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Message: [QUOTE="Scooch, post: 2396562, member: 628"] The honeymoon was bound to end for a lot of folks this year due to our ridiculously difficult schedule. I thought we had a [U][I]very[/I][/U] narrow path to a bowl, and it necessitated starting 3-0, splitting NC State/Pitt, and beating both Wake and BC. Needless to say we couldn't walk that tightrope. Finishing the year on a 5 game losing streak was terribly disappointing, but not exactly unprecedented. It was just back in 2011 when SU was 5-2 and coming off a big prime time win against WVU, and then we proceeded to drop the last five. We followed that up with a very solid 2012 season and I think 2017 --> 2018 can yield a similar story. The 2018 is much more manageable: we should be able to go at least 3-1 OOC and get UNC at home as our Coastal game. That means needing to find 2 more wins to get bowl eligible, and with NC State/Louisville at home, and Wake/BC/Pitt on the road, our path is not nearly as perilous as it was this season. I think there are two critical things for the offseason: (1) build depth defensively and figure out how to force turnovers, (2) find an offensive skill position difference maker not named Dungey and figure out how to convert in the red zone. To me the two most disappointing stats this year were related to those two needs: (A) Our points per game (76th) was ranked ludicrously far behind our yards per game (23rd). In fact, only one team among the 130 in FBS had a bigger differential between YPG and PPG... UConn (45th in YPG, 102nd in PPG). That's horrendous efficiency and our inability to convert in the red zone was crippling. (B) We ranked 113th for turnovers gained. [I][U] 113th.[/U] [/I]We are not nearly good enough to overcome creating so few turnovers. I'm still fully on board Team Dino. I truly believe that if he can't be successful here then we may all need to accept that we'll never return to the status we held in the 90s. I do think next year is a crucial one, and that it's a very bad sign if we don't win at least 6. I'm optimistic though. Dino has a track record of being thoughtful and I expect him to take a hard look at what transpired this season and make many meaningful changes. [/QUOTE]

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