SWC75
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The show this year will be broadcast from the Canyons at Destiny USA in front of Cantina Laredo. I don’t know if they will take questions from the audience there but they say you can watch the show whereas when it was a t a restaurant, their table tended to be in a secluded location. You can call in questions at 1-888-7-Go Cuse (746-2873) or, locally 424-8599. You can also send them in advance at this site:
http://cuse.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
(I do both so they can be prepared to give me an informed, reasoned answer.) You can also contact them via Twitter (@SUSportsNetwork) using #AskShafe. The football show is an hour in duration, (Coach Boeheim’s basketball show is usually 2 hours).
They’ve actually been kind enough to post a schedule in advance:
The show will air at 7 pm on the following dates:
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Thursday, Sept. 11
Thursday, Sept. 18
Thursday, Sept. 25
Wednesday, Oct. 1
Thursday, Oct. 9
Thursday, Oct. 16
Thursday, Oct. 23
Thursday, Oct. 30
Thursday, Nov. 6
Thursday, Nov. 13
Wednesday, Nov. 26
The show can be heard in Syracuse on AM 1260 or FM 97.7.
My Question(s)
“Coach, we gained 589 yards against Maryland and scored 20 points. We gained 429 yards against Notre Dame and forced five turnovers and scored 15 points. Terrell Hunt has thrown for 782 yards in 3 ½ games but has only one touchdown pass. Why are we having so much trouble converting yards and opportunities into points?”
The Show
(I sometime re-arrange the comments so that statements made on the same subject are reported together, even if they came at different points of the show.)
Matt asked how the team was getting through a week in which they had a late Saturday game followed by a Friday game. He suggested that “the staff was crunched up more than anyone”. Coach said that “there was a silver lining. You don’t come up with too many ideas because you can’t. You don’t have time to over-think things. You got to what you do best. It’s about getting bodies feeling good again and repetitions. We didn’t panic- not overdoing it with the kids. I feel good about how they’ve responded. We try to mix things up, change the environment. Change is good- but not change for the sake of change.
I called in my question about turning yards and opportunities into points. Coach said “it’s about finishing. We get tensed up in the red zone. We’ve had scores called back. We flinch and 3rd and 1 becomes 3rd and 6. Know your target. Maintain mental balance. The Japanese call it “satori” (I think that’s what he said: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori ). The individual athletes must find balance with mind and body and spirit. If you press too hard you get outside of your focus and make too many mistakes. Penalties, not sustaining blocks. Grabbing guys. It’s about finishing! Stay in your free-wheeling zone. That’s why we focus on repetitions of what has been successful in the past. Find that flow. Cam Lynch had one play of a kickoff, an effort penalty where he got outside the frame of the body. It’s a discipline thing.
I love watching Derek Jeter. He has a systematic approach. He’s in charge up there. It’s fun to watch. Even when he strikes out you can see he’s figuring out what he did wrong. Michael Jordan had unbelievable flow.”
I would say it would be an exaggeration to say that Coach Shafer was “throwing the kids under the bus”: blaming them for the failure of an otherwise successful offense to produce points. But it is disappointing that nothing was said about re-evaluating strategies. We might need some satori there, too.
Matt asked if the frustration was building up. Coach: “What’s going on in my head during the games is: What’s next? I’m living in the now.”
Injury report: Ashton Broyld is out and Brisley Estime “is not able to tee it up. The good news is that we’ll get them back. The bad news is: not this week. Constant challenges- it’s what’s keeps you alive. We have a good plan. Every time somebody goes down, it’s a great opportunity for someone.”
Now, folks, let’s say the coach’s next line all together: “ NEXT MAN UP!”
Matt asked what Coach thought of the Michigan situation and what protocol we use in possible concussion situations. He said he knew of the Michigan situation but wasn’t really following it closely. “The first thing is to get the player on the sideline. The doctors ask him a battery of questions. If there’s any doubt, don’t play him. I asked the pros who’s up and who’s not.” Matt said that Mack Brown on the TV show he’s on, said t coach shouldn’t pressure the player or doctors to get him back in. Coach said he wouldn’t do that but that some players try to get back into the game themselves. He feels the Federal Government should do a study on the problem and get “real data. We need proof through science.”
They talked about Louisville. “Their skill players are exceptional , not average.” He cited their leading receiver, the well-named James Quick, who has a 74 yard TD catch and running back Brandon Radcliffe, who is “fourth on the depth chart but gashed Louisville for 129 yards and 2TDs” and Gerod Holliman, “A guy I tried to get to come here”, who leads the country with 6 interceptions in 5 games, “statistics we haven’t seen in a long time”. They are without DeVonte Parker, who was supposed to be their star receiver and was injured before the first game. But “they have the ability to get yards after catch. Defensively they are quicker to the ball than most team you’ll see. They be in something and then switch to something else really late.”
They mentioned Louisville’s recruiting, which is “basically from three cities: Miami, Louisville and Cincinnati”. Shafe talked about all the recruiting in those areas he had done over the years and said that Louisville gets more players out of Florida than any other non-Florida school. Of course, that was with Charlie Strong there, who was a long-time assistant at Florida.
Their starting quarterback Will Gardner, will be available but not start, (I got that from ESPN). Instead, we’ll see 18 year old back up Reggie Bonnafon and Shafe wants to “rattle him- a true freshman on the road. We need to make it as loud as hell and feel that orange presence”. Unless he looks at our uniforms, (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
A question was sent in asking “Who are our explosive players?” Coach mentioned Broyld and Estime, who are out. “Tyson-Gulley is hitting the holes and seams quicker than ever. George Morris and Ervin Phillips can take it all the way on any play. Erv has speed and that vison. Looking at him playing in high school in Connecticut, he made it look so easy.” Matt said it helps him to come in on the 3rd or 4th series with fresh legs.
Then Daniel called in. He said he liked the coach, although he had never met him. Daniel was the son of a man who ran a concessions stand at Archbold in the John Mackey- Floyd Little-Larry Csonka days.” Coach said he wished he’d had the chance to “sit next to Daniel in Archbold and see those guys play.”
Then Daniel summarized the first four games, saying that we should have lost to Villanova, then beat a depleted Central Michigan team. “We should have beat the hell out of Maryland. That loss was awful. And against Notre Dame, we had ‘em and should have beat them. Now they want an ‘orange out’. This thing hasn’t caught fire yet and I feel so bad about it.” (I’m trying to figure out the point during the Notre Dame game where we “had ‘em “.) Daniel wanted the coach to place himself in the positon of a fan and tell him what he would think of the situation.
Coach: “I have a hard time living in the ‘what if’ world. I’ve never been a fan- I’m a coach’s son and a coach my whole life. Nobody hates to lose more than a coach does, far more than you folks do because I live it every day. I want so much to give this town something to brag about.”
Daniel said that the team needs to “beat teams down that come to the Dome. Stun somebody and shake up the world!.” Coach Shafer replied: “We’ll have to have you come and talk to the troops.”
http://cuse.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4
(I do both so they can be prepared to give me an informed, reasoned answer.) You can also contact them via Twitter (@SUSportsNetwork) using #AskShafe. The football show is an hour in duration, (Coach Boeheim’s basketball show is usually 2 hours).
They’ve actually been kind enough to post a schedule in advance:
The show will air at 7 pm on the following dates:
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Thursday, Sept. 11
Thursday, Sept. 18
Thursday, Sept. 25
Wednesday, Oct. 1
Thursday, Oct. 9
Thursday, Oct. 16
Thursday, Oct. 23
Thursday, Oct. 30
Thursday, Nov. 6
Thursday, Nov. 13
Wednesday, Nov. 26
The show can be heard in Syracuse on AM 1260 or FM 97.7.
My Question(s)
“Coach, we gained 589 yards against Maryland and scored 20 points. We gained 429 yards against Notre Dame and forced five turnovers and scored 15 points. Terrell Hunt has thrown for 782 yards in 3 ½ games but has only one touchdown pass. Why are we having so much trouble converting yards and opportunities into points?”
The Show
(I sometime re-arrange the comments so that statements made on the same subject are reported together, even if they came at different points of the show.)
Matt asked how the team was getting through a week in which they had a late Saturday game followed by a Friday game. He suggested that “the staff was crunched up more than anyone”. Coach said that “there was a silver lining. You don’t come up with too many ideas because you can’t. You don’t have time to over-think things. You got to what you do best. It’s about getting bodies feeling good again and repetitions. We didn’t panic- not overdoing it with the kids. I feel good about how they’ve responded. We try to mix things up, change the environment. Change is good- but not change for the sake of change.
I called in my question about turning yards and opportunities into points. Coach said “it’s about finishing. We get tensed up in the red zone. We’ve had scores called back. We flinch and 3rd and 1 becomes 3rd and 6. Know your target. Maintain mental balance. The Japanese call it “satori” (I think that’s what he said: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori ). The individual athletes must find balance with mind and body and spirit. If you press too hard you get outside of your focus and make too many mistakes. Penalties, not sustaining blocks. Grabbing guys. It’s about finishing! Stay in your free-wheeling zone. That’s why we focus on repetitions of what has been successful in the past. Find that flow. Cam Lynch had one play of a kickoff, an effort penalty where he got outside the frame of the body. It’s a discipline thing.
I love watching Derek Jeter. He has a systematic approach. He’s in charge up there. It’s fun to watch. Even when he strikes out you can see he’s figuring out what he did wrong. Michael Jordan had unbelievable flow.”
I would say it would be an exaggeration to say that Coach Shafer was “throwing the kids under the bus”: blaming them for the failure of an otherwise successful offense to produce points. But it is disappointing that nothing was said about re-evaluating strategies. We might need some satori there, too.
Matt asked if the frustration was building up. Coach: “What’s going on in my head during the games is: What’s next? I’m living in the now.”
Injury report: Ashton Broyld is out and Brisley Estime “is not able to tee it up. The good news is that we’ll get them back. The bad news is: not this week. Constant challenges- it’s what’s keeps you alive. We have a good plan. Every time somebody goes down, it’s a great opportunity for someone.”
Now, folks, let’s say the coach’s next line all together: “ NEXT MAN UP!”
Matt asked what Coach thought of the Michigan situation and what protocol we use in possible concussion situations. He said he knew of the Michigan situation but wasn’t really following it closely. “The first thing is to get the player on the sideline. The doctors ask him a battery of questions. If there’s any doubt, don’t play him. I asked the pros who’s up and who’s not.” Matt said that Mack Brown on the TV show he’s on, said t coach shouldn’t pressure the player or doctors to get him back in. Coach said he wouldn’t do that but that some players try to get back into the game themselves. He feels the Federal Government should do a study on the problem and get “real data. We need proof through science.”
They talked about Louisville. “Their skill players are exceptional , not average.” He cited their leading receiver, the well-named James Quick, who has a 74 yard TD catch and running back Brandon Radcliffe, who is “fourth on the depth chart but gashed Louisville for 129 yards and 2TDs” and Gerod Holliman, “A guy I tried to get to come here”, who leads the country with 6 interceptions in 5 games, “statistics we haven’t seen in a long time”. They are without DeVonte Parker, who was supposed to be their star receiver and was injured before the first game. But “they have the ability to get yards after catch. Defensively they are quicker to the ball than most team you’ll see. They be in something and then switch to something else really late.”
They mentioned Louisville’s recruiting, which is “basically from three cities: Miami, Louisville and Cincinnati”. Shafe talked about all the recruiting in those areas he had done over the years and said that Louisville gets more players out of Florida than any other non-Florida school. Of course, that was with Charlie Strong there, who was a long-time assistant at Florida.
Their starting quarterback Will Gardner, will be available but not start, (I got that from ESPN). Instead, we’ll see 18 year old back up Reggie Bonnafon and Shafe wants to “rattle him- a true freshman on the road. We need to make it as loud as hell and feel that orange presence”. Unless he looks at our uniforms, (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
A question was sent in asking “Who are our explosive players?” Coach mentioned Broyld and Estime, who are out. “Tyson-Gulley is hitting the holes and seams quicker than ever. George Morris and Ervin Phillips can take it all the way on any play. Erv has speed and that vison. Looking at him playing in high school in Connecticut, he made it look so easy.” Matt said it helps him to come in on the 3rd or 4th series with fresh legs.
Then Daniel called in. He said he liked the coach, although he had never met him. Daniel was the son of a man who ran a concessions stand at Archbold in the John Mackey- Floyd Little-Larry Csonka days.” Coach said he wished he’d had the chance to “sit next to Daniel in Archbold and see those guys play.”
Then Daniel summarized the first four games, saying that we should have lost to Villanova, then beat a depleted Central Michigan team. “We should have beat the hell out of Maryland. That loss was awful. And against Notre Dame, we had ‘em and should have beat them. Now they want an ‘orange out’. This thing hasn’t caught fire yet and I feel so bad about it.” (I’m trying to figure out the point during the Notre Dame game where we “had ‘em “.) Daniel wanted the coach to place himself in the positon of a fan and tell him what he would think of the situation.
Coach: “I have a hard time living in the ‘what if’ world. I’ve never been a fan- I’m a coach’s son and a coach my whole life. Nobody hates to lose more than a coach does, far more than you folks do because I live it every day. I want so much to give this town something to brag about.”
Daniel said that the team needs to “beat teams down that come to the Dome. Stun somebody and shake up the world!.” Coach Shafer replied: “We’ll have to have you come and talk to the troops.”
