Let’s take a walk down memory lane
The Syracuse Orange hit the tarmac again this week, this time for an ACC road matchup with NC State—the Orange head into Saturday’s game as 4.5-point favorites against the Wolfpack, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The only time SU defeated NC State in Raleigh was back in 2013, behind 368 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Jerome Smith, Prince-Tyson Gulley, and Terrel Hunt. Yup, take that in.
And, considering this could be SU’s best chance in a while at grabbing a win at NC State, our TNIAAM staff thought it’d be fun to remind Orange fans what was going on in Syracuse the last time the Orange beat the Wolfpack on the road:
Syracuse Men’s basketball reaches Final Four: 2013 was a historic year for Syracuse Men’s basketball. Head Coach Jim Boeheim’s team reached the Final Four in Atlanta after defeating No. 3 Marquette 55-39 in the East Region final to advance to the program’s first Final Four since Carmelo Anthony led the charge in 2003. CJ Fair, James Southerland, and Michael Carter-Williams combined for 42 of the team’s 55 points.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Big East Conference Realignment: Later in the year, amidst uncertainty in the Big East, Syracuse University prepared to leave the conference and join the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse valued the ACC’s emphasis on academic excellence, and, at the time, many of the ACC schools were (and still are) well-known for both their athletic success and academic achievements, making it an appealing choice for Syracuse, which wanted to align with institutions that shared its values.
Syracuse Crunch reaches Calder Cup Finals: In the Syracuse Crunch’s first season as the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, it reached the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Crunch had an impressive playoff run in 2013, dominating their opponents in the Eastern Conference. They swept the Portland Pirates in the first round, defeated the Springfield Falcons in a four-game sweep in the second round, and then overcame the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Photo by John Ewing/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s departure: In 2013, Chancellor Nancy Cantor announced her departure from Syracuse University. Cantor was best known for her emphasis on community engagement, diversity, and promoting the university’s role as a ‘public good’ during nine years as chancellor.
President Barack Obama visits CNY: Former President Obama plugged his plan to make college more affordable during a speech on Aug. 22 in a packed gymnasium at Syracuse’s Henninger High School. Obama also surprised the Tully High School soccer team when he stopped his tour bus on the way to Binghamton and dropped in on their practice to chat, pose for pictures, and kick the soccer ball around.
Other fun notes from 2013:
‘Thrift Shop’ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz was Billboard Hot 100’s best-performing single in the U.S.
Disney released the animated movie Frozen in November 2013. The film became a global phenomenon, winning two Academy Awards and earning over $1 billion worldwide.
The Oxford Dictionaries declared the word ‘selfie’ as the Word of the Year in 2013, reflecting the surge in popularity of people taking photos of themselves with their smartphones.
The “Florida Man” meme became widely popular on social media. News stories with bizarre headlines started circulating, showcasing some truly wild and strange antics involving residents of Florida.