South Florida - Syracuse Postgame Reactions OR Syracuse Sucks So Much I Can't Think of A Funny Title
1 Comments Published on 11.12.2007 by Brian Harrison
If only it was easier to come up with quotes that don't make sense at the presser.I have delayed writing this long enough. I think I have had enough time in between now and that game. That game which was terrible in a lot of facets could not have depressed me more. The only consolation I have as a Syracuse fan and alumnus is the fact that the basketball season starts Monday. As sad as I am to dismiss the thought of another wasted football season, I am helpless to wonder what could have been if Coach P was not fired, or if someone else was hired, or if Jake stuck it out a couple more years at the helm. With these bitter thoughts in my mind we go to the report card. Much like every professor you have ever had, I will be grading in a bad mood with a heavy heart, so grades may be deflated. But not likely.
Offense
D-
Because a touchdown was scored the offense avoids the dreaded and confidence shattering F grade. They have only received this high distinction once this season, during the Iowa game. That Cantley sure has a hell of a rocket arm. He played well for making his first career start (21/38, 276 yds, 1TD, 2INT). The same old song and dance happened with the rushing attack of Syracuse. The team managed to only gain a dismal 15 rush yards, with the leading effort of 11 yards on three carries coming from Max Suter. However the 11 yards came on one play, while the other two carries were for no gain. Paul Chiara also took one snap for three yards. The offensive line put in another pedestrian effort in a pedestrian season. Actually, pedestrian is too generous. Mile Williams extends his streak of games with a touchdown to seven. He had a pretty good day with 99 yards on eight receptions. Taj Smith had a solid day as well with three receptions for 64 yards. Other than those bright spots, offense in the first half was basically absent. Terrible production. Oh, and how about we get a shit ton of false starts too. Great! Thanks!
Defense
D
The defense played about as well as we could have hoped as South Florida is a pretty powerful offense. However, giving up 582 total yards is a huge amount. Syracuse made the South Florida running back look like a friggin’ genius. Joe 5 Fields contributed his share of effort with an interception of Grothe, however one man cannot win a war. While it appeared that the defense tried its hardest, and the front four pursued the best they could, the effort produced little results. It is always a big morale booster when you can make an opposing player bleed however. While I never wish injury on anyone (with a few certain exceptions [I still hope Ken Dorsey is shot and dragged through the streets of Miami]), it is a part of football, and if someone is going to get hurt, you hope it is the other team. In this one instance we made the USF player bleed, and for that effort and hard hitting, they are rewarded with the grade.
Special Teams
C
Oh Max, why did you had to muff a kick? Why did you take my heart and stomp on it with so little time ticked off the clock? Special teams had some highs and lows this week. Max Suter was the low, dropping the opening kickoff and allowing USF to start at the 26 yard line. The high was Pat “Fat Ass” Shadle hitting a career long 50 yard field goal to end the first half. He also hit his one extra point try. Rob “Heisman” Long punted seven times for a total of 307 yards. Two were behind the 20 and his longest was 73 yards. They managed to limit kick and punt returns in stark contrast from the Pittsburgh game. An average day for the special teams. Kudos to Shadle for eating those 12 extra burritos before this week to hit a 50 yarder. Drew Bledsoe likes cheeseburgers, Shadle likes burritos. Deal with it.
Coaching
D-
How many false starts do we suffer through before someone on the staff is held accountable? I understand that there are injuries to our team, but reacting and adapting to injuries is part of the game and the job of the coaching staff to prepare the team in that way. Once again, the staff has let us down. This undisciplined squad could barely put a drive together in the first half because we would take one step forward and two steps back. The team also had to use time outs, which possibly could have been needed later. Again, these were coaching mistakes that could have haunted us, had the score not been at a ridiculous point in the third quarter. A bad week all around. How are these guys supposed to prepare for Connecticut?
GPA
D (0.9)
Once again Syracuse manages to get a team that had been struggling of late and manages to cure them of all their ails. Syracuse Offense played the second worst it has all season. The defense gave up plenty of yards on the ground. The coaches have once again decided that a mediocre performance is acceptable. Syracuse again manages to disappoint and underwhelm all at the same time. If Orange::44 does not win the job award this year, no one deserves it. I mean one year of terribleness at ND does not even compare with the last three years we have had to endure.
Offense
D-
Because a touchdown was scored the offense avoids the dreaded and confidence shattering F grade. They have only received this high distinction once this season, during the Iowa game. That Cantley sure has a hell of a rocket arm. He played well for making his first career start (21/38, 276 yds, 1TD, 2INT). The same old song and dance happened with the rushing attack of Syracuse. The team managed to only gain a dismal 15 rush yards, with the leading effort of 11 yards on three carries coming from Max Suter. However the 11 yards came on one play, while the other two carries were for no gain. Paul Chiara also took one snap for three yards. The offensive line put in another pedestrian effort in a pedestrian season. Actually, pedestrian is too generous. Mile Williams extends his streak of games with a touchdown to seven. He had a pretty good day with 99 yards on eight receptions. Taj Smith had a solid day as well with three receptions for 64 yards. Other than those bright spots, offense in the first half was basically absent. Terrible production. Oh, and how about we get a shit ton of false starts too. Great! Thanks!
Defense
D
The defense played about as well as we could have hoped as South Florida is a pretty powerful offense. However, giving up 582 total yards is a huge amount. Syracuse made the South Florida running back look like a friggin’ genius. Joe 5 Fields contributed his share of effort with an interception of Grothe, however one man cannot win a war. While it appeared that the defense tried its hardest, and the front four pursued the best they could, the effort produced little results. It is always a big morale booster when you can make an opposing player bleed however. While I never wish injury on anyone (with a few certain exceptions [I still hope Ken Dorsey is shot and dragged through the streets of Miami]), it is a part of football, and if someone is going to get hurt, you hope it is the other team. In this one instance we made the USF player bleed, and for that effort and hard hitting, they are rewarded with the grade.
Special Teams
C
Oh Max, why did you had to muff a kick? Why did you take my heart and stomp on it with so little time ticked off the clock? Special teams had some highs and lows this week. Max Suter was the low, dropping the opening kickoff and allowing USF to start at the 26 yard line. The high was Pat “Fat Ass” Shadle hitting a career long 50 yard field goal to end the first half. He also hit his one extra point try. Rob “Heisman” Long punted seven times for a total of 307 yards. Two were behind the 20 and his longest was 73 yards. They managed to limit kick and punt returns in stark contrast from the Pittsburgh game. An average day for the special teams. Kudos to Shadle for eating those 12 extra burritos before this week to hit a 50 yarder. Drew Bledsoe likes cheeseburgers, Shadle likes burritos. Deal with it.
Coaching
D-
How many false starts do we suffer through before someone on the staff is held accountable? I understand that there are injuries to our team, but reacting and adapting to injuries is part of the game and the job of the coaching staff to prepare the team in that way. Once again, the staff has let us down. This undisciplined squad could barely put a drive together in the first half because we would take one step forward and two steps back. The team also had to use time outs, which possibly could have been needed later. Again, these were coaching mistakes that could have haunted us, had the score not been at a ridiculous point in the third quarter. A bad week all around. How are these guys supposed to prepare for Connecticut?
GPA
D (0.9)
Once again Syracuse manages to get a team that had been struggling of late and manages to cure them of all their ails. Syracuse Offense played the second worst it has all season. The defense gave up plenty of yards on the ground. The coaches have once again decided that a mediocre performance is acceptable. Syracuse again manages to disappoint and underwhelm all at the same time. If Orange::44 does not win the job award this year, no one deserves it. I mean one year of terribleness at ND does not even compare with the last three years we have had to endure.
Syracuse is a terrible football team. Many of us that follow these sorts of things have already predicted that we will lose out the remainder of the schedule. I think this is more than likely to be the case, however I hold a small hope that we can pull a major (it really is not that major but at this point it is) upset at the U of Conn down in East Hartford this coming Saturday. As I will most likely be in attendance, and seeing as I have several friends who went to UConn, I could use a freaking win over this team. I just do not think I can handle the crap I am going to get anymore. But really, this game really had sealed the fate of the season and Greg Robinson for me. The die has been cast. Once again, and I do not say this lightly, Syracuse has broken my heart. I am proud of myself for lasting this long. Ever the eternal optimist, I have sadly resigned myself to the facts that our team is bad, it will probably be bad for the next few years, and nothing anyone can do will probably change that. I have always said that Syracuse can win on any given day, or lose to anyone we play. The second is sadly what happens all too often. Frankly, I think Orange Nation would be happy with a team that had a chance of winning most of the games they play. Scheduling Texas, USC, Penn State, Boston College, and other top teams will not help. I am not saying we should play all 1-AA teams. However, clearly Syracuse is in for some hard games in the next few years. This next coach better be an absolute magician to turn this group into a team that can compete with the best teams in the conference and the nation. That being said, my heart is currently broken, and will be until the basketball team can fix it.
Editor's Note: Today, November 12th, is Veteran’s Day. My father was a veteran and a huge Syracuse fan and loved both his country and the Orangemen. I want to thank him and the brave men and women that fight for democracy and the American Way, on behalf of myself, Orange::44, and a grateful nation.
that's actually a great title - well done.