Syracuse - Louisville Postgame Reactions OR HOLY SHIT!!!!!!
0 Comments Published on 9.24.2007 by Brian Harrison
That's how ARob does it. Crab cakes and football.
I must have received around seven calls from friends. They could not believe what they just saw. The other few calls I got could not see the game and wanted to know what happened. They could not believe what I told them. I stayed at a friend’s house on Saturday night and they asked me again, did last night really happen? Was that real? Yes, it was real… and it was spectacular. The thing that real Syracuse fans have believed about the team for years happened. On any given week we can lose to Temple, or beat #7 Virginia Tech. Sure enough the latter happened on one magical day in Kentucky. Let us go to the report card.
Offense
A-
Andrew Robinson is an absolute magician (Hat tip to Nunes/Magician for changing the banner for one day). He was simply off the chain (17/26, 423yds, 4 TD, 0 INT). Taj Smith was stunning with two major, big time plays (4 rec, 173yds, 2TD). He made the freaking Sportscenter Top Ten. The rest of the receiving core was finally playing like they look on paper. And by God, the offensive line protected Robinson like a group of Secret Service Agents. The only weak spot was the running game, which has been bad all season. But really, who cares when we are making it rain out there. ARob is the real deal, even if the receivers are not sometimes.
Defense
B-
We had some big stops. Correction, huge (HUGE Tom. HUUUUUUGE.) stops. Also Jameel McClain proved once again that he is an All-Big East defensive player with a big interception. However, the secondary left much to still be desired as Brian Brohm passed for 555 yards and four touchdowns. That being said, the boys up front finally did a nice job of making some tackles for losses, wrapping up the running back, and generally looking fired up, which is something they have not done all year. A solid effort.
Special Teams
B+
Stunning. Max Suter with a 93 yard kickoff return is probably the single most unexpected thing that happened on the field Saturday. That kid may be small but he is fast. Pat “Fat Ass” Shadle did his part chipping in a 26 yarder and five extra points. Rob “Heisman” Long had a solid day punting for a total of 248 yards on six punts. But really, the story here is Suter running like he had herpes and there was a fresh Valtrex script sitting in the end zone. You gotta stop that itching and burning somehow.
Coaching
A
Way to open up the playbook boys. My theory for the season so far, and really the only explanation I can come up with is, the team was watching L’ville film for the past three weeks getting ready for this game, ignoring the team they were actually facing. There was a clear adjustment on the part of the coaching staff early in the game after seeing Louisville stack the box against the Syracuse (lackluster) running game. L’ville obviously had no faith in ARob, and they paid dearly on several occasions. Greg Robinson gets a hat tip from this observer for this game.
Offense
A-
Andrew Robinson is an absolute magician (Hat tip to Nunes/Magician for changing the banner for one day). He was simply off the chain (17/26, 423yds, 4 TD, 0 INT). Taj Smith was stunning with two major, big time plays (4 rec, 173yds, 2TD). He made the freaking Sportscenter Top Ten. The rest of the receiving core was finally playing like they look on paper. And by God, the offensive line protected Robinson like a group of Secret Service Agents. The only weak spot was the running game, which has been bad all season. But really, who cares when we are making it rain out there. ARob is the real deal, even if the receivers are not sometimes.
Defense
B-
We had some big stops. Correction, huge (HUGE Tom. HUUUUUUGE.) stops. Also Jameel McClain proved once again that he is an All-Big East defensive player with a big interception. However, the secondary left much to still be desired as Brian Brohm passed for 555 yards and four touchdowns. That being said, the boys up front finally did a nice job of making some tackles for losses, wrapping up the running back, and generally looking fired up, which is something they have not done all year. A solid effort.
Special Teams
B+
Stunning. Max Suter with a 93 yard kickoff return is probably the single most unexpected thing that happened on the field Saturday. That kid may be small but he is fast. Pat “Fat Ass” Shadle did his part chipping in a 26 yarder and five extra points. Rob “Heisman” Long had a solid day punting for a total of 248 yards on six punts. But really, the story here is Suter running like he had herpes and there was a fresh Valtrex script sitting in the end zone. You gotta stop that itching and burning somehow.
Coaching
A
Way to open up the playbook boys. My theory for the season so far, and really the only explanation I can come up with is, the team was watching L’ville film for the past three weeks getting ready for this game, ignoring the team they were actually facing. There was a clear adjustment on the part of the coaching staff early in the game after seeing Louisville stack the box against the Syracuse (lackluster) running game. L’ville obviously had no faith in ARob, and they paid dearly on several occasions. Greg Robinson gets a hat tip from this observer for this game.
GPA
B+ (3.4)
On a day when we could have very easily lost this game, we did not. Bottom line, the team looked fired up, excited, and playing to a level that we had yet to see this season. The offense was clicking on all cylinders, the defense worked hard, and special teams were special, but not in a short bus kind of way. Both Robinsons deserve much credit. Taj Smith was crazy delicious. I mean really, seriously, we beat fucking #18 Louisville at Louisville. If you did not celebrate in some way you were a fool.
B+ (3.4)
On a day when we could have very easily lost this game, we did not. Bottom line, the team looked fired up, excited, and playing to a level that we had yet to see this season. The offense was clicking on all cylinders, the defense worked hard, and special teams were special, but not in a short bus kind of way. Both Robinsons deserve much credit. Taj Smith was crazy delicious. I mean really, seriously, we beat fucking #18 Louisville at Louisville. If you did not celebrate in some way you were a fool.
As I sit here writing this report I cannot help but think of all the hateful things I was going to write had we lost this game big. As I try to pen my State of the Orange: Part 2 report I cannot help but think how am I supposed to go and bash the shit out of Greg this week? I shouldn’t really. But here is the real situation; we were good on Saturday. We can be good next Saturday. Will be go on to beat Rutgers and West (Fuckin’) Virginia? Probably not, but frankly, who knows? Anything is possible after pulling, arguably, the greatest upset in a Big East game in the history of the conference. Do not expect a four TD day from Robinson soon, but at least he has made the statement. This game was Robinson telling us to stop the hating on ‘Cuse. This guy is a star and a winner and could lead this team to greatness in the near future. Only time will tell. I’m not on the Syracuse running the table bandwagon yet, but if we take it to Miami (OH) next weekend, I could be getting my bandwagon ticket punched very soon.
Special H/T to our friend Dianne for watching her first Syracuse Football game with us this weekend. What a start. She now has to watch every game for the rest of the season. Thanks D!
Editor's Note: Due to the fact we won, and also that I was late in returning home this weekend, State of the Orange : Part 2 will be released Monday evening. Thanks for the understanding.
0 Responses to “Syracuse - Louisville Postgame Reactions OR HOLY SHIT!!!!!!”
Post a Comment