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- Aug 24, 2011
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Sickening feeling in my stomache this morning. I hate losing to Syracuse at home. Hate it, hate it, hate it. For all that went wrong yesterday, I never thought we were losing that game until they completed the third in long from their own 5. So we lost the turnover battle, again. Now a net negative 3 after 4 games, with our offense having allowed a remarkable 3 TDs in 4 games. We got the start time wrong, again, and didn't start playing until we had dug a hole. We failed to score in short yardage, again. More on that later. But the thing that ruined another beautiful fall football day, with probably our largest and most enthusiastic crowd of the year, comes down to one thing. And we will start there.
We fought back to tie the game at 14 and then gave them the ball at their own 27 with 38 seconds left. And then we continued to play our standard 3-4-4 while they got themselves into long FG range and converted. Why? They had already thrown for a boatyard of yards against us. Why did we need 4 LBs in to defend the run that wasn't going to come unless Syracuse was happy going to the locker room tied. What possible reason was there to not be in a nickel or dime package with Green and/or McAllister joining the secondary. But as mad as that made me, it let to a bigger question. Jamar Summer has been a huge part of our restoration to adequacy the last season and a half, and he is clearly one of our best players. But he was beaten into a pulp by #7 yesterday. #7 gained 280 friggin yards, almost all of it with Jamar on him without any real help unless #7 broken to the middle. And he wasn't fast, strong or agile enough to handle it. He got beat deep. He got bodied off the ball. He lost his footing. He thought he had help when he didn't. He got beat every way imaginable. So be it. At the same time, they never established a threat on the ground. Never. And yet, did we ever go into a nickel or dime package at any time? I don't remember seeing either Green or McAllister playing a single down from scrimmage. At no point did we ever put in more DBs, and give Summers help by having Green playing to the inside instead of Luke. At no point did we ever put in a 3rd Safety where the Safety's only responsibility was to provide Jamar deep help and let two other Safeties worry about everything else. AT NO TIME THAT I SAW DID OUR DEFENSIVE BOY GENUIS EVER DO ANYTHING TO TAKE AWAY AT WHATEVER THE COST THE ONE AND ONLY WEAPON THEY WERE HURTING US WITH. Instead, his strategy seemed to be to tell Jamar to #coverharder. That was what cost us the game. While I didn't like the call on 4th and goal from the 1 when we didn't tie the game, and you could argue about the 3rd and 2 call, the first two calls were fine given that we had already rushed for two TDs and the two carries got us from the 8 to the 2. There was a lot good to say about the offensive coaching, yesterday, and I will below. But for all the repetitive issues mentioned at the start, it was Diaco's failure to go to a nickel or dime package, and double team #7 deep, that cost us the game. Period. And while the failure to make defensive adjustments has not been a recurring problem, the lawyer like stubbornness is. And is likely to be the ultimate cause of his downfall. No, it won't be this year, and I doubt it will be next year. But every week, the evidence against him ever being a good in game coach builds and builds.
As we go through offense, defense and specials, there is an awful lot good to say. Let's start with specials. When the 'Cuse kicker issued the 33 yarder to put them up 10 before we had our last chance to tie it, that made opponent FG kickers a remarkable 2 for 8 against us on the year. How do you coach that. While Bobby Puyol remains perfect on placement and close to that on kickoffs. Brian Lemelle actually returned a punt (successfully no less) and aggressively got to a short punt to fair catch that has been bouncing all year. And then a Fake FG that the Syracuse staff should be shot for not noticing and calling a TO on. First, did no one ask why Puyol and Davis sprinted on so quickly after the 3rd down stop left us with a decision, and from how far from the line of scrimmage? Did they not notice Tyler Davis standing alone by the left sideline? And when their outside defender finally saw him a second too late and started sprinting over, did they need then yell for a TO? Nonetheless, a very good day for us on special teams.
On defense, a very, very hard game to discuss, because between the first two drives and the last one we played really, really well, but other than that Mrs. Lincoln how did you like the play. I don't think talking about individuals means a lot today. As stated, I don't get how we never went into nickel and dime packages. I also said at the beginning of the year that our lack of a pass rush was going to be problematic. That is not schematic. We just don't have smaller, faster DEs, even when Luke slides up. We need to recruit the smaller for DE large sprinter types that Edsall succeeded with. The other team D comment I'll make is this -- last year, we lived on Takeaways. This year we have 2 in 4 games. It isn't enough. Maybe we've just been unlucky in that other teams aren't making their share of mistakes, our maybe it's us, but if we keep losing the turnover battle week after week we will not get to 6 wins, period. And it's not on our offense. The total number of turnovers is a little high, but that doesn't change the fact that we're not getting the takeaways. O.K., on comment on an individual. I thought it was Levenberry's best game this year by far. And the fact that they looked entirely at Summers side and rarely tested Jhavon Williams says a lot.
So I know that on this board if you are unhappy you get to trash everything, but there was a lot good to say about the offense yesterday. With Arkeel clearly healthier (because they let him get 17 carries), the traditional running game (not counting BS carrying the ball too much) was much better. BS did not have his best day throwing the ball yesterday, but the numbers still tell a story of competence at least. Clearly, however, he comes out of the huddle looking for one receiver, and if that receiver isn't there he is too quick tucking and running. Is this a result of the concussion from last year? Hard to believe given how often he runs (and the hit he took was off a scramble and not trying to throw the ball), Nice to see all of the TEs finally involved. And you have to (well, only if you want to be fair) give some credit to the coaches. The offense was balanced, they passing attack spread the ball around, there were ZERO offensive penalties, and not once did we struggle to get play or personnel on in time. In fact, they decided that our short yardage play was going to be to go no huddle, get to the line before the D was ready and sneak Shirreffs between Crozier and Rutheford at LG. Which gets me to the 4th and 1 call. We had successfully run Shirreffs behind Rutherford successfully all game long. But it was Rutherford who went out hurt after Ron Jon's 3rd down run. Did that change the call? I know we've been shockingly reluctant to throw in the red zone this year, but did bringing a 4th string LG Schafenacker in for his first play make us reluctant to throw from the pocket? Would we have run BS behind Rutherford? WAs BS supposed to make more of an effort of find a receiver than he did? We'll never know. Look -- do we need to throw from inside the red zone -- yes. Of course we do. But I have sympathy for the coaches on that call when you had to change your OL right before that play. If you want to speak to HCBD's in game incompetency, ask why we never saw nickel and dime DBs.
So we lost what was the biggest, most emotional game of the year. You can't have it back. We also now have a much harder road to bowl eligibility. We still should beat UCF and Tulane at home and get to 4. The most realistic next two are at BC and home to Temple. The way Syracuse beat us does not make any of those games less likely. We need to start winning takeover battles, we need to start getting Arkeel to make big plays, and he have to make the offense as diverse in the red zone as it was between the 20s yesterday. This season isn't over. But given the precarious position of the football program, we can't lose the fanbase any more than we can lose games. And HCBD, while doing a lot of good, is getting too close to losing the fanbase.
We fought back to tie the game at 14 and then gave them the ball at their own 27 with 38 seconds left. And then we continued to play our standard 3-4-4 while they got themselves into long FG range and converted. Why? They had already thrown for a boatyard of yards against us. Why did we need 4 LBs in to defend the run that wasn't going to come unless Syracuse was happy going to the locker room tied. What possible reason was there to not be in a nickel or dime package with Green and/or McAllister joining the secondary. But as mad as that made me, it let to a bigger question. Jamar Summer has been a huge part of our restoration to adequacy the last season and a half, and he is clearly one of our best players. But he was beaten into a pulp by #7 yesterday. #7 gained 280 friggin yards, almost all of it with Jamar on him without any real help unless #7 broken to the middle. And he wasn't fast, strong or agile enough to handle it. He got beat deep. He got bodied off the ball. He lost his footing. He thought he had help when he didn't. He got beat every way imaginable. So be it. At the same time, they never established a threat on the ground. Never. And yet, did we ever go into a nickel or dime package at any time? I don't remember seeing either Green or McAllister playing a single down from scrimmage. At no point did we ever put in more DBs, and give Summers help by having Green playing to the inside instead of Luke. At no point did we ever put in a 3rd Safety where the Safety's only responsibility was to provide Jamar deep help and let two other Safeties worry about everything else. AT NO TIME THAT I SAW DID OUR DEFENSIVE BOY GENUIS EVER DO ANYTHING TO TAKE AWAY AT WHATEVER THE COST THE ONE AND ONLY WEAPON THEY WERE HURTING US WITH. Instead, his strategy seemed to be to tell Jamar to #coverharder. That was what cost us the game. While I didn't like the call on 4th and goal from the 1 when we didn't tie the game, and you could argue about the 3rd and 2 call, the first two calls were fine given that we had already rushed for two TDs and the two carries got us from the 8 to the 2. There was a lot good to say about the offensive coaching, yesterday, and I will below. But for all the repetitive issues mentioned at the start, it was Diaco's failure to go to a nickel or dime package, and double team #7 deep, that cost us the game. Period. And while the failure to make defensive adjustments has not been a recurring problem, the lawyer like stubbornness is. And is likely to be the ultimate cause of his downfall. No, it won't be this year, and I doubt it will be next year. But every week, the evidence against him ever being a good in game coach builds and builds.
As we go through offense, defense and specials, there is an awful lot good to say. Let's start with specials. When the 'Cuse kicker issued the 33 yarder to put them up 10 before we had our last chance to tie it, that made opponent FG kickers a remarkable 2 for 8 against us on the year. How do you coach that. While Bobby Puyol remains perfect on placement and close to that on kickoffs. Brian Lemelle actually returned a punt (successfully no less) and aggressively got to a short punt to fair catch that has been bouncing all year. And then a Fake FG that the Syracuse staff should be shot for not noticing and calling a TO on. First, did no one ask why Puyol and Davis sprinted on so quickly after the 3rd down stop left us with a decision, and from how far from the line of scrimmage? Did they not notice Tyler Davis standing alone by the left sideline? And when their outside defender finally saw him a second too late and started sprinting over, did they need then yell for a TO? Nonetheless, a very good day for us on special teams.
On defense, a very, very hard game to discuss, because between the first two drives and the last one we played really, really well, but other than that Mrs. Lincoln how did you like the play. I don't think talking about individuals means a lot today. As stated, I don't get how we never went into nickel and dime packages. I also said at the beginning of the year that our lack of a pass rush was going to be problematic. That is not schematic. We just don't have smaller, faster DEs, even when Luke slides up. We need to recruit the smaller for DE large sprinter types that Edsall succeeded with. The other team D comment I'll make is this -- last year, we lived on Takeaways. This year we have 2 in 4 games. It isn't enough. Maybe we've just been unlucky in that other teams aren't making their share of mistakes, our maybe it's us, but if we keep losing the turnover battle week after week we will not get to 6 wins, period. And it's not on our offense. The total number of turnovers is a little high, but that doesn't change the fact that we're not getting the takeaways. O.K., on comment on an individual. I thought it was Levenberry's best game this year by far. And the fact that they looked entirely at Summers side and rarely tested Jhavon Williams says a lot.
So I know that on this board if you are unhappy you get to trash everything, but there was a lot good to say about the offense yesterday. With Arkeel clearly healthier (because they let him get 17 carries), the traditional running game (not counting BS carrying the ball too much) was much better. BS did not have his best day throwing the ball yesterday, but the numbers still tell a story of competence at least. Clearly, however, he comes out of the huddle looking for one receiver, and if that receiver isn't there he is too quick tucking and running. Is this a result of the concussion from last year? Hard to believe given how often he runs (and the hit he took was off a scramble and not trying to throw the ball), Nice to see all of the TEs finally involved. And you have to (well, only if you want to be fair) give some credit to the coaches. The offense was balanced, they passing attack spread the ball around, there were ZERO offensive penalties, and not once did we struggle to get play or personnel on in time. In fact, they decided that our short yardage play was going to be to go no huddle, get to the line before the D was ready and sneak Shirreffs between Crozier and Rutheford at LG. Which gets me to the 4th and 1 call. We had successfully run Shirreffs behind Rutherford successfully all game long. But it was Rutherford who went out hurt after Ron Jon's 3rd down run. Did that change the call? I know we've been shockingly reluctant to throw in the red zone this year, but did bringing a 4th string LG Schafenacker in for his first play make us reluctant to throw from the pocket? Would we have run BS behind Rutherford? WAs BS supposed to make more of an effort of find a receiver than he did? We'll never know. Look -- do we need to throw from inside the red zone -- yes. Of course we do. But I have sympathy for the coaches on that call when you had to change your OL right before that play. If you want to speak to HCBD's in game incompetency, ask why we never saw nickel and dime DBs.
So we lost what was the biggest, most emotional game of the year. You can't have it back. We also now have a much harder road to bowl eligibility. We still should beat UCF and Tulane at home and get to 4. The most realistic next two are at BC and home to Temple. The way Syracuse beat us does not make any of those games less likely. We need to start winning takeover battles, we need to start getting Arkeel to make big plays, and he have to make the offense as diverse in the red zone as it was between the 20s yesterday. This season isn't over. But given the precarious position of the football program, we can't lose the fanbase any more than we can lose games. And HCBD, while doing a lot of good, is getting too close to losing the fanbase.
