There is nothing wrong with this team that Justin Pugh and

[anglerman]

Ummm, what on earth are you talking about?

Sorry that post was ment for Cuseregular not you!

 

[Arizona Knight]

I think Pugh's return could make a big difference for Cuse assuming he is ready to play. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, but it not only gets your best OL'men on the field, but it also takes your worst starting OL'men off the field (assuming you put your best 5 out there). Rutgers has had a similar effect with RJ Dill, the starter from Maryland who transferred after graduating. We were able to insert a 5th year RT with 30+ starts under his belt into our starting OL this year. He is not the player that Pugh is but he is very solid. It has made all the difference on this year's OL.

 

[Aweart23]

Does the scoring defense statistic include all points scored against SU so far? If so then the defense gets 'credit' for the kick return and lateral return TDs which isn't fair - nor does it take into account all the short fields the defense was given to defend against NW and USC. Throw in the fact that SU is one of the few teams in the country to play 3 BCS teams so far and I don't really think that 86th ranking is an accurate representation of how the D has played.

Yes they need to do a better job of keeping teams with a short field out of the endzone - but not playing USC again should help them with that. The special teams, as you mentioned, are the real disasters for this team, not the defense.

Just for a little perspective on special teams...

Kick off returns allowed- we are ranked 5 th in the country

Punting-Jonathan Fisher is averaging 42 yards a punt, that's top 50 in the country

And the punt coverage team has improved every game since the NW debacle...to the point that we punted 5 times against Minny and they returned one punt for -3 yards...much much better

 

[Louie&Bouie]

Here's what I see:

Offense--much improved. Nassib is better than people here give him credit for. He'll never be a great runner, his touch always seems to rear it's ugly head at the most inopportune times, but man do I wish he had another year to give us. Our running game continues to be an "issue", but it is clearly going to play second-fiddle in this offense. Morris isn't ready, or he would be out there. Smith and Gulley are both proven, if unspectacular in their ability to change a game. WR's and TE's have played very well. Sales is the guy that can change a game for us. IMO, we need to take a couple more shots per game with him, preferably against heavy pressure. He does a nice job after the catch. Line play has been disappointing. Pugh's return should help immediately. I hope that it helps most run-wise. I'd give them a score of 75 out of 100 to this point, with the expectation that this number will improve.

Defense--the number of new faces, combined with positional shuffling, has made this unit underperform in some areas. DL play has been fairly solid, but I have concerns about stretches of games where they look tired. Thought we would see less of that, but the loss of Raymon has certainly hurt. Bromley is a stud. And others have the potential. LB has been a disappointment. There are times when our starters look overwhelmed and overmatched. These guys have to become playmakers in this defense. And fast. DB's need to improve, particularly in one-on-one situations. It feels like we lose way more of those battles than we win. The defense as a whole has been handed the reins in some really crappy situations, and has risen to the challenge. I'm hopeful that they continue to grow as a unit. I'd give them a 60 or 65.

Specials--has been ok. Krautman has me concerned but he has earned the right to work through this. K/O coverage is far better, punt coverage a disappointment, absolutely. Punt returns remain a significant point of frustration. We must have a horrible yard-per-return ratio. I understand some of it is pressure up front, but my god can we ease back on the fair catches? I'd give them a 55 on the scale.

Coaching--puzzled by some of the play-calling. Situational calls need to improve. No way we don't go on 4th and 2 against USC. Penalties need to improve. This new offense is fun to watch. 70.

Overall I thought we'd be 2-2 at a minimum. Breaks have not gone our way. We need to make the breaks, particularly on D. I thought we could go 7-6, with an outside shot at 8-5. Hard to see us getting past six now. 65 overall, thinking the overall number will improve. Pitt will show us a lot.

 

[Cuseregular]

Sorry that post was ment for Cuseregular not you!

Umm, I do believe your mistaken in your recollection. The one player I did say would never play again, Cody Catalina injured at Pitt, was not able to play again. What I said about Delone Carter was that from a medical perspective in the annals of medicine there had never been a player at a high level who sustained his type of injury who was able to return to the same level of performance that he was previously at. Not that he couldn't return (once I found out the true nature of the injury), but that he wouldn't be the same player he was pre-injury. Some say this is true with Delone maybe having lost a step.

That said and irrespective of that, what he's accomplished is truly historic from the medical perspective especially in that even though others have returned to play with this injury, he is the first to have accomplished what he has and performed anywhere near what they used to be at. The first. I said it then and repeat it now that this has not received enough attention what a miraculous accomplishment this is, a truly great example of modern medicine at it's finest in concert with a supremely motivated, talented, hard working athlete.

What you may also be recalling was that early on I said that there WAS a chance he'd never play again. Meaning that in a large percentage of patients who suffer the truly rare fraction-dislocation of a hip joint that if they concurrently suffer what is known as an avascular necrosis with it there's not much chance of return (this is where the blood supply is temporary lost to the area and bone dies, only to reform misshapen). Early on none of us knew if he had this issue too and I postulated that if he did it would be lights out and career over.

So all that said given the current state of the literature at that time I gave the likely outcomes. One was catastrophic that happily and luckily didn't occur, while the other was that if it's only the fracture dislocation without blood supply losst then he could be back but likely not as good as before. Clearly there was a middle ground and he came back, while maybe not as dynamic as his freshman year, he was clearly still a good to great player.

As for Pugh, I hope you're right and my concerns are needless.

 

[RMH44]

Umm, I do believe your mistaken in your recollection. The one player I did say would never play again, Cody Catalina injured at Pitt, was not able to play again. What I said about Delone Carter was that from a medical perspective in the annals of medicine there had never been a player at a high level who sustained his type of injury who was able to return to the same level of performance that he was previously at. Not that he couldn't return (once I found out the true nature of the injury), but that he wouldn't be the same player he was pre-injury. Some say this is true with Delone maybe having lost a step.

That said and irrespective of that, what he's accomplished is truly historic from the medical perspective in that even though others have returned to play with this injury, he is the first to have accomplished what he has and performed anywhere near what they used to be at. The first. I said it then and repeat it now that this has not received enough attention what a miraculous accomplishment this is, a truly great example of modern medicine at it's finest in concert with a supremely motivated, talented, hard working athlete.

What you may also be recalling was that early on I said that there WAS a chance he'd never play again. Meaning that in a large percentage of patients who suffer the truly rare fraction-dislocation of a hip joint that if they suffer what is known as an avascular necrosis with it there's not much chance of return (this is where the blood supply is temporary lost to the area and bone dies, only to reform mishapen). Early on none of us knew if he had this issue too and I postulated that if he did it would be lights out and career over.

So all that said given the current state of the literature at that time I gave the likely outcomes. One was catastrophic that happily and luckily didn't occur, while the other was that if it's only the fracture dislocation without blood supply losst then he could be back but likely not as good as before. Clearly there was a middle ground and he came back, while maybe not as dynamic as his freshman year, he was clearly still a good to great player.

As for Pugh, I hope you're right and my concerns are needless.

Good post.

It appears to this layman, that the doctors and S&C staff have aired on the side of caution by holding JP out until the Pitt game. Hopefully, he'll be his usual dominating self and Hickey plays just as well on the right side as he has on the left side.

 

[Chip]

Just for a little perspective on special teams...

Kick off returns allowed- we are ranked 5 th in the country

Punting-Jonathan Fisher is averaging 42 yards a punt, that's top 50 in the country

And the punt coverage team has improved every game since the NW debacle...to the point that we punted 5 times against Minny and they returned one punt for -3 yards...much much better

Agree that we should give credit to the parts of STs that are doing well, since we hammer those that don't. KO returns was a focus and it's a major area of improvement. We either kick in the end zone (thank you extra 5 yards and a stronger legged kicker) or we cover up quickly if they do return. Start of the 3rd quarter against Minnesota was as good as it gets. Unfortunately the defense then gave up an 87 yard TD drive.

Minnesota also has a good punt returner, so that was big improvement.

Morgan kind of set a bad tone with that indecision that we got away with. Our KO returns are not very good. Not sure the answer, some have put it on the returners for too much juking, but I think they're looking at a wall of unblocked guys so they don't really know what to do. Instinct says try to somehow get around them.

Punt returns is a long running problem. Don't think there's an answer. Haven't seen anyone in our rotation with the quick feet that you see from the good ones. Not to mention there often isn't time to do much other than fair catch. At least need to get more consistent on catching them. We have to be able to rely on that.

 

[Cuseregular]

Good post.

It appears to this layman, that the doctors and S&C staff have aired on the side of caution by holding JP out until the Pitt game. Hopefully, he'll be his usual dominating self and Hickey plays just as well on the right side as he has on the left side.

Thanks and yeah when you have a guy with a more than legit shot to make it at the next level best to err on the side of caution. Here's hoping he makes All big east, helps us to .500 or better and a bowl and ends up being a high draft choice with his surgically enhanced shoulder, ala, DC3!