Winning Plays (Boston College)

[SWC75]

Once again I’m going to chart our football games according to which team “won” each play. The idea is that you ask yourself what was the minimum acceptable result the team with the ball wanted and then, if they achieved at least that result, they “won” the play. If they didn’t, the other team “won” the play. I break down the results by the circumstances of the play: first down ruins, first down passes, same for second down, third down and fourth down. Then I look at each kicking play, penalties, turnovers, etc. The result is a total that shows if a team won by dominating play after play or by getting the big plays- turnovers, long gains, kick returns, blocked kicks, etc. it gives you a view of how the game was physically. It also gives you an idea of what areas we need to improve our recruiting. If we are losing a majority of the plays, look to the line of scrimmage. If we are not getting the big plays, look to the playmakers and the coach’s philosophy. The break-out allows us to see how we did in certain situations, such as first downs runs or passes.

Here is the scoring system I’ve been using: On a play from scrimmage, the team with the ball is trying to either get a first down or a touchdown, (the latter being the only goal if it is a “goal to go” situation). If they get 1/3 of the way to those goals, (rounding the goal up), on first down they have “won the play because if they gained that amount of yardage three times in a row, they’d keep the ball for another series of down or they’d score. On second down they want to get halfway to their goal. On third or fourth down, they want to obtain the goal because if they don’t, they’d have to surrender the ball or settle for a lesser goal, (a field goal instead of a touchdown). If the offense doesn’t win the play, then the defense won the play.

On place kicks, it’s simple: if the kicking team scored the field the field goal or extra point, they won the play. On kick-offs, since touchbacks go out to the 25, any kickoff that ends with the receiving team having the ball no farther in than the 25 yards line is a win for the kicking team. Anything beyond that is a win for the receiving team. On a punt, the touchback comes out to the 20 so any punt that results in the other team getting the ball no further rout than their 20 is a win for the punting team. Also, any punt that gains the kicking at least 40 yards in field positon is a win for them. I’m not interested in how far the punt travels. I’m interested in where the other team will star their next play. Kick-offs after a safety will be judged as if they were punts. You want to get the ball at least a net 40 yards downfield. Ifg it’s within the 25, you obviously did that.

Turnovers are, obviously wins for the defense. This year I’ve decided to list them under the circumstances of the play, that is if it was a second down running play and there is a fumble, I’ll put “fumble” under “2R”, rather than listing it on a separate line under turnovers. It will be a lost play of the offense counted under second down running plays.

Sacks are counted as passing plays. “Victory” plays are wins for the team with the ball because they are just trying to get the clock moving so it will run out.

Penalties will be counted as plays under the circumstances of the play. If they negate a play or are tacked onto it, it’s part of the result of the play. A gain negated by an offside penalty is a -5 play. A 20 yard run turned into a 10 yard loss by a clip is a -10 play7. If you jump offside on second down and they blow the play dead, I’ll assume it was a passing play if it was at least second and five unless the play-by play says otherwise. Within 5 yards, I’ll assume it was a running play. If it was first down, I’ll assume a run, third or fourth down I’ll assume a pass, again unless it says otherwise. If it was a penalty not associated with a play, (unsportsmanlike conduct, etc. I’ll list it using the same assumptions about down and distance.

Beginning with the FLORIDA STATE game, I’m making one change in my evaluation of a winning play. If a team punts in the opposition’s territory, they are clearly looking to pin them down near their goal line and would at a touchback as a failure so a punt that produces a net change of less than 30 yards and results in a touchback will be a lost play. I’m not going to look back through all the plays in the other games I’ve analyzed and redo them but from now on less than thirty yards with a touchback is a lost play.

Glossary:

KICKS
KO = Kickoffs I’ll just list where the ball wound up, unless it was a TD or turnover.
P = Punts. I’ll list the net distance and where the ball wound up, unless it was a TD or turnover.
FG= Field Goal attempts. I’ll list the distance and ‘G’ (good) or ‘NG” (no good)
XP= Extra Points. Just G or NG unless it’s not from the normal distance due to a penalty. The penalty will be listed as a separate attempt (-5, -10, -15, etc) and lost paly for the kicking team.

SCRIMMAGE PLAYS
I’ll list the yardage gained or lost and put the yards needed for a first down or touchdown in parenthesis if other than 10, unless there is no gain or a loss, which would be a win for the defesne regardless of the yardage needed..

1r = First down rushing play.
1p= First down passing play.
Same for second down, (2r, 2p), third down (3r,3p) and fourth down (4r,4p)
I = Incomplete pass
INT = interception
FUM = fumble
TD = touchdown
P = penalty
S = sack
V= “Victory” play

When SYRACUSE had the ball:

KO: BC 26, BC 47, BC 34, BC 38, BC 19
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 4
P: 24 (BC 27), 34 (BC 46), 19 (BC 41), 40 (BC 22), 36 (BC 12), 36 (BC 32), 45 (BC 33)
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 5
FG: 49- Good, 35- Good
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 0
XP: Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 0

Kicking plays total: Syracuse 8 Boston College 9

1r 9, 1, -4, 2, 1, 0, +15P, 8, 2TD, 4, -4, 7, -8, 5, 31, 5, 2, -1, 4, 0, -4, 4, 5, 7
Total: Syracuse 13 Boston College 11
1p 4, I, I, 1TD, I, I, I
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 5
First Down Total: Syracuse 15 Boston College 16
2r -12, 4(6), FUM, -7, 0, 9(6), -10P, 5(18), 6(5), 6(5), 5(11), 11(6), 5, 5(14), 11, 10(5), 10(5), 1
Total: Syracuse 9 Boston College 9
2p I, I, 16(9), +14P, I, I, I, 1, I, I, +5P
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 8
Second Down Total: Syracuse 12 Boston College 17
3r 17(2)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
3p 13(2), 4(9), -10P, -4S, +15P, +15xP, I, 5(14), 5(13), -5P, -3S, +15P, I, 7(6), -5P, -8S, 6(9), I, 9(6)
Total: Syracuse 7 Boston College 13
Third Down Total: Syracuse 7 Boston College 13
4r none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
4p none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0

Total on running plays: Syracuse 23 Boston College 20
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 11 Boston College 26
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 34 Boston College 46

Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 42 Boston College 55


When BOSTON COLLEGE had the ball:

KO: SU 35, SU 34, SU 35, SU 31
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 0
P: 48 (SU 12), 46 (SU 19), 34 (SU 20), 35 (SU 26), 46 (SU 34), 45 (SU 25), 30 (SU 11)
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 6
FG: 43-Good
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
XP: Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 2 Boston College 0

Kicking plays total: Syracuse 5 Boston College 9

1r 13, -2, 2, 14, -3, 1TD, 0, 1, 0, 3, 2, 53, 9TD, 7, 1, 0, 6, 0, 3, 3, -5
Total: Syracuse 14 Boston College 7
1p I
Total: Syracuse 1 Boston College 0
First Down Total: Syracuse 15 Boston College 7
2r -8P, -5P, 11(13), 21(13), 4, 0, 3, 1, 0, 4(9), 24, -3, 13, 4
Total: Syracuse 10 Boston College 4
2p I, I, I, 9(7), I
Total: Syracuse 4 Boston College 1
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Boston College 5
3r 10(19), -3, 6(3), 3(7)
Total: Syracuse 3 Boston College 1
3p I, -5S, -5P, -5P, INT, INT, I, I, I, I
Total: Syracuse 10 Boston College 0
Third Down Total: Syracuse 13 Boston College 1
4r 11(4)
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1
4p none
Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 0 Boston College 1

Total on running plays: Syracuse 27 Boston College 13
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 15 Boston College 1
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 42 Boston College 14

Game total when BOSTON COLLEGE had the ball: Syracuse 47 Boston College 23

Overall game total: Syracuse 89 Boston College 78

Comments: We did a fair job of making progress against the #1 rated Eagle defense, especially on the ground, late in the game. But we won the game because we were facing an offense that was basically on the level of that Rhode Island team we blanked in the season opener. Basically, those two games were defensive bookend. Against the Rams, (who wound up 1-10 in FCS), we were 18-3 on defensive plays against the run and 156-4 against the pass for a total of 34-7 on defensive plays from scrimmage. You might remember that we were ranked #1 in the country on defense for a week ourselves. Aaisnt the Eagles we were 27-13 defending running plays and an absurd 15-1 against passing plays for a total of 42-13 on plays from scrimmage. The most amazing down was third down passes. We were 10-0, with five incompletions, two interceptions, a sack and 2 penalties against the offense. It was a poor game for the kickers, with plenty of short, low kick-offs and punts. Eight of nine kickoffs were ‘won’ by the receiving team and 9 out of the 15 punts. It was a game between two teams with poor records and you could see why.

 

[SWC75]

SEASON TOTALS

When SYRACUSE had the ball:

KO: Syracuse 46 Opponent 17
P: Syracuse 51 Opponent 17
FG: Syracuse 17 Opponent 6
XP: Syracuse 37 Opponent 3

Kicking plays total: Syracuse 151 Opponent 43

1r Syracuse 105 Opponent 134
1p Syracuse 63 Opponent 53
First Down Total: Syracuse 168 Opponent 187
2r Syracuse 59 Opponent 68
2p Syracuse 44 Opponent 77
Second Down Total: Syracuse 103 Opponent 145
3r Syracuse 28 Opponent 36
3p Syracuse 37 Opponent 85
Third Down Total: Syracuse 65 Opponent 121
4r Syracuse 10 Opponent 5
4p Syracuse 3 Opponent 2
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 13 Opponent 7

Total on running plays: Syracuse 202 Opponent 243
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 147 Opponents 217
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 349 Opponent 460

Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 500 Opponent 503


When THE OPPONENT had the ball:

KO: Syracuse 24 Opponent 39
P: Syracuse 20 Opponent 37
FG: Syracuse 5 Opponent 17
XP: Syracuse 0 Opponent 44

Kicking plays total: Syracuse 49 Opponent 137

1r Syracuse 127 Opponent 127
1p Syracuse 60 Opponent 82
First Down Total: Syracuse 187 Opponent 209
2r Syracuse 61 Opponent 85
2p Syracuse 78 Opponent 71
Second Down Total: Syracuse 139 Opponent 156
3r Syracuse 31 Opponent 30
3p Syracuse 82 Opponent 42
Third Down Total: Syracuse 113 Opponent 72
4r Syracuse 1 Opponent 5
4p Syracuse 2 Opponent 9
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 3 Opponent 14

Total on running plays: Syracuse 220 Opponent 247
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 222 Opponent 204
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 442 Opponent 451

Game total when our OPPONENT had the ball: Syracuse 491 Opponent 588

Overall game total: Syracuse 991 Opponent 1091

Comments: We never got a running game established on first down but held our own against the opposition on that down. We had success with first down passes but most teams do: the defenses are expecting a run. Our passing was poor on second and third down. Overall, we didn’t get steamrolled on defense, (442-451) but gave up some big plays, more than we could generate ourselves. Maybe the most interesting stat was the fourth down results. We and our opposition tried for it 37 times and were successful 27 of those times . That’s 73%, a stat which suggest it’s worth the gamble if you have a makeable distance.

 

[SWC75]

Historical Winning Plays

(Game totals only)

2011
Syracuse 101 Wake Forest 87
Syracuse 92 Rhode Island 65
Syracuse 75 USC 90
Syracuse 96 Toledo 88
Syracuse 103 Rutgers 99
Syracuse 79 Tulane 99
Syracuse 90 West Virginia 84
Syracuse 74 Louisville 83
Syracuse 84 Connecticut 86
Syracuse 92 South Florida 106
Syracuse 83 Cincinnati 104
Syracuse 87 Pittsburgh 93
TOTAL: Syracuse 1,056 Opponents 1,117

2012
Syracuse 105 Northwestern 116
Syracuse 92 USC 98
Syracuse 93 Stony Brook 82
Syracuse 82 Minnesota 95
Syracuse 85 Pittsburgh 76
Syracuse 93 Rutgers 73
Syracuse 103 Connecticut 70
Syracuse 115 South Florida 92
Syracuse 96 Cincinnati 122
Syracuse 103 Louisville 86
Syracuse 92 Missouri 98
Syracuse 98 Temple 81
Syracuse 105 West Virginia 82
TOTAL: Syracuse 1,262 Opponents 1,171

2013
Syracuse 75 Penn State 113
Syracuse 92 Northwestern 114
Syracuse 115 Wagner 52
Syracuse 107 Tulane 76
Syracuse 64 Clemson 136
Syracuse 111 N C State 85
Syracuse 46 Georgia Tech 113
Syracuse 108 Wake Forest 81
Syracuse 92 Maryland 88
Syracuse 55 Florida State 104
Syracuse 80 Pittsburgh 96
Syracuse 100 Boston College 87
Syracuse 99 Minnesota 79
TOTAL: Syracuse 1,144 Opponents 1,224

2014
Syracuse 91 Villanova 103
Syracuse 99 Central Michigan 76
Syracuse 91 Maryland 91
Syracuse 71 Notre Dame 114
Syracuse 71 Louisville 100
Syracuse 80 Florida State 101
Syracuse 86 Wake Forest 77
Syracuse 75 Clemson 102
Syracuse 92 N C State 101
Syracuse 78 Duke 98
Syracuse 46 Pittsburgh 114
Syracuse 72 Boston College 78
TOTAL: Syracuse 952 Opponents 1,155

2015
Syracuse 96 Rhode Island 56
Syracuse 83 Wake Forest 83
Syracuse 84 Central Michigan 91
Syracuse 84 Louisiana State 89
Syracuse 80 South Florida 93
Syracuse 86 Virginia 97
Syracuse 70 Pittsburgh 89
Syracuse 84 Florida State 100
Syracuse 74 Louisville 110
Syracuse 83 Clemson 105
Syracuse 78 North Carolina State 100
Syracuse 89 Boston College 78
TOTAL: Syracuse 991 Opponents 1091

Comments: The only games we ‘won’ more plays on were the first and last, both because of the incredible ineptitude of the opposition’s offense. But compared to Shafe’s first two years, we were actually more consistently competitive: we didn’t have blow-outs like Clemson, Georgia Tech and Florida State in ’13 or Notre Dame and Pittsburgh in ’14, even though we played some opponents who can certainly blow you out if you are a truly bad team. We’re trying to rise from mediocrity, not total ineptitude.