Why Syracuse Will Win

[SWC75]

- Because we have a defense and they don’t. We complain about our defense a lot but they gave up 25.7ppg, (52nd), 385.1 total yards, (50th), 148.2 rushing yards, (48th) and, horrors, 236.9 passing yards. West Virginia has surrendered 38.1 points, (114th), 469.6 yards, (107th), 142.5 rushing yards, (40th) and, horrors+, 327.1 passing yards. It’s what we’ve always dreamed of: we are facing a G-Rob defense!

- Who have they beaten? Well, the beat Baylor who is 8-5 after blowing out UCLA in a bowl game. They also beat Texas, who is 8-4. But their other victims are Marshall, (5-7), Maryland (4-8), Iowa State (6-6) and Kansas (1-11) and an FCS team of their own, James Madison.

- When we got beat it was by 1, 13, 7, 8 and 11 points. West Virginia lost games by 14-49 and 14-55.

- We’ve beaten these guys two years in a row and womped ’em last year and we are a much better team now than we were then.

- Ryan Nassib did just fine playing in Yankee Stadium in the winter two years ago.

- I’m still waiting for the game when both Alec Lemon and Marcus Sales are “on” at the same time, (just as in basketball I will be waiting for Southerland and Cooney to get hot at the same time). This is your last chance, guys.

- They can run the ball but I don’t think they have a “downhill” guy quite like Jerome Smith.

- I like the way our defensive line has developed. I think Mr. Smith will have more company in the backfield than Mr. Nassib.

7-5 and strive for 1 more…

LET’S GO ORANGE!!!

 

[007]

- Because we have a defense and they don’t. We complain about our defense a lot but they gave up 25.7ppg, (52nd), 385.1 total yards, (50th), 148.2 rushing yards, (48th) and, horrors, 236.9 passing yards. West Virginia has surrendered 38.1 points, (114th), 469.6 yards, (107th), 142.5 rushing yards, (40th) and, horrors+, 327.1 passing yards. It’s what we’ve always dreamed of: we are facing a G-Rob defense!

- Who have they beaten? Well, the beat Baylor who is 8-5 after blowing out UCLA in a bowl game. They also beat Texas, who is 8-4. But their other victims are Marshall, (5-7), Maryland (4-8), Iowa State (6-6) and Kansas (1-11) and an FCS team of their own, James Madison.

- When we got beat it was by 1, 13, 7, 8 and 11 points. West Virginia lost games by 14-49 and 14-55.

- We’ve beaten these guys two years in a row and womped ’em last year and we are a much better team now than we were then.

- Ryan Nassib did just fine playing in Yankee Stadium in the winter two years ago.

- I’m still waiting for the game when both Alec Lemon and Marcus Sales are “on” at the same time, (just as in basketball I will be waiting for Southerland and Cooney to get hot at the same time). This is your last chance, guys.

- They can run the ball but I don’t think they have a “downhill” guy quite like Jerome Smith.

- I like the way our defensive line has developed. I think Mr. Smith will have more company in the backfield than Mr. Nassib.

7-5 and strive for 1 more…

LET’S GO ORANGE!!!

Maybe a more meaningful, although theoretical "analysis," would be to ask yourself: how would the SU D have fared in the pass happy Big 12?

I think we would be looking a lot like WVU's D. The numbers are misleading in the sense that it creates an illusion that SU has a much better D. It does not.

This game will come down to who has the better execution on O, and who can handle the weather related turnovers best, IMO.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Maybe a more meaningful, although theoretical "analysis," would be to ask yourself: how would the SU D have fared in the pass happy Big 12?

I think we would be looking a lot like WVU's D. The numbers are misleading in the sense that it creates an illusion that SU has a much better D. It does not.

This game will come down to who has the better execution on O, and who can handle the weather related turnovers best, IMO.

The other side of that would be to ask what Big 12 passing offenses would look like if they weren't facing a Big 12 pass defense which appears to be optional through out that league.

Big East D's > Big 12 D's this year. Last year Smith threw for 300 more yards in the BE but 9 less TD's and was sacked 10 more times.

Smith also threw 3 picks vs us in 2011 and 2 in 2010 with much lower completion % than his average.

 

[007]

The other side of that would be to ask what Big 12 passing offenses would look like if they weren't facing a Big 12 pass defense which appears to be optional through out that league.

Big East D's > Big 12 D's this year. Last year Smith threw for 300 more yards in the BE but 9 less TD's and was sacked 10 more times.

Smith also threw 3 picks vs us in 2011 and 2 in 2010 with much lower completion % than his average.

That's not unreasonable to assume. However, the point of my response was to address Steve's reason why SU will win; specifically, "because we have a defense and they don't."

I think this an illusion. Both Ds are far less than stellar. And SU's D would be statistically just as bad as WVU if we played in the Big 12, IMO.

 

[ImperialOrange]

That's not unreasonable to assume. However, the point of my response was to address Steve's reason why SU will win; specifically, "because we have a defense and they don't."

I think this an illusion. Both Ds are far less than stellar. And SU's D would be statistically just as bad as WVU if we played in the Big 12, IMO.

We'll find out in a few hours time but WVU's defense has been horrid all over. Our defense only gave up 300+ yards passing in 3 games and in 2 of those the opponent couldnt run at all and in the 3rd (Lville) they were playing from behind the entire game. Our defense usually stops at least 1 facet of the opponents offense. I have no idea what WVU's run defense truly looks like because teams havent had to try and run being that they could just pass all over them. Lville is the only team that passed for 400+ yards against us, the same that Marshall did to WVU.

WVU put up guady passing numbers because they have to. Suffice to say, most opposing teams wouldve had to put up numbers to keep up with them as well so we'll see.

 

[007]

We'll find out in a few hours time but WVU's defense has been horrid all over. Our defense only gave up 300+ yards passing in 3 games and in 2 of those the opponent couldnt run at all and in the 3rd (Lville) they were playing from behind the entire game. Our defense usually stops at least 1 facet of the opponents offense. I have no idea what WVU's run defense truly looks like because teams havent had to try and run being that they could just pass all over them. Lville is the only team that passed for 400+ yards against us, the same that Marshall did to WVU.

WVU put up guady passing numbers because they have to. Suffice to say, most opposing teams wouldve had to put up numbers to keep up with them as well so we'll see.

I don't really see the logic in your last paragraph. WVU put up those numbers BY DESIGN, not because they "had to." They got smoked on D because they sucked on D, not because the other team was trying extra hard to score.

In any case, I believe that SU will win the game. But I think there is a far greater likelihood that WVU will light up the SU D than the other way around.

I do agree with you, we shall soon see.