The Welch Thing...

[Shrmdougluvr]

I have zero doubt Tommy was hurt. All of these kids are hurt, and Tommy certainly takes more than his fair share of shots. On the prior drive, Tommy had the five yard run where he dove forward and got up looking worse for wear. He then handed off to Jordan a couple of times before throwing a dart to (albeit slightly behind) Jackson for a touchdown.

The next play after the kickoff was Cisco's pick. He then came back in, and they ran the ball twice with Howard (those common up the middle RPOs). He then threw the ball about 45 yards into the end zone to nobody, except three Louisville DBs (maybe two) when he had Howard wide open in the flat after he motioned out there out of the backfield. He was pulled the next play.

I'm really on the fence on this. I am leaning toward Dino being really fed up with Tommy's throw on 3rd down, and that caused him to hastily pull him. If Tommy was too hurt, he wouldn't have come out for the drive or, they would have used a timeout before putting in Welch. Rather, they just routinely subbed Welch in (then seemed to panic and call timeout).

Tommy finished the last drive after looking like he aggravated an injury and threw a touchdown pass. He came out for the next drive and ran three plays, including a pretty long thrown on 3rd and long. Tommy is vastly superior to Welch as thrower to the point where I can't imagine not even playing a hurt Tommy in that instance. On the sidelines, Tommy looked poised to return, and was sending in signals. That's different from his prior in-game injury where it is pretty clear he was just shut down.

The only thing giving me pause is that Dino doesn't strike me as someone who makes rash decisions, and generally seems pragmatic and results oriented. Tommy's made plenty of mistakes this season and was not given the hook, and Tommy, I thought, was playing pretty well up to that point in the game. Putting in Welch when Tommy was otherwise available is a real "cut off your nose in spite of your face" decision.

My two cents pennies.

 

[PAcuse]

Actually, he is not credited with a rush in the official stats.

Official no because of holding
So yes but no

 

[kcsu]

Dino is way more meathead than anyone realizes. There was zero reason to pull Tommy. Dino froze. His time management was really weak.

Ohana, La Familia, Elephants and Rhinos please report to the ADs office.

 

[FloridaFan]

If Babers has confidence in Welch being able to make all the throws needed, he's lost whatever ability he had to evaluate quarterback talent.

I stand by my lawn dart comment in the game thread

 

[P Vasiloff]

His injury magically flares up right after a third down where he almost threw an INT to no one in the back corner?

I think Dino had just seen enough. But the timing made 0 sense

Seen enough? DeVito was 14-21-0 with two TD's? What could he have done to get yanked at that point? The pass that he threw into the end zone that almost got picked, the TV guy said Harris got stuffed on the play and didn't finish his route. DeVito was limping pretty bad in the previous series after he took off on a short run. My 91 year old mom pointed it out to me.

 

[kcsu]

If Dino actually pulled a healthy Tommy in that situation he has lost it.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

Looking back at a few highlights I'm thinking it was an injury. As confusing as some of the coaching decisions were, I have a hard time believing that this was one of them. Hope the kid's okay.

 

[P Vasiloff]

It's not ribs.

He was limping pretty bad on the series before and was favoring his leg in the shotgun formation. He was standing almost on one leg.

 

[bigmike]

I stand by my lawn dart comment in the game thread

I thought it was pub darts.

 

[TheCusian]

Per Dino we can’t. I’m shocked he would say that.

The fired DC was proof we’re playing for next season. The talent is not good enough for year after year success

 

[tbonezone]

entire season was in the balance on one set of downs and you sit your starter put in a cold back up ?
makes no sense. makes me either question the coach or question devito's toughness.

 

[orangemass]

The timing of the switch makes zero sense to me. Very very odd

 

[OburgOrange]

If Dino actually pulled a healthy Tommy in that situation he has lost it.

Was Welch even warming up on the sidelines?

 

[orangemass]

Was Welch even warming up on the sidelines?

Good question

 

[jgeorge322]

There’s a lot of you guys on here that need to stop drinking the orange kool aid at this point and take off the orange colored glasses and look in the mirror and realize we have some serious deficiencies

Is the orange kool aid and orange colored glasses synergistic or will removing one do the trick? Jk. I like you as a poster but i think we could come back strong next year. That being said, this is a lost year. No doubt about it

 

[NateW]

entire season was in the balance on one set of downs and you sit your starter put in a cold back up ?
makes no sense. makes me either question the coach or question devito's toughness.

Devito didn’t ask out of the game.

 

[OrangeFreek]

I think we have a “ silent commitment” QB and Dino needs a way to clear the way for this person to come in. Just my 2 cents

 

[Millhouse]

Devito has been atrocious on forth down this year. Small sample but it's a fact

 

[qdawgg]

I think we have a “ silent commitment” QB and Dino needs a way to clear the way for this person to come in. Just my 2 cents

So he pulls the starting QB on a pivotal play of the game because that will make the silent commit, commit?

 

[Cuseman78]

I think we have a “ silent commitment” QB and Dino needs a way to clear the way for this person to come in. Just my 2 cents

yes, he's trying to rid his team of the guy with 20 TDs and 5 INTs as a sophomore.

Exactly what Dino is doing.

Some of you need to use common sense.

 

[samspann1]

We really need a SyracuseFan press credentials.
- Why not go for the FG
- What was up with the play calling at *insert spot in game*
- Why has Riley regressed in the return game
- we thought we could run with Clemson but per you we can’t run with Louisville, what happened?
- Has this offense become predictable
- Did the defense practice this week

but no we get bs stuff like
- what flavor ice cream do you enjoy
- boy that d looked rough, am I eight
- random question about injuries that they know Dino legally can’t answer

SIGH

Also, clock management (again including 2 Delays of Game), and use of TOs...

 

[kcsu]

Babers pulled TD and it wasn't the medical staffs decision.

Total ego, knee jerk meathead move.

 

[PAcuse]

Total ego, knee jerk meathead move.

Oh clearly. I haven’t heard one word that Tommy was hurt all game.
Great take on your part...
(Sarcasm in case I didn’t lay it on thick enough for you)

 

[OrangeXtreme]

After the game, Babers explained his decision to pull starting quarterback Tommy DeVito on the final play of the prior possession. DeVito suffered an injury in the first half and was limited in what he could do, Babers said. Mobility, specifically, was something that DeVito said he lacked -- and that was clear postgame as the redshirt sophomore hobbled down the locker room hallway and up a flight of stairs with an ice pack on his right knee.

“He was taking some hits and he wasn’t 100 percent out there,” Babers said of DeVito. “I didn’t want him to be trying to do certain things when he wasn’t full go. We needed the quarterback’s legs. We wanted to do some things in the run game. And the throws that we had to make, Clayton could make them. Tommy did enough so we took him out.”

“As a competitor, you want to be on the field helping your teammates,” said DeVito. “But if you can’t give your all, 100 percent, then they need to put in someone who can.”

DeVito described the injury as being “bruised up,” though it’s unclear exactly when it occurred.

 

[kcsu]

Oh clearly. I haven’t heard one word that Tommy was hurt all game.
Great take on your part...
(Sarcasm in case I didn’t lay it on thick enough for you)

He wasn't pulled because he was hurt.