The Upside - Pittsburgh

[SWC75]

- Well, 5-7 beats 1-10 bigtime. At least we are headed in the right direction, (we hope).

- Garrett Shrader actually looked like a passer in this one, completion 17 of 24 passes for 217 yards and 2TDs with no interceptions, (although DeVaughn Cooper turned one excellent pass play, (15 yards on 2nd and 5), into a turnover when he bobbled the ball when he was hit. Adam Terry in the booth noted that he was now “stepping into his throws”. We probably should have passed it a lot more than we did.

- One thing I liked was the most of these passes were over the middle. None of this chucking it up the sidelines stuff. Now if the OC can figure out that a throw over the middle to the tight end would be the perfect complement to Tucker and Shrader’s runs. Pitt did it all night long.

- Duce Chestnut made a great interception. If only he hadn’t turned around and tried to go in the other direction. Marlowe Wax was all over the place, making plays. The defense held Pitt 333 total yards, 196 less than their average and 31 points, 13 less than their average.

- Ian Hawkins averaged 43 yards on 7 punts, a week after averaging 41.1 vs. NC State. I don’t know whether he beat out the more heralded James Williams or whether Williams is injured, but it looks like we’ve got a punter. But now we’ll have to find a place kicker.

- I hope we keep Dino. I like him. He’s got good values and represents the program well. I’m tired of starting over every few years with another coaching staff. Changing a head coach is like a heart transplant. You lose recruiting contacts with players, families and coaches. You also sever relationships with players who came here to play for the old coach, many of which will leave. The new guy has to assemble a staff, (of coaches who are ‘available’) and try to rescue what he can of the recruiting class. Typically 3-4 years later we wonder where the upperclassmen are. They aren’t there because they didn’t come here when we switched coaches. And we don’t’ want to pay Dino for the next two years and also pay the new guy, who will need that money for his staff. I’d let Dino finish his contract over the next two years. But they have to be better years than this one.

5-7


LET’S GO ORANGE!!!

 

[Orangejet]

Great write up as usual for you are the Orangeman of knowledge but I disagree with you about Dino. He needs to go for this program is at rock bottom regarding coaching and it all lies on him. Our facilities are much improved and he has been given everything needed to be successful but his stubbornness with a subpar staff has affected our recruiting along with play and discipline on the field. He is a good man and has represented the university with utmost respect, but seeing all the players leaving is not a sign of “Ohana”, but lack of respect to him. Pay him what he is owed and get someone in here who knows how to coach, recruit and give us Orange fans a change to hold our heads high again, something we haven’t done except for four yrs in the last 21.
Keep up the great work SWC75!

 

[SoBristol]

Orangejet — if you want to consider players leaving (Taj, Devito, Harper, Cantin-Arku). the offset is the super-seniors who came back to play for Dino and their teammates. The “subpar staff” has an excellent DC and an OL coach who was being given a lot of credit when the team got to 5 - 4.

Let’s be clear. Louisville, NC State and Pitt had better teams with better talent. Better and more physical lines, better passing attacks. They were favored for good reasons and pretty much dominated our kids.

There is no easy path for SU football. Have to work the portal to bring in players better than the ones who left and also fill out the recruiting class. Transitions at SU in the past two decades have not brought immediate success.

 

[qdawgg]

Changing coaches shouldn’t be a deterrent to seek out success. SU FB is in a bubble. Coaching changes is the norm in this day in age. I don’t like it, especially for teams that are winning and replace affer a few years but we have 5 losing seasons out of 6. I don’t know what else is a reason not to make a coaching change.

 

[SarasotaPaul]

Changing coaches shouldn’t be a deterrent to seek out success. SU FB is in a bubble. Coaching changes is the norm in this day in age. I don’t like it, especially for teams that are winning and replace affer a few years but we have 5 losing seasons out of 6. I don’t know what else is a reason not to make a coaching change.

Coaching changes is the norm. A lot of things are now normal but truly are far worse for it. How has the number normal coaching changes helped us or most colleges for that matter? I don't see much of a change in the number of programs that suddenly improve. The coaches losing just have different faces. If only for the fact Babers is a very upstanding and wonderful representative for SU I am willing to let him have the last two years of his contract. He has learned along the way as his defense has shown over the last two years. A QB and a star receiver would have made such a complete change in this season. We really aren't that far from having good to very good teams and then we can build on that.

 

[qdawgg]

Coaching changes is the norm. A lot of things are now normal but truly are far worse for it. How has the number normal coaching changes helped us or most colleges for that matter? I don't see much of a change in the number of programs that suddenly improve. The coaches losing just have different faces. If only for the fact Babers is a very upstanding and wonderful representative for SU I am willing to let him have the last two years of his contract. He has learned along the way as his defense has shown over the last two years. A QB and a star receiver would have made such a complete change in this season. We really aren't that far from having good to very good teams and then we can build on that.

He’s had 6 years. It’s not like he’s in his third year. 6 years is a long time. What’s the long term impact of him staying for two more potential losing seasons? We’re already irrelevant so I guess it doesn’t matter much. But if the goal is to have 10-15k in the dome for the next 10 years you can accomplish that by keeping a coach with 5 losing seasons.