A most difficult season since his departure

[CNY in Miami]

first post in probably two years, read daily to keep up but not in to posting very often.

One very positive with being in the ACC is Cuse fans in Miami get to watch most of the games. The first game against Central Connecticut showed absolutely nothing and actually thought it was a contributing factor in our horrible loss to MTS. I see no value in playing a team with dramatically inferior talent, fans don’t like and a team is not going to improve against a team like this.

Then we get to the meat of the season and it looks like we have a team, played tough against big time competition, was at the Miami game and we did not look like a team that would be obliterated the last third of the season, I did think we could win all of these games, very disappointing. Looking at Paul Pasqualoni on the sidelines made me think that Syracuse is being punished for firing a good man and a great coach, we have not been the same since his departure.

I do believe Dino is going to bring SU back to prominence but have to say the journey for diehard fans of the Cuse is starting to get old, getting blown out by BC and WF is embarrassing, god forbid if we ever played Alabama.

Next August will come and I will look at the schedule through my rose colored glasses and anticipate 8 or 9 wins a a trip to a good bowl game. Hopefully next year is the start of many good years to balance out the last 15.

 

[OrangeAl]

It's curious that we beat Clemson and played very competitively with Miami and Florida State, then became inept vs. Wake, Louisville, and BC. Almost like we suffered a disease or were exposed to kryptonite. Very curious, indeed. I'd love to hear a real insider's explanation, because there has to be one.

 

[UnknownOrange]

You don’t want us playing CCSU? K give us Bama then

 

[TheCusian]

It's curious that we beat Clemson and played very competitively with Miami and Florida State, then became inept vs. Wake, Louisville, and BC. Almost like we suffered a disease or were exposed to kryptonite. Very curious, indeed. I'd love to hear a real insider's explanation, because there has to be one.

We lost our QB

 

[McNabb2Brominski]

We lost our QB

This and also the team leader who was the straw that stirred the drink. The equivalent of GReen Bay losing Rodgers.

 

[AlaskaSU]

We lost our QB

It was just a matter of time. Can't scheme to have your QB be the leading rusher and expect him to survive. Need a better backfield and O line.

 

[shu 49]

Ummm we need a defense. They need to come down hill and kick peoples butt, play a little more press with faster corners and need safeties that have the height , range, and speed while also being able to tackle with proper pursuit angles. I personally could care less what our offense does as long as we have a stout defense we could win. People say offense brings people to the dome and that's a croc. We need to win and that's starts with our defense period. I gave our defense some props until WF game. If I hear one more excuse about the defensive calls in that game I'm gonna cry. Terribly called game and as great as our backers and ends played most of the year why in the heck did not one person think on short yardage that the qb might keep the ball. That's on defensive coaches the first 2 x it happened and then after that it was on the players cause everyone in the stadium is screaming qb keep, even the lady next to me with her 3 kids is saying it and if she knows, how don't our players go umm maybe I will keep an eye on qb. No one was within 5 yds of him the last 2 or 3 times he did it. I hate homers that leave early but after that I was gone. Dumbest thing I had seen all year. Still bothers me to no end cause I'm no brain scientist ok. I could go on and on. I do know that I agree with Bcubs about a fast and physicall defense that takes chances can't be any worse than this one. Utterly depressing that any coach can choose a defense that is bend but don't break. Umm we have been breaking for two years. I think coach is the guy but I am not reupping my tickets until I see otherwise. I buy 6 every year and didn't bother going last game cause I knew the outcome. I hate saying that by the way. I love Su and only want the best for them. Defense will turn this thing around If we care about it as much as our offense. Let's frickin go and get some defensive help already.

 

[bcubs9497]

We lost our QB

It was BC. And Culpepper was decent, if not spectacular.

 

[TheCusian]

It was BC. And Culpepper was decent, if not spectacular.

He was ok.

Look - games with ED vs games without over the past 3 seasons. 1 win vs a BC team that had like 3 completions in Shafer’s last game.

When he’s not out there the team looks and plays like a team that’s given up.

 

[AZOrange]

Whoa a Paul Pasqualoni post? Solid!

 

[Trueblue25]

It was BC. And Culpepper was decent, if not spectacular.

Bingo.

 

[orangecuse]

It was BC. And Culpepper was decent, if not spectacular.

Indeed. It's a bs excuse for our embarrassing display the last 2 weeks plus. BC lost Brown in their game a couple weeks back against NCST. They still found a way to win their last two games with their backup QB, and they didn't use it as a bogus whoa is me excuse for our D to look like some Pop Warner team that never heard of the zone read, or that a TE actually can catch the ball at the P5 level.

 

[JrodCuse]

Indeed. It's a bs excuse for our embarrassing display the last 2 weeks plus. BC lost Brown in their game a couple weeks back against NCST. They still found a way to win their last two games with their backup QB, and they didn't use it as a bogus whoa is me excuse for our D to look like some Pop Warner team that never heard of the zone read, or that a TE actually can catch the ball at the P5 level.

They have a stud RB. Our stud RB is our frickin QB. Main issue numero uno. When you lose your best passer AND rusher in one fell swoop, problems await on the horizon.

 

[orangecuse]

They have a stud RB. Our stud RB is our frickin QB. Main issue numero uno. When you lose your best passer AND rusher in one fell swoop, problems await on the horizon.

Uh huh. Our Superman QB, RB, all everything doesn't play a wink of D, though I presume he does spiritually if you believe in blind faith. Wake outscored us 40-5 in the 2nd half, UL scored on their second play from scrimmage in route to routing us on national tv. BC, as you allude to, ran all over us with their back, early and often, etc., etc. If only our Superman Dungey could've been on the sidelines to cheer/inspire on our D, oh wait, he was.

 

[721Comstock]

Uh huh. Our Superman QB, RB, all everything doesn't play a wink of D, though I presume he does spiritually if you believe in blind faith. Wake outscored us 40-5 in the 2nd half, UL scored on their second play from scrimmage in route to routing us on national tv. BC, as you allude to, ran all over us with their back, early and often, etc., etc. If only our Superman Dungey could've been on the sidelines to cheer/inspire on our D, oh wait, he was.

Offense and Defense do not play the game in a vacuum.

The less effective the O is, the more pressure put onto the D to face more drives against them, have more plays run against them, which increases the odds that the opponent breaks something and scores -
which is what happened early and often, starting in the 2nd half against Wake Forest.

You think it's just a coincidence that once our O lost effectiveness (primarily due to Dungey being in street clothes), that all of a sudden the D really started to suck too??

 

[orangecuse]

Offense and Defense do not play the game in a vacuum.

The less effective the O is, the more pressure put onto the D to face more drives against them, have more plays run against them, which increases the odds that the opponent breaks something and scores -
which is what happened early and often, starting in the 2nd half against Wake Forest.

You think it's just a coincidence that once our O lost effectiveness (primarily due to Dungey being in street clothes), that all of a sudden the D really started to suck too??

I grasp that the less effective the O, it places more pressure on the D, etc. Please explain to be how this pressure was related to UL scoring on its 2nd possession of the game, and repeatedly so early in the game, before our D was worn down, tired, etc. BC took their opening possession and again punched our D in the mouth from the get go with a TD and setting the tone. Instead of our D rising to the occasion, they did the complete opposite. Our D certainly appeared to have played those games in a vacuum as the degree of SUCtion was Rainbow-esque.

 

[OrangeAl]

We lost our QB

So our defense responded by going back to high school?

 

[tipphill]

first post in probably two years, read daily to keep up but not in to posting very often.

One very positive with being in the ACC is Cuse fans in Miami get to watch most of the games. The first game against Central Connecticut showed absolutely nothing and actually thought it was a contributing factor in our horrible loss to MTS. I see no value in playing a team with dramatically inferior talent, fans don’t like and a team is not going to improve against a team like this.

Then we get to the meat of the season and it looks like we have a team, played tough against big time competition, was at the Miami game and we did not look like a team that would be obliterated the last third of the season, I did think we could win all of these games, very disappointing. Looking at Paul Pasqualoni on the sidelines made me think that Syracuse is being punished for firing a good man and a great coach, we have not been the same since his departure.

I do believe Dino is going to bring SU back to prominence but have to say the journey for diehard fans of the Cuse is starting to get old, getting blown out by BC and WF is embarrassing, god forbid if we ever played Alabama.

Next August will come and I will look at the schedule through my rose colored glasses and anticipate 8 or 9 wins a a trip to a good bowl game. Hopefully next year is the start of many good years to balance out the last 15.

my seats are in 117 row m behind the visitors bench and saw pp . i felt sad. i did not think he was a great coach but very good. i really liked him. could see him clearly working with players. he was also a victim of su not keeping up with arms race.

 

[dollarbill44]

You guys don't read the other threads on here? There are plenty of threads discussing how banged up our defensive playmakers were the last couple of games. The defense didn't have the depth it needed. Babers discussed it as well. When your starters lose a half step or the full use of an arm due to minor injuries, they can't play up to their normal abilities. Franklin and Bennett are prime examples of this. They were clearly slower against BC than against Miami.
We can debate the ways to establish depth throughout the season, but that's a different topic and not what is being discussed in this thread.