Game Observations

[anomander]

Overall it was a pretty blah performance. Not sure how much of that was getting up 21-0 after 3 possessions and losing interest, or something more concerning? Probably a little of both, but great teams have that killer instinct, something that also has to be learned. At the end of the day I give a grade of C- . Here are some random observations that stood out:

- Dungey scares me every time he drops back and can't find anyone and every time he runs the ball. I guess his legs are what makes him the player that he is, so if they are taken away then would he even be that same dynamic player? Just going to have to get used to it and hope for the best...

-...which leads to the next point. Culpepper isn't an adequate ACC back up QB. He's not that bad on ST's, as we saw today, but he's not an ACC QB. I'm sure Dino had a feeling, but needed to see what he got in game action.

- Still can't run the ball? Doesn't help (and I understand that's the scheme), but having to defend 1 run play makes it easy on the defense. Regardless, no holes, no burst from Strickland, while Neal is much better as a slot receiver...imo the best RB is...

- Pierre. Not sure how much was bigger holes to run through and the back end of the CCSU roster is a joke, but this kid looks like he was born to be a RB. I'd be surprised if he wasn't at least splitting carriers by the time we start the ACC schedule.

- Our younger kids are the best players on the team. Pierre, N. Johnson, Evan Foster, Robinson all popped for me. Robinson looks the part of a big time DE. From what I saw last night he looked to have it all. Great size, explosive burst, and strong hands. Going to be interested to see how he develops.

- Chris Slayton was a terror all night. He will have an All ACC type of year.

- Cole can't afford to miss PAT's. Just can't happen.

- Terrible fans. Not only are the crowds dwindling, but it even seems that those fans that do go aren't even paying attention to the game. The game seems secondary at best to what seems like a good portion of those in the stands. Very little buzz, don't know when to cheer, and just plain low football IQ. It's pretty embarrassing. And now there is the victory bell. I wasn't much a fan of the horn, but that at least brought a pinch of energy. I'd be set with just hearing the fight song.

- All in all the best days of this team are ahead of them. A ton of youth playing meaningful snaps and a lot of new guys in key positions. One kid I thought should had red shirted is Fagan. I have a feeling we could be looking back at him, like we do Jonathan Thomas, where he played his Freshman year, but really could have used a RS, since he just plays on ST's.

- Onto MTSU which hopefully gives a much more focused effort for the entire game.

GO ORANGE!!

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Your first point is one of the things that concerns me most. Last year, every single game, we'd come out rolling. We'd put up a couple of touchdowns, and then just go flat for a large chunk of the game. Happened against USF, happened against UCONN, happened against BC. It cannot keep happening, yet a very similar thing happened last night.

 

[SUinNYC]

I hope Culpepper never sees another snap at QB.

 

[kcsu]

We are making progress. Agree on all points other than Rex. I thought he was excellent for his first live action in 3 years.
Observations: Kingsley and Robinson have a huge upside.
Martin looked solid at Safety
Mo should be playing slot
Strick lacks vision although he did make a great read and cut on the score
Butler has the speed to stretch but does he have the hands.
Avant looks like a baller
MP looks the part

4-8 to 6-6 and we are heading in the right direction.

 

[SmilinBob]

I agree with a lot of what you said and Strickland is not a runningback. The O-Line didn't create holes but I saw some to the left and right and he ran up their backs like the band in Animal House walking into the wall. You can see Pierre's instincts.

Extremely disappointed Dungey ran so much vs a team like this...the backup QB's better be ready. Hopefully they will continue to throw the ball over the middle more as the season progresses. Loved the wheel route by Neal.

N. Johnson can move and once he learns to catch the ball he will be something to see. Only Neal and Phillips are make guys miss O guys and N Johnson is needed...loved his kickoff return. Somebody has to make plays and against faster and bigger competition and I just don't see it happening.

D played solid and was happy with that.

Riley has to make people miss and I just don't see that in him...hope I'm wrong.

Unless this team can switch RB's and light a fire on those O-Linemen I see 5 wins tops maybe 4.

 

[kmart128]

I dont know why some so many people are scared of Dungey running. He did a great job of avoiding defenders. Got ou of bounds when available, that little sunset flip over the defender avoided a hit to his legs, and lets not forget Dungey breaking a defenders legs with his spin move

 

[TheCusian]

This offense is designed to scare DC's into spreading out their defenders to cover all the edge stuff and the slot guys down the seams. Then those runs up the middle are more fruitful. Babers said CCSU never spread out, they decided to take away the run all game.

So we passed a lot.

That said - the OL and RB should have been able to do more vs this size team no matter what.

We'll see. I thought MP would be the starter, so?

 

[Chip]

I think it's a bit harsh on Rex. I don't know where he really is in the pecking order, but what I saw last night was better than I expected. He was a victim of some drops by the backups. Should have had a nice TD pass mixed in there. But yes, also floated a pass toward the end zone that pretty much any P5 team, and maybe FBS team in general would have intercepted. Only his 2nd year, so there's time.

I'm not going to worry anymore about Dungey running. Not worth the concern. It's just the way he plays and we're all going to have to live with it. Will be interesting to see the pecking order if and when something happens. I still think Rex is 4th in line, we were just testing out the DeVito redshirt insurance plan last night.

 

[SmilinBob]

I think it's a bit harsh on Rex. I don't know where he really is in the pecking order, but what I saw last night was better than I expected. He was a victim of some drops by the backups. Should have had a nice TD pass mixed in there. But yes, also floated a pass toward the end zone that pretty much any P5 team, and maybe FBS team in general would have intercepted. Only his 2nd year, so there's time.

I'm not going to worry anymore about Dungey running. Not worth the concern. It's just the way he plays and we're all going to have to live with it. Will be interesting to see the pecking order if and when something happens. I still think Rex is 4th in line, we were just testing out the DeVito redshirt insurance plan last night.

I just wish Dungey would find a way to stay behind the line and keep his head up looking for open receivers. That said...I saw WAY too many receivers standing around when ED was moving.

 

[Cuse'91]

Biggest concern excluding running game:
Who is going to blow the top off defenses with the deep ball? None of the WRs looked to be Amba's successor in that respect. Steve and Jamal don't look to have the top end speed, and Erv and Devin don't have the WR skills(Erv dropping over the shoulder catch, Devin dropping easy TD in endzone).
And none appear to have the chemistry that AET had with ED so far...

 

[SmilinBob]

Biggest concern excluding running game:
Who is going to blow the top off defenses with the deep ball? None of the WRs looked to be Amba's successor in that respect. Steve and Jamal don't look to have the top end speed, and Erv and Devin don't have the WR skills(Erv dropping over the shoulder catch, Devin dropping easy TD in endzone).
And none appear to have the chemistry that AET had with ED so far...

Agree and is it possible that AET won so many jump balls that HCDB is hoping Custis takes that role? I didn't see any really good passes for a receiver to run under either other than Erv's drop.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

This offense is designed to scare DC's into spreading out their defenders to cover all the edge stuff and the slot guys down the seams. Then those runs up the middle are more fruitful. Babers said CCSU never spread out, they decided to take away the run all game.

So we passed a lot.

I understand what you and Dino are saying. It makes me nervous though that this was the exact refrain after the Colgate game last year. It never got better. Hopefully it does this year.

 

[TheCusian]

Biggest concern excluding running game:
Who is going to blow the top off defenses with the deep ball? None of the WRs looked to be Amba's successor in that respect. Steve and Jamal don't look to have the top end speed, and Erv and Devin don't have the WR skills(Erv dropping over the shoulder catch, Devin dropping easy TD in endzone).
And none appear to have the chemistry that AET had with ED so far...

Erv is fine. Devin had a bad game, but has the skills. Custis looked like AET on that one hander. He needs to put it all together - but he's closer than we think.

 

[TheCusian]

I understand what you and Dino are saying. It makes me nervous though that this was the exact refrain after the Colgate game last year. It never got better. Hopefully it does this year.

Agreed. Something to watch. I don't think we have a shot vs LSU, FSU, or Clemson if we don't get that figured out (and even if we do, lol).

 

[elimunelson]

Your first point is one of the things that concerns me most. Last year, every single game, we'd come out rolling. We'd put up a couple of touchdowns, and then just go flat for a large chunk of the game. Happened against USF, happened against UCONN, happened against BC. It cannot keep happening, yet a very similar thing happened last night.

Couldn't agree more. Thats on OC bc most of early plays are scripted. Middle of game is flow and if they can't game plan on fly it is a worry for sure.

 

[Toga]

Minor point but that was the worst PAT I've ever seen.

 

[Franz69]

Custis was open deep twice and Dungey under threw him both times for incompletions.

 

[LongShanks44]

Overall it was a pretty blah performance. Not sure how much of that was getting up 21-0 after 3 possessions and losing interest, or something more concerning? Probably a little of both, but great teams have that killer instinct, something that also has to be learned. At the end of the day I give a grade of C- . Here are some random observations that stood out:

- Dungey scares me every time he drops back and can't find anyone and every time he runs the ball. I guess his legs are what makes him the player that he is, so if they are taken away then would he even be that same dynamic player? Just going to have to get used to it and hope for the best...

-...which leads to the next point. Culpepper isn't an adequate ACC back up QB. He's not that bad on ST's, as we saw today, but he's not an ACC QB. I'm sure Dino had a feeling, but needed to see what he got in game action.

- Still can't run the ball? Doesn't help (and I understand that's the scheme), but having to defend 1 run play makes it easy on the defense. Regardless, no holes, no burst from Strickland, while Neal is much better as a slot receiver...imo the best RB is...

- Pierre. Not sure how much was bigger holes to run through and the back end of the CCSU roster is a joke, but this kid looks like he was born to be a RB. I'd be surprised if he wasn't at least splitting carriers by the time we start the ACC schedule.

- Our younger kids are the best players on the team. Pierre, N. Johnson, Evan Foster, Robinson all popped for me. Robinson looks the part of a big time DE. From what I saw last night he looked to have it all. Great size, explosive burst, and strong hands. Going to be interested to see how he develops.

- Chris Slayton was a terror all night. He will have an All ACC type of year.

- Cole can't afford to miss PAT's. Just can't happen.

- Terrible fans. Not only are the crowds dwindling, but it even seems that those fans that do go aren't even paying attention to the game. The game seems secondary at best to what seems like a good portion of those in the stands. Very little buzz, don't know when to cheer, and just plain low football IQ. It's pretty embarrassing. And now there is the victory bell. I wasn't much a fan of the horn, but that at least brought a pinch of energy. I'd be set with just hearing the fight song.

- All in all the best days of this team are ahead of them. A ton of youth playing meaningful snaps and a lot of new guys in key positions. One kid I thought should had red shirted is Fagan. I have a feeling we could be looking back at him, like we do Jonathan Thomas, where he played his Freshman year, but really could have used a RS, since he just plays on ST's.

- Onto MTSU which hopefully gives a much more focused effort for the entire game.

GO ORANGE!!

Thinks thats a bit harsh regarding the fans. Terrible? What do you expect for a labor day weekend Friday night opener against that opponent where the game was clearly over mid way through the first quarter? People complain that not enough people show up ( most of whom dont go either ) and then they complain about those who DO show up. I dont get it.

 

[Killdozer]

I agree with a lot of what you said and Strickland is not a runningback. The O-Line didn't create holes but I saw some to the left and right and he ran up their backs like the band in Animal House walking into the wall. You can see Pierre's instincts.

Extremely disappointed Dungey ran so much vs a team like this...the backup QB's better be ready. Hopefully they will continue to throw the ball over the middle more as the season progresses. Loved the wheel route by Neal.

N. Johnson can move and once he learns to catch the ball he will be something to see. Only Neal and Phillips are make guys miss O guys and N Johnson is needed...loved his kickoff return. Somebody has to make plays and against faster and bigger competition and I just don't see it happening.

D played solid and was happy with that.

Riley has to make people miss and I just don't see that in him...hope I'm wrong.

Unless this team can switch RB's and light a fire on those O-Linemen I see 5 wins tops maybe 4.

"Riley has to make people miss and I just don't see that in him...hope I'm wrong."

I want to touch on this point. I think that the punt return team needs to hold their blocks a little longer. When the call is to set up a return the line just bumped and never held the block longer than a second. Felt bad for Riley as he had about 6 guys barreling down on him with the SU players 2 steps behind. Pretty ugly to watch.

 

[tep624]

I think you guys are digging a little too deep into a glorified scrimmage. MTSU will be a better barometer of where the team is.

Game like this - if you win big and avoid key injuries then that's all you really need to get out of it. Hopefully Cordy's isn't too serious.

I honestly was surprised to see Rex out there since we hadn't really heard squat about him all fall. So it was a pleasant surprise to see him in game action - to what end at this point, I'm not sure. Was it just to see what he's capable of? Did he take a leap over Mahoney in the pecking order? Not sure. Can't really tell much from one performance either. Some young QB's are with it the second they hit the field and others struggle until the game and the jitters slow down for them. So I'm not going to draw any conclusions on him yet but having a capable QB that has passed Mahoney is a good thing so I'm hoping that is the case and that he improves steadily as the season progresses.

 

[cuseguy]

The staff thinks Riley is a good returner because he's fast. But his size and inability to make people miss are big negatives.

 

[Killdozer]

I think you guys are digging a little too deep into a glorified scrimmage. MTSU will be a better barometer of where the team is.

Game like this - if you win big and avoid key injuries then that's all you really need to get out of it. Hopefully Cordy's isn't too serious.

I honestly was surprised to see Rex out there since we hadn't really heard squat about him all fall. So it was a pleasant surprise to see him in game action - to what end at this point, I'm not sure. Was it just to see what he's capable of? Did he take a leap over Mahoney in the pecking order? Not sure. Can't really tell much from one performance either. Some young QB's are with it the second they hit the field and others struggle until the game and the jitters slow down for them. So I'm not going to draw any conclusions on him yet but having a capable QB that has passed Mahoney is a good thing so I'm hoping that is the case and that he improves steadily as the season progresses.

Absolutely no way has Rex passed Mahoney. HCDB knows what Mahaney will give him. No need to see it against that type of opponent. Besides if Babers thinks that Rex is better than Mahoney then SU has bigger issues.

 

[Yegorange]

Minor point but that was the worst PAT I've ever seen.

No, the worst one was Barber's at Temple in '02. While we were celebrating the last minute TD and talking OT ... that sound of the ball clanging off the post. Can still hear it.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: ROUNDUP; On a Missed Extra Point, Temple Finally Beats Syracuse

 

[dan7800]

We are making progress. Agree on all points other than Rex. I thought he was excellent for his first live action in 3 years.

I agree on Rex. WAY too soon to call anything about him. 1st live action in years, and when playing with 2nd and 3rd teammers, things are tough. I also noticed virtually every snap seemed be high/too the side, making him reach. His throws seemed to be generally accurate, he had good arm strength and didn't do anything too stupid.

I am very content with having him as the 3rd string QB this year.

 

[dan7800]

I think you guys are digging a little too deep into a glorified scrimmage. MTSU will be a better barometer of where the team is.

+100