Players on defense need to be held accountable too.

[Biaxtar]

I know that the play-calling has to be better. That fact is inarguable. However, the players need to be held accountable for the mishaps on defense. I know that Fran Brown emphasizes that big guys eat little guys and that speed kills. While this is sometimes true, these freak athletes also need to be able to play fundamental football.

While our linebackers are quick and can hit big, have they shown that they understand how to fill running gaps or tackle correctly? Do our big Defensive tackles know how to get off their blocks to fill running lanes? It is like bringing in Usain Bolt to be a CB. While his speed makes sure that he can not get torched by any WR, does he know how to adequately cover a WR? No. That is why it is such a gamble to sometimes bank on just raw athleticism.

There are issues with this on offense, too, especially on the offensive line. While Weatherspoon and Washington are some of the largest human beings I have ever seen, are they good O-linemen? That's for you to decide. I hope that in the upcoming portal and in future recruiting classes, Fran can find not just athletes but some solid football players. I don't believe that an ACC team like Syracuse can continue to take these gambles on athletes all of the time.

Thoughts?

 

[grepal]

I had great seats for the game and Our O and D lines were not at their best. I do not have a problem with play calling. Line Play and penalties did us in. When Kyle was able to get a throw off with time he was incredible.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Everyone needs to be accountable. A total failure all around.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I love ACCOUNTABILITY threads where guys NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

 

[OburgOrange]

I love ACCOUNTABILITY threads where guys NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

You need accountability

 

[OttoinGrotto]

You need accountability

Hold me.

Accountable, I mean.

What did you think I meant?

Geez.

Weirdos.

 

[tino]

I know that the play-calling has to be better. That fact is inarguable. However, the players need to be held accountable for the mishaps on defense. I know that Fran Brown emphasizes that big guys eat little guys and that speed kills. While this is sometimes true, these freak athletes also need to be able to play fundamental football.

While our linebackers are quick and can hit big, have they shown that they understand how to fill running gaps or tackle correctly? Do our big Defensive tackles know how to get off their blocks to fill running lanes? It is like bringing in Usain Bolt to be a CB. While his speed makes sure that he can not get torched by any WR, does he know how to adequately cover a WR? No. That is why it is such a gamble to sometimes bank on just raw athleticism.

There are issues with this on offense, too, especially on the offensive line. While Weatherspoon and Washington are some of the largest human beings I have ever seen, are they good O-linemen? That's for you to decide. I hope that in the upcoming portal and in future recruiting classes, Fran can find not just athletes but some solid football players. I don't believe that an ACC team like Syracuse can continue to take these gambles on athletes all of the time.

Thoughts?

With 3 rushers can't do crap. Simple

 

[SUDadx2]

With 3 rushers can't do crap. Simple

Tony White was often able to stop the run with only three down linemen. I was often surprised at how he could dail up a stunt or blitz that effectively stopped the run with only three down linemen.

 

[xc84]

Once past the line, BC RBs were in the clear. Cuse tackling was horrendous. It was like they had no arms.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

It is both the players and the system. You don’t get games like Ohio or BC without both.

The ACC generally does not have good passing teams year in and year out. Playing 3 DL, 2 LBs, 5 DBs already puts you in a hole. We should be playing a 4-3, or after the injuries a 3-4.

Players who could tackle and took good angles last season are not this season. Why?

I generally like Deuce but he is a CB pretending to be a S. He should only be out there in obvious passing situations.

 

[CNYGuy]

It is both the players and the system. You don’t get games like Ohio or BC without both.

The ACC generally does not have good passing teams year in and year out. Playing 3 DL, 2 LBs, 5 DBs already puts you in a hole. We should be playing a 4-3, or after the injuries a 3-4.

Players who could tackle and took good angles last season are not this season. Why?

I generally like Deuce but he is a CB pretending to be a S. He should only be out there in obvious passing situations.

Didn't we start with 4 down linemen and shift to 3 after injuries?

That group is down Tank Wilson, Kevin Jobity, Jacquez, Ingram (all season). Down to a true freshman and sophomore on the interior kills.

 

[P Vasiloff]

It is both the players and the system. You don’t get games like Ohio or BC without both.

The ACC generally does not have good passing teams year in and year out. Playing 3 DL, 2 LBs, 5 DBs already puts you in a hole. We should be playing a 4-3, or after the injuries a 3-4.

Players who could tackle and took good angles last season are not this season. Why?

I generally like Deuce but he is a CB pretending to be a S. He should only be out there in obvious passing situations.

Chestnut has not had a good year and consistently takes bad angles in tackling.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Didn't we start with 4 down linemen and shift to 3 after injuries?

That group is down Tank Wilson, Kevin Jobity, Jacquez, Ingram (all season). Down to a true freshman and sophomore on the interior kills.

Yes and no. We used to have Diggs at DE and now use him as LB. If you put him at DE you have your 4 DL. The injuries is not a valid excuse IMO because you moved away Diggs.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Tony White was often able to stop the run with only three down linemen. I was often surprised at how he could dail up a stunt or blitz that effectively stopped the run with only three down linemen.

and even then, we got bulldozed at times by certain teams. He relied on scheme.

BC's o-line has great talent and on top of it, they scheme incredibly well. The amount of guard pulling and misdirection was quite impressive.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Once past the line, BC RBs were in the clear. Cuse tackling was horrendous. It was like they had no arms.

There's an immediate opportunity for playing time for high quality HS recruits and portal guys.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

and even then, we got bulldozed at times by certain teams. He relied on scheme.

BC's o-line has great talent and on top of it, they scheme incredibly well. The amount of guard pulling and misdirection was quite impressive.

A few differences with White.

While the personnel was 3-3-5, he played a 4 man front and one of the Ss was almost like a hybrid LB/S. So it was closer to a 4-3-4 than a 3-3-5. What Erob has been doing lately is more like a 3-2.5-5 with the 0.5 LB coming upfield.

White tried to cause disruption, while Erob is playing more straight up. We still have guys here who had TFLs under White or even last year. Those have gone away this year. They didn't all of a sudden become worse players.

Even if White were still here we would have struggled vs BC. But it wouldn't have been a 300 yard embarrassment.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Against FBS teams we are now giving up 5.31 ypc. That is our worst since 2017. It is the current worst in the ACC. Next is 4.69 ypc which is a big jump. Nationally we are 116th.

We also are giving up 7.4 ypa. That is 10th in the ACC and tied for 67th nationally. It is our worst since 2020.

Combined we give up 6.25 ypp which is next to last in the ACC and tied for 104th nationally. It is also our worst since 2019.


In any given year we typically play 2-3 teams that can actually pass the football decently. The other 9-10 teams it will be more important to be able to stop the run. While having a good run D will help us win more games overall, we need a good pass D to have a shot at beating the good teams we play.

That is the dilemma. If you pick a system that will give you a better shot at more wins overall, you end up like Pitt (8-4/5-3). If you pick a system that increases your chances against real teams, you make yourself more vulnerable to not beating the lessor teams.

Also part of the problem is personnel. We either need to find guys who slip through the cracks, or grow players. DEs to grow into DTs. LBs into DEs. Ss into LBs. CBs into Ss. Besides underrated kids, we won't be able to get what we need especially on the DL.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

That is the dilemma. If you pick a system that will give you a better shot at more wins overall, you end up like Pitt (8-4/5-3). If you pick a system that increases your chances against real teams, you make yourself more vulnerable to not beating the lessor teams.

This is an interesting idea.

 

[grepal]

Tony White was often able to stop the run with only three down linemen. I was often surprised at how he could dail up a stunt or blitz that effectively stopped the run with only three down linemen.

To be fair our two starting D tackles have been out all year. That really hurts on both a talent and a depth perspective. It is no excuse but it limits what S U can do to fix the issues.

 

[shu 49]

Yes and no. We used to have Diggs at DE and now use him as LB. If you put him at DE you have your 4 DL. The injuries is not a valid excuse IMO because you moved away Diggs.

I tend to agree cause my best choice of what we have is Diggs DE, Perry 3 shade, Watson 1 shade, and Simmons at other DE. Now the thing i see and Money may have to help but i see 1 and 3 tec when they play 4 man down play 2 gap football which is more read and react instead of 1 gap which is hit gap get in backfield and make the play. Watch Perry and Watson throw both hands and stay with olinemen and pushing back but not letting go of guy which is why i say its 2-gap which is why we dont attack and when we are in 3 down its definetly 2 gap. I hate read and react defenses cause your letting them decide what your doing instead of them reacting to u. I love the Georgia defense concepts but i am more into a Narduzzi style attack when u dont have Georgia lb or back 5. My point is i would rather lose trying and playing aggressive that sitting back and hoping.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Wanted to go back to the system point that I had made. IMO it makes little sense to play 5 real DBs. If 1-2 are really too big for DB and too small for LB then fine. But 5 real DBs when we don't play teams that really pass, seems like a not so good idea.

Nationally Passing YPG
Avg 76.5 (55.4 rush)
Median 103rd (50th rush)
122. Stanford (78th rush)
117. BC (60th)
111(t). Ohio (13th)
111(t). UNLV (10th)
105. VA Tech (36th)
103. UConn (29th)
75. GA Tech (33rd)
57. NC State (109th)
27. Pitt (90th)
12. Cal (101st)
1. Miami (50th)

That actually screams a 5-2 D not a 3-3-5.

Last year was similar
AVG 80.7 (48.7 rush)
Median 82nd (42nd rush)
132. Army (10th rush)
107. BC (14th)
102. Wake (88th)
92. VA Tech (19th)
83. Pitt (122nd)
82. Purdue (42nd)
78. GA Tech (13th)
76. Clemson (49th)
74. WMU (81st)
49. FSU (73rd)
13. UNC (25th)

The ACC is not the B12. If I went ahead and did prior years, I don't think we would see any difference.

Having a really good run D IMO will give us the best chance of being like Pitt (8-4/5-3) every year. But like Pitt, you won't really be able to stop the good teams. But if you try for a system that can give the good teams problems, you likely are making yourself more vulnerable to the mediocre or bad teams. So I think you have to play a front 7, not 5 in the secondary. And you need to play aggressively.

 

[Millhouse]

Against FBS teams we are now giving up 5.31 ypc. That is our worst since 2017. It is the current worst in the ACC. Next is 4.69 ypc which is a big jump. Nationally we are 116th.

We also are giving up 7.4 ypa. That is 10th in the ACC and tied for 67th nationally. It is our worst since 2020.

Combined we give up 6.25 ypp which is next to last in the ACC and tied for 104th nationally. It is also our worst since 2019.


In any given year we typically play 2-3 teams that can actually pass the football decently. The other 9-10 teams it will be more important to be able to stop the run. While having a good run D will help us win more games overall, we need a good pass D to have a shot at beating the good teams we play.

That is the dilemma. If you pick a system that will give you a better shot at more wins overall, you end up like Pitt (8-4/5-3). If you pick a system that increases your chances against real teams, you make yourself more vulnerable to not beating the lessor teams.

Also part of the problem is personnel. We either need to find guys who slip through the cracks, or grow players. DEs to grow into DTs. LBs into DEs. Ss into LBs. CBs into Ss. Besides underrated kids, we won't be able to get what we need especially on the DL.

Loaded factories with defensive coaches trying to go 13-0 expect stalwart defensive lines to provide the luxury of now players elsewhere and want to practice against offenses that are very multiple in order to prepare against everything

That ain't us

 

[Millhouse]

Against FBS teams we are now giving up 5.31 ypc. That is our worst since 2017. It is the current worst in the ACC. Next is 4.69 ypc which is a big jump. Nationally we are 116th.

We also are giving up 7.4 ypa. That is 10th in the ACC and tied for 67th nationally. It is our worst since 2020.

Combined we give up 6.25 ypp which is next to last in the ACC and tied for 104th nationally. It is also our worst since 2019.


In any given year we typically play 2-3 teams that can actually pass the football decently. The other 9-10 teams it will be more important to be able to stop the run. While having a good run D will help us win more games overall, we need a good pass D to have a shot at beating the good teams we play.

That is the dilemma. If you pick a system that will give you a better shot at more wins overall, you end up like Pitt (8-4/5-3). If you pick a system that increases your chances against real teams, you make yourself more vulnerable to not beating the lessor teams.

Also part of the problem is personnel. We either need to find guys who slip through the cracks, or grow players. DEs to grow into DTs. LBs into DEs. Ss into LBs. CBs into Ss. Besides underrated kids, we won't be able to get what we need especially on the DL.

Pitts pass defense generally isn't that bad in losses

CFB stats, passing defense, split stats if you want to look

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Was it 2019 when they did the same thing to us in the Dome or more recently? At least this game the offense put up a fight but it was just as ugly being there in person.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Pitts pass defense generally isn't that bad in losses

CFB stats, passing defense, split stats if you want to look

Looking at the better teams they have played the last 5 years, they have given up a lot of 300+ yard games. That is somewhat expected given the talent on the other side of the ball. They are 3-11 in those games, again not unexpected. In the other FBS games they are 28-11.

In FBS games their RYPG ACC ranks: 3rd, 10th, 1st, 1st, 1st. Their PYPG 12th, 6th, 9th, 12th, 10th.


2024 SMU 306 yards
2023 UNC 296
2023 Louisville 350
2023 ND 380
2023 FSU 363
2022 Tennessee 325
2022 UNC 388
2021 Clemson 151
2021 Miami 426
2021 Wake 213
2020 NC State 336
2020 Miami 222
2020 ND 319
2020 Clemson 436