SWC75
Bored Historian
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This season I will once again be charting Syracuse’s games in terms of “winning plays”. I look at the results of each play and decide which team got the minimum they wanted out of the play. Rather than making instinctive judgments, I use a formula:
- On first down, the offensive team wants to get at least a third of the way to a new first down: they will have two more plays before they might have to surrender the ball and if they gain that same amount of yards on each of those two plays, they’ll get the first down. If they don’t make it a third of the way to a new first down, the defense won the play.
- On second down, the offense wants to get at least halfway to a new first down by the same logic.
- On third and fourth down, they want to get the first down.
- Penalties, if added onto a play by the referees, are added on to the results above. If the offense gains 5 yards on first down but there was holding and they lost yardage instead, the defense won the play. If a running back made a 25 yard run on first and ten and the holding was 20 yards downfield, turning it into a 5 yard gain, that’s still a win for the offense. If the defense is penalized and it’s tacked on, again the net result is what is evaluated. The penalties I’ve listed negated the play entirely and are a “loss” for the penalized team and thus a win for their opponent.
- If a penalty was not tacked onto a play, it’s a lost play for the team being penalized. I'll count them separate from the other plays from scrimmage because I don't know if the intended play before the penalty would have been a run or a pass - so I wouldn't know where to put it in the chart below.
- A turnover is, obviously, a win for the team that wound up with the ball.
- On a kick-off a touchback brings the ball out to the 25 yard line. Teams still seem to be trying to kick the ball into the end zone and avoid a runback if they can, so any kick-off that results in the receiving team starting between their goal line and their 25 is a win for the kicking team. Beyond that, the receiving team wins.
- On a punt, a touchback takes the ball out of the 20. So any punt that results in the other team taking over from their goal line to their 20 is a win for the punting team. If the next change in field position is at least 40 yards, the punting team has also won the play.
- A successful place kick is, obviously, a win for the kicking team.
- Any play that results in a touchdown is, obviously, a win for that team that scores it.
- A “victory play” where a team accepts a loss just to let the clock run out, is a win for the offensive team.
I will indicate in parenthesis how many yards there were to go to get a new first down, (if other than 10), unless it was for no gain or negative yardage. If it was a touchdown, (“TD)” a scramble/sack (“S”) a victory play (“V”) or involved a penalty (P). I’ll treat a scramble or a sack as a passing play as the Cuse.com play by play now tells you when it’s either of those two. 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
I have decided to list the “Big Plays” at the bottom of each team’s summary. A big play is a play from scrimmage of over 20 yards, (or 20+ yards lost), kickoff returns of +25 yards, punt returns of +20, blocked kicks, missed kicks, and takeovers on fumbles, interceptions and downs.
When Syracuse had the ball:
Drive Starts: SU 17, SU 25, SU 35, BC 47, BC 40, SU 25, SU 17, SU 46, SU 24, BC 41, SU 20, SU 27 = 408/12 = SU 34, with 792 yards to go.
KO: BC 25, BC 25, BC 35
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 1
P: 44 to BC 27, 37 to BC 8, 33 to BC 20, 22 to BC 41(p), 50 to BC 29
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 1
FG: No Good from 57, Good from 36
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 1
XP: Good
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 3
1r: 2, 4, 3, 5, 32, 4, 2, 3, 2, 2, 56, -1, 5, 2
Total: Syracuse 6 Boston College 8
1p: I, 4, 19(p), 5, 3, I, 2, Interception, Interception
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 6
First Down Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 14
2r: 3, 2, 0, 1(8), 4(5), 18(7), 8(27), 1(8), 10(5)
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 5
2p: 6(8), Interception, 4(5), I, 13(7), -3(5), I
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 4
Second Down Total: Syracuse 7 Boston College 9
3r: 4(2), 0, 27TD, 1(1), 5(16), 9(18)
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 3
3p: I Interception, I
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 3
Third Down Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 6
4r: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 13 Boston College 16
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 6 Boston College 13
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 19 Boston College 29
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +7. -5, -5, -5, -7, -10 Syracuse 1 Boston College 6
Game total when Syracuse had the ball: Syracuse 28 Boston College 38
Big Plays: 32 yard run, 27 yard TD run, Recovered Fumble, 56 yard run, Recovered Fumble
When Boston College had the ball:
Drive Starts: BC 25, BC 50, BC 27, BC 25, BC 8, BC 20, BC 20, BC 41, BC 35, BC 25, BC 29, SU 45 = 360/12 = BC 30 with 840 yards to go.
KO: SU 25, SU 25, SU 25, SU 27
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
P: 37 to SU 17, 39 to SU 35, 34 to BC 40, 9 to SU 45, 21 to SU 20
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 2
FG: Good from 24
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
XP: Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 2
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 8
1r: 4, 7, -1, 3, 4, -4, 5, 1, 7, 3, 12, -1, 3, 6, 3, 1, 6, 3, 6, 3v
Total: Syracuse 10 Boston College 10
1p: 5, 1, I, 12, I, 19, I, 8, 3, I, 11, 2TD, I, 9, 5, I, 21, 9
Total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 10
First Down Total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 10
2r: 2(6), -1, 2(8), 4(7), 9, 3(2), -1, 0, 6(7), 6, 19(p), 4, 8(4), 7TD, 3(4), -3v
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 11
2p: 6(5), I, 18, I, 1(6), 2(14), 11, 6(3), I, 4(5), 21(11), Fumble, I, I, I
Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 6
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Boston College 17
3r: 5(4), 6(4), 5(3), Fumble, 2(1), 5(1), 6(7), 2(1), -5, 3(1), 0, 2(6), 12(9), 4(1)
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 10
3p: I, I, I, I, I
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 0
Third Down Total: Syracuse 10 Boston College 10
4r: 1(1), 2(1), 0(1), 6(4)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
4p: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
Total on running plays: Syracuse 21 Boston College 34
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 22 Boston College 16
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 43 Boston College 50
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +12 Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
Game total when Boston College had the ball: Syracuse 47 Boston College 59
Big Plays: Interception, Interception, 21-yard pass reception, Interception, 21-yard reception, Interception
Overall Game Total: Syracuse 75 Boston College 97
Comments: This game was lost for one reason: our pass attack stunk. Carlos Del Rio Wilson passed for just 37 yards and threw four interceptions. We out-rushed a rushing team 209-185 and forced two fumbles. We had 8 TFLs to 3. They completed just 54% of their passes for 8.25 yards per completion and just 4,5 yards per attempt. Even a decent day passing the ball would have given us the win. Instead we had the worst day I can ever remember.
BC was 0 for 5 on third down passes but they made the third down on 10 runs and on three fourth down runs. That’s 13 times they were close enough to run on 3rd or fourth down and only 2 two times we really stopped them. We won the ‘big plays 6-5 but 6 of the 11 big plays in this game were turnovers.
This was a 75-97 game, -22. The closest games to this in the Babers Era:
2016 Syracuse 95 South Florida 116 = -21 We lost 20-45
2017 Syracuse 80 Louisiana State 103 = -23 We lost 26-35
2017 Syracuse 93 North Carolina State 112 = -19 We lost 25-33
2019 Syracuse 78 North Carolina State 100 = -22 We lost 10-16
2019 Syracuse 92 Pittsburgh 114 = -22 We lost 20-27
2019 Syracuse 96 Florida State 115 = -19 We lost 17-35
2019 Syracuse 85 Louisville 104 = -19 We lost 34-56
2020 Syracuse 76 Wake Forest 99 = -23 We lost 14-38
2021 Syracuse 79 Clemson 99 = -20 We lost 14-17
2021 Syracuse 65 North Carolina State 88 = -23 We lost 17-41
- On first down, the offensive team wants to get at least a third of the way to a new first down: they will have two more plays before they might have to surrender the ball and if they gain that same amount of yards on each of those two plays, they’ll get the first down. If they don’t make it a third of the way to a new first down, the defense won the play.
- On second down, the offense wants to get at least halfway to a new first down by the same logic.
- On third and fourth down, they want to get the first down.
- Penalties, if added onto a play by the referees, are added on to the results above. If the offense gains 5 yards on first down but there was holding and they lost yardage instead, the defense won the play. If a running back made a 25 yard run on first and ten and the holding was 20 yards downfield, turning it into a 5 yard gain, that’s still a win for the offense. If the defense is penalized and it’s tacked on, again the net result is what is evaluated. The penalties I’ve listed negated the play entirely and are a “loss” for the penalized team and thus a win for their opponent.
- If a penalty was not tacked onto a play, it’s a lost play for the team being penalized. I'll count them separate from the other plays from scrimmage because I don't know if the intended play before the penalty would have been a run or a pass - so I wouldn't know where to put it in the chart below.
- A turnover is, obviously, a win for the team that wound up with the ball.
- On a kick-off a touchback brings the ball out to the 25 yard line. Teams still seem to be trying to kick the ball into the end zone and avoid a runback if they can, so any kick-off that results in the receiving team starting between their goal line and their 25 is a win for the kicking team. Beyond that, the receiving team wins.
- On a punt, a touchback takes the ball out of the 20. So any punt that results in the other team taking over from their goal line to their 20 is a win for the punting team. If the next change in field position is at least 40 yards, the punting team has also won the play.
- A successful place kick is, obviously, a win for the kicking team.
- Any play that results in a touchdown is, obviously, a win for that team that scores it.
- A “victory play” where a team accepts a loss just to let the clock run out, is a win for the offensive team.
I will indicate in parenthesis how many yards there were to go to get a new first down, (if other than 10), unless it was for no gain or negative yardage. If it was a touchdown, (“TD)” a scramble/sack (“S”) a victory play (“V”) or involved a penalty (P). I’ll treat a scramble or a sack as a passing play as the Cuse.com play by play now tells you when it’s either of those two. 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
I have decided to list the “Big Plays” at the bottom of each team’s summary. A big play is a play from scrimmage of over 20 yards, (or 20+ yards lost), kickoff returns of +25 yards, punt returns of +20, blocked kicks, missed kicks, and takeovers on fumbles, interceptions and downs.
When Syracuse had the ball:
Drive Starts: SU 17, SU 25, SU 35, BC 47, BC 40, SU 25, SU 17, SU 46, SU 24, BC 41, SU 20, SU 27 = 408/12 = SU 34, with 792 yards to go.
KO: BC 25, BC 25, BC 35
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 1
P: 44 to BC 27, 37 to BC 8, 33 to BC 20, 22 to BC 41(p), 50 to BC 29
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 1
FG: No Good from 57, Good from 36
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 1
XP: Good
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 3
1r: 2, 4, 3, 5, 32, 4, 2, 3, 2, 2, 56, -1, 5, 2
Total: Syracuse 6 Boston College 8
1p: I, 4, 19(p), 5, 3, I, 2, Interception, Interception
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 6
First Down Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 14
2r: 3, 2, 0, 1(8), 4(5), 18(7), 8(27), 1(8), 10(5)
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 5
2p: 6(8), Interception, 4(5), I, 13(7), -3(5), I
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 4
Second Down Total: Syracuse 7 Boston College 9
3r: 4(2), 0, 27TD, 1(1), 5(16), 9(18)
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 3
3p: I Interception, I
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 3
Third Down Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 6
4r: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 13 Boston College 16
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 6 Boston College 13
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 19 Boston College 29
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +7. -5, -5, -5, -7, -10 Syracuse 1 Boston College 6
Game total when Syracuse had the ball: Syracuse 28 Boston College 38
Big Plays: 32 yard run, 27 yard TD run, Recovered Fumble, 56 yard run, Recovered Fumble
When Boston College had the ball:
Drive Starts: BC 25, BC 50, BC 27, BC 25, BC 8, BC 20, BC 20, BC 41, BC 35, BC 25, BC 29, SU 45 = 360/12 = BC 30 with 840 yards to go.
KO: SU 25, SU 25, SU 25, SU 27
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
P: 37 to SU 17, 39 to SU 35, 34 to BC 40, 9 to SU 45, 21 to SU 20
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 2
FG: Good from 24
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
XP: Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 2
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 8
1r: 4, 7, -1, 3, 4, -4, 5, 1, 7, 3, 12, -1, 3, 6, 3, 1, 6, 3, 6, 3v
Total: Syracuse 10 Boston College 10
1p: 5, 1, I, 12, I, 19, I, 8, 3, I, 11, 2TD, I, 9, 5, I, 21, 9
Total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 10
First Down Total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 10
2r: 2(6), -1, 2(8), 4(7), 9, 3(2), -1, 0, 6(7), 6, 19(p), 4, 8(4), 7TD, 3(4), -3v
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 11
2p: 6(5), I, 18, I, 1(6), 2(14), 11, 6(3), I, 4(5), 21(11), Fumble, I, I, I
Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 6
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Boston College 17
3r: 5(4), 6(4), 5(3), Fumble, 2(1), 5(1), 6(7), 2(1), -5, 3(1), 0, 2(6), 12(9), 4(1)
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 10
3p: I, I, I, I, I
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 0
Third Down Total: Syracuse 10 Boston College 10
4r: 1(1), 2(1), 0(1), 6(4)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
4p: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
Total on running plays: Syracuse 21 Boston College 34
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 22 Boston College 16
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 43 Boston College 50
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +12 Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
Game total when Boston College had the ball: Syracuse 47 Boston College 59
Big Plays: Interception, Interception, 21-yard pass reception, Interception, 21-yard reception, Interception
Overall Game Total: Syracuse 75 Boston College 97
Comments: This game was lost for one reason: our pass attack stunk. Carlos Del Rio Wilson passed for just 37 yards and threw four interceptions. We out-rushed a rushing team 209-185 and forced two fumbles. We had 8 TFLs to 3. They completed just 54% of their passes for 8.25 yards per completion and just 4,5 yards per attempt. Even a decent day passing the ball would have given us the win. Instead we had the worst day I can ever remember.
BC was 0 for 5 on third down passes but they made the third down on 10 runs and on three fourth down runs. That’s 13 times they were close enough to run on 3rd or fourth down and only 2 two times we really stopped them. We won the ‘big plays 6-5 but 6 of the 11 big plays in this game were turnovers.
This was a 75-97 game, -22. The closest games to this in the Babers Era:
2016 Syracuse 95 South Florida 116 = -21 We lost 20-45
2017 Syracuse 80 Louisiana State 103 = -23 We lost 26-35
2017 Syracuse 93 North Carolina State 112 = -19 We lost 25-33
2019 Syracuse 78 North Carolina State 100 = -22 We lost 10-16
2019 Syracuse 92 Pittsburgh 114 = -22 We lost 20-27
2019 Syracuse 96 Florida State 115 = -19 We lost 17-35
2019 Syracuse 85 Louisville 104 = -19 We lost 34-56
2020 Syracuse 76 Wake Forest 99 = -23 We lost 14-38
2021 Syracuse 79 Clemson 99 = -20 We lost 14-17
2021 Syracuse 65 North Carolina State 88 = -23 We lost 17-41