Yesterday's win makes me very nervous

[OttoinGrotto]

First off, nice job by the team of putting up a victory when they really needed to keep their season alive.

With that said, I'm very troubled that this win could set the program back another season. Stay with me here, there is some thought behind this.

Let's look at two sets of numbers:

Time of possession: 32:40, 29:14, 29:42, 26:22, 25:30

Plays from scrimmage: 84, 87, 80, 64, 64

While the sample size here is small, we've gone from having an offense that averages 33 points a game that about breaks even on time of possession and runs at an Oregonian like pace to having an offense that averages 8.5 points a game (let that sink in for a minute), loses time of possession handily and has the pace of the James Square Nursing Home senior citizen's touch football league.

"But OttinGrotto," you may wheeze, with Dome Dog on your breath. "We only lost to the Gophers by a touch and we won vs. Pitt!"

And those are true statements.

But here's the problem - if we're slowing the pace down in the hopes that it helps our defense, we got lucky last night. You simply cannot be shut out for three quarters and expect to win. That is asking far too much of the defense. Every failed drive adds a 1 to the number of times that the defense cannot give up a score. Worse, with the slow down offense we expect more out of our defense while at the same time making them spend more time on the field.

I'm terrified that the lesson the staff will learn is that our best bet is to go back to white knuckle. That is so shortsighted. You cannot consistently win that way. You can't maintain excitement in a program if every game is a rock fight.

Last night's win was depressing, because I saw fans so hungry to cheer for a single win that they were ecstatic to see a return to "winning ugly." It is such fool's gold. We beat the odds in 2010. If we return to that style of play we have sentenced our program to sub .500 status and will continue to be passed by the rest of college football, taking comfort in how many "close games" we play. We are dangerously close to being as unwatchable as the rest of the Big East, and even less successful.

I fear last night's win will prove itself to be a Pyrrhic victory. If it's true that we turned a corner this season, I suspect we're next going to make a U-turn.

 

[BlueCurtain]

You're not going to win time of possession when you have 3-and-outs.

 

[anglerman]

First off, nice job by the team of putting up a victory when they really needed to keep their season alive.

With that said, I'm very troubled that this win could set the program back another season. Stay with me here, there is some thought behind this.

Let's look at two sets of numbers:

Time of possession: 32:40, 29:14, 29:42, 26:22, 25:30

Plays from scrimmage: 84, 87, 80, 64, 64

While the sample size here is small, we've gone from having an offense that averages 33 points a game that about breaks even on time of possession and runs at an Oregonian like pace to having an offense that averages 8.5 points a game (let that sink in for a minute), loses time of possession handily and has the pace of the James Square Nursing Home senior citizen's touch football league.

"But OttinGrotto," you may wheeze, with Dome Dog on your breath. "We only lost to the Gophers by a touch and we won vs. Pitt!"

And those are true statements.

But here's the problem - if we're slowing the pace down in the hopes that it helps our defense, we got lucky last night. You simply cannot be shut out for three quarters and expect to win. That is asking far too much of the defense. Every failed drive adds a 1 to the number of times that the defense cannot give up a score. Worse, with the slow down offense we expect more out of our defense while at the same time making them spend more time on the field.

I'm terrified that the lesson the staff will learn is that our best bet is to go back to white knuckle. That is so shortsighted. You cannot consistently win that way. You can't maintain excitement in a program if every game is a rock fight.

Last night's win was depressing, because I saw fans so hungry to cheer for a single win that they were ecstatic to see a return to "winning ugly." It is such fool's gold. We beat the odds in 2010. If we return to that style of play we have sentenced our program to sub .500 status and will continue to be passed by the rest of college football, taking comfort in how many "close games" we play. We are dangerously close to being as unwatchable as the rest of the Big East, and even less successful.

I fear last night's win will prove itself to be a Pyrrhic victory. If it's true that we turned a corner this season, I suspect we're next going to make a U-turn.

Wow, I'm sure the staff is very happy with that kind of offensive production. it's exactly what they are looking for.

 

[Crusty]

I completely agree. It would be very short sighted to slow down now. I was watching on tv so I could not see the coverage but if our receivers can't get separation against man we are screwed.

 

[Cuseman78]

You're not going to win time of possession when you have 3-and-outs.

Bingo. That's the disparity in TOP and number of plays between games 1-3 and 4-5. We were running hurry up yesterday. We just sucked at it.

Not a great offensive effort yesterday and I was nervous coming out if that game until I watched the USF-temple game and the Uconn-Rutgers game.

 

[RF2044]

The pace / tempo of the offense was definitely slower than the first three games last night.

 

[GoSU96]

First off, nice job by the team of putting up a victory when they really needed to keep their season alive.

With that said, I'm very troubled that this win could set the program back another season. Stay with me here, there is some thought behind this.

Let's look at two sets of numbers:

Time of possession: 32:40, 29:14, 29:42, 26:22, 25:30

Plays from scrimmage: 84, 87, 80, 64, 64

While the sample size here is small, we've gone from having an offense that averages 33 points a game that about breaks even on time of possession and runs at an Oregonian like pace to having an offense that averages 8.5 points a game (let that sink in for a minute), loses time of possession handily and has the pace of the James Square Nursing Home senior citizen's touch football league.

"But OttinGrotto," you may wheeze, with Dome Dog on your breath. "We only lost to the Gophers by a touch and we won vs. Pitt!"

And those are true statements.

But here's the problem - if we're slowing the pace down in the hopes that it helps our defense, we got lucky last night. You simply cannot be shut out for three quarters and expect to win. That is asking far too much of the defense. Every failed drive adds a 1 to the number of times that the defense cannot give up a score. Worse, with the slow down offense we expect more out of our defense while at the same time making them spend more time on the field.

I'm terrified that the lesson the staff will learn is that our best bet is to go back to white knuckle. That is so shortsighted. You cannot consistently win that way. You can't maintain excitement in a program if every game is a rock fight.

Last night's win was depressing, because I saw fans so hungry to cheer for a single win that they were ecstatic to see a return to "winning ugly." It is such fool's gold. We beat the odds in 2010. If we return to that style of play we have sentenced our program to sub .500 status and will continue to be passed by the rest of college football, taking comfort in how many "close games" we play. We are dangerously close to being as unwatchable as the rest of the Big East, and even less successful.

I fear last night's win will prove itself to be a Pyrrhic victory. If it's true that we turned a corner this season, I suspect we're next going to make a U-turn.

They lost the 3rd down battle on both sides, that's why they ran less plays. Pitt shortened the game when they had the ball. The pace was not at their choosing. The first series was how they wanted to play the whole game, but you also have to play the game in front of you.

 

[Noexcuse]

The game reminded me of last year's Rutgers game. And was pretty much what I expect to see next week. But we know they can be dynamic so who knows, maybe they open it up again next week.

 

[Upstate]

SU needs to keep their opponents' defense on the field a bit longer and give their own a break

 

[stuckinbig11]

"Stupid is as stupid does." Maybe Pitt's defense was the reason, but when everyone in the Dome knows what the next play will be (and it surely does not involve Alec Lemon), Pitt might be able to figure it out also, and our offense is not going to look very good. I sure hope they have not decided to make 3 and out the plan for the rest of the season; I was around for Ben's 3 yards and a cloud of dust, which usually means 4th down and one yard to go.

 

[ForeverOrange]

I don't know what to make of this, part of me is like we won, take a victory any way we can get one. The other part of me realizes that Otto is right, its fools gold, and the offense has looked that way for more than one game. One thing we have learned this season is we know how to win with the defense leading the way, but we don't know how to win when we depend on the offense. Both our wins the defense pretty much had to hold up from early scores.

 

[Chris02M]

last night we werent as quick in between plays but i think that was more to do with pitts defense.and on the number of plays pitts ball control offense is the main reason as they didnt really take any deep shots

 

[Millhouse]

First off, nice job by the team of putting up a victory when they really needed to keep their season alive.

With that said, I'm very troubled that this win could set the program back another season. Stay with me here, there is some thought behind this.

Let's look at two sets of numbers:

Time of possession: 32:40, 29:14, 29:42, 26:22, 25:30

Plays from scrimmage: 84, 87, 80, 64, 64

While the sample size here is small, we've gone from having an offense that averages 33 points a game that about breaks even on time of possession and runs at an Oregonian like pace to having an offense that averages 8.5 points a game (let that sink in for a minute), loses time of possession handily and has the pace of the James Square Nursing Home senior citizen's touch football league.

"But OttinGrotto," you may wheeze, with Dome Dog on your breath. "We only lost to the Gophers by a touch and we won vs. Pitt!"

And those are true statements.

But here's the problem - if we're slowing the pace down in the hopes that it helps our defense, we got lucky last night. You simply cannot be shut out for three quarters and expect to win. That is asking far too much of the defense. Every failed drive adds a 1 to the number of times that the defense cannot give up a score. Worse, with the slow down offense we expect more out of our defense while at the same time making them spend more time on the field.

I'm terrified that the lesson the staff will learn is that our best bet is to go back to white knuckle. That is so shortsighted. You cannot consistently win that way. You can't maintain excitement in a program if every game is a rock fight.

Last night's win was depressing, because I saw fans so hungry to cheer for a single win that they were ecstatic to see a return to "winning ugly." It is such fool's gold. We beat the odds in 2010. If we return to that style of play we have sentenced our program to sub .500 status and will continue to be passed by the rest of college football, taking comfort in how many "close games" we play. We are dangerously close to being as unwatchable as the rest of the Big East, and even less successful.

I fear last night's win will prove itself to be a Pyrrhic victory. If it's true that we turned a corner this season, I suspect we're next going to make a U-turn.

Use your head. Divide. Just eyeballing but the second per play are probably the same. When the qb is good you get more plays. When he stinks you punt.

Sometimes getting fewer plays had to do with something other than the clock

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[JeremyCuse]

First off, nice job by the team of putting up a victory when they really needed to keep their season alive.

With that said, I'm very troubled that this win could set the program back another season. Stay with me here, there is some thought behind this.

Let's look at two sets of numbers:

Time of possession: 32:40, 29:14, 29:42, 26:22, 25:30

Plays from scrimmage: 84, 87, 80, 64, 64

While the sample size here is small, we've gone from having an offense that averages 33 points a game that about breaks even on time of possession and runs at an Oregonian like pace to having an offense that averages 8.5 points a game (let that sink in for a minute), loses time of possession handily and has the pace of the James Square Nursing Home senior citizen's touch football league.

"But OttinGrotto," you may wheeze, with Dome Dog on your breath. "We only lost to the Gophers by a touch and we won vs. Pitt!"

And those are true statements.

But here's the problem - if we're slowing the pace down in the hopes that it helps our defense, we got lucky last night. You simply cannot be shut out for three quarters and expect to win. That is asking far too much of the defense. Every failed drive adds a 1 to the number of times that the defense cannot give up a score. Worse, with the slow down offense we expect more out of our defense while at the same time making them spend more time on the field.

I'm terrified that the lesson the staff will learn is that our best bet is to go back to white knuckle. That is so shortsighted. You cannot consistently win that way. You can't maintain excitement in a program if every game is a rock fight.

Last night's win was depressing, because I saw fans so hungry to cheer for a single win that they were ecstatic to see a return to "winning ugly." It is such fool's gold. We beat the odds in 2010. If we return to that style of play we have sentenced our program to sub .500 status and will continue to be passed by the rest of college football, taking comfort in how many "close games" we play. We are dangerously close to being as unwatchable as the rest of the Big East, and even less successful.

I fear last night's win will prove itself to be a Pyrrhic victory. If it's true that we turned a corner this season, I suspect we're next going to make a U-turn.

Absolutely 100% spot on.

 

[bevosu]

I think somebody said it a couple of weeks ago. Jerry Kill has given everyone the defensive blueprint and we haven't been able to adjust our offense to combat that defensive scheme.

I'm guessing our passing offense is limited because of our receivers lack of speed and their inability to separate. Apparently Kill is a good coach.