Anyone that watched the Spring Game

[SU2NASA]

Without having seen any of it, honest question - did any of you that went to the Spring Game come away thinking that the program is headed in the right direction? From everything I've read, it sounds like it was a debacle.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

Without having seen any of it, honest question - did any of you that went to the Spring Game come away thinking that the program is headed in the right direction? From everything I've read, it sounds like it was a debacle.

was a spring game that was vanilla as c an be. Whoever took away that we won't win more than 2 games or was a mess isn't that bright. We actually played more football than was lead on.

 

[SU2NASA]

was a spring game that was vanilla as c an be. Whoever took away that we won't win more than 2 games or was a mess isn't that bright. We actually played more football than was lead on.

I haven't heard anyone that said we'd win two games or less - but I have heard a lot of the team looked terrible. Hunt going 10-for-30 sure doesn't sound good, or even reasonable in any way.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

I haven't heard anyone that said we'd win two games or less - but I have heard a lot of the team looked terrible. Hunt going 10-for-30 sure doesn't sound good, or even reasonable in any way.

Yea I've been too a few spring games where was a lot worse like few years back was like 6-3, and we ended up having a decent season. D looked solid and offense is running nothing and the D has practiced against these tendencies all spring. Of course I would have like a TD or more but it's spring IMO it doesn't matter.

 

[orangechef]

So, if the masses thought we looked great in an inter-squad scrimmage, months before the season started, without the whole team present and running a watered down, vanilla offense, all would be great? I am confident that way too much optimism, or pessimism is justified under these conditions. Be patient, we will all know the truth by the end of September. There are no concrete truths in Early April!

 

[UnknownOrange]

If you're willing to put all your eggs in the spring game basket and that decides how the season will go... there's a bridge in Brooklyn i'd like to sell you.


Spring games are what they are, a practice 5 months before the first game. A lot can change +/- in 5 months.

Let's Go Orange!!!

 

[Shenexon]

Without having seen any of it, honest question - did any of you that went to the Spring Game come away thinking that the program is headed in the right direction? From everything I've read, it sounds like it was a debacle.

I came away thinking the coaches showed us very little, with snippets of talented kids thrown in to entice us. It was kind of a pep rally used to sell seats. The QB's all threw a few nice passes with many that weren't so nice and the RB's broke a few runs but the defense looked better than either. Nothing that happened on the field was very dazzling, but think it was intended that way so as to provide cover for what they've been up to. The QB's and receivers were the most interesting to me. Ishmael, Estime, T-Dunk, Enoicy, and others could make things a lot of fun in the fall but we didn't get much good insight into how the team will really be. If secrecy and counterintelligence are the direction we should head in, then yes, we're headed in the right direction. I still had a great time and enjoyed watching incredibly talented and sometimes huge kids play around a bit. My optimism is in full bloom and expect good things from the team.

 

[OrangeAl]

Without having seen any of it, honest question - did any of you that went to the Spring Game come away thinking that the program is headed in the right direction? From everything I've read, it sounds like it was a debacle.

Hail to the victors valiant

 

[Cuseregular]

I haven't heard anyone that said we'd win two games or less - but I have heard a lot of the team looked terrible. Hunt going 10-for-30 sure doesn't sound good, or even reasonable in any way.

I think its just more the general trend right now. No buzz at all for it, no score or game like conditions, coming off a sub par year, the Bud article, axes comments, the combination of which has left us with ZERO excitement, add in the post NCAA haze hangover thing, etc. etc. So no brainer this is the vibe right now.

The good news is that its about to be the feeling of a new year in terms of the end of the current academic year, weathers moving along in a good direction and with a new crop of kids coming in, summer, etc. it will feel like a new leaf can be turned and may very well happen. I'm not gonna get giddy or go too far with orange colored glasses too much, but will hope for the trend to reverse and we can be pleasantly surprised that this in his crucial year Shafer can improve the football fortunes up there.

 

[RMH44]

I haven't heard anyone that said we'd win two games or less - but I have heard a lot of the team looked terrible. Hunt going 10-for-30 sure doesn't sound good, or even reasonable in any way.

Soooo...how do the Wolverines look?

 

[SU68]

I don't believe that there is a P5 coach in the nation that WANTS to play a spring game. They spend their practices doing everything possible to avoid injuries and then go into a PR event where the fans want to see bodies smashing against each other.

I think this is the first spring game in several years that ended with few, if any, injuries. Go OrangeMEN!

 

[hoopsupstate]

My quick observations were:
Offensive line looked poor. I didn't see anything that appeared to think this unit was better than last years. They could not run the ball. QB's are average at best. Hunt shows leadership, but I still don't have faith that he can make the perfect pass when he will have to make one.

Defensive line looked good. Some new faces to go along with what's coming back looked pretty good. I thought the linebackers looked pretty quick and some of the DB's hit pretty well.

Running backs looked average at best. I'm not counting Phillips as a running back. He looked really quick. I hope Strickland is the real goods because we're going to need him. Several drops at wide receiver by guys who should be catching the ball.

They didn't show much, which is what they intended. This coaching staff did nothing to excite the fan base for next year. When will college football coaches realize that they aren't going to trick anyone anymore. This secrecy thing is rediculous and all it does is turn the fan base off or people just don't even realize the football program is doing anything. If they think they are going to be able to excite this town with some promos a couple of weeks before the season starts, they obviously don't get it.

I still don't see a player on this team that excites me that would make me want to go to a game. I'm a season ticket holder and I'm not excited. They still haven't given me a reason. If they get a commit from Washington, that will bring some excitement to SU football. Give him 44 and everyone will take notice.

 

[Shenexon]

I think its just more the general trend right now. No buzz at all for it, no score or game like conditions, coming off a sub par year, the Bud article, axes comments, the combination of which has left us with ZERO excitement, add in the post NCAA haze hangover thing, etc. etc. So no brainer this is the vibe right now.

The good news is that its about to be the feeling of a new year in terms of the end of the current academic year, weathers moving along in a good direction and with a new crop of kids coming in, summer, etc. it will feel like a new leaf can be turned and may very well happen. I'm not gonna get giddy or go too far with orange colored glasses too much, but will hope for the trend to reverse and we can be pleasantly surprised that this in his crucial year Shafer can improve the football fortunes up there.

I have to hope for and promote a karmatic convergence in the football program this year. I'm going to be in CNY this summer & fall, but otherwise my future location is less certain. As I once said to my boss's boss: "the time is now".

 

[TheCusian]

Without having seen any of it, honest question - did any of you that went to the Spring Game come away thinking that the program is headed in the right direction? From everything I've read, it sounds like it was a debacle.

Anyone who walks away from any spring game thinking anything (outside of how much a guy might change physically) concrete is nuts.

I did notice that our base offense is not the bubble screen. And that is a positive. Lots of shots down the field = good.

 

[TheCusian]

I think its just more the general trend right now. No buzz at all for it, no score or game like conditions, coming off a sub par year, the Bud article, axes comments, the combination of which has left us with ZERO excitement, add in the post NCAA haze hangover thing, etc. etc. So no brainer this is the vibe right now. The good news is that its about to be the feeling of a new year in terms of the end of the current academic year, weathers moving along in a good direction and with a new crop of kids coming in, summer, etc. it will feel like a new leaf can be turned and may very well happen. I'm not gonna get giddy or go too far with orange colored glasses too much, but will hope for the trend to reverse and we can be pleasantly surprised that this in his crucial year Shafer can improve the football fortunes up there.

Don't forget a possible 4-5 star RB spurning Alabama for us and the potential return of #44.

That's a buzz bombshell.

 

[TheCusian]

My quick observations were: Offensive line looked poor. I didn't see anything that appeared to think this unit was better than last years. They could not run the ball. QB's are average at best. Hunt shows leadership, but I still don't have faith that he can make the perfect pass when he will have to make one. Defensive line looked good. Some new faces to go along with what's coming back looked pretty good. I thought the linebackers looked pretty quick and some of the DB's hit pretty well. Running backs looked average at best. I'm not counting Phillips as a running back. He looked really quick. I hope Strickland is the real goods because we're going to need him. Several drops at wide receiver by guys who should be catching the ball. They didn't show much, which is what they intended. This coaching staff did nothing to excite the fan base for next year. When will college football coaches realize that they aren't going to trick anyone anymore. This secrecy thing is rediculous and all it does is turn the fan base off or people just don't even realize the football program is doing anything. If they think they are going to be able to excite this town with some promos a couple of weeks before the season starts, they obviously don't get it. I still don't see a player on this team that excites me that would make me want to go to a game. I'm a season ticket holder and I'm not excited. They still haven't given me a reason. If they get a commit from Washington, that will bring some excitement to SU football. Give him 44 and everyone will take notice.

No offense - but if you have ESPN3 you have this tape. If they ran stuff in game situations that they hope to keep hidden - they'd be morons.

 

[007]

No offense - but if you have ESPN3 you have this tape. If they ran stuff in game situations that they hope to keep hidden - they'd be morons.

In general, I think people are missing the point of what, exactly, the staff (most staffs actually) is trying to keep "hidden." Since the rules for Spring football were changed in 1998 to limit contact and practice time to 15 in 34 days, the emphasis is on teaching, technique, fundamentals, installation of schemes (new or not), and not getting hurt. The goal for the HC from the Spring is to identify "who can I win with" and "what kinds of plays can we actually execute this year with the players we have."

The offense is "new" not in the sense that we are going to run secret formations, special plays, and different passing trees. It's all been seen before; there will be no great new revelations. That's not what they are trying to hide. It's more about not providing tape on how successful, or not, the players we have will be at running those "new" schemes.

 

[rosconey]

what stood out the most to me- zero talent on offense other than ishmeal -

running backs look weak and small with no real burst- tall recievers who couldnt catch a cold in december at a preschool if they shared sippy cups with the kids-
oline that has as much push as a tonka truck run by a 3 year old-

i know it was a glorified no game- but it looked like the same ole worthless offense we have been tortured with for a decade

i just cant wrap my mind around the idea that it will get better after watching such a lack of real talent

 

[RMH44]

what stood out the most to me- zero talent on offense other than ishmeal -

running backs look weak and small with no real burst- tall recievers who couldnt catch a cold in december at a preschool if they shared sippy cups with the kids-
oline that has as much push as a tonka truck run by a 3 year old-

i know it was a glorified no game- but it looked like the same ole worthless offense we have been tortured with for a decade

i just cant wrap my mind around the idea that it will get better after watching such a lack of real talent

Wow...lack of talent? If you couldn't see potential in Custis, Anoicy and Estime on offense and Thompson, Slayton, Bennett and Samuels on defense then maybe you should stick to raking leaves this fall.

 

[orangepassion]

I felt better after last year's game. I remember Kimble and Wilson looked great

 

[SU2NASA]

Soooo...how do the Wolverines look?

Didn't see it either, but my sister's family went to it and said there was close to 70,000 there. I guess they did a draft of the players and played an actual game. The only takeaway I heard is that the QBs didn't look so hot.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Spring games are tough to read. I thought our D looked good, which I expected, and some watched the exact same thing and would rather discredit the O vs praise the defense. All depends on the mindset you take in if you're looking for positives or negatives.

I think the qb's tried to push the ball down the field much more than they will in actual games. I expect more 5-10 check downs when making the smart play is beneficial vs going for entertainment value. The QB's were also not running which they will in game conditions vs chucking into coverage to see what happens. There's value to them taking those shots now when there isn't a huge negative to the play going sideways. They can take that into the IPF for the next few months with the lessons learned and work on it. I also think the qb's were spreading the ball to get guys reps and at the same time you saw some guys that might be the go to guys and get more than 4 targets a game. Those are the tendencies you don't want opponents to know going into the season but if you look hard enough, and you know our roster, you can probably makea fair guess based on the Spring game.

 

[MSOrange]

Didn't see it either, but my sister's family went to it and said there was close to 70,000 there. I guess they did a draft of the players and played an actual game. The only takeaway I heard is that the QBs didn't look so hot.

It was a classy thing to do but I am just shocked Ferentz let Rudock transfer to Michigan with no restrictions. He probably did it because Iowa doesn't play Michigan this year. Rudock isn't spectacular but I have a feeling he wins that starting job pretty easily this year and gets the Harbaugh era off to a better start than it would have otherwise.

 

[rosconey]

Wow...lack of talent? If you couldn't see potential in Custis, Anoicy and Estime on offense and Thompson, Slayton, Bennett and Samuels on defense then maybe you should stick to raking leaves this fall.

can you read what i wrote? i said offense didnt mention defense-

potential is for losers - i want players

 

[DoubleDee]

My opinion is that this spring game whether good or bad, was SIMILAR to any other. They all blow.

And there's no place I'd have rather been.

Go Orange