Fjoinkay
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I was disappointed, frustrated, and surprised watching the offense, and from the body language I saw on the field I believe most of the players were experiencing similar emotions. I walk away from that game feeling like the offense can only get better, and I say that for many reasons. The reasons are obvious and have been widely discussed already. Without a preseason like the NFL the first game of the season is always tricky, and when you have an entirely new staff on one side of the ball the opportunities for problems multiply by many factors. We saw that first hand.
SU also has a new QB from a different school. And just as important, the QB competition ran throughout camp, and presumably the offense never had the reps with the #1 QB that it would have had say if the QB had been a returning starter. And while the possibility remains that the offense may struggle all season, my sense is that the potential exists for this offense to move the ball consistently and to score points. The fear of course is that SU's offense will regress to the familiar post-McNabb lack of production that really only ended with the 2012 team last season, but I saw plays made and missed opportunities against a good defense that suggest good things to come.
Chuck Bullough, the Orchard Park high school grad, showed up in fine fashion. The defense looks solid. I like to ask this question every year since 2010: How will this defense compare to the 2010 D? It's hard to say, but I believe this defense is improved over the squads in 2011 and 2012. Time will tell. Some familiar faces made some familiar mistakes (on both sides of the ball), but overall the defense was fun to watch. I understand the lack of attacking early, and I enjoyed the results when SU turned up the heat.
Right now the leaders on this team need to lead by example. This is a time to focus, reflect, and get straight with expectations and enthusiasm. It's only one game, and as always it was a learning experience individually, as a unit, and as a team. It sounds corny, but this truly is an opportunity as all disappointments and challenges are. It's the response that matters.
SU also has a new QB from a different school. And just as important, the QB competition ran throughout camp, and presumably the offense never had the reps with the #1 QB that it would have had say if the QB had been a returning starter. And while the possibility remains that the offense may struggle all season, my sense is that the potential exists for this offense to move the ball consistently and to score points. The fear of course is that SU's offense will regress to the familiar post-McNabb lack of production that really only ended with the 2012 team last season, but I saw plays made and missed opportunities against a good defense that suggest good things to come.
Chuck Bullough, the Orchard Park high school grad, showed up in fine fashion. The defense looks solid. I like to ask this question every year since 2010: How will this defense compare to the 2010 D? It's hard to say, but I believe this defense is improved over the squads in 2011 and 2012. Time will tell. Some familiar faces made some familiar mistakes (on both sides of the ball), but overall the defense was fun to watch. I understand the lack of attacking early, and I enjoyed the results when SU turned up the heat.
Right now the leaders on this team need to lead by example. This is a time to focus, reflect, and get straight with expectations and enthusiasm. It's only one game, and as always it was a learning experience individually, as a unit, and as a team. It sounds corny, but this truly is an opportunity as all disappointments and challenges are. It's the response that matters.
