Distractions and Monkeys | Syracusefan.com

Distractions and Monkeys

HRE Otto IV

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Before yesterday we had lost 11 straight games vs the P5. Before Shrader becoming starter we had struggled to put up yards and points for the most part over 26 games. That had to have taken a toll on Dino. His 1st year when his O put up 61` points with the Officer, he probably never thought it would get to where it did. He had to have been feeling pressure. Even if JW gave him a vote of confidence, Dino had to have known that 5-7, 1-10, 3-9 is not safe. When you lose as much as we have you start to question your decisions. Which could explain why the new Dino looked so different than the old Dino. Yesterday we did see him go for it on 4th down. He looked more like the old Dino. So maybe this W will take the Monkey off of Dino's back and let him get his mojo going again.

Managing Taj had to have been a distraction. Maybe off the field Taj was easy to deal with but on the field Taj required extra care. That distraction is now gone.

A QB controversy is a distraction to both the team and coaches. Having to focus on choosing the best QB takes your focus away from other things. That distraction is now gone.

Tommy and his circus was a distraction for Dino. He is of having to deal with that nonsense.

Losing three straight is a distraction to the team. They may question their abilities and whether they can actually win a game. They no longer need to question themselves.

Tommy leaving mid week was a distraction. It drew focus away from VA Tech for both the coaches and players. I wonder how much that distraction played a part in our poor performance on STs and D. Yes, Tommy was an O player but he was a team leader. He was a 5th year player and our D is mainly young guys. I am sure they looked up to him, and to have a leader walk out on you is a distraction. So maybe we are more focused next week.

Maybe with the Monkeys and distractions gone this team takes off. If that happens we are winning our next 3 games, and setting up a big game vs Pitt. Even if we don't take off and we play the same football we have seen the last 5 games, we have a great shot at making a Bowl game.

If we had lost to VA Tech, I thought we would beat BC. Now that we have beaten VA Tech, I expect us to win by at least 10 points vs BC. If we beat BC, with two weeks prep I think we have a great shot of beating Louisville. So that could get us to a Bowl already. If we don't turn the ball over, don't commit a bunch of penalties, and have decent specials we could win a close game vs NC State. Beating Pitt is asking a lot. Definitely don't want to be 5-6 going into that game, but we have beaten better teams than Pitt in the Dome.

I lost faith in Dino but I want to believe. I want this last game to be his resurrection. We will know next Saturday if that is the case. We/Dino could be back. Or this could all just be a desert mirage.
 
Sometimes a teams personality mimics that of it's leaders.

It's clear that Tommy was tough and played through a lot. But there were always excuses and everything around him within the program and fan base seemed to be on egg shells and kid gloves.

This team lost Howard, Taj, and Tommy from the Offense basically in a months time, and the O has come out better than before - as you alluded too, we saw the OLD Dino yesterday.

This team has shown some swagger the past month, and brought it again yesterday. I feel very comfortable headed into BC week and then we are blessed with a BYE.

There is an identity with the team that no one can mistake now, and the kids are playing hard every week. I can see us running the table.
 
When somebody asked what changed in Dino between the gambler of the first few seasons to the recent conservative, I said this: It's all about him having confidence in his offense. The first three years we were getting yards and making plays on offense. We had playmaking WRs and a QB, at least when healthy, that could play superman. The last two we had none of that and a porous oline. Now we have some playmakers in Tucker and Shrader along with the possibility of emerging WRs and an oline that looks the best it has under Dino. He's gaining confidence in the offense again.

He never changed. The ingredients changed and seem to now be changing back.
 
I think this is probably right. But he will worry this week because of how banged up we are. 9 games until a bye isn’t fair, and that was such a physical game yesterday.

Hopefully we can get one or both of Garrett and Bleich back next week.
 

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