Also hurt that we had three starting Oline men out. Bleech, AS and Tinsdale. Ellis did really well for first real game action but he needs more time. Ilola did well but again needs more time.
some people are knocking GS. We have been in the last 3 games because of GS. Yes passes are not great but he had some decent throws. As has been said repeatedly we need to use the TE to help him. We have one 6’4 and one 6’7. Benson got targeted once at the line of scrimmage. If they do not use the TE it will continue to limit the O.
GS is super tuff. Takes a beating but will not come out voluntarily even if hurt.
DB made a horrible call that he cannot honesty defend. However white needed to bring pressure which he did not that allowed Hartman time.
We need a punter and AS is regressing in the kicking game. Not sure we can fix that this season.
I agree with the items noted by AO above.
Ultimately, the buck stops with the head coach, but this loss was not totally on Dino.
Special teams have let them down this year. The team needs a full-time special teams coach, in my opinion. Punting this season has flat out hurt the team and impacted games. Can you blame Dino for that? You could blame Dino for not having a P5 punter on the roster, but I think James Williams was better earlier in the year. I don't know what's going on now. Neither of those freshman backups should set foot on the field again. Can you blame Dino for the regression of Andre Szmyt? Szmyt's left some points on the field at inopportune times this year. I would also like to see an accounting of the net loss of yards caused by Pena running back kickoffs from the one or two yard line rather than fair-catching and getting the ball at the 25. I suspect that has hurt the field-position battle. Is that on Dino? I really don't know.
Dino didn't make Cooper Lutz fumble.
The people who say Dino should have gone for it on (pick any) fourth down (in this game or any other) are the same ones that say things like the only reason we won the Liberty game was that Freeze handed it to us with his "bonehead" decision to go for it on fourth instead of kicking the field goal. As is common on fan forums, these posters want it both ways.
While the o-line is much improved at run blocking this year, they still don't seem able to protect the quarterback very well in obvious passing situations. Dino wasn't out there standing between Wake's d-line and Shrader late. Shrader was hit a lot and look confused in a number of late-game pressure situations. Nonetheless, the o-line was missing starters and still looked o.k.; I think yesterday, with the play of Ellis and Ilaoa (sp), we see that there is some good young depth there.
Shrader played 1 year as a P5 QB, didn't play QB for a year, and has now completed three games as a starting QB at SU. In that time he's had three different offensive systems to learn. He is young and relatively inexperienced, but he has improved every game. There is no where to go but up.
The defense was stout early in the season, but now, down some players and against better competition (FSU and Wake) they are starting to show their youth, particularly the secondary. The defense gave up too many long passes. Posters are saying Dino's acceptance of that penalty cost them the game and that the Dino didn't put the players in a position to win. I think putting the opposing offense in a 3 and 23, out of field goal range, is putting your defense in a position to win. However, I do think whoever called that prevent defense, whether Dino or White, made a mistake. (But, I'm no expert.)
I don't have a good enough memory to summarize all Dino's decisions and clock management issues. Also, it's been done above and in other threads ad nauseum.
Plusses for Dino? This isn't worth much, but he's a damn likable guy. I've been around a vast array of people in my life and he is somebody that, if I met him, I think I'd really like. He changed his two coordinators and brought in a some new coaches, most importantly a new o-line coach. He made the hard decision of starting Shrader at a time when it wasn't clear what we had in this guy. The players he's recruited that are here now seem to be ACC-level talent.
Is Dino perfect? No. Do I defend all his decisions? No. Is he the best in-game/clock manager? No. Do I think he should be fired? No. He has recruited a bunch of good, young cats and they're balling and playing hard. This team could easily be 6-0, 5-1 or 4-2. (Don't forget the jobbing by the refs during Rutgers and FSU.) Yes, they shouldn't put themselves in a position where the refs can impact the outcome of a game, but they did and the refs sucked. The offense is starting to open up and has scored 30+ points in two consecutive ACC games. That's obvious improvement. Will it be enough to win games in the ACC? We'll see. They have been in every game and have been in a position at the end where they could have won.
The team is 3-3 and have lost each of their first two ACC games by 3 points. To me that is improvement over what occurred in 2019 & 2020. I am looking forward to what happens next week and beyond.
The negativity on this board is ridiculous. I don't know why some of these posters even watch or follow this team. If the players had their attitudes, they wouldn't even come out of tunnel. One set back during the game and they're shouting, "It's OVER! Fire the coach!" Halfway into the season, two games into the ACC slate, and they're shouting, "The season's OVER! We're not winning another game! Fire the coach!" R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S.
I like this team. It's enjoyable to watch a game where they have a chance to win. I think it'll be fun to see what they'll become. I hope they become a winning football team.
Unlike many here, I don't think winning is the be all and end all of everything. Winning for a student-athlete is more than just what happens on the field. SU is not Alabama. Most of the athletes on the team will not become professional football players, but they will have received a first-rate education, made friends for life and, at a minimum, earned a doctorate in dealing with adversity. After serving in the military, I was able to afford college. For me, my college education was a path out of poverty and into the upper-middle class. Don't underestimate what just being at SU is giving to these student-athletes. Don't underestimate what the university just being in Syracuse gives to the community. Just try to have a modicum of perspective. Of course, I'd like to see the team overcome their obstacles and win. I'd like it for the sake of the players, the coaches, and the community up there in Syracuse. But it doesn't always happen and I realize there's more important things in life than winning football games. (Oh my God, this sounds like Shafer's "ISIS" moment! *cringes*)
I'll continue to watch and pull for this team, even if they continue to struggle, because that's what fans do. They support their team. LGO!
