Thoughts on Syracuse

[awbuzz]

The OG restaurant stood alone in Syracuse for many many years. They have a few more now throughout NY. I’ve heard there is one in NYC that isn’t the same though I’ve never been. The one in Syracuse is legit.

The one in Rochester was pretty good. Ate there a handful of times when I was doing some training at one of our facilities there.

 

[InsideLB]

My thoughts on the game:

1. Carrier Dome is notoriously tough place to play. Just a very different environment, not necessarily loud or intimidating, but always weird. Noon start could make make it an even stranger environment. We need to be self-motivated and ready to handle adversity.

2. We need to be very focused and ready to get into a brawl. SPOILING for a brawl would be best. Not easy to have that inner toughness/focus.

3. We have some structural advantages like OL and skill player speed. But the margin is thin. Can't just show up and expect to win. We have to have gotten better since GSU on both sides of the ball.

4. Line seems to be about right...GT looks like a 5.5 favorite on a neutral site. But see point 1 above.

5. We will need intensity, faith in our game plan, and to play hard all game. In the end I believe in this team and think we will get it done. Gotta be ready to do work!

 

[BCJacket]

My thoughts on the game:

1. Carrier Dome is notoriously tough place to play. Just a very different environment, not necessarily loud or intimidating, but always weird. Noon start could make make it an even stranger environment. We need to be self-motivated and ready to handle adversity.

2. We need to be very focused and ready to get into a brawl. SPOILING for a brawl would be best. Not easy to have that inner toughness/focus.

3. We have some structural advantages like OL and skill player speed. But the margin is thin. Can't just show up and expect to win. We have to have gotten better since GSU on both sides of the ball.

4. Line seems to be about right...GT looks like a 5.5 favorite on a neutral site. But see point 1 above.

5. We will need intensity, faith in our game plan, and to play hard all game. In the end I believe in this team and think we will get it done. Gotta be ready to do work!

Coach Key's comments in the press conference have me a little more optimistic. He was emphatic that the team has been locked in at practice this week. Also, leading into the GSU game he mentioned health and guys being banged up or held out of practice. Other than Cooley, sounds like we're pretty healthy this week. So, to your point, hopefully our team comes in feeling good and ready to punch 'cuse in the mouth.

 

[Root4GT]

Hey folks, not a lot of time to put together a thoughtful post. I have emergency medical stuff going on with family, and so this is a quick stream of consciousness before I am consumed with real life again.

My hope: GT wins 223-0. Too much chirping from Syracuse fans due to grabbing a QB and a DE in the portal.

My keys to the game:

• Turnovers and special teams. We lose these, we lose. We remain even (or better), advantage GT. Honestly, I think you can stop here. Folks have heard me say this many times before. In coin flip games, this often proves to be the difference.
• Next most important to me is our ability to get pressure on defense. We don't need to get home and I'm not that concerned if we need to blitz. We just cannot allow slow developing routes to unfold, which were huge for them vs Ohio. Safe to say our DL is better than Ohio's. But will we look more like the FSU game or the Ga State game? Cuse will punch it in if they get to the goal line. If we win this battle, we win.
• Don't underestimate RB LeQuint Allen. I love me some Jamal Haynes, and Allen is every bit as good if not better. Like Kng & Haynes, McCord & Allen were preseason Maxwell Award watch list guys for a reason. Allen can be a workhorse if they want to run the ball, and he's dynamic on screens.
• #19 TE/WR Gadsden may be the best player and NFL prospect on the field Saturday. NFL blood line, so not surprising. He is built like Darren Waller - slightly slower - but far more developed as a straight ball player than Waller was in college. There are other good WR. Pena is really solid.
• I mentioned in another thread earlier this week that LB Wax is out. Not only is he their best defensive player, but he was also green dot LB. They have to transition that this week. Let's hope for some kinks in the command line.

A few other things:

• Timing of the game is an advantage to 'Cuse. They only put one game on tape. They've traveled nowhere, whereas we've globetrotted. To me this was always the trap game, not Ga State.
• Dwight Freeney jersey retirement is planned for Saturday. Neat thing. He was part of the last consistent string of good 'Cuse teams before they made one of the worst hires in College Football history (look up Greg Robinson aka Gerg).
• If you want to anger a 'Cuse fan, tell them with a straight face that Kyle Efford is the greatest #44 to ever grace the field in Syracuse.

There are other things that I wanted to share that just aren't coming to mind. Happy to answer questions as time permits. Go Jackets!

Priceless -

• If you want to anger a 'Cuse fan, tell them with a straight face that Kyle Efford is the greatest #44 to ever grace the field in Syracuse.

 

[CuseJacket]

Hate that our band won't be there. I think it's a nice boost and plays a role in games. One more reason why Key says we need to bring our own energy.

I read in a syracuse.com article a week ago that the Wreck will be there.

 

[MWBATL]

I’ll be confident when we have a season without letdowns against lesser opponents. As much as I want to be, for my own sanity I have to go in with a bit tempered expectations

That’s me. Years of disappointment (recently) have slowed my enthusiasm…but the solution is MORE COWBELL (er, I mean wins!)

 

[UgaBlows]

No matter what happens i have faith that Key will have our lads fighting like hell. I’m looking forward to seeing what Santucci dials up for attacking cuse

 

[bobongo]

No matter what happens i have faith that Key will have our lads fighting like hell. I’m looking forward to seeing what Santucci dials up for attacking cuse

It will be interesting to find out how well the Jackets' defense can defend against McCord's passing without blitzing.
I think we're going to have to come with extra pressure, but I hope I'm wrong about that.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Found myself looking at our schedule again and marveling at how tough it is. It’s not just that we play 11 bowl teams, not just that we have several playoff contenders on the schedule, it is how relentless the schedule is. We are either playing tough teams or playing in tough venues, or both.

We REALLY need a win Saturday so we can have an easier game against VMI next week and regroup for the Bataan Death March in the second half of our season.

REALLY need this win.

First time I have had this kind of anxiety in several years. I must be starting to really care.

 

[TampaBuzz]

Found myself looking at our schedule again and marveling at how tough it is. It’s not just that we play 11 bowl teams, not just that we have several playoff contenders on the schedule, it is how relentless the schedule is. We are either playing tough teams or playing in tough venues, or both.

We REALLY need a win Saturday so we can have an easier game against VMI next week and regroup for the Bataan Death March in the second half of our season.

REALLY need this win.

First time I have had this kind of anxiety in several years. I must be starting to really care.

The saving grace is a couple of bye weeks and a Thursday game after a bye to get more rest. I suspect we will be plenty focused and rested in the later part of the season.

 

[iceeater1969]

Found myself looking at our schedule again and marveling at how tough it is. It’s not just that we play 11 bowl teams, not just that we have several playoff contenders on the schedule, it is how relentless the schedule is. We are either playing tough teams or playing in tough venues, or both.

We REALLY need a win Saturday so we can have an easier game against VMI next week and regroup for the Bataan Death March in the second half of our season.

REALLY need this win.

First time I have had this kind of anxiety in several years. I must be starting to really care.

Gut check who we are is Saturday.
If good, we can flip the battan analogy.

We can flip to "Bill and Teds Excellent adventure Movie" where we are nice to each other" with our 3 bye weeks!

Then after our rest stops lets play gt football atcfun spots and "party on".

 

[57jacket]

Good read.

Weston Franklin at the center of Georgia Tech’s resurgence

Franklin is a self-proclaimed country boy, hailing from southeast Georgia and Wayne County, home to Jesup, population about 10,000.

www.ajc.com

 

[CuseJacket]

It will be interesting to find out how well the Jackets' defense can defend against McCord's passing without blitzing.
I think we're going to have to come with extra pressure, but I hope I'm wrong about that.

While the jury is still out on our DL, it is also still out on the Cuse OL. Their OL wasn’t great last year and they filled holes by way of transfers who weren’t in high demand on paper. Watching their game, Ohio would have gotten home more last week with better athletes. That would have also limited the Cuse deep shots.

While I think it’s more likely that we improved more than them, the unknowns make this the key to the game (after my standard ‘turnovers and special teams’).

I don’t have concerns about our OL vs their DL and winning that battle more often than not.

 

[CEB]

While the jury is still out on our DL, it is also still out on the Cuse OL. Their OL wasn’t great last year and they filled holes by way of transfers who weren’t in high demand on paper. Watching their game, Ohio would have gotten home more last week with better athletes. That would have also limited the Cuse deep shots.

While I think it’s more likely that we improved more than them, the unknowns make this the key to the game (after my standard ‘turnovers and special teams’).

I don’t have concerns about our OL vs their DL and winning that battle more often than not.

McCord makes all of the throws…. He can’t be given time. I suspect they’ll use a lot of short and east/west passing to slow pass rush. If our front four is disruptive, we’re in great shape but I don’t think we can give McCord time regardless of whether he’s throwing into 6, 7 or 8 in coverage.
If he’s getting rid of the ball on HIS terms, they’ll complete a lot of passes. If he’s getting rid of it on our terms, good things should happen.

 

[4shotB]

McCord makes all of the throws…. He can’t be given time. I suspect they’ll use a lot of short and east/west passing to slow pass rush. If our front four is disruptive, we’re in great shape but I don’t think we can give McCord time regardless of whether he’s throwing into 6, 7 or 8 in coverage.
If he’s getting rid of the ball on HIS terms, they’ll complete a lot of passes. If he’s getting rid of it on our terms, good things should happen.

I agree with this. I am going to watch to see how and who we cover their TE with. Apparently that guy is a good one and this issue feels like it has been an Achilles heel for our D's over the last ??? many years.

 

[CEB]

I agree with this. I am going to watch to see how and who we cover their TE with. Apparently that guy is a good one and this issue feels like it has been an Achilles heel for our D's over the last ??? many years.

Makes me really sad to hear they have a good TE.
REALLY SAD

 

[CuseJacket]

I agree with this. I am going to watch to see how and who we cover their TE with. Apparently that guy is a good one and this issue feels like it has been an Achilles heel for our D's over the last ??? many years.

I'm not sure why he's labeled a TE other than due to his size. If he's ever had his hand in the dirt, it's been for a handful of plays throughout his career. He's more of a swiss-army WR who often lines up in the slot. As I said in another thread, physically he reminds me of Darren Waller with more wiggle, better ball skills, but slightly less straight line speed.

He's a match-up problem that we must account for. He's also coming off a lost season due to injury, but it didn't seem like it game 1.

 

[CuseJacket]

Makes me really sad to hear they have a good TE.
REALLY SAD

Also Dino Babers got in early on Jamie Tremble, a true freshman TE out of Norcross, GA. We tried to get in late, but he stuck with the Orange. Maybe a transfer target down the road?

Jamie Tremble, Syracuse Orange, Tight End

Also runs track and plays basketball. ---- Georgia Region 7-AAA Offensive Player of the Year. Caught 55 passes for 890 yards and 11 TD per MaxPreps. Lined up...

247sports.com

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Do we have ACC zebras this week and do they allow our style of blocking?

 

[Towaliga]

I don't trust BBQ north of Carolina...

The last time I ate barbecue north of North Carolina, I was in a barbecue joint in New Jersey that everyone in my home office raved about. I asked the waitress what the side dish specialty was, and she said the couscous was good. I ordered a salad and haven’t been in a barbecue restaurant north of the Mason Dixon line since.