SWC75
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The coach’s show is on TK99, (FM 99.5) in the Syracuse area and can also be heard through Orange All-Access on the SU Athletic website. This year it’s 7PM Thursdays- or two days before each game, when they are not on Saturday. They have a link to their “Radio Mailbox” for submitting E-Mail questions on the SU Athletic website. You also can call in questions at 1-888-746-2873 or locally at 315-424-8599. You can also tweet them at hash tag CDMS. The show is broadcast from the Red Robin in Fayetteville.
It can take a while but pod casts of the show are eventually posted here:
http://www.suathletics.com/podcasts.aspx
MY QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
"Coach, there has been a lot of discussion about our “red zone” offense this season. Could you describe what goes on when we enter the red zone: How are decisions being made and who makes them? Is it scripted or are decisions made in the moment? What determines what personnel package we are going to have in and what plays we are going to use? Maybe you could take us through the two critical sequences: the one with the blocked field goal and the one where we couldn’t score in 8 plays from the 10 yard line."
COACH MARRONE
(I’ve re-arranged the order of some of the comments based on the subject. Also, I have decided to abbreviate “I have to do a better job“ as “IHTDABJ“- BJ means “better job”, nothing else- and “I have to put the players in a better position to succeed“ as “IHTPTPIABPTS“ because he says these things more than Bill Fuccillo says “It’s Huge!”)
Matt Park said the community was “psyched up” for the Connecticut game in the Dome. Coach said, “So are the players. They did a nice job in practice. They are looking to get back on the field. They are very frustrated. Since we came here, (2009), we are -30 in turnovers in our losses and +12 in our wins. We are 12-4 in games where we were +1 in turnovers. IHTDABJ and IHTPTPIABPTS. This one keeps coming back to bite us.” (Amazingly, those were the only times he said . IHTDABJ or IHTPTPIABPTS in the whole show!) Matt pointed out that the top 11 teams in turnover margin in the NCAA were either undefeated or had one loss.
Matt asked about the preparation for Fridays game, of which we will have three this year, (the third is at Temple). The coach responded with some innovative syntax: “I’m a big advocate of not being a big fan of short weeks. I really don’t know how the players do it, especially in college. It’s about TV and exposure. I’m sure the stats say that no more players are injured but…. It’s a coach’s job to get player’s bodies ready to play.”
Matt noted that Ray Lewis had complained about all the weekday games in the NFL and now he’s injured, although that may not have been the cause. Coach: “I remember one week we played on Sunday and we had to make the game plan for the next game Sunday night. I don’t know if we looked at film. . We had to practice without pads on so there was no contact.”
I called in my question about the red zone and the coach was ready for it, although he never said who makes the decisions once the team crosses into the red zone. “The closer you get to the end zone, the field is reduced. Certain things have to come out of the game plan. We break it down in four yard sections. From the 16 to the 20 we have 4 passes and 3 runs. We like to take some shots into the end zone right away. Then we change it over every four yard increment. The coverages change and we have to see where the coverage is, whether they are going to use pressure to knock you back to prevent a field goal or cover the end zone to prevent a touchdown. Everyone in the NFL has 5 different concepts of passing, although different teams will be better at certain ones, The Saints might be best at #1 and #5\. The Colts might be better at 2-3-4. (Coach never explained what a “concept” was or what each concept was.) You’ve got to run the football in the red zone. That’s what we haven’t done well.” (He left it at “we”.)
He went over the two possessions I asked about. “On the field goal block, we’d driven about 50 yards to get into the red zone. What hurt us was a false star by Sean Hickey. We had a good match-up in a man for man and took a shot at the end zone but had to check off to a pass to Prince-Tyson Gulley. We knew the pressure was coming and wanted to split it with the run but came up short. Justin Pugh told me- and I saw it on the film after the press conference- that he stepped inside and his feet slipped and went out from under him. The block of course, was a big play in the game.“
Regarding the 8 plays we ran from within the 10 yard line: “We’d gotten downfield by throwing the football. We like to do what we did to get there. We had an incomplete pass to Lemon and then to West. We beat man coverage but had a drop in the end zone. It would have been a TD. Then we had the pass interference. We’d used the big package earlier in the game over the wing and Moore had run five yards into the end zone. He was never really tackled. I assumed they’d change their defense to stop that. When we put them back in we ran to the other side but they had the pressure on and we lost three yards. The Tank has worked 8 times in 9 plays this year and the one time we missed was my issue, (the closest he came to IHTDABJ after the opening of the show).
Coach said that “By the time a player goes to sleep the night before a game, he’ll know 50-60% of the plays we are going to use. We script the first 15 plays, what we will do on the goal line, what we will do in the two minute drill, the first and 10 calls, etc.” Matt said that it’s tough when you find yourself in 3rd and 12 and can’t keep to the script. Coach: “It kills you. You’d like to get 4 yards on 1st down, then 3 yards on second down so you can run, use a 6 man protect or can put someone in the flat. Rutgers would rush 3, play 3 deep and 5 underneath. People ask: Why do they throw the ball to the back? Why do they throw the ball 7 yards when you need 12? It’s because there’s nothing there. So many things go on. I wish it was as easy as a video game. People come up to me and tell me they are experts on Madden. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.”
They talked about the problems the Dallas Cowboys had had with the clock. “In the NFL, late in the game, they take away the sideline and force you to throw it in the middle. It’s tough because they don’t stop the clock after a first down.”
Matt noted that “the fans are having a hard time with the growing pains of being right there and yet not making the plays to get victory.” Coach said he’s well aware of it. He gets E-mails, people coming up to him and his wife. “I was well aware of what I was getting into. People don’t understand what you go through. We came here to make this a better program. We will get this fixed. I will use every ounce of my energy to do it. The one thing I will never do is quit.” Matt Park: Nobody wants it more than you and the guys.”
They finally got to other calls. Ron in Watertown said “Some of us still believe in what you are doing. How do you deal with the frustration of the players?” Coach: “I’ll share something with you. We had the players assembled to look at the film. I told everyone to stand up, players and coaches. I brushed off both my arms and then my pants. I told them to do the same. I asked how many of them had been with the from the beginning, how many had been at the Pinstripe Bowl, how many of them were here last year. I reminded them why they came here- to make this a football program we can all be proud of.”
He said he went over the turnover stats with them. In 19 wins we are +12. In 24 losses we are -30. “That’s why we haven’t won as many games as we should have. If a team was just better than us, if they’d kicked our butts, I’d be glad to admit it. Knowing that’s not the case is a killer. As it goes on, it gets tougher because of all the energy we put into it. Quitting is not even something we think about. Once you quit, you only do it once and that’s it.”
Tom from Cazenovia asked about the status of Ashton Broyld and why he wasn’t playing. “It’s a concern about ball security. He’s working hard on it. We had some packages he’s involved in. I don’t want to put myself on the spot but I hope he’s going to be able to play this week.” (So it was the fumble against Minnesota. It’s a good thing we didn’t have him in there again Rutgers. We might have had some turnovers.)
Matt turned the conversation towards Connecticut and the return of Paul Pasqualoni and George Deleone to the Dome. HCDM: “Coach Deleone was my position coach when I was SU. Once someone is your coach, they are always your coach. I remember one time I saw Coach Shula on the sidelines, (Doug played for the Dolphins in 1987), and he asked me to go get Coach Edwards, (Herm Edwards, then head coach of the Jets) and I started running after him. Then I realized that Coach Shula wasn’t my coach any more.”
“Coach P wasn’t here when I was here but I have met him several times. Coach Deleone used to visit us in New Orleans. We talked quite a bit before they got the Connecticut job but not since, at least during the season. I don’t want to let any trade secrets slip. As a former player and alum, I’m happy and proud with the job they did here. Words can’t describe the respect and appreciation I have for them.” Matt: They won a lot of games here and they deserve to be welcomed.”
Matt noted that Lyle McCombs was healthy again and would be playing for the Huskies. He had had a wrist injury. “They ran the wildcat against us a lot in the second half. They ran it for more years against us than anyone else. They throw the ball vertically and like to use their tight ends. They have a top defense. They are very multiple. (Yes, he said that!) Our receivers have to win vs. man coverage. They are very effective vs. the run, as was Rutgers and Pittsburgh and like what we are doing. There are some tough defenses in this conference. It’s all about execution and don’t turn it over. You have to win at certain positions.”
Matt asked if “dealing with the monster in the room- turnovers- requires the use of lower risk plays.” Coach: The best way to cause a turnover is with a hard hit.” (Matt referenced Dyshawn Davis vs. Rutgers last year.) “But even in the NFL, runners and receivers have to learn when to go down. If they are being held up, they have to watch out for the second tackler who is going to rip at the ball. The Chicago Bears are the best at that. They’ve led in causing turnovers the last 7-8 years. If you are being held up, go down. It’s one more yard vs. having the ball ripped out. The Indy receivers get right up.” Matt: “That’s because Peyton Manning is throwing the ball.”
“We’ve talked about ball security since the very first time we started playing ball. We’ve had the players carry footballs around campus. We’re doing everything we can possibly do.”
It can take a while but pod casts of the show are eventually posted here:
http://www.suathletics.com/podcasts.aspx
MY QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
"Coach, there has been a lot of discussion about our “red zone” offense this season. Could you describe what goes on when we enter the red zone: How are decisions being made and who makes them? Is it scripted or are decisions made in the moment? What determines what personnel package we are going to have in and what plays we are going to use? Maybe you could take us through the two critical sequences: the one with the blocked field goal and the one where we couldn’t score in 8 plays from the 10 yard line."
COACH MARRONE
(I’ve re-arranged the order of some of the comments based on the subject. Also, I have decided to abbreviate “I have to do a better job“ as “IHTDABJ“- BJ means “better job”, nothing else- and “I have to put the players in a better position to succeed“ as “IHTPTPIABPTS“ because he says these things more than Bill Fuccillo says “It’s Huge!”)
Matt Park said the community was “psyched up” for the Connecticut game in the Dome. Coach said, “So are the players. They did a nice job in practice. They are looking to get back on the field. They are very frustrated. Since we came here, (2009), we are -30 in turnovers in our losses and +12 in our wins. We are 12-4 in games where we were +1 in turnovers. IHTDABJ and IHTPTPIABPTS. This one keeps coming back to bite us.” (Amazingly, those were the only times he said . IHTDABJ or IHTPTPIABPTS in the whole show!) Matt pointed out that the top 11 teams in turnover margin in the NCAA were either undefeated or had one loss.
Matt asked about the preparation for Fridays game, of which we will have three this year, (the third is at Temple). The coach responded with some innovative syntax: “I’m a big advocate of not being a big fan of short weeks. I really don’t know how the players do it, especially in college. It’s about TV and exposure. I’m sure the stats say that no more players are injured but…. It’s a coach’s job to get player’s bodies ready to play.”
Matt noted that Ray Lewis had complained about all the weekday games in the NFL and now he’s injured, although that may not have been the cause. Coach: “I remember one week we played on Sunday and we had to make the game plan for the next game Sunday night. I don’t know if we looked at film. . We had to practice without pads on so there was no contact.”
I called in my question about the red zone and the coach was ready for it, although he never said who makes the decisions once the team crosses into the red zone. “The closer you get to the end zone, the field is reduced. Certain things have to come out of the game plan. We break it down in four yard sections. From the 16 to the 20 we have 4 passes and 3 runs. We like to take some shots into the end zone right away. Then we change it over every four yard increment. The coverages change and we have to see where the coverage is, whether they are going to use pressure to knock you back to prevent a field goal or cover the end zone to prevent a touchdown. Everyone in the NFL has 5 different concepts of passing, although different teams will be better at certain ones, The Saints might be best at #1 and #5\. The Colts might be better at 2-3-4. (Coach never explained what a “concept” was or what each concept was.) You’ve got to run the football in the red zone. That’s what we haven’t done well.” (He left it at “we”.)
He went over the two possessions I asked about. “On the field goal block, we’d driven about 50 yards to get into the red zone. What hurt us was a false star by Sean Hickey. We had a good match-up in a man for man and took a shot at the end zone but had to check off to a pass to Prince-Tyson Gulley. We knew the pressure was coming and wanted to split it with the run but came up short. Justin Pugh told me- and I saw it on the film after the press conference- that he stepped inside and his feet slipped and went out from under him. The block of course, was a big play in the game.“
Regarding the 8 plays we ran from within the 10 yard line: “We’d gotten downfield by throwing the football. We like to do what we did to get there. We had an incomplete pass to Lemon and then to West. We beat man coverage but had a drop in the end zone. It would have been a TD. Then we had the pass interference. We’d used the big package earlier in the game over the wing and Moore had run five yards into the end zone. He was never really tackled. I assumed they’d change their defense to stop that. When we put them back in we ran to the other side but they had the pressure on and we lost three yards. The Tank has worked 8 times in 9 plays this year and the one time we missed was my issue, (the closest he came to IHTDABJ after the opening of the show).
Coach said that “By the time a player goes to sleep the night before a game, he’ll know 50-60% of the plays we are going to use. We script the first 15 plays, what we will do on the goal line, what we will do in the two minute drill, the first and 10 calls, etc.” Matt said that it’s tough when you find yourself in 3rd and 12 and can’t keep to the script. Coach: “It kills you. You’d like to get 4 yards on 1st down, then 3 yards on second down so you can run, use a 6 man protect or can put someone in the flat. Rutgers would rush 3, play 3 deep and 5 underneath. People ask: Why do they throw the ball to the back? Why do they throw the ball 7 yards when you need 12? It’s because there’s nothing there. So many things go on. I wish it was as easy as a video game. People come up to me and tell me they are experts on Madden. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.”
They talked about the problems the Dallas Cowboys had had with the clock. “In the NFL, late in the game, they take away the sideline and force you to throw it in the middle. It’s tough because they don’t stop the clock after a first down.”
Matt noted that “the fans are having a hard time with the growing pains of being right there and yet not making the plays to get victory.” Coach said he’s well aware of it. He gets E-mails, people coming up to him and his wife. “I was well aware of what I was getting into. People don’t understand what you go through. We came here to make this a better program. We will get this fixed. I will use every ounce of my energy to do it. The one thing I will never do is quit.” Matt Park: Nobody wants it more than you and the guys.”
They finally got to other calls. Ron in Watertown said “Some of us still believe in what you are doing. How do you deal with the frustration of the players?” Coach: “I’ll share something with you. We had the players assembled to look at the film. I told everyone to stand up, players and coaches. I brushed off both my arms and then my pants. I told them to do the same. I asked how many of them had been with the from the beginning, how many had been at the Pinstripe Bowl, how many of them were here last year. I reminded them why they came here- to make this a football program we can all be proud of.”
He said he went over the turnover stats with them. In 19 wins we are +12. In 24 losses we are -30. “That’s why we haven’t won as many games as we should have. If a team was just better than us, if they’d kicked our butts, I’d be glad to admit it. Knowing that’s not the case is a killer. As it goes on, it gets tougher because of all the energy we put into it. Quitting is not even something we think about. Once you quit, you only do it once and that’s it.”
Tom from Cazenovia asked about the status of Ashton Broyld and why he wasn’t playing. “It’s a concern about ball security. He’s working hard on it. We had some packages he’s involved in. I don’t want to put myself on the spot but I hope he’s going to be able to play this week.” (So it was the fumble against Minnesota. It’s a good thing we didn’t have him in there again Rutgers. We might have had some turnovers.)
Matt turned the conversation towards Connecticut and the return of Paul Pasqualoni and George Deleone to the Dome. HCDM: “Coach Deleone was my position coach when I was SU. Once someone is your coach, they are always your coach. I remember one time I saw Coach Shula on the sidelines, (Doug played for the Dolphins in 1987), and he asked me to go get Coach Edwards, (Herm Edwards, then head coach of the Jets) and I started running after him. Then I realized that Coach Shula wasn’t my coach any more.”
“Coach P wasn’t here when I was here but I have met him several times. Coach Deleone used to visit us in New Orleans. We talked quite a bit before they got the Connecticut job but not since, at least during the season. I don’t want to let any trade secrets slip. As a former player and alum, I’m happy and proud with the job they did here. Words can’t describe the respect and appreciation I have for them.” Matt: They won a lot of games here and they deserve to be welcomed.”
Matt noted that Lyle McCombs was healthy again and would be playing for the Huskies. He had had a wrist injury. “They ran the wildcat against us a lot in the second half. They ran it for more years against us than anyone else. They throw the ball vertically and like to use their tight ends. They have a top defense. They are very multiple. (Yes, he said that!) Our receivers have to win vs. man coverage. They are very effective vs. the run, as was Rutgers and Pittsburgh and like what we are doing. There are some tough defenses in this conference. It’s all about execution and don’t turn it over. You have to win at certain positions.”
Matt asked if “dealing with the monster in the room- turnovers- requires the use of lower risk plays.” Coach: The best way to cause a turnover is with a hard hit.” (Matt referenced Dyshawn Davis vs. Rutgers last year.) “But even in the NFL, runners and receivers have to learn when to go down. If they are being held up, they have to watch out for the second tackler who is going to rip at the ball. The Chicago Bears are the best at that. They’ve led in causing turnovers the last 7-8 years. If you are being held up, go down. It’s one more yard vs. having the ball ripped out. The Indy receivers get right up.” Matt: “That’s because Peyton Manning is throwing the ball.”
“We’ve talked about ball security since the very first time we started playing ball. We’ve had the players carry footballs around campus. We’re doing everything we can possibly do.”
