I Wouldn't Worry about the Play Calling

[Upstate]

Wasn't expecting SU to open up the playbook for Nova. I think they wanted to try and use some of the size and strength on the outside and try to open up the inside running game. Hand it to Nova's DL, they did a nice job save for PTG's long TD run. Wilson found some gaps, Hunt found a few and threw a nice deep ball. Offense looked very vanilla; seemed like they only ran 12 different plays the entire time. Give it to SS for having the cojones to go for it on 4th down. But, I think George was trying to save 50% of the playbook for Maryland.

 

[dasher]

Wasn't expecting SU to open up the playbook for Nova. I think they wanted to try and use some of the size and strength on the outside and try to open up the inside running game. Hand it to Nova's DL, they did a nice job save for PTG's long TD run. Wilson found some gaps, Hunt found a few and threw a nice deep ball. Offense looked very vanilla; seemed like they only ran 12 different plays the entire time. Give it to SS for having the cojones to go for it on 4th down. But, I think George was trying to save 50% of the playbook for Maryland.

if that was the plan, it was dumb. We should have lost. Saved what for who?

 

[gocraz4dasu]

You give McDonald much more credit than I do. He has shown me little on the field in his time as offensive coordinator here. I can't think of any games where I left impressed with our offensive gameplan and execution. I guess it would be Tulane & Wagner as close options but that's really it.

 

[HtownOrange]

You give McDonald much more credit than I do. He has shown me little on the field in his time as offensive coordinator here. I can't think of any games where I left impressed with our offensive gameplan and execution. I guess it would be Tulane & Wagner as close options but that's really it.

It took the last OC 3 years to become really good at his job. GM is in his 2nd year at Syracuse. He will be fine.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

It took the last OC 3 years to become really good at his job. GM is in his 2nd year at Syracuse. He will be fine.

Hackett had his down moments but he also showed signs that he understood what was going on. McDonald has not so far and just because Hackett woke up does not mean McDonald will. He needs to prove that he can scheme and adjust because he has been taken to school thus far in his OC career here. I'm rooting for him but I'm not blindly optimistic about him anymore.

 

[iommi]

The idea that we would go vanilla so that we wouldn't show our opponents the playbook is laughable. We need to go all out to win every game. We don't have the pedigree, track record or obviously--talent-- to play close to the vest.

 

[Upstate]

You give McDonald much more credit than I do. He has shown me little on the field in his time as offensive coordinator here. I can't think of any games where I left impressed with our offensive gameplan and execution. I guess it would be Tulane & Wagner as close options but that's really it.

I think most any coach would love a situation where you get guys like Broyld, Estime out in space with two blockers in front of them against a 1AA squad. Thought a lot of the blocking on the outside was pretty good. Much improved from years past. But that's just me. The run game just didn't explode the way it should have by trying to spread Nova out. The OL underperformed and the Nova DL played fantastic football.

 

[AZOrange]

It took the last OC 3 years to become really good at his job. GM is in his 2nd year at Syracuse. He will be fine.

At another school. The guy is an awful OC. His scheme is brutal

 

[orangehomer]

the point is that we were running cutesy BS plays against a fcs defense rather than lining it up and running over them. you want vanilla? run the ball, not this perimeter passing nonsense

 

[HtownOrange]

Hackett had his down moments but he also showed signs that he understood what was going on. McDonald has not so far and just because Hackett woke up does not mean McDonald will. He needs to prove that he can scheme and adjust because he has been taken to school thus far in his OC career here. I'm rooting for him but I'm not blindly optimistic about him anymore.

I'm not blindly optimistic either, I see that he made adjustments last season and will have to do so again. Is he ready for a championship? No, not yet. I think he has the potential and the ability to change as necessary to win.

Hunt was not as smooth as I would have liked, but Hunt was leading the team to a win. Hunt was booted and in Steps Wilson. GM used a QB with no game experience against a very good FCS team that is better than many FBS teams. The team won, with a 2nd string QB thrust into a bad situation. GM called a game that Wilson could and did win.

 

[faninorlando]

Don't get me start about the oc. When everyone can see it coming (myself included) But he can recruit

 

[orangeman410]

Not once did we run the ball with a fullback blocking... Not once! Every running play we had 3 or 4 wide outs and one guy in the backfield. Not impressed

 

[iommi]

Don't get me start about the oc. When everyone can see it coming (myself included) But he can recruit

The most frustrating thing is our formations give away the play call. Where are the wrinkles? We never play actioned out of the tank...Three wides right meant a roll out to the right and a pass...I could call the plays about 75% of the time. I'd rather go slow and do some interesting things then go fast and be predictable. McDonald is in over his head with the headset.

 

[phil77]

I'm not blindly optimistic either, I see that he made adjustments last season and will have to do so again. Is he ready for a championship? No, not yet. I think he has the potential and the ability to change as necessary to win.

Hunt was not as smooth as I would have liked, but Hunt was leading the team to a win. Hunt was booted and in Steps Wilson. GM used a QB with no game experience against a very good FCS team that is better than many FBS teams. The team won, with a 2nd string QB thrust into a bad situation. GM called a game that Wilson could and did win.

I would have hoped with our back up QB in we would have just changed the offense completely and just smashed mouth them until they stopped playing. Instead we played a finesse game that lead to our OL looking like they don't belong on the field with an FCS team

 

[Stern]

I would worry very much about the playcalling. It looks just as bad as last year, maybe worse.

If you can't call a game and an bring home an easy win when you have far superior talent over a FCS school...what the hell you gonna do vs a real team? Last year I gave McDonald a pass...no free pass this year. He can recruit his ass off but he is a terrible play caller.

 

[Stern]

Hunt stayed in the pocket too much. He is big, tough to bring down, and can make plays with his legs. Get him outside of the pocket on the move and in run/pass situation plays. That is where he excels. He looked like Manning or Brady back there, he isn't that type of QB. We ran well when we spread the field with 3 and 4 WR's...we struggled when we went to the "JUMBO FORMATION"...any average Joe can see that, yet McDonald never recognized it and kept trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Then, when we threw the ball down the field we got holdings, PI calls or our WR's made a play and a catch...yet we are throwing sideways 90% of the time.

Classic case of an offensive coordinator trying to hard and getting away from what works and just keeping it simple.

 

[HtownOrange]

I would have hoped with our back up QB in we would have just changed the offense completely and just smashed mouth them until they stopped playing. Instead we played a finesse game that lead to our OL looking like they don't belong on the field with an FCS team

Syracuse got the W, the most important thing in the game. They I would love to see more offense and more flavor to the offense. Wilson was in and the coaches called a game they could win. Ugly, absolutely. Win, yes!

 

[phil77]

Syracuse got the W, the most important thing in the game. They I would love to see more offense and more flavor to the offense. Wilson was in and the coaches called a game they could win. Ugly, absolutely. Win, yes!

can we beat the next team playing like we did on offense tonight? I don't think so and we will probably have Wilson under center for that entire game. I hope a lot changes from now until then

 

[TheCusian]

I would worry very much about the playcalling. It looks just as bad as last year, maybe worse. If you can't call a game and an bring home an easy win when you have far superior talent over a FCS school...what the hell you gonna do vs a real team? Last year I gave McDonald a pass...no free pass this year. He can recruit his ass off but he is a terrible play caller.

Short memory. We beat real FBS teams last year and McDonald was fine most of the last two.

He's not been good - but you're over kicking your coverage.

 

[faninorlando]

Syracuse got the W, the most important thing in the game. They I would love to see more offense and more flavor to the offense. Wilson was in and the coaches called a game they could win. Ugly, absolutely. Win, yes!

You mean lucky

 

[Stern]

Short memory. We beat real FBS teams last year and McDonald was fine most of the last two.

He's not been good - but you're over kicking your coverage.

If the BC coach doesn't stop the clock a few times because he is a moron SU never beats BC and most would have been killing McDonald all offseason and we have no bowl game. And it was a punt return and the defense that really won the bowl game. McDonald is what he is at this point...GREAT recruiter, TERRIBLE play caller! While we all hope the light goes off at some point and he "gets it"...I'm not holding my breath with him.

 

[SUFan44]

I think most any coach would love a situation where you get guys like Broyld, Estime out in space with two blockers in front of them against a 1AA squad. Thought a lot of the blocking on the outside was pretty good. Much improved from years past. But that's just me. The run game just didn't explode the way it should have by trying to spread Nova out. The OL underperformed and the Nova DL played fantastic football.

Bubble screen isn't Hunt's strength. His arm isn't strong enough to get there quick enough, and his release is too slow.

Good coaches curtail offenses to the strengths of a team and individual players. Call me crazy, but I don't see how McDonald has done that. Or has even come close to doing that.

 

[leftytg]

The most frustrating thing is our formations give away the play call. Where are the wrinkles? We never play actioned out of the tank...Three wides right meant a roll out to the right and a pass...I could call the plays about 75% of the time. I'd rather go slow and do some interesting things then go fast and be predictable. McDonald is in over his head with the headset.

this is exactly right. We had no counter for the obvious play our formation signaled. It was as if Villanova was in the huddle getting the plays.

Hell, he even had Austin Wilson run the zone read twice, and almost get killed.

The offense had a bunch of success throwing the ball on intermediate routes over the middle - slants, square ins. Wilson's best attribute is his strong arm, and the receivers are large, but not burners. Yet, there is little working the ball over the middle All the east/west bubble screen stuff and then the occasional long ball. Maddening.

 

[Orangeman]

I think most any coach would love a situation where you get guys like Broyld, Estime out in space with two blockers in front of them against a 1AA squad. Thought a lot of the blocking on the outside was pretty good. Much improved from years past. But that's just me. The run game just didn't explode the way it should have by trying to spread Nova out. The OL underperformed and the Nova DL played fantastic football.

Sorry but this is crazy

Our quick screens are high risk/low reward

What was the best gain, 5 yards?

We lost yards a handful of times and nearly lost a fumble.

We need to establish some sort of intermediate passing game before we try the quick screens...

And don't get me started on running the guy out of the backfield every play straight to the sideline.

 

[NKR1978]

Hackett had his down moments but he also showed signs that he understood what was going on. McDonald has not so far and just because Hackett woke up does not mean McDonald will. He needs to prove that he can scheme and adjust because he has been taken to school thus far in his OC career here. I'm rooting for him but I'm not blindly optimistic about him anymore.

I agree with the McDonald criticism, but I really think you're giving Hack too much credit. The offense was great for a good part of 2012, but he was horrible for a good part of his tenure here as well.