Syracuse-Notre Dame

[rundeal]

Hey all -- just checking in (been away for a while). Are there plans for a tailgate? We're heading up for the game and would love to see the Fine Lot crew!

 

[NDIrish]

I watched some of the FSU-ND game and some of the Northwestern-ND game.

Didn't see the freak athleticism on the ND defense that we have become accustomed to seeing from Clemson but I saw a lot of very good veteran athletes with good size who looked very well coached. Your DC (Clark Lea) was the LB coach at Syracuse for a few years. He was very well thought of when he was here. Glad to see him doing well in South Bend. Quality coach and quality person.

You have a bunch of big WRs that will be a challenge to cover and Dexter Williams will be a challenge for the SU defense to stop. That unit has had some problems with big, physical backs. We have some injuries with our cornerbacks that are not going to help things. We will be relying on a couple of big, talented CBs who are freshmen a lot. I am going to assume if Book really does play, he will be outfitted with a flak vest and be somewhat limited in his movements.

I can't imagine you getting less than 28 points on our defense. Probably more. It is hard to stop an offense that can run the ball and throw it well.

Not sure how much exposure ND has had to the Syracuse style of offense. It can be hard to handle, even for experienced units. If Dungey has a good day and the weather is good, we might be able to put up some points on you, even with your excellent defense.

Looks like Syracuse has a big advantage in special teams, where ND is okay, but not at the level of the Orange. Hope that is enough to tip the scales our way.

I wonder when the last time a college football game was played at Yankee Stadium where both teams were in the top 20? It might go back to when SU and ND played there in the early 1960s. Hope the ending of this game is less controversial than that one.

I agree, ND does not have any freak athleticism, and at times, have really wondered if they were as good as advertised. But here is what i have kind of put together. They are very susceptible to routes that drag across middle of the field, but are very tough against deep routes. They just don't seem to have that speed to catch up with guys in the middle, but they have to be WR, they still play TE's pretty good (typically a little slower then a WR). They have had a couple injuries early that hurt them in this area. Julian Love is legit, troy pride jr is a liability in my opinion. Maybe he just gets picked on more due to how good Love is, but he always seems to be giving up the bigger plays.

They are pretty good against the run. The DL and LB like to play physical. They get a lot of pressure on QBS, but they don't turn into a ton of sacks. So if your QB is mobile, he will be having to move a lot, but should be able to avoid the hits. They are very quick on the edges. They have good leadership and don't seem to get phased by giving up big plays. Its weird, in almost every game, they will have stretches, even quarters, where they completely dominate, then have 3 drives where they just give up a ton of plays. I don't know if its just Clark taking a little too long to adjust or what. I am very happy with the job Clark Lea has done though. I have met him a couple times at various events outside of football, and he really seems like a great person and has done a nice job this year.

This offense, can be very efficient. I think that Dexter is a really nice running back, but he is not the type of person to take a game over. And this is something that i have butted heads on with ND nation. He has always been really fast, but in the past he was limited and lacked discipline. He couldn't pass block, took plays off, and struggled with vision. It was either a home run or a loss. Now, this year, he is much improved. He has made great efforts in pass protection and has turned into a back that you can trust with 20 carriers a game, but make no mistake, this is still a combo running back set up. Jafar armstrong, who was injured for a while, is a very good back and i think could turn into a great one before he is done. I love what Dexter has done this year, but a lot of his yards are still big runs, hes not churning out 4-5 yards 15 times a game.

 

[zona]

A large percentage of our board is townies (me included). I was planning to be in South Bend for the game and was disappointed when they moved it to 8 miles away from where I live in New Jersey!

believe me we were all complaining about the shamrock series. it is a pain for fans but they have a contract with under armor and it is required

 

[TheCusian]

Hey! Welcome. We have a few trolls that will make themselves known by their posts - but I think most here are pretty respectful of ND this year.

I think the obvious take is that we're less talented at most spots. Our QB is a warrior who you'll come away impressed with. When he's on, he makes our O very hard to stop. If he's off or we're down a lot, you might see our #2 who has a different skill set and can sling it. We've really ramped up the tempo until this season, where we moderate more now. It seems to be working. But there are times we'll put the pedal down and go.

Our D will give up points. But they are opportunistic (#4 in TO margin) and can get pressure with 4 down linemen (#18 in sack rate). If Book isn't getting the ball out quickly, he might not finish the game (this isn't hyperbole - our ends are very good and if Book has an existing injury...). We can struggle against the run, which is our biggest worry. We want you in 3rd in med/long - our 3rd down D is very good (#1 vs 3rd and ling, #4 vs 3rd and med). We're prone to stop teams 3 straight drives and then give up a maddening explosive play.

S&P+ gives us a 22% chance of winning and that seems about right. But we tend to play up to our competition and if you guys bring your B game, we can get on you. Ask Dabo.

 

[zona]

especially with Alton Robinson

the irish staff does not tell us a lot about injuries unless it is season ending. With Book: Kelly said he could have played against FSU but they sat him because of what they say was bruised ribs and possible bruised kidney. But a lot of what I am saying could be BS because everything is a secret with the staff

 

[NDIrish]

believe me we were all complaining about the shamrock series. it is a pain for fans but they have a contract with under armor and it is required

So i don't love the uniforms they are wearing, but i don't hate them, just kind of indifferent, kind of like the fact that the game is at Yankee Stadium, but i think it would have been kinda funny if Syracuse would have had a similar uniform that was a little more red (orange) sox themed, just for the yankee/red sox series. Not that i really wanted this to happen, and it would have been way to gimmicky, but also kinda funny.

 

[NDIrish]

Hey! Welcome. We have a few trolls that will make themselves known by their posts - but I think most here are pretty respectful of ND this year.

I think the obvious take is that we're less talented at most spots. Our QB is a warrior who you'll come away impressed with. When he's on, he makes our O very hard to stop. If he's off or we're down a lot, you might see our #2 who has a different skill set and can sling it. We've really ramped up the tempo until this season, where we moderate more now. It seems to be working. But there are times we'll put the pedal down and go.

Our D will give up points. But they are opportunistic (#4 in TO margin) and can get pressure with 4 down linemen (#18 in sack rate). If Book isn't getting the ball out quickly, he might not finish the game (this isn't hyperbole - our ends are very good and if Book has an existing injury...). We can struggle against the run, which is our biggest worry. We want you in 3rd in med/long - our 3rd down D is very good (#1 vs 3rd and ling, #4 vs 3rd and med). We're prone to stop teams 3 straight drives and then give up a maddening explosive play.

S&P+ gives us a 22% chance of winning and that seems about right. But we tend to play up to our competition and if you guys bring your B game, we can get on you. Ask Dabo.

i think this will be a pretty good game. I do think ND should win this one, but do realize its going to take a complete game by them.

i think ND has probably seen pieces of everything syracuse has, but has not faced a team that has all of it. i do expect you guys to come out with a lot of fire. I really hope we get the ball first, because i think we can control some of the energy if our offense can put together a decent early drive. Book is very good at getting the ball out quickly and mostly makes the correct read. He is not a great deep threat, but he is getting there. I would say the first few games, he was most dangerous with 4-7 yard passes, i think that is evolving into 6-12 yard passes. he will throw it deep, but has not been accurate in those. He does struggle with good DE, especially if they are able to drop in coverage. That is one he really struggles to see. He moves well. I guess we just have to wait and see what the rib injury really is, kelly does get very cryptic about these things, but typically, if he says hes goign to play, then thats the truth, its when he starts saying "day to day" or "re evaluate" means they aren't playing.

 

[SUbear]

Thanks - any of you guys making the trip for the game?

We have sold out our allotment from ND, so yes quite a number of Syracuse fans will be there, including me and two others.

 

[Chip]

So i don't love the uniforms they are wearing, but i don't hate them, just kind of indifferent, kind of like the fact that the game is at Yankee Stadium, but i think it would have been kinda funny if Syracuse would have had a similar uniform that was a little more red (orange) sox themed, just for the yankee/red sox series. Not that i really wanted this to happen, and it would have been way to gimmicky, but also kinda funny.

We don't get to play ND all that much, as you know, so I'm a little bummed that I won't be seeing the gold helmets this weekend.

Unrelated to anything specific, does anyone know if our band is going to be at this game? I hope so.

 

[TheCusian]

Another note - by having a good 3rd down D and having the best special teams in CFB - we tend to have really good starting field position (#1 nationally). So if the game starts to feel like you're always at your own 30 and we're at midfield, I'd be concerned.

 

[sutomcat]

We don't get to play ND all that much, as you know, so I'm a little bummed that I won't be seeing the gold helmets this weekend.

Unrelated to anything specific, does anyone know if our band is going to be at this game? I hope so.

I saw a tweet from the SUMB indicating they will be attending. I hope all 10 tubas make the journey.

 

[CousCuse]

i think this will be a pretty good game. I do think ND should win this one, but do realize its going to take a complete game by them.

i think ND has probably seen pieces of everything syracuse has, but has not faced a team that has all of it. i do expect you guys to come out with a lot of fire. I really hope we get the ball first, because i think we can control some of the energy if our offense can put together a decent early drive. Book is very good at getting the ball out quickly and mostly makes the correct read. He is not a great deep threat, but he is getting there. I would say the first few games, he was most dangerous with 4-7 yard passes, i think that is evolving into 6-12 yard passes. he will throw it deep, but has not been accurate in those. He does struggle with good DE, especially if they are able to drop in coverage. That is one he really struggles to see. He moves well. I guess we just have to wait and see what the rib injury really is, kelly does get very cryptic about these things, but typically, if he says hes goign to play, then thats the truth, its when he starts saying "day to day" or "re evaluate" means they aren't playing.

Starting Wimbush and the Book rib injury are psyops, and we're not falling for it.

 

[PhatOrange]

We haven’t played a complete game and are prone to lose focus and make silly mistakes. Hoping they put it all together on Saturday.

One thing you can count on. HCDB is the ultimate motivator. The Syracuse team will be ready to play.

 

[IthacaMatt]

If i wanted to watch a game to get a good idea of this Syracuse team, which game would you recommend?

I think the NC State game was maybe our best game of the year. The Florida State game was pretty good, too. Give you the best sense of who we can be. We played Clemson close in a tough game down there, too. Those are probably the 3 best games to watch.

 

[Chip]

We haven’t played a complete game and are prone to lose focus and make silly mistakes. Hoping they put it all together on Saturday.

One thing you can count on. HCDB is the ultimate motivator. The Syracuse team will be ready to play.

We'll definitely be focused, but ND is used to that. They get their opponent's best shot every week just because of their name.

ND is going to break off big runs, it's inevitable. But the effort to make sure it doesn't go all the way to the house is one key. Try to find 3s instead of 7s when they break them.

I like our special teams to be an equalizer for some of the talent mismatches.

And finally, we're going to need the Dungey passer from the NC State game, not the UNC/Louisville games.

 

[CuseCactus]

Welcome - very glad always to have rival fans on the Board! (I hate ND - irrationally.)

With that said - I have a lot of respect for ND and am very worried about a beatdown on national TV. We have serious issues dealing with run D. In both our losses - in the 2nd half - both Clemson and Pitt hammered us on the ground. That's the key to the game - IMO. (That and our young CB's getting exposed.

I think the weather also could play a serious role - if it's windy we have problems (as we use the pass to open up the run).

In any event - thanks for posting - keep posting - and I hope ND gets blown out Saturday.

 

[NDIrish]

Welcome - very glad always to have rival fans on the Board! (I hate ND - irrationally.)

With that said - I have a lot of respect for ND and am very worried about a beatdown on national TV. We have serious issues dealing with run D. In both our losses - in the 2nd half - both Clemson and Pitt hammered us on the ground. That's the key to the game - IMO. (That and our young CB's getting exposed.

I think the weather also could play a serious role - if it's windy we have problems (as we use the pass to open up the run).

In any event - thanks for posting - keep posting - and I hope ND gets blown out Saturday.

Thanks for the welcome! And have no problem with hating ND, there is plenty to hate, some are their own fault, some isn't.

I would be very surprised if they manage to blowout Syracuse, 1) i think Syracuse is good enough to keep it close, 2) this isn't an ND team that is going to blow you out, just not the way kelly plays.

 

[TexanMark]

Just a fan, grew up and still live within 5-10 miles of the stadium. I went to Valpo though.

What was the name of the old German restaurant on the Southside of South Bend? Had a great selection of beer for the late 80s

I spent 6 years on Indiana stationed at Grissom AFB

 

[NDIrish]

What was the name of the old German restaurant on the Southside of South Bend? Had a great selection of beer for the late 80s

I spent 6 years on Indiana stationed at Grissom AFB

umm.. Weiss' Gasthaus? its not really southside, but that might be it?

 

[alphaorange]

I think playing a QB with sore ribs against our DL will not work out for ND. We hit QBs and hard. I think it will add up as the game goes on.

 

[mark79]

I agree, ND does not have any freak athleticism, and at times, have really wondered if they were as good as advertised. But here is what i have kind of put together. They are very susceptible to routes that drag across middle of the field, but are very tough against deep routes. They just don't seem to have that speed to catch up with guys in the middle, but they have to be WR, they still play TE's pretty good (typically a little slower then a WR). They have had a couple injuries early that hurt them in this area. Julian Love is legit, troy pride jr is a liability in my opinion. Maybe he just gets picked on more due to how good Love is, but he always seems to be giving up the bigger plays.

They are pretty good against the run. The DL and LB like to play physical. They get a lot of pressure on QBS, but they don't turn into a ton of sacks. So if your QB is mobile, he will be having to move a lot, but should be able to avoid the hits. They are very quick on the edges. They have good leadership and don't seem to get phased by giving up big plays. Its weird, in almost every game, they will have stretches, even quarters, where they completely dominate, then have 3 drives where they just give up a ton of plays. I don't know if its just Clark taking a little too long to adjust or what. I am very happy with the job Clark Lea has done though. I have met him a couple times at various events outside of football, and he really seems like a great person and has done a nice job this year.

This offense, can be very efficient. I think that Dexter is a really nice running back, but he is not the type of person to take a game over. And this is something that i have butted heads on with ND nation. He has always been really fast, but in the past he was limited and lacked discipline. He couldn't pass block, took plays off, and struggled with vision. It was either a home run or a loss. Now, this year, he is much improved. He has made great efforts in pass protection and has turned into a back that you can trust with 20 carriers a game, but make no mistake, this is still a combo running back set up. Jafar armstrong, who was injured for a while, is a very good back and i think could turn into a great one before he is done. I love what Dexter has done this year, but a lot of his yards are still big runs, hes not churning out 4-5 yards 15 times a game.

We have a lightening quick Julian Edelman type receiver you will need to be able to cover tightly somehow. He is an over the middle type receiver who is one of our key quick hit slant receivers. Should be a key matchup to watch closely.

We also have other quick receivers as options as well as several tall receivers. If more than one has a good game and we can get it to them this could be an interesting game.

 

[NDIrish]

I think playing a QB with sore ribs against our DL will not work out for ND. We hit QBs and hard. I think it will add up as the game goes on.

just depends on how sore he is. Im more worried about the mental side of it, is he goign to be thinking about the sore ribs and short arming throws because of that.

 

[NDIrish]

We have a lightening quick Julian Edelman type receiver you will need to be able to cover tightly somehow. He is an over the middle type receiver who is one of our key quick hit slant receivers. Should be a key matchup to watch closely.

We also have other quick receivers as options as well as several tall receivers. If more than one has a good game and we can get it to them this could be an interesting game.

thats where i have concerns (JE type) , the height doesn't concern me as much because we have that and our guys practice against that. They may move a couple people around to bring some speed in the middle to help against that, but that would put extra pressure on our d line to pick up the slack.

 

[cuse309]

Personally, I'm feeling nervous -- but it's fun to feel that a game like this is meaningful again, after two decades of [mostly] futility. That our season has gone so well to an unexpected degree makes this a very important game -- one that could have program-changing ramifications in terms of perception, on the recruiting trail, etc.

But I love that we've put ourselves in a position for this to be an important game on a national scale -- nobody would have guessed that back in August. I hope our kids are sky high to play on Saturday -- can't imagine that they won't be. Need to play much better than we have the past few games to win, IMO.

What's the scoop with Book? Broken ribs seem like a difficult injury to attempt to play through.

 

[newmexicuse]

I think we will need to score 35+ to win.

Here are my big bullet points:

1. Dungey - he will need to pass much better than he did last week at LVille. ND will come to play. They will not roll over. Also doubt we get as many big runs as we did last week. IMHO, we will need at least 250 to 300 yards passing to stay in it.

2. Only have seen ND in flashes, a few minutes here and there, but their O looks very efficient. The big matchup may well be their O-Line v our D-Line. If we can get to the QB we will have a shot.

3. Lastly, TOs are always critical. If we can go +2 in that dept, I think we win. If we are negative in TOs I doubt we will have a shot.