CUSE RECEIVES VOTES IN AMWAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL
The preseason Amway Coaches Top 25 poll was released on Thursday and Syracuse was one of 36 teams in the "Others Receiving Votes" category. The Orange earned three points in the rankings, marking the first time since the 2011 season Syracuse received votes in either of college football's two major polls.
In all, 10 of the 14 teams in the ACC were recognized by voters with Florida State (No. 3), Clemson (No. 5), Louisville (No. 17), Miami (No. 18) and Virginia Tech (No. 22) appearing in the poll and Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, NC State, North Carolina and the Orange garnering votes.Â
Complete Poll:Â usat.ly/1oIMmLJ
WHITNER ADJUSTING TO LINEBACKER LIFE
There haven't been many position changes since the spring, but junior Kielan Whitner going from safety to linebacker is noteworthy. The 6-0, 202-pound Lawrenceville, Ga. product played 22 games in the secondary over his first two seasons and made 68 tackles. A crowded defensive backfield and Whitner's physicality and ball skills made him the ideal candidate for the strong-side linebacker position in coordinator Brian Ward's 4-3 alignment.Â
Cuse TV's Brian Higgins caught up with Whitner Friday after practice to talk about the transition.
SPEND YOUR FALL WEEKENDS WITH US
It's not too late to make your plans to support the Orange in 2017. Season tickets, partial plans and group tickets are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Season tickets start at $125 for SU's seven home games.
Â
Single-game tickets are also on sale now. Tickets start at $25 for non-conference games against Central Connecticut State, Middle Tennessee and Central Michigan, $30 for ACC matchups with Wake Forest and Boston College, $35 for the Oct. 7 Pittsburgh game on Orange Central Weekend, and $45 for the Clemson game on Oct. 13.
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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