The biggest consequence from that USF loss

[OttoinGrotto]

The biggest consequence is that we are 3-2 when we could have been 4-1.

Well, sure. But I think this loss also made the other games harder. Blood in the water. We don't need that.

 

[007]

Well, sure. But I think this loss also made the other games harder. Blood in the water. We don't need that.

Nah, nothing has really changed in terms of games being "harder." We have faced the real possibility of losing to everyone on the schedule from day one, excluding RI. We are likely going to be dogs in every game left on the schedule, with the possible exception of BC.

What IS harder now is getting to bowl eligibility.

 

[Rage4CUSE]

I think we can compete with everyone on our schedule. Not afraid of those schools and I doubt our staff or players feel that way either. It's our fans who bail at a moments notice.

The fans should bail when teams turn to crap. If it didn't happen school/owners wouldn't care about making their product better because people are still showing up and they are still making their cash.

 

[TheCusian]

Forget afraid that Clemson game looks terrifying. I know your a huge fan of this staff but you know we're not beating fsu or Clemson and probably not lville either. Teams that give up 45 to directional Florida aren't beating fsu or Clemson.

I think it's unlikely. But not impossible.

Just 3 weeks ago people gave us 0% chance vs LSU. Anything can happen. Especially with young players who can look awful one moment and then amazing the next.

The defensive staff didn't forget how to coach.
The offensive coaches are trying to get consistency from true freshman.

 

[TheCusian]

BS

How do you explain the 180 from post LSU to post USF?

I was exaggerating for effect - but one week people want to give the staff an extension, the next - well just take a look around.

One week people think we can beat FSU, the next week we won't win another game.

It's crazy. (Granted, some of the people who show up after a loss - ONLY - show up after a loss).

 

[TheCusian]

The fans should bail when teams turn to crap. If it didn't happen school/owners wouldn't care about making their product better because people are still showing up and they are still making their cash.

I'd agree if it weren't just four days from people thinking we could go 6-1.

Long term - I get it. Week to week? No - that's a lack of support.

 

[JeremyCuse]

How do you explain the 180 from post LSU to post USF?

I was exaggerating for effect - but one week people want to give the staff an extension, the next - well just take a look around.

One week people think we can beat FSU, the next week we won't win another game.

It's crazy. (Granted, some of the people who show up after a loss - ONLY - show up after a loss).

The difference is we just had 45 pts dropped on us by a 1-3 team and looked awful in all aspects save for the offense in the second half. It's one thing for FSU at home to do this but USF doing it with zero passing game is a disaster

 

[RF2044]

Nah, nothing has really changed in terms of games being "harder." We have faced the real possibility of losing to everyone on the schedule from day one, excluding RI. We are likely going to be dogs in every game left on the schedule, with the possible exception of BC.

What IS harder now is getting to bowl eligibility.

That's right -- that is the main consequence of losing last Saturday's game. The margin for error just shrunk. A lot.

 

[Shenexon]

The difference is we just had 45 pts dropped on us by a 1-3 team and looked awful in all aspects save for the offense in the second half. It's one thing for FSU at home to do this but USF doing it with zero passing game is a disaster

The USF game was a big setback but not to the level of disaster. It was a loss by a young team in their first road game against a team that played better than they had previously. Football games involve two teams so the SU loss belongs to both squads. Every game is unique and this week it's on to Virginia, then home for Pitt. We can compete with both, but will have to play better than either one to win. No win will be easy. It's on the coaches to put the kids in position to win, on the players to execute, and on the fans to believe. We can help this team and they need us. The outcome of the season is not yet known and is dependent upon how all parties respond to a bad loss. I think we beat Virginia with a huge game at home against Pitt. The USF game was painful enough that we don't have to keep flogging ourselves in a masochistic tirade. LGO!!!

 

[JeremyCuse]

The USF game was a big setback but not to the level of disaster. It was a loss by a young team in their first road game against a team that played better than they had previously. Football games involve two teams so the SU loss belongs to both squads. Every game is unique and this week it's on to Virginia, then home for Pitt. We can compete with both, but will have to play better than either one to win. No win will be easy. It's on the coaches to put the kids in position to win, on the players to execute, and on the fans to believe. We can help this team and they need us. The outcome of the season is not yet known and is dependent upon how all parties respond to a bad loss. I think we beat Virginia with a huge game at home against Pitt. The USF game was painful enough that we don't have to keep flogging ourselves in a masochistic tirade. LGO!!!

I haven't given up on the season as I still see a path to 6-6 although much narrower then before. That being said you can't spin Saturday's game, 45 pts to a 1-3 AAC team who got waxed by a terrible Maryland team is a disaster period.

 

[SU68]

I'll stand by my original prediction of 5 - 7. 6 - 6 if the stars align. :noidea:

 

[TheCusian]

The difference is we just had 45 pts dropped on us by a 1-3 team and looked awful in all aspects save for the offense in the second half. It's one thing for FSU at home to do this but USF doing it with zero passing game is a disaster

Right. So the threshold for your fandom is one game where our very young team laid an egg in its first road game?!

My point is - I take my lumps. Hate losing. But look for ways to see things clearly. That means not predicting auto losses or assuming coaching changes or any of the rest of that garbage. That's just the way I am.

I'm firmly in the camp that we can win or lose any game left on our schedule. And that the young players will get better.

 

[TheCusian]

The difference is we just had 45 pts dropped on us by a 1-3 team and looked awful in all aspects save for the offense in the second half. It's one thing for FSU at home to do this but USF doing it with zero passing game is a disaster

Also - missed all your posts after the wins and the loss to LSU.

After a loss you're in every thread

 

[Shenexon]

I haven't given up on the season as I still see a path to 6-6 although much narrower then before. That being said you can't spin Saturday's game, 45 pts to a 1-3 AAC team who got waxed by a terrible Maryland team is a disaster period.

Spin works both ways. We're not as good as we hoped nor as bad as we looked against USF. Each game can turn either way and we're going to have our struggles, especially on defense. Giving up 45 points to USF is indeed troubling, but we were still in the game in the 4th quarter when the wheels came off. On to Virginia...

 

[OttoinGrotto]

That's right -- that is the main consequence of losing last Saturday's game. The margin for error just shrunk. A lot.

Nobody talks margin of error on this board more than I do, and we lost an opportunity for a win, but we have enough chances left to qualify for a bowl. I think we had a chance to put some fear in to the remaining opponents on our schedule that we were going to be a tough out. I think that's gone, and I think that makes those 4-5 remaining swing games significantly harder. That worries me more than dropping the USF game because I think the effect accumulates.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Also - missed all your posts after the wins and the loss to LSU.

After a loss you're in every thread

I thought LSU spoke for itself. We were way undermaned and gave a pretty good peformance against a team clearly better then us in most phases. Thought LSU sleep walked through a decent portion of the game but all things considered I was proud of how we played. USF was a total disaster in my mind and really has me concerned about this staff and this season moving forward.

Wake is a really bad team and once Dungey went down against CMU its clear we were in for a white knuckler.

 

[Pearl309]

Boston College has to claw out everything. I promise they're looking at us and thinking they can be dudes against our team. .

Maybe we just dont have enough dudes on this team to compete with them

 

[orangezen]

No one has mentioned that USF wanted this game much more than us.. they desperately needed a win..it was at home and they were hyped up to win one for their fallen player who had died... college fb is such a game of emotion and USF had a ton on their side ...

 

[JeremyCuse]

Right. So the threshold for your fandom is one game where our very young team laid an egg in its first road game?!

My point is - I take my lumps. Hate losing. But look for ways to see things clearly. That means not predicting auto losses or assuming coaching changes or any of the rest of that garbage. That's just the way I am.

I'm firmly in the camp that we can win or lose any game left on our schedule. And that the young players will get better.

My fandom doesn't rest on one game trust me I have seen more SU football disasters then I ever want to admit. The issue is I can take a game like this against a team like Clemson or FSU but to lose like that to a 1-3 South Florida team in Shafers third year is as bad as it gets. It also continues a pattern under Shafer of Syracuse teams getting hammered in ways that never happened under Marrone. Sorry if I am not exactly looking forward to matchups against FSU, Clemson, and Lville who have offenses light years better then South Florida.

 

[Pearl309]

No one has mentioned that USF wanted this game much more than us.. they desperately needed a win..it was at home and they were hyped up to win one for their fallen player who had died... college fb is such a game of emotion and USF had a ton on their side ...

They apparently also wanted to get back to their dorm to shoot off some rounds

 

[Shenexon]

No one has mentioned that USF wanted this game much more than us.. they desperately needed a win..it was at home and they were hyped up to win one for their fallen player who had died... college fb is such a game of emotion and USF had a ton on their side ...

They did seem fired up right from the beginning. The TV broadcast showed USF singing & dancing in a large group after good plays. They looked motivated and played like it. That doesn't discount how flat we were to start the game nor how poorly we defensed USF, but demonstrates that football games are physically competitive events between groups of good, emotional athletes who may have differing levels of adrenaline in their systems at the beginning & throughout the game. In the same way that our defensive edges consistently were pushed back, our offensive edges were pushed back as well. There was one play I noted where our RB noticeably had to run backward to get around his blocker. USF was inspired & we were playing catchup all day.

 

[Alsacs]

Also - missed all your posts after the wins and the loss to LSU.

After a loss you're in every thread

You are wrong to go after Jeremy. He is diehard thru and thru. Way better fan than me and you and I have had a lot of clashes.
People are frustrated Cusian. I have kept my word but don't call this guy a pessimist when he is the definition of a realist.

 

[bothsocksup]

USF game simple as this

1. We came out flat

2. They pulled out every trick in the book for this victory, this was a must win for USF

3. When they hit that trick reverse flea flicking whatever play, it woke us up

4. Big runs, big hits ensued and it looked like we were gonna have a great comeback win on our hands

5. The bonehead play by Whitener (spelling) completely took the wind out of our sails. I hate to say it, but it 100 percent was the reason behind our loss. I have no doubt in my mind if we get the ball back there we score and the game is tied.

6. Gotta make better in game adjustments to stop the run. Seemed like on ever replay our linebackers were flowing in the wrong direction, gaping holes everywhere.

7. We see the team we thought we were gonna see this past Saturday, this Saturday against Va. I expect better energy and a better result. These kids are gonnna get coached up this week

 

[sandman525]

They did seem fired up right from the beginning. The TV broadcast showed USF singing & dancing in a large group after good plays. They looked motivated and played like it. That doesn't discount how flat we were to start the game nor how poorly we defensed USF, but demonstrates that football games are physically competitive events between groups of good, emotional athletes who may have differing levels of adrenaline in their systems at the beginning & throughout the game. In the same way that our defensive edges consistently were pushed back, our offensive edges were pushed back as well. There was one play I noted where our RB noticeably had to run backward to get around his blocker. USF was inspired & we were playing catchup all day.

This may be the start of a downward trend this season, but strange things happen sometimes. Remember 2011, when Syracuse stomped WVU 49 - 23 at the dome, then proceeded to go winless the rest of the season? While WVU went on to win the Big East and dropped 70 on Clemson in the Orange Bowl? We may look back on Saturday's game and see it as the turning point of the season, or it may be a one week blip on an otherwise upward trajectory. With such a young cast of characters on the team it's way to early to tell which one is correct.

 

[Shenexon]

You are wrong to go after Jeremy. He is diehard thru and thru. Way better fan than me and you and I have had a lot of clashes.
People are frustrated Cusian. I have kept my word but don't call this guy a pessimist when he is the definition of a realist.

There are a lot of you guys, including Jeremy, that have suffered every season for a generation and have justified criticisms of the program. Jeremy is on my top 10 of dedicated fans. However, we need a dynamic of civil debate where various perspectives can be respectfully offered and received. I truly get Jeremy's viewpoint and feel positive perspectives need to be offered as well, as realism soon becomes a humorous pessimism. Our woes at times take on a tragic humor...