Back from East Hartford

[OrangePA]

A few thoughts.

I hate the game atmosphere at Rentschler. They actually have a DJ who is put on the videoboard while screaming at the crowd on third down and playing constant hip hop while the opponent is at the line of scrimmage. They also have a sideline reporter who is constantly on the video giving us needless information. Just an awful college football experience.

I have no problem with our offensive playcalling - I thought that it was brilliant at times e.g. the fake reverse pass TD to Provo.

There are obvious talent issues - we can't KO into the endzone and can't punt. UConn started with the ball in the second half on the forty or forty five yard line - we didn't.

I like our offense but we do not have home run hitters - we need to drive the ball - our margin for error is simply too fine - we have to run too many plays to score and that allows the opponent to take chances and gives us too many chances to make mistakes. Ryan had some great moments today, but his limitations - he does throw a particularly easy ball to catch and can be slow in releasing the ball - hurt.

I think Bailey fumbled again? I'm forgetting but I think I'm right. I love him but am really frustrated with the fumbles - an every down back can't fumble. Maybe he is a third down back. I guess we need help at RB.

As Bees noted, we simply do not tackle well - we tackle to high and allow too many runners to break away two and three times. The tackling from year one to year three has become a problem - very frustrating to watch.

The FG miss at the end of the first half is ultimately the difference in the game. Last year RK made that kick.

DeLeone did what he has been able to do for years - establish the run. He had the Orange defense on its heels the entire second half. Being able to run the ball covered up a pretty horrible Johnny McEntee - as bad a QB as I have seen in years. I guess what we saw in the second half was a spread option - and the defense simply could not stop it. It was painful to watch.

It was a bitter experience - a very hard loss to swallow.

I am convinced however that we are headed in the right direction and have a very good coaching staff. We need some better players and more experience on defense. Give me a punter, a KO guy, a Mike Williams - an RB who can hold on to the ball and take it the distance, and eventually a QB who can make plays with his feet.

Lets beat So. Florida and get a bowl bid.

 

[rrlbees]

A few thoughts.

There are obvious talent issues - we can't KO into the endzone and can't punt. UConn started with the ball in the second half on the forty or forty five yard line - we didn't.

We have more talent than UConn.

Last week Ross kicked twice into the end zone. I was amazed as it wasn't something he had been doing and usually kicked to the 4-8 yard line. He shouldn't have been kicking today. That wasn't Ross out there today and I just hope we didn't make things so much worse that we lose him for an extended period of time.

 

[kcsu]

Alsemo said that Ross was our best kicker that is why he kept him in the game. Wow is all i can say. Kid was hurting had Zero punch on the ball and didnt follow through on one swing. Why the heck would they keep him in the game. Also we have been switching punters all year. Why stop this game when Fisher was so off? I have an answer. Poor in game coaching. The O staff on this team is very weak in game. Im sure they are great coaches but when it comes to having a feel for the game they are lost.

 

[rrlbees]

didnt follow through on one swing.

Good eyes. He wasn't following through and lifting his leg much at all. Just kind of punching the ball.

 

[OrangePA]

We have more talent than UConn.

Last week Ross kicked twice into the end zone. I was amazed as it wasn't something he had been doing and usually kicked to the 4-8 yard line. He shouldn't have been kicking today. That wasn't Ross out there today and I just hope we didn't make things so much worse that we lose him for an extended period of time.

Ross cannot KO effectively. I suspect that last week was wind-aided.

We give away field position on nearly every KO. We have all year. If we have Pat O'Neill today, we win the game.

 

[rrlbees]

Ross cannot KO effectively. I suspect that last week was wind-aided.

We give away field position on nearly every KO. We have all year. If we have Pat O'Neill today, we win the game.

The Pat O'Neill's are few and far between. Ross isn't a great KO guy, but is far better than today. Last week he had 1 into the wind and 1 with the wind that went into the endzone. The tackling is what makes things so much worse.

 

[GoCuse44]

I will be thrilled if this team can win one more game and return to the Pinstripe Bowl.

I also just got back from The Rent and going there makes me appreciate the Carrier Dome even more. I can't stand the atmosphere, concession prices ($8 for a burger) , and the non-stop ranting of the DJ on third down.

It was a really disappointing day and I honestly think it was the worse loss in the Marrone era. Today the football program took a major step backwards and losing to a less talented UConn team is simply unacceptable.

After the first half performance by Nassib I we know for sure that Kinder and Loeb will never take a snap under center at SU. It's a shame that we don't have a back-up QB that could come into the game and change things up like the UConn back-up QB did.

I believe the program needs a dual threat QB under center who can create a play when the pocket collapses or the receivers are cover. I'm hoping Hunt can get some snaps next season so we can see if he is the dual threat QB of the future.

It kills me to say it but George DeLeone did one hell of a job making adjustments at halftime and he completely outcoached Shafer in the second half.

My other request is that AD Gross can find some extra money in the budget for a special teams coach because the kickoffs out of bounds, poor kickoff coverage, and inability to come close to a punt block is driving me crazy. Someone give Chris Rippon a call in the offseason to see if he will come back to the Cuse.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We give away field position on nearly every KO. We have all year.

We also give away field position on punts.

It's almost like it might not be the best thing for us to try to play for field position.

 

[orangepassion]

Our Special teams have been an embarassment for almost 3 years. How many times have we conceded that we can't tackle and just concede the 40-yard line by kicking out of bounce? I've never seen anything like it.

 

[OrangePA]

The Pat O'Neill's are few and far between. Ross isn't a great KO guy, but is far better than today. Last week he had 1 into the wind and 1 with the wind that went into the endzone. The tackling is what makes things so much worse.

Yes, we will likely not see another O'Neill, but RK is not even close and never will be.

We have upgraded talent the last three years, but we have a ways to go.

 

[rrlbees]

Yes, we will likely not see another O'Neill, but RK is not even close and never will be.

We have upgraded talent the last three years, but we have a ways to go.

We have enough right now to be able to beat rutgers, Lville, UConn and next week USF. We are now 0-3 vs. our talent peers. Let's hope it is 1-3 next Friday night.

 

[kingottoiii]

When does the right direction get redefined? After GRob going in the right direction meant going from a 3 W team to a 6 W team. But at some point after you get to that 6 W benchmark, the right direction should be redefined to a 9 W level. I do not think we are heading in that direction right now at all. Marrone has done a good job getting us to the 6 W mark. So when do we start evaluating "heading in the right direction" as heading toward a 9 W program? And stop pointing to the fact that we are no longer at the 3 W mark? Does that start next year? I think it should. At the worst it should start by the time we enter the ACC in 2014.

Right now I think we are leveling off at the 6 W mark. And that is fine. Give Marrone credit for getting us there. But IMO we aren't heading in any direction.

 

[Avatusstone28]

Ross cannot KO effectively. I suspect that last week was wind-aided.

We give away field position on nearly every KO. We have all year. If we have Pat O'Neill today, we win the game.

Lord, I miss Pat O'Neill!!!

 

[44cuse]

When does the right direction get redefined? After GRob going in the right direction meant going from a 3 W team to a 6 W team. But at some point after you get to that 6 W benchmark, the right direction should be redefined to a 9 W level. I do not think we are heading in that direction right now at all. Marrone has done a good job getting us to the 6 W mark. So when do we start evaluating "heading in the right direction" as heading toward a 9 W program? And stop pointing to the fact that we are no longer at the 3 W mark? Does that start next year? I think it should. At the worst it should start by the time we enter the ACC in 2014.

Right now I think we are leveling off at the 6 W mark. And that is fine. Give Marrone credit for getting us there. But IMO we aren't heading in any direction.

Dead on. That's a part of the reason this recruiting season is a big year. The 9 win plateau does not seem like the direction we are heading. You can see things going in that direction through leading indicators like recruiting and consistency (on the positive trend).

2012 is a big big year for this program. I had us at 6 wins this year so to me this feels expected.

44cuse

 

[OrangeZone]

Ross was kicking yesterday with a groin injury which points to our lack of depth in many key areas. This is still a very young team at many positions. The question is, can these young guys get their heads into the proper focus to eliminate the penalties and miscues that keep us on our current trend of losing the games we should be winning?

 

[Orangello]

Alsemo said that Ross was our best kicker that is why he kept him in the game. Wow is all i can say. Kid was hurting had Zero punch on the ball and didnt follow through on one swing. Why the heck would they keep him in the game. Also we have been switching punters all year. Why stop this game when Fisher was so off? I have an answer. Poor in game coaching. The O staff on this team is very weak in game. Im sure they are great coaches but when it comes to having a feel for the game they are lost.

Then why do we still have another kicker on scholly ? That just makes no sense to me.

 

[kcsu]

Then why do we still have another kicker on scholly ? That just makes no sense to me.

Agreed i have no idea why they stayed with Ross he should have been pulled and rested

 

[kingottoiii]

Ross was kicking yesterday with a groin injury which points to our lack of depth in many key areas. This is still a very young team at many positions. The question is, can these young guys get their heads into the proper focus to eliminate the penalties and miscues that keep us on our current trend of losing the games we should be winning?

Where was Lichy yesterday? After RK's PAT I was worried. The FG at the end of half was a chip shot that Lichy coulda easily made. And for KOs how hard is it to get Fisher or Raupers (who supposedly has the strongest leg on the team) to just pop it up at the 20-25 yard line? The fact that we had no plan B is unacceptable.

 

[alphaorange]

I freely admit to not being the most astute X and O's guy but the talent argument baffles me. Everyone seems to say that we clearly have more talent but I might be a bit more hesitant and say we have "conditionally" more. They had a much better Dline, a much better Oline, better 'backers, and their RS frosh RB was heads and tails better than what we are currently playing. Their punter is better and kicker on KOs is much better. We may have better talent on the team but it is clearly not better at this point, meaning it is young and undeveloped.

When we have the "good" Nassib, we have a clear advantage. When we have the "bad" Nassib, we are at a clear disadvantage over most teams has he isn't a running threat when he is struggling passing the ball. I thought our receivers were better when our line held up and the QB was playing well. If not,it doesn't really matter, does it?

Seems like Uconn won the battle of talent where it counts...the lines and specials. I've been watching FB for several decades and there is almost one universal truth....if you win the battle of the trenches, special teams, and TOs you generally win. We lost the trenches badly, won the TO, were blasted on specials, yet were in it til the end.

To be clear, I didn't like the first half play calling, and thought they went to the well too often in a few instances. I also thought there was a lack of intensity (team wide) and urgency. I am not yet, and will not be ready to set limits on Marrone's reign until year five. Hopefully he will continue to improve his short-comings as a coach while maintaining the qualities that he has that are enviable.

 

[rrlbees]

Where was Lichy yesterday? After RK's PAT I was worried. The FG at the end of half was a chip shot that Lichy coulda easily made. And for KOs how hard is it to get Fisher or Raupers (who supposedly has the strongest leg on the team) to just pop it up at the 20-25 yard line? The fact that we had no plan B is unacceptable.

I don't think Licky is on the travel roster (not saying he shouldn't be). It was hinted that Raupers might do KO's but from practices all week I guess and injured Krautman was going to be better than Raupers. I can't say how much I disagree with that simply because these things don't get better by continuing the activity.