Syracuse’s Sterling Hofrichter takes home honors after big game vs. Clemson

We’ve already discussed what happened on Saturday night over and over, but one aspect of that contest that’s yet to really be discussed is special teams play. Specifically, that of Syracuse Orange punter Sterling Hofrichter.

Hof’s always on his game, but this past weekend was perhaps his best performance at SU, despite the end result on the field for the team. The senior averaged 52.2 yards per punt on nine attempts, had a 65-yarder and pinned Clemson inside the 20 three different times. For that, he earned both ACC specialist of the week honors and a Ray Guy Punter of the Week award. Not bad for nine snaps the entire night.

Having Hof out there also shows how Syracuse can potentially turn things around. Obviously we’d love to see him less (no offense, Sterling) because the offense is doing well. But SU’s special teams can continue keeping them around in games as said offense picks things back up. Between that and an improved defense last week, there’s reason to believe what needs fixing involves tweaks, rather than complete overhauls.

At the very least, it’s nice to see Hof get some more hype after years of being the ACC’s top punter.

That, plus the rest of your Syracuse-related links below:

Dino Babers, in defense of Tommy DeVito, explains what’s ‘happening’ with the offense (Syracuse.com)

“The minute he pulled the trigger on it, the guy that was laying down stood up. And you’re going to say, ‘Well, maybe he should have seen that guy laying down.’ I can’t tell you how many trick plays we have in our offense where we tell a guy to go all the way down to the ground and get back up.

ACC announces top conference players for week 3 (ACC)

Hofrichter punted nine times for 470 yards against Clemson. His average of 52.2 yards per punt was the fourth-best single-game mark in school history (minimum three punts). A career-best six punts traveled at least 50 yards, including a career-long matching 65-yarder. Averaged 51.9 net yards per kick, as only two of his punts were returned for a total of three yards. Three Hofrichter punts ended up inside the Clemson 20-yard line and five resulted in fair catches.

How ‘D’ SU Tailgate Party became one of Skytop’s largest tailgates (Daily Orange)

Since the tailgate merger two years ago, the menus have become increasingly exotic. Saturday was Caribbean. Next week, it’s seafood boil with crab legs. Then, steaks. Many of the other DeMetro dishes have names inspired by current and former SU players — like Coleman’s Catch of the Day — a tribute to the players they’ve gathered to watch for five years.

George O’Leary: Tim Green is ‘toughest kid I ever coached’ (Syracuse.com)

O’Leary pointed toward one of his assistants with a smile on his face. Watch this. Watch how a single drop of motivational disparagement, timed just right, can unleash pure fury. “Timmy, like a madman, was just lifting like a berserko,” said Ron Osinski, the former assistant and now-retired English teacher at Liverpool who witnessed that interaction more than 40 years ago. “That was the relationship for all those many years.”

Without Shannon Malone, redshirt junior Rachel Bonner steps into leadership role (Daily Orange)

“Rachel has always had a leadership role ever since I got on the team,” said sophomore Laura Dickinson. “She has always been someone that I looked up to as a role model. She works hard. She is a great team player. She always brings a lot of energy and a lot of positivity to all the workouts.”

Dino Babers still believes: Syracuse football isn’t as bad as it may look (Syracuse.com)

Sterling Hofrichter Announced As Ray Guy Award Punter of Week 3 (Augusta Sports Council)

We knew Syracuse’s offensive line was unfinished, but it has to be better (Daily Orange)

The 2020 NCAA bracket predicted, 50 days from opening night (NCAA.com)

Kendall Coleman: Poet and pass rusher (Cuse.com)