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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 3558, member: 289"] Since the Dome opened, fans have marveled at the venue as the perfect place to play exciting, wide-open football. The weather is outside and the track fast and we ought to be able to spread the defense, make then cover the whole field, which can’t be done. Then we can hit them in the gaps that develop or burn them deep when they come up to try to close them. Players from all over the country would come play here and be a part of such a dynamic offense. And that has happened- at Houston, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Boise State and Oregon. It hasn’t happened here. For a time we had an innovative offense that combined running the option with deep passes but the idea was to suck the defense into guarding up close on one side of the field with repeated running plays and then occasionally drop back to throw long passes over them. It wasn’t about using the whole field and all your weapons to “spread” the defense out, which is what the top offensive teams are doing now. One year, (1994), four teams in Division One passed the ball less than we did. All were wishbone teams. Our offense worked well when we had NFL talent at the skill positions. When we stopped recruiting talent on that level, the production dropped off to something from a previous era while the rest of college football moved on. Here is our offensive output in yards or points per game and the ranking among NCAA Division 1A, (BCS teams) in those years, out of 114-120 teams, since the end of the Donovan McNabb era: YEAR[I] [/I]1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Rush 164.6 (89) 207.3 (18) 174.7 (41) 188.8 (34) 189.4 (26) Pass 171.2 (88) 171.0 (92) 154.8 (98) 187.7 (79) 180.3 (91) Total 335.8 (80) 378.3 (52) 329.4 (93) 376.4 (54) 369.7 (70) Scoring 25.5 (6.4) 26.7 (51) 25.7 (69) 28.9 (45) 26.6 (62) YEAR [I][/I]2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Rush 178.7 (31) 106.5 (105) 106.9 (97) 62.7 (118) 148.7 (55) Pass 170.1 (100) 150.8 (105) 157.1 (103) 229.2 (55) 121.5 (113) Total 349.0 (78) 257.4 (115) 264.0 (110) 291.9 (114) 270.2 (114) Scoring 23.9 (74) 13.8 (114) 17.04 (102) 16.4 (116) 18.1 (108) YEAR 2009 2010 Rush 126.6 (87) 140.2 (76) Pass 203.8 (78) 182.7 (91) Total 330.4 (94) 322.9 (97) Scoring 21.2 (78) 22.2 (93) We ran the ball fairly well but not wonderfully in the Paqualoni/DeLeone era, not well enough for that to carry the offense as it did at Nebraska and other powerhouse schools. The national leaders in these years averaged 320 yards a game. When G-Rob came in, we couldn’t run it all, which was a big problem. But look at the passing rankings: 88th, 92nd, 98th, 79th, 91st, 100th, 105th, 103rd, 55th, 113th, 78th and 91st. The 55th ranking was in a year when we were the worst rushing team in the country and were passing out of necessity, not proactively. And this is in a fast rack in a Dome. Our eventual goal, reasonably, is to be a perennial top 25 team with the potential for something more than that when the circumstances are right. I calculated the average numbers that the top passer, runner and receiver had, on average for the teams that finished in the top 25 of last year’s AP poll, (which was done after the bowls: the BCS standings are before the bowls and so not the final poll). The average quarterback for a top 25 team last year completed 224 of 351 passes, (65.8%) for 2,895 yards and threw 23 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions. Last year, Ryan Nassib completed 202 of 358 passes (.564%) for 2,334 yards, 19 TDs and 8 interceptions. He was the first SU quarterback to complete 200 passes in a season. His accuracy was well short of the top 25 standard, as was noted by SU fans last year. We also complained about his pocket presence- he seemed to panic in a rush and run in the wrong direction to avoid it. But he threw 19 touchdown passes, something only Don McPherson and Donovan McNabb have exceeded. And he did this with a young offensive line and a receiving corps depleted by injuries. He proved in the bowl game that, given protection and a good receivers, he could put up big numbers. I’m not sure about the completion percentage but I think with good injury luck this year, he could match or exceed the other “top 25” standards. The average top running back for a top 25 team last year carried the ball 199 times for 1093 yards, (a 5.5 average) and 12 TDs. Last year, Delone Carter exceeded the yardage with 231 carries for 1233 yards, (5.3) and 9TDS. Delone lacked explosiveness but was a strong power runner and a good technician between the tackles. But he’s gone. His back-up Antwon Bailey, is smaller, quicker and more versatile. I think he can approach the top 25 standards and also be a threat as a pass receiver. He’s also a fine blocker. Everyone has a picture in their minds of a block Bailey made in the Pinstripe Bowl where Nassib is throwing what would be a touchdown pass to Marcus Sales. A Kansas State defender is next to him, upside down. Bailey is next to both , having knocked the defender off his feet, (actually the guy tried to leap over Bailey who is 5-7) and looking for someone else to block. But the block that impressed me the most was in another scoring play. It was a flea-flicker that opened the scoring for SU. Bailey did what all backs do on a flea-flicker: he took the handoff, ran almost to the line of scrimmage, turned and tossed the ball back to the quarterback. Most backs just stand there or turn around to block in the middle of the line. But Bailey saw an edge rusher coming in unblocked and ran to the outside and knocked the guy backwards, which allowed Nassib to complete the pass for a score. He’s complete football player. (This page is about Marcus Sales but check out Bailey’s blocks in the first two highlights: [URL='http://www.nunesmagician.com/2011/8/26/2385554/syracuse-football-get-to-know-your-orange-pariah-5-marcus-sales'][U][COLOR=#0000ff][U][COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.nunesmagician.com/2011/8/26/2385554/syracuse-football-get-to-know-your-orange-pariah-5-marcus-sales[/COLOR][/U][/COLOR][/U][/URL][COLOR=#000000] )[/COLOR] The average leading pass receiver on a top 25 team last year caught 63 passes for 947 yards and 8 touchdowns. Syracuse has never had a player catch 63 passes, although Kevin Johnson and Mike Williams have caught 60. Only Tommy Kane, Rob Moore and Marvin Harrison have accumulated that amount of yardage, with Harrison the leader at 1131. The eight touchdowns have been matched or exceeded several times. The question is: do we have anyone who can do that this year? Marcus Sales, who caught three long TD passes in the Pinstripe Bowl was thought to be our best returning receiver but took himself out of the running by getting arrested for (allegedly) trying to sell drugs with his brother. The actual top returning receiver is Van Chew, who caught 41 for 611 yards and 5 TDs, well short of the top 25 standards, although the average per catch is similar, (14.9 vs. 15.0). Van got off to a great start with 30 catches for 498 yards and 4 scores in the first 7 games. But injuries rendered him ineffective after that. With a full healthy season, he could approach the top 25 standard. The board doesn't seem to like long posts so I'll continue this one- I'll try it with a reply. [/QUOTE]

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