SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 33,873
- Like
- 65,323
I previewed the two games together as if they were one event and they seemed like the same game when they were played, so here goes.
- The big, huge thing was that we came alive in the fourth quarter of the football game by doing what we did against Wake Forest – throwing the ball downfield for big plays - and won the game to assure our first winning season in four years. Now if we can do what we’ve also done successfully in the past – win minor bowl games to put lipstick on a troubled regular season. Wouldn’t you have taken an 8-5 record with a bowl win last August? It will take the heat off of Dino for a while.
- Then the issue is: can we build on that achievement, which we failed to do after the 2018 season, (and 2010 and 2012). We’ll have quite a QB room if we have Shrader, Del-Rio Wilson, Lamson and Sellers. (Two of those probably won’t hang around if they don’t get a decent shot at the job. Tucker figures to go pro. Allen looks promising but who do we have behind him? I like our receivers but want to use all of them, not just one. The line, which was no great shakes with veterans, will have to be rebuilt. I think having to use so many guys on defense due to all the injuries will pay off next year when we’ll have more experienced depth. The ‘hippos’ on the D-line will be closer to 300 pounds than 250. We’ll need a new place kicker and a good punter. Hopefully we’ll still have Tony White. I recall it took until his second year for his impact on the defense to come through. Maybe it will be the same with Anae and Becker on offense. And maybe fate will give us a break with the injuries.
- As to the basketball team, it’s liberating, in a way to have lost the streak of winning seasons. I’m not worried about whether we’ll have one this year or not. I hope so. I hope we can get back in the NCAA tournament. But I’m more concerned with the development of this group of ‘new’ players into a team that can do those things. We sure aren’t there now but I can visualize this crew fitting their skills together to make the team greater than the sum of their parts, rather than less than. Last year’s team was a group of jump shooters who couldn’t play defense or drive to the basket effectively, even though we were using isolation and pick and role plays. This team is a better mix, potentially of ball handler, drivers, passers, shooters, rebounders and defensive players. JB says he’s done with the 2023 class and is working on the 20204 class so, except for defections, graduations, (what’s that?), and transfers, this bunch is it for the next two seasons. How good will they get? I think they can be very good - eventually.
- Kudos to: Jesse Edwards, who had a career high 21 rebounds, half again as much as his career high and the most by any SU player since Rick Jackson had 22 against Detroit in 2010. Justin Taylor, who came into the game 3 for 14 o the year went 6 for 9 from the field with three pointers, and 10 of 13 from the line for 25 points. People said he was a look-alike and play-alike for Buddy Boeheim and he sure looked like it yesterday. Garrett Shrader, who completed 21 of 27 passes for 285 yards and 2 scores, Sean Tucker who ran for 125 yards and 2 scores on 21 carries and Oronde Gadsden, Damian Alford and DeVaughn Cooper who caught 17 of Shrader’s passes for 269 yards and the two TDs. It was the final regular season game of a 7 year collegiate career for the oft-traveled Cooper. Tucker overcame all the waves of defenders and the holes that weren’t there to rush for 1,060 yards and 11TDs, maybe a more impressive performance than the 1,496 yards and 12TDs he rushed for last year when we actually blocked for him. Marlowe Wax, the ‘last survivor’ of our outstanding linebacking corps, rallied the troops around him to keep us in the game. And a future member of an excellent linebacking corps. He’s another in a line of “big play” defenders we’ve had in recent years.
7-5 with 1 to go and 3-3 with 25 to go
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!
- The big, huge thing was that we came alive in the fourth quarter of the football game by doing what we did against Wake Forest – throwing the ball downfield for big plays - and won the game to assure our first winning season in four years. Now if we can do what we’ve also done successfully in the past – win minor bowl games to put lipstick on a troubled regular season. Wouldn’t you have taken an 8-5 record with a bowl win last August? It will take the heat off of Dino for a while.
- Then the issue is: can we build on that achievement, which we failed to do after the 2018 season, (and 2010 and 2012). We’ll have quite a QB room if we have Shrader, Del-Rio Wilson, Lamson and Sellers. (Two of those probably won’t hang around if they don’t get a decent shot at the job. Tucker figures to go pro. Allen looks promising but who do we have behind him? I like our receivers but want to use all of them, not just one. The line, which was no great shakes with veterans, will have to be rebuilt. I think having to use so many guys on defense due to all the injuries will pay off next year when we’ll have more experienced depth. The ‘hippos’ on the D-line will be closer to 300 pounds than 250. We’ll need a new place kicker and a good punter. Hopefully we’ll still have Tony White. I recall it took until his second year for his impact on the defense to come through. Maybe it will be the same with Anae and Becker on offense. And maybe fate will give us a break with the injuries.
- As to the basketball team, it’s liberating, in a way to have lost the streak of winning seasons. I’m not worried about whether we’ll have one this year or not. I hope so. I hope we can get back in the NCAA tournament. But I’m more concerned with the development of this group of ‘new’ players into a team that can do those things. We sure aren’t there now but I can visualize this crew fitting their skills together to make the team greater than the sum of their parts, rather than less than. Last year’s team was a group of jump shooters who couldn’t play defense or drive to the basket effectively, even though we were using isolation and pick and role plays. This team is a better mix, potentially of ball handler, drivers, passers, shooters, rebounders and defensive players. JB says he’s done with the 2023 class and is working on the 20204 class so, except for defections, graduations, (what’s that?), and transfers, this bunch is it for the next two seasons. How good will they get? I think they can be very good - eventually.
- Kudos to: Jesse Edwards, who had a career high 21 rebounds, half again as much as his career high and the most by any SU player since Rick Jackson had 22 against Detroit in 2010. Justin Taylor, who came into the game 3 for 14 o the year went 6 for 9 from the field with three pointers, and 10 of 13 from the line for 25 points. People said he was a look-alike and play-alike for Buddy Boeheim and he sure looked like it yesterday. Garrett Shrader, who completed 21 of 27 passes for 285 yards and 2 scores, Sean Tucker who ran for 125 yards and 2 scores on 21 carries and Oronde Gadsden, Damian Alford and DeVaughn Cooper who caught 17 of Shrader’s passes for 269 yards and the two TDs. It was the final regular season game of a 7 year collegiate career for the oft-traveled Cooper. Tucker overcame all the waves of defenders and the holes that weren’t there to rush for 1,060 yards and 11TDs, maybe a more impressive performance than the 1,496 yards and 12TDs he rushed for last year when we actually blocked for him. Marlowe Wax, the ‘last survivor’ of our outstanding linebacking corps, rallied the troops around him to keep us in the game. And a future member of an excellent linebacking corps. He’s another in a line of “big play” defenders we’ve had in recent years.
7-5 with 1 to go and 3-3 with 25 to go
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!
