Winning Plays: Connecticut | Syracusefan.com

Winning Plays: Connecticut

SWC75

Bored Historian
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
32,869
Like
63,293
I’m going to chart each game in the following manner: For each team, I’ll list the result of each kickoff, (where the other team started their possession after the kickoff), the net yardage of each punt, (if they never got the punt off, I’ll note whether it was blocked or bobbled and the net yardage of the play), the result of each extra point, (I’ll note if it was a two point attempt) and field goal attempt. (I’ll also note any conversion returned for two points. I don’t think we’ve had one in our games since Pitt in 1990). Then I’ll record what happened on each first down run, first down pass, second down run and pass, third down run and pass and fourth down run and pass. If the yardage needed for a first down or a score in a goal to go situation is other than 10, I’ll note that unless the play resulted in a loss, no gain or an incomplete pass, in which case nit was a win for the defense regardless of the yardage needed. If it was a ”victory play” I’ll put a ’V’ next to it. Sacks are reported under passes, not runs.

Again, the concept is to keep track of how often each team got the minimum they would have wanted from a play. On first down, you want to get at least a third of the way to a first down. On second down, you want to get at least halfway to a first down. On third or fourth down, you want to get a first down. If the offense achieves those goals they have won the play. If not, the defense has won the play. Offensive scoring plays are wins for them. The “victory” play is a loss of 2 yards but a win for the offense so long as they retained possession. Turnovers are wins for the defense. Penalties get tacked onto the result of the play if that’s the way they were marked off. If they canceled the play or were dead ball fouls, I kept track of them separately. Sacks are counted as passing plays. Kickoffs are wins for the kicking team if the other team starts it’s possession from the 25 in, (per the new touchback rule). Punts are wins for the kicking team if they produce a net +40 yard change or the other team starts from their 20 in. Placekicks are offensive wins if they go through the uprights. Any other result is a win for the defense. If the resulting tally of plays won is close, the game wasn’t decided by one team dominating the other. It was decided on big plays, mistakes and breaks, (as most games are).


When SU had the ball:

Kickoffs: 25, 25, 25, 25, 25, 6, 21, 25 (SU 8 CONN 0)
Punts: 42(290, 38(10), 22(14) (SU 3 CONN 0)
Field Goals: G, G, G, G (SU 4 CONN 0)
Extra Points: G, G, G, G, (SU 4 CONN 0)
Total for SU Kicking Game: Syracuse won 19 plays, Connecticut 0

1st down runs: 20, 2, 17, 3, -1, 1, 1, 7, 2(18), 4, -1, 3, 0, 4(4), 5, 9, 4, 1, 4, 31, 9(20), -3, 7, 5, 7, -2, -2(V), -2(V) (SU 16 CONN 12)
1st down passes: 5, I, 11, I, 8, 5 (SU 4 CONN 2)
2nd down runs: 10(8), 6(7), 6(11), 3(9), -2, 2(3), -3, -7, 10(17), 8(2), 15(5), 4(1), -3, 5(9), 18(11), 1(13), 6(3), 7(5), 10(3), 5(12) (SU 13 CONN 7)
2nd down passes: I, 3(3), I, 11(6) (SU 2 CONN 2)
3rd down runs: -1, 1(1), 3, (2(7) (SU 1 CONN 3)
3rd down passes: I, I, 18(12), 17(9), 9(18), 41(6), 68(7), 18(9), 30(4), 7(14) (SU 6 RU 4)
4th down runs: none
4th down passes: none
Total for SU scrimmage plays: Syracuse 42 Connecticut 30

Penalties: SU had 7 (that weren’t tacked onto the play) Connecticut had 4
Turnovers: SU 0 Connecticut 2
Total for Penalties and Turnovers: Syracuse 6 winning plays, Connecticut 7

When Connecticut had the ball:

Kickoffs: 25, 23, 25 (SU 0 CONN 3)
Punts: 35(38), 6(C21), 38(C49), 49(7), 55(34), 31(30), 36(19), 38(24) (SU 5 CONN 3)
Field Goals: G (SU 0 CONN 1)
Extra Points: G (SU 0 CONN 1)
Total for Kicking Game: Syracuse 5 Connecticut 7

1st down runs: -2, -4, 1, 6, 4, 2, ,2, -1, 5 (SU 6 CONN 3)
1st down passes: -2, 17, I, 12, I, 18,23, 32, 19, I, 11, I, 15, 5, 13, I, 37, 5 (SU 7 CONN 12)
2nd down runs: -3, -4, 6(11) (SU 2 CONN 12)
2nd down passes: 4(12), 21(19), 8, 6, 8(9), 20(6), I -12, I, 5, I, I, 4(5), I (SU 7 CONN 7)
3rd down runs: 5, 3(27), 3(1) (SU 2 CONN 1)
3rd down passes: I, I, 4(2), I, I, 2, I ,I, 6(5) (SU 7 CONNU 2)
4th down runs: none
4th down passes: none
Total for Rutgers scrimmage plays: Syracuse 31 Connecticut 26

I’ve always wondered what a blow-out would look like in this system. SU plays mostly close games, so this was my first chance this year to take a look at one. Overall Syracuse “won” 103 plays, Connecticut 70. Even in a blow-out the other team ran 70 successful plays. And most of the margin came from SU’s previously maligned kicking game, (a 19-0 shut out when we were kicking the ball: every kickoff resulted in the ball being at the UCONN 25 or worse, every punt gained at least 40 yards or put the ball inside the 20 and every place kick was good.) In the first four games, our defense was 33-47 on the opponents first down runs. In the last three we are 31-17. In the last two games we are 10-4 on second down runs. The Huskies hurt us badly on first down passes, (7-12), probably because we were focused on stopping the run, but we had some big plays on third down passes, (only 6-4 but with consecutive passes of 41, 68, 18 and 30 yards).
 
Those special teams numbers are pretty significant. Woah
 
Well 4 of the next 5 games are going to be outside so hopefully Mr. Norton can continue putting the ball near or past the goal line. This whole improvement of the special teams has been a very nice thing to watch develop...good job boys keep it up.
 
i was wondering if we changed up from trying to kick high and let them return to just kicking it deep and no returns?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
168,179
Messages
4,754,511
Members
5,944
Latest member
cusethunder

Online statistics

Members online
54
Guests online
1,430
Total visitors
1,484


Top Bottom