Syracuse Post Game

[BleedGoldNWhite21]

But you also give them an extra down to run clock. Clock was the enemy at that point.

We still had all three time outs and it would have been 2nd and 25. If they ran the ball twice, we’d have the ball with 1 timeout and 90 seconds or so left. That’s plenty of time. That’s an easy decision with the way our defense was playing, in my opinion.

 

[Backstreetbuzz]

We were badly outplayed. It would have been a fluke if we had won, but I would have taken it. There are about 14-15 teams in the ACC that are roughly equal and we are one of them. At least now, we will not have folks worrying themselves about the 12 team playoff. If we win 6 games against this schedule, I will be very happy.

 

[dmel25]

We had 3 timeouts and I almost guarantee you Syracuse just concedes the drive and runs it twice facing 2nd and 25. I have full faith that Haynes King can lead a game winning drive with 1:40 and 1 timeout. Key didn't and that was the difference in the game - he wanted the defense to stop a 3rd and 10 and King to have the extra 2 timeouts. When you look at how the rest of the game had gone, the math just doesn't work out here.

Exactly this. Take the penalty, move them back, they likely just run the ball, maybe pass once to get some yards but they do not convert there. We get the ball back with at least 1 minute and 1 timeout. Plenty of time to kick a field goal or just outright score and win.

Total coaching failure there imo.

 

[Jacket05]

Is it? In real time, before the next play where Syracuse converted, I was questioning why we didn't accept the penalty and basically force them backward so they'd have to work for that first down thus guaranteeing we get the ball back with at last 1 timeout.

There was absolutely no guarantee to get the ball back if they accepted it. They could have easily gotten 10 to 15 yards on the 2nd down play and then it would have been back to the same or worst 3rd down try with more time off the clock

 

[Northeast Stinger]

We had 3 timeouts and I almost guarantee you Syracuse just concedes the drive and runs it twice facing 2nd and 25. I have full faith that Haynes King can lead a game winning drive with 1:40 and 1 timeout. Key didn't and that was the difference in the game - he wanted the defense to stop a 3rd and 10 and King to have the extra 2 timeouts. When you look at how the rest of the game had gone, the math just doesn't work out here.

But that’s not the way Syracuse was playing. You don’t give them an extra down to get a first down, especially as tired as our defense was. I thought it was the right call.

 

[iceeater1969]

You can't win 'em all. I take heart in the comeback, though it fell short.

Let King take some chances.
They are insisting on 0 int as if the defense is competent.

 

[BleedGoldNWhite21]

Our defense is bad enough that we will have to score 30 to win most games. We did not do that today.

 

[bobongo]

I didn't understand why we didn't blitz majorly on third down when we still had a chance. McCord barely got the pass off as it was.
Had we blitzed, I felt we would have stopped them, gotten the ball back, and won the game. But who knows...

 

[g0lftime]

We were badly outplayed. It would have been a fluke if we had won, but I would have taken it. There are about 14-15 teams in the ACC that are roughly equal and we are one of them. At least now, we will not have folks worrying themselves about the 12 team playoff. If we win 6 games against this schedule, I will be very happy.

Play to make a bowl at this point. Too many teams about the same as you pointed out. Miami, N D and UGA would be upsets at this point.

 

[GaTech4ever]

Our lack of pressure made him look good today. I have no idea if he really is that good.
I agree. Bad game all around.

He was really good at Ohio State

 

[green&gold]

8-4 Gator Bowl invite would be a helluva season

 

[gtee91]

8-4 Gator Bowl invite would be a helluva season

I would love to hit the powerball but that ain't happening either

 

[Backstreetbuzz]

Exactly this. Take the penalty, move them back, they likely just run the ball, maybe pass once to get some yards but they do not convert there. We get the ball back with at least 1 minute and 1 timeout. Plenty of time to kick a field goal or just outright score and win.

Total coaching failure there imo.

50/50 decision.

 

[bke1984]

Ahh, the wake up call!

I missed the first quarter and half the second. We were down 21-7 when I turned it on. We outscored them 21-10 after I turned it on, but that’s not enough to win. Make the FG and maybe things are different.

Basically seems like we showed up overly confident and got down by too much to come back from even at our best. It happens.

I was surprised how we remained committed to the run for so long when they were keying heavily on it - particularly on first down.

By the time we adjusted there wasn’t enough time. Get a stop on 3rd down at the end and I’m 99% sure we win.

Might be good these guys lost a game. Win next week and take down Louisville. Undefeated was unrealistic. Syracuse isn’t the team we need tiebreakers against.

 

[Jacket05]

Play to make a bowl at this point. Too many teams about the same as you pointed out. Miami, N D and UGA would be upsets at this point.

F playing for just a bowl game. We can still win the ACC and make it to the playoffs! Yes this was a terrible game but that doesn't mean we can't turn it around. We are only 3 games in and 2-1 which is about where most people saw us with the FSU and Cause games swapped.

 

[bobongo]

Play to make a bowl at this point. Too many teams about the same as you pointed out. Miami, N D and UGA would be upsets at this point.

Yeah, but how many upsets have the Jackets pulled over the last two years? Winning when we're underdogs and losing when we're favored is becoming a pattern.

 

[gte447f]

Well damn. Too little too late.

The coaching decision to decline the penalty on Syracuse’s last possession could have gone either way. I agree with Key’s decision. Those suggesting that was the ballgame are shamelessly ignoring the way our defense got owned for 90% of the game.

Also our offense was way too conservative for 80% of the game. Not converting some points after the blocked punt was a big failure.

We are still miles ahead of where we were when Key took over from that wannabe.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

This game, and some of the comments, remind me of some CPJ’s losses.

The opening comment by the color analyst for the broadcast referred to Tech’s option offense. That was a correct assessment in my opinion. The reason you develop an option component is to offset any personnel deficiencies compared to your opponent. But the offense depends on controlling the tempo of the game. We did not do that for any number of reasons -too much travel, being tired, facing a very good quarterback, whatever.

When CPJ would lose a game like this people would come out of the woodwork to second guess the coaching decisions and play calls. Usually there was a reference to some kind of “stubbornness” that we called too many run plays in the middle or something else.

Sometimes you just get beaten by a team that’s having a better day than you. I will predict right now that the same thing is going to happen to one of our future opponents who will lose to us even though favored.

 

[Spalding Jacket]

Thinking about our 4th down call, Cuse timed the snap with our motion and blew up play. Think we don’t need to motion or at least have a false snap count. I know Key believes if we can’t get one yard running then we don’t deserve to win, but I like to have options on critical downs. Play action roll out king with run pass option.

 

[bke1984]

…but the guys played hard

Actually I’m not sure we did until late. Our O line got exposed a bit in the second and third quarters. From Key’s standpoint I would use this as a teaching moment that being physical cannot be a big game trait. It had to be every week.