Winning Plays- Pittsburgh

[SWC75]

THE SYSTEM: The offense wins a play if they get a third of the way to a first down on first down, half way to a first down on second down or gets a first down on third or fourth down. Otherwise the defense wins. Any score is a win for the team that scores. Any turnover is a win for the team that winds up with the ball. The kicking team wins a kick-off where the other team winds up with the ball from their own 25 in to their goal line: outside of that and the receiving team won. The kicking team wins any punt that produces a new +40 yard change in the line of scrimmage or forces the other team to begin from their 20 yard line in. Anny successful place kick is a win for the kicking team. I’ve put the yards to go in parenthesis if it’s other than 10 yards. Penalties are simply tacked onto the play before the play is evaluated if they didn’t nullify it. If the penalty did nullify the play or was a dead ball foul, it’s listed separately.

When Syracuse had the ball:

KO- PT 17, PT 38 SU 1 PT 1
P- 14 (SU26), 48 (PT26), 35 (PT28), 30 (PT38), 50 (PT3) SU 2 PT 3
FG- 34 NO GOOD SU 0 PT 1
XP- GOOD SU 1 PT 0
Total for kicking game: Syracuse 4 Pittsburgh 5


1st rush- 3, 3, 4, 6, 0, 3, 5, 33, 0, 7, 1, 3, 1, 2, 2, -2, 2 SU 4 PT 12
1st pass- I, I, 46, 0, 8 SU 2 PT 3
First Down total: Syracuse 6 Pittsburgh 15
2nd rush- -7, 8(7), 1(4), 6, 0, 7, 1(7), 0, -1 SU 3 PT 6
2nd pass- 28(6), I, I, I, I, I, I, I,, 5(8) SU 2 PT 6
Second Down total: Syracuse 5 Pittsburgh 12
3rd run- 1TD, 2(3) SU 1 PT 1
3rd pass- I, 13(3), I, I, 11(9), 11(6), 5(8), I, I, 8(2) SU 4 PT 6
Third Down total: Syracuse 5 Pittsburgh 7
4th run- none
4th pass- none
Fourth Down total: none
Total for plays from scrimmage: 16-34
Running plays: 8-19
Passing plays: 8-15

Penalties (not added on to play): none
Turnovers: Fumble, Interception, Interception
Total for penalties and turnovers: Syracuse 0 Pittsburgh 1

Total when Syracuse had the ball: Syracuse 20 Pittsburgh 42

When Pittsburgh had the ball:

KO- SU 15, SU 25, SU 25, SU 20, SU 25, SU 22 SU 0 PT 6
P- 48 (PT 16) SU 0 PT 1
FG- 42 NO GOOD, 44 NO GOOD, 46 GOOD, 31 GOOD, 46 GOOD SU 2 PT 3
XP- GOOD, GOOD, GOOD SU 0 PT 3
Total for kicking game: Syracuse 2 Pittsburgh 13

1st rush- 1, -2, -11, 9, 1TD, -10, 8, 16, 6, 12, 9, 8, 3, 5, 4, 8, 14, 1(16), 6, -4, 4, 1, 29, 8, 9, 5, -2v SU 8 PT 19
1st pass- 12, 15, 15, 15, 28, 7,8, 13 SU 1 PT 8
First Down total: Syracuse 9 Pittsburgh 27
2nd rush- 6(9), 6(1), -3, 6, 0, -1, 9(2), -2, 9(3), 4(7), 7(5), 12(2), 7(15), 21(4), 5(6), 6(9), 4(2), 5(1), 3(5), -2v SU 5 PT 15
2nd pass- 10(12), 13(21), 11, 5(6), 49TD SU 0 PT 5
Second Down total: Syracuse 5 Pittsburgh 20
3rd run- 3(3), 1(20, 13(2), 0, 5(1), 4(2), -2v SU 2 PT 5
3rd pass- 5(13), 7(5), I, I, I, I SU 1 PT 5
Third Down total: Syracuse 3 Pittsburgh 10
4th run- 1(1) SU 0 PT 1
4th pass- none
Fourth Down total: Syracuse 0 Pittsburgh 1
Total for plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 17 Pittsburgh 58
Running plays: Syracuse 15 Pittsburgh 40
Passing plays: Syracuse 2 Pittsburgh 18

Penalties (not added on to play): SU 5 PT 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 5 SU 6 PT 1
Turnovers: Interception SU 1 PT 0
Total for penalties and turnovers: Syracuse 7 Pittsburgh 1

Total when Pittsburgh had a ball: Syracuse 26 Pittsburgh 71

Overall kicking game total: Syracuse 6 Pittsburgh 18
Overall plays from scrimmage total: Syracuse 33 Pittsburgh 92
Running plays: Syracuse 23 Pittsburgh 59
Passing plays: Syracuse 10 Pittsburgh 33
Overall penalties and turnovers: Syracuse 7 Pittsburgh 4
Game Total: Syracuse 46 Pittsburgh 114

Comment: The details seem unimportant in a game where the other team totally dominated in all aspects of the game. Pitt was much better in running and passing plays on both side of the line of scrimmage and every down. Their kicking game was far better. They had two fewer turnovers than we did. The only advantage we had was they committed more penalties. If you are depending on the refs to win the game for you, you are going to lose. The one thing we could claim this year is that we were at least competitive in every game, at least compared to the Clemson, Georgia Tech and Florida State games last year. We can no longer claim that. The final tally of plays ‘won’ in those games was 64-136, (-72), 46-113, (-67) and 55-104, (-59). This game, at 46-114, (- 68) was fully co9mperable. Pitt’s penalties and settling for field goals, a couple of which they missed, prevented the score from mounting to the levels of last year’s debacles but physically, this game was very similar. When you consider that it came after the long-awaited bye week, which supposedly allowed us to heal up and game plan for Pitt and that Pitt’s big weapon, James Conner, went out with an injury in the second period, (and it made no difference), it seems obvious that this Syracuse team has emotionally packed it in and is just playing out the string.

 

[SWC75]

TOTALS FOR YEAR

When SU had the ball:

KO- SU 26 OPP 20
P- SU 40 OPP 26
FG- SU 17 OPP 6
XP- SU 19 OPP 2
Total for kicking game: SU 102 OPP 54

1st rush- SU 101 OPP 93
1st pass- SU 45 OPP 63
First Down total: SU 146 OPP 156
2nd rush- SU 58 OPP 57
2nd pass- SU 52 OPP 75
Second Down total: SU 110 OPP 132
3rd run- SU 22 OPP 25
3rd pass- SU 37 OPP 80
Third Down total: SU 59 OPP 105
4th run- SU 4 OPP 2
4th pass-SU 2 OPP 4
Fourth Down total: SU 6 OPP 6
Total for plays from scrimmage: SU 321 OPP 399
Running plays: SU 185 OPP 177
Passing plays: SU 136 OPP 222

Penalties (not added onto play): SU 14 OPP 37 (penalties by the other team that each team benefited by)
Turnovers (by SU): SU 0 OPP 19
Total for penalties and turnovers: SU 14 OPP 56

Total when Syracuse had the ball: SU 437 OPP 519

When the Opposition had the Ball:

KO- SU 8 OPP 48
P- SU 15 OPP 42
FG- SU 4 OPP 19
XP- SU 1 OPP 27
Total for kicking game: SU 28 OPP 136

1st rush- SU 111 OPP 107
1st pass- SU 51 OPP 71
First Down total: SU 162 OPP 178
2nd rush- SU 53 OPP 81
2nd pass- SU 54 OPP 66
Second Down total: SU 107 OPP 147
3rd run- SU 27 OPP 36
3rd pass- SU 59 OPP 39
Third Down total: SU 86 OPP 75
4th run- SU 2 OPP 3
4th pass-SU 3 OPP 1
Fourth Down total: SU 5 OPP 4
Total for plays from scrimmage: SU 360 OPP 404
Running plays: SU 193 OPP 227
Passing plays: SU 167 OPP 177

Penalties (not added on to play): SU 42 OPP 20 (penalties by the other team that each team benefited by)
Turnovers: SU (got) 18 SU 18 OPP 0
Total for penalties and turnovers: SU 60 OPP 20

Total when the opposition had the ball: SU 448 OPP 560

Overall kicking game total: SU 130 OPP 190
Overall plays from scrimmage total: SU 681 OPP 813
Running plays: SU 378 OPP 414
Passing plays: SU 303 OPP 399
Overall penalties and turnovers: SU 75 OPP 76
Game Total: Syracuse 886 Opposition 1079

Comments: I think the way to look at this is not as a percentage, (We have been successful in 886 of 1965 plays: 45.1%. But you could the view the difference as if the other team was running extra plays we didn’t get to run that were successful. The opposition has had 193 more successful plays than we have, an average of 17.5 per game. That’s really quite a difference.

SEASON SUMMARY

VILLANOVA SU scrimmage: 29-36 VIL scrimmage: 40-46 Kicking: 17-11 PEN/TO: 5-10 Total: 91-103
C. MICHIGAN SU scrimmage: 41-36 CM scrimmage: 36-22 Kicking: 14-13 PEN/TO: 8-5 Total: 99-76
MARYLAND SU scrimmage: 41-34 MD scrimmage: 30-27 Kicking: 14-21 PEN/TO: 6-9 Total: 91-91
NOTRE DAME SU scrimmage: 29-37 ND scrimmage: 22-51 Kicking: 8-18 PEN/TO: 12-8 Total: 71-114
LOUISVILLE SU scrimmage: 23-37 LOU scrimmage: 30-37 Kicking: 9-21 PEN/TO: 9-5 Total: 71-100
FLORIDA STATE SU scrimmage: 34-31 FS scrimmage: 27-45 Kicking: 11-15 PEN/TO: 8-10 Total: 80-101
WAKE FOREST SU scrimmage: 32-36 FS scrimmage: 36-21 Kicking: 15-15 PEN/TO: 3-5 Total: 86-77
CLEMSON SU scrimmage: 19-41 FS scrimmage: 37-41 Kicking: 14-15 PEN/TO: 5-5 Total: 75-102
NC STATE SU scrimmage: 32-45 FS scrimmage: 39-29 Kicking: 14-20 PEN/TO: 7-7 Total: 92-101
DUKE SU scrimmage: 25-42 FS scrimmage: 40-24 Kicking: 8-24 PEN/TO: 5-8 Total: 78-98
PITTSBURGH SU scrimmage: 16-34 FS scrimmage: 17-58 Kicking: 6-18 PEN/TO: 7-4 Total: 46-114

Comment: We don’t have as much talent as Notre Dame, Louisville, Florida State or Clemson but hung in there for most of those games anyway. We didn’t play well vs. Villanova, who is a very good FCS team. We have comparable talent to Maryland, NC State and Pittsburgh but didn’t play as well on those days, (with Pitt, it wasn’t close.). I think we were also comparable to Duke except we couldn’t match their superb kicking game. We were better than Central Michigan and Wake Forest. Of course you knew that but there it is in the numbers.

I noted that against Louisville, both teams had 14 possessions and we had a combined 1,025 yards to go to score vs. 871 for Louisville. That to me was 154 yards of “hidden offense” the Cardinals didn’t have to generate to score. I decided to keep track of that stat for all the games this season:

Syracuse 9 possessions with 714 yards to go (average 79) Villanova 9/706 (78). +8 hidden yards for Villanova
Syracuse 11/746 (68) Central Michigan 11/865 (79) +119 hidden yards for Syracuse
Syracuse 13/1072 (82) Maryland 14/903 (64.5) +169 hidden yards for Maryland
Syracuse 12/909 (76) Notre Dame 13/930 (72) +21 hidden yards for Syracuse but +4 per possession for Notre Dame
Syracuse 14/1025 (73) Louisville 14/871 (62) +154 hidden yards for Louisville
Syracuse 11/711 (65) Florida State 11/748 (68) +37 hidden yards for Syracuse
Syracuse 12/918 (76.5) Wake Forest 13/913 (70) +5 hidden yards for Wake Forest but +6.5 per possession.
Syracuse 15/1092 (72.8) Clemson 15/976 (65.1)+116 hidden yards for Clemson
Syracuse 15/1122 (74.8) NC State 14/1009 (72.1) +113 hidden yards for NC State
Syracuse 15/1137 (75.8) Duke 14/897 (64.1) +240 hidden yards for Duke
Syracuse 11/857 (77.9) Pittsburgh 11/675 (61.4) +182 hidden yards for Pittsburgh

Overall, we’ve had 138 possessions with a total of 10,303 yards to go, an average of 75. The opposition has had 139 possessions with a total of 9,493 yards to go, an average of 68. In the seven games where there was a significant difference, the team with the big advantage won all of them by an average of 19 points. It may not be the only reason they won or won by that margin, but I’m sure it helped.


I’ve also been comparing the number of plays run from scrimmage to time of possession. (I realize that TOP includes plays that weren’t runs and passes from scrimmage but I’m assuming the time of such plays will be about equal for both teams). The Daily Orange preview handed out before the Villanova game says the goal of both offensive coordinator George MacDonald and quarterback coach Tim Lester was to get off plays in an average of 18 seconds and to get off 3.33 plays per minute. In 2013 Syracuse got off 2.42 plays per minute. The fastest team in the country was Texas Tech at 3.08 plays per minute, (there was no quote on seconds per play).

Syracuse 69 plays in 22:12, Villanova 87 plays in 37:48
That means that we got off a play every 19.30 seconds and 3.11 plays per minute. Villanova got off a play 26.1 seconds and 2.30 plays per minute. But they got off 18 more plays than we did.

Syracuse 79 plays in 33:22, Central Michigan 68 plays in 26:18
We: 25.34 seconds/play and 2.37 plays per minute. They: 23.21 seconds/play and 2.55 plays per minute. But we got off 11 more plays.

Syracuse 79 plays in 32:14, Maryland 58 plays in 27:46
We: 24.48 seconds/play and 2.45 plays per minute. They: 28.72 seconds/ play and 2.09 plays per minute.

Syracuse 68 plays in 26:43, Notre Dame 80 plays in 33:17
We: 23.57 seconds/play and 2.55 plays per minute. They: 24.96 seconds/play and 2.40 plays per minute. But they got off 12 more plays.

Syracuse: 62 plays in 23:02, Louisville 70 plays in 36:58
We: 22.29 seconds/play and 2.69 plays per minute. They: 31.69 seconds/play and 1.89 plays per minute. But they got off 8 more plays.

Syracuse: 67 plays in 23:33, Florida State 72 plays in 36:27
We: 21.09 seconds/play and 2.85 plays per minute. They: 30.38 seconds per play and 1.98 plays per minute. But they got off five more plays.

Syracuse: 70 plays in 31:47, Wake Forest 59 plays in 28:13
We: 27.24 seconds per pay and 2.20 plays per minute. They: 28.69 seconds per play and 2.09 plays per minute. Neither team was playing hurry-up.

Syracuse 62 plays in 25:06, Clemson 83 plays in 34:54
We: 24.29 seconds per play and 2.47 plays per minute. They: 25.22 seconds per play and 2.38 seconds per play. Clemson played normally in the first half, sped things up in the third quarter and then slowed it back down in the fourth quarter.

Syracuse 68 plays in 31:18, NC State 79 plays in 28:43
We: 27.61 seconds per play and 2.17 plays per minute. They: 21.81 seconds per play and 2.75 plays per minute.

Syracuse 69 plays in 30:31, Duke 66 plays in 29:29
We: 26.54 second per play and 2.30 plays per minute. They: 26.80 second per play and 2.24 plays per minute.

Syracuse 54 plays in 21:18, Pittsburgh 72 plays in 38:42
We: 23.67 seconds per play and 2.54 plays per minute. They: 32.25 seconds per play and 1.86 plays per minute.

Total: Syracuse 747 plays in 301.08, Opposition: 774 plays in 358:35
We: 24.18 seconds/play and 2.48 plays per minute. They: 27.80 seconds per play and 2.16 plays per minute.

It may be that MacDonald and Lester were eliminating the time taken on kicking plays, (which is included in time of possession), so we might be closer to our goals than it appears. But it’s clear that the speed with which you get plays off does little to determine whether you win the game. It doesn’t even determine which team gets off more plays. What matters is how many successful plays you run and how many first downs you get. You aren’t going to wear teams out by hurriedly running plays that don’t work. At this point we seem to have given up on exhausting teams with our pace, (and trapping them in the same defensive packages with no time to change them). Pittsburgh had the slowest paced offense we’ve seen all year and they ran and passed all over us and had the ball nearly twice as much as we did.