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.0 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
When SYRACUSE had the ball:
KO: NC 25, NC 25, NC 25, NC 23, NC 25
Total: Syracuse 5 North Carolina 0
P: 39 to NC 44, 68 to NC 20p, 32 to NC 33, 38 to NC 48, NC TD, 50 to NC 9, 44 to NC 36, 42 to NC 31
Total: Syracuse 3 North Carolina 4
FG: No Good from 44, Good from 25, Good from 46
Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 1
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 4 North Carolina 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 14 North Carolina 5
1r: 10,4, 24, 6, 4, 2, 5, 5, 1TD, 7, 0, 2, 2, 4, Fumble, 2(6)
Total: Syracuse 11 North Carolina 5
1p: 3, I, 6, I, 22, 15, I, 68, I, I, I, 9, -1, 9, -6s, 50, 5, 3, I, 42TD, I, Interception, I, I, 9
Total: Syracuse 10 North Carolina 15
First Down Total: Syracuse 21 North Carolina 20
2r: 6, -2, 16TD, -1, 2(8), 6(1), 22(6), 4(1)
Total: Syracuse 5 North Carolina 3
2p: I, 15(4), I, 12(5), 9(5), 4(3), 1, I, I, 2, 2(11), -2s, I, 6(5), I, 16, 13, 25TD, I, 4TD
Total: Syracuse 9 North Carolina 11
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 North Carolina 14
3r: 3(8), 1(6), 10(1)
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 2
3p: 16(6), 9, 10, 5(2), 5(20), 4(3), 6(7), 0, I, I, 18(2), 19, I, I, I, -6s
Total: Syracuse North Carolina
Third Down Total: Syracuse 9 North Carolina 7
4r: 1(1), 6(1), -1
Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 1
4p: I
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 3 North Carolina 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 17 North Carolina 10
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 22 North Carolina 36
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 39 North Carolina 46
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +4, -10, +10, -5, -5, -10 Syracuse 2 North Carolina 4
Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 55 North Carolina 55
When NORTH CAROLINA had the ball:
KO: SU 21, SU 6, SU 25, SU 25, SU 30, SU 25
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 5
P: 43 to SU 13, 10 to NC 32, 55 to SU 14p, 50 to SU 21, 42 to SU 42, 42 to SU 28
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 5
FG: No Good from 50, Good from 34, Good from 25, No Good from 45, Good from 48
Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 3
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 0 North Carolina 4
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 4 North Carolina 17
1r: 5, 0, 5, 4, 1, 2, 0, 2, -1, 12TD, 8, 14, 7, 56, 2, 5, 3
Total: Syracuse 8 North Carolina 9
1p: 15, 6TD, 7, I, 6, 23, 6, 6, 55, I, Interception, 14, I, Fumble, 9, 11, 6, I, I, 5, I, -5, I
Total: Syracuse 10 North Carolina 13
First Down Total: Syracuse 18 North Carolina 22
2r: 7, 0, 1(3), -10, 1(4), 1, 0, 8, 0, 15, 0, 0, 6(4), 11(10), 1(5)
Total: Syracuse 11 North Carolina 4
2p: I, 19(5), I, 7(8), 9, 3(11), I, 5(1), 7, I, I, 18(15), 9TD, I
Total: Syracuse 7 North Carolina 7
Second Down Total: Syracuse 18 North Carolina 11
3r: 8(14), 0, 2(1), -3, 0, 0
Total: Syracuse 6 North Carolina 1
3p: 16(6), 9, 10, 5(2), 5(20), 4(3), 6(7), 0, I, I, 18(2), 19, I, I, I,-6s
Total: Syracuse 9 North Carolina 7
Third Down Total: Syracuse 15 North Carolina 8
4r: 1(1), 6(1), -1
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 2
4p: I
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 2
Total on running plays: Syracuse 26 North Carolina 16
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 27 North Carolina 27
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 53 North Carolina 43
Penalties not tacked on to plays: -5 Syracuse 1 North Carolina 0
Game total when NORTH CAROLINA had the ball: Syracuse 58 North Carolina 60
Overall game total: Syracuse 113 North Carolina 114
Comments: This was as close as a game could be. Not only was it two overtimes but they won exactly one more play than we did. But we got 3 more points.
Dino said that might have been the first game where we lost special teams. On our kicks we were 14-5, the worst of the season. They were 17-4 so overall we were 18-22 on kicking plays. Both teams, (before overtime), averaged getting the ball on their own 29. The big play, of course, was the punt return for a score. When we don’t win special teams, (Pitt and UNC), we have to scramble to beat even mediocre teams.
Eric Dungey won 13 of 39 passing attempts, Tommy DeVito 9 of 18. Tommy had three scores and an interception. Eric had none of either but ran for a score.
I was afraid that the Tar Heels would pound us with their running game the way Clemson and Pitt did. They did get some big plays – a 56 yarder and four other +10s including a 12 yard TD. But they had no less than ten running plays that gained exactly zero yards- the runner was tackled right at the line of scrimmage. Five others were stopped behind the line of scrimmage. That’s an amazing number of stuffed running plays.
- 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.0 1R means first down running plays. 1P means first down passing plays, etc.
When SYRACUSE had the ball:
KO: NC 25, NC 25, NC 25, NC 23, NC 25
Total: Syracuse 5 North Carolina 0
P: 39 to NC 44, 68 to NC 20p, 32 to NC 33, 38 to NC 48, NC TD, 50 to NC 9, 44 to NC 36, 42 to NC 31
Total: Syracuse 3 North Carolina 4
FG: No Good from 44, Good from 25, Good from 46
Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 1
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 4 North Carolina 0
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 14 North Carolina 5
1r: 10,4, 24, 6, 4, 2, 5, 5, 1TD, 7, 0, 2, 2, 4, Fumble, 2(6)
Total: Syracuse 11 North Carolina 5
1p: 3, I, 6, I, 22, 15, I, 68, I, I, I, 9, -1, 9, -6s, 50, 5, 3, I, 42TD, I, Interception, I, I, 9
Total: Syracuse 10 North Carolina 15
First Down Total: Syracuse 21 North Carolina 20
2r: 6, -2, 16TD, -1, 2(8), 6(1), 22(6), 4(1)
Total: Syracuse 5 North Carolina 3
2p: I, 15(4), I, 12(5), 9(5), 4(3), 1, I, I, 2, 2(11), -2s, I, 6(5), I, 16, 13, 25TD, I, 4TD
Total: Syracuse 9 North Carolina 11
Second Down Total: Syracuse 14 North Carolina 14
3r: 3(8), 1(6), 10(1)
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 2
3p: 16(6), 9, 10, 5(2), 5(20), 4(3), 6(7), 0, I, I, 18(2), 19, I, I, I, -6s
Total: Syracuse North Carolina
Third Down Total: Syracuse 9 North Carolina 7
4r: 1(1), 6(1), -1
Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 1
4p: I
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 3 North Carolina 0
Total on running plays: Syracuse 17 North Carolina 10
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 22 North Carolina 36
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 39 North Carolina 46
Penalties not tacked on to plays: +4, -10, +10, -5, -5, -10 Syracuse 2 North Carolina 4
Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 55 North Carolina 55
When NORTH CAROLINA had the ball:
KO: SU 21, SU 6, SU 25, SU 25, SU 30, SU 25
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 5
P: 43 to SU 13, 10 to NC 32, 55 to SU 14p, 50 to SU 21, 42 to SU 42, 42 to SU 28
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 5
FG: No Good from 50, Good from 34, Good from 25, No Good from 45, Good from 48
Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 3
XP: Good, Good, Good, Good
Total: Syracuse 0 North Carolina 4
Kicking plays total: Syracuse 4 North Carolina 17
1r: 5, 0, 5, 4, 1, 2, 0, 2, -1, 12TD, 8, 14, 7, 56, 2, 5, 3
Total: Syracuse 8 North Carolina 9
1p: 15, 6TD, 7, I, 6, 23, 6, 6, 55, I, Interception, 14, I, Fumble, 9, 11, 6, I, I, 5, I, -5, I
Total: Syracuse 10 North Carolina 13
First Down Total: Syracuse 18 North Carolina 22
2r: 7, 0, 1(3), -10, 1(4), 1, 0, 8, 0, 15, 0, 0, 6(4), 11(10), 1(5)
Total: Syracuse 11 North Carolina 4
2p: I, 19(5), I, 7(8), 9, 3(11), I, 5(1), 7, I, I, 18(15), 9TD, I
Total: Syracuse 7 North Carolina 7
Second Down Total: Syracuse 18 North Carolina 11
3r: 8(14), 0, 2(1), -3, 0, 0
Total: Syracuse 6 North Carolina 1
3p: 16(6), 9, 10, 5(2), 5(20), 4(3), 6(7), 0, I, I, 18(2), 19, I, I, I,-6s
Total: Syracuse 9 North Carolina 7
Third Down Total: Syracuse 15 North Carolina 8
4r: 1(1), 6(1), -1
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 2
4p: I
Total: Syracuse 1 North Carolina 0
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 2 North Carolina 2
Total on running plays: Syracuse 26 North Carolina 16
Total on passing plays: Syracuse 27 North Carolina 27
Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 53 North Carolina 43
Penalties not tacked on to plays: -5 Syracuse 1 North Carolina 0
Game total when NORTH CAROLINA had the ball: Syracuse 58 North Carolina 60
Overall game total: Syracuse 113 North Carolina 114
Comments: This was as close as a game could be. Not only was it two overtimes but they won exactly one more play than we did. But we got 3 more points.
Dino said that might have been the first game where we lost special teams. On our kicks we were 14-5, the worst of the season. They were 17-4 so overall we were 18-22 on kicking plays. Both teams, (before overtime), averaged getting the ball on their own 29. The big play, of course, was the punt return for a score. When we don’t win special teams, (Pitt and UNC), we have to scramble to beat even mediocre teams.
Eric Dungey won 13 of 39 passing attempts, Tommy DeVito 9 of 18. Tommy had three scores and an interception. Eric had none of either but ran for a score.
I was afraid that the Tar Heels would pound us with their running game the way Clemson and Pitt did. They did get some big plays – a 56 yarder and four other +10s including a 12 yard TD. But they had no less than ten running plays that gained exactly zero yards- the runner was tackled right at the line of scrimmage. Five others were stopped behind the line of scrimmage. That’s an amazing number of stuffed running plays.