people are too down on TD

[Chip]

TD rolling to the right just about every time makes it that much more difficult for WR's to get open.

Impossible apparently.

It’s not unique for a right handed QB to favor scrambling right, way harder to go left and make an accurate pass. But he has to do it an awful lot. Part from protection and part from (my guess) not seeing secondary receivers quick enough.

 

[PhatOrange]

I feel like we try to over complicate things. Take what the defense gives you - evidenced by some of those screen shots - and exploit matchups. 20 targets to Harris is not exploiting a matchup and an inside handoff when no one is covering the slot is meathead football. This O seemingly went from a backyard football flavor to being meathead stubborn. At this point I'd rather throw 3 yard bubble screens with the oft chance someone misses a tackle than to continually average 2 yards a carry.

 

[PhatOrange]

TD rolling to the right just about every time makes it that much more difficult for WR's to get open.

I was actually excited that when Rex rolled right he at least stopped to scan the whole field before throwing the ball away. I mean that was a really really good play on Saturday and I'm not being sarcastic

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I feel like we try to over complicate things. Take what the defense gives you - evidenced by some of those screen shots - and exploit matchups. 20 targets to Harris is not exploiting a matchup and an inside handoff when no one is covering the slot is meathead football. This O seemingly went from a backyard football flavor to being meathead stubborn. At this point I'd rather throw 3 yard bubble screens with the oft chance someone misses a tackle than to continually average 2 yards a carry.

Seems like we use to throw a lot more of those quick hiit bubbles with Dungey the first couple years, most times they get 2-3 yards nothing huge but they really are glorified run plays and like you said much better than a run up the gut. Only way we ever run the ball effectively is to get the pass game going first in some capacity

 

[blizz]

I agree what happened to the short pass. the slant, Those are trust plays maybe we dont have that anymore?

Those pages were ripped out of the playbook and fed to the NC State mascot. Gone. Not coming back.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I was actually excited that when Rex rolled right he at least stopped to scan the whole field before throwing the ball away. I mean that was a really really good play on Saturday and I'm not being sarcastic

Rex goes out there without fear which is a big difference. Not saying he should even play but he's a gunslinger you can just tell. love watching him play for purely that reason alone

 

[blizz]

I blame James Williams. We should be punting. Way more.

 

[RMH44]

I feel like we try to over complicate things. Take what the defense gives you - evidenced by some of those screen shots - and exploit matchups. 20 targets to Harris is not exploiting a matchup and an inside handoff when no one is covering the slot is meathead football. This O seemingly went from a backyard football flavor to being meathead stubborn. At this point I'd rather throw 3 yard bubble screens with the oft chance someone misses a tackle than to continually average 2 yards a carry.

Agreed, but I don't think that the "meathead football" label is the sole result of the play calling. How many times did ED hit Erv or Riley or N Johnson or Estime on a short stop route when it presented itself? Staying in an A-gap dive when there is other glaring options is on the QB.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I blame James Williams. We should be punting. Way more.

quick kick with MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!

 

[kcsu]

100% correct.

I feel horrible for TD and his Dad. They have put so much into this. I want him to succeed as much as any SU kid in a very long time. I think that Dino and Gilbert need to place their offensive game plan completely around him. Use these games to build his confidence. If needed forget the hurry up aspect of the O. Slow things down for him. Throw the ball on 1st down. Go under center. Drop the RPO as he isnt a runner. In short do everything possible to build his confidence. He skill set is excellent. He needs help with the mental aspect. Put him in position to succeed.

 

[PhatOrange]

Agreed, but I don't think that the "meathead football" label is the sole result of the play calling. How many times did ED hit Erv or Riley or N Johnson or Estime on a short stop route when it presented itself? Staying in an A-gap dive when there is other glaring options is on the QB.

My confusion in all of this though is that he's looking to the sideline. I assume he's following orders and not really at liberty to go rogue.

(side note - both of our coordinators are on the sideline, Gilbert almost has to be as the QB coach. )

 

[ForCuseSake]

I feel like we try to over complicate things. Take what the defense gives you - evidenced by some of those screen shots - and exploit matchups. 20 targets to Harris is not exploiting a matchup and an inside handoff when no one is covering the slot is meathead football. This O seemingly went from a backyard football flavor to being meathead stubborn. At this point I'd rather throw 3 yard bubble screens with the oft chance someone misses a tackle than to continually average 2 yards a carry.

Those quick hit pass plays to the slot or out wide drive also help our OL by almost instantly ending any pass rush.

Opposing DLs might have less than 2 seconds to rush our QB and this starts to drive a DL nuts when they can’t establish a rhythm.

 

[dollarbill44]

TD rolling to the right just about every time makes it that much more difficult for WR's to get open.

It doesn't help that none of them seem to work to get open once things break down. I think it was the play before the missed FG when TD drifted to his right before running OB, 4 wrs ran short curl routes and they all stood still while TD rolled out. The replay showed it clear as day. That's backyard football 101. It doesn't excuse not throwing it away and taking a 7 yard loss, btw.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Curious as to what TD’s passing chart looks like. Number and success of throws short/medium/long left of hash, between the hashes, and right of hash. It feels like everything is medium to long on the right, but that could just be an impression. Years 1-3 we used the middle of the field a ton with slots and TEs, but that has been gone with TD at QB.

 

[PhatOrange]

Rex goes out there without fear which is a big difference. Not saying he should even play but he's a gunslinger you can just tell. love watching him play for purely that reason alone

I don't have delusions that Rex will suddenly win us football games, I see him throwing 3 INTS but he might put up 300 yards spreading the ball around. I'm almost willing to take it at this point.

If we could just get some first downs. OUR biggest problem right now are all these 3 and outs.

 

[Entropic]

There are Hall of Fame QBs, Brady for one, who have made their entire career on short 5-8 yard passes and allowing the receiver to make plays with their legs. We need to just get the ball out faster. We don't need to run WR Fade every play and out QB needs to recognize pre-snap where that throw should go. Three step drop and release.

As a Colts fan, I used to go out of my mind when Freeney and Mathis (greatest DE tandem ever) could never get to Brady. He had the ball out in like less than a second every time. Sure there aren't cool 50+ yard bombs but those 15 play scoring drives destroy a defense.

 

[leftytg]

Devito is Exhibit A for why it is important to stack talent in the QB room and develop that talent.

Devito was an awesome recruit. He was on essentially an all star team in high school and crushed the camp circuit. His physical tools were impressive and easy to see.

However, the QB position contains elements that are very hard to scout. The position is incredibly cerebral and relies on quick information processing and decision making. Sometimes supremely talented guys in the physical sense of throwing the ball lack talent in the processing and decision making (note: this is NOT the same as intelligence or work ethic, in the same way that someone's arm strength isn't the same as dedication in the weight room.)

Since the mental side is hard to discern through scouting high school - particularly when the school is a powerhouse with athletic advantages across the board over most schools - it is important to have a steady stream of talent, because some guys will inevitably wash out.

Syracuse has been a disaster as recruiting the QB position since landing Devito. To exacerbate that, Dino's decision to hire his daughter's father-in-law as QB coach - a guy who had never coached at the college level and had no proven track record of QB development - proved to be a disaster. It hurt recruiting and it hurt development, and as a result, Syracuse has one of, if not the, worst QB rooms in P5 football. That QB is the most important position in sports makes the ceiling of the team very low.

With a better managed QB room, Devito gets pushed (not annointed). If he doesn't improve, there is someone else ready to take over. If nobody in the room is ready, you bring in a grad transfer. With the way power programs stack QB talent, and the way QB's don't like waiting around if they aren't starting within 2 or 3 years, Syracuse should/could be a place talented QB's who lose position battles at power schools look to transfer. For whatever reason, Syracuse has seemed wary of upsetting Devito rather than doing what it takes to upgrade the overall talent in the room.

It's a shame, since I do think top to bottom, the talent and athleticism in the program has improved remarkably under Dino. But I think he has absolutely botched the QB position, which is why there isn't any kind of sustained success.

 

[Entropic]

I don't have delusions that Rex will suddenly win us football games, I see him throwing 3 INTS but he might put up 300 yards spreading the ball around. I'm almost willing to take it at this point.

Losing sucks but losing with 170 yards of offense is somehow worse.

 

[Acesn8s]

So here is the thing, Tommy came in with a ton of hype, and he had all the accolades to suggest he was going to be at least as good as Eric or Ryan. This is not his first or even second Year! He is not showing the improvement that is needed for a power 5 starting Qb. I feel bad for the kid but thus far he has been a bust. I work with a guy who started at Defensive Back for Iowa state for 2 years and his quote was “that kid just don’t have it” and that “he doesn’t scare any defense.” Now is that true? I don’t know but it seems to be on point.

 

[Orangello]

As other have mentioned, he is so intent on not turning it over, he repeatedly fails to make a play and takes a sack instead. He also is clearly loathe to take a hit and seems to back away from the pocket whenever he feels the pressure coming rather than stepping up and releasing. Get the ball out. He clearly has the mechanics to be an above-average QB but he is not getting it done. Me thinks he is a bit too focused on the stat line.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Consensus was our short passing game would get even better, because Tommy had more zip on those passes.

It seems we've stopped calling those.

 

[CousCuse]

As other have mentioned, he is so intent on not turning it over, he repeatedly fails to make a play and takes a sack instead. He also is clearly loathe to take a hit and seems to back away from the pocket whenever he feels the pressure coming rather than stepping up and releasing. Get the ball out. He clearly has the mechanics to be an above-average QB but he is not getting it done. Me thinks he is a bit too focused on the stat line.

If you can see that, so can his fellow players. He needs to grow beyond worrying about his stats and show his teammates that winning is his first priority. That's the leadership that a QB has to have to be successful.

 

[AngryOtto]

In the game thread, I think it was phat who said that Summers didn't travel to UNC. Maybe he's hurt, but maybe the two freshmen passed him by. Would that really surprise anyone?

It's possible that we get lucky with those 2 freshmen, but late in the cycle recruits like that are typically late in the cycle for a reason.

I think we're going to pay the price for our QB recruiting gap (and Amie leaving). Lamson seems like an ideal recruit, but anyone expecting miracles from him in year 1, maybe even year 2, is expecting the wrong thing.

We could use a transfer for depth. Won't be a grad transfer because no one is going to do that to be a backup in DeVito's final season. But if there's a 1st or 2nd year player on a team right now who finds himself unhappy by season's end, we should be targeting that.

He can learn while he sits out a year because he'll have to sit out a year since we don't have enough $$/juice to 'influence' the NCAA's immediate waiver decisions. (not that I'm bitter).

Why would you not expect good things from a freshman. Many freshman qbs have come in to programs every year and played well.

 

[721Comstock]

Why would you not expect good things from a freshman. Many freshman qbs have come in to programs every year and played well.

Eric Dungey says HI!

 

[RMH44]

Eric Dungey says HI!

So does Sam Howell