SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 34,518
- Like
- 67,284
This season I will once again be charting Syracuse’s games in terms of “winning plays”. I look at the results of each play and decide which team got the minimum they wanted out of the play. Rather than making instinctive judgments, I use a formula:
- On first down, the offensive team wants to get at least a third of the way to a new first down: they will have two more games before they might have to surrender the ball and if they gain that same amount of yards on each of those two plays, they’ll get the first down. If they don’t make it a third of the way to a new first down, the defense won the play.
- On second down, the offense wants to get halfway to a new first down by the same logic.
- On third and fourth down, they want to get the new first down.
- Penalties, if added onto a play by the referees, are added on to the results above. If the offense gains 5 yards on first down but there was holding and they lost yardage instead, the defense won the play. If a running back made a 20 yard run on first and ten and the holding was 15 yards downfield, turning it into a 5 yard gain, that’s still a win for the offense. If the defense is penalized and it’s tacked on, again the net result is what is evaluated.
- If a penalty was not tacked onto a play, it’s a lost play for the team being penalized. I'll count them separate from the other plays from scrimmage because I don't know if the intended play before the penalty would have been a run or a pass - so i wouldn't know where to put it in the chart below.
- A turnover is, obviously, a win for the team that wound up with the ball.
- On a kick-off a touchback brings the ball out to the 25 yard line. Teams still seem to be trying to kick the ball into the end zone and avoid a runback if they can, so any kick-off that results in the receiving team starting between their goal line and their 25 is a win for the kicking team.
- On a punt, a touchback takes the ball out of the 20. So any punt that results in the other team taking over from their goal line to their 20 is a win for the punting team. If the next change in field positon is at least 40 yards, the punting tam has also won the play.
- A successful place kick is, obviously a win for the kicking team.
- Any play that results in a touchdown is, obviously, a win for that team that scores it.
- A “victory play” where a team accepts a loss just to let the clock run out, is a win for the offensive team.
I will indicate in parenthesis how many yards there were to go to get a new first down, (if other than 10), unless it was for no gain or negative yardage. If it was a touchdown, (“TD)” a sack (“S”) a victory play (“V”) or involved a penalty (P). I’m undecided about whether to count a scramble as a running play or passing play. For now, I’ll count it as a running play and put an ‘S’ next to it in case I change my mind. Thus an S in running plays is a scramble, an S in passing plays a sack. 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
When SYRACUSE had the ball:
KO: BC25, BC Touchdown, BC 35, BC 25, BC 26
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 3
P: 45 to BC 38, 30 to BC 16, 22 to BC 27, 42 to BC 35
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 1
FG: No Good from 40
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 5
1r: 21, 6(20), 1, 0, -3, 3, 5, 1, 31(15), 3, -10P, 4, 2(20), 1, 5, 2, 0(V)
Total: Syracuse 6 Boston College 11
1p: +15(P), Interception, 21, 6(5), 9, I, 8, -5(S), 4, 9, 7, 8, 9, 5, 9, -5(P), -5(S), I, 68TD
Total: Syracuse 13 Boston College 6
First Down Total: Syracuse 19 Boston College 17
2r: -1, 8(18), 3TD, 8(7), 5, 17, 2(9), 2(5), 5(8), -1(V)
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 5
2p: 7(14), 9, 4(5), -9(S), 8(1), 6(2), 35(15), 5(6), 2(11), 29(9), I, 31(1), 7(5), +15(P), 10(6), 12(18), I
Total: Syracuse 13 Boston College 4
Second Down Total: Syracuse 18 Boston College 9
3r: Fumble, 5(18), Fumble, 4(3)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
3p: 6(7), 39, 15(1), +6(P), 10TD, -1(S), I, -10(S), 11TD, 11(15), 14(7)
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 5
Third Down Total: Syracuse 6 Boston College 8
4r: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p: +5(p)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 12 Boston College 19
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 32 Boston College 15
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 44 Boston College34
Penalties not tacked on to plays: -5, -5, -5, +5, -5, -5, -5, -5, -5 Syracuse1 Boston College 8
Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 54 Boston College 47
Comments: Another poor special teams game, (9-5 while BC was 11-2 on similar plays). Also another poor day running the football, (12-19). Then there were the turnovers and penalties. We were bailed out by a superb passing performance (32-15). We did really well on first and second down passes (26-10), which allowed us to avoid too many third down situations. We’ve punted 7 times in the last two games.
When BOSTON COLLEGE had the ball:
KO: SU 15, SU 17, SU 15(P)
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 3
P: 14 to BC 48, 47 to SU 20, 39 to SU 20, 24 to SU 18, 45 to SU 23, 35 to SU 35
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 4
FG: Good from 30, Good from 39
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 2
XP: Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 2
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 11
1r: 5, 5, 3, 5, 28, -8(P), 4, 6, 2, 2, 7, 6, 1, 2, -3, 2, +17(P), 0
Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 9
1p: I, 5, I, I, I, +15(P), 0, 12
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College3
First Down Total: Syracuse 14 Boston College 12
2r: 0, 22(P,7), 2(5), 3, Fumble, 3(4), -2, 19(3), 3(4), 0, 1, 75TD, 11, 1, 4
Total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 7
2p: I, I, I, 17(13), -11(S)
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 1
Second Down Total: Syracuse 12 Boston College 8
3r: 4(5), 1(3), 3(1), 7, 2(1)
Total: Syracuse2 Boston College 3
3p: -5(P), I, 6(5), I, 17(9), Interception, I, I, 7(21)
Total: Syracuse 7 Boston College 2
Third Down Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 5
4r: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p: I
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 19 Boston College19
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 17 Boston College 6
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 36 Boston College 25
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +15, -5 Syracuse1 Boston College 1
Game total when BOSTON COLLEGE had the ball: Syracuse 39 Boston College 37
Overall Game Total: Syracuse 93 Boston College 84
Comments: Our much maligned defense won every down. We held our own in first and second down runs, (17-16) and our pass defense was lights out (17-6). Of course that is easier vs. BC than it will be against our next opponent, (Clemson).
- On first down, the offensive team wants to get at least a third of the way to a new first down: they will have two more games before they might have to surrender the ball and if they gain that same amount of yards on each of those two plays, they’ll get the first down. If they don’t make it a third of the way to a new first down, the defense won the play.
- On second down, the offense wants to get halfway to a new first down by the same logic.
- On third and fourth down, they want to get the new first down.
- Penalties, if added onto a play by the referees, are added on to the results above. If the offense gains 5 yards on first down but there was holding and they lost yardage instead, the defense won the play. If a running back made a 20 yard run on first and ten and the holding was 15 yards downfield, turning it into a 5 yard gain, that’s still a win for the offense. If the defense is penalized and it’s tacked on, again the net result is what is evaluated.
- If a penalty was not tacked onto a play, it’s a lost play for the team being penalized. I'll count them separate from the other plays from scrimmage because I don't know if the intended play before the penalty would have been a run or a pass - so i wouldn't know where to put it in the chart below.
- A turnover is, obviously, a win for the team that wound up with the ball.
- On a kick-off a touchback brings the ball out to the 25 yard line. Teams still seem to be trying to kick the ball into the end zone and avoid a runback if they can, so any kick-off that results in the receiving team starting between their goal line and their 25 is a win for the kicking team.
- On a punt, a touchback takes the ball out of the 20. So any punt that results in the other team taking over from their goal line to their 20 is a win for the punting team. If the next change in field positon is at least 40 yards, the punting tam has also won the play.
- A successful place kick is, obviously a win for the kicking team.
- Any play that results in a touchdown is, obviously, a win for that team that scores it.
- A “victory play” where a team accepts a loss just to let the clock run out, is a win for the offensive team.
I will indicate in parenthesis how many yards there were to go to get a new first down, (if other than 10), unless it was for no gain or negative yardage. If it was a touchdown, (“TD)” a sack (“S”) a victory play (“V”) or involved a penalty (P). I’m undecided about whether to count a scramble as a running play or passing play. For now, I’ll count it as a running play and put an ‘S’ next to it in case I change my mind. Thus an S in running plays is a scramble, an S in passing plays a sack. 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
When SYRACUSE had the ball:
KO: BC25, BC Touchdown, BC 35, BC 25, BC 26
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 3
P: 45 to BC 38, 30 to BC 16, 22 to BC 27, 42 to BC 35
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 1
FG: No Good from 40
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 5
1r: 21, 6(20), 1, 0, -3, 3, 5, 1, 31(15), 3, -10P, 4, 2(20), 1, 5, 2, 0(V)
Total: Syracuse 6 Boston College 11
1p: +15(P), Interception, 21, 6(5), 9, I, 8, -5(S), 4, 9, 7, 8, 9, 5, 9, -5(P), -5(S), I, 68TD
Total: Syracuse 13 Boston College 6
First Down Total: Syracuse 19 Boston College 17
2r: -1, 8(18), 3TD, 8(7), 5, 17, 2(9), 2(5), 5(8), -1(V)
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 5
2p: 7(14), 9, 4(5), -9(S), 8(1), 6(2), 35(15), 5(6), 2(11), 29(9), I, 31(1), 7(5), +15(P), 10(6), 12(18), I
Total: Syracuse 13 Boston College 4
Second Down Total: Syracuse 18 Boston College 9
3r: Fumble, 5(18), Fumble, 4(3)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 3
3p: 6(7), 39, 15(1), +6(P), 10TD, -1(S), I, -10(S), 11TD, 11(15), 14(7)
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 5
Third Down Total: Syracuse 6 Boston College 8
4r: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p: +5(p)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 12 Boston College 19
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 32 Boston College 15
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 44 Boston College34
Penalties not tacked on to plays: -5, -5, -5, +5, -5, -5, -5, -5, -5 Syracuse1 Boston College 8
Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 54 Boston College 47
Comments: Another poor special teams game, (9-5 while BC was 11-2 on similar plays). Also another poor day running the football, (12-19). Then there were the turnovers and penalties. We were bailed out by a superb passing performance (32-15). We did really well on first and second down passes (26-10), which allowed us to avoid too many third down situations. We’ve punted 7 times in the last two games.
When BOSTON COLLEGE had the ball:
KO: SU 15, SU 17, SU 15(P)
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 3
P: 14 to BC 48, 47 to SU 20, 39 to SU 20, 24 to SU 18, 45 to SU 23, 35 to SU 35
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 4
FG: Good from 30, Good from 39
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 2
XP: Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 2
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 11
1r: 5, 5, 3, 5, 28, -8(P), 4, 6, 2, 2, 7, 6, 1, 2, -3, 2, +17(P), 0
Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 9
1p: I, 5, I, I, I, +15(P), 0, 12
Total: Syracuse 5 Boston College3
First Down Total: Syracuse 14 Boston College 12
2r: 0, 22(P,7), 2(5), 3, Fumble, 3(4), -2, 19(3), 3(4), 0, 1, 75TD, 11, 1, 4
Total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 7
2p: I, I, I, 17(13), -11(S)
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 1
Second Down Total: Syracuse 12 Boston College 8
3r: 4(5), 1(3), 3(1), 7, 2(1)
Total: Syracuse2 Boston College 3
3p: -5(P), I, 6(5), I, 17(9), Interception, I, I, 7(21)
Total: Syracuse 7 Boston College 2
Third Down Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 5
4r: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p: I
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 19 Boston College19
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 17 Boston College 6
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 36 Boston College 25
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +15, -5 Syracuse1 Boston College 1
Game total when BOSTON COLLEGE had the ball: Syracuse 39 Boston College 37
Overall Game Total: Syracuse 93 Boston College 84
Comments: Our much maligned defense won every down. We held our own in first and second down runs, (17-16) and our pass defense was lights out (17-6). Of course that is easier vs. BC than it will be against our next opponent, (Clemson).
