1/3 thru observations

[chakka3421]

Also, the number of big plays seems to be skyrocketing. Multiple 30+ yard plays and touchdowns. With those two huge plays against Wake, when was the last time we had two 50+ yard touchdowns in one game?

This! One of the keys to keeping the opposing defenses honest is that we now have 2 QBs who have proven they can deliver the long accurate strike. ED being #1 and now ZM being #2 as backup in my opinion. I don't know if Hunt was going to be better this year but last year our QBs did not scare any opposing D as we were so one dimensional and inneffective.

By keeping the playbook simple, I was hoping that Lester's play calling would compliment the simplicity of our new offense. It's quite obvious to me the kids on offense know the play and their assignments. Our WR route running is getting so much better and a huge impact is our WR blocking is so much better this year.

I cannot wait until we have ED for one whole game lighting it up where we become so effective on both the run game and pass game against a conference opponent where we finally put some fear and confusion back into the game on the opposing defense. Until then, I don't think we have yet seen how good we can be on offense.

Go Orange!

 

[Ozcuse]

Are we still turning the corner? I thought we turned the corner when we beat WVa at their place to go 6-2? Or when we blew out WVa on that Friday night in the dome? Or Texas Bowl? Or Pinstripe Bowl? We can't still be turning the corner guys.

You turn four corners and you're back where you started.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

You turn four corners and you're back where you started.

2 wrongs don't make a right, but 3 rights make a left.

 

[RMH44]

This! One of the keys to keeping the opposing defenses honest is that we now have 2 QBs who have proven they can deliver the long accurate strike. ED being #1 and now ZM being #2 as backup in my opinion. I don't know if Hunt was going to be better this year but last year our QBs did not scare any opposing D as we were so one dimensional and inneffective.

By keeping the playbook simple, I was hoping that Lester's play calling would compliment the simplicity of our new offense. It's quite obvious to me the kids on offense know the play and their assignments. Our WR route running is getting so much better and a huge impact is our WR blocking is so much better this year.

I cannot wait until we have ED for one whole game lighting it up where we become so effective on both the run game and pass game against a conference opponent where we finally put some fear and confusion back into the game on the opposing defense. Until then, I don't think we have yet seen how good we can be on offense.

Go Orange!

Your entire second paragraph describes McF***it's primary responsibilities from last year. Not only was he a disaster at OC, it looks like he also an average WR's coach. We're so much better without him.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Your entire second paragraph describes McF***it's primary responsibilities from last year. Not only was he a disaster at OC, it looks like he also an average WR's coach. We're so much better without him.

Good recruiters tend to be promoted over their level of coaching acumen, the list is endless of guys like this. At the end of the day, Syracuse can't get away with a great recruiter who can't coach especially at the OC spot, will never work.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Receiving TD's
2. Estime
2. Phillips
2. Strickland
1. Ish
1. Lewis
1. Custis

Rushing TD's
2. Fredericks
1. Dungey
1. Strickland

http://cuse.com/cumestats.aspx?path=football&year=2015&

All of our rushing TDs are by true freshmen.

...

That's incredible.

 

[TheCusian]

All of our rushing TDs are by true freshmen. ... That's incredible.

If Strickland scores another TD in the woods does anyone hear it? Quietly off to a very good start.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If Strickland scores another TD in the woods does anyone hear it? Quietly off to a very good start.

3 TDs in just 10 touches.

 

[SWC75]

My one concern with this team at this point is the secondary. It's kind of like the Met's bullpen: everywhere else we're in good to great shape but that can still lose games for us.

 

[SWC75]

The short side option is used, of course, for a simple reason - there are fewer defenders on that side of the field.

So, I have never had a problem with it.

Fast defenders are always a problem no matter what offense you run.

Misdirection can slow a fast defender down a bit. And the express back motion allows for that I think.

I have really enjoyed watching this offense - the option adds a lot and as Shafer mentioned in a recent press conference, it can be a real headache for DCs

You can't block the sideline.

I don't mind the option as one part of your offense, when you've got the opponent thinking of everything else. I don't like it as 80% off the offense, used to draw the opposition to on side of the field so you can occassionally try to burn them the other way.

 

[RF2044]

My one concern with this team at this point is the secondary. It's kind of like the Met's bullpen: everywhere else we're in good to great shape but that can still lose games for us.

And I'll refine that even further, to suggest that my main concern is with CB, not specifically safety -- where I believe that Cordy / Williams have risen to the occasion.

Winfield's emergence at CB has been a positive [and needed] development. I'm a little disappointed in Morgan, very disappointed in Whigham.

CB and OL were the two "weak" positional units, and it looks like the recent change shifting Emerich to C and Trudo to RG has shorn up OL deficiencies. We need to find a way to continue improving at CB throughout the season.

 

[upperdeck]

so many moving parts in 4 games when we get done with Pitt we can decide if the offense is trending.

we lose the qb, then the Te, then the dynamic hybrid, then the center, then the next qb, then the best WR, then the next TE last week.

we spent a complete game just trying to get a QB some confidence, then turn around and have to do it again. we are not deep enough to handle everything like that yet we are 30 secs away from scoring 30 pts 4 times in a row. so something is working.

win or lose the offense needs to show close to 30 the next 2 games , if that happens the pitt game can be won on either side of the ball and when is the last time we said that.

 

[Chip]

Obviously the offense is very encouraging. Pretty amazing Saturday that a walk on is out there throwing 3 TDs against LSU. And we had some long, sustained drives. Sure, penalties helped, but when you interfere with a wide receiver or tackle a QB out of bounds, what can you do, decline the penalty?

The one thing I still think we need to be cautious with is this. It's still going to be a true freshman QB. Teams are going to get more film on what he can do, on what we do. Defensive staffs who are good at figuring this stuff out. So there will likely be some growing pain performances on offense to come.

The future is what has me most excited.

By the way, I saw Dungey at Dinosaur after the game walking past my table. Shook his hand, told him I hoped he was ok. He's a nice kid, easy to root for. I think he appreciated being recognized, even though I felt like a weirdo stalker. So I kept it short.

 

[All4SU]

There's just no way to know how Syracuse would have played with Dungey in there. We all presume SQ would've performed better. But anytime you're playing a freshman you open the door for wildly inconsistent performances. There are a lot of good things to take away from that game win or lose.

 

[Bayside44]

Obviously the offense is very encouraging. Pretty amazing Saturday that a walk on is out there throwing 3 TDs against LSU. And we had some long, sustained drives. Sure, penalties helped, but when you interfere with a wide receiver or tackle a QB out of bounds, what can you do, decline the penalty?

The one thing I still think we need to be cautious with is this. It's still going to be a true freshman QB. Teams are going to get more film on what he can do, on what we do. Defensive staffs who are good at figuring this stuff out. So there will likely be some growing pain performances on offense to come.

The future is what has me most excited.

By the way, I saw Dungey at Dinosaur after the game walking past my table. Shook his hand, told him I hoped he was ok. He's a nice kid, easy to root for. I think he appreciated being recognized, even though I felt like a weirdo stalker. So I kept it short.

Did you ask him if he prefers blue pants for the uni?

 

[Chip]

Did you ask him if he prefers blue pants for the uni?

I was very self aware of the creep factor. So, no. Wished him good luck, and went back to gorging myself on ribs and Labatt Blue.

Then met up with Jake and kicked the beer consumption into 2nd gear. Ultimately landing at a bar with a few more board members, cuseguy, Barney, Lincoln Cuse, Jeremy. The last things I remember were that Lincoln's father-in-law is Lou Holtz, and sending horribly inappropriate texts to DCCuse that I hope his wife wasn't reading.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Tough to really get a handle on just how improved things really are.

By the eye test the offense is "better". They already have three more passing TD's than all of last year. 7th in TD% per attempt. That is really good. One thing apparent is that Lester is better organized and has a much better sense of what he wants to do. Through 4 games compared to last year the offensive stats are better in everything except for passing yds per game and completion percentage, which could be explained by the low number of attempts per game and the fact that the passing scheme is more vertical. In the redzone they have been much better

The run defense and overall play of the front seven has been impressive. In terms of big plays the defense has been better in sacks, TFL's, turnovers, and scoring plays. Hopefully the pass defense numbers are skewed a little by the fact that Wake and CMU are by far the two pass heaviest teams on the schedule. At the same time they are also 108th and 126th in rushing out of 127 teams, so that might cut the other way.

However when you take out the FCS game last year the average score was 28-14, this year 28-26 with all three games being at home vs all away from the dome last year. That is concerning.
n.

I think the team is definitely trending up, and I know the defense has been our backbone, but I still see stretches in games where we just can't tackle people. We have some playmakers in the front 7, that's for sure, but we also have some young guys, and we don't have a ton of size at LB and S. We have to pray there are no injuries in the front seven, like we've had the past couple years. Knock wood.

On offense, I think we are also trending in the right direction. The biggest things are (a) that we are making far fewer mistakes (TO's, penalties, delay of game, offsides), and (b) we are using the length of the field better, throwing deeper routes, throwing to the tight end, and keeping things simple enough for our young QBs to make plays.

I am cautiously optimistic. I think the key to the season is in the next 2 games. Win at USF, and we are probably going Bowling. Win again at Virginia, and we could be looking at an 8 win type of season.

 

[K Otto XLIV]

There are still a lot of questions:

- what to make of our running game? Is it as good as 2013?

- what to make of our passing game? We have hit a lot of HRs. That is great. But can we hit singles when we need to?

- what to make of our run D? They looked great vs Rhode Island and Wake. CMU not so much. LSU had a lot to do with LSU more than us.

- what to make our our pass D? We have gotten better as the year has gone on both of Bullough's 1st two seasons. That gives me hope.

- what to make of our K? He has missed 2 FGs already. Hopefully that won't be a trend.

By the end of game 4 usually you can get a read on a team. This team is still hard to figure out. I can see anywhere from 4 to 8 wins.

 

[SoBristol]

Lots of reasons to be optimistic. Big factor -- over this bye week, we get two key players back, and are otherwise pretty healthy. We started the year on defense with several guys who had never started or who had limited experience (Cordy, Williams, Bennett, Slayton, Samuels, Clark -- now they have experience. We are getting our share of tackles for a loss -- a hugh factor. Specials gave up a big return to LSU, but otherwise have been an upgrade.

How good is Dungey? How good are the RBs? Can the secondary improve? We don't really know. But we are where we hoped to be (3-1 entering the bye, and healthy), with a chance to stay relevant. A good chance.

 

[SWC75]

I just look at a line up of Dungey at QB, Fredericks at RB, Phillips at HB, Estime on the flank with Ismael across the field and I start salivating. They aren't the only guys we've got by any means but that would be a very explosive line-up.

 

[kirbivore]

I thought your post is just a little too pessimistic, but time will tell. I am thinking this is a GREAT timing for a bye week. Get healed and healthy and then come out and punch USF in the mouth to get to 4-1.

That's the agenda shining through

 

[CuseOnly]

Agree on Louisville, they have very young qb and receivers but they will torch our secondary. USF, Pitt, UVA, BC and 1 more upset. I will say that there are no guaranteed victories but the only game I just cant see winning even on our best day is FSU. Clemson will take a HUGE effort but it certainly could happen

They have a young QB who will hear footsteps early and have DE's and tackles dropping into coverage that he won't be expecting. Our defense is not easy to read for young QB's and always has QB's in general wondering when they are gonna get blasted.

Just ask the 2 veteran QB's we played with WF and CMU.