Losing our starting QB mid-season. Are we literally cursed? | Syracusefan.com
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Losing our starting QB mid-season. Are we literally cursed?

Eric15

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I find it hard to believe that any over P4 program has had as bad of luck than we have over the past decade in terms of losing our starting QB and having it completely derail our season. In 8 out of the past 11 seasons, our starting QB getting hurt has completely ephed the entire season due to not having a serviceable backup.

2014: we started 2-3 with Terrell Hunt, who vacillated between being average and good. He went down midseason, and we had to start AJ Long and Austin Wilson who were not equipped to play at this level at all -- we finished 3-9.

2015: Dungey went down in early November. Zach Mahoney played hard and unfortunately had to deal with playing #8 LSU and #1 Clemson and didn't do anything wrong, but it was obviously a step down from Dungey's talent. We finished 4-8.

2016: Dungey went down at Clemson when we were 4-4. Mahoney and Austin Wilson started the rest of the way -- we didn't win again and finished 4-8.

2017: Dungey went down in early November when we were 4-5. Mahoney and Rex Culpepper started the rest of the way -- we didn't win again and finished 4-8.

2020: Covid year, total disaster QB wise. Some Tommy, some Rex, some Morgan.

2022: We started 6-0 with a healthy Garrett and were an eyelash from one of the biggest wins in program history at Clemson in Game 7. From late October until the rest of the season, we start a combination of CDRW who wasn't functional talent-wise and Garrett who wasn't functional health wise. Lost 6 out of our last 7 games.

2023: We started 4-0 with a healthy Garrett. He takes an awkward shot against Clemson and is never the same the rest of the year. Dysfunctional QB play with Villari and CDRW and Garrett doing in-game back flips. Lost 7 out of our last 9 games.

2025: We start 3-1 with Angeli. Rickie is obviously a massive step down in talent and pocket awareness.

Whether it's Shafer or Dino or Fran, there's just something about SU football coaches that aren't particularly good (with the exception of Tommy/Dungey together and then Tommy/Garrett) of having a #2 who can actually play.
 
you can find a ton of teams that struggle when the backups come in as well. But you wont find many who have lost this many over a decade.
 
The commonality is that most of those cases are Dungey and Schraeder, QBs who played recklessly and took a ton of huge hits.

Needless to say, Angeli doesn’t fit that mold.

But if you’re reliant on QBs who’s M.O. is to hurl themselves all over the field to be successful, then it stands to reason that they’re going to get hurt eventually.
 
No, we're not cursed.

But I'll note this didn't really happen in the Big East. End of the day we're currently a Mid-Pack ACC team that wants to be a front runner ACC team. Killer QB play is a shortcut to get there; we can pull one top tier QB but we don't have the resources or draw or whatever for two. That's pretty much limited to schools that have 80k+ average attendance.

Common denominator of all those injuries has been quarterbacks being called on to do too much; you're always going to risk injury doing that. Even Steve. I know it was an open field injury, but a.) he's was taking all kinds of licks all season, b.) he had to scramble, and c.) it sure does look like it was a compounding issue from the earlier lower leg hit.
 
When the Israelites sinned at Mount Sinai, the Lord made them wander the desert for 40 years before leading them to the Promised Land.

It's only been 21 years since we hired GRob.

We're gonna have sand in our underwear for a while longer.
 
No, we're not cursed.

But I'll note this didn't really happen in the Big East. End of the day we're currently a Mid-Pack ACC team that wants to be a front runner ACC team. Killer QB play is a shortcut to get there; we can pull one top tier QB but we don't have the resources or draw or whatever for two. That's pretty much limited to schools that have 80k+ average attendance.

Common denominator of all those injuries has been quarterbacks being called on to do too much; you're always going to risk injury doing that. Even Steve. I know it was an open field injury, but a.) he's was taking all kinds of licks all season, b.) he had to scramble, and c.) it sure does look like it was a compounding issue from the earlier lower leg hit.
Did McCord even have a limp in any game last year?
 
Did McCord even have a limp in any game last year?
His most dangerous moment was during the bowl game. Not sure if anyone remembers this but against Washington State there was a play where a defender almost caused his knee to cave but he somehow wiggled out of it. Major close call.
 
When the Israelites sinned at Mount Sinai, the Lord made them wander the desert for 40 years before leading them to the Promised Land.

It's only been 21 years since we hired GRob.

We're gonna have sand in our underwear for a while longer.
But what about Pat Dye, or Chris Gedney? Don't those set the date back further? 🤞
 

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