3 takeaways from Fran Brown's weekly press conference before Syracuse v. Tennessee

There was a little news generated Monday when our colleagues over at the Tennessee Volunteers ON SI site reported that the Vols would not be releasing their depth chart before the opener against the Orange Saturday in Atlanta (12:00 p.m. ET / ABC).

Shortly thereafter, Syracuse confirmed that it too would not be releasing the depth chart information before game day, leaving die-hard fans who wear different shades of orange disappointed in their quest for team updates. In this day and age of sports betting and gamesmanship, maybe there's a paradigm shift afloat?

About to face an SEC team, Brown 's goal is to build a consistent SEC-caliber roster at 'Cuse

Asked about the progress he's made building the roster depth with better athletes and individuals who want to follow his D.A.R.T. philosophy, now after multiple recruiting cycles and the various transfer portal periods, Brown played it close to the vest.

"Overall, throughout the team, we're getting better at all positions," Brown generalized. "I think we're a little bigger everywhere, we're faster everywhere."

But in the mode of the no depth chart strategy, Brown did not want to get into specific player upgrades.

"We'll talk about that after the game, right?" Brown continued. "We're about to go against a real big football team, so we'll see this week (where we've improved), what positions match up and where they are. They're a good program, this is a good team so this is a good test for us to go out and see if we're able to compete."

The joy for Brown coaching his son, Frannie.

Wearing number 21 in your program (or on the depth chart), but number 1 in the hearts of the Brown household (paying his university tuition), is long snapper and fullback Fran "Frannie" Brown Jr., who joined his father's program after transferring from St. Francis (Pa.) last December.

Brown has been the primary long snapper for field goals and extra points in preseason, splitting the duties with returnee Ethan Stangle who has been handling punt snaps. Frannie Brown has also spent time at fullback because his father says he "loves contact." This season will mark the first time the father-son have competed together since the younger Brown was six years old.

"He works really hard, it's important to him (to succeed)," Brown said Monday. "I'm happy to coach him. I hope he can bring that same energy that he had when he was six and I coached him because we won a championship that year."

Shades of Paul Pasqualoni never wanting to leave his office

Remember the devoted bachelor Pasqualoni was "married" to football for the first part of his career at SU, often burning the midnight candle in his office well past midnight, even sometimes being chased out to go home. Coach P eventually met his wife Jill and became a family man raising three children into the world of football, enjoying a long post-Syracuse coaching career.

Brown, asked Monday about his new office at the fabulous Football Performance Center within the Lally complex, did not mince words.

"It's cool. It's amazing. If I wasn't married, I would stay in my office. I wouldn't even go home," he said with a big smile. "If I didn't have a wife I wouldn't go home, I would just be there chillin all the time."

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