While you don't hear about too many Syracuse Orange football players hailing from The Golden State, it happens. The USC game this weekend will be a homecoming of sorts for quite a few players on the SU roster.
Syracuse senior DE Mikhail Marinovich hails from San Clemente, CA. I wonder if the USC faithful will throw a little cheer his way if and when his last name gets mentioned over the loudspeaker.
Syracuse junior long-snapper Eric Morris went to Royal High School in Simi Valley, just outside LA.
"I have been so blessed to have all this stuff happening for me. It seems like almost a miracle," said Morris, a Royal High graduate. "If you would have asked me in high school if I could imagine myself playing Division I football, I would have told you, 'Yes,' because that is the way I am. But I really couldn't fathom it in my mind."
The walk-on is expecting 60 or so friends and family at the game.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Syracuse DL Deon Goggins' dream was to play for USC. Well, at least he gets to play against them. That's close.
Syracuse FB Tombe Kose's family immigrated to San Diego, CA from the Sudan. Hopefully the family can make the trip up, only two hours away.
DL Sweet Lou Alexander grew up in Palmdale, CA and attended the College of the Canyons in Southern California before transferring to SU.
Junior walk-on LB Dom Anene grew up in Redlands, CA.
Walk-on QB Nate Forer grew up in nearby Encino, CA.
Finally, WR Cayden Feifer grew up right in the heart of LA in Culver City, which means he's probably eaten at Ford's Filling Station once or twice.
Then there's offensive coordinator Nate Hackett, who was born in California and played college ball at the University of California-Davis. Oh and his Dad briefly the head coach at USC, so , there's that too.
"Win, lose or draw, it’s a great game," Nathaniel Hackett said of USC. "It’s a great place. It’s huge. There’s a lot of people there, those fight songs go on, and they’ve got a big old horse. So it’s a really cool place."
We can't draw, Nate! Not allowed anymore. Not even for Pat Dye. So you're gonna have to revise that statement.