Winning Plays: Rhode Island

[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 result sby 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.

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
V= “Victory” play

RHODE ISLAND

When SYRACUSE had the ball:

KO: RI fumble, RI25, RI 11, RI 22, RI 25, RI 35
Total: Syracuse 5 Rhode Island 1
P: 35 (RI12), 30 (RI14), 47 (RI18), 64 (RI 14), 35 (RI 25)
Total: Syracuse 4 Rhode Island 1
FG: G (23), NG (44)
Total: Syracuse 1 Rhode Island 1
XP: G, G, G, G, G, G
Total: Syracuse 6 Rhode Island 0

Kicking plays total: Syracuse 16 Rhode Island 3

1r -5, 7(15), -16, 5, 31, 0, 6, 20, 0, 12, 1, 0, 7, -1, 13, 11, 1, 4, 21, 2, -3, 2, 11, 2, 4, 1, 1, 3, 1
Total: Syracuse 13 Rhode Island 16
1p INT, I, I, 9, I, 10, I
Total: Syracuse 2 Rhode Island 5
First Down Total: Syracuse 15 Rhode Island 21
2r 5(26), 3(5), 0, 1(4), 12, 2(3), 9(1), 9(11), 7, 4(9), 5(6), 5(8), 7, 21TD, 3(6), 4(9), 5(9), 2(7), -3(V)
Total: Syracuse 13 Rhode Island 6
2p I, I, 9TD, 3(8), 11(13)
Total: Syracuse 2 Rhode Island 3
Second Down Total: Syracuse 15 Rhode Island 9
3r 9(21), -2, 2(1), 13TD, 1(3), 14(3), 9(3), 5(5), 16(4), 4(5)
Total: Syracuse 6 Rhode Island 4
3p 32TD, 8(3), 16, I, 5(2), I, 11(5), I, -7
Total: Syracuse 5 Rhode Island 4
Third Down Total: Syracuse 11 Rhode Island 8
4r 1(1)
Total: Syracuse 1 Rhode Island 0
4p none
Total: none
Fourth Down Total: Syracuse 1 Rhode Island 0

Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 42 Rhode Island 38

Game total when SYRACUSE had the ball: Syracuse 58 Rhode Island 41


When RHODE ISLAND had the ball:

KO: SU 28, SU 14
Total: Syracuse 1 Rhode Island 1
P: 36 (RI49), 40 (SU37), 38 (SU19), 46 (SU 24), SU TD, 46 (SU 9), 42 (SU31), 30 (SU45), 46 (SU14)
Total: Syracuse 3 Rhode Island 6
FG: none
Total: none
XP: none
Total: none

Kicking plays total: Syracuse 4 Rhode Island 7

1r FUM, 3, -3, -5, 2(15), 6, -18, FUM, 2, 6, -1, -3, 0, 4
Total: Syracuse 11 Rhode Island 3
1p 7, I
Total: Syracuse 1 Rhode Island 1
First Down Total: Syracuse 12 Rhode Island 4
2r -1, 1(13), 1(13), -6, -1
Total: Syracuse 5 Rhode Island 0
2p 4(23), I, I, I, 5, Safety, I, -4, 5
Total: Syracuse 7 Rhode Island 2
Second Down Total: Syracuse 12 Rhode Island 2
3r 9(19), 7(9)
Total: Syracuse 2 Rhode Island 0
3p INT TD, -3, 11(12), 18, I, I, 4(5), I, I
Total: Syracuse 8 Rhode Island 1
Third Down Total: Syracuse 10 Rhode Island 1
4r none
Total: none
4p none
Total: none
Fourth Down Total: none

Total on plays from scrimmage: Syracuse 34 Rhode Island 7

Game total when RHODE ISLAND had the ball: Syracuse 38 Rhode Island 14

OVERALL GAME TOTAL: Syracuse 96 Rhode Island 55

Comments: Syracuse certainly dominated the game but our offense was not dominant, at least not on a play-to-play basis. The biggest down in controlling a game is first down and the Rams won 21 of our 36 offensive first down plays. Our starting interior offensive line consists of four FBS seniors going up against one of the worst teams in FCS and yet we couldn’t consistently push them away or keep them out of our backfield. That’s disappointing. If you watched the first quarter you saw six successful offensive plays: four by us and two by them. After that we got things going and it was 38-5 the rest of the way. Our domination was on defense and it was total. Rhode Island never got into our territory and we force four turnovers, including a pick 6 and a safety. We were all over them like a pack of dogs from the first snap. Our defense was supposed to be a question mark after losing 7 players to graduation, one to early entry, one to concussions and one who left school. It was an exclamation point in this game. What will it be against a genuine FBS opponent? Who knows? Let’s enjoy this one.

 

[SWC75]

(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 55