CuseTV: Previewing Florida State

Eskridge Earns ACC Honor

After returning an interception for a touchdown and recovering a fumble in Saturday's matchup with Notre Dame, free safety Durell Eskridge has been named ACC co-Defensive Back of the Week.

The Miami, Florida native intercepted an Everett Golson pass and took it 29-yards for the score with just over five minutes remaining at MetLife Stadium on Saturday to go along with his first quarter fumble recovery.

Eskridge also finished tied for second on the Orange with a season-high nine tackles in the loss.

'Cuse returns to the Carrier Dome this weekend for a Friday night affair with Louisville at 7 p.m.

Orange Upended by Irish

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Orange defense forced five turnovers, but it wasn't enough to upset No. 8 Notre Dame on Saturday night as Syracuse fell to the Fighting Irish, 31-15, in front of a MetLife Stadium college game record crowd of 76,802 in New York's College Classic.

Syracuse had three takeaways via fumble recovery and another two by way of interception, including Durell Eskridge's 29-yard return for touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Syracuse finished with 429 yards of offense, its third straight game with more than 400 total yards. The Orange passed for a season-high 294 yards and added 135 on the ground. Notre Dame amassed 523 total yards.

Terrel Hunt was 22-of-38 passing for a career-high 294 yards and one interception. He added 26 yards on the ground and scored the 13 rushing touchdown of his career.

Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson was 32-of-39 for 362 yard with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He completed 25 consecutive passes at one point, one shy of tying the FBS record held by East Carolina's Dominique Davis.

Orange wide receiver Jarrod West was Hunt's top target with 103 yards on eight receptions. Notre Dame's Will Fuller was Golson's top receiver with six grabs for 119 yards and two scores.

Notre Dame jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter after the teams were in a scoreless deadlock for the first 19 minutes of the game. Fuller found the end zone on back-to-back drives for the Irish, scampering in from 23 yards out after a screen pass from Golson. The pair hooked up on the first play of the following drive on a 72-yard deep ball over the top of the Orange defense to open up a two-score lead.

Freshman kicker Cole Murphy got the Orange on the board with 3:07 to go in the first half on a 38-yard field goal and the Orange had another opportunity to cut into the lead even more with 11 seconds remaining in the half. Golson lost control of the snap while attempting to spike the football and fumbled which was scooped up by Julian Whigham who ran it into the end zone. However, the play was ruled an incomplete pass on the field before being overturned to a fumble after a review, which nullified the return and 'Cuse was forced to settle with heading into the break trailing, 14-3.

Following an interception, Golson drove the Irish 60 yards in nine plays and lofted a touchdown pass to Corey Robinson to give Notre Dame a 21-3 advantage early in the second half.

The Orange found the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter when Hunt broke free for 7-yard touchdown run after leading the Orange on a seven-play, 72-yard drive. Murphy's extra point attempt was blocked.

Following a failed onside kick attempt by SU, Notre Dame tacked on its fourth touchdown of the night, a 13-yard scoring pass to Torri Hunter Jr. to take a 28-9 lead.

It was with 5:09 remaining that Eskridge jumped a pass to the right flat and took it 29 yards for a touchdown. It was the All-ACC safety's fifth career interception and the first Orange pick-six sinceKeon Lyn returned an interception for a touchdown at Temple in 2012.

Kyle Brindza finished the scoring with 1:57 left when he hit a 37-yard field goal for the Fighting Irish to make it 31-15.

Syracuse returns to action on Friday, Oct. 3 when it hosts ACC newcomer Louisville in its conference opener. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Orange Talk Central Michigan

Orange Put on a Show at Fan Fest

For more than 1,500 fans, Syracuse's Fan Fest was a day filled with activities,highlighted by a scrimmage that saw the Orange run more than 70 plays.

"I'm excited that we had a packed house here at the Soccer Stadium," said head coach Scott Shafer. "It's great to see the community out and I can't wait to get to that Villanova game and get you fans out there and start having a blast this fall."

The Cuse offense took on the defense in a number of scenarios and there were no shortage of exciting plays for those in attendance, including a deep ball from senior quarterback Terrel Hunt to senior wide receiver Jarrod West on the very first play to get the action underway.

"Jarrod West made some nice plays to start things off for us," Shafer said. "I was pleased with the way (senior running back) Adonis (Ameen-Moore) ran the ball. I thought (sophomore wide receiver Sean) Avant made a nice play in the corner there with a touchdown, that was good. (Freshman wide receiver) Steve Ishmael made a hell of a catch down the sideline, so it was good to see some plays being made.

"I also thought Terrel (Hunt) did a good job running the offense, he couldn't have had too many interceptions."

Shafer also praised the play of a number of defenders for their play on Saturday.

"(Junior safety Durell) Eskridge made a lot of tackles again and I think (senior linebackers) Dyshawn (Davis) and (Cameron) Lynch were making plays," Shafer said. "It's hard to see the inside guys but I think (Ron) Thompson has been doing a nice job. We're playing Ron at both end and tackle because we're a little bit banged up inside but I've been pleased with his growth and his improvement, but most of all his effort."

Following the scrimmage, the student-athletes and coach Shafer signed autographs for the fans.

Top Articles from Aug. 9 on the Orange:
Cuse.com: Fan Fest Photo Gallery
Orange Fizz: Festive Offense: Shafer Praises Fast Paced Attack and Wideouts
Nunes Magician: Coaches Praise Ervin Phillips, Prince-Tyson Gulley Still the Man
Cuse Nation: Fan Fest Photo Gallery
Cuse Confidential: Fan Support Huge for Shafer
ESPN ACC Blog: Hunt Ranked 10th-Most Explosive Player in the ACC
Syracuse.com: Six Observations from Fan Fest
Daily Orange: Winfield Welcomes Transition to Corner
Daily Orange: Shafer Expresses Happiness with Fan Fest Turnout
TWC News: SU Faithful Show Up for Fan Fest

Training Camp Day 6: Turning Up the Pressure

Head coach Scott Shafer is turning up the pressure on the Orange. With one-full week of camp completed, Shafer gave his student-athletes a timetable on when he'd like to have the depth chart take form.

"I'd like to come out of Fort Drum feeling strong about what our two-deep is starting to look like," Shafer said. "Knowing that it's not solidified, but getting it narrowed down a little bit. I told the kids in the meeting today that when we get to Saturday evening, it would be like cut day in the NFL. (smiling) We won't cut anyone, but we will make decisions to see who's in the two-deep and we will put a little pressure on them to see how they play under pressure and I'm looking forward to it."

The Orange will host a Fan Fest on Saturday beginning at 3 pm with the team scrimmaging beginning at 4:30 pm.

Inside the Meeting Room:

In an effort to show fans what it's like to be a Division I football student-athlete, quarterbacks coach Tim Lester and running backs coach DeAndre Smith take you inside their respective meeting rooms.

Top Articles from Aug. 8 on the Orange:

Cuse.com: Eskridge to be featured on 'Havoline Football Saturdays'
Syracuse.com: Transition to Cornerback 'Comes Easy' for Winfield
Syracuse.com: Entire Team Passes 2014 Conditioning Test
Syracuse.com: Ervin Phillips' Stock is Rising

Training Camp Day 5: Full Go

The hitting commenced today for the Orange during the first practice session in full pads.

The addition of full pads allowed the coaches to get their first look at live football. Head coach Scott Shafer noted the play of a pair of Syracuse upper-classmen and, as he promised he would do earlier in camp, he talked about some of the squad's newcomers.

"Had a couple skill guys make some plays today, (junior wide receiver) Ashton Broyld made a play in traffic across the middle that was real nice to see. (Junior safety Durell) Eskridge had a couple of real nice interceptions and I was real pleased with the tempo with which we went about our kicking game and into the team period. All-in-all it was a pretty good day's work.

"We had some freshmen do some good things ...
"I'm excited about (running back) Ervin Phillips, I've been very impressed with him. Very few missed assignments for him, especially for a young guy."
"I think (wide receiver) Steve Ishmael has a chance to be a very good player."
"(Wide receiver) Adly Enoicy is one of the sharpest kids I've been around in a long time. He's picked things up really well and is able to move from different positions – inside or outside. I've been real pleased with him."
"(Wide receiver) Jamal Custis is a raw, young guy out there. But it's hard to teach that 6-foot-6, 235 lbs. and he can run, so I'm excited about him."
"On the defensive side, I like our freshmen linebackers – JT (Jonathan Thompson) has made some good plays, Parris Bennett is going to be a good football player."
"(Linebackers) Colton Moskal and Zaire Franklin are just what I thought they'd be – tough, hard-nosed kids who learn well. That whole (linebackers) room learns extremely well."
"The young DBs in general, Rodney Williams, you guys are going to like this guy. Juwan (Dowels) did some nice things."

NOTES FROM PRACTICE:
Winfield moving to defense
Coach Shafer announced that redshirt freshman Corey Winfield is changing sides of the ball, moving from wide receiver to cornerback. He commended the 6-1 St. Louis natives unselfishness in making the move and anticipates him making an impact for the defense.

"The other thing we're doing is we're playing (sophomore) Corey Winfield at corner now," Shafer said. "I think he's too good of an athlete to be a backup or a backup to a backup. I like his length – he's got close to a 40-inch vertical jump – I like his athleticism, and I've had good success (switching wide receivers to cornerback)."

Ishmael settling in
Freshman wide receiver Steve Ishmael says he is getting comfortable with the playbook. He also mentioned Jeremiah Kobena as a veteran that has taken the Miami product under his wing and mentored him.

"He has been real firm on me, telling me to get extra reps when I can," Ishmael said.

Eskridge making plays
All-ACC safety Durell Eskridge led by example on the team's first day in full pads, making two interceptions in practice. The Orange's leader in tackles and interceptions from last season described the plays as ones where her took advantage of his 6-4 length, going up and picking off a pass on a receiver that was trying to go over top of him and the other coming in man coverage where he "attacked the ball at its highest point."

Laguerre on the field
Junior walk-on linebacker Hernz Laguerre practiced for the first time this training camp. Senior wide receiver Franklin Santos chose to pursue opportunities outside of football, which opened up a spot on the 105-man training camp roster.

"He was out there today getting practice number one," Shafer said. "He'll have to go through five before he's full-go. You're saddened with one guy leaving, but you're excited with Hernz having the opportunity to be back in."

Top Articles from Aug. 6 on the Orange:
CuseTV: Durell Eskridge Interview
CuseTV: Terrel Hunt Interview
Orange Fizz: Running Backs and Linebackers Have Most Depth
CuseNation: Ishmael Learning from the Vets
Syracuse.com: 'The Sky is the Limit' for West in 2014
Daily Orange: Eskridge Stands Out on Day 5

Leaders Emerging in Preseason Camp

Leadership is the theme for 'Cuse football. Head coach Scott Shafer complimented several veterans for their willingness to step up on Syracuse's second day of preseason camp, while five former Orange captains will take the field tonight in the NFL Hall of Fame game (8 pm, NBC).

"I thought we had a very spirited practice today albeit no pads," Shafer said. "I'm really looking forward to putting some uppers on and slowly working our way to full pads in the next few days. I've been pleased with the way Terrel (Hunt) has taken charge of the offense and have been really pleased with Cam Lynch, Dyshawn Davis and Durell Eskridge on the defensive side. They are really stepping up and taking charge of the way we're practicing out there."

'Cuse will get its first opportunity to put on shoulder pads on Monday and its first practice in full pads is Wednesday.

Five former Orange team captains, including New York Giants Jameel McClain (2007), Ryan Nassib (2012), Justin Pugh (2012) and Jason Bromley (2013) and Buffalo Bills Macky MacPherson (2013) will battle tonight on the NFL playing field. The teams are lead by former Orange standouts Doug Marrone, who is in his second year as the Bills head coach, and Tom Coughlin, the Giants 11-year leader.

"I was concerned after last season going into spring and summer with who our next Macky MacPherson or our next Jason Bromley, Marquis Spruill, Ryan Nassib or Justin Pugh, were going to be. I was thinking about the next guys who were going to represent Syracuse the way that those guys did," Shafer said. "How awesome is it that those guys are going out there with coach (Doug) Marrone and coach (Tom) Coughlin going head to head (tonight). I'm fired up to take a look at that.

"They are the type of people who we're trying to develop with the next man up in the program and I'm starting to see that out of some guys."

Top articles from Aug. 3 about the Orange:

Syracuse.com: Whigham Has Put Injury in Rearview Mirror
Syracuse.com: Dixon and Kelly Most Likely to Fill Holder Position
Time Warner Cable News: Orange Football is Back to Work