Sunday, August 31, 2008

King Otto's Konclusion

Each week I will break down the game hoping that watching it a second time, SU somehow wins.

Overall

HC
GRob coached this game just like the previous 35. That to me is a sign of an idiot. To expect different results playing the same way shows that he just doesnt get it. There was no sign of urgency. The first FG I go for it. You expect NW to score in the 30s and kicking FGs wont help you outscore them. You need a statement and only a TD can provide that. If my job were on the line I wouldnt go the conservative route. However I understand taking the 3 points. It isnt a big deal just not my style. But the 51 yard FG try was a no brainer to go for it on 4th down. He is still playing the game like it is the NFL. Still doesnt get it. Then before half he calls a TO on 3rd and 4 for NW. Now if that is 3rd and long I like the call. But 3rd and 4 is too easy to convert and allows a good possibility of NW getting points before half. NW was happy letting the clock roll. Let it. Even if you stop them SU would have 1 min left to score. Our O isnt doing that. The only way we score is with a punt block or big return. But GRob doesnt play for those, so whats the point?

OC
I thought the play calling was fine for the most part. I only had a big problem with 2 plays, but those may be on GRob too. Before the 51 yard FG with it 3rd and 3 we ran a 1 WR set and went up the middle. If you are gonna run why not spread it out with 3 WRs? Also we cant run for 3 yards consistently so why not throw? A run isnt bad if you plan on going for it on 4th down. Did GRob change his mind and make this call worse? The other call was the play before half. Take a knee and get out of there. At worst call a RB draw. Dont put the ball in ARobs hands as we did. I would like to see more deep shots but ARob wasnt even close with the few we did try. With it 3-0 and SU facing a 3rd and 7, Davis was wide open and ARob missed him badly. He hits Davis there and this game unfolds a lot differently. After that we never saw another deep pass. I have to wonder if he is hurt. Also we have very little to work with at WR. MBs job is not easy. I was a little disappointed we didnt run it up the middle better, being that DT Gill was out. Also I think playing 3 RBs is too much. We need to knock that down to 2. IMO I would move Brinkley to the slot and use him like we did Bailey. Throw bubble screens and run end arounds. Every now and then have him run out of a 2 back set.

QB
ARob will not win you any games but you can win with ARob. He had a bad game decision wise. On the safety it looked like he was trying to throw it away. I think the refs got it right. He threw a Pick 6 and almost did earlier (3-2 at the time) as well. He was lucky to only have 1 INT on the day. Then of course he is limited by his arm. He struggles with deep passes and sideline throws. It doesnt help that he takes too long to get the ball to his WR. Too often the WR is waiting for the pass. ARob needs to deliver it before the WR makes his break. Also ARob shows little mobility which hurts when you have a weak OL. Looking ahead we have plenty of depth at QB and with ARob we can win games.

RB
We have plenty of depth here. But trying to play 3 guys doesnt work. It doesnt allow for anyone to get a feel for the game. I would like to see Brinkley moved to the slot. Hogue is a beast and ran over a guy. However with the depth at RB and the future looking bright, he may need to move to LB next season.

WR/TE
We are very limited here. Lobdel dropped a few passes, as did Davis. I thought Sales looked the best. With no deep threat this group wont produce much. Maybe Merk needs to be moved back to WR? It hurts our depth at CB but he may be our only hope. This is a need position going forward.

OL
I thought the OL played much better. Remember they are young. However Chavers is a mess. He cannot see the field again this year. Gotta think Meldrum is hurt. How can he be any worse? Not much depth here but we should improve going forward.

DC
Here is where I have my biggest problem. Where do I start? First GRob has always played against the pass and been willing to give up the run. This game was no different. NW has a good passing attack and GRob wanted to slow that down. GRob forces the other team to be patient and it takes awhile to adjust, but once they did they moved the ball with ease in the second half. Which of course is another problem. Halftime adjustments. Other teams adjust to the D we show in the 1st half and we just go out and play exactly the same in the 2nd half. That is a huge reason why we are always outscored in the 3rd Q. I dont mind playing conservative in the first half to slow things down. But unleash hell in the second half. We Blitzed TWO times on Saturday. If you dont force the issue every now and then, you are relying on talent alone to make plays time and again. Well since we dont have a talent advanatge this is just assinine. Also by siting back you allow the O to get comfortable. That is the last thing you want. We just arent aggressive enough. You want to attack the LOS not sit back on your heels. Our LBs are too far off the LOS and are always waiting for the RB and never filling holes. There are even times when they run away from the ball because of their reads. That is ridiculous. LBs should seek and destroy not read and react. That is a bigger issue than our talent. He is slowing down the LBs and asking too much of them. He should be speading them up.

I hate the way GRob plays against the Spread. Instead of using an extra DB he moves out a LB. He also leaves the Ss well off the LOS. Then he plays the DL like a 3-4 D. He has a NT and two DEs between the G and T. Then he has two LBs over the DEs. This leaves the middle of the field open for a minium 5 yard gain time and again. And that is exactly what NW did. We were asking them to take it. Cant balme the kids there. And on another play I saw SU with 1 LB behind the DL. So we had 1 player on the second level. That isnt too easy to block. We played right into their hands. GRob had Santiago basically playing DE and he was too slow to make the plays. If he does make those plays several runs go nowhere. But is that his fault or the HCs for playing a slow DT at DE? You want speed against the Spread not power. Also the DEs seem to always close down hard and lose contain. This happens every year with every DE. So I have to think they are being taught this. Someone needs to be out there to protect against the QB run. This isnt the NFL, the QB actually runs from time to time. And why not have the DL slant or stunt or something? Can we try and help them out? Get some penetration and not jsut relay on idividual skill?

Same scheme, same results. The bend but dont break D is self defeating and wont win you any games. The killer was the drive after going up 10-9. We had momentum and instead of trying to keep it, we just sat back and let them go right down the field for a TD. That wasnt nearly as bad as their first TD. With it 3rd and 12 from about the 20, NW went with 5 WRs. SU countered with a base 4-3. One of the slots was left wide open for an easy TD. Why the F did we not play a Nickel or Dime package there? Did he expect an LB to cover a WR? That wouldnt work with NFL talent at LB and we dont have that. It is 3rd and 12 they aint running it. On top of that we didnt Blitz. So why have freaking 7 guys up front and only 4 DBs? That TD was all GRob. Pathetic.

Also why was Chiara getting so much PT? I like the kid and am rooting for him. But how does he beat out Suter? So a GRob recruit with good speed and some experience isnt good enough to beat out a P recruit who was converted from RB and has no experience? And that last drive when NW had their backups, GRob played Chiara and Giruzzi in garbage time instead of getting reps for Suter and Marionvich. Why?

DL
Santiago was basically playing the DE in a 3-4 and he couldnt handle it. He missed a bunch of plays. Not sure why he was even put in that position. Jones had his moments. Kimmel had a nice play. But for the most part the DL was quiet. There isnt much depth here going forward but we should be able to field able body starters.

LB
This position doesnt have much talent or depth. Looking ahead who the hell starts next year? We need a MLB badly. Maybe Hogue? If not we are screwed. The LBs sit back on their heels but I think that is more scheme than talent. That is our only saving grace with this group. Flaherty was quiet and Mele struggled big time. They never attack and are far off the LOS. Wouldnt you want to speed them up? Too much reading and not enough attacking. A few times I saw Smith line up and thought he was a DB. Who is that #25 over the slot? But it was our SLB. Great.

DB
We have some talent here but not much depth. McKinnon made some nice plays but also missed a few tackles. That till happen with a young player. Chiara got some PT. WTF happened to Suter? Brown made a nice INT. He gets quite a few of those. However I am still not a big fan. He is a poor tackler (he drops his head often), lacks speed, and takes bad angles on run and pass plays. He was beat bad on one play but the QB over threw the WR.

ST
Overall not to bad. I thought the KOs were good. Punts were as well, except for that 2nd one. The free kicked killed but that is a dumb rule. Would be nice to be more aggressive on STs. How about trying for a punt block? On all those 4th and shorts why not send a guy or two? Normally you fear a running into the kicker but with the gate protection that is nearly impossible to do. On one punt the ball was dropped and he still easily got it off. SU had no chance at returns in those cases since we were backed up. So you are wasting a good chance buy not trying for a punt block.


Game

1st Q

SU got the ball to start off the game. Suter hesitated to bring the ball out and only got to the 18. We started off with a toss and followed it with a play action pass resulting in a 1st down. So far so good. Then Brinkley had a cut back run (sealed off nicely by Fiametta) for 28 yards. Is this SU? We followed that up with a bubble screen to Bailey that went incomplete but coulda been caught. IMO I rather have Brinley out there if we are going to do that. So we had a 3rd and 7 and went Shotgun. ARob hit Davis, who made a good effort to get the first down. After a run, SU tried a stretch run that was killed by an awful block by Chavers. This would be the first of many mistakes for him. So SU was stuck in a 3rd and 7 and chose to run a bubble screen to Hogue. He gained just over 5 yards leaving a 4th and 2. Normally in this situation I say take the points and kick a FG. However you figure that this will be a high scoring game and you want to make a statement. You are not going to outscore them by kicking FGs and your team doesnt get the boost it needs with a FG. I would think a guy whose job is on the line would take the risk. It wasnt a big deal taking the 3 points but IMO I wouldnt. SU 3 NW 0

NW took the KO back to the 40. It was a combo of good blocking and poor coverage. This drive ended with a great INT by Brown. For all of his faults he does get a bunch of INTs. As for the rest of the drive not much happened. There was a play that NW ran and the D wasnt set up. At the time I was worried this would be a theme but it only happened one other time. The only other thing I could say is that I do not like SUs allignment against the Spread. We pretty much play a 3-2 front with the 2 LBs over the DEs. Which of course leaves the middle wide open for runs. SU 3 NW 0

Our next drive's second play had an end around to Bailey. They say he has a lot of speed but IMO I rather see DC3 and Hogue at RB and play Brinkley all the time at slot. Throw bubble screens to Brinkley and run end arounds. Every now and then go two back and let him carry. To me he is a bigger threat than anyone else lining up in the slot. SU was now faced with a 3rd and 7 and SU went Shotgun. Davis beat his man on the play and a good pass results in a looong gain. A bad pass results in the WR having to adjust to the ball and getting the 1st down. Well ARob threw a God awful pass that was no where near Davis. So the first drive stalled as a result of Chavers whiff and this one ARobs arm. Cant blame Browning so far. SU 3 NW 0

Long boomed a punt that just made the endzone, traveling over 70 yards. NW didnt take long to get back to mid field as Sutton busted a 24 yard run on the drives second play. I havent the clue why the LBs are so far off the LOS and never run Blitz. They are always waiting and never attacking. Wouldnt you want to speed them up by moving them around. Far too often against the Spread our LBs are trying to make tackles 5 yards past the LOS and not at the LOS. They dont look to fill holes but to read keys. Which of course makes them even slower then they are. A few plays later NW had a 3rd and 2 and Giruzzi had nice coverage on Sutton assisting in the dropped pass. Giruzzi played more of an OLB in a 3-4 than a DE this day. NW decided to punt with it 4th and 2 at the SU 40. Conservative call. Then again SU aint scoring points so why help them with field position? That is what killed SU in the first half. SU moved the ball some but was always backed up. At this point SUs D was just surviving. SU 3 NW 0

After the punt SU was at its 13 yard line. The drive started off well with a 10 yard run up the middle by Hogue. With Gill (NW DT) out I figured to see a lot of runs up the middle but we werent that successful at doing that. I would say most runs up the middle went 2-3 yards. A few plays later ARob threw a little behind Bruce Williams, who couldnt come up with the catch. Not a good pass but Bruce shoulda made it. I wonder if he had been a WR longer if he does pull it in. On 3rd and 8 Hogue busts up a 10 yard run for the first down. A few plays later we tried another swing to Bailey but the D was ready for it and made a tackle for a loss. On 3rd down and long ARob couldnt find a WR and dumped it to Hogue leaving SU to punt. SU 3 NW 0

The punt was short and only backed NW to their 23. The first play was a run for 5 yards but I have to wonder what the responsibilties were on the play. Giruzzi was lined up like a LB and came on the play. He dipped inside and the ball went outside. Was that his responsibilty? A few plays later Perkins missed a tackle resulting in a 7 yard run. This seems to be a recurring theme of GRobs Ds. They are far from hard hitting. Lots of arm tackling (or more appropriately missed arm tackling). At this point it seemed like NW was feeling SU out. They wanted to get a feel for our D before deciding how to attack. After getting a first down they tried a big strike. NWs best WR Peterman went deep and was wide open but was over thrown. So how did this happen? Well he was in the slot and had Mele covering him with no S help. Not sure how this happens. The next play was a QB run for 7 yards. On the play Perkins closed down hard on the RB and no one had contain. Based on how Perkins came down and the way the other DEs did this game and in the past, I have to think that is what they are being taught. Which of course leaves SU open to the QB run. Not very smart having no contain. So now it is 3rd down. SU gets some pressure by Art Jones but a short pass gets the 3 yards need for the first down. The 1st Q ends with SU leading 3-0.

2nd Q

The first play of the Q started with a NW run and a missed tackle by McKinnon. However Giruzzi was held on the play allowing the RB to be sprung and the play was brought back. Now with a 1st and long NW tried a bubble screen that was read nicely by McKinnon and stuffed. The next play was an underneath pass to a WR and he went by Flaherty who was too slow to react. AJ Brown made a nice play stopping it from being a bigger gain. So with it 3rd down what does SU do? WE BROUGHT A BLITZ!!!!! The first one of the GRob era I believe. Under pressure the QB throw it to the middle of the field but no WR was close enough to make a play. How do you like that? SU was aggressive on D and it resulted in a positive outcome? Who knew that this was possible? Ok it is 4th and 9 at the SU 33 and you are NW. What do you do? Well they go the ultra conservative route and punt again. SU somehow surives again but you can just feel the crack in the dam is about to break. SU 3 NW 0

Well the punt put SU back to its own 3. At this point SU has been backed up all day. Part of that is the Ds fault as they have been bending big time, but havent broken yet. The problem is this O cant score by driving the length of the field. So we have a D that is keeping points off the board for NW but is also keeping it of the board for SU as the field position is awful. DC3 gets his first action and picks up 3. However they call a fumble on the play and SU loses 2 of those back in recovering the ball. Bad break as it wasnt a fumble. Next play was another Chavers gaffe as he was beaten badly. It looked like it was a 1 WR set and ARob was angled like he was gonna throw it away toward the sideline. The ball looked to slip out in that direction which resulted in a safety being called for intentional grounding in the end zone. IMO ARob was not hit during the throw and was trying to throw it away. Cant blame the refs here. SU 3 NW 2

The free kick goes out of bounds at the NW 28 which results in a 30 yard penalty from the spot of the kick. So NW gets the ball at the 50. IMO that is a dumb rule. You should get 15 yards from where it goes out of bounds and call it a day. That is fair. This wasnt. The first play was a 5 yard run because Santiago couldnt close down form DE quick enough. I dont get why we played him at DE in basically a 3-4. He doesnt have the speed to make the plays. Several times this was a problem but I dont blame him as you are asking a DT to play like a DE. Against the Spread you need speed not size. No need for Santiago to be acting as a DE. Two plays later with it 3rd and short the QB over threw a wide open guy. So with it 4th and 3 at the 43 what did NW do? You guessed it, SU survived again. SU 3 NW 2

The punt was FC at the 8. Can we get some luck and a touch back please? We start off with a playaction pass to Fiametta and ARob just got the ball off avoiding a 2nd straight safety. Then we get another completion, this time to Davis. With it 2nd and short Bailey comes in but this time we fake the end around and give the ball to DC3 instead and he busts a long run. Wow SU is moving the ball. After a short run and a short pass SU faced a 3rd and 3. SU runs a 1 WR set and hands it off to DC3 up the middle for no gain. Now it is 4th and 3 from the 34. Even though the score is low at this point you can tell NW is just about to finally push through. So what does GRob do? He goes for the unlikely 51 yard FG, which of course was missed (although a good kick by Shadle). Also this made the call on 3rd down a bad one. If you are willing to go for it on 4th then a run up the middle with a 1 WR set is acceptable. Personally I would go 3 wide to spread them out alittle, but a run in that case is acceptable. However if you are not willing to go for it on 4th down you need to pass it there. SU cant get 3 yards when it counts on the ground, so a run makes no sense. Bad job here by both GRob and Browning. Unless of course GRob chickened out after the 3rd down run and changed his mind. We will never know. SU 3 NW 2.

NW opens up with a short pass that Chiara misses a tackle on. Wait a minute why the F is Chiara in? He is inexperienced on D and is a SR. Why play him over an inexperienced youngin who will help you long term? And where the F is Suter? He played plenty last year but is now 3rd string? This makes no sense. Next play the other Safety Brown was beat badly deep but luckily for SU the pass was overthrown. This is why I am not a fan of Brown starting. He lacks speed and doesnt take good angles in pass coverage or run support. He does make plays every now and then, but he messes up more often. Next play Sutton gets an 8 yard run up the gut. On the play both Mele and Flaherty were blocked but were engaged 5-6 yards away from the LOS. Why are they so far away and why are they not moving foward? They both play flat footed and it seems to me are thinking too much. GRob needs to be more aggressive. Now with it 3rd and 2 a short pass is dropped and NW has to punt from the SU 46. At this point NW is just not executing and is being very conservative by not going for it on 4th downs. SU 3 NW 2

The punt snap is dropped but SU isnt trying to get pressure on the punt and it goes out at the 4. Maybe that is how this guy is punting so well. He knows SU wont try and block it. Someone show GRob the end of the VT-ECU game please. During the break ESPN shows a ToT and uses as NWs athlete Joe Girardi. Are you serious? How about Otto Graham who likely was a better baseball player? SUs first play is a 3 yard pass (not long enough MB) that is dropped by Davis. Next play SU runs a play fake and ARob luckily throws a bad pass. Had it not been a low pass it woulda been a pick 6. The throw was very late and the CB was sitting on the play. But the low pass saved SU. On 3rd down ARob throws a 3 yard pass that Davis cant make in bounds. If you are gonna throw it that short why not run a draw? You get the same result. SU punts (a wobbly one at that) and NW takes over at their 45. SU 3 NW 2

NW ran up the middle and no LB was in sight. Flaherty was off to the side and Mele was slightly to the same side at the snap. So even before the play we are inviting them to run up the middle. On the snap both Flaherty and Mele go further away from the middle making things worse. Are they both just dumb? Or are they doing what they are taught? Or could it be both? Since your LBs have struggled to make reads for 3 years now against the Spread, how about trying something different? Like following the ball? Seak and destroy? Because read and react isnt working. Next play was a 12 yard run up the middle. Giruzzi lined up as a LB and came in on the play. He was picked up and no one filled in behind him leaving an easy gain. Spread OCs must drool seeing GRob Ds line up. Next play the QB faked to the RB and ran outside. Kimmel came down hard on the RB and lost contain. He was now the 4th guy to do this today (and 274th under GRob). Gotta think they are being taught this. However we did have a LB in the area (Smith) but he drifted inside and allowed a bigger run then should have been. BTW I cant believe he is our SLB. He looks more like a S out there. Several times he was lined up over a slot and I thought who is this #25 at DB? Another run up the middle another bad result. Santiago failed to make another play, then Smith missed a tackle, and Flaherty and Chiara converged to miss a tackle (is that 1/2 a miss each?) before the runner was finally brought down. The D has been soft from day 1 and that is a reflection of the DC (GRob). A hard nosed coach has a hard hitting D. With NW driving things start to turn around for SU. A false start, a nice stuff by Art Jones (who was quiet but likely double teamed all day), and a sh0rt run resulted in a 3rd and 12 inside the SU 20. NW lines up with 5 WRs and trips to the left. SU counters with 4 DBs. Yes 4 DBs. And not only that they have only Brown lined up with the 2 slots to the left. No LB shifted over there. Maybe SU is gonna Blitz? Nope, cant expect 2 in one game can we? Well both slots go into the endzone and Brown sticks with the closest one leaving the inside guy wide open. So who the F was suppossed to cover him, GRob? And why was there not atleast 5 DBs to counter 5 WRs on a 3rd and long? Were you expecting a run? Did you expect the LB to cover the WR some how? I dont care if you have Keith Bulluck out there that play woulda been a TD. That was all on Mr Robinsons brain fart 4-3 base D on a 3rd and long against 5 WRs. NW 9 SU 3

Suter gets a nice return to the 33. After a no gainer by Hogue, Lobdel drops a pass. Lobdel was sitting there about 2 yards off the LOS waiting for a pass. Ten minutes later the ball arrives and the DB is right there. Lobdel likely dropped it as a result of the DB closing down. But even if he did catch it, we only get 2 yards. WTF did ARob take so long to deliver the ball? It killed any chance at YAC. With it 3rd and 10 ARob throws underneath to Davis for 3 yards. I rather see a draw here if you arent gonna pass it past 5 yards. NW takes a TO with 2:15 left. NW 9 SU 3

A nice directional punt puts the ball out at the12. The first play Santiago miss plays the run and they gain 10. The next play is a run for 5 followed by another for no gain. That put Sutton over 100 yards for the half. Not good. So with it 3rd and 4 and NW happy to let time roll off, GRob takes a TO!!!!!!!!!!! Are you Fing kidding me? It is 3rd and 4, not 3rd and long. If they get the first down they are in good shape to score. There is a minute left in the half. If SU makes a stop on 3rd down, then what? We know we arent gonna go for a blocked punt or a punt return (as GRob doesnt care about STs), so he thinks the O will be able to get points with very little time left on the clock? Thats realistic. Well on the 3rd down play SU gets some pressure but the pass is complete to the 47. Uh oh. Next play Giruzzi gets some pressure and Holmes makes a nice stop tackling the WR after a 5 yard gain. Then Art Jones gets some pressure causing the QB to scramble out of bounds. And on 3rd down a pass gets overthrown. NW 9 SU 3

NW is forced to punt and instead of a FC we try to return it, time and place (way too dangerous). So with 20 secs left and deep in its own territory SU takes a knee right? Or atleast runs a draw to our best RB? Nope. We have ARob drop back and run what looks to be a draw. What? Not only was that a waste, it was dangerous. At the half NW leads 9-3.

Halftime Impressions

SU was surviving on D and lucky to only give up 9 points so far. They gave up over 100 yards on the ground to Sutton in the half. The NW QB was taken off his game but will likely adjust and have a good 2nd half. Santiago and Mele played poorly but were also asked to do things they arent capable of. GRob didnt coach any different on D and that inst a good thing. Can we attack atleast once a Q? Chavers struggled on O and killed a few drives. Playing 3 RBs is too much as it prevents any rythm. ARob has no arm and was far from accurate. Even so we have no WRs at all. I dont think the talent is that different, as NW is a mediocre team at best. But I still expect to lose by a lot.

3rd Q

SU kicks to NW and the ball goes through the end zone. We have had nice KOs which is good to see. First half stats are shown and SUs avg starting field position was the 15. That wont win you many games. We did rush for 96 yards which is a good sign. The first play Kimmel gets penetration and forces a fumble. SU recovers!!!! See what happens when you have and aggressive play, GRob? NW 9 SU 0

One 3rd and goal from the 3 Brinkley has a great run. I didnt like the play call of just running CB into the line, but he was able to avoid a tackle and bounce it outside for a TD. Also nice block by Bruce Williams to seal the corner. SU 10 NW 9

NWs second play of the drive goes for a nice pass gain. McKinnon made the "tackle" by just running into the WR, who stumbled and fell down. If he kept his balance he is still running. Our tackling is piss poor. Two plays later Giruzzi loses contain and NW gets 5 yards on the ground leaving a 3rd and 5. NW throws a screen and the only SU player to react accordingly was Art Jones who made a nice play to prevent a huge gain. However the play was made well downfield and NW had a new set of downs. NW ran two plays leaving a 3rd and short and then converts on a run. You cannot expect to get off the field with all these 3rd and shorts. SU has been lucky that NW didnt convert those in the 1st half. We need to do a better job on 1st down. The D started to do a little better at this point. On 1st down we got some pressure but the QB scrambled and passed for a nice gain. Then an incomplete pass through the end zone and a well played option left a 3rd down. What do we see here? SUs 2nd Blitz of the game!!!! SU forced a quick decision and bad pass. However McKinnon was called for PI. There was contact on the play but personally I think it shoulda been let go. Bad break for SU. NW now has the ball at the 2 and runs an option for the TD. However holding brings it back and gives SU another shot. After and incomplete pass NW isolated Sutton on Mele and scores a TD. On the play Mele had to come from LB toward Sutton who ran a swing pattern. Normally I would expect Mele to make the play but he had to fight through traffic (two NW WRs and 2 SU defenders) to get to Sutton. It was a nicely designed play that was executed perfectly. SU had momentum and the D gave it right back. I just wish SU would force the issue and try and win a game. NW 16 SU 10

More bad luck for SU as the KO came close to going out of bounds but didnt. Suter picked it up after the bounce and was only able to get to the 16. We open up in what looks to be the Spread and hand it off to CB. However Chavers is called for the false start, putting SU in a huge whole. The next play is a poor ARob pass that Lobdel cant catch, but should have. This is followed by another Chavers mistake as he is beaten badly for a sack. ARob did have time to elude the defender but should no escapability. So now we have 3rd and 25 thanks to Chavers. ARob dumps it off to CB, who runs into the ref before gaining 10. NW 16 SU 10

SU punts the ball away and it is well covered. NW runs the ball a few times getting nice gains on all of them. I am not a fan of SUs D allignment. The prupose of the Spread is to spread the D out but SU goes to the extreme. On one of these plays SU ran a 4-1 D. It isnt hard to run up the middle having only 5 guys in the box. Why not move a S up instead of spreading out your LBs? SU was making it easy on NWs O. The next play SU brings some pressure and stops a run for a loss. McKinnon was at the LOS and got penetration as did Perkins. Why cant we do this more often? Now with it 3rd and 12 the NW QB scrambles and picks up 6. So from the SU 36 and it 4th and 6 NW decides to.... punt. Ball is FC at the 15. NW 16 SU 10

At this point SU is hanging by a thread. NW is being conservative and playing the field position game knowing SU cant drive the length of the field. SUs first play is a fake end around, Hogue run up the middle for no gain. Then we go option and ARob gets about 5. Now with it 3rd down the game all but ends with 2:15 remaining in the 3rd Q. ARob stares down his WR and throws a Pick 6. The defender left his man wide open and broke on the other WRs route. Had ARob noticed this SU likely gets a big gain. Instead we have NW 23 SU 10.

Suter returns the kick to the 28. SU opens with a slant (likely trying to give ARob an easy pass for confidence). However the pass was awful and low going incomplete. ARob next pass is tipped but caught by Davis for a first down. Two plays later SU runs a slant for 7 yards but the refs call a chop block, killing the drive. On the play the C legally cut the DT but the DT made it look like he was engaged with the G as he grabbed the Gs jersey on the way down. It was a BS call that would hurt SUs momentum. The next play is a pass to Owen that was luckily not an INT. The pass was poor and low, thrown to a well covered player. A good pass may have been a pick. So with it 3rd and 22 ARob scrambles and runs out of bounds. However NW gets called for a questionable late hit. He did hit ARob out of bounds but it was right near the sideline. Personally I let that go. Maybe a make up call for the BS chop block? That ends the 3rd Q NW 23 SU 10

4th Q

The 4th Q opens with a hold by Chavers, as he is beaten badly. Not a good start. SU then runs a draw with DC3 gaining 7. Now comes an awful call from MB. SU runs an option for a loss. We dont have the players to run an option but even if we did you dont do it on 2nd and 13. Maybe MB thought it was 2nd and 3 and forgot the penalty? Also on the play Durand was bowled over by the DT. He is our best OL? That should never happen. On 3rd down SU is forced to call TO as the play clock was winding down. SU comes out of the TO and ARob hits Sales on a slant for 8 yards. It may have been more if ARob leads the WR there. With the ball on the NW 45 and it 4th and 7, SU punts. NW was playing for a fake on the play and Long boots it through the end zone. Awful punt. NW 23 SU 10

The next drive starts off well for the SU D as Jones gets penetration and tackles the RB fo no gain. However the next play is a 15 yard gain on a slant that Mele over played. Then Santiago wiffs on a 9 yard run. Quickly NW is at the 50. After a few plays NW busts a 20 yard run in which McKinnon wiffed on an ankle tackle 10 yards from the LOS and then Merk missed a tackle 5 yards later. Next play SU isnt lined up as NW runs a bubble screen for a short gain. Shockingly only the 2nd time for the D. NW then has a 15 yard TD run. The RB ran into the line and then bounced outside. Mele was just standing around doing nothing and didnt react when the RB bounced it. However the play was called back due to a hold. Next play is a 10 yard run up the middle. At this point NW has 200 yards rushing with 9 min left in the game. Two plays later NW gets a TD pass attacking Mele. NW ran a play fake and Mele played the run letting the TE release for the TD. Also NW had 215 yards passing at this point. The long drive puts the game out of reach. Too bad the D couldnt step up when needed. NW 30 SU 10

SU comes out with an 8 yard pass to Lobdel. ARob then scrambles for a first. After a 5 yard run Meldrum (now at RT over Chavers) is beat as CB is dropped for a short loss. Next play is a deep pass to Lobdel that isnt even close to him. However a questionable blow to the head call gives SU a first down. On the following play ARob gets pressure up the middle and has to scramble and throw the ball away. Although, it was right on the sideline and too close to an INT. Throw it well away ARob. That pass made me nervous. On the play Bartholomew looked outside in pass protetcion and let the DT go right by him. ARob follows that last play with another awful pass (this time a deep slant to Sales) that easily coulda been an INT. So with it 3rd and 10 ARob throws it for Lobdel but again the pass isnt even close. So from the 45 with 5:30 left and down 20, GRob decides to punt. IMO it isnt a big deal since the game is over. And we couldnt fake it as NW was playing fake. Just get outta the game, going for it is meaningless. NW 30 SU 10

NW takes over at their 15 and gets a 23 yard run. On the play Giruzi and McKinnon missed tackles. I am not sure why Giruzzi is in during garbage time. Why not put in a youngin? NW had their 2nd string QB in. Why do we have our starters? We see Suttons numbers and they are 21-144, 6.9 per carry. Not a sign of a good D. We slowed down their passing attack but it was obviously at the expense of the run. Next play is an 8 yard run that saw Flaherty dragged for 3 yards. Again why are the LBs making first contact 5 yards away from the LOS and not at the LOS? They are sitting back on their heels waiting for the RB. Attack! Next play we see more missed tackling (Nico Scott). Then a 7 yard run in which no one got off a block, followed by the same thing for an 8 yard gain. BTW Chiara is in at this point. Why? No clue. He is a SR what does he need practice for the Arena League next year? Get Suter in!!!! Next play is a QB run in which Giruzzi loses contain by closing hard on the RB. NW runs it one more time and the game ends NW 30 SU 10.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

New Name, Same game



Because Tale of the Tape is such an often used term in (boxing, other sports, politics, entertainment, etc) I decided that it was too generic and wanted something original. If everyone is using it then what makes mine any better? So I created a new name... Team Against Team: Trivia and Obscure Observations (TATTOO). Not only does it describe my team comparisons it allows me to add a new element... handing out tattoos to the winner. Since SU won the matchup against NW, they are awarded the first TATTOO, an Orange Wildcat (see above). Wear it proudly Syracuse.



Monday, August 25, 2008

Final Big East Predictions

This season is almost impossible to predict. The teams are so close. Which means we should see home field be the deciding factor. Here are my predictions:


WV 10-2 (7-0)
USF 9-3 (5-2)
Cincy 8-5 (4-3)
RU 7-5 (3-4)
SU 5-7 (3-4)
UConn 6-6 (2-5)
Louisville 7-5 (2-5)
Pitt 6-6 (2-5)


Cincy 8-5 (4-3)
Ws: Eastern Kentucky, Miami OH, @Akron, @Marshall, RU, USF, Pitt, SU
Ls: @Oklahoma, @UConn, @WV, @Louisville, @Hawaii

This is a hard team to figure. They have a big loss in Mauk, plus lost some players on D. I expect them to take a step back this year but how far? The sched is easy early. They start off with 4 cupcakes sandwiched around OU. They should start off 4-1 before BE play. That will give them confidence going up against RU. Cincy has given RU problems and the game is at home, so I see Cincy getting to 5-1, but having played no one. Then they have a bye before playing @UConn. That could be the make or break game for Cincy. They win that game they could go 11-2. They lose that game they could go 5-8. So will the extra week cool them off or better help prepare? If they lose the next 4 games are USF, @WV, @UL, and Pitt which all can be Ls. Then they finish with SU (which has played Cincy tight the last 3 years) and @Hawaii (who isnt nearly as good but still isnt an easy trip).


UConn 6-6 (2-5)
Ws: Hofstra, @Temple, UVA, Baylor, Cincy, Pitt
Ls: @Louisville, @UNC, @RU, WV, @SU, @USF

I almost feel like I could cut and paste the Cincy preview here. UConn too will fall, but how much. They start off with 4 games they should win to get to 4-0. Then they go to Louisville which could be a make or break game. They win that they could go 10-2. They lose they could go 4-8. That is followed with @UNC, Bye, @RU. Those are 3 road games that UConn could easily lose. If they do they are in trouble. If they make it out of those 3 with a couple of Ws they will be looking real good and have confidence going into home games against Cincy and WV. Then they finish @SU, @USF, and home against Pitt.


Louisville 7-5 (2-5)
Ws: UK, Tenn Tech, Kansas St, UConn, @Memphis, Midd Tenn, Cincy
Ls: USF, @SU, @Pitt, WV, @RU

Another hard team to figure. With all the players lost and off the field turmoil how will this team respond? They could pull together and really surprise. Or they could totally fold. Again the sched early is very favorable. They could be 3-0 going into BE play. Then if they beat UConn they could be 6-0 going into the USF game, which is the make or break game. They win that they could go 10-2. They lose that they could go 6-6. After USF they have @SU, @Pitt, Cincy, WV and finish @RU.


Pitt 6-6 (2-5)
Ws: Bowling Green, UB, Iowa, @Navy, RU, Louisville
Ls: @SU, @USF, @ND, @Cincy, WV, @UConn

This is everyones break out team of the year. But with QB and OL unsettled I think they are a year away. They start off with two teams they should beat but Wanny has been good for a WTF L early. Then they have Iowa, who they could easily lose to. Next up is a game @SU which could trip them up as well. A road game sandwiched between Iowa and USF isnt good. They lost to Navy last year but should get a road W here. Then are games against RU and @ND, which they could lose. That is followed by UL and then the hard finish of @Cincy, WV, @UConn. There really isnt an easy game in there, and IMO they have the hardest sched.


RU 7-5 (3-4)
Ws: UNC, @Navy, Morgan St, UConn, SU, Army, Louisville
Ls: Fresno St, @WV, @Cincy, @Pitt, @USF

They are another team that should fall. And the sched is set up awfully. They open with Fresno St, which I think will be an L. Then they have 2 weeks to prepare for UNC. That is their make or break game. They lose that they could end up 4-8. They win that they could go 9-3. They next 2 after UNC they should win OOC. Then they have a hard 4 game stretch @WV, @Cincy, UConn, and @Pitt. Then they end easier with SU, @USF, Army, and Louisville.


USF 9-3 (5-2)
Ws: UT Martin, @UCF, @FIU, @NC St, Pitt, SU, Louisville, RU, UConn
Ls: KU, @Cincy, @WV

I dont think USF is as strong as last year but the other BE teams have gotten much weaker. They could very easily be playing for the BE title Dec 6th @WV. They match up well with WV but a Fla team playing up North in Dec makes me think USF wont win that game. Besides WV, KU is the only team that USF should struggle against. Every other game is winnable.


SU 5-7 (3-4)
Ws: Akron, Northeastern, Pitt, UL, UConn
Ls: @NW, PSU, @WV, @USF, @RU, @ND, @Cincy

Ok maybe I am showing my bias here but I think SU could surprise. The young talent is there. Akron and NE should be Ws. Young teams dont usually win on the road so count those out. That leaves PSU, Pitt, UL, and UConn at home. PSU would be a program changing upset. The other 3 are all winnable. The make or break game for SU is Pitt. They win that I could see a Bowl being possible. They lose that it could be another 2-10 year.


WV 10-2 (7-0)
Ws: Nova, @ECU, Marshall, RU, SU, @UConn, Cincy, @UL, @Pitt, USF
Ls: @Colorado, Auburn

This is another team that I think will be down. But they have too much talent on O for the rest of the BE. The biggest threat to them is USF but they get them in Dec. With a new coach, a QB that gets hurt often, a RB who is small and may not be able to handle running between the Tackles, and not much on D, this team could easily fall. Plus when WV is favored the usually under achieve and when they arent favored they over achieve. Even with all of that going against them I cant see them losing to a weak BE. The way the sched is lined up they could go undefeated. OOC teh only real threats are @Colorado and home against Auburn. I think they lose to Colorado. That is a trap game. Colorado is in the 3rd year of a new coach and that usually is the break out year. Plus going cross country, isnt a good thing. Auburn I think has the speed to slow down WVs O much like USF has. Then you look at the BE they should win the home games. The road games should be Ws as well. WV is too fast for UConn or UL to slow down. Then they have Pitt, who WV will be pumped to beat as pay back. If I had to pick a make or break game for WV it would be Pitt. The week before is @UL and could be a trap. But I think they get by that. So Pitt becomes the big game they need. They lose and they could lose to USF as well. They win and they are likely BE champs.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Tale of the Tape: Syracuse at Northwestern

Thats right, it is back! The one... the only... ToT. Its the sport of kings, better than diamond rings. Football, Wildcats as in NW, SUs first opponent of the year. So with a new season upon us, what will SU do? Well the question isnt what are we going to do, its what arent we going to do (like block, stop other teams, win). Lets get this thing started. The time for doing has begun.



Born on Date
NW: 1851 vs SU: 1870
Advantage: NW… which was founded to serve the people of the Northwest Territory, hence the name.

Side note: in 1933 the University of Chicago proposed merging the two schools to save costs. The NW campus would be used for undergrad and the Chicago for grad. However NW eventually turned that down.

Founded by? Anyone? Anyone?
NW: Methodists vs SU: Methodists
Advantage: Push… John Evans, who Evanston is named after, was one of the founders of NW. Then he became Govna of the Territory of Colorado, founding the University of Denver out there.

Speaking of Evanston...
GPS (location)
NW: Evanston vs SU: Syracuse
Advantage: NW... they have a tax exempt status and pay no property taxes to the city


Evanston is located on...
Lake
NW: Michigan vs SU: Onondaga
Advantage: NW… you can actually swim in it

Also on Lake Michigan is...
Major City
NW: Chicago vs SU: NYC
Advantage: NW… even though it is the 2nd city, NW is practically part of Chicago. SU is nowhere near NY, no matter how hard TGD tries to prove otherwise.

You can get around Chicago by using the...
Train
NW: Purple Line of the El vs SU: Elmira Express Ernie Davis
Advantage: SU… lets see the Purple Line get a movie about it

Sticking with trains, as in minds....
Edumacation
NW: 12th vs SU: 53rd
Advantage: NW… WTF is happening to SU? It is bad enough that our sports have all hit the shitter. Do our academics need to too?


Communications School
NW: Medill vs SU: Newhouse
Advantage: SU… I dunno which is better but I do know we need a W somewhere


Some of those students run the...
School Paper
NW: Daily NW (1881) vs SU Daily Orange (1903)
Advantage: Push… I see both schools took a long time thinking up the name.


Sticking with names...
Team Name
NW: Wildcats vs SU: Orange
Advantage: NW... SU had its manhood taken away


A nickname often associated with ones manhood...
Mascot
NW: Willie the Wildcat vs SU: Otto the Orange
Advantage: SU… Willie sounds like a better name for South Carolinas mascot


Also supporting the team is the...
Band
NW: NUMB vs SU: SUMB
Advantage: SU… our band hurts your ears only sumb of the time (that’s because they aren’t large enough to make a lot of noise), while NW’s band will leave you feeling numb. Thank goodness they arent expected to be around for our game.


Staying with numb, as in numbers...
All Time Wins
NW: 459 vs SU: 670
Advantage: SU… NW holds the all time record for Ls, points allowed, and point differential.


They have been losing since...
First Year FB
NW: 1876 vs SU: 1889
Advantage: NW... at least they have been playing real teams unlike our friends in Jersey


And more NW futility...
FB Streaks
NW: Losing (34 straight games, 23 straight seasons 1972-1994) vs SU Winning (15 straight seasons 1987-2001, 22 straight with .500 or better 1950-1971)
Advantage: SU… when they set the 34 game record in 1981 (losing 61-14 to Mich St), students rushed the field to celebrate, chanting “we’re the worst” and took down the goalposts.

Speaking of Mich St…
Hardest Loss
NW: 41-38 to Mich St in 2006 (biggest comeback in NCAA history) vs SU: Our Manhood (going from Orangemen to Orange)
Advantage: Push… there are no winners here. In that game NW was up 38-3 with under 10 min in the 3rd Q.


Mich State is a conf rival but not NWs...
Biggest Rival
NW: Illinois vs SU: PSU???
Advantage: NW… they play Illinois for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk. Surprisingly NW only trails Illinois all time 44-52-5 and 28-33-2 since the Tomahawk was established. Also NW has played 8 teams (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mich, Minn, OSU, UP, and Wisc) more times than SU has played its “chief rival”.


And those teams play in the...
Founding Members of
NW: Big Ten vs SU Big East
Advantage: NW… can you try and sneak us in too? Please? BTW NW grads are likely the only ones in the B10 who can count to 11 and know how dumb a name the B10 is. In fact I once over heard a PSU grad saying that there are still 10 teams in the B10. They said that they play Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mich St, Minn, Northwestern, Ohio St, Purdue, and Wisconsin. That equals 10.


Conf Championships
NW: 8 vs SU: 4
Advantage: SU… the BE hasnt been around as long oherwise we would have more. Even so we have more conf championships since 1936 (4 to 3) and NW had none from 1936-1995.


The conf champ goes to the BCS...
Bowl Record
NW: 1-5 vs SU: 12-9-1
Advantage: SU… NWs first Bowl game was the 1949 Rose Bowl. Michigan was the conf champ but the rule back then said a team couldn’t go consecutive years. So NW played instead. Otherwise they would be Bowless until 1995. Ironically the first Bowl was the only one they won. They upset an undefeated Cal team that was coached by Pappy Waldorf, who was NWs coach from 1935-1946.


Sticking with coaches...
Former HCs
NW: Ara Parseghian, Dennis Green vs SU: Ben Schwartzwalder, Coach Mac
Advantage: NW… although our coaches were more successful while coaching for SU than they were for NW, overall their coaches had more success. I wonder what Green thought about Da Bears back then? Ara is 3rd all time in Ws at NW with a 36-35-1 record.


Current Coach that used to play LB
NW: Pat Fitzgerlad vs SU: Dan Conley
Advantage: NW... well HC is > LB coach. Also Fitzgerald won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards as a player. Plus the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.


Sticking with former players...
SB winning Giant
NW: Barry Coefield vs SU: David Tyree
Advantage: Push… we are all winners when the Giants are SB Champs. I wish this were a category every year.


Cleveland Brown Great
NW: Otto Graham vs SU: Jim Brown
Advantage: Push… Graham attended NW on a BBall schollie and was an All American in 1944. He also played 2 years of Baseball. Oddly he wore number 60 until the NFL put the rule in that linemen need to be numbers 50-79. His record with the Browns was 105-17-4, leading the team to 10 championship games in 10 seasons. He also played one season for the Rochester Royals (BBall), winning the league title.


All Pro Special Teamer
NW: Steve Tasker vs SU: David Tyree
Advantage: NW… Tyree deserves a second mention for The Catch but Tasker was the better STer.

Other Players of Note
NW: Paddy Driscoll, D’Wayne Bates, Napoleon Harris, Darnell Autry, Damien Anderson, Mike Adamle, Matt O’Dwyer, Luis Castillo, Barry Gardner vs SU: Donovan McNabb, Rob Moore, Joe Morris, Larry Csonka, Moose Johnston, Floyd Little, Jim Ringo, Tim Green, Ted Gregory
Advantage: SU… Driscoll is a HoFer, Autry finished 4th in the Heisman, and Adamle was host of American Gladiators but that still isn’t enough to beat out the SU players. Plus many more SU players of note were not mentioned above.


Both schools have former FB players that turned actors...
Original Gansta
NW: Fred The Hammer Williamson vs SU: Jim Brown
Advantage: NW… he still is getting work as an actor (Starsky and Hutch)


They mixed sports and entertainment which is now a specialty of...
ESPN Alumni
NW: J.A. Adande, Kevin Blackistone, Rich Eisen, Mike Greenberg, Brent Musburger, Rachel Nichols, Dave Revsine, Michael Wilbon vs SU: Matthew Berry, Sean McDonough, Dave Pasch, Dave Ryan, Jayson Stark, Mike Tirico
Advantage: SU… sorry but you gave the world Rachel Nichols and need to be punished. Not only does she have no talent, she is hard to look at. Damn HD.


Other Sports Alumni
NW: Luke Donald, Joe Girardi, Mark Loretta, Todd Martin, Debi Thomas vs SU: Melo, Dave Bing, Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly
Advantage: SU... we used to be a sports school


Sports Management Alumni
NW: Jerry Reinsdorf, Glen Grunwald vs SU: Al Davis, David Falk
Advantage: SU... with 2 of the most powerful people in sports


Sticking with power...
Political Alumni
NW: John Paul Stevens, William Jennings Bryan, Dick Gephardt, George McGovern, Adlai Stevenson vs SU: Al D'Amato, Joe Biden, Donna Shalala
Advantage: NW... they have bigger names. Although their guys often lose, just like NW FB


Sticking with failing...
Alumni that didn’t graduate
NW: Warren Beatty, Cindy Crawford, Jane Curtin, Shelley Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Orbach, Tony Randall, Hugh Hefner, Patti Davis vs SU: Vanessa Williams, Lou Reed
Advantage: NW... that is a pretty nice list


Other Well known alumni
NW: Ana Gasteyer (SNL), Charlton Heston, Richard Kline (Larry from Threes Company), Seth Meyers (SNL), Stephanie March (Law & Order SVU), Garry Marshall (creator Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, directed Pretty Woman), Charlotte Rae (Mrs Garrett), Robert Reed (Mike Brady), Jeri Ryan, David Schwimmer, Jerry Springer, McLean Stevenson (Colonel Blake M*A*S*H), Arthur Anderson, Darren Rovell (CNBC), Charles Mayo (Mayo Clinic) vs SU: Stephen Crane, Marv Albert, Len Berman, Bob Costas, Ian Eagle, Marty Glickman, Megyn Kelly, Ted Koppel, Steve Kroft, Bob Shannon, Dick Stockton, Dick Clark, Taye Diggs, Peter Falk, Carl Gottlieb, Grace Jones, Lisa Lampanelli, Aaron Sorkin, Jerry Stiller
Advantage: SU... both are impressive lists but most of theirs are from SNL and that hasnt been funny in decades.


Fake Alumnus
NW: Jim Levenstein (American Pie) vs SU: Sonny Koufax (Big Daddy)
Advantage: SU… Koufax is a good egg. But he fights like a girl.


Sticking with Big Daddy...
Daily Show
NW: Stephen Colbert (NW Grad) vs SU: Jon Stewart (played SU grad in Big Daddy)
Advantage: NW... SU needs no association with the unfunny Stewart, even if it is a fake association


Speaking of fake...
Cheating
NW: 2 BBall players convicted of fixing games in 1995 vs SU: MW allegedly cheated on tests
Advantage: Push… neither was a big deal since both programs sucked


But it doesnt look good for either school just like...
Bad Apple Prof
NW: Arthur Butz Holocaust denialist vs SU: Dr Boyce Watkins
Advantage: Push… there are no winners here.


Getting back to sports...
BBall
NW: never made NCAAs, last NIT 1999 vs SU: haven’t won a NCCA game since 2004
Advantage: SU… I thought we have had it bad the last few years.


A sport NW is actually good at...
Womens Lax
NW: 4 straight titles vs SU: Gait is our coach
Advantage: NW… but that wont be for very long


While we are on women (not literally)...
Alpha Phi
NW: headquarters are in Evanston vs SU: founded the sorority
Advantage: Push… the real winners are male students


Now lets put the women and children to bed and go lookin for dinner...
Eatery
NW: Unos Grill vs SU: Dino BBQ
Advantage: Push... the winner here is our stomachs


After dinner we can have an...
Ice Cream Sundae
NW: Evanston claims invented vs SU: Ithaca, Buffalo, and NYC all claim invented
Advantage: SU... we have them outnumbered


Some people may top their sundae with marhsmallows, which NW students used to throw during FB games played at...
No one, and I mean no one, comes into our house and pushes us around (Home Field)
NW: Ryan Field (47150) vs SU: Carrier Dome (49500)
Advantage: SU… Ryan field was built in 1926. Before 1997 it was named Dyche Stadium. Parts of the Express were filmed there.


Other NW tradions include:
-Painting The Rock, a giant boulder used as a canvas/billboard
-Dance Marathon, a 30 hour dancing fundraiser. I think this started to Save Ferris.
-Primal Scream, 9pm the Sunday before finals students scream
-Dillo Day, an annual festival in May the Saturday after classes end. It started in 1972 and features an all day concert. I wonder when this takes place. Is it between classes and finals? Or do they stick around after finals?


Getting back to ice cream, my best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw GRob at 31 Flavors last night. They said that SU maybe be running the...
Offense
NW: Spread (possibly hurry up) vs SU who knows (possibly the Spread)
Advantage: NW... somehow I have a feeling NW will be prepared for whatever O we run. I cant say the same about SU.


From Offense to Defense...
Bobby Boucher (best defender)
NW: John Gill vs SU: Art Jones
Advantage: SU... at least our guy will be playing


Which will effect the outcome and our record...
Head to Head
NW: 3 wins vs SU: 4 wins
Advantage: SU… hopefully it will become 5 or I will be feeling blue


Which is not a...
School Color
NW: Purple and White vs SU: Orange
Advantage: SU… purple? The only thing worse would be pink and green.


And finally this years category of the week...
I love the 80s (aka oh yeah I remember him)
NW: WR Curtis Duncan (1983-1986) vs SU: WR Rob Carpenter (1989-90)
Advantage: NW… both were in Super Tecmo Bowl. Duncan was almost impossible to get receptions for in that game as Hill, Givins, and Jeffires were the 3 best options. So Duncan was to the Oilers WRs as “that other guy” is to the Three Tenors.


There you have it folks, SU will pull out an extremely close high scoring game. And remember the numbers never lie. Enjoy the season cuz it goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Then again that could be a good thing if our team sucks. Until next time danke schon, baby, danke schon.







Monday, August 18, 2008

Word to the Wise

Do not mix alcohol with zeppoles. It will kill your stomach.

Now on to a more serious matter. Why do they not have a Tailgating Olympiad?
The events:

BeerPong
BocceBall
CanJam
CornHole
Croquet
Horseshoes
Trampoline- for the ladies (and our eyes)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Bud Tribbey Comedian


Apparently Bud Tribbey is the funniest Orangeman FB player (per Anthony Perkins and Nick Santiago). Well why not use his talents with a standup show post game? It may be the only thing this year that could keep the fans from leaving half way through the 3rd Q.

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