One Man's Opinion pt. 1

[Finwad32]

I have stayed off this board, largely, for the past 3 weeks. I've witnessed the team I had great personal hopes for circle the drain for the majority of September and the ACC Home Opener. Throughout all of this, I've made the following observations and have decided to put finger to keyboard.

From a coaching standpoint: I've been told, from multiple people that have at the very least direct knowledge of the inside coaching workings, that confidence in McDonald was never high from some on staff, and frustrations were coming to a boiling point. People with very sound football minds that I've spoken with consistently have adamantly told me they simply just dont think he was ready for a Coordinator position.
George McDonald may be extremely diligent, intelligent and a tireless worker, this does not make a quality Offensive Coordinator. I've sat in film rooms with George, and personally liked what I heard. Conversely, being able to show something on tape and elaborate on philosophies does not mean that you can translate it to play-calling in the midst of a game. Gameday play-calling is a different beast, and, I've seen numerous times, guys that have it and guys that just don't. Some of the most intelligent people I've worked with struggle to call plays. This is not to say that George's offense and/or philosophies were not sound. I know they were. I know where they came from. I know how they're utilized. I know that he knew how they're utilized. I know that he knew what he was trying to attack. Unfortunately, at this point, I dont think he knew how to attack within the ebb and flow of a game situation.
There were countless times this season where I scratched my head about play calls. Furthermore, was downright pissed off about some of them because of my fandom. Granted, I don't know what they saw on film all week and thought they could expose, but situationally, there were multiple times this season where things just didn't make sense. Obviously, I'm not in the minority as Head Coach Scott Shafer did what I believe he had to do.
Scott Shafer must've struggled tremendously with this decision. He has said to the media it was a day-by-day approach. This is not true. The hand writing has been on the wall and the leash was extended as far as the coach was willing to extend it. HCSS gave an individual he was extremely comfortable with an opportunity to succeed, unfortunately, that opportunity has not yet been grasped. Knowing how much these guys care for one another, and dropped other opportunities to come work with one another, business or not, the relationships will have to suffer. It's only human nature no matter how many cliches you throw at it.
All this being said, what choice did SS have? In the media and on this fanboard, SS is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. A change needed to be made and he made it. And I respect him because he put friendship and loyalty aside for the betterment of Syracuse Football. Regardless if you're happy with this season's outcome to this point, SS should have at least gained some respect in your eyes as a man. He realized his decision to put GM at OC was backfiring and he acted swiftly and decisively and owned it.

 

[Finwad32]

Offense - Pt. 2

From a player standpoint: Whoever you like, whoever you dont like doesn't matter. These coaches are going to put who they believe is the best player on the field no matter what. Opinions from different coaches may differ, but, resolutions are come to. That being said, I believe our talent level is at the very least on par with our peers. I'm sick of hearing how we're just outmanned. We have big, fast and strong athletes just like the majority of the country. The top 10% of schools split 80% of the elites coming out of high school. The rest of us have a roster filled with a majority of like kind and quality players.
Where and how the players are positioned accounts for the most. You set your offense and defense to your strengths and move forward.
QB: Terrell Hunt was our best option, but, Terrell Hunt didn't get the job done. He doesn't progress through his reads well, lacks arm strength and accuracy and is an adequate runner. That's what he is. Austin Wilson has the superior arm and can run pieces of our offense. Long has the legs that we need to extend plays with our sub par blocking (from an experienced group, which tells me technique and philosophy are lacking) but lacks arm strength, and significantly. Mitch Kimble is a mix of both, and is probably best suited to run this offense in Terrell's absence. We will find out exactly what we have in all of them on the back half of the schedule.
RB: Prince Tyson Gulley is and always has been overrated. He's at best a 3rd down back. Adonis Ameen Moore, no matter how much someone loves a power back is a detrament to our offense. GMII, DM are currently our best backs. Erv is our shiftiest guy with the highest gear. Don't tell me that GMII went from a back that guys with loads of NFL experience drooled over to a 4th stringer on an underachieving offense. Your skills dont erode at the age of 20. It's the positions they've been put in that have lead to their lack of productivity.
WR: Biggest underachievers are who we thought were going to be our saviors. AB might be our best athlete, his hands are a hindrance at best. Jarrod West is lengthy with good hands, doesn't change the fact that he runs a 4.8-4.9 40. Flemming should've been the a Safety. Ben Lewis, Steve Ishmael, Alvin Cornelius, Quinta, Bristly and Avant are our best WR's. Custis could be a great TE, if utilized correctly. Stretch the field. We do not have the athleticism outside of Bristly to run the BOB/Hank/Screen game.

OL: I will not believe that a group of guys who were borderline dominant at times last year, forgot how to block and drive. You need to put your players in a position to make blocks and expose weaknesses/openings. This is directly attributed to the OL Coach and his communication with the OC.

 

[javadoc]

Enjoyed reading that, thanks.

I have often wondered if there is an analogous training exercise or drill that they run for QB's. Understanding what defenses show you and what they are susceptible to is a critical skill for a QB to have, and it has to be a snap decision at the LOS. I would think that you sit the QB down with someone who will call a play, and someone else who will call a defensive alignment (without knowing what each is going to decide). Show the QB what the field looks like from his perspective on a big TV, and have him talk quickly - as quickly as he can - about what he sees and how he is going to attack it. Drill it over and over so that pre-snap awareness becomes a strength. Is that something that is done?

 

[FAL]

Offense - Pt. 2

From a player standpoint: Whoever you like, whoever you dont like doesn't matter. These coaches are going to put who they believe is the best player on the field no matter what. Opinions from different coaches may differ, but, resolutions are come to. That being said, I believe our talent level is at the very least on par with our peers. I'm sick of hearing how we're just outmanned. We have big, fast and strong athletes just like the majority of the country. The top 10% of schools split 80% of the elites coming out of high school. The rest of us have a roster filled with a majority of like kind and quality players.
Where and how the players are positioned accounts for the most. You set your offense and defense to your strengths and move forward.
QB: Terrell Hunt was our best option, but, Terrell Hunt didn't get the job done. He doesn't progress through his reads well, lacks arm strength and accuracy and is an adequate runner. That's what he is. Austin Wilson has the superior arm and can run pieces of our offense. Long has the legs that we need to extend plays with our sub par blocking (from an experienced group, which tells me technique and philosophy are lacking) but lacks are strenght, and significantly. Mitch Kimble is a mix of both, and is probably best suited to run this offense in Terrell's absence. We will find out exactly what we have in all of them on the back half of the schedule.
RB: Prince Tyson Gulley is and always has been overrated. He's at best a 3rd down back. Adonis Ameen Moore, no matter how much someone loves a power back is a detrament to our offense. GMII, DM are currently our best backs. Erv is our shiftiest guy with the highest gear. Don't tell me that GMII went from a back that guys with loads of NFL experience drooled over to a 4th stringer on an underachieving offense. Your skills dont erode at the age of 20. It's the positions they've been put in that have lead to their lack of productivity.
WR: Biggest underachievers are who we thought were going to be our saviors. AB might be our best athlete, his hands our a hindrance at best. Jarrod West is lengthy with good hands, doesn't change the fact that he runs a 4.8-4.9 40. Flemming should've been the a Safety. Ben Lewis, Steve Ishmael, Alvin Cornelius, Quinta, Bristly and Avant are our best WR's. Custis could be a great TE, if utilized correctly. Stretch the field. We do not have the athleticism outside of Bristly to run the BOB/Hank/Screen game.

OL: I will not believe that a group of guys who were borderline dominant at times last year, forgot how to block and drive. You need to put your players in a position to make blocks and expose weaknesses/openings. This is directly attributed to the OL Coach and his communication with the OC.

Hope somebody beyond the homies on this board read your comments!

 

[Finwad32]

Defense - Pt. 3

This has been the strength of our team during SS's tenure as HC and DC. Unequivocally and without a doubt, they have not been sub par this year. They singlehandedly kept the Notre Dame game respectable and from my standpoint the Louisville game as well. Furthermore, the Maryland game. The Terps have a more than serviceable offense, we held them to a respectable point total that should've been easily topped with 600 yards of offense. I put together some strong posts after the Maryland game that were ultimately deleted because of the thread they were apart of. To get to the point, IMO, the hand-writing has been on the wall in regards to our offense.

DL - More than adequate considering what we were expecting coming into this season. RW and MR are serviceable DE's. They do not have all world talent but they can hold their position, contain and collapse a pocket. No they're not Jadeveon Clowney, but they are adequate. Isaiah Johnson has been a disappointment IMO. I thought he would develop quickly, he has not. Ron Thompson is our best DLineman and should be on the edge. Our lack of interior players has forced him to DT out of necessity, this it too bad for Ron. Crume has done what is expected of him and done it well.

LB: In my book, solid but underachieving as a group. Cam Lynch, who probably has the least of the athletic ability out of the group has maximized his potential and done well. Yes he gets beat in pass coverage, but, that's due to physical limitations and not understanding or effort. Dyshawn Davis has underachieved. I've hardly noticed him this year. Wasn't he our stalwart? Marquez Hodge is developing nicely and doing a more than adequate job given his age and stature. The 2nd units have done just fine. Arcienega is what he is, a run stopping Mike who can't get sideline to sideline. Josh Kirkland is a tweener with great speed and not enough size. The younger guys hopefully come along, the talent is there.

DB: I've read of guys who've been critical of Brandon Reddish. I dont know what you're watching, he is without a doubt our best cover man. It's not close. That doesn't make him a great player but it does make him our best. Julian Whigham I had very high hopes for, he has underachieved. He's probably best suited for a Nickel role at this point in his career. Wayne Morgan is out of position. He has all the physical tools sans height but is asked to do things that our not in his best interest because of a lack of depth. Derelle Eskridge is a great talent, he will continue to be in the NFL. I just hope that someone can teach him the finer points of the game. Darius Kelly is fine, adequate/serviceable whatever you want to call it. Don't worry, help is on the way.

 

[Finwad32]

Enjoyed reading that, thanks.

I have often wondered if there is an analogous training exercise or drill that they run for QB's. Understanding what defenses show you and what they are susceptible to is a critical skill for a QB to have, and it has to be a snap decision at the LOS. I would think that you sit the QB down with someone who will call a play, and someone else who will call a defensive alignment (without knowing what each is going to decide). Show the QB what the field looks like from his perspective on a big TV, and have him talk quickly - as quickly as he can - about what he sees and how he is going to attack it. Drill it over and over so that pre-snap awareness becomes a strength. Is that something that is done?

At my level, where our time is severely limited, we do it to the best of our ability within our constraints. We'll have a portion of practice, typically our offensive installation day, where we throw out a skeleton D (linebackers and secondary) and walk through our plays and their progressions. Then we'll jog through it, finally running them full speed. That way the quarterback sees his progressions, and how they develop, slowly at first so they can gain an understanding of how the defense moves and reacts. Then once they feel comfortable with their looks, rep them faster and faster so that they're ready for game speed.

We teach our QB's to recognize defensive fronts and alignments from Day 1 in the Spring. Then as we move along show them tendencies. For instance (Cornerback A shows blitz then backs off) on a week to week basis.

I would imagine that with the time alotted at the D-I level that they drill this home extensively in film review and study sessions so that when they hit the field, making the reads becomes second nature and reps are maximized.

 

[jr4750]

Defense - Pt. 3

This has been the strength of our team during SS's tenure as HC and DC. Unequivocally and without a doubt, they have not been sub par this year. They singlehandedly kept the Notre Dame game respectable and from my standpoint the Louisville game as well. Furthermore, the Maryland game. The Terps have a more than serviceable offense, we held them to a respectable point total that should've been easily topped with 600 yards of offense. I put together some strong posts after the Maryland game that were ultimately deleted because of the thread they were apart of. To get to the point, IMO, the hand-writing has been on the wall in regards to our offense.

DL - More than adequate considering what we were expecting coming into this season. RW and MR are serviceable DE's. They do not have all world talent but they can hold their position, contain and collapse a pocket. No they're not Jadeveon Clowney, but they are adequate. Isaiah Johnson has been a disappointment IMO. I thought he would develop quickly, he has not. Ron Thompson is our best DLineman and should be on the edge. Our lack of interior players has forced him to DT out of necessity, this it too bad for Ron. Crume has done what is expected of him and done it well.

LB: In my book, solid but underachieving as a group. Cam Lynch, who probably has the least of the athletic ability out of the group has maximized his potential and done well. Yes he gets beat in pass coverage, but, that's due to physical limitations and not understanding or effort. Dyshawn Davis has underachieved. I've hardly noticed him this year. Wasn't he our stalwart? Marquez Hodge is developing nicely and doing a more than adequate job given his age and stature. The 2nd units have done just fine. Arcienega is what he is, a run stopping Mike who can't get sideline to sideline. Josh Kirkland is a tweener with great speed and not enough size. The younger guys hopefully come along, the talent is there.

DB: I've read of guys who've been critical of Brandon Reddish. I dont know what you're watching, he is without a doubt our best cover man. It's not close. That doesn't make him a great player but it does make him our best. Julian Whigham I had very high hopes for, he has underachieved. He's probably best suited for a Nickel role at this point in his career. Wayne Morgan is out of position. He has all the physical tools sans height but is asked to do things that our not in his best interest because of a lack of depth. Derelle Eskridge is a great talent, he will continue to be in the NFL. I just hope that someone can teach him the finer points of the game. Darius Kelly is fine, adequate/serviceable whatever you want to call it. Don't worry, help is on the way.

All that said Finwad32 and said very well, what is to be with this team? Is this a lost year? Can Shaf hold the recruiting class together if GMAC most likely leaves? Can we get destroyed on Saturday and rally to finish the year 4-2 for a 6-6 record? Is optimism within the team gone?

Man, I would have loved a winnable game this week!

 

[supp]

OL: I will not believe that a group of guys who were borderline dominant at times last year, forgot how to block and drive. You need to put your players in a position to make blocks and expose weaknesses/openings. This is directly attributed to the OL Coach and his communication with the OC.

If it's a communication issue, hopefully that will be resolved with Lester in charge of the offense. The two have worked together for years. Not the case with Adam and McD.

 

[javadoc]

At my level, where our time is severely limited, we do it to the best of our ability within our constraints. We'll have a portion of practice, typically our offensive installation day, where we throw out a skeleton D (linebackers and secondary) and walk through our plays and their progressions. Then we'll jog through it, finally running them full speed. That way the quarterback sees his progressions, and how they develop, slowly at first so they can gain an understanding of how the defense moves and reacts. Then once they feel comfortable with their looks, rep them faster and faster so that they're ready for game speed.

We teach our QB's to recognize defensive fronts and alignments from Day 1 in the Spring. Then as we move along show them tendencies. For instance (Cornerback A shows blitz then backs off) on a week to week basis.

I would imagine that with the time alotted at the D-I level that they drill this home extensively in film review and study sessions so that when they hit the field, making the reads becomes second nature and reps are maximized.

Thx for the reply. Makes it all the more frustrating that Hunt audibled into that disastrous safety.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Enjoyed reading that, thanks.

I have often wondered if there is an analogous training exercise or drill that they run for QB's. Understanding what defenses show you and what they are susceptible to is a critical skill for a QB to have, and it has to be a snap decision at the LOS. I would think that you sit the QB down with someone who will call a play, and someone else who will call a defensive alignment (without knowing what each is going to decide). Show the QB what the field looks like from his perspective on a big TV, and have him talk quickly - as quickly as he can - about what he sees and how he is going to attack it. Drill it over and over so that pre-snap awareness becomes a strength. Is that something that is done?

 

[javadoc]

I thought about that while typing!

 

[GoSU96]

I have stayed off this board, largely, for the past 3 weeks. I've witnessed the team I had great personal hopes for circle the drain for the majority of September and the ACC Home Opener. Throughout all of this, I've made the following observations and have decided to put finger to keyboard.

From a coaching standpoint: I've been told, from multiple people that have at the very least direct knowledge of the inside coaching workings, that confidence in McDonald was never high from some on staff, and frustrations were coming to a boiling point. People with very sound football minds that I've spoken with consistently have adamantly told me they simply just dont think he was ready for a Coordinator position.
George McDonald may be extremely diligent, intelligent and a tireless worker, this does not make a quality Offensive Coordinator. I've sat in film rooms with George, and personally liked what I heard. Conversely, being able to show something on tape and elaborate on philosophies does not mean that you can translate it to play-calling in the midst of a game. Gameday play-calling is a different beast, and, I've seen numerous times, guys that have it and guys that just don't. Some of the most intelligent people I've worked with struggle to call plays. This is not to say that George's offense and/or philosophies were not sound. I know they were. I know where they came from. I know how they're utilized. I know that he knew how they're utilized. I know that he knew what he was trying to attack. Unfortunately, at this point, I dont think he knew how to attack within the ebb and flow of a game situation.
There were countless times this season where I scratched my head about play calls. Furthermore, was downright pissed off about some of them because of my fandom. Granted, I don't know what they saw on film all week and thought they could expose, but situationally, there were multiple times this season where things just didn't make sense. Obviously, I'm not in the minority as Head Coach Scott Shafer did what I believe he had to do.
Scott Shafer must've struggled tremendously with this decision. He has said to the media it was a day-by-day approach. This is not true. The hand writing has been on the wall and the leash was extended as far as the coach was willing to extend it. HCSS gave an individual he was extremely comfortable with an opportunity to succeed, unfortunately, that opportunity has not yet been grasped. Knowing how much these guys care for one another, and dropped other opportunities to come work with one another, business or not, the relationships will have to suffer. It's only human nature no matter how many cliches you throw at it.
All this being said, what choice did SS have? In the media and on this fanboard, SS is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. A change needed to be made and he made it. And I respect him because he put friendship and loyalty aside for the betterment of Syracuse Football. Regardless if you're happy with this season's outcome to this point, SS should have at least gained some respect in your eyes as a man. He realized his decision to put GM at OC was backfiring and he acted swiftly and decisively and owned it.

Good stuff.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I thought about that while typing!

Antonio Gates said early in his career that playing Madden helped him to better identifying the coverage he was facing.:noidea:

 

[shu 49]

My biggest ? Is how come Hunt misses more than 50 percent of his zone reads. our hs qb need to be right 70 percent of the time. How or why does he keep the ball when he has two defensive players coming off the edge when he is supposed to be reading that side and starring right at them. If he gives gully would have walked in. It's like they predetermine what they will do. I also don't get not running Morris and mccfarland. I have seen them and they are way more impressive than Moore and gully. They could use the slant to the TE or the number two receiver while the backers bite on zone run instead of a lot of the bubbles. I don't mind bubbles as long as we get 5 yds or more per catch. Lester will make subtle changes that a lot of us will like I'm sure.

 

[statsgrad]

All that said Finwad32 and said very well, what is to be with this team? Is this a lost year? Can Shaf hold the recruiting class together if GMAC most likely leaves? Can we get destroyed on Saturday and rally to finish the year 4-2 for a 6-6 record? Is optimism within the team gone?

Man, I would have loved a winnable game this week!

Who exactly are we worried about losing? Outside of Strickland, who is from NJ and Acosta's recruit as far as I know, all of our offensive recruits are either lightly recruited or offensive linemen. In fact, as far as I can tell we have 0 QB commits and only have 1 commit at the WR position and he is from Missouri -- doesn't exactly sound like McDonald bolting is going to cause a huge number of offensive de-commits from all these great skill players from Florida he was supposedly luring here.

 

[Scooch]

Great posts.

Help me with this part...

The suggestion is that "These coaches are going to put who they believe is the best player on the field no matter what. ". Which makes sense.

But then much of the post about the offense laments that we are playing the wrong RBs and wrong WRs.

So what is it? Does our staff know who to put on the field, or don't they?

 

[JackBauer44]

Offense - Pt. 2

From a player standpoint: Whoever you like, whoever you dont like doesn't matter. These coaches are going to put who they believe is the best player on the field no matter what. Opinions from different coaches may differ, but, resolutions are come to. That being said, I believe our talent level is at the very least on par with our peers. I'm sick of hearing how we're just outmanned. We have big, fast and strong athletes just like the majority of the country. The top 10% of schools split 80% of the elites coming out of high school. The rest of us have a roster filled with a majority of like kind and quality players.
Where and how the players are positioned accounts for the most. You set your offense and defense to your strengths and move forward.
QB: Terrell Hunt was our best option, but, Terrell Hunt didn't get the job done. He doesn't progress through his reads well, lacks arm strength and accuracy and is an adequate runner. That's what he is. Austin Wilson has the superior arm and can run pieces of our offense. Long has the legs that we need to extend plays with our sub par blocking (from an experienced group, which tells me technique and philosophy are lacking) but lacks arm strength, and significantly. Mitch Kimble is a mix of both, and is probably best suited to run this offense in Terrell's absence. We will find out exactly what we have in all of them on the back half of the schedule.
RB: Prince Tyson Gulley is and always has been overrated. He's at best a 3rd down back. Adonis Ameen Moore, no matter how much someone loves a power back is a detrament to our offense. GMII, DM are currently our best backs. Erv is our shiftiest guy with the highest gear. Don't tell me that GMII went from a back that guys with loads of NFL experience drooled over to a 4th stringer on an underachieving offense. Your skills dont erode at the age of 20. It's the positions they've been put in that have lead to their lack of productivity.
WR: Biggest underachievers are who we thought were going to be our saviors. AB might be our best athlete, his hands are a hindrance at best. Jarrod West is lengthy with good hands, doesn't change the fact that he runs a 4.8-4.9 40. Flemming should've been the a Safety. Ben Lewis, Steve Ishmael, Alvin Cornelius, Quinta, Bristly and Avant are our best WR's. Custis could be a great TE, if utilized correctly. Stretch the field. We do not have the athleticism outside of Bristly to run the BOB/Hank/Screen game.

OL: I will not believe that a group of guys who were borderline dominant at times last year, forgot how to block and drive. You need to put your players in a position to make blocks and expose weaknesses/openings. This is directly attributed to the OL Coach and his communication with the OC.

Great stuff. Great, great, stuff. I'd coach with you anyday.

 

[KevMonstah]

Offense - Pt. 2

OL: I will not believe that a group of guys who were borderline dominant at times last year, forgot how to block and drive. You need to put your players in a position to make blocks and expose weaknesses/openings. This is directly attributed to the OL Coach and his communication with the OC.

You might look to the attempts by the team to incorporate yoga and endurance/quickness
to build the stamina to play a hurry up offense instead of focusing on technique and
building strength as a factor.

Kev

 

[Crusty]

I have stayed off this board, largely, for the past 3 weeks. I've witnessed the team I had great personal hopes for circle the drain for the majority of September and the ACC Home Opener. Throughout all of this, I've made the following observations and have decided to put finger to keyboard.

From a coaching standpoint: I've been told, from multiple people that have at the very least direct knowledge of the inside coaching workings, that confidence in McDonald was never high from some on staff, and frustrations were coming to a boiling point. People with very sound football minds that I've spoken with consistently have adamantly told me they simply just dont think he was ready for a Coordinator position.
George McDonald may be extremely diligent, intelligent and a tireless worker, this does not make a quality Offensive Coordinator. I've sat in film rooms with George, and personally liked what I heard. Conversely, being able to show something on tape and elaborate on philosophies does not mean that you can translate it to play-calling in the midst of a game. Gameday play-calling is a different beast, and, I've seen numerous times, guys that have it and guys that just don't. Some of the most intelligent people I've worked with struggle to call plays. This is not to say that George's offense and/or philosophies were not sound. I know they were. I know where they came from. I know how they're utilized. I know that he knew how they're utilized. I know that he knew what he was trying to attack. Unfortunately, at this point, I dont think he knew how to attack within the ebb and flow of a game situation.
There were countless times this season where I scratched my head about play calls. Furthermore, was downright pissed off about some of them because of my fandom. Granted, I don't know what they saw on film all week and thought they could expose, but situationally, there were multiple times this season where things just didn't make sense. Obviously, I'm not in the minority as Head Coach Scott Shafer did what I believe he had to do.
Scott Shafer must've struggled tremendously with this decision. He has said to the media it was a day-by-day approach. This is not true. The hand writing has been on the wall and the leash was extended as far as the coach was willing to extend it. HCSS gave an individual he was extremely comfortable with an opportunity to succeed, unfortunately, that opportunity has not yet been grasped. Knowing how much these guys care for one another, and dropped other opportunities to come work with one another, business or not, the relationships will have to suffer. It's only human nature no matter how many cliches you throw at it.
All this being said, what choice did SS have? In the media and on this fanboard, SS is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. A change needed to be made and he made it. And I respect him because he put friendship and loyalty aside for the betterment of Syracuse Football. Regardless if you're happy with this season's outcome to this point, SS should have at least gained some respect in your eyes as a man. He realized his decision to put GM at OC was backfiring and he acted swiftly and decisively and owned it.

Excellent post.
I have posted before that the toughest thing Shafer had in front of him was firing a friend. It is very painful. He did it, which speaks volumes about his professionalism. I really feel better about the program today than in a long time. He did the right thing and deserves our support - he certainly has mine.

 

[kuethstheman]

To make it more realistic, get the biggest, meanest person you can find to stand behind him and scream that he's going to break every bone in his body in 5...4...3

 

[bevosu]

Finwad32 for offensive coordinator!!

 

[tep624]

Who exactly are we worried about losing? Outside of Strickland, who is from NJ and Acosta's recruit as far as I know, all of our offensive recruits are either lightly recruited or offensive linemen. In fact, as far as I can tell we have 0 QB commits and only have 1 commit at the WR position and he is from Missouri -- doesn't exactly sound like McDonald bolting is going to cause a huge number of offensive de-commits from all these great skill players from Florida he was supposedly luring here.

If you value the staff's ability to identify talent, then we wouldn't want to lose any of our commits. These were all essentially early recruits - guys the staff locked up because they were very high on their list or that they felt were better gambles than waiting on perhaps a more heavily recruited player. I personally don't want to see the staff have to fall into scramble mode at all here - that rarely leads to positive results and usually leads to holes in the recruiting class or definite B list recruits.

That being said, I believe the staff is assigned regions for recruiting coverage, and the person assigned generally is the first point of contact for recruits in that region. Could be wrong on that, but if not, it would impact our GA and FL recruits to some degree, which is 36% of the class right now.

 

[phil77]

RB: Prince Tyson Gulley is and always has been overrated. He's at best a 3rd down back. Adonis Ameen Moore, no matter how much someone loves a power back is a detrament to our offense. GMII, DM are currently our best backs. Erv is our shiftiest guy with the highest gear. Don't tell me that GMII went from a back that guys with loads of NFL experience drooled over to a 4th stringer on an underachieving offense. Your skills dont erode at the age of 20. It's the positions they've been put in that have lead to their lack of productivity..

I agree with this part. I always thought Morris should be getting the majority of the carries...
PTG should be back to being the third down back which he excels at.
Moore should be the short yardage/goal line back

Erv should be being groomed to take over for Morris
McFarland should be being groomed to take over for PTG

I always thought that made the most sense and what I figured we would have starting the season but for some reason it never happened.

 

[eddie in nc]

Defense - Pt. 3

This has been the strength of our team during SS's tenure as HC and DC. Unequivocally and without a doubt, they have not been sub par this year. They singlehandedly kept the Notre Dame game respectable and from my standpoint the Louisville game as well. Furthermore, the Maryland game. The Terps have a more than serviceable offense, we held them to a respectable point total that should've been easily topped with 600 yards of offense. I put together some strong posts after the Maryland game that were ultimately deleted because of the thread they were apart of. To get to the point, IMO, the hand-writing has been on the wall in regards to our offense.

Greta posts. Thanks

 

[orange79]

OK - who can help the dumb guy out with what the "BOB/Hank/Screen game" is? :noidea: