This teams ability to reach a bowl is going to live or die with the passing game

[Crusty]

Wow...I'd be happy if he could catch Sales @ 132. I'd be ecstatic if he came close to Lemon's 201 career catches.

You need to check the stats - Brolyd could catch 50 this year.

 

[All4SU]

Maybe, but in my opinion its going to be awful difficult to win 3 additional games with that type of passing game. Not taking anything away from our performance but relying on SU to run for 300+ yards every game is unrealistic especially as teams continue to scout SU and make adjustments. To me this has the feel of 2011 where if this team cant at least get some passing game going we could hit a bad streak especially if the defense starts to wear down.

I don't think our passing game is necessarily what we have seen in the last two games. I also don't think it's what we saw against Wagner and Tulane. I suspect it's somewhere into the middle. Hunt has started exactly three games. I expect him to keep improving as the season progresses, and some of the synchronization with the WRs will improve as well. I believe Broyld will be a stud. I think West is better than he has shown, and I agree he ought to be in the slot more. I think Estime is super fast, but he's not anywhere near a complete WR yet. I expected more from Kobena. And I think getting he TEs more involved will help everyone. I also believe Hunt going to almost 100 yards last game will help open up some things in the middle. Teams will have to put a guy on him.

 

[Pyle]

maybe even Allen back under center.

Oh Lord

Drinking early today are ya???

Allen has no command of the offense. You put him back in there and the offense goes from one dimensional to non-functional.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Suppose I feel a bit better due to the depth we have on D and the fact that they seem to be improving as the season goes vs wearing down as the season progresses. I always thought the D would carry us but I didnt think they would take quite this long to come together.

I agree on the D but there going to have games in the second half of the year where there going to give up a few scores, its just going to happen. IF this team gets down say 17-7 can the offense get itself back in the game? To me thats the question that right now is holding me back on this team really making a move to say a bowl game should be a lock. The offense outside of a great running game just has to many question marks. Heck even a 3rd and long right now feels like a daunting task.

 

[Alsacs]

I agree with you, I think the WR core needs a complete overhaul, and I think its clear the staff does to based on the number of WR's we are bringing in for next year. That being said after watching last weeks game Hunt is definitely a bigger part of the problem then I thought. Some of this throws were mystifying and hes starting to rack up Int numbers that are close to being on par with Allen. If you look back at the passing numbers and QB rating the past two games the results are abysmal, I mean unbelievably bad. Are the WR's mostly to blame? Perhaps, but thats lead to the question then why haven't we seen Alvin, Funderburk, Lewis, Moore, one of the Frosh Wr's? Why isnt Broyld running some actual pass patters besides a bubble screen, ditto for Estime? The passing game and passing play calling could totally torpedo this season if we dont get at least moderate improvement starting tomorrow.

Hunt needs more playing time and I think he will be fine. He has shown against sub-par talent he can excel. Now he needs to show it against equal/more talented teams. He needs WRs who can give him a window to throw into. I don't think he has the confidence to complete passes where the WRs aren't wide open. As long as we don't face Florida State, Clemson each week he will improve. Also, NC State DL and pass rush really scared me before last week's game. The running game was successful and I think we completely scrapped the passing game in the 2nd half because the OL dominated in run blocking against a GOOD DL. I have no idea why the coaches don't try other WRs but they have to have a reason.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Oh Lord

Drinking early today are ya???

Allen has no command of the offense. You put him back in there and the offense goes from one dimensional to non-functional.

I am not calling for Allen to be the starter that was clear from my post. My point was that if the passing offense continues to be horrific at some point changes are going to have to be made. The Syracuse running game isnt going for 300+ yards a game against most BCS level opponents so stat lines of under 100 yard passing and zero catches by your #1 WR isn't going to hold up.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Hunt needs more playing time and I think he will be fine. He has shown against sub-par talent he can excel. Now he needs to show it against equal/more talented teams. He needs WRs who can give him a window to throw into. I don't think he has the confidence to complete passes where the WRs aren't wide open. As long as we don't face Florida State, Clemson each week he will improve. Also, NC State DL and pass rush really scared me before last week's game. The running game was successful and I think we completely scrapped the passing game in the 2nd half because the OL dominated in run blocking against a GOOD DL. I have no idea why the coaches don't try other WRs but they have to have a reason.

I agree about the O line, they have been really good so far this year. They have become a strength of the offense, I have zero concerns about them. The WR's and pass play calling on the other hand is another story.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I agree on the D but there going to have games in the second half of the year where there going to give up a few scores, its just going to happen. IF this team gets down say 17-7 can the offense get itself back in the game? To me thats the question that right now is holding me back on this team really making a move to say a bowl game should be a lock. The offense outside of a great running game just has to many question marks. Heck even a 3rd and long right now feels like a daunting task.

This weekend will be very telling. I have a good feeling about it, and I am rarely wrong.

 

[TheCusian]

I am not calling for Allen to be the starter that was clear from my post. My point was that if the passing offense continues to be horrific at some point changes are going to have to be made. The Syracuse running game isnt going for 300+ yards a game against most BCS level opponents so stat lines of under 100 yard passing and zero catches by your #1 WR isn't going to hold up.

I don't see why they won't continue to put up these huge rushing totals. Both NC State and Clemson are no slouches vs the run and couldn't stop it. They were putting 8 on the box all second half...

It may be that our scheme is really good and we won't need a great passing game. I'll be looking for modest improvements this week. If they sell out to stop the run, can we use some downfield passing to loosen it back up again?

Not as dire as it seems. Keep running until they can stop it.

 

[Pyle]

I am not calling for Allen to be the starter that was clear from my post. My point was that if the passing offense continues to be horrific at some point changes are going to have to be made. The Syracuse running game isnt going for 300+ yards a game against most BCS level opponents so stat lines of under 100 yard passing and zero catches by your #1 WR isn't going to hold up.

It wasn't clear from your post at all, you said wholesale changes including maybe putting Allen back in under C. Simply put, you don't put Allen back in for the last 6 games when you are on track to be bowl eligible. Allen is 0-2 as the starter and STRUGGLED against Wagner. The first quarter of that game was mess on offense. As soon as Hunt came in we started to move the ball. Hunt has struggled but the team has 3 wins with him under center. At this point in the season you need to be done experimenting with one of the most important positions on the team. Allen has shown nothing in game situation to warrant another chance. His name shouldn't even ben mentioned except to say he was no Paulus. I thank him for coming up here and giving it a go, enjoy the free education, this offense and this team were not meant for you. Best of luck to you Drew Allen. Cuse needs to keep looking forward, not back at this point in the season.

 

[JeremyCuse]

It wasn't clear from your post at all, you said wholesale changes including maybe putting Allen back in under C. Simply put, you don't put Allen back in for the last 6 games when you are on track to be bowl eligible. Allen is 0-2 as the starter and STRUGGLED against Wagner. The first quarter of that game was mess on offense. As soon as Hunt came in we started to move the ball. Hunt has struggled but the team has 3 wins with him under center. At this point in the season you need to be done experimenting with one of the most important positions on the team. Allen has shown nothing in game situation to warrant another chance. His name shouldn't even ben mentioned except to say he was no Paulus. I thank him for coming up here and giving it a go, enjoy the free education, this offense and this team were not meant for you. Best of luck to you Drew Allen. Cuse needs to keep looking forward, not back at this point in the season.

If the passing game continues to be a disaster Allen will get another shot be it a series or a quarter but he will make an appearance because this team right now is 3-3 and far from "on track for a bowl". People penciling in wins over BC, Pitt and Maryland are crazy.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I don't see why they won't continue to put up these huge rushing totals. Both NC State and Clemson are no slouches vs the run and couldn't stop it. They were putting 8 on the box all second half...

It may be that our scheme is really good and we won't need a great passing game. I'll be looking for modest improvements this week. If they sell out to stop the run, can we use some downfield passing to loosen it back up again?

Not as dire as it seems. Keep running until they can stop it.

Theres a difference between a good running game which we had against clemson and the peformance we put in last week where we just destroyed NC State on the ground, I mean just crushed them. We can certainly duplicate the kind of running success we had against Clemson moving forward, but its going to be difficult to repeat 300+ yards and just dominate on the ground. I just want to see us get a little balance, a passing game will help open things up even more for the backs plus it will do wonders for getting the TE's and Estime involved. having to rely solely on a run game for offense is difficult and is one injury away from being a disaster.

 

[Pyle]

If the passing game continues to be a disaster Allen will get another shot be it a series or a quarter but he will make an appearance because this team right now is 3-3 and far from "on track for a bowl". People penciling in wins over BC, Pitt and Maryland are crazy.

Nobody is penciling in wins over those teams. Every game will be a toss up and a battle. Put Allen back under C and you can pencil in losses though. If Hunt isn't the answer then give Kimble a try. No reason to play Allen at this point, he's shown nothing, won't be here to grow, and the offense is dysfunctional with him under C.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Nobody is penciling in wins over those teams. Every game will be a toss up and a battle. Put Allen back under C and you can pencil in losses though. If Hunt isn't the answer then give Kimble a try. No reason to play Allen at this point, he's shown nothing, won't be here to grow, and the offense is dysfunctional with him under C.

I dont think there going to burn the shirts of either of the Qb's at this point but if they did I think Wilson would be the guy and not Kimble. Im no Drew Allen fan but your going a little overboard with you can pencil in losses, though I would certainly perfer Hunt to take that next step.

 

[RMH44]

You need to check the stats - Brolyd could catch 50 this year.

OK...Broyld ends up with 50 catches this year. That leaves him with two years to secure 150 more. Never happen.