35% more offensive yards. 21st in the country in combined o and d ranking

[Millhouse]

wow

how can 470 yards per game only be good for 24th in the country?

this is no knock. i'm thrilled to be top 25 offense.

If you take each teams defense ranking in yards, add the offense ranking in yards, then sort them low to high, Syracuse is 21st in the country.

Stupid goofy special teams mistakes. Vegas thought we had a chance because yards is a great predictor. i wish this team could play a hundred games this season. the goofy stuff would go away.

 

[GoSU96]

and they (as in you) said it couldn't be done.

 

[Millhouse]

and they (as in you) said it couldn't be done.

i was right about running the ball at least.

they totally need to stop throwing to lemon.

i wish someone could measure balance. you need to get a lot of yards however provided can do it but once you get enough yards, it's better to be balanced. this offense is actually better than 21st i think.

 

[Chip]

and they (as in you) said it couldn't be done.

Well, let's be fair, you would have trended us to 372 yards and no more. If someone said we should be averaging 450 yards per offense, I imagine your response would have been along the lines of "you're nuts. This was a total rebuild."

We've exceeded expectations of optimism and pessimism. And I don't believe in isms. I just believe in myself.

 

[Millhouse]

another random stat

if they win out (big if), Marrone will have 8 wins half the time.

Pasqualoni had 8 wins exactly half the time.

it's just one cherry picked measure (more games, worse seasons in between) and one that requires 3 in a row but still

not a knock on P, it would just mean that the robinson years can just fade into being forgotten

 

[Millhouse]

good thread to revisit here from after the NW game

http://syracusefan.com/threads/poll-positive-or-negative.31009/

 

[anglerman]

Best 5-5 team in the country no doubt.

 

[billsin01]

Well, I was another of those that were -- at best -- very skeptical that we could suddenly turn this offense around. I'm happily dining on crow these days. I will never buy into the argument that it's the same offense, but it has clearly turned on a dime and gone from inconsistent at best to pretty damn productive seemingly overnight.

I also think the combined ranking highlights the nice job the defense has done, more or less, this year. Shafer deserves some criticism for some of the struggles the past couple weeks, but the reality in college football these days is that the spread offenses are simply tough to consistently shut down. I mean, 470 yards/game is 24th in the country. That truly is absurd.

What you need a defense to do is tackle as well as possible, try to avoid big plays, force some turnovers, get tough in the red zone and, above all else, be able to generate some negative plays. This defense always generates negative plays (19th nationally), which is huge. The tackling has to improve (40% allowed 3rd down conversions is a bit on the high side) and the turnovers, surprisingly, need to improve going forward.

Still, while 26 ppg (57th), 380 yds/game (50th), and 14 total turnovers aren't great numbers by any stretch, you can win with that kind of defense.
But, the struggles this season have been tied largely to specials: 112th in net punting, 103rd in punt returns, and a terribly shaky kicking game. That hurts.

 

[upperdeck]

does the faster pace create more yards or more chances for yards? Last year we had zero games with over 80 plays. This year 5 already and 3 more, (73,74,75) the UL game had we wanted probably could have ran more plays but shut it down early.

Last year 3 games of over 73 with 79 max.

Interesting in that our 3 games with the most plays we lost.

12 more plays a game.
the last three years 8-2 when we run 40+ times, 1-5 when we throw 40+ times. two of those losses were this year at the new pace.. but those games we also threw it 40+ times.

We have done it 6 times this year and only 4 times the prev 25 games.

the goal seems to be run it 40+ times and make sure you run more than you throw. 8-0 with that. 14-4 the last 3 years if we just run more than throw.. funny that sounds like old school football. control the ball and you win.

 

[Millhouse]

does the faster pace create more yards or more chances for yards? Last year we had zero games with over 80 plays. This year 5 already and 3 more, (73,74,75) the UL game had we wanted probably could have ran more plays but shut it down early.

Last year 3 games of over 73 with 79 max.

Interesting in that our 3 games with the most plays we lost.

12 more plays a game.
the last three years 8-2 when we run 40+ times, 1-5 when we throw 40+ times. two of those losses were this year at the new pace.. but those games we also threw it 40+ times.

We have done it 6 times this year and only 4 times the prev 25 games.

the goal seems to be run it 40+ times and make sure you run more than you throw. 8-0 with that. 14-4 the last 3 years if we just run more than throw.. funny that sounds like old school football. control the ball and you win.

i wonder if conditioning has a role in big plays. if our guys are more used to the pace, maybe the defense loses a relative step.

many more big plays on the ground, it seems.

obviously blocking and better thrown deep balls are huge too but pace has to have something to do with it

running more than throwing is often a result of winning. you run because you're winning.

 

[chakka3421]

I wonder how good we have been at first down yardage in our wins versus losses. Dont know that stat but my gut tells me we are getting more yards gained on first downs in the last 4ish games.

 

[Scooch]

Well, let's be fair, you would have trended us to 372 yards and no more. If someone said we should be averaging 450 yards per offense, I imagine your response would have been along the lines of "you're nuts. This was a total rebuild."

We've exceeded expectations of optimism and pessimism. And I don't believe in isms. I just believe in myself.

Yeah, folks can't have it both ways. Can't hurt one's arm patting one's self on one's back because one was a believer, when also previously shouting down anyone and everyone who complained by saying it was a rebuild and we were still in the hole from Robinson.

This being said, if we finish 5-7 no backs should be patted. Gotta get to a bowl. Gotta.

 

[billsin01]

i wonder if conditioning has a role in big plays. if our guys are more used to the pace, maybe the defense loses a relative step.

many more big plays on the ground, it seems.

obviously blocking and better thrown deep balls are huge too but pace has to have something to do with it

running more than throwing is often a result of winning. you run because you're winning.

A lot more running lanes -- probably some as a result of pace -- but I think generally the OL has made huge strides for whatever reason. I tried to point this out earlier when I said it's great that Nassib is putting up huge numbers in rating and yards, etc., but a lot of it has to do with the improved line play. Wasn't trying to criticize or diminish how great a senior campaign Nassib is having, so much as I was trying to point out that our improved OL has been a major factor in our turnaround (at least our BE turnaround not only in terms of record but yards and points, etc.).

 

[SmilinBob]

I agree bills...the oline has done a wonderful job and if they struggled Nassib would have been on his back more than a hooker at a frat party.