Waited a few days

[elimunelson]

but i'm confident in changing a few opinions that I held pre season about this team:

1. Anae and Beck look like the most comptetent assistants we've had since the DeLeone/Rodgers era. I got a sense of calm watching Bob Anae that he knows what he's doing. He almost reminded me of Pasqualoni with the glasses.

2. Shrader is throwing the ball much better than last year. Maybe because of 1 above or he was hurt. This changes the entire calculus for me in terms of the team's trajectory.

3. Dino listened and hired competence. That's the sign of a guy who grew or is growing into the job.

I didn't expect 1-3 to be so pronounced out of the gates but I'm confident that all 3 of the above will remain consistent for the season. We need to make the putt as I said and get bowling again but the schedule is laid out in a way where we can get to the green in 2 on the first half of the season and then weather that gauntlet in the middle.

LFG

 

[GoSU96]

Offense was very efficient. Scored on 5 of 10 possessions. Held the ball to end each half. Only punted three times.

4 x 4 in the redzone. Perfect in the close redzone, which is a big change. 6 of 11 on 3rd.

73% completion percentage with three wide open drops on very catchable balls. The only two throws that were towards guys that were well covered was Mang in the corner of the end zone, pretty much a throw away, and Jones on the sideline.

Lots of room for improvement. All six 3rd down conversions were on run plays, including two great +10 scrambles. It’s great that Shrader has the ability to make big off schedule plays, that’s the x-factor, but to take the step from top 40, to top 20 or better, need to get some of those conversions through the air. They were excellent passing on 1st down, the play mix on first was excellent.

Just game one, but a lot to build on.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

It will be interesting to see if we can keep it up. We started the game with 17 points in our 1st three possessions. The next 4 drives we really struggled. How much of that was Louisville not knowing what we would run and/or adjusting? How much of that was us shooting ourselves in the foot? The big question IMO is how much of that was losing Rhino? Last season the O looked a lot better when he was in. Was it a coincidence that the same happened vs Louisville?

I have confidence that we have a good group of coaches on the O side now and we will look much improved, and even improve as the year goes on. But I am in the wait and see mode till at least halftime of Purdue.

 

[texascpa]

Offense was very efficient. Scored on 5 of 10 possessions. Held the ball to end each half. Only punted three times.

4 x 4 in the redzone. Perfect in the close redzone, which is a big change. 6 of 11 on 3rd.

73% completion percentage with three wide open drops on very catchable balls. The only two throws that were towards guys that were well covered was Mang in the corner of the end zone, pretty much a throw away, and Jones on the sideline.

Lots of room for improvement. All six 3rd down conversions were on run plays, including two great +10 scrambles. It’s great that Shrader has the ability to make big off schedule plays, that’s the x-factor, but to take the step from top 40, to top 20 or better, need to get some of those conversions through the air. They were excellent passing on 1st down, the play mix on first was excellent.

Just game one, but a lot to build on.

And as someone else posted in another thread, ZERO 3 and outs! When is the last time we had that?

 

[Scooch]

It will be interesting to see if we can keep it up. We started the game with 17 points in our 1st three possessions. The next 4 drives we really struggled. How much of that was Louisville not knowing what we would run and/or adjusting? How much of that was us shooting ourselves in the foot? The big question IMO is how much of that was losing Rhino? Last season the O looked a lot better when he was in. Was it a coincidence that the same happened vs Louisville?

I have confidence that we have a good group of coaches on the O side now and we will look much improved, and even improve as the year goes on. But I am in the wait and see mode till at least halftime of Purdue.

I don't think we "struggled" necessarily. Those four drives were:

6 plays, 37 yards (punt)
3 plays, -9 yards (end of half)
5 plays, 30 yards (punt)
7 plays, 29 yards (punt)

On the 3rd drive we started on our own 3 and got the ball out to our 38 before the punt.

4th drive we had a 3rd and 3 at the 49 before an incompletion and punt.

I've seen SU offense struggling, and to me that wasn't struggling. We were getting positive plays, just couldn't convert, which happens.

 

[upperdeck]

but i'm confident in changing a few opinions that I held pre season about this team:

1. Anae and Beck look like the most comptetent assistants we've had since the DeLeone/Rodgers era. I got a sense of calm watching Bob Anae that he knows what he's doing. He almost reminded me of Pasqualoni with the glasses.

2. Shrader is throwing the ball much better than last year. Maybe because of 1 above or he was hurt. This changes the entire calculus for me in terms of the team's trajectory.

3. Dino listened and hired competence. That's the sign of a guy who grew or is growing into the job.

I didn't expect 1-3 to be so pronounced out of the gates but I'm confident that all 3 of the above will remain consistent for the season. We need to make the putt as I said and get bowling again but the schedule is laid out in a way where we can get to the green in 2 on the first half of the season and then weather that gauntlet in the middle.

LFG

wait are we playing a par 5and trying to eagle. or a par 3 and scrambling for par?

 

[David332]

wait are we playing a par 5and trying to eagle. or a par 3 and scrambling for par?

Long par 4 and trying to make par. Great shot off the tee and the greens are slow and flat. The fairway will decide the hole.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

It will be interesting to see if we can keep it up. We started the game with 17 points in our 1st three possessions. The next 4 drives we really struggled. How much of that was Louisville not knowing what we would run and/or adjusting? How much of that was us shooting ourselves in the foot? The big question IMO is how much of that was losing Rhino? Last season the O looked a lot better when he was in. Was it a coincidence that the same happened vs Louisville?

I have confidence that we have a good group of coaches on the O side now and we will look much improved, and even improve as the year goes on. But I am in the wait and see mode till at least halftime of Purdue.

When our offense slowed is exactly when the drops started.

 

[elimunelson]

I don't think we "struggled" necessarily. Those four drives were:

6 plays, 37 yards (punt)
3 plays, -9 yards (end of half)
5 plays, 30 yards (punt)
7 plays, 29 yards (punt)

On the 3rd drive we started on our own 3 and got the ball out to our 38 before the punt.

4th drive we had a 3rd and 3 at the 49 before an incompletion and punt.

I've seen SU offense struggling, and to me that wasn't struggling. We were getting positive plays, just couldn't convert, which happens.

To me the non scoring drives were more interesting to me than the scoring ones.

In the past I feel like we'd go 3 and out more than the average program. All those drives where we didn't score we were being hit with penalties too.

I'm just optimistic on how the team operated and moved the ball throughout the game. You aren't going to score every time but provide some efficiency with how you operate the game plan.

Anae and Beck sold me for sure.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

To me the non scoring drives were more interesting to me than the scoring ones.

In the past I feel like we'd go 3 and out more than the average program. All those drives where we didn't score we were being hit with penalties too.

I'm just optimistic on how the team operated and moved the ball throughout the game. You aren't going to score every time but provide some efficiency with how you operate the game plan.

Anae and Beck sold me for sure.

IMO Dino's O would try to hit a HR too often. When you don't have the horses you get a lot of Ks (3 and outs). We really struggled at sustaining drives all 5 years. I think it will be different with Anae. We will see more drives.

 

[Faegan]

It will be interesting to see if we can keep it up. We started the game with 17 points in our 1st three possessions. The next 4 drives we really struggled. How much of that was Louisville not knowing what we would run and/or adjusting? How much of that was us shooting ourselves in the foot? The big question IMO is how much of that was losing Rhino? Last season the O looked a lot better when he was in. Was it a coincidence that the same happened vs Louisville?

I have confidence that we have a good group of coaches on the O side now and we will look much improved, and even improve as the year goes on. But I am in the wait and see mode till at least halftime of Purdue.

Penalties are also a confounding variable... hopefully it's a one week issue. We shall see.

 

[NJneer12]

I don't think we "struggled" necessarily. Those four drives were:

6 plays, 37 yards (punt)
3 plays, -9 yards (end of half)
5 plays, 30 yards (punt)
7 plays, 29 yards (punt)

On the 3rd drive we started on our own 3 and got the ball out to our 38 before the punt.

4th drive we had a 3rd and 3 at the 49 before an incompletion and punt.

I've seen SU offense struggling, and to me that wasn't struggling. We were getting positive plays, just couldn't convert, which happens.

My notes from those drives:

1st punt drive was the Tucker injury scare. Team was rattled and had two pre-snap penalties after that which took a 3rd & 4 into a 3rd & 14. That drive also included the Gadsden catch that maaayyy not have been a catch. Good on team to get to the ball quickly and snap it.

They took a shot at end of half because of Pena's good return into Ville territory. A fair catch, and they kneel that into half.

That 2nd punt drive had a Holding, a False Start and that drop by Jones. Almost converted that with Jackson's awesome 24 yard catch and run. We need to run the ball with Tucker on 3rd & 1.

3rd punt drive had Shrader's only ill-advised throw of the game IIRC that was tipped. it also had the Cooper and Alfred drops. 3rd & 3..run the ball.

So we had a 3rd & 4, 1, and 3. One ruined by penalties, one by a stuffed run, one by a drop.

I also want to point out that last drive. 7 plays. 28 yards and 3:48. That's an important drive to remember for this team. In the future, when they up 10 late with the ball. You want this type of drive that eats clock, only 1 penalty, converts on short yardage 3rd down. All runs too!!!