This is the most Important Game of the Year

[GeauxSU]

I think we all already know this. This is the swing game of all swing games. It will be very difficult to win on the road, in a loud and rowdy B1G environment. This team has gone into tough environments before and done well, we have to hope that this trend will continue on Saturday.

I'm not reading into much before the game apart from OG injury news. Rocky Long will have to earn his paycheck on Saturday, because if the defense comes to play and takes away the middle of the field and shuts down Purdue's potent running attack with Mockabee, I think we have a chance. The offensive line will have to step up in a big way. Purdue's Dline can flat out play, and got after VaTech's QB pretty good on Saturday. I think we will see a lot of swing passes to the flat, getting the ball out quickly, and Garrett will probably have to do a lot with his legs. Scary.

Bottom line is this: win on Saturday, and we're looking at something very special, especially given the magnitude of the test set before us. Coming home 3-0 would be so massive, and let the program shine in the national spotlight. Someone on the board said it very well, it could be a 2019 Maryland scenario. I pray that it isn't and I pray that Dino has his troops ready for what is to come in this game. You come home 2-1, it will be very disappointing. Playing with momentum is everything, no matter how much the nerds say it isn't.

Lets freaking go Orange

PS: I love Rashard Perry in the rhino-back spot on the goal line. Man, that kid is strong.

 

[RF2044]

Agree on your subject line.

This is a game that will go a LONG way toward determining what type of year we're going to have.

Win, and we show that we can beat peer teams -- even on the road -- and we're halfway to bowl eligibility in our first three games. And our fanbase will be super-jacked for the next two games, setting up that home showdown with Clemson in what shapes up as a revenge game.

Lose, and it opens up a lot of questions, and we probably white knuckle bowl eligibility.

I think we're going to do it. I just wish we weren't down a key OL starter.

 

[MikeSU02]

Agree on your subject line.

This is a game that will go a long way toward determining what type of year we're going to have.

Win, and we show that we can beat peer teams -- even on the road -- and we're halfway to bowl eligibility in our first three games.

Lose, and it opens up a lot of questions, and we probably white knuckle bowl eligibility.

I think we're going to do it. I just wish we weren't down a key OL starter.

Yep, it does two things in my eyes:

1) It makes the year much more manageable, especially for the three game gauntlet after Army we have. Gives us some padding.

2) It will also give us cred in the eyes of the voters. We win this, we'll get close to ranked or barely ranked. Beat Army, then it's on to the three games I mentioned above.

Real worried about the OL. Wish had had Gadsen, but I like our talent there and I think it may help GS not to lock in on one guy so much.

As I've noted in another post, I think GS's legs, our D and our kicking game will travel well on the road. That matters.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yup. This game is going to be won by Rocky Long and our senior QB.

The season outlook hinges quite a bit on this game's result, for sure.

 

[RF2044]

Yep, it does two things in my eyes:

1) It makes the year much more manageable, especially for the three game gauntlet after Army we have. Gives us some padding.

2) It will also give us cred in the eyes of the voters. We win this, we'll get close to ranked or barely ranked. Beat Army, then it's on to the three games I mentioned above.

Real worried about the OL. Wish had had Gadsen, but I like our talent there and I think it may help GS not to lock in on one guy so much.

As I've noted in another post, I think GS's legs, our D and our kicking game will travel well on the road. That matters.

Agree. On paper, we're better than Purdue in all three phases of the game, and we have a senior QB. Good teams are capable of beating peer programs -- and I'm hoping that we're like the Wake Forest team of recent years offensively, but with a much stronger / deeper defense.

We haven't done anything beyond a couple of base plays offensively, and still steamrolled.

Just worried about OL. If we can overcome that, I like our chances. Doesn't mean it will be easy, but...

 

[GeauxSU]

Agree. On paper, we're better than Purdue in all three phases of the game, and we have a senior QB. Good teams are capable of beating peer programs -- and I'm hoping that we're like the Wake Forest team of recent years offensively, but with a much stronger / deeper defense.

We haven't done anything beyond a couple of base plays offensively, and still steamrolled.

Just worried about OL. If we can overcome that, I like our chances. Doesn't mean it will be easy, but...

I'm terrified of the offensive line. Allegedly, the cavalry is coming with More and Ellis, but it could make or break the game.

 

[SmilinBob]

I'm worried about SU's pass coverage.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

This is the difference between a good season and a decent season. If Shrader has a decent game, I cannot see us losing.

 

[TheHaze315]

A swing game? Difficult to win on the road in a B1G environment? I don’t know I heard it was going to be easy yesterday.

 

[MikeSU02]

I'm terrified of the offensive line. Allegedly, the cavalry is coming with More and Ellis, but it could make or break the game.

I'm not worried that More or Ellis can't slot in and give us production... if they are 100% healthy...

I'm worried that 1) the line wasn't awesome the first two games and 2) I hate playing in a situation like this with new faces in the starting lineup without a warm up.

 

[Acesn8s]

I can not wait for this game, I have watched both of Purdue's games, I do not feel confident at all about our O line play. If they show vast improvement we win, if they play like they did the first two weeks, we lose by double digits IMO.

 

[Scooch]

Unfortunately, due to all the ongoing conference nonsense, we're in an era where narratives matter more than ever.

Win at Purdue at people start to raise an eyebrow and wonder if something good is brewing up in Syracuse. Lose and people think it's the same old Orange.

Obviously it's a long season, and narratives can be written and rewritten again. The darling of today can be the dog two weeks from now. And vice versa.

But it'd be a very good development for this program to get some juice early.

Admittedly, as much as I've been encouraged by the first two games, I'm still in 'show me' mode. And that starts Saturday night.

 

[GoSU96]

I can not wait for this game, I have watched both of Purdue's games, I do not feel confident at all about our O line play. If they show vast improvement we win, if they play like they did the first two weeks, we lose by double digits IMO.

If Purdue is as unsound on defense as WMU they are going to get as lit up.

SU didn’t leave in the RB and/or TE to help with 5,6,7 man pressures and SU crushed them.

 

[SUskibum]

I'm worried about SU's pass coverage.

We have the literal #1 and #3 CB coverage grades in the ACC and the #1 saftey coverage grade (J Sim) the #4 saftey and the #10 safety coverage grades.

If Purdue tries to beat us through the air, we will do the same thing to their offense that we did last year when we kept them to 22 net points, including 2 huge busted plays in Q4

Also they lost 271 out of their 424 receiving yards, plus their NFL QB

 

[wiseman3]

I think our offense is going to take it up a notch this game...I think our QBs have been told to not to pull the ball and run on the read options. I haven't seen 1 designed Shrader run and no passes to Lequint. Time to turn it up

 

[baggerbob]

I think we all already know this. This is the swing game of all swing games. It will be very difficult to win on the road, in a loud and rowdy B1G environment. This team has gone into tough environments before and done well, we have to hope that this trend will continue on Saturday.

I'm not reading into much before the game apart from OG injury news. Rocky Long will have to earn his paycheck on Saturday, because if the defense comes to play and takes away the middle of the field and shuts down Purdue's potent running attack with Mockabee, I think we have a chance. The offensive line will have to step up in a big way. Purdue's Dline can flat out play, and got after VaTech's QB pretty good on Saturday. I think we will see a lot of swing passes to the flat, getting the ball out quickly, and Garrett will probably have to do a lot with his legs. Scary.

Bottom line is this: win on Saturday, and we're looking at something very special, especially given the magnitude of the test set before us. Coming home 3-0 would be so massive, and let the program shine in the national spotlight. Someone on the board said it very well, it could be a 2019 Maryland scenario. I pray that it isn't and I pray that Dino has his troops ready for what is to come in this game. You come home 2-1, it will be very disappointing. Playing with momentum is everything, no matter how much the nerds say it isn't.

Lets freaking go Orange

PS: I love Rashard Perry in the rhino-back spot on the goal line. Man, that kid is strong.

Forget about the Maryland scenario, this isn't TD going out there.
This is Garrett Shrader and he is better then last year.
I Still say Brown is going to be a pain for every team we face.
All he needs is to catch the ball in stride, and he is gone.
And if you double him Jones, Hatcher and Alford will kill you.
That doesn't even take into account Allen as a receiver.

 

[CNYGuy]

I think we all already know this. This is the swing game of all swing games. It will be very difficult to win on the road, in a loud and rowdy B1G environment. This team has gone into tough environments before and done well, we have to hope that this trend will continue on Saturday.

I'm not reading into much before the game apart from OG injury news. Rocky Long will have to earn his paycheck on Saturday, because if the defense comes to play and takes away the middle of the field and shuts down Purdue's potent running attack with Mockabee, I think we have a chance. The offensive line will have to step up in a big way. Purdue's Dline can flat out play, and got after VaTech's QB pretty good on Saturday. I think we will see a lot of swing passes to the flat, getting the ball out quickly, and Garrett will probably have to do a lot with his legs. Scary.

Bottom line is this: win on Saturday, and we're looking at something very special, especially given the magnitude of the test set before us. Coming home 3-0 would be so massive, and let the program shine in the national spotlight. Someone on the board said it very well, it could be a 2019 Maryland scenario. I pray that it isn't and I pray that Dino has his troops ready for what is to come in this game. You come home 2-1, it will be very disappointing. Playing with momentum is everything, no matter how much the nerds say it isn't.

Lets freaking go Orange

PS: I love Rashard Perry in the rhino-back spot on the goal line. Man, that kid is strong.

I agree with you in terms of gaining momentum and fan support and a packed Dome for the rest of Sept. and that being a huge help down the stretch. Potentially jumping in the rankings helps with recruiting too... But i still think the winnable ACC games (BC, GT, VT, Wake, Pitt) define the season. Handle business with those in league play and try to pick off a couple of the conference's top dogs and we'll be in business. Where we finish in conference play is the bigger bowl implication.

 

[GeauxSU]

Noticed in watching back the Tech and Fresno State games-- both teams got KILLED because they weren't playing fundamentally sound football. Missed tackles everywhere, and Purdue made them pay. The message from Rocky Long: WRAP UP!!

Also, Card can run. They run a very similar mesh to Wake

 

[AngryOtto]

Noticed in watching back the Tech and Fresno State games-- both teams got KILLED because they weren't playing fundamentally sound football. Missed tackles everywhere, and Purdue made them pay. The message from Rocky Long: WRAP UP!!

Also, Card can run. They run a very similar mesh to Wake

I agree about wrapping up on the tackle. Looking at you Farmer and Gould. I expect Barron or Clark to spy Card

 

[Orangezoo]

It will be an interesting game. Purdue doesn't really have an identity on either side of the ball with this new staff yet. They ran for 179 vs VT... but VT gave up 200 on the ground to ODU the week before. Against Fresno Purdue ran for 109 and the week after Fresno gave up 133 on the ground to Eastern Washington.

Really hard to gather what their offense is really made of.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Noticed in watching back the Tech and Fresno State games-- both teams got KILLED because they weren't playing fundamentally sound football. Missed tackles everywhere, and Purdue made them pay. The message from Rocky Long: WRAP UP!!

Also, Card can run. They run a very similar mesh to Wake

Aw, really?

That mesh is annoying.

 

[tbonezone]

"This is the most Important Game of the Year"​

yep . until the next one.

 

[SmilinBob]

We have the literal #1 and #3 CB coverage grades in the ACC and the #1 saftey coverage grade (J Sim) the #4 saftey and the #10 safety coverage grades.

If Purdue tries to beat us through the air, we will do the same thing to their offense that we did last year when we kept them to 22 net points, including 2 huge busted plays in Q4

Also they lost 271 out of their 424 receiving yards, plus their NFL QB

All true SUs but I saw a lot of open receivers Saturday, granted not a ton but more than I'd like vs WMU.