Our last offensive play - the refs - non call

[Cuseregular]

Starting to think Lou C is right re the ACC refs, they're not so much biased but are flat out incompetent. Cost the game?, who knows, but after rewatching the game it's flat out amazing the inconsistencies and poor calls/non calls.

Last play on O Hunt gets absolutely lit up by #9 with the guy dropping his head to flat out spear Hunt targeting him direct with the crown of his helmet launching into Hunts solar plexus injuring him. Should have been first down, 15 yards and with minute left get closer for a reasonable FG attempt. If it wasn't Pitt I'd be inclined to go all conspiracy theory on our new to the acc thing.

Regardless (to piggy back on Barrells point) this type thing is just making it more excruciating to keep on keeping on with my long, long long term fandom. I won't bail I'm sure but man is there ever gonna be top 25 light at the end of the tunnel? Sure hope so cuz if not think I don't think it's gonna be to much longer before they'll need to fit me for the straight jacket. The football life has just been sucked out of me.

 

[retro44]

that's why I said earlier in the year bring back the big east refs,cause the ACC hired the replacement refs from the NFL from a few years ago.....or was it the ACC sent the best to be replacement refs.

fans... you make the call

 

[SmilinBob]

It's been a tough last couple of years...leaving the Big East and those calls and now being the newbie in the ACC. I'll never understand why they just can't be NCAA refs and have no ties other than calling the game.

 

[OrangeAl]

I thought it was a dirty hit, but the ref didn't want to make a controversial call that would have turned the game in our favor. So, Pitt got a free one there.

 

[FAL]

I thought it was a dirty hit, but the ref didn't want to make a controversial call that would have turned the game in our favor. So, Pitt got a free one there.

The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

That's what happens to people with no ballz.

 

[Cuseregular]

The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

That's what happens to people with no ballz.

Spot on. I mean it's not like it was even close. A judgment call I can (almost) see a no call on, but go back and look at the play. It's so blatant and Hunt gets hurt on it no less and still no call. GD travesty. Shafer must be going nuts with this and everything else.

 

[storange]

I thought it was a dirty hit, but the ref didn't want to make a controversial call that would have turned the game in our favor. So, Pitt got a free one there.

Yet the refs had no problem calling holding on the final drive, a point I made when i spoke to the refs after the game...and by the way, what is with that ? The refs were in full uniform, is there no place for them to change at the dome or do they just try to get them out of there as fast as possible. ( They were rushed from the dome to the Sheraton while in full uniform after the game )

 

[Chip]

Starting to think Lou C is right re the ACC refs, they're not so much biased but are flat out incompetent. Cost the game?, who knows, but after rewatching the game it's flat out amazing the inconsistencies and poor calls/non calls.

Last play on O Hunt gets absolutely lit up by #9 with the guy dropping his head to flat out spear Hunt targeting him direct with the crown of his helmet launching into Hunts solar plexus injuring him. Should have been first down, 15 yards and with minute left get closer for a reasonable FG attempt. If it wasn't Pitt I'd be inclined to go all conspiracy theory on our new to the acc thing.

Regardless (to piggy back on Barrells point) this type thing is just making it more excruciating to keep on keeping on with my long, long long term fandom. I won't bail I'm sure but man is there ever gonna be top 25 light at the end of the tunnel? Sure hope so cuz if not think I don't think it's gonna be to much longer before they'll need to fit me for the straight jacket. The football life has just been sucked out of me.

Hang in there man. Saturday's game is no reason for panic. We're an XP and a makeable FG from a win over Pitt, two in a row after a long long drought. And we'd be bowl eligible, staring down a golden opportunity for 7-5, 5-3. It was that close.

If Pitt came out and rolled us like they did in 2010, I'd be more inclined to agree with your general feeling.

Heavy losses on offense. Most teams struggle the next year when they lose the production we lost. Then to have the injuries we have had? It's way too much, and we still almost (and should have) won.

 

[Cuseregular]

Hang in there man. Saturday's game is no reason for panic. We're an XP and a makeable FG from a win over Pitt, two in a row after a long long drought. And we'd be bowl eligible, staring down a golden opportunity for 7-5, 5-3. It was that close.

If Pitt came out and rolled us like they did in 2010, I'd be more inclined to agree with your general feeling.

Heavy losses on offense. Most teams struggle the next year when they lose the production we lost. Then to have the injuries we have had? It's way too much, and we still almost (and should have) won.

yeah thanks Chip for the perspective. I know that in my head, that given the big picture it's an accomplishment to be flirting with bowl eligibility. That said it's not just one game.

I thought that this would be a sprint and not a marathon (5 or so years not going into the second decade) to get top 25 good again and it just isn't happening and as a result I'm starting to think the naysayers may be right that make the point that due to the dramatic changes in the landscape of college football, we may just very well have become the St. John's of football (us and a whole slew of others as well).

I've never seen a greater divide with the haves and have nots of football and at some point the frustration level boils over. Oh well guess that's called being a fan. I think the feeling of hopelessness and in the face of the refs screwing you (intentionally or not in this last game) acting to pile on, has put me over the fan brink this week. Not only the last non call but the earlier call on on Morgan for a PF, ridiculous. Anyway...Gotta figure someway to keep the hope alive, and keep on keeping on. Your input is appreciated, thanks man.

 

[Chip]

yeah thanks Chip for the perspective. I know that in my head, that given the big picture it's an accomplishment to be flirting with bowl eligibility. That said it's not just one game.

I thought that this would be a sprint and not a marathon (5 or so years not going into the second decade) to get top 25 good again and it just isn't happening and as a result I'm starting to think the naysayers may be right that make the point that due to the dramatic changes in the landscape of college football, we may just very well have become the St. John's of football (us and a whole slew of others as well).

I've never seen a greater divide with the haves and have nots of football and at some point the frustration level boils over. Oh well guess that's called being a fan. I think the feeling of hopelessness and in the face of the refs screwing you (intentionally or not in this last game) acting to pile on, has put me over the fan brink this week. Not only the last non call but the earlier call on on Morgan for a PF, ridiculous. Anyway...Gotta figure someway to keep the hope alive, and keep on keeping on. Your input is appreciated, thanks man.

Trust me, it feels weird to be "all is well, stay the course" guy. Maybe it's just part of the aging process.

It's even tougher for those of us who enjoyed the late 80s thru the 90s. I think it's going to be very difficult to ever have that consistency again, unless NYS has a major upgrade in HS football talent.

We will likely have to settle for some 6-6, 7-5 type years with a couple bad outliers and a couple good outliers when things come together. It's ok though, we're safely positioned in a strong conference, so we have that going for us. The old Big East is purgatory and anything is better than that.

McDonald is definitely learning on the job. Talent deficiencies or not, there were some real head scratchers in that game. But he had some really nice calls as well (wheel route to McFarlane was my favorite call of the day, really wish that one was executed). I think the tone of OttoGrotto's post is accurate though. We need guys on the staff who can bring in more talent, and that talent can carry us. We'll start to see it soon if all these verbals honor on signing day.

We already have a solid system on defense. It's not perfect, but for SU to play as well defensively as it does against these peer teams (Maryland, Pitt, NC State) is encouraging. Yeah FSU gouged us, get in line. There's just nothing easy about that realization.

The hardest part of all of this is a town with a Top 10 (at worst) hoops program sharing a facility with a mediocre football program. It's going to make fan decisions a lot tougher. I was up there for the weekend in Oswego, and everyone still talks about the football game. They are all watching the games. Even the nice trooper who pulled me over for speeding between Cortland & Binghamton on the way home (unrelated fun story) noticed my SU shirt and started talking about the game. Either that, or the innocent 4 year old in the back seat, got me out of the ticket. Don't judge me (please). So people still pay attention to it, which is encouraging, but taking the time and effort to attend the game probably isn't going to happen outside of the Clemson/FSU/VT/Miami games in the Dome.

If the AD makes the determination that the lack of attendance is the biggest negative impact to recruiting, then the investment that is the $99 season tix probably needs to be expanded. They're going to have to give them away for awhile longer, advertise it literally everywhere you possibly can, and get people in the door. If they still won't come, then I'm not sure the answer.

To end this rant, things still look a lot better than they did from 2005 to 2008. We've crawled, we're walking, and hopefully soon we can even run a little bit.

 

[Cuseregular]

Trust me, it feels weird to be "all is well, stay the course" guy. Maybe it's just part of the aging process.

It's even tougher for those of us who enjoyed the late 80s thru the 90s. I think it's going to be very difficult to ever have that consistency again, unless NYS has a major upgrade in HS football talent.

We will likely have to settle for some 6-6, 7-5 type years with a couple bad outliers and a couple good outliers when things come together. It's ok though, we're safely positioned in a strong conference, so we have that going for us. The old Big East is purgatory and anything is better than that.

McDonald is definitely learning on the job. Talent deficiencies or not, there were some real head scratchers in that game. But he had some really nice calls as well (wheel route to McFarlane was my favorite call of the day, really wish that one was executed). I think the tone of OttoGrotto's post is accurate though. We need guys on the staff who can bring in more talent, and that talent can carry us. We'll start to see it soon if all these verbals honor on signing day.

We already have a solid system on defense. It's not perfect, but for SU to play as well defensively as it does against these peer teams (Maryland, Pitt, NC State) is encouraging. Yeah FSU gouged us, get in line. There's just nothing easy about that realization.

The hardest part of all of this is a town with a Top 10 (at worst) hoops program sharing a facility with a mediocre football program. It's going to make fan decisions a lot tougher. I was up there for the weekend in Oswego, and everyone still talks about the football game. They are all watching the games. Even the nice trooper who pulled me over for speeding between Cortland & Binghamton on the way home (unrelated fun story) noticed my SU shirt and started talking about the game. Either that, or the innocent 4 year old in the back seat, got me out of the ticket. Don't judge me (please). So people still pay attention to it, which is encouraging, but taking the time and effort to attend the game probably isn't going to happen outside of the Clemson/FSU/VT/Miami games in the Dome.

If the AD makes the determination that the lack of attendance is the biggest negative impact to recruiting, then the investment that is the $99 season tix probably needs to be expanded. They're going to have to give them away for awhile longer, advertise it literally everywhere you possibly can, and get people in the door. If they still won't come, then I'm not sure the answer.

To end this rant, things still look a lot better than they did from 2005 to 2008. We've crawled, we're walking, and hopefully soon we can even run a little bit.

wow, great post. I'm off the ledge...I have a new board motto..."Syracusefan.com - It's great therapy!"

Real good insights there. And now that you mention it, it is incredible how many people watch, know and pay attention but DON'T go. For whatever reason your pointing that out made me realize that virtually all these people I talk about the game with who know what's up and what happened don't go to the games sans the ones you mentioned.

Yeah they need to do what they're finally doing and that's nearly or actually giving away tickets. Stay respectable, get some better recruits and maybe that elusive top 25 four of every 7 years with a shot at it all (playoffs when they expand to 8/16) every decade or so can happen. Gotta keep the dream alive.

How much do you charge for this therapy? At the very least I owe you a beer next run in (and maybe your lunatic friend can join us for one). lol.

 

[Orangello]

Yet the refs had no problem calling holding on the final drive, a point I made when i spoke to the refs after the game...and by the way, what is with that ? The refs were in full uniform, is there no place for them to change at the dome or do they just try to get them out of there as fast as possible. ( They were rushed from the dome to the Sheraton while in full uniform after the game )

and you didn't assault them ? You're slipping man.

 

[TexanMark]

Up next working on helping the Chiefs...I have some big news coming on that.