Do You See Improvement?

[javadoc]

I mean within this season. Is the team getting better? Any units or players that stand out, maybe the influence of a position coach is especially noticeable in this regard?

The thing that impressed me, starting from the Pitt game, is how we seem to have conjured a power run game out of whole cloth. It seems like we changed the offense, or at least the focus, mid-stream and got it working fairly quickly. Watching the team early on I thought there was no way this bunch would be able to grind it out on the ground.

I was really down on Smith for that bonehead blunder against NW, but man he is an impressive sight racing for the corner like a freaking freight train.

It's hard for me to quantify, as I am not an expert by any means, but the team looks like it faltered... and now has its footing back. The D has been getting consistently better, and now they tweaked the O so that we have an answer for what opponents were doing to us after the first few games.

If you see development in the OL, please say so, because Marrone and Adkins have taken a beating here when it comes to the OL.

 

[orangenauburn]

after my rutgers meltdown i reviewed peoples posts. the stats are telling - we have vastly improved everywhere except punt(return) and turnover margin. unfortunately those are major reasons we have more losses than wins.

I think we win the next two to get above .500

 

[rrlbees]

I've been most impressed with the DL and the work Daoust has done with them.

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[RMH44]

I mean within this season. Is the team getting better? Any units or players that stand out, maybe the influence of a position coach is especially noticeable in this regard?

The thing that impressed me, starting from the Pitt game, is how we seem to have conjured a power run game out of whole cloth. It seems like we changed the offense, or at least the focus, mid-stream and got it working fairly quickly. Watching the team early on I thought there was no way this bunch would be able to grind it out on the ground.

I was really down on Smith for that bonehead blunder against NW, but man he is an impressive sight racing for the corner like a freaking freight train.

It's hard for me to quantify, as I am not an expert by any means, but the team looks like it faltered... and now has its footing back. The D has been getting consistently better, and now they tweaked the O so that we have an answer for what opponents were doing to us after the first few games.

If you see development in the OL, please say so, because Marrone and Adkins have taken a beating here when it comes to the OL.

We have become a VERY physical team along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. We might be the most physical team in the BE.

 

[Orangello]

I think it's still too earlyto answer the question. They look like the Bad News Beers one week and then come out the next and play like a team on its way back up. More than anything else, I want to see consistency with this team. The lack of that is the thing that is most maddening to me. I want to see them play another solid turnover free game Sat. and come out with the win but to be honest, it would not shock me in the least to see another error prone effort like Rutgers. Stats only tell part of the story.

 

[Nick44]

I've been most impressed with the DL and the work Daoust has done with them.

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While I agree in the improvement as a whole, I was expecting more from MPB this far. The hype he was getting was over the top.

I even think he's regressed a bit from Northwestern from a pass rush standpoint. Maybe he is better overall but I thought he would get 10 sacks after listening to the hype and seein him play NW.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

While I agree in the improvement as a whole, I was expecting more from MPB this far. The hype he was getting was over the top.

I even think he's regressed a bit from Northwestern from a pass rush standpoint. Maybe he is better overall but I thought he would get 10 sacks after listening to the hype and seein him play NW.

He gets held on every play. He really busts around the corner, but can't ever seem to pass the tackle.

 

[44PRIDE]

Have I seen improvement throughout the season? Yes.

But has the team regressed since the Pinstripe Bowl? Unfortunately Yes.

 

[javadoc]

after my rutgers meltdown i reviewed peoples posts. the stats are telling - we have vastly improved everywhere except punt(return) and turnover margin. unfortunately those are major reasons we have more losses than wins.

The turnovers may be directly caused by having the offense rely more on Nassib. That can only be fixed through changes in personnel. Marrone tacitly admitted as much in Donnie's article about the offensive gameplan this week, where they said they wanted to lessen the load on Ryan.

 

[javadoc]

But has the team regressed since the Pinstripe Bowl? Unfortunately Yes.

I plain disagree with you there. That bowl game was an anomaly - when has Nassib hit receivers in stride on the deep ball since?

 

[Cuseman78]

Have I seen improvement throughout the season? Yes.

But has the team regressed since the Pinstripe Bowl? Unfortunately Yes.

I disagree. I think this is a better team than the 2010 version. The record hasn't bore that out yet, but I suspect it will assuming we finish as strong as I believe we are going to.

 

[rrlbees]

He gets held on every play. He really busts around the corner, but can't ever seem to pass the tackle.

He needs 20 lbs and more strength. Has the quickness but can't get off blockers.

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[LeMoyneCuse]

But has the team regressed since the Pinstripe Bowl? Unfortunately Yes.

What does that mean?

The defense couldn't get a stop in the Pinstripe Bowl. The only stop they only had the entire second half was the lousy field goal fake. Plus, our DTs are so much bigger and athletic now, which lets us stop physical teams who try to run the ball down our throats.

The offense is 35 times better than it was during that game. We had two guys generate all of our offense that game. There's more options now. They were running walk ons out there to block on running packages, for goodness sake.

And our kick offs were so bad during that game, they started kicking to the upbacks because the play was going to end up at midfield anyway, so they decided to not let anyone fast enough to run the ball back for a touchdown to get his hands on the ball.

This team is deeper, faster, more creative, more athletic, and just as resolute as the Pinstripe Bowl team.

 

[Rocco]

Give it up for Hicks and Luther. Team is stronger and bigger all around this year.

 

[OrangePA]

I've been most impressed with the DL and the work Daoust has done with them.

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I think the improved play at both DL and OL explains the growth wevsee on this team.

Line play decides a lot.

 

[billsin01]

I think the improved play at both DL and OL explains the growth wevsee on this team.

Line play decides a lot.

I don't know that I have any true idea of where this team has improved vs. not improved throughout the season, but I think you an at least point to some positive signs. I like the new offense and think we're clearly far more potent this year than at any point in the last, I don't know, 10 years? Even in games that haven't been masterpieces, we've either done enough (Pitt) or moved the ball but been done in by mistakes (RU). That would appear to be a good sign.

Also, no idea if it is anything close to a trend but I thought we played remarkably well on special teams vs. UConn. That would warm my heart.

 

[SmilinBob]

Have I seen improvement throughout the season? Yes.

But has the team regressed since the Pinstripe Bowl? Unfortunately Yes.

Sorry but your post is exactly way I'd like SU to soften their OOC. If this team played that same schedule I believe we'd see a lot of improvement in the win department. This team is better overall in my opinion than the 2010 team.

 

[GoSU96]

Have I seen improvement throughout the season? Yes.

But has the team regressed since the Pinstripe Bowl? Unfortunately Yes.

No it hasn't.

 

[TheCusian]

Sorry but your post is exactly way I'd like SU to soften their OOC. If this team played that same schedule I believe we'd see a lot of improvement in the win department. This team is better overall in my opinion than the 2010 team.

Couldn't agree more. If we play Rutger's schedule there's a high probability of sniffing the top 25, and changing the perception nationally. The Pinstripe year left us with a good taste in our mouths - but the team that year had more issues than this team.

 

[SoBristol]

What does that mean?

The defense couldn't get a stop in the Pinstripe Bowl. The only stop they only had the entire second half was the lousy field goal fake. Plus, our DTs are so much bigger and athletic now, which lets us stop physical teams who try to run the ball down our throats.

The offense is 35 times better than it was during that game. We had two guys generate all of our offense that game. There's more options now. They were running walk ons out there to block on running packages, for goodness sake.

And our kick offs were so bad during that game, they started kicking to the upbacks because the play was going to end up at midfield anyway, so they decided to not let anyone fast enough to run the ball back for a touchdown to get his hands on the ball.

This team is deeper, faster, more creative, more athletic, and just as resolute as the Pinstripe Bowl team.

That 2010 team deserves a lot of credit for overachieving. It maxed out its opportunities, relying on one tough senior RB, a possession passing attack, a strong LB corps led by two seniors, and senior veterans at DT and in the secondary. It was opportunistic (turnovers & sacks). It won low-scoring games on the road.

This 2012 team certainly has better depth. There are seniors (Nassib, Lemon & Sales, Goggins, Sharmarko, Diatabe) in key roles, but more underclassmen who are contributors and look to be improving (Hickey & Davis are prime examples). Better pass/run balance; bigger in the trenches on defense; better at pass blocking (esp on the right side of the OL).
UConn was a sugar high -- won't be that easy in the next five games -- but this team looks primed to compete through November.

 

[SmilinBob]

I remember that game in Cincy as well...Jones first year as a coach there and they had a lot of problems holding onto the ball. The SU D did a nice job on Peat that year as well.

 

[upperdeck]

if we played the rugters schedule, the worst we would be is 7-2. thats with losing to rutgers and USF/Ark. But if we were 5-0 going into the rutgers game we probably dont make as many mistakes just being more confident.

 

[PhatOrange]

I plain disagree with you there. That bowl game was an anomaly - when has Nassib hit receivers in stride on the deep ball since?

44pride classic example of not giving a about who we played 2 years ago. And why we should just schedule down. This team would be anywhere from 5-2 to / 7-0 against that 2010 schedule. And he thinks this team has regressed because we're 3-4 against a way more difficult schedule.

 

[OrangeMojo]

The thing that impressed me, starting from the Pitt game, is how we seem to have conjured a power run game out of whole cloth. It seems like we changed the offense, or at least the focus, mid-stream and got it working fairly quickly. Watching the team early on I thought there was no way this bunch would be able to grind it out on the ground.

If you see development in the OL, please say so, because Marrone and Adkins have taken a beating here when it comes to the OL.

incredibly, the OL seems to have gotten better when Pugh returned and Hickey was moved over to RT. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it seemed to be right around that exact moment

 

[kingottoiii]

44pride classic example of not giving a **** about who we played 2 years ago. And why we should just schedule down. This team would be anywhere from 5-2 to / 7-0 against that 2010 schedule. And he thinks this team has regressed because we're 3-4 against a way more difficult schedule.

To be fair in 2010 we had 3 built in Ws and 9 toss up games. In those toss up games we went 4-5. This year we have 1 built in W, 1 built in L, and 10 toss up games. Thus far we are 2-3 in the toss up games. We have looked better but at this point the results have been the same in the W column.

Looking at Sagarin rankings of first 5 toss ups in 2010 vs 2012

28. @UW vs 25. @RU
32. Pitt vs 43. NW
36. @WV vs 73. @Minn
44. @USF vs 80. Pitt
67. @Cincy vs 97. UConn

The 2010 toss up were more difficult. If we are 2-3 against the 2012 toss ups how can you say the 2012 squad would be at worst 3-2 in those 5 games?