SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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- Last year’s Syracuse team was a shell of itself. We got down to 57 available players out of 85, meaning 1/3 of the team was missing. Yes, 57 players would seem plenty but the injuries, as you might imagine, were mostly in the two-deep, not guys at the end of the bench. We got down to our 3rd string quarterback and our 6th string running back. We had freshman playing everywhere. When Dino made his comment about our being surprised by who won’t play tonight, he also said that the situation wasn’t nearly as bad as last year and that we’d also be surprised at the injured players who were back. It was just the type of cryptic comment that Dino loves to make to confuse the other team’s coaching staff. He loves to play the verbal shell game.
- Are we really better than we were last year? Are we really better than we were against Rutgers? I think so. The offensive line, which was a disaster area these last two years, seems to be coming together. The one injured guy, guard Dakota Davis, played extensively against Albany. Tackle Matthew Bergeron, at the all-important left tackle spot, is our best guy up front. Five year veteran Airon Servais, who was playing tackle on one good leg last year, is healthy and back at the center position he played when we went 10-3 in 2018. Florida transfer Chris Bleich finally filled the hole at the other guard position. The one spot I’m not sure about is right tackle, where Carlos Vettorello, who has been playing center, struggled two years ago. But the recruiting here has been good and we may see more of the young guys, including 6-6 365 Kalen Ellis from Hawaii, of whom the coach said in his radio show this week: “He’s making the biggest move…It’s amazing to see the things he can do and will be able to do in the future.”
- The rumors are strong that the #44 might be unretired for Sean Tucker, who move dup from 5th string last year as a true freshman to #1 and, despite an injury, ran for 626 yards and four scores. He’s blown up this year, against lesser opposition with 367 yards in just 51 carries, (7.2) and 6 TDs while catching 7 passes for 148 yards and another score in just 3 games. To earn that number, he’s got to do that, or something close to it against good teams. That starts tonight.
- Liberty has two 300 pounders in the middle of the line but both ends are 235 pounds and both linebackers are 225. Everybody behind that is a defensive back. Their ‘rover’ is 180 pounds. It’s the type of team you want to run the ball on. Our tackles, who will be blocking those 235 pound ends are 315 and 295. Feed the ball to 5-10 210 Tucker, (and his back-up Jarveon Howard, who is 5-11 205 and ran for 76 on 6 carries last week) and wear the smaller guys down. It will allow us to chew up the clock, finish drives, dominate late and also get the pass rushers back on their heels expecting an impact, rather than delivering one.
- The absence of leading receiver Taj Harris and tight end Luke Benson last week forced Dino to go to his younger receivers, who, like his younger offensive linemen, may turn out to be better than the guys ahead of them in the depth chart. One way they can be better is height. We can put two wide receivers out there who are 6-6, (Damien Alford, who caught a 73 yards bomb that got us going after Albany had their pick six), and 6-5, (Oronde Gadsden ) along with a tight end who is 6-7, (Maxmillian Mang, who came here from Germany). None of the Flames’ linebackers or defensive backs are taller than 6 feet even. DeVito or Schrader (who is 6-4), could play catch with those guys.
- Tony White’s defense is a totally different animal than it was at this time last year. He got a spring practice and a full fall practice to teach it and the players have a year’s worth of experience in it. They gave up three field goals to Ohio U. two touchdowns to Rutgers and really only one TD drive against Albany and that was when the score was 62-10 and the third string was in there. They are very aggressive as well, with 12 sacks and 32TFLs and haven’t ben giving up big plays. The one thing they haven’t done is produce turnovers: just 2 in three games. Last year they produced 24, which actually led the country after the regular season. That has to be a ticking time bomb.
- Mobile quarterbacks have traditionally given us a lot of trouble but I would think a good 3-3-5 set up could be effective against them as we’re already spread out and would be attacking from every direction, not just up the middle. In the 3-3-5, the linemen are almost like blockers for the quicker players behind them that make the big plays.
- We are a dismal 119th in avoiding penalties but the coach has said they talked about that all week and promises this game will be different. And Liberty is 112th in the country in avoiding penalties, (good Christians that they are).
- This team was embarrassed by what happened last year, both on the season and in this game, which became a symbol of that year. They are going to be highly motivated to turn this score back around toward what it was two years ago. Hey! We out-scored them over the two season, 45-38!). And last year’s game was played in an empty Dome this one won’t be. And it’s not just the fans but more NFL scouts than Dino Babers has ever seen here. Also, being a Friday night game, the whole country will be watching. The atmosphere will be the exact opposite of last year’s.
- Basically, these are two teams that, (this year) have yet to prove themselves. We are the power conference team, not them. We need to look like it. They haven’t played anybody good and you have to prove yourself each year, (see our 2019 team, which followed up a 10-3 season with a 5-7 season). It’s time to see what’s real.
2-1 and 9+ to go!
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!
- Are we really better than we were last year? Are we really better than we were against Rutgers? I think so. The offensive line, which was a disaster area these last two years, seems to be coming together. The one injured guy, guard Dakota Davis, played extensively against Albany. Tackle Matthew Bergeron, at the all-important left tackle spot, is our best guy up front. Five year veteran Airon Servais, who was playing tackle on one good leg last year, is healthy and back at the center position he played when we went 10-3 in 2018. Florida transfer Chris Bleich finally filled the hole at the other guard position. The one spot I’m not sure about is right tackle, where Carlos Vettorello, who has been playing center, struggled two years ago. But the recruiting here has been good and we may see more of the young guys, including 6-6 365 Kalen Ellis from Hawaii, of whom the coach said in his radio show this week: “He’s making the biggest move…It’s amazing to see the things he can do and will be able to do in the future.”
- The rumors are strong that the #44 might be unretired for Sean Tucker, who move dup from 5th string last year as a true freshman to #1 and, despite an injury, ran for 626 yards and four scores. He’s blown up this year, against lesser opposition with 367 yards in just 51 carries, (7.2) and 6 TDs while catching 7 passes for 148 yards and another score in just 3 games. To earn that number, he’s got to do that, or something close to it against good teams. That starts tonight.
- Liberty has two 300 pounders in the middle of the line but both ends are 235 pounds and both linebackers are 225. Everybody behind that is a defensive back. Their ‘rover’ is 180 pounds. It’s the type of team you want to run the ball on. Our tackles, who will be blocking those 235 pound ends are 315 and 295. Feed the ball to 5-10 210 Tucker, (and his back-up Jarveon Howard, who is 5-11 205 and ran for 76 on 6 carries last week) and wear the smaller guys down. It will allow us to chew up the clock, finish drives, dominate late and also get the pass rushers back on their heels expecting an impact, rather than delivering one.
- The absence of leading receiver Taj Harris and tight end Luke Benson last week forced Dino to go to his younger receivers, who, like his younger offensive linemen, may turn out to be better than the guys ahead of them in the depth chart. One way they can be better is height. We can put two wide receivers out there who are 6-6, (Damien Alford, who caught a 73 yards bomb that got us going after Albany had their pick six), and 6-5, (Oronde Gadsden ) along with a tight end who is 6-7, (Maxmillian Mang, who came here from Germany). None of the Flames’ linebackers or defensive backs are taller than 6 feet even. DeVito or Schrader (who is 6-4), could play catch with those guys.
- Tony White’s defense is a totally different animal than it was at this time last year. He got a spring practice and a full fall practice to teach it and the players have a year’s worth of experience in it. They gave up three field goals to Ohio U. two touchdowns to Rutgers and really only one TD drive against Albany and that was when the score was 62-10 and the third string was in there. They are very aggressive as well, with 12 sacks and 32TFLs and haven’t ben giving up big plays. The one thing they haven’t done is produce turnovers: just 2 in three games. Last year they produced 24, which actually led the country after the regular season. That has to be a ticking time bomb.
- Mobile quarterbacks have traditionally given us a lot of trouble but I would think a good 3-3-5 set up could be effective against them as we’re already spread out and would be attacking from every direction, not just up the middle. In the 3-3-5, the linemen are almost like blockers for the quicker players behind them that make the big plays.
- We are a dismal 119th in avoiding penalties but the coach has said they talked about that all week and promises this game will be different. And Liberty is 112th in the country in avoiding penalties, (good Christians that they are).
- This team was embarrassed by what happened last year, both on the season and in this game, which became a symbol of that year. They are going to be highly motivated to turn this score back around toward what it was two years ago. Hey! We out-scored them over the two season, 45-38!). And last year’s game was played in an empty Dome this one won’t be. And it’s not just the fans but more NFL scouts than Dino Babers has ever seen here. Also, being a Friday night game, the whole country will be watching. The atmosphere will be the exact opposite of last year’s.
- Basically, these are two teams that, (this year) have yet to prove themselves. We are the power conference team, not them. We need to look like it. They haven’t played anybody good and you have to prove yourself each year, (see our 2019 team, which followed up a 10-3 season with a 5-7 season). It’s time to see what’s real.
2-1 and 9+ to go!
LET’S GO ORANGE!!!
