My thoughts on the upcoming season

[cuseguy]

No road winds means no problem slinging the rock!

Good one!

Just noticed my typo.

Well, with no running game, slinging the rock will be a high priority.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Good one!

Just noticed my typo.

Well, with no running game, slinging the rock will be a high priority.

I mean we have other scholarship guys.

Jordan and Pierre might not even get the bulk of the carries. Tucker or Lutz could end up grabbing the every down back job.

 

[TheCusian]

With out top two backs opting out, 4-7 is probably the ceiling for this team. Wins are likely Liberty, Georgia Tech, maybe BC and another. No road winds.

I can’t bring myself to make any predictions. Too many weird 2020 variables.

 

[TexanMark]

I can’t bring myself to make any predictions. Too many weird 2020 variables.

This...power polls and ratings will be way off this year. Teams will fluctuate as the season progresses. I could see Cuse winning 8 games or 2 games... UNC is just the first chapter.

 

[elimunelson]

I can’t bring myself to make any predictions. Too many weird 2020 variables.

I could see us winning 8 and winning 1. The bigger teams I think will be in for a bigger surprise when they are confronted with no homefield advantage, school spirit industrial complex at these larger state schools.

I have no idea how it plays out but I suspect there is going to be a major major surprise and it will probably be a result of a very organized coach leading an underachieving team to more wins than expected.

FWIW, i'm banging the cuse + whatever points vs UNC. Always take the points in game one when there is uncertainty in the water. UNC feels like us last year.

 

[Qbobby]

I sort of agree with that. I think the line was somewhere around 17? I'll take that and run. Road opener, no fans. I like the new defensive scheme and LOVE our DBs.

I just think 17 in this spot is too much to lay.

 

[FasterCuse]

I'm going 8-3. Dramatically improved offensive performance this year with Gilbert adding a few wrinkles and brainstorming with Dino, and the defense can't be any worse than it was last year. I think the O-Line improves dramatically with the increased weight they have put on this year which allows us to have a running game, which in turn opens up the field for TD. Lastly, with SU's COVID protocols I could see us having, on average, more available players each week than our opponents which will help us steal a game at some point this season.

 

[sutomcat]

With out top two backs opting out, 4-7 is probably the ceiling for this team. Wins are likely Liberty, Georgia Tech, maybe BC and another. No road winds.

It will be interesting to see what affect it has on the team. Adams and Howard had the most experience but haven’t shown much production in their playing time to date. Both were big guys who lacked that extra gear you would like in an RB.

I think we lose something with pass blocking but gain some speed and play making ability.

IMHO, for this team to be successful, Jordan needs to touch the ball a lot. Was worried with 3 veterans ahead of him at RB, that wasn’t going to happen. It should now. If he is as special as I think he is, the opt outs were the best thing that could have happened to this team.

There is going to be a lot more speed and play making ability on the offense with the skilled guys this season. We didn’t have a big WR last season, we had 2 relatively slow guys playing the slot (Riley and an injured Nykeim). I like a healthy Nykeim, Sharod Johnson and future star Courtney Jackson so much better than those who. This season, Jordan and Benson will play prominent roles in the offense. Add in Harris and Hackett, a year older, stronger and better, Queeley, Hendrix and a bunch of talented frosh and I see our skilled positions being far better than they were last season. With the upgrades In size and speed, we are going to be so much harder to defend this season. Add in the major upgrade at OC and all the experience Tommy gained last season, and his ability this season to keep defenses honest running the ball, and the offense is going to be much better than last season.

Provided we have a decent OL. Fingers crossed for no more injuries to those guys.

 

[PhatOrange]

It will be interesting to see what affect it has on the team. Adams and Howard had the most experience but haven’t shown much production in their playing time to date. Both were big guys who lacked that extra gear you would like in an RB.

I think we lose something with pass blocking but gain some speed and play making ability.

IMHO, for this team to be successful, Jordan needs to touch the ball a lot. Was worried with 3 veterans ahead of him at RB, that wasn’t going to happen. It should now. If he is as special as I think he is, the opt outs were the best thing that could have happened to this team.

There is going to be a lot more speed and play making ability on the offense with the skilled guys this season. We didn’t have a big WR last season, we had 2 relatively slow guys playing the slot (Riley and an injured Nykeim). I like a healthy Nykeim, Sharod Johnson and future star Courtney Jackson so much better than those who. This season, Jordan and Benson will play prominent roles in the offense. Add in Harris and Hackett, a year older, stronger and better, Queeley, Hendrix and a bunch of talented frosh and I see our skilled positions being far better than they were last season. With the upgrades In size and speed, we are going to be so much harder to defend this season. Add in the major upgrade at OC and all the experience Tommy gained last season, and his ability this season to keep defenses honest running the ball, and the offense is going to be much better than last season.

Provided we have a decent OL. Fingers crossed for no more injuries to those guys.

Agreed sutomcat. It really remains to be seen if we lose anything at RB. They surely - imo - don't dictate our season. If we were losing Mungro or Reyes or Delone Carter I'd be more concerned but Adams and Howard haven't had enough carries to produce enough for me to be concerned yet. RB is usually the easiest hole to fill. The 2 pups could be more talented. If Pierre doesn't have any ball control issues then lets see what he has. He was good enough to warrant carries his freshman year before his fumbles. That's correctable.

 

[bnoro]

Definitely not going to get hung up on Jarveon & Abdul opting out, I remember when Antwon Bailey came in as a true freshman and ran for 125 yards against ND. I have high hopes on Tucker as he was one of my favorite recruits in the class, and Jawhar & Markenzy have both flashed their talent. Would much rather have this issue at RB than any other position.

 

[Atlcuse44]

It is not the same but I am grateful that I can watch some football. The pagentry, fans, tailgates, etc won't be there but i'll take what I can get.

Love this time of year: cooler weather (hopefully soon here in GA, tired of the endless 90 degree high humidity days), football, fall colors and even Halloween.

We all need an escape from all of the negativity and bad news out there. I just hope that we do not continue to see the insidious tentacles of politics intertwine with topics on this board and elsewhere in sports. Sports are my escape from that nonsense.

 

[Orijinal]

I'm going 8-3. Dramatically improved offensive performance this year with Gilbert adding a few wrinkles and brainstorming with Dino, and the defense can't be any worse than it was last year. I think the O-Line improves dramatically with the increased weight they have put on this year which allows us to have a running game, which in turn opens up the field for TD. Lastly, with SU's COVID protocols I could see us having, on average, more available players each week than our opponents which will help us steal a game at some point this season.

I like your thinking. Let's get this show on the road

 

[Orijinal]

It will be interesting to see what affect it has on the team. Adams and Howard had the most experience but haven’t shown much production in their playing time to date. Both were big guys who lacked that extra gear you would like in an RB.

I think we lose something with pass blocking but gain some speed and play making ability.

IMHO, for this team to be successful, Jordan needs to touch the ball a lot. Was worried with 3 veterans ahead of him at RB, that wasn’t going to happen. It should now. If he is as special as I think he is, the opt outs were the best thing that could have happened to this team.

There is going to be a lot more speed and play making ability on the offense with the skilled guys this season. We didn’t have a big WR last season, we had 2 relatively slow guys playing the slot (Riley and an injured Nykeim). I like a healthy Nykeim, Sharod Johnson and future star Courtney Jackson so much better than those who. This season, Jordan and Benson will play prominent roles in the offense. Add in Harris and Hackett, a year older, stronger and better, Queeley, Hendrix and a bunch of talented frosh and I see our skilled positions being far better than they were last season. With the upgrades In size and speed, we are going to be so much harder to defend this season. Add in the major upgrade at OC and all the experience Tommy gained last season, and his ability this season to keep defenses honest running the ball, and the offense is going to be much better than last season.

Provided we have a decent OL. Fingers crossed for no more injuries to those guys.

You guys need to stop! My heart can't take this anymore! There's still a week left before game 1! Somebody help me! The exclamation points won't stop!!!

 

[griddy]

It will be interesting to see what affect it has on the team. Adams and Howard had the most experience but haven’t shown much production in their playing time to date. Both were big guys who lacked that extra gear you would like in an RB.

I think we lose something with pass blocking but gain some speed and play making ability.

IMHO, for this team to be successful, Jordan needs to touch the ball a lot. Was worried with 3 veterans ahead of him at RB, that wasn’t going to happen. It should now. If he is as special as I think he is, the opt outs were the best thing that could have happened to this team.

There is going to be a lot more speed and play making ability on the offense with the skilled guys this season. We didn’t have a big WR last season, we had 2 relatively slow guys playing the slot (Riley and an injured Nykeim). I like a healthy Nykeim, Sharod Johnson and future star Courtney Jackson so much better than those who. This season, Jordan and Benson will play prominent roles in the offense. Add in Harris and Hackett, a year older, stronger and better, Queeley, Hendrix and a bunch of talented frosh and I see our skilled positions being far better than they were last season. With the upgrades In size and speed, we are going to be so much harder to defend this season. Add in the major upgrade at OC and all the experience Tommy gained last season, and his ability this season to keep defenses honest running the ball, and the offense is going to be much better than last season.

Provided we have a decent OL. Fingers crossed for no more injuries to those guys.

Excellent analysis. One thing I’m looking forward to seeing is our linebackers. They’re bigger and stronger than we’ve had recently, and they’re hard hitters. Looking forward to them giving opposing RBs, TEs and QBs something to think about. We’ve really needed guys that not only can make tackles, but who deliver devastating hits like we had a couple years ago against Clemson. Our DBackfield obviously has plenty of talent and I like our top defensive linemen, though depth always been an issue there.
As for running backs, Howard was reliably productive, a damn hard runner who will not easily be replaced. But high hopes for Pierre, who is talented and has worked his ass off, as well as Jordan and Lutz, who may surprise. Chris Elmore has been almost forgotten, but he’s an outstanding, team-first football player who is going to have a big role.
This team has really been disrespected by the pundits. But there is only one way for them to prove the critics wrong, and I’m hoping they bring the fire, chip on their shoulder attitude and focused aggression to do just that.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Regarding this season I think there is a 50% chance the whole thing will fall apart at some point. I think there is a 30% chance that several ACC games will be cancelled and therefore a number of teams in the conference will play an uneven number of games. Figuring out the standings could get interesting. Maybe a 20% chance of everybody in the ACC playing a full season. Could be wrong but I don't think so.

As for SU, who knows. In a non-Covid season I firmly feel Dino would have to finish above .500 this year. Make no mistake: when a team fires both the OC and DC at the same time it is NEVER a good sign within a program. This is not a case of "Dino is not afraid to make changes" ...it is a case of much more than that.

Not sure how we will handle the changes on D. As for the O, every concern I had at the end of the year is still there and they are not ALL about the OL.

 

[Redrum]

I mean we have other scholarship guys.

Jordan and Pierre might not even get the bulk of the carries. Tucker or Lutz could end up grabbing the every down back job.

Jordan 1 Pierre 2 tiucker 3

 

[SWC75]

Right now it seems like a scrimmage in preparation for the 2021 season but once we get into it will seem real enough. I doubt the season will produce anything like a valid national champion in the eyes of history but I doubt that will impact SU as, like most teams, we are just trying to get better than we were last year.

 

[SoBristol]

As for SU, who knows. In a non-Covid season I firmly feel Dino would have to finish above .500 this year. Make no mistake: when a team fires both the OC and DC at the same time it is NEVER a good sign within a program. This is not a case of "Dino is not afraid to make changes" ...it is a case of much more than that.

Not sure how we will handle the changes on D. As for the O, every concern I had at the end of the year is still there and they are not ALL about the OL.

Sure, 2019 was a big disappointment, after a 10 win season with Dungey. Try to put it in context, and don’t forget the highs of 2018. Then, we entered 2019 with a QB who had started 0 games, new OTs who weren’t ready, running OL try-outs and adjustments into late August.

Entering this season, we can be “not sure” about the D or anything else, but at least give a nod to areas where we are definitely better than last season. In addition to QB and OL, the front trio of Black, Williams, and Jonathan is a solid, senior group, and we have DBs that form a unit with a lot of experience & good size.

 

[Steelerswan]

I sort of agree with that. I think the line was somewhere around 17? I'll take that and run. Road opener, no fans. I like the new defensive scheme and LOVE our DBs.

I just think 17 in this spot is too much to lay.

Agree, think about it from UNCs perspective:
They are coming in with zero film with new systems on both sides of the ball and that is scary for coaches and players in a sport that is so dependent on schemes and study. UNC could be just lining up and playing fb for a quarter or 2 looking for quick learns and trends and then make adjustments. This could keep us in the game.

 

[Steelerswan]

Excellent analysis. One thing I’m looking forward to seeing is our linebackers. They’re bigger and stronger than we’ve had recently, and they’re hard hitters. Looking forward to them giving opposing RBs, TEs and QBs something to think about. We’ve really needed guys that not only can make tackles, but who deliver devastating hits like we had a couple years ago against Clemson. Our DBackfield obviously has plenty of talent and I like our top defensive linemen, though depth always been an issue there.
As for running backs, Howard was reliably productive, a damn hard runner who will not easily be replaced. But high hopes for Pierre, who is talented and has worked his ass off, as well as Jordan and Lutz, who may surprise. Chris Elmore has been almost forgotten, but he’s an outstanding, team-first football player who is going to have a big role.
This team has really been disrespected by the pundits. But there is only one way for them to prove the critics wrong, and I’m hoping they bring the fire, chip on their shoulder attitude and focused aggression to do just that.

I agree with most of your take but not about Elmore. Not sure just what that role is minus short yardage situations. Even there, the use of a lead back these days is less used and he has proven he cant play dl or te. We need to become more dynamic on O and trying to FIND a spot for him on O is a tough endeavor. Our ribs have some nice physicality and could do well on their own.

 

[griddy]

I agree with most of your take but not about Elmore. Not sure just what that role is minus short yardage situations. Even there, the use of a lead back these days is less used and he has proven he cant play dl or te. We need to become more dynamic on O and trying to FIND a spot for him on O is a tough endeavor. Our ribs have some nice physicality and could do well on their own.

Trust me. There’s a reason why his teammates and his coaches say he is a hell of a football player. And they are going to get him in a position where he is most needed.

 

[Steelerswan]

Trust me. There’s a reason why his teammates and his coaches say he is a hell of a football player. And they are going to get him in a position where he is most needed.

I don't doubt he is a good fb player, he just doesn't have a position. If he was a baseball player, he would be a utility player. 20-30 years ago when teams lined up in the I formation, he was more valuable.

 

[griddy]

I don't doubt he is a good fb player, he just doesn't have a position. If he was a baseball player, he would be a utility player. 20-30 years ago when teams lined up in the I formation, he was more valuable.

Sports are great because we all get our own take. I respect that. Just hate seeing a great kid disparaged because what he does isn’t obvious in the box score, but it is in the film room. He’s a ferocious and skillful blocker and he weighs around 300 pounds. He’s a winner. The team, generally, is better when he’s on the field. The coaches call him Rhino for a reason.

 

[Steelerswan]

Sports are great because we all get our own take. I respect that. Just hate seeing a great kid disparaged because what he does isn’t obvious in the box score, but it is in the film room. He’s a ferocious and skillful blocker and he weighs around 300 pounds. He’s a winner. The team, generally, is better when he’s on the field. The coaches call him Rhino for a reason.

Well said and yes, he is a great kid and team leader. Love him in certain situational packages but think we are a better O in a 1 back set and 4 receivers.

 

[AAM62]

Jordan 1 Pierre 2 tiucker 3

Jordan getting carries probably means they start moving away from the garbage 0 yard A gap dives every first down? One can hope.