Just back from Vegas | Syracusefan.com

Just back from Vegas

elimunelson

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Spent the weekend at the Cosmo betting/drinking/eating/ogling. I enjoyed winning most of my games and obviously losing my bet on Syracuse football (in a tease no less). It was a fantastic weekend with family and friends.

I'm numb to Syracuse football at this point. I came into the season with tepid enthusiasm as I've probably shown in some of my posts. I watch alot of football and felt like AET covered up ALOT of the issues this offense will have coming out of the gates. He was special last year and essentially carried this team to a 4 win season.

With him gone, the offense is identical minus any home run threats. It was exposed by a low D1 team on Saturday at home. Let that sink in for a second. Our coaching staff didn't adjust (from my drunken vantage point) at all during the game.

My only take is this offense, when it takes off, hopefully (b/c alot of you are convinced it will) will put us back into the top 25 perpetually. However, there is a small part of me that worries that the money ball aspect of running this speed spread offense is that teams know how to defend it. At end of day, football is blocking and tackling and running. We have zero running and my limited knowledge of the recruiting shows me that the next Robert Konrad, Reyes, Malcolm Thomas, Dar Dar, et al is not walking through that door. If we had at least a power back who could do what Chubb is doing for Georgia, we could tread alot more water right now.

Syracuse, since i've followed them, has always had a good stable of running backs. right now this is the worst i can remember ever (and that's even during the GROB era). It will not bode well for this year's team if one guy can't step up and run if this fun and gun offense falls flat for another year.

The optimist in me sees 4 wins (BC looks gross and will be hiring a new HC soon i bet). WF is pretty decent and will determine if we win 3 or 4. The pessimist sees 2-3 wins at most.

I'm sure this was all covered ad nauseum but color me concerned and really boxed in a corner. Dino will be the HC for the next 3-4 years. Can he get this offense clicking where it's a thing to behold, has college football figured this offense out minus the big time talented teams who can run it still b/c of the 4-5 star athletes running it, if he can't get this offense doing what it needs to can he adjust and go to a more traditional offense, can this offense actually keep us healthy w the amount of plays being asked of it.

I have questions, ZERO answers btw. Just some observations.

If this is rambling, my apologies just wanted to put something on paper for cathartic reasons.
 
Spent the weekend at the Cosmo betting/drinking/eating/ogling. I enjoyed winning most of my games and obviously losing my bet on Syracuse football (in a tease no less). It was a fantastic weekend with family and friends.

I'm numb to Syracuse football at this point. I came into the season with tepid enthusiasm as I've probably shown in some of my posts. I watch alot of football and felt like AET covered up ALOT of the issues this offense will have coming out of the gates. He was special last year and essentially carried this team to a 4 win season.

With him gone, the offense is identical minus any home run threats. It was exposed by a low D1 team on Saturday at home. Let that sink in for a second. Our coaching staff didn't adjust (from my drunken vantage point) at all during the game.

My only take is this offense, when it takes off, hopefully (b/c alot of you are convinced it will) will put us back into the top 25 perpetually. However, there is a small part of me that worries that the money ball aspect of running this speed spread offense is that teams know how to defend it. At end of day, football is blocking and tackling and running. We have zero running and my limited knowledge of the recruiting shows me that the next Robert Konrad, Reyes, Malcolm Thomas, Dar Dar, et al is not walking through that door. If we had at least a power back who could do what Chubb is doing for Georgia, we could tread alot more water right now.

Syracuse, since i've followed them, has always had a good stable of running backs. right now this is the worst i can remember ever (and that's even during the GROB era). It will not bode well for this year's team if one guy can't step up and run if this fun and gun offense falls flat for another year.

The optimist in me sees 4 wins (BC looks gross and will be hiring a new HC soon i bet). WF is pretty decent and will determine if we win 3 or 4. The pessimist sees 2-3 wins at most.

I'm sure this was all covered ad nauseum but color me concerned and really boxed in a corner. Dino will be the HC for the next 3-4 years. Can he get this offense clicking where it's a thing to behold, has college football figured this offense out minus the big time talented teams who can run it still b/c of the 4-5 star athletes running it, if he can't get this offense doing what it needs to can he adjust and go to a more traditional offense, can this offense actually keep us healthy w the amount of plays being asked of it.

I have questions, ZERO answers btw. Just some observations.

If this is rambling, my apologies just wanted to put something on paper for cathartic reasons.
I think you pointed out many concerns that SU fans have. Some fans are just tired of the "same old song and dance" of the last 15 years and find it hard to have any faith and then there are those fans that believe Dino and company are the key to success. The bottom line is that all SU fans just want to win and be relevant again. I have said before that I feel bad for the younger fans that didn't get to experience the 80s/90s but maybe I'm wrong in thinking that because those of us that lived through those times know how great it is to be relevant. Maybe it is harder on us older fans.
 
A low D1 team... who will likely go 8-4. I think many on the board see that MTSU isn't P5 so they assume it's a terrible loss. I believe it's a bad loss because you need to win that game at home. But there are a few P5 teams that if we lost to at home IMO would be worse. MTSU has a talented team but there's no excuse, you have to win that game.
 
A low D1 team... who will likely go 8-4. I think many on the board see that MTSU isn't P5 so they assume it's a terrible loss. I believe it's a bad loss because you need to win that game at home. But there are a few P5 teams that if we lost to at home IMO would be worse. MTSU has a talented team but there's no excuse, you have to win that game.

Correct. I think this staff needs to really sell me on the idea that football isn't gimmicky. It's blocking/tackling/technique. The schemes that Babers run are gimmicky. Gimmicks can work if the techniques are in place and taught correctly.

The more plugged in guys can fill me in if Dino's assistants are competent enough to be teaching the techniques that will be needed to go full gimmick.
 
Correct. I think this staff needs to really sell me on the idea that football isn't gimmicky. It's blocking/tackling/technique. The schemes that Babers run are gimmicky. Gimmicks can work if the techniques are in place and taught correctly.

The more plugged in guys can fill me in if Dino's assistants are competent enough to be teaching the techniques that will be needed to go full gimmick.

Yeah absolutely. I think this offense has the ability to beat a big boy but also lose a game it shouldn't. If Dino is a guy who is around for 10 years I think this game will be his worst loss. Can't see him or them slipping like this again. I can be proved wrong Saturday but I better not be
 
Correct. I think this staff needs to really sell me on the idea that football isn't gimmicky. It's blocking/tackling/technique. The schemes that Babers run are gimmicky. Gimmicks can work if the techniques are in place and taught correctly.

The more plugged in guys can fill me in if Dino's assistants are competent enough to be teaching the techniques that will be needed to go full gimmick.
very good posts - I think for me the jury is out on whether Dino's spread works on a regular basis in the ACC where in our best recruiting years we will be facing a talent gap at nearly every position. I think the scheme could help us get over the hump with peer ACC programs but may fall short against the good programs. The novelty of the spread is wearing off and as someone posted in another thread - we don't run it as fast as some other schools. Like you said we still need to be able to block, tackle, and cover.
 
Correct. I think this staff needs to really sell me on the idea that football isn't gimmicky. It's blocking/tackling/technique. The schemes that Babers run are gimmicky. Gimmicks can work if the techniques are in place and taught correctly.

The more plugged in guys can fill me in if Dino's assistants are competent enough to be teaching the techniques that will be needed to go full gimmick.

I think we've already seen a huge jump in our WR play technique-wise. I also think ED has improved some in this area too. Jury is out on RB/OL.

The D played pretty well last week. I was encouraged until the 4th Q.

I will say that the use of the word "gimmick" belies a bit of 90's bias. This style of offense is pretty much everywhere (tempo, quick passes to replicate a run game, spreading out the D).
 
I think we've already seen a huge jump in our WR play technique-wise. I also think ED has improved some in this area too. Jury is out on RB/OL.

The D played pretty well last week. I was encouraged until the 4th Q.

I will say that the use of the word "gimmick" belies a bit of 90's bias. This style of offense is pretty much everywhere (tempo, quick passes to replicate a run game, spreading out the D).
Good post except, IMO Dungey is no better, maybe worse, than he was as a freshman. I don't see any improvement in some areas as you state. Can you be more specific because I may be missing it.
 
Good post except, IMO Dungey is no better, maybe worse, than he was as a freshman. I don't see any improvement in some areas as you state. Can you be more specific because I may be missing it.

It's a modest improvement, but def not worse.

2015 under Shafer
Yards per pass: 7.4
completion %: 59.7%
11 TD, 5 INT, 1298 yards in 8 games
Passing rating: 136.56
91 attempts, 3.86 Rushing yards per attempt, 43 yards per game, 5 TD

2016 under Babers, year 1
Yards per pass: 7.5
completion %: 64.8%
15 TD, 7 INT, 2679 yards in 9 games
Passing rating: 138.18
125 attempts, 2.34 Rushing yards per attempt, 32 yards per game, 6 TD

2017* under Babers, year 2
Yards per pass: 6.5
completion %: 69.2%
3 TD, 1 INT, 508 yards in 2 games
Passing rating: 134.07
28 attempts, 3.71 Rushing yards per attempt, 52 yards per game, 3 TD

*2 games is a small sample size - one was vs FCS

I think he's more accurate with short/med routes. Still lacks zip. Has always been pretty good at the deep ball.
 
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It's a modest improvement, but def not worse.

2015 under Shafer
Yards per pass: 7.4
completion %: 59.7%
11 TD, 5 INT, 1298 yards in 8 games
Passing rating: 136.56
91 attempts, 3.86 Rushing yards per attempt, 43 yards per game, 5 TD

2016 under Babers, year 1
Yards per pass: 7.5
completion %: 64.8%
15 TD, 7 INT, 2679 yards in 9 games
Passing rating: 138.18
125 attempts, 2.34 Rushing yards per attempt, 32 yards per game, 6 TD

2017* under Babers, year 2
Yards per pass: 6.5
completion %: 69.2%
3 TD, 1 INT, 508 yards in 2 games
Passing rating: 134.07
28 attempts, 3.71 Rushing yards per attempt, 52 yards per game, 3 TD

*2 games is a small sample size - one was vs FCS

I think he's more accurate with short/med routes. Still lacks zip. Has always been pretty good at the deep ball.
Thanks for the info and good points. I'm holding out on the deep ball for a bit because I think the WR bail him out quite a bit.
 

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