This team

[Orange4]

Is one key person away from being a very good team...Nathaniel Hackett. If we had him, move McDonald to WR coach cause he is a very good WR coach and it is showing. Hackett in his last season was extremely good at calling games offensively. Today our defense did there job forcing turnovers but when you play a team like ND and don't capitalize on turnovers it doesn't matter how many turnovers you force, you can't win. This team has better talent than most of Marrone's teams we just need better play calling plain and simple.

 

[ORANGEsPHK]

I'm down with that.

 

[HtownOrange]

McD is in his second season as Syracuse' OC, game 4. People complained about Hackett for three seasons before they became big fans of his. McD is improving his play calling and calling plays within the abilities of his players. He is improving and as our talent improves we will see more changes. This offense had nearly 300 yards passing against a top 10 team.

As a reference read CIL's post: http://syracusefan.com/threads/some-people-arent-going-to-like-hearing-this.80598/

 

[RF2044]

McD is in his second season as Syracuse' OC, game 4. People complained about Hackett for three seasons before they became big fans of his. McD is improving his play calling and calling plays within the abilities of his players. He is improving and as our talent improves we will see more changes. This offense had nearly 300 yards passing against a top 10 team.

As a reference read CIL's post: http://syracusefan.com/threads/some-people-arent-going-to-like-hearing-this.80598/

So true. In fact, Hackett was similarly vilified as being completely over his head, not knowing what he was doing, being an incompetent beneficiary of nepotism, and not having the chops to be a successful OC. We have one good year, and the pendulum for most posters swung 180 degrees in the opposite direction.

This coaching staff is not perfect--far from it. But in general it seems like much of the criticism heaped on the coaches is misinformed. At best.

Not shooting the OP messenger for expressing the opinions above [interesting post topic, btw]. But I rarely put much stock in the "we'd be great offensively if only we'd called some different plays" argument.

 

[florange44]

I do like the fact that we threw the ball downfield last night. First play of each half tells me that they wanted to establish that. The fact that we didn't go back to it often enough IMO, tells me that our OC has trouble establishing a plan and sticking to it. I hope I am wrong. Outside of the pass to Lewis, we didn't throw anther ball over the middle did we? Their lbs and safeties were cheating up because we had no threat there. Mcd needs to use the middle third of the field in his pass game.

One positive note- it appears we have time to throw, that hasn't been an issue all year IIRC.

Florange44

 

[SmilinBob]

Disagree. Give McDonald an NFL qb plus after watching the Bills in the red zone I see no difference with Hackett from OCGM. I like McDonalds offense much more than Hacketts but do admit OCGM has some growing to do with his recognition and play calls.

 

[rrlbees]

Is one key person away from being a very good team...Nathaniel Hackett. If we had him, move McDonald to WR coach cause he is a very good WR coach and it is showing. Hackett in his last season was extremely good at calling games offensively. Today our defense did there job forcing turnovers but when you play a team like ND and don't capitalize on turnovers it doesn't matter how many turnovers you force, you can't win. This team has better talent than most of Marrone's teams we just need better play calling plain and simple.

I don't know. Only in his 4th season here was our offense pretty good, averaging 30ppg. His first 3 years many wanted his head, like they want McDonalds now. And was it Hackett that 4th season? Or was it because Nassib, Lemon, Sales and Pugh were seniors and made that offense click?

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Is one key person away from being a very good team...Nathaniel Hackett. If we had him, move McDonald to WR coach cause he is a very good WR coach and it is showing. Hackett in his last season was extremely good at calling games offensively. Today our defense did there job forcing turnovers but when you play a team like ND and don't capitalize on turnovers it doesn't matter how many turnovers you force, you can't win. This team has better talent than most of Marrone's teams we just need better play calling plain and simple.

This team has more offensive talent than that 2012 team? Really?

Hackett had an NFL-caliber senior as his QB, a cadre of experienced, and talented, receivers to work with and a solid offensive line (anchored by a 1st round draft pick).

Think any of that might make the play-calling just a tad easier?

 

[jgeorge322]

McD is in his second season as Syracuse' OC, game 4. People complained about Hackett for three seasons before they became big fans of his. McD is improving his play calling and calling plays within the abilities of his players. He is improving and as our talent improves we will see more changes. This offense had nearly 300 yards passing against a top 10 team.

As a reference read CIL's post: http://syracusefan.com/threads/some-people-arent-going-to-like-hearing-this.80598/

lets not mention hackett had a sr qb who now plays in the nfl and 2 sr wrs.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I do like the fact that we threw the ball downfield last night. First play of each half tells me that they wanted to establish that. The fact that we didn't go back to it often enough IMO, tells me that our OC has trouble establishing a plan and sticking to it. I hope I am wrong. Outside of the pass to Lewis, we didn't throw anther ball over the middle did we? Their lbs and safeties were cheating up because we had no threat there. Mcd needs to use the middle third of the field in his pass game.

One positive note- it appears we have time to throw, that hasn't been an issue all year IIRC.

Florange44

Or maybe it's the fact that the staff lacks confidence in Hunt's ability to consistently, successfully throw the ball down the field because of his accuracy issues.

Hunt made some very nice throws down the field on Saturday night but he also made some really poor ones.

 

[jgeorge322]

I don't know. Only in his 4th season here was our offense pretty good, averaging 30ppg. His first 3 years many wanted his head, like they want McDonalds now. And was it Hackett that 4th season? Or was it because Nassib, Lemon, Sales and Pugh were seniors and made that offense click?

i think the offense clicked because it played to our strengths. i don't think this team has a lot of offensive talent but i also don't see mcd getting the most out of what he has.

 

[xc84]

McDonald would never accept the demotion and stay.

 

[Millhouse]

I don't know. Only in his 4th season here was our offense pretty good, averaging 30ppg. His first 3 years many wanted his head, like they want McDonalds now. And was it Hackett that 4th season? Or was it because Nassib, Lemon, Sales and Pugh were seniors and made that offense click?

we can do better than waiting for presidential elections to have a season in the top 60 in scoring

 

[TheCusian]

we can do better than waiting for presidential elections to have a season in the top 60 in scoring

Let's wait till the end of the season to see how it shakes out. We have a way of getting our act together.

 

[Millhouse]

Let's wait till the end of the season to see how it shakes out. We have a way of getting our act together.

i would like to have a good september before I die

 

[Forza Azzurri]

i don't think this team has a lot of offensive talent but i also don't see mcd getting the most out of what he has.

Ok but you need to be more specific. What exactly is he not doing that he should be? How does he get the "most out of what he has"?

 

[SUFan44]

The famed season that so many of us remember as being grand and having a team toward the end of the season near the Top 25 was about 3 or 4 plays away from being pretty bad too.

USF and Missouri were last-second wins. Not to mention against Minnesota, Rutgers and Pitt we scored 10, 14 and 15 points. Not exactly setting the world on fire. Hackett was OK - not great by any stretch.

Still have no idea how Marrone weaseled his way into an NFL job. He was two miracle victories away from being on the hot seat at SU.

 

[Orange4]

This team has more offensive talent than that 2012 team? Really?

Hackett had an NFL-caliber senior as his QB, a cadre of experienced, and talented, receivers to work with and a solid offensive line (anchored by a 1st round draft pick).

Think any of that might make the play-calling just a tad easier?

Nope never said that, I said most of Marrone's teams and I specifically said most because I know the 2012 team was most likely a top 25 team by the end of the year talent wise.

 

[sufandu]

Still have no idea how Marrone weaseled his way into an NFL job. He was two miracle victories away from being on the hot seat at SU.

I think it had as much, if not more, to do with the reputation he established in the NFL prior to coming to SU.

 

[jgeorge322]

Ok but you need to be more specific. What exactly is he not doing that he should be? How does he get the "most out of what he has"?

I think we could shorten the games by playing more clock control with the run game. I dont love running exclusively out of the shotgun. I think our tight ends should be more involved and the pocket moved. Lastly, i dont think we try to beat teams on the edge with the talent we have right now.

 

[Crusty]

The famed season that so many of us remember as being grand and having a team toward the end of the season near the Top 25 was about 3 or 4 plays away from being pretty bad too.

USF and Missouri were last-second wins. Not to mention against Minnesota, Rutgers and Pitt we scored 10, 14 and 15 points. Not exactly setting the world on fire. Hackett was OK - not great by any stretch.

Still have no idea how Marrone weaseled his way into an NFL job. He was two miracle victories away from being on the hot seat at SU.

Also a few plays away from a ten win season. Don't forget Justin missed first four games.

 

[Ozcuse]

Still have no idea how Marrone weaseled his way into an NFL job. He was two miracle victories away from being on the hot seat at SU.

He was in the right place at the right time.

1) HC opening in Buffalo which has been a coach carousel the last 15 years, 2) a new GM in Buffalo with CNY roots, and 3) a miracle season where he pulled out 3 wins in the final 2 minutes which could have easily swung from 8-5 to 5-7. He knew that lightning in a bottle wasn't likely to come around again (with the move to the ACC) so he got out while he could.