Time for a little optimism | Syracusefan.com

Time for a little optimism

storange

storange

2023 Cali Award Rushing Touchdowns
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
7,876
Like
20,199
1 We are getting some lineman back on both sides of the ball ?

2 Im expecting Hunt to play the entire game and play well

3 I actually watched CMU's win last week, they looked like a solid well coached team but I think we will win.

4 2-0, Beat Md at home and Ride into met life with a little confidence. ND looks formidable ( kills me to say anything positive about them ) but it will be a big opportunity on National TV

Lets go Orange !
 
Good post STO, I am expecting a much better performance Saturday than we saw a week ago. Not easy to win games with back up qb as Ohio St has proven. I look forward to seeing Hunt run for 75-100 yards and 200 yads passing
 
orangenirvana said:
I've liked this team all along. My guess is Nova is one of the two best teams in FCS (along with Fargo) and we had to play them without our starting QB for an entire half. People make too much of that "bad win."
Expand...
Also Wilson wasn't prepared to play , as during camp the coaches didn't make him no.2 because they wanted the new recruits to feel like they had a chance to play. Wilson should have been no.2 all along , and been given plenty of snaps with the starters. But they dodged a bullet , and what doesn't kill you , makes you stronger.
 
I think they go in with a chip on their shoulder after the collective sigh let out by OrangeNation after that last game. At least I sure hope they do.
 
CMU plays to our strengths. They run more power than spread, the QB doesnt try to run wild, they had just 325 of offense both weeks, they won the turnover battle so thats they key.
 
CousCuse said:
Also Wilson wasn't prepared to play , as during camp the coaches didn't make him no.2 because they wanted the new recruits to feel like they had a chance to play. Wilson should have been no.2 all along , and been given plenty of snaps with the starters. But they dodged a bullet , and what doesn't kill you , makes you stronger.
Expand...
Agreed, except it appears that it is more of a case that Kimball lost the battle for #2 rather than Wilson won it. Word is that Kimball hasn't been nearly as good as he was last year.
 
I'm optimistic that we'll see a big improvement because as much as the offense struggled to move the ball, I didn't see the same disorganization we had at the start of last season. I'm hoping that means we'll iron it out a lot sooner.

Plus, yeah, having our best oline out there has to count.
 
No reason to panic with 11 games to go but I am also not going to get my hopes up that everything is suddenly going to be A OK after that awful opening game performance. CMU is a good opponent, obviously not a high end OOC game like ND or even Maryland but a team certainly capable of beating Syracuse if we come out thinking we can just show up and win. I am looking for a big improvement from the Offense especially the WR core and the O line and the LB and D tackles on D.
 
Last edited:
JeremyCuse said:
No reason to panic with 11 games to go but I am also not going to get my hopes up that everything is suddenly going to be A OK after that awful opening game performance. CMU is a good opponent, obviously not a high end OOC game like ND or even Maryland but team certainly capable of beat Syracuse if we come out thinking we can just show up and win. I am looking for a big improvement from the Offense especially the WR core and the O line and the LB and D tackles on D.
Expand...


If they think they can just come out or show up and win, they certainly learned absolutely nothing from the Villanova game. Biggest issue we face is a limited offense built around a running QB. Hunt needs to run for the offense to even be average
 
IthacaBarrel said:
If they think they can come out and win, they certainly learned absolutely nothing from the Villanova game. Biggest issue we face is a limited offense built around a running QB. Hunt needs to run for the offense to even be average
Expand...

Hunt's going to have to do a lot more this year especially now that the run games looks like its in flux and no where near as potent as it was last year. Outside of that big run by Gulley vs Nova, Syracuse averaged 2.2 yards a carry. Morris looked slow and were all aware of the short yardage disaster by the goaline with AAM. We really need the running backs on the roster to step up or maybe give some looks to Erv.
 
JeremyCuse said:
Hunt's going to have to do a lot more this year especially now that the run games looks like its in flux and no where near as potent as it was last year. Outside of that big run by Gulley vs Nova, Syracuse averaged 2.2 yards a carry. Morris looked slow and were all aware of the short yardage disaster by the goaline with AAM. We really need the running backs on the roster to step up or maybe give some looks to Erv.
Expand...


They need the 2 O lineman back, IMO. They will make a huge difference for the running game. Nick R is a very good run blocker. Not surprised we struggled at center as well, Macky was such an asset last year as well. I know we have a ton of wide receivers but I still don't see any RIGHT NOW as good as Sales and Lemon. Those two just knew how to get open and make plays. People can quote measurables all they want
 
They say the biggest improvement is seen between the first and second game. I can somewhat buy that. The Orange in me says Syracuse will come out with a chip and play well. The recent history suggests what we saw might be what we get.

Something I find amusing though is that CMU badly struggled to a comeback win against D1AA Tennessee Chattanooga (20-16). But now because of what they did in week 2 to Purdue (and our only body of work against Nova) and people have lost their minds. I suspect Vegas is more right about the spread than wrong. I’m optimistic we control the game and win by 10-17 points, , if we play turnover free and have no special team gaffes I’m comfortable with it.

However, the weather right now is supposed to be 61 degrees and 70% chance of rain. This concerns me a bit considering how bad our run game was. Its also going to be their superbowl since it’s at their place but maybe rain puts a damper on the crowd support.

Might be a good thing that we played so poorly. I have to believe effort and focus (as well as not overlooking the opponent) will be much improved.
 
IthacaBarrel said:
They need the 2 O lineman back, IMO. They will make a huge difference for the running game.
Expand...
Yeah, we've all seen that the running backs are capable. We can handle having 1 of our 3 top guards out, but not 2.
 
CusefanATL said:
hard to believe they will be ready? why?
Expand...


No choice but to be ready - must win situation.

This team has talent.

We have size, speed and athleticism.

Maybe we don't have world class speed, but we are a lot faster than we have been in fifteen years.

I have to believe that this team turns it around Saturday.

Or, I will be crushed.
 
PhatOrange said:
They say the biggest improvement is seen between the first and second game. I can somewhat buy that. The Orange in me says Syracuse will come out with a chip and play well. The recent history suggests what we saw might be what we get.

Something I find amusing though is that CMU badly struggled to a comeback win against D1AA Tennessee Chattanooga (20-16). But now because of what they did in week 2 to Purdue (and our only body of work against Nova) and people have lost their minds. I suspect Vegas is more right about the spread than wrong. I’m optimistic we control the game and win by 10-17 points, , if we play turnover free and have no special team gaffes I’m comfortable with it.

However, the weather right now is supposed to be 61 degrees and 70% chance of rain. This concerns me a bit considering how bad our run game was. Its also going to be their superbowl since it’s at their place but maybe rain puts a damper on the crowd support.

Might be a good thing that we played so poorly. I have to believe effort and focus (as well as not overlooking the opponent) will be much improved.
Expand...


To me the issue isnt CMU or even the opponent in General its what I saw from Syracuse on the opening game. Going into this year people were talking about this team having a chance to not necessarily win but at least be competitive against Clemson and ND and to put the 4 blowouts we had last year behind us. What I saw against Nova was pretty much the opposite of what I have been reading on here the past 4-5 months. The offense even when Hunt was in there looked mediocore at best, the WR position still lakes any sort of playmakers and gamebreakers, the D line outside of the two Soph D ends trying to play Tackle and maybe Crume looked really really bad and our two best linebackers were pretty much non existent to the point where Davis was benched.

Going into this year I wanted to see this team take a step forward not necessarily in the win column but at least on the field so that I didnt see repeat of the G tech, Northwestern or Clemson games last year. With the daunting schedule we have (Lvill, ND, FSU, Clemson not to mention Pitt) I have serious concerns about this team finding 6 wins if we dont show some marked improvement this week.
 
OrangePA said:
No choice but to be ready - must win situation.

This team has talent.

We have size, speed and athleticism.

Maybe we don't have world class speed, but we are a lot faster than we have been in fifteen years.

I have to believe that this team turns it around Saturday.

Or, I will be crushed.
Expand...

Ok... I figured thats what you meant... but I think you meant "Hard to believe they wont be ready"
 
JeremyCuse said:
To me the issue isnt CMU or even the opponent in General its what I saw from Syracuse on the opening game. Going into this year people were talking about this team having a chance to not necessarily win but at least be competitive against Clemson and ND and to put the 4 blowouts we had last year behind us. What I saw against Nova was pretty much the opposite of what I have been reading on here the past 4-5 months. The offense even when Hunt was in there looked mediocore at best, the WR position still lakes any sort of playmakers and gamebreakers, the D line outside of the two Soph D ends trying to play Tackle and maybe Crume looked really really bad and our two best linebackers were pretty much non existent to the point where Davis was benched.

Going into this year I wanted to see this team take a step forward not necessarily in the win column but at least on the field so that I didnt see repeat of the G tech, Northwestern or Clemson games last year. With the daunting schedule we have (Lvill, ND, FSU, Clemson not to mention Pitt) I have serious concerns about this team finding 6 wins if we dont show some marked improvement this week.
Expand...

I agree with the way our offense was looking even while Hunt was in there - I was getting a little nervous and frustrated. As everyone said - this is a huge week. We just can't afford to let this one get away.
 

Similar threads

A Clockwork Orange
    • Like
Defense...
Replies
3
Views
431
SUFan44
SUFan44
Niastri
    • Like
    • Love
Random Pittsburgh Thoughts
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
FrancoPizza
FrancoPizza

Forum statistics

Threads
176,280
Messages
5,305,318
Members
6,198
Latest member
Cuseman73

Online statistics

Members online
18
Guests online
5,024
Total visitors
5,042
Totals may include hidden visitors.


P
Top Bottom