For Those That Think Long Is The Answer...

[Millhouse]

This past game's performance not-withstanding, I think Lester has done a nice job with the guys he has. AJ's confidence is in part due to Lester's ability to get him prepped. Hunt is lacking in accuracy, which Lester tried to correct - but Hunt's throwing motion has regressed as the season has gone on (I put that on Hunt). AJ knows where to go with the ball and get's it there as well as you can expect a freshman to. That "reading the defense" and being aware of where to go with the ball is coaching.

As far as Shafer - yep - pulling the plug was all balls and not easy. He knows how good the position needs to be and took steps to rectify it. I think you can trust that he'll do everything he can to get it right. I don't know if it will be enough - but I don't think he'll leave any stones unturned.

i don't doubt shafer's effort or desire. i just wonder if he knows what he wants to do. it would be nice to know what our offense is for a few years

 

[reedny]

Yeah - clearly overly nervous.

I'm not saying we're better than those teams - clearly our offense has been tough to watch. But we're right there in the middle of the pack. I'm very encouraged by the way the freshman have played this season. If we put another class together that produces like this one - and can find a QB (Maybe Long or Alin or ?) - we're not that far away.

Duke is a great example. They are not every good this year and are leading their division. Miami is probably better than us - but pasted? C'mon.
We were very much in the Louisville, Maryland, and Clemson games. If our O scored one extra TD in any of those games in the 3rd quarter and it's a toss up as to who wins.

I was at the Louisville game. They ran us off the field (180 yards on the ground to our 40 something). They had team speed beyond what we can hope for in the next few years. We did not score a touchdown in the game. It was hard to watch.

The Maryland game was the opposite ... we rushed all over the field and couldn't score in the red zone.

ND, FSU and Clemson were better, but not because we have a serviceable offense (we don't). Our defense plays its a** off.

Don't get me wrong. I like your optimism. I just don't think we have an offense --- pretty hard to win or compete in games without that phase, no? And our talent deficit is glaring. Just as one example, our 2 best wide-outs (right now), Flemming and Ishmael -- combined for zero catches against Clemson. Zero. They didn't catch a pass, either of them. They couldn't get open .. for the entire game. And Long had time to throw on a number of occasions.

How long before we have receivers that can get separation? (there's not one on the roster, or he'd be playing). 2 years?

 

[Millhouse]

I was at the Louisville game. They ran us off the field (180 yards on the ground to our 40 something). They had team speed beyond what we can hope for in the next few years. We did not score a touchdown in the game. It was hard to watch.

The Maryland game was the opposite ... we rushed all over the field and couldn't score in the red zone.

ND, FSU and Clemson were better, but not because we have a serviceable offense (we don't). Our defense plays its a** off.

Don't get me wrong. I like your optimism. I just don't think we have an offense --- pretty hard to win or compete in games without that phase, no? And our talent deficit is glaring. Just as one example, our 2 best wide-outs (right now), Flemming and Ishmael -- combined for zero catches against Clemson. Zero. They didn't catch a pass, either of them. They couldn't get open .. for the entire game. And Long had time to throw on a number of occasions.

How long before we have receivers that can get separation? (there's not one on the roster, or he'd be playing). 2 years?

flemming?

 

[reedny]

flemming?

Didn't he start? It was Ishmael on one side (0 catches). And the other starting wideout didn't catch one. I haven't seen the replay of the game yet -- assumed that was Flemming based on the week 9 depth chart.
http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2014/10/syracuse_football_clemson_depth_chart.html

 

[SUFan44]

Didn't he start? It was Ishmael on one side (0 catches). And the other starting wideout didn't catch one. I haven't seen the replay of the game yet -- assumed that was Flemming based on the week 9 depth chart.
http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2014/10/syracuse_football_clemson_depth_chart.html

Flemming isn't the 5th best WR on the team. Why he starts is anyone's guess. Depth chart means nothing.

 

[Millhouse]

Didn't he start? It was Ishmael on one side (0 catches). And the other starting wideout didn't catch one. I haven't seen the replay of the game yet -- assumed that was Flemming based on the week 9 depth chart.
http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2014/10/syracuse_football_clemson_depth_chart.html

i don't care who starts, west is top 2

 

[OrangeMojo]

if he gets here eduard looks like the long term solution

the high school QB that isn't yet on campus has looked like the answer ever since McNabb left for the NFL - until he gets to campus, beats out the other QBs and shows something in a game against a good P5 team, then I'm no longer buying into that false hope

 

[reedny]

i don't care who starts, west is top 2

West caught 4 passes. Our total for the entire game, all "receivers", was 80 yards and change. I like Shaf but the offense is an ugly mess and I don't see much light at the end of the tunnel. Same ole' story -- load the box and dare us to throw.

 

[Millhouse]

West caught 4 passes. Our total for the entire game, all "receivers", was 80 yards and change. I like Shaf but the offense is an ugly mess and I don't see much light at the end of the tunnel. Same ole' story -- load the box and dare us to throw.

you don't need to tell me that the passing game stinks!

hard to divvy up blame from saturday when everyone was so dominated. line qb wr rb you name it

 

[tep624]

Let's see what he does these next two games at home before we toss him on the scrap pile. He showed some flashes in the FSU game and played a pretty solid game at Wake. He definitely has weaknesses, like every player, but how he responds to this performance is going to be very telling for the future. His Height is always going to be a limitation, but the key will be whether he's able to evolve his game to mitigate that. Doug Flutie did it, I have to think there is another smallish QB out there that can as well.

 

[Crusty]

Let's see what he does these next two games at home before we toss him on the scrap pile. He showed some flashes in the FSU game and played a pretty solid game nat Wake. He definitely has weaknesses, like every player, but how he responds to this performance is going to be very telling for the future. His Height is always going to be a limitation, but the key will be whether he's able to evolve his game to mitigate that. Doug Flutie did it, I have to think there is another smallish QB out there that can as well.

I don't think A J is going to fade into Bolivian!

 

[TheCusian]

i don't doubt shafer's effort or desire. i just wonder if he knows what he wants to do. it would be nice to know what our offense is for a few years

I don't think it's that hard to figure out at that position: he prefers a mobile QB who can make all the throws. That may change with Lester as OC, but I'd bet they prefer mobile rather than pocket passer.

 

[TheCusian]

West caught 4 passes. Our total for the entire game, all "receivers", was 80 yards and change. I like Shaf but the offense is an ugly mess and I don't see much light at the end of the tunnel. Same ole' story -- load the box and dare us to throw.

I'd just cross the last game off the list. No one played well and some of our best players on O are young (Long, Ish, Phillips) - while most of their top ten D are upperclassmen.

I look fwd to your rosy view after we put up 35 and 375 this weekend . NC State and Duke are both primarily offensive teams and that should play to our favor (finally).

 

[Millhouse]

I don't think it's that hard to figure out at that position: he prefers a mobile QB who can make all the throws. That may change with Lester as OC, but I'd bet they prefer mobile rather than pocket passer.

i'm talking about offensive philosophy. i am not sure what the bill cubit tree is really about

 

[TheCusian]

i'm talking about offensive philosophy. i am not sure what the bill cubit tree is really about

Ahh - gotcha. I thought this started as a "I trust Lester/SS to get the QB position right"... I guess the same could be said for the OC.

Yeah - who knows what our offensive philosophy is at this point.

 

[SarasotaPaul]

My take on our "O" philosophy is this:

We have one year of SS recruits and they look better than what we had going in. Give him a few more years recruiting speed and talent, then we will see what happens. This is exactly how Coach Mac built us into an excellent team. But with only one year of his (HCSS) recruits (remember most schools redshirt the majority of their true frosh while we are playing many of ours) we can't give a total evaluation of either game plans or coaching staff. You can call all the right plays but when the other team also calls the right play and has bigger, faster, better athletes...well to expect constant success is quite wishful but not very logical.

An old adage is that offense brings the fans but the "D" wins the games and our "D" is starting to look like a winner.

Anyone that disagrees should borrow my orange colored glasses.

 

[Millhouse]

My take on our "O" philosophy is this:

We have one year of SS recruits and they look better than what we had going in. Give him a few more years recruiting speed and talent, then we will see what happens. This is exactly how Coach Mac built us into an excellent team. But with only one year of his (HCSS) recruits (remember most schools redshirt the majority of their true frosh while we are playing many of ours) we can't give a total evaluation of either game plans or coaching staff. You can call all the right plays but when the other team also calls the right play and has bigger, faster, better athletes...well to expect constant success is quite wishful but not very logical.

An old adage is that offense brings the fans but the "D" wins the games and our "D" is starting to look like a winner.

Anyone that disagrees should borrow my orange colored glasses.

that old adage is silly

 

[JrodCuse]

Russell Wilson and Drew Brees are both sub 6 ft. Both are solid qb's. AJ isn't either of them but height isn't the end all be all for qb's.

 

[tep624]

Russell Wilson and Drew Brees are both sub 6 ft. Both are solid qb's. AJ isn't either of them but height isn't the end all be all for qb's.

Agreed. The thing that irks me about the negativity around the "physical" side of AJ's game is that he's a true frosh that shouldn't even be playing right now anyway. He really needed the redshirt year to physically develop.

 

[Cuse'91]

Russell Wilson and Drew Brees are both sub 6 ft. Both are solid qb's. AJ isn't either of them but height isn't the end all be all for qb's.

I don't know this for sure, but I think those guys would look like giants standing next to AJ. Obviously AJ can fill out someday, but gaining height at his age seems unlikely.