One overlooked item that bodes well for this team

[CIL]

I just read Bud's article on the 1987 team and Robert Drummond stated that the team was proud of the way they physically dominated Maryland that year.

Despite this loss, we absolutely manhandled Northwestern. There were obvious mental errors and execution errors, but we really laid the wood on those guys. I sat directly behind their bench and they had several players coming off banged up. I believe armpit their qb out for a while and knocked their rb out of the game.

It really bodes well for a team's psyche when you know you can physically beat up on opponent and win with your c game. Let's see what they do with it.

 

[dollarbill44]

We sure didn't manhandle them from the time of the INT in the 2nd through 2/3rds of the 3rd when they scored 28 straight points.

 

[PhatOrange]

We sure didn't manhandle them from the time of the INT in the 2nd through 2/3rds of the 3rd when they scored 28 straight points.

Yes Northwestern was dominated other than a stretch of 4 minutes and 24 seconds.

To summarize those 28 points and that block of time:

Northwestern:

7 points – 1 play covering 21 yards – time of possession :07 seconds
7 points – 4 plays covering 28 yards – time of possession 1:28
7 points by returning a fumble – time of possession 0:00
7 points - 8 plays covering 73 yards. – time of possession 2:49

The 21 point block of time was caused by 2 turnovers and one horrible special team play. The 21 points covered a grand total of 1 minute and 35 seconds.

The Q2 meltdown and the Q3 backwards pass fumble was the undoing of the team. So basically other than their 8 play 73 yard drive they were completely manhandled.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

We sure didn't manhandle them from the time of the INT in the 2nd through 2/3rds of the 3rd when they scored 28 straight points.

What... Missed the point

 

[OttoinGrotto]

What... Missed the point

IB man, you alright? Your responses to stuff have been full of all kinds of piss and vinegar.

 

[dollarbill44]

Yes Northwestern was dominated other than a stretch of 4 minutes and 24 seconds.

To summarize those 28 points and that block of time:

Northwestern:

7 points – 1 play covering 21 yards – time of possession :07 seconds
7 points – 4 plays covering 28 yards – time of possession 1:28
7 points by returning a fumble – time of possession 0:00
7 points - 8 plays covering 73 yards. – time of possession 2:49

The 21 point block of time was caused by 2 turnovers and one horrible special team play. The 21 points covered a grand total of 1 minute and 35 seconds.

The Q2 meltdown and the Q3 backwards pass fumble was the undoing of the team. So basically other than their 8 play 73 yard drive they were completely manhandled.

It was more than 4:24. If we were matching their scores, I might agree with you, but we couldn't do anything offensively during that stretch. I think a lot of people are blinded by the first quarter and final 20 minutes that they don't remember the miserable stretch in between. We were also beaten over the last 2:00 of the game when they went 75 yards and we went 12 in response.

 

[RMH44]

It was more than 4:24. If we were matching their scores, I might agree with you, but we couldn't do anything offensively during that stretch. I think a lot of people are blinded by the first quarter and final 20 minutes that they don't remember the miserable stretch in between. We were also beaten over the last 2:00 of the game when they went 75 yards and we went 12 in response.

Again, you missed CIL's point...we physically manhandled NW, as in beat the stuff out of them. We were the bigger, stronger, faster team. We gave the game away plain and simple.

 

[anglerman]

It was more than 4:24. If we were matching their scores, I might agree with you, but we couldn't do anything offensively during that stretch. I think a lot of people are blinded by the first quarter and final 20 minutes that they don't remember the miserable stretch in between. We were also beaten over the last 2:00 of the game when they went 75 yards and we went 12 in response.

Youre nit picking! Do you expect the offense to play perfectly the entire game? there will always be streches in games that you will be able to look back on and say they could have played better. You're missing the big picture my friend and that was the best offensive output in America that day!

 

[PhatOrange]

It was more than 4:24. If we were matching their scores, I might agree with you, but we couldn't do anything offensively during that stretch. I think a lot of people are blinded by the first quarter and final 20 minutes that they don't remember the miserable stretch in between. We were also beaten over the last 2:00 of the game when they went 75 yards and we went 12 in response.

We're getting WAY off on a tangent here but the miserable stretch wasn't as long as you make it out to be either. The 2nd quarter was miserable for sure. We had 4 possessions that resulted in 50 yards and 2 turnovers and 2 punts.

The 3rd Quarter we had 29 plays for 219 yards. Our possessions were a fumble, missed FG, TD, TD.

Regardless the fact is we manhandled Northwestern and the point is our team will be confident from it and know that they can smack people in the mouth on both sides of the ball.

Going into a game knowing you can beat people up and out tough them is a big advantage.

If not for the storm in the 2nd quarter we win that game going away. The only worry I have is that the light had to come on playing catch up. If we're not playing catchup there is no way we throw 66 times and we’re probably still running a conservative offense. The fact that we were forced to open it up might be a blessing in disguise for the rest of the season.

 

[dollarbill44]

Youre nit picking! Do you expect the offense to play perfectly the entire game? there will always be streches in games that you will be able to look back on and say they could have played better. You're missing the big picture my friend and that was the best offensive output in America that day!

This thread (and my reply) was not about offensive output but rather about beating the stuff out of them? I guess I need to update my dictionary to include the new definition of "beating the stuff out of someone" because my outdated version doesn't include going scoreless for a stretch covering 40% of the game. Yes, we pummeled them for a good bit of the game, but my point was that we didn't exactly beat them about the building.

If you were to go to another team's fan site after they lost 42-41 and saw a thread about how they beat up the other team, you would probably laugh, right? Am I that off-base here?

 

[dollarbill44]

If not for the **** storm in the 2nd quarter we win that game going away. The only worry I have is that the light had to come on playing catch up. If we're not playing catchup there is no way we throw 66 times and we’re probably still running a conservative offense. The fact that we were forced to open it up might be a blessing in disguise for the rest of the season.

This is my hope for the coaching staff. I'm not sure it will work out that way, however. I still remember how good our offense looked against Wake in the 4th quarter last year.

 

[Rocco]

Anybody on here who doesn't think that SU physically outmanned NW didn't watch the game. Plain and simple.

We were the superior team, physically and athletically, and gave the game away.

 

[RMH44]

Anybody on here who doesn't think that SU physically outmanned NW didn't watch the game. Plain and simple.

We were the superior team, physically and athletically, and gave the game away.

Agreed. I actually watched the game twice and came away scratching my head how we took an "L" after dominating the way we did. Hopefully, this loss won't have bowl implications.

 

[kcsu]

I like how tough this team is. I like our size and i like our swagger. NYC kids and Florida kids will do that for you. I hope we beat the out of USC this week from a physical stand point

 

[OrangePA]

We sure didn't manhandle them from the time of the INT in the 2nd through 2/3rds of the 3rd when they scored 28 straight points.

I'm not sure that's right.

They scored on a dead ball lateral and on a crazy fumble and a punt return.

It was crazy stuff, not physical domination as far as I could tell.

 

[OrangePA]

This is my hope for the coaching staff. I'm not sure it will work out that way, however. I still remember how good our offense looked against Wake in the 4th quarter last year.

WF was nothing like this past Saturday.

 

[MadNY3]

I like how tough this team is. I like our size and i like our swagger. NYC kids and Florida kids will do that for you. I hope we beat the **** out of USC this week from a physical stand point

While I watched it on TV, disagree on swagger. Swagger tends to be really evident on special teams big time. An infectous, not-to-be-denied, insatiable quest to make the play.

Nassib showed supreme confidence. The OL did its job and the D was (mostly) confident...but didn't sense a swagger.

 

[mountaincuse]

You lost me at "I read Bud's article..."

But we did out-physical Northwestern.

 

[Chip]

Physically, we dominated most of the game.

Mentally, we were dominated for a good stretch of the game. By ourselves.

The only position on the field where they looked much better than us was punt returner (and not his KO return or RB roles either, just PRs). Not very often you can say that about an SU team when playing a middle of the pack BCS team.

 

[upperdeck]

We're getting WAY off on a tangent here but the miserable stretch wasn't as long as you make it out to be either. The 2nd quarter was miserable for sure. We had 4 possessions that resulted in 50 yards and 2 turnovers and 2 punts.

this is not true where are people getting this from?

 

[javadoc]

Despite this loss, we absolutely manhandled Northwestern. There were obvious mental errors and execution errors, but we really laid the wood on those guys.

I've written about this before, but the first game under Marrone was a "wow" moment. We were understaffed and needed obvious athletic upgrades, but we looked like a football team again. It's difficult to describe, but after 4 years of watching Robinson teams, the Marrone team looked different. It was a huge relief.

Same type of sensation watching the game this past weekend. Another step up.

 

[SoBristol]

I've written about this before, but the first game under Marrone was a "wow" moment. We were understaffed and needed obvious athletic upgrades, but we looked like a football team again. It's difficult to describe, but after 4 years of watching Robinson teams, the Marrone team looked different. It was a huge relief.

Same type of sensation watching the game this past weekend. Another step up.

That first game under Marrone was a positive moment, but for me, it was season two when the defense looked like a real tough team. We took a step back last season (smallish, inexperienced LBs and CBs playing hurt), but this should be a rebound year for the D.
Saturday was a step up on the offense with better tempo, some weapons surrounding a R-senior QB who looks solid, and an OL that is better than most expected.
Next step -- let's see the specials play a complete game.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

We could be the most physically dominating team in the Big East, but unless we raise our mental capabilities above the level of Forrest Gump we are not going to win many games.

Hopefully we got the brain farts out of our system for the year.