That last punt did it for me

[ejz555]

'This coordinator' McD, or Lester? Who did you expect to get in the middle of the season?

Not expecting to get anyone in the middle of the season?? Who said that? I am referring to the fact that he has named Lester his permanent OC... Given its state, to continue to go with offensive inexperience and not reevaluate after the season is beyond being irrational. He needs coaching experience in the area he has little. That simple.

 

[KellySyracuse]

I don't understand that at all. Not only does it deflate what's left of the fan base even further it's demoralizing for the team, especially the defense. Definitely not a hard nosed decision. I'm a diehard but geez, there have been a lot of decisions this year that leave me scratching my head. Someone needs to lead and I'm not sure we've got anyone on that coaching staff that can do it.

 

[Millhouse]

I cannot wait for Millhouse's take Literally I'm giddy

I didn't watch a second

 

[Noexcuse]

I figure he was just messing with the Pitt staff in that situation, or maybe setting up BC next week. We faked the punt against Duke in the last game and for sure the Pitt staff was thinking this was going to be a fake too. But he double faked them out by punting. Now BC won't know what to expect next week. Brilliant if you ask me.

 

[Stern]

There is not justification or rationalization or that call - none.

He is clueless and in over his head. I don't need to see anymore.

At least with SU's killer schedule next year a new coach and take a bad yer and say its year 1 of a new system. Putting off the inevitable is just wasting 12 months at this point. Shafer can't lead this program

 

[MadNY3]

The fact that our biggest postgame thread is about a boneheaded/gutless call down 30-7 with four minutes left tells me we are more like Rutgirls than we care to admit.

Sigh.

What a demoralizing game.

 

[Chip]

I must admit, if I were the AD of Syracuse University, I would demand to know why my coach would punt in that situation. It had nothing to do with the outcome, but he put a demoralized,tired bunch of kids back on the field that have been trying to cover for the garbage on the other side of the ball all year. Scott should definitely be accountable for that move.

The AD doesn't want that answer. Last thing Gross wants to know for sure is that his choice is this far in over his head after just 2 years.

He's probably keeping his mind focused on field hockey right about now.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

I agree, that punt kicked me in the balls. I turned off the game shortly thereafter. I almost thought it was an FU to those who criticized him for punting against NC State in a similar situation.

 

[Whitey23]

at least he didn't try the fake punt again.

 

[Bayside44]

The AD doesn't want that answer. Last thing Gross wants to know for sure is that his choice is this far in over his head after just 2 years.

He's probably keeping his mind focused on field hockey right about now.

Hired to "fix" football...and his fundraising staff asks donors if they know anyone.

Show him the door, now.

 

[dinosaurbbq]

Ridiculous move. When announcers who typically go out of their way to be overly nice to both teams and coaches loudly question the decision on live TV, that tells you all you need to know. Embarassing decision and Shafer has lost me too with this one. Like a dope, I'll keep watching and rooting. My life is pretty sad.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Ridiculous move. When announcers who typically go out of their way to be overly nice to both teams and coaches loudly question the decision on live TV, that tells you all you need to know. Embarassing decision and Shafer has lost me too with this one. Like a dope, I'll keep watching and rooting. My life is pretty sad.

I'm giving you a like, because I understand.

 

[Stern]

I have no faith the school will fire Shafer after next week...but one thing they should seriously consider is lost revenue by keeping him around. Ticket sales for next year will be very very low. Aside from the LSU game I think that dome will be empty every other game next year. I think season ticket sales will go down. I think they must consider lost revenue because this year the attendance seemed to get worse as the season went on and I think that will just roll right into next year and continue.

At least with a new coach you are selling "hope"...people might show up. But keeping Shafer around we know what the outcome will be.

 

[TheCusian]

The punt literally was pointless. We were down 30-7 with four minutes left. The game was not in doubt either way and somehow THIS is the moment that everyone is pointing to?

There were a half dozen plays in the 1st quarter that were more important to the outcome that we botched.

 

[Millhouse]

The punt literally was pointless.

That's why people are mad. Just forfeit at that point if you're going to do that

 

[Alsacs]

The punt literally was pointless. We were down 30-7 with four minutes left. The game was not in doubt either way and somehow THIS is the moment that everyone is pointing to?

There were a half dozen plays in the 1st quarter that were more important to the outcome that we botched.

It is okay for fans to be realists and not idealists. Scott Shafer appears to be a great guy and honorable man, but his performance as a head football coach has not been good and by keeping him another year you are praying for 6 wins which is nothing more than mediocre.

Scott Shafer has always been saying Syracuse is about #hardnosed football that decision was the antithesis of #hardnosed.

 

[Chip]

Hired to "fix" football...and his fundraising staff asks donors if they know anyone.

Show him the door, now.

Yep. Firing the coach right now would be a useless exercise. Football has a bigger problem. And that problem has hired two defensive minded head coaches at a school with a unique Dome. He shouldn't get the chance to do it again.

 

[Moontan]

Tell Scott to either hire a proven D-1 OC (yes, you'd need to give that OC a 2+year contract) or pack his bags.
There isn't enough time to hire both a new AD and a new football coach... unless you have an interim AD that you trust (see Michigan).

 

[Orangello]

Hired to "fix" football...and his fundraising staff asks donors if they know anyone.

Show him the door, now.

Wait until the NCAA investigation results come out. I think the other shoe drops at that point and Gross will be packing his matching Hermes USC logo bags. I think the new chancellor is a pretty shrewd dude.

 

[scottynguyen]

That's why people are mad. Just forfeit at that point if you're going to do that

It just illustrates a broader point. Shafer actually believes that's the correct move there. Which is, frankly, alarming and scary.

 

[RF2044]

It's more than that. Football isn't a passive-aggressive game. You have to have some coherent, articulable philosophy on offense, and it needs to be aggressive. Doesn't matter if it's smash-mouth beat-the-hell-out-of-them. You have to want to score points, and have a philosophy for how you are going to do it. Offense is fundamentally different than defense in that you start every play with the ball in your possession. Offense is where you impose your will and score points. You win games by seizing the moment and acting, doing, being. We are a cipher on offense, a nothing, a phantom. And I am done with it. It's not winning football.

Agreed. Even though we have a Dome / controlled environment, I wouldn't care if we had a run based attack like Georgia Tech [just for example], so long as we ran the offense well and scored some damn points. I think it is accurate to suggest that Shafer--despite being a former QB--has ZERO concept of what he wants to run offensively. That just won't fly in modern college football.

I've seen enough.

 

[RF2044]

Hired to "fix" football...and his fundraising staff asks donors if they know anyone.

Show him the door, now.

Agreed. Gross needs to go too.

I sure as hell don't want him making the next hiring decision, given his track record.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

Even the Pitt fans in our section laughed their asses off when the punt team came out. We will not be back next year if Scott is...

 

[Doc5120]

I must admit, if I were the AD of Syracuse University, I would demand to know why my coach would punt in that situation. It had nothing to do with the outcome, but he put a demoralized,tired bunch of kids back on the field that have been trying to cover for the garbage on the other side of the ball all year. Scott should definitely be accountable for that move.

Perhaps he thought our defense gave us the better option to score.

 

[rosconey]

Perhaps he thought our defense gave us the better option to score.

the cheerleaders gave us a better option