Hate to say it but we are pretty loaded

[baggerbob]

Our defense under Bullough wasn't good, do people remember the disaster against Georgia Tech? No adjustments were made, and we looked like a team with no defensive co-ordinator.

 

[ConnectiCuse]

I agree Tampa 2 is a wild card, but I think the coaches get them in good shape for the switch
For the returning RB:

Jordan Fredericks 107 Car 607 Yds 5.7 YPC 4 TD 6 REC 55 Yds 9.2 AVG 1 TD
Dontae Strickland 21 Car 81 Yds 3.9 YPC 1 TD 9 REC 137 Yds 15.2 AVG 2 TD

The numbers are not all amazing, but for an offense that regularly tired to work in 4-6 different ball carries they are pretty good for true freshman. I can only see their numbers being better in their Soph year and in a better offense.

FWIW I spoke to my Dontae contact and he (meaning DS) fully expects to start and have a breakout-type of year. He has fully bought into the system. I personally think Dontae was severely underutilized last year.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

FWIW I spoke to my Dontae contact and he (meaning DS) fully expects to start and have a breakout-type of year. He has fully bought into the system. I personally think Dontae was severely underutilized last year.

Do you have pictures? Oh wait, wrong sport and thread

 

[Whitey23]

Our defense under Bullough wasn't good, do people remember the disaster against Georgia Tech? No adjustments were made, and we looked like a team with no defensive co-ordinator.

And they said they'd been preparing since training camp for that game...

 

[MadNY3]

With the exception of DE this is our best roster in years.

Loaded? No. No, no, no.

I love optimism, but other than the equipment managers under Kyle Fetterly, not sure where we are loaded.

In year three, gut says we will be saying that, but a team coming off a losing year, entering a new system with the 8th toughest schedule...loaded is what I will likely be (or KaiserUEO quicker) by the 4th quarter. This year.

 

[Jake]

I'm hoping we win the games were supposed to and maybe steal a game or two due to pace and tiring the other team out.

If I'm Babers, I have dome personnel roll out garbage cans and place them behind the opposing team bench with signs that say "don't puke on the turf"...just to get into their heads.

 

[Cusefan69]

Loaded? No. No, no, no.

I love optimism, but other than the equipment managers under Kyle Fetterly, not sure where we are loaded.

In year three, gut says we will be saying that, but a team coming off a losing year, entering a new system with the 8th toughest schedule...loaded is what I will likely be (or KaiserUEO quicker) by the 4th quarter. This year.

^^^But what if we gave the team just a little more cowbell...what then?

 

[DoctorBombay]

^^^But what if we gave the team just a little more cowbell...what then?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I don't think we're loaded, but I do think we run an offensive scheme that can make it look like we are.

 

[JackBauer44]

I think Dino knows how to coach a football team and knows how to take pressure off his players. IMO - that's what you're seeing him do in this media cycle. You better believe the team knows that he's doing it too.

Are we loaded? Not quite yet. But I haven't been this confident in a Syracuse football coach since I saw FHCDM create a game plan that had us beat a SEC team. Dino knows exactly what we is doing, and he's priming Syracuse to take a lot of teams by surprise.

I'll post more when the Season Prediction rolls around - but I'm throwing this out there right now...

Colgate - W
Louisville - W (buckle up)
USF - W
UConn - W
ND - L
Wake - W
VT - W
BC - W
Clemson - L (coming off a bye week, it's going to be close)
NCSU - W
FSU - L
Pitt - L

With an 8 win regular season**, look for us to close our very strong and HCDB officially putting the ACC on notice.

** - Assuming there are no big injuries (cough ED cough).

 

[orangefog]

I think Dino knows how to coach a football team and knows how to take pressure off his players. IMO - that's what you're seeing him do in this media cycle. You better believe the team knows that he's doing it too.

Are we loaded? Not quite yet. But I haven't been this confident in a Syracuse football coach since I saw FHCDM create a game plan that had us beat a SEC team. Dino knows exactly what we is doing, and he's priming Syracuse to take a lot of teams by surprise.

I'll post more when the Season Prediction rolls around - but I'm throwing this out there right now...

Colgate - W
Louisville - W (buckle up)
USF - W
UConn - W
ND - L
Wake - W
VT - W
BC - W
Clemson - L (coming off a bye week, it's going to be close)
NCSU - W
FSU - L
Pitt - L

With an 8 win regular season**, look for us to close our very strong and HCDB officially putting the ACC on notice.

** - Assuming there are no big injuries (cough ED cough).

I like this. If this is how the season plays out, we should be ranked no later than after the NCSU game. What is your feeling with Pitt? Do you think they are that good, or just a long season taking it's toll?

 

[JackBauer44]

I like this. If this is how the season plays out, we should be ranked no later than after the NCSU game. What is your feeling with Pitt? Do you think they are that good, or just a long season taking it's toll?

My orange homerism is definitely showing a bit. I think this is a best case scenario. I think Pitt will be sound this year. They lost their stud WR, but their ground game will be strong and defense will be strong.

Key game is Louisville. If we go out and perform really well, the season will be good. If we get blown out, will be interesting to see.

 

[orangefog]

My orange homerism is definitely showing a bit. I think this is a best case scenario. I think Pitt will be sound this year. They lost their stud WR, but their ground game will be strong and defense will be strong.

Key game is Louisville. If we go out and perform really well, the season will be good. If we get blown out, will be interesting to see.

I agree, Louisville will set the bar. If we win, then I will feel much more confident about those 50/50 games. And with regard to the orange colored glasses, they can never really come off.

 

[OrangeAl]

I think Dino knows how to coach a football team and knows how to take pressure off his players. IMO - that's what you're seeing him do in this media cycle. You better believe the team knows that he's doing it too.

Are we loaded? Not quite yet. But I haven't been this confident in a Syracuse football coach since I saw FHCDM create a game plan that had us beat a SEC team. Dino knows exactly what we is doing, and he's priming Syracuse to take a lot of teams by surprise.

I'll post more when the Season Prediction rolls around - but I'm throwing this out there right now...

Colgate - W
Louisville - W (buckle up)
USF - W
UConn - W
ND - L
Wake - W
VT - W
BC - W
Clemson - L (coming off a bye week, it's going to be close)
NCSU - W
FSU - L
Pitt - L

With an 8 win regular season**, look for us to close our very strong and HCDB officially putting the ACC on notice.

** - Assuming there are no big injuries (cough ED cough).

Losing three of the last four would be a real downer after such a hot start.

 

[SoBristol]

Our defense under Bullough wasn't good, do people remember the disaster against Georgia Tech? No adjustments were made, and we looked like a team with no defensive co-ordinator.

Can always cherry-pick the clunkers, and that certainly was one. There were other clunkers as well -- we haven't been a dominating team.

I wonder if you watched BGSU play Ga Southern in its bowl game? Brian Ward's defense was rolled for 58 points and 452 yards rushing by an option team. It happens. I am optimistic about this 2016 season (based on the players we have returning on both sides of the ball), but at the same time, we don't know whether Ward and his assistants are better than Bullough, Daoust, Lea. We do know that the defensive units (except DE) have better experience and depth than we have had.

 

[NineOneSeven]

The best 3* recruits the nation has ever seen

 

[JackBauer44]

That's the thing though. In this offensive scheme, you can take those three style players that are very fast and make them very productive.

 

[jr4750]

Our defense under Bullough wasn't good, do people remember the disaster against Georgia Tech? No adjustments were made, and we looked like a team with no defensive co-ordinator.

I'm still not over that game. I think each coach should have surrendered their game check. That was abysmal. If nothing else we should have brought the entire defense to the line and just let them try and throw it over top. We did nothing. If I was the AD, I would have had a very quick sit down with the coaches and asked for a thorough answer to how that happened. The Northwestern game was a close second in futility. Although they at least threw and ran the ball.

 

[Chip]

Hate to say it, but I'm gonna get pretty loaded the night of the Louisville game.

To clarify, this is fact, not opinion.

 

[OrangePA]

I'm still not over that game. I think each coach should have surrendered their game check. That was abysmal. If nothing else we should have brought the entire defense to the line and just let them try and throw it over top. We did nothing. If I was the AD, I would have had a very quick sit down with the coaches and asked for a thorough answer to how that happened. The Northwestern game was a close second in futility. Although they at least threw and ran the ball.

As bad an effort as I have ever seen.

 

[Finwad32]

Bullough is not the DC SS is.

People will say, but, Shafe's the HC, his finger prints should be all over it. SS would most likely sit with CB and talk over CB's game-planning for the week, but he wouldn't be running it soup to nuts.

SS was handling the administrative duties and spending at the very least, twice the amount of time with offense as he had in the past. There were a lot of the same SS principles and staples, but, a completely different captain running the ship.

To GT specifically, they thought they were going to do something that caused havoc to GT's offense, it blew up in their face. Live and learn, took a shot to the chops that day. GM put up a goose egg against a mediocre GT as well that snowballed the game into that end result.

 

[Moontan]

I'm still not over that game. I think each coach should have surrendered their game check. That was abysmal. If nothing else we should have brought the entire defense to the line and just let them try and throw it over top. We did nothing. If I was the AD, I would have had a very quick sit down with the coaches and asked for a thorough answer to how that happened. The Northwestern game was a close second in futility. Although they at least threw and ran the ball.

I was at both of those games... ugh

 

[SoBristol]

Bullough is not the DC SS is.

...

To GT specifically, they thought they were going to do something that caused havoc to GT's offense, it blew up in their face. Live and learn, took a shot to the chops that day. GM put up a goose egg against a mediocre GT as well that snowballed the game into that end result.

In fairness, Bullough had that defense playing well against PSU (23 points, forcing several turnovers -- if only the offense had come to play); NC State (10 pts); Wake (shut out); Pitt (17 pts); and upsetting Minny in the Texas bowl (17 pts).

 

[AAM62]

In fairness, Bullough had that defense playing well against PSU (23 points, forcing several turnovers -- if only the offense had come to play); NC State (10 pts); Wake (shut out); Pitt (17 pts); and upsetting Minny in the Texas bowl (17 pts).

yeah, if allen robinson played the first half, then those defensive numbers would've looked worse

 

[SoBristol]

yeah, if allen robinson played the first half, then those defensive numbers would've looked worse

True, and if our grad transfer QB hadn't thrown a lot of interceptions, that game was winnable. The defense that season had 2 or 3 clunkers but also some strong games. Yet people obsess over tactics in the GT game.

The real point is that Brian Ward has 8 starters back, and some depth, and the best guys are rising juniors. The makings of a much improved defense.