Paper Tigers - Syracuse - Pitt Observations

As Champ has already told us, Saturday's Syracuse - Pitt game was rough. Really rough. It's been about 32 hours since the debacle ended and I think my head is clear enough to write about it. There's no pretty way to do this - so let's get to the observations.

- When assigning blame for this debacle, let's start with this space. All three of us, like most SU fans, put way too much stock in the win over South Florida. I was the moron who, just one week ago, ploclaimed that Syracuse has arrived. The lesson - we are idiots, but you already knew that.

- It's clear after having watched South Florida for a couple of weeks in a row, they simply aren't very good. However, Louisville is clearly better than they initally appeared to be. Conference wins are going to be tough, even in the crappy Big East.

- I should have known the game wasn't going to go well when the beer stand outside our section ran out of beer - BEFORE KICKOFF. Then they didn't know how to change the keg. Amateurs.

- Words can't decribe how much I hated the offensive gameplan. Syracuse tried to "out Pitt" Pittsburgh. The problem - the Orange tried to do with less talented players. I get the fact that Marrone wanted be "be physical" with Pitt and pound the ball at them. When the game was close (which wasn't much of the time) Syracuse was very conservative and didn't challenge Pitt vertically. Pitt struggles with teams that spread the field and stretch a defense, SU did neither. They didn't even try to do either.

- I only remember two real shots down the field - the first one Alec Lemon made an amazing catch and lead to SU's first TD. The other was incomplete.

- I know he played quite a bit yesterday I don't know what he's doing in practice - short of flipping Marrone off every other play - but can we please use Marcus Sales at the third wide out all the time? Nick Provo is a good guy and all, be he's not putting the fear of God in anyone when he's split wide in that spot. Neither is Ant Bailey for that matter. We've got a decent receiver, let's use him.

- Second straight bad game from Ryan Nassib. He's really starting down his primary receiver right now. We're talking sex offender at a play ground type of staring.

- The defense was so bad I don't even know where to start. OK, I know where to start - Tino Sunseri didn't get touched out there yesterday. No need for any post-game ice for Tino. If you play press coverage and try and get after QBs and you don't get close, you make an average QB look like Johnny Unitas.

- Nolan Weidner has a story about Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith leading the way for the defense. Custer also lead the way once.

- Pitt was clearly the more desperate team on Saturday. They played like they needed the game. They got it.

- What part of Orange out don't you understand CNY fans?


- The best part of the day might have been this homemade monster of a breakfast sandwich invented by our tailgating friend Joe. What you're looking at is a croissant, a sausage patty, and a french toast/egg casserole concotion fashioned into a heart stopping sandwich to start your day. Yes, I am a fat bastard.


- This was the most important game SU has played in 5 years - and easily the most disappointing. The season isn't over and it's just one game, but the Orange are going to have to figued out where they are headed - and fast. Because 4-4 is just around the corner.