SWC75
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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 plays 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 at least halfway to a new first down by the same logic.
- On third and fourth down, they want to get the 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. The penalties I’ve listed negated the play entirely and are a “loss” for the penalized team and thus a win for their opponent. .
- 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. Beyond that, the receiving team wins.
- 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 position 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 scramble/sack (“S”) a victory play (“V”) or involved a penalty (P). I’ll treat a scramble or a sack as a passing play as the Cuse.com play by play now tells you when it’s either of those two. 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
When Syracuse had the ball:
KO: LOU 8, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 17, LOU 25, LOU 25
Total: Syracuse 11 Louisville 0
P: 37 to LOU 21, 55 to LOU 5p
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 1
FG: Good from 31, Good from 39, Good from 35, Good from 38
Total: Syracuse 4 Louisville 0
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 6 Louisville 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 22 Louisville 1
1r: 4, 3(4), 4, 7, 3, -1, 4, 13, 8, 68, 1, 1, 1TD, 8, 5, 4, 13, 7, -1, 8p, 6, Fumble, 1, 3, 1
Total: Syracuse 16 Louisville 9
1p: 9, -5s, 37, 16, 4, 5, -1, 16, I, I, 5, 5
Total: Syracuse 8 Louisville 4
First Down Total: Syracuse 24 Louisville 13
2r: 1TD, 67TD, 2(4), 4(2), 4, 1(5), -1, 7(3), 26(5), 15(9), 597), 2(9)
Total: Syracuse 9 Louisville 3
2p: I, I, 10s,(150, 8(6), I, I, I, 5(6), I, I, 8, Interception, 65TD, I
Total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 9
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Louisville 12
3r: 5(1), 3(10, 295), 2950, 2TD, 2(1), -5, 2TD, 6(20, 3(6), 1(4), 0, 1(2)
Total: Syracuse 6 Louisville 7
3p: 9(10, I, I
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 2
Third Down Total: Syracuse 7 Louisville 9
4r: -3
Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 1
4p: 9(3)
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 1
Total on running plays: Syracuse 31 Louisville 20
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 15 Louisville 15
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 46 Louisville 35
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +5, +5, -10, +5, +4, -10, +9 +15 -10, -5 Syracuse 6 Louisville 4
Game total when Syracuse had the ball: Syracuse 74 Louisville 40
When Louisville had the ball:
KO: SU 26, SU 25, SU 9, SU 25, SU 25
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 4
P: 40 to LOU 49 – Fumble, 33 to SU 39, 36 to SU 34, 42 to SU 13, 43 to SU 41, 46 to SU 37, 9 to 50
Total: Syracuse 2 Louisville 5
FG: Blocked, Good from 31
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 1
XP: Good, Good, No Good
Total: Syracuse 2 Louisville 1
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 12
1r: 1, 61, 5, 6, 3, -4, 6, 0, 7, 1, 32, 4TD
Total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 7
1p: 18, 11(18), 1s, I, 6, I, 13, Interception, I, 6s, 3, I, 43, 18, 22, -13sp, 5, I, 9
Total: Syracuse Louisville
First Down Total: Syracuse 10 Louisville 10
2r: 1(7), 499), 3(4), 6(40, -3, Fumble, -3, 22, 695), 49, 0
Total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 5
2p: I, -3s, I, Interception, Fumble, 14(15), I, 9, 13(7), 7TD, -8, I,
Total: Syracuse 8 Louisville 4
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Louisville 9
3r: 22, 1(1), 0
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 2
3p: I, 2s(11), -3s, I, 26(18), I, -4s, -7s, I, I
Total: Syracuse 9 Louisville 1
Third Down Total: Syracuse 10 Louisville 3
4r: -4
Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 1
4p: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 1
Total on running plays: Syracuse 13 Louisville 14
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 27 Louisville 15
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 40 Louisville 29
Penalties not tacked on to plays: -10, -5, -5, -5, +5, -5, +15 Syracuse 5 Louisville 2
Game total when Louisville had the ball: Syracuse 50 Louisville 43
Overall game total: Syracuse 124 Louisville 83
Comments: In the last three games we’ve won the offensive side of the ball 71-41, 7 5-49 and 74-40.
We once again had a dominant kicking game, 22-1 vs. 5-12. With that and the turnovers, we averaged starting drives on our 40. They started on their 25. We were a total of 192 yards closer to the goal than they were. The conventional total yards didn’t suggest the blowout the score became, (518-413), but if you add those 192 yards, (710-413) it makes more sense.
- 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 plays 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 at least halfway to a new first down by the same logic.
- On third and fourth down, they want to get the 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. The penalties I’ve listed negated the play entirely and are a “loss” for the penalized team and thus a win for their opponent. .
- 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. Beyond that, the receiving team wins.
- 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 position 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 scramble/sack (“S”) a victory play (“V”) or involved a penalty (P). I’ll treat a scramble or a sack as a passing play as the Cuse.com play by play now tells you when it’s either of those two. 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
When Syracuse had the ball:
KO: LOU 8, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 25, LOU 17, LOU 25, LOU 25
Total: Syracuse 11 Louisville 0
P: 37 to LOU 21, 55 to LOU 5p
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 1
FG: Good from 31, Good from 39, Good from 35, Good from 38
Total: Syracuse 4 Louisville 0
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 6 Louisville 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 22 Louisville 1
1r: 4, 3(4), 4, 7, 3, -1, 4, 13, 8, 68, 1, 1, 1TD, 8, 5, 4, 13, 7, -1, 8p, 6, Fumble, 1, 3, 1
Total: Syracuse 16 Louisville 9
1p: 9, -5s, 37, 16, 4, 5, -1, 16, I, I, 5, 5
Total: Syracuse 8 Louisville 4
First Down Total: Syracuse 24 Louisville 13
2r: 1TD, 67TD, 2(4), 4(2), 4, 1(5), -1, 7(3), 26(5), 15(9), 597), 2(9)
Total: Syracuse 9 Louisville 3
2p: I, I, 10s,(150, 8(6), I, I, I, 5(6), I, I, 8, Interception, 65TD, I
Total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 9
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Louisville 12
3r: 5(1), 3(10, 295), 2950, 2TD, 2(1), -5, 2TD, 6(20, 3(6), 1(4), 0, 1(2)
Total: Syracuse 6 Louisville 7
3p: 9(10, I, I
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 2
Third Down Total: Syracuse 7 Louisville 9
4r: -3
Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 1
4p: 9(3)
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 1
Total on running plays: Syracuse 31 Louisville 20
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 15 Louisville 15
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 46 Louisville 35
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +5, +5, -10, +5, +4, -10, +9 +15 -10, -5 Syracuse 6 Louisville 4
Game total when Syracuse had the ball: Syracuse 74 Louisville 40
When Louisville had the ball:
KO: SU 26, SU 25, SU 9, SU 25, SU 25
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 4
P: 40 to LOU 49 – Fumble, 33 to SU 39, 36 to SU 34, 42 to SU 13, 43 to SU 41, 46 to SU 37, 9 to 50
Total: Syracuse 2 Louisville 5
FG: Blocked, Good from 31
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 1
XP: Good, Good, No Good
Total: Syracuse 2 Louisville 1
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 12
1r: 1, 61, 5, 6, 3, -4, 6, 0, 7, 1, 32, 4TD
Total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 7
1p: 18, 11(18), 1s, I, 6, I, 13, Interception, I, 6s, 3, I, 43, 18, 22, -13sp, 5, I, 9
Total: Syracuse Louisville
First Down Total: Syracuse 10 Louisville 10
2r: 1(7), 499), 3(4), 6(40, -3, Fumble, -3, 22, 695), 49, 0
Total: Syracuse 5 Louisville 5
2p: I, -3s, I, Interception, Fumble, 14(15), I, 9, 13(7), 7TD, -8, I,
Total: Syracuse 8 Louisville 4
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 Louisville 9
3r: 22, 1(1), 0
Total: Syracuse 1 Louisville 2
3p: I, 2s(11), -3s, I, 26(18), I, -4s, -7s, I, I
Total: Syracuse 9 Louisville 1
Third Down Total: Syracuse 10 Louisville 3
4r: -4
Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 1
4p: none
Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 0 Louisville 1
Total on running plays: Syracuse 13 Louisville 14
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 27 Louisville 15
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 40 Louisville 29
Penalties not tacked on to plays: -10, -5, -5, -5, +5, -5, +15 Syracuse 5 Louisville 2
Game total when Louisville had the ball: Syracuse 50 Louisville 43
Overall game total: Syracuse 124 Louisville 83
Comments: In the last three games we’ve won the offensive side of the ball 71-41, 7 5-49 and 74-40.
We once again had a dominant kicking game, 22-1 vs. 5-12. With that and the turnovers, we averaged starting drives on our 40. They started on their 25. We were a total of 192 yards closer to the goal than they were. The conventional total yards didn’t suggest the blowout the score became, (518-413), but if you add those 192 yards, (710-413) it makes more sense.