program thoughts

[kcsu]

I thought that the team played very well last night considering everything that we were up against. It is a shame that our O is so inept compared to this D which has to be one of our best in a very long time. HCSS is an extremely strong D coach and it shows. I think that we are going to be solid on that side of the ball as long as he is coaching.

As to the O the jury is out. Going up against ND LV FS and Clemson would be tough for a top 20 let alone a team that is in transition. Banged up, new OC not running his O, true frosh QB... so for the most part this is to be expected. The bottom line is that we are out gunned big time by these teams. Going forward i think we can win every game. We can also lose every game still we have a chance. I for one think that the future is bright. I also think that the O that George was putting in place would never have beaten Clemson or Florida state as we simply will never have the speed to beat them at their own game. I look forward to seeing what Lester puts in place for next year and believe that he is going to end up being a solid OC. The next few weeks are going to be an adventure one that i hope ends 6-6. Murders row is over time to see what we can do against normal comp.

 

[Orange4]

Can you imagine this D with the offense we had Nassib's senior year, top 25 team!

 

[GoSU96]

this D which has to be one of our best in a very long time.

It's not. Not even close.

Down in every category but scoring defense from last year.

Last night was pretty good, best job all year, but they haven't played like that very much this year.

 

[OrangeFoo]

What D is everyone watching? We played well against a very bad O missing it's top RB, TE and QB, and a pretty poor oline. We better have dominated them.

Every time we play even a remotely good QB in a spread offense this D gives up big play after big play. Did everyone already forget about FSU, MD, Louisville, Nova? The D didn't play particularly great in any of those games. I get it, we played a decent game but Shafer has yet to figure out how to stop a decent modern college offense... he is pretty good against limited offenses and run first pro-stye offenses but that seems to be about it. Lots to prove here still.

 

[baggerbob]

It's not. Not even close.

Down in every category but scoring defense from last year.

Last night was pretty good, best job all year, but they haven't played like that very much this year.

We still haven't had our entire d-line yet this year, Raymon is getting back, and Williams needs to get back, If Crume, Raymon, and Williams are healthy, Thompson goes back to DE, which is where he belongs. Then the Defensive Line will be a pain for anyone, and allow Scott to mix, and match.

 

[kcsu]

It's not. Not even close.

Down in every category but scoring defense from last year.

Last night was pretty good, best job all year, but they haven't played like that very much this year.

I dont agree. Look at the teams we have played this year. They are doing a great job you cant just go by stats

 

[GoSU96]

I dont agree. Look at the teams we have played this year. They are doing a great job you cant just go by stats

They dominated a MAC team and the worst offense in D-1. Whoop de damn doo.

The pass defense is not good, worst 3rd down defense since 2008.

It's fair to say that the defense is good, but it's far from great, and it's certainty not the best that Shafer has been in charge of here.

 

[djorange1989]

2010 was the best statistically in recent years but we played some really bad offenses that year in the Big East and in many of our OOC games. Considering the opposition this year it could well be our best in a while. Toss in the fact that our offense has been so awful and it makes the D look that much better. They have gotten burned but I think have generally done well. It's an 8 win defense playing with a 3 win offense.

 

[CanadianSU]

I know maybe this is not the thread for it at all, we are talking offense though.

But that play call on 4th and 1 was the worst I have ever seen, somehow it worked.

You know the sweep to erv, on 4th and 1. Brutal.

 

[Crusty]

I dont agree. Look at the teams we have played this year. They are doing a great job you cant just go by stats

Can't ignore the stats either.

 

[kcsu]

Can't ignore the stats either.

I realize that but look at our O against Maryland. We put up a million yards and couldnt score. Stats are often very telling but not always. I think that our D has played very well this year. They have kept us in pretty much every game without any help. They have provided more than enough opportunities. This is a good D maybe not the best in the last five years but right up there.

 

[Crusty]

I realize that but look at our O against Maryland. We put up a million yards and couldnt score. Stats are often very telling but not always. I think that our D has played very well this year. They have kept us in pretty much every game without any help. They have provided more than enough opportunities. This is a good D maybe not the best in the last five years but right up there.

Actually, we are 9th in the ACC. In conference games we are 6th. Versus ranked teams we are 9th best in the ACC.

We have an OK defense but nothing special.

 

[ForCuseSake]

The best indicator of a great defense is how many missed tackles it allows before stopping the ball carrier. Our D played great at Clemson but is average at best.

The Clemson D seemed to stop us nearly every time with the first (and many times only) tackler. ND's & LV's defenses were similar in their tackling efficiency. FSU was less efficient, but their D has been mediocre all year.

Our D is often too undisciplined and that is clearly seen in how infrequently our first tackler takes the ball carrier down.

 

[SmilinBob]

Are there any stats that show how SU did vs the teams they played and how other teams did vs that same team? For example...did SU's offense/defense do better than the norm vs FSU stat wise than other teams? Vs Clemson and the rest?

I think that is a better way to judge than some schools that haven't faced possibly the 3 best teams in the ACC while playing only 4 games. SU just played 3 schools that won BCS games last year and no team can say that at this stage of the season and other than the other schools in our division like NCS, Wake and BC no one else in the country can say that. Plus let's add a #6 team in the country as an added bonus.

What annoys me is that this team is so beat up from playing these teams. It's bad enough to play a ridiculous schedule like this but the residue of the injured players has left this team short handed for the rest of the schedule. Louisville, Clemson, Wake and ND have very good defenses. FSU and Nova have very good offenses. IMO, the SU offense has to step up from here as the defense will have their hands full with NCS and BC with mobile qb's. Stop Pitts good running game and play action and Duke's very good offense.

This team will win the rest of their games this year and the offense will step up from here unless the injury bug becomes the spider from Johnny Quest.

 

[Crusty]

The best indicator of a great defense is how many missed tackles it allows before stopping the ball carrier. Our D played great at Clemson but is average at best.

The Clemson D seemed to stop us nearly every time with the first (and many times only) tackler. ND's & LV's defenses were similar in their tackling efficiency. FSU was less efficient, but their D has been mediocre all year.

Our D is often too undisciplined and that is clearly seen in how infrequently our first tackler takes the ball carrier down.

You make an excellent point.

 

[FAL]

Are there any stats that show how SU did vs the teams they played and how other teams did vs that same team? For example...did SU's offense/defense do better than the norm vs FSU stat wise than other teams? Vs Clemson and the rest?

I think that is a better way to judge than some schools that haven't faced possibly the 3 best teams in the ACC while playing only 4 games. SU just played 3 schools that won BCS games last year and no team can say that at this stage of the season and other than the other schools in our division like NCS, Wake and BC no one else in the country can say that. Plus let's add a #6 team in the country as an added bonus.

What annoys me is that this team is so beat up from playing these teams. It's bad enough to play a ridiculous schedule like this but the residue of the injured players has left this team short handed for the rest of the schedule. Louisville, Clemson, Wake and ND have very good defenses. FSU and Nova have very good offenses. IMO, the SU offense has to step up from here as the defense will have their hands full with NCS and BC with mobile qb's. Stop Pitts good running game and play action and Duke's very good offense.

This team will win the rest of their games this year and the offense will step up from here unless the injury bug becomes the spider from Johnny Quest.

Johnny Quest? Lol! You must be as old as I am!!!

 

[Chip]

Given what he has to work with, I think Bullough has done a good job this year. I know the board and chat rooms (myself included) lose their after, say, one 91 yard drive given up against Wake. And I'm sure Go has his finger on the button of 3rd down stats, and our statistical position of total defense over the course of the year, but the defense could be a lot worse. If we had an average offense who could just have average red zone performance, then bowl eligibility wouldn't appear as unattainable as it does. Top 40 in scoring defense, giving up 23 per game.

We live and die by various blitzes, but I like that we force the action. And yes, no one gives up as much bubble screen and slip screen yardage as we do because of it.

We came in with a void of humans at defensive tackle, we have zero depth at corner, and we have a MLB who might not be ready but we didn't really have another good option.

 

[PhatOrange]

Down in every category but scoring defense from last year.

Isn't that the only stat that should matter? They're only giving up 18 ppg this season and that's after playing ND, Florida State and Clemson.

 

[Crusty]

Given what he has to work with, I think Bullough has done a good job this year. I know the board and chat rooms (myself included) lose their after, say, one 91 yard drive given up against Wake. And I'm sure Go has his finger on the button of 3rd down stats, and our statistical position of total defense over the course of the year, but the defense could be a lot worse. If we had an average offense who could just have average red zone performance, then bowl eligibility wouldn't appear as unattainable as it does. Top 40 in scoring defense, giving up 23 per game.

We live and die by various blitzes, but I like that we force the action. And yes, no one gives up as much bubble screen and slip screen yardage as we do because of it.

We came in with a void of humans at defensive tackle, we have zero depth at corner, and we have a MLB who might not be ready but we didn't really have another good option.

Our D drives me nuts, but I have to remind myself than we are stretching to get a lot out of average talent and poor depth. CB always seems to adjust, albeit a bit too slowly for my taste, but he gets there most of the time. I don't think there is any question that if our O was average we would have beaten MD and quite possibly Clemson.

That said, we really need to get better DB's in order to compete in the ACC.

 

[Millhouse]

Given what he has to work with, I think Bullough has done a good job this year. I know the board and chat rooms (myself included) lose their after, say, one 91 yard drive given up against Wake. And I'm sure Go has his finger on the button of 3rd down stats, and our statistical position of total defense over the course of the year, but the defense could be a lot worse. If we had an average offense who could just have average red zone performance, then bowl eligibility wouldn't appear as unattainable as it does. Top 40 in scoring defense, giving up 23 per game.

We live and die by various blitzes, but I like that we force the action. And yes, no one gives up as much bubble screen and slip screen yardage as we do because of it.

We came in with a void of humans at defensive tackle, we have zero depth at corner, and we have a MLB who might not be ready but we didn't really have another good option.

they're 5th in the country in fumbles forced. they've already forced more fumbles than they did last year. go missed that category.

they're 4th in fumbles recovered

i do think there is luck involved and that's not something you can bank on year in year out

but when looking at an individual season, they deserve credit

the hardnosed stuff is bs mostly, but this fits with what shafer wants to be

 

[Crusty]

Isn't that the only stat that should matter? They're only giving up 18 ppg this season and that's after playing ND, Florida State and Clemson.

We are 8th in the ACC vs conference opponents 22.3 vs 28.1 last year so yes, better. We are clearly playing bend but don't break.

 

[GoSU96]

Isn't that the only stat that should matter? They're only giving up 18 ppg this season and that's after playing ND, Florida State and Clemson.

Where did you get 18?

It's 22.9 this year vs 25.4.

And, no it's not the only thing that matters and the claim was this was the best defense SU has had for a while.

They are giving up conversions 42.24% of 3rd downs. That's awful. Passer rating against is 143.41, and it's not like we have been playing in the Big 12.

The defense is okay, but it's hasn't been great.

 

[Millhouse]

enough with third downs already. forcing fumbles on 2nd down are non events in 69alytics

 

[Ottoble]

Down in every category but scoring defense from last year.

Scoring Defense happens to be the one I find most important (ranked 39th). Same goes for the offense which has been bad at scoring offense this year (ranked 112th). That and Turnovers forced which we are tied for 16th in the country. While the 0ffense is 44th in turnovers lost. Aggregate 21st in T/O differential.

 

[kcsu]

scoring D is all that matters. Just like O they dont give you points for yards gained or first downs. This D is exceptional given the quality of teams we have faced. Much better than anything in the last five years hands down