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Syracuse And Akron: Two Schools Weirdly Connected

Syracuse will open its football season this Saturday at 6pm when they travel to Akron to take on the Zips.  Usually when it comes to opponents like this, it's hard to find a link or subplot to get fans interested beyond the usual "we want to win" excitement.

In this case, there seems to be way too many links between SU and a MAC team.  There's just something about Syracuse and Akron that gives this game more subplots and interesting twists than it could possibly deserve. 

  • Jose Cruz, Syracuse's newly-minted started tight end transferred to us from Hofstra.  But he didn't start at Hofstra.  He started at...you guessed it...Akron.
  • Syracuse's star player is Delone Carter.  Carter was the 2005 Mr. Football in Ohio.  His hometown?  Akron.  Oh and for good measure, Syracuse's No. 3 RB, Prince-Tyson Gulley, hails from just outside Akron.  Chances are good someone from Akron will be scoring TDs against Akron on Saturday.
  • Akron DE Deni Odofin played high school football at Union-Endicott in Endicott, NY.  The same high school and town that current SU DE Chandler Jones is from, as well as older brother Art Jones.
  • Akron's new head coach Rob Ianello was briefly linked to the Syracuse job opening before Doug Marrone swooped in. 
  • Akron and Syracuse are currently tied 1-1 in the overall series.  The scoring in the series is tied at 56 apiece.