#83 R.P.I. Virginia Tech vs. #6o R.P.I. Syracuse:

Today’s word of the day is…

Syracuse Head Coach: Dino Sean Babers: age=62, (4o–52 @’cuse; 73–65 overall); has a rep’ for rushing (ex-Hawaii Rb himself), being a Qb whisperer, and doing more with less.
And fo’ the most EPIC, All Coaching Conference preaching!
(was): $2,60o,000.oo ¦ (now): $3,500,000.oo

Baller Dino was born in Honolulu, grew up in San Diego, and attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa (1979–1983). A 1984 graduate of the University of Hawaii with a bachelor’s degree in education, Babers started at three different positions (OLb, Ss, and Rb) for the Warriors during his career, while earning Western Athletic Conference All-Academic honors. As a senior, he served as Hawaii’s special team captain and was the squad’s leading rusher. Dang!

Babers tried out for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League before an injury in training camp ended his playing career. Ouch.

Babers began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hawaii in 1984. From there, Babers coached at numerous schools highlighted by offensive coordinator positions at both Arizona and aTm as well as an assistant head coach position with U.C.L.A. After four years as an assistant at Baylor, in 2011, Babers was named as the new head football coach at Eastern Illinois University to replace Bob Spoo. In two seasons at Eastern Illinois, the Panthers made the playoffs both times, led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was a second-round pick in the 2o14 N.F.L. Draft.

On December 18, 2o13, Babers was hired as the new head coach at Bowling Green following the departure of the previous Falcons’ coach Dave Clawson to Wake Forest. Babers led Bowling Green to the 2o15 Mid-American Conference (M.A.C.) championship.

Dino has won at both of his previous head coaching stops (Bowing Green M.A.C. titlist) and led Eastern Illinois into the playoffs each year. Finished 1st place in the conference every single season as the big whistle prior to the ‘Cuse. Amassing 5-Conference championship blings and mutually 5-different (tho’ not all Venn Diagram overlapping) Conference Coach of the Year awards for his troubles.

Nevertheless, up in Will’s “Jiffy-Pop Dome”… Coach Dino has fallen off mo’ than a bit…

…he did tear it up with 10 wins back in 2o18, tho’ he has also posted a L’ing rec’ in every single other Orangeman season to date. Going: a pretty unsavory-looking 17-36 erstwhile to 2018 itself. There is mo’ than a few whispers that he needs this win. And frankly (see the pun), Dino is a sunset guy and as Will taught us likewise here… most coaches really drop after age=57. Twilighting in a young-man game is unforgiving just like dat.

The dino-saurus-sex, who received his master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Arizona State in 1987, and his wife, Susan, have four daughters
–Breeahnah, Tasha, Jazzmin, and Paris.

https://www.nunesmagician.com/2016/10/17/13296884/dino-babers-postgame-locker-room-speech-video-analysis-syracuse-virginia-tech

…and leasts we forgets… Dino enjoys beatin’-up on, us!

2022 record: 7 up 6 down and .5oo or 4×4 in the A.c.c.

Syracuse Portaling:

• QB Braden Davis (from South Carolina)
• OL Joe More (from Richmond)
• OL David Wohlabaugh (from Kentucky)
• DL Braylen Ingraham (from Alabama)
• LB Khalib Gilmore (from West Florida)
• DB Jayden Bellamy (from Notre Dame)
• S Jaeden Gould (from Nebraska)
• P Jack Stonehouse (from Missouri)
• LS Tom Callahan (from Fordham)

Syracuse Defense: (starters back=)
SP+ RK 40th in the nation (pre-season).

• (old/new: D’cord’ on board).
• New thirty-three base-D (3-3-5) on board to boot.
• 77th in Total D.
• 43rd vs. the run.
• 111th vs. the throw!
• Tho’, 52nd in Passing Efficiency D.
• 8th best in Zone D!!!
• in dLine Havoc. So, my previews all say… which is to say… their only halt-unit ’23 wonderment is the 1’s upfront here. As the ‘cuse saw all three starters from last year’s group depart, and the players that are left are both limited in experience and incredibly undersized. Hence the Orangeman flags here. As in… the ‘cuse only returns 1 in 6 of their ’22 Top-6 d-Linemen upfront here. Yikes! Veteran defensive end one, Caleb Okechukwu is the only one back and he is only so-so. Terry Lockett Dt1, is kinda a Fosterian 1-Gap guy and undersized (5′1o″) Kevon Darton has be a slight (pun intended) surprise here. As ‘cuse plays a lotta guys and they stay fresh upfront if not great and not good itself. As said… this is a so-so to modest layer there, tho’ they do their best to occupy bodies and keep the hind-8 clean as they can. There is that if nothing else. This is where 298-pound Alabama transfer Braylen Ingraham should help. The front wall is a mite small. Not tiny, just into Sammy Davis Jr. (Cannonball Run ‘zing’ from Dean) of “S, M, all”.
• in Linebacking Havoc. Linebacking is the deepest of the three traditional layers here. What with Lb1: Stefon Thompson, who had 79 tackles and six sacks in 2o21 before an injury cost him almost all of last year, is back. Ditto Mike-Lb2: Marlowe Max, who led the team with 91 tackles and 1o.5 tackles for a loss (T.F.L.) last season, plus Lb3 starter Derek McDonald. This is a solid if not outright good middle-D to be sure. Linebackers Stefon Thompson and Marlowe Wax are well-positioned to step into lead roles. Wax has been a House Of fumbles forced. A Vincet Price handys/tingler kinda guy. Leon Lowery your ad hoc Lb3’ish is a pass-rushing specialist. Lb’s are scaly on size, bigger in the middle, and leaner/quicker on edge.
• in Secondary Havoc. The Top-3 ’22 Cb’s are all gone and two of ’em are gone Pro’. So, there is a edge coverage drop-off here; and some feel it might be closer to a plummet. Both is code for both ’22 Cb1’s and their caddies here. Safeties Justin Barron, Alijah Clark, and Jason Simmons Jr. are far more trusty with the keys to the Co. Car here. And far mo’ experienced to boot. Middle-hind-5 is the better half of sorts here. Barron has been landing and crowning and rather princely alike. The integration of new faces: transfer defensive backs Jaeden Gould (Nebraska) and Jayden Bellamy (Notre Dame) has not gone to plan, and that has ‘capped this backside penta coverage set. Barron has a bit of a guided-missile look-n-feel to him, you’d best feel where Fs1, or #8 the Kenny Easley sized or 6′4″ and very lean/kinetic or strapping 234 pounders be.
  Their secondary is self-glossed: “The Mob”. With no word yet from Fredo that Eye could see… The defensive backfield is nearly heighty in vertical terms, though lighter than that in the seat of the pants. (All less the massive Barron, did I mention the massive Barron, yet?)

• D overall: The Odd 3-3-5 scheme remains; albeit under different leadership. Tony White left for Nebraska, and Syracuse replaced him with the Godfather of the 3-3-5, Rocky Long.
  That’s a big get folks. Like a Left-Coast O inking a collegiate Bill Walsh. Despite losing several key players from 2022, the defense is expected to be really good this season. Also, there appears to be more talent and depth throughout the roster on paper— i.e., there are pieces in place here and this is not a schematic retool or even reboot. Is it a reload, however?
  Well, Each of the three linebackers and five defensive backs with 400-plus snaps was either a freshman or a sophomore and each linebacker actually performed last year. So, the hind-8 is the strength here. That and White is black-n-blue on aging… nearly 74 yarns long is a lot to ask this side of ancient Adm. Adama of Battlestar Galactica fame here.
  Some of this is the flex/toggle in-out, and out-in of Odd and Even fronts alike. “Tricky” in a word.
• (film-study): Pretty much what I just wrote ^^^there^^^ and what Pry did tell the 4th-estate… there are a lotta levels, toggles, shifts, and even overshifts here. This many flexes and seemingly outta alignments tell you several thingys… First, it tells you they trust their kinetics or speeds to veloticize and ‘get there’. They trust their head-game or in-ring I.Q. to show you this many exotics. This in particular was curious to me in that they court 36% underclassmen and this D is a big earhole ask. It also left me wondering if they were a bit richrod or trying to gimmick or bait-n-switch you a mite. In lieu of having enuff Jimmys and Joes to just line up and plum whoop yah. Also curious was the ‘cuse Saftie(s) vertically stacking or covering a Linebacker. Like they were trying to force you to go the other way or away from a stacked look. The Orang have a lotta medium-man strengths that they shift in and out at times. They tackle low though reasonably well enuff at said. #8 (their: Rover1 the giant-sized Baron) has a hook-looking club on his left hand, St.Julia bless. Though other than he, this is a quick, darty version of a D. And same as richrod’s Odd-Stack there are seams to beat here downfield. Typically, 3 if not 2. And that means their 2nd-layer must stop you on stops lest you break contain and get into a seam itself. As said, D is quick/darty and this does inflict negative stops when they Gap jump your O successfully. They do allow things underneath and to the edges and they are not super physical. As their size would not Newtonian permit the same of course.
  The caveat being, that this is a quad-umbrella D that gives you shorter thingys to make you sustain longer drives. That and they do a lotta shifty things upfront. Hence there is short to middle— room; tho’ you have to be patient max’. No misQ’s. Stay on schedule. Can we do that for 4o to 80 yards on the reg’?
• ∑ (summary): returning D production=% is your conflict defender here.
  Understand, that it is a Killar-Lb1(s) or 2nd-layer first-place defensive set via design. They must thrive in the Linebacking corps to have the kinda success that White did merit out at San Diego and State and at New Mexico alike.
  Understand that this is (sorta) an undersized front-III via design. They design upon Gap-jumping and beating you to the spot if not to the punch itself. Maulers however they ain’t. And they do need to get off the field quickly enuff to stay O2-mask fresh. That, or court metric tons of depth for their undersized De-Nt-De upfront.
  As you see above… this ‘cuse D do VERY much tighten up as the field vertically constricts in the red zone; which should not be expected of an undersized unit. That’s coaching and efforting the verbs alike men. As these dirty little buggers are making northward bound plays upon breaking tape. Eye’d dare to say mo’ than forecast and possibly even mo’ than rightfully (utopian) expected. Again, that’s coaching and efforting the verbs. Bet the Over on the ‘cuse defensive caloric burn in-game here. As the really ‘flood’ or under-zone contest in/around the Line-of-Scrummage in the red zone. Pry himself glossed this an: ‘aggressive’ look in compression ≤20-yardline terms. It is high risk, however.
  Finally, this is a jittery-looking group at times on film, lining up or signaling in late, and they are nubile or a bit undercooked left-tail-wise on the whacky 3-3-5 Experience Curve itself.

BONUS: do be fully awares that this D advances the ‘ball upon recovery/interception at all times and at all costs. They take some extra risks here; though they are a brutal 7th best in Defensive TD’s scored to show for it to boot.

‘cuse Offense: (returning starters=)
SP+ RK 70th in the nation (pre-season).

• (new: O’cord’ on board too)!
• VERY centrist offensive to be sure… check it…
• 62nd in Total O.
• 52nd in ground O.
• 63rd in aerial O.
• 64th in Passing Efficiency O.
• 69th in Competition percentage O.
• 91st in Zone O, tho’!
• O overall:
• Rb1: and star Sean Tucker is gonzo. He a t.Bay Buc’. 3rd all-time ‘cuse rusher with is J.Brown & Co. sayin’ a little sompthin’-sompthin’. That’s the news-news. The even less good news is that would be Rb1: LeQuint Allen, who averaged 6.7 yards per carry last year and was in line to replace s.Tuck— was suspended by the school for the summer and fall semesters after an on-campus fight in December. He’s currently suing the school to regain his eligibility. Dang… Huggy-bear’s favorite Rb? That (sorta) leaves Rb3 or: ex-New Mexico State transfer Juwaun Price or Ju.Co. interesting prospect: JJ Branham. Although none of the above packs a serious pile-moving punch.
  LeQuint Allen, however; has emerged as your ’23 Rb1 nearly in a de facto state. Allen is said to have ‘burst’ tho’ he’s been more of a G.Sawyers final year maker/grinder of sorts who has (yet) to ‘burst’ clean. As the game log seems to suggest that Allen has enuff (available) wear-n-tear in him to pop ‘clean’ for a game and then needs a game or two to recover physically. He popped clean last time out; though he does get bonus R&R and that would seem to clean that up here. Gatorade New Jersey Football Player of the Year as a senior in H.S. with nearly 2K rushing yards attained. Leads ‘cuse in both Rushing and Catching, so; no wonder he wears down a bit at a raily looking 191 lbs. A scholastic seams (baseball) star who some also say was a better football Db1 than he was Rb1.
  2o8-pound Juwaun Price didn’t get a ton of work for the Orange last year, and he brings a little more thump and experience as a big part of the New Mexico State offense in 2021. Though he has disappointed a bit so far this campaign. Rb’s are not big. Nearly lowercase in fact.
• Wr(s)/Te1: Oronde Gadsden II, is 1st-string All-A.c.c. quality… sompthin’? Be that a Slot or Z guy, be that an H-back or a Wideout itself. He is legit. Nearly 6′6″ in height and a sculpted 219 lbs. means your matching-up with him is illegitimate. How legit you asks? How ’bout ~85% of his receptions go for chain-moving 1st-downs? That counts, and so do over 1.6k receiving yards in the last year-n-a-half and over double-digits in TDs on top of that. This dood is a playar with a secondary “a”. And the bane of secondaries everywhere. After OGII, our spies pointed out Alfrod and Brown as practice field excel guys. They are only (virtually) ≈1st place in catching and yarding alike. Brown seems to be the longer threat; though he, Alford, and Hatcher all cross-hatch medium+ to longer things on the reg’. Po’ Oronde is possibly done for the duration (right-Lisfranc injury, yikes! St.Sebastian bless). That hurts. He is/was a good Te1.
  Is your Te1 and he is. ‘cuse pass receivers do chuck the ball. They will Qb-pass throw and trickerate you with only 4 shopping days remaining until the 31st. Wr’s are tall tho’ leany.

  

• Qb1: 1st-leading passer and 2nd-leading rusher, Pivot1: Garrett Shrader and his hirsute face-fro’ are both back for ’23. Yes, grizzly Adams called and does not want his razor, back. I get that. As hommie looks like a wild man then he looks like a B-side Brit spy flick lead guy on the make. Curious and not a dull boy this ‘cuse Qb1. Though he can make plays with his hairy legs and he has a nose for the Qb-keeper endzone. Over 74o-yards in the last year-n-a-½ and right at 144 points when he goes surf-n-turn says so. The Passer Shrader is… ex-of-Miss.State where he had a pretty fair-to-middling rookie year and then had a nothing 2nd-year. SU’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll never sucks. Neither does the legit carrot or the high-flyers Pilot’s License or your very own aeroplane. Chicks dig the 5,28o′ Club… outsize that; if you, can. Garrett has hovered right at or near a useful-looking 2.5:1 career passing ratio (TDs:INT’s) every single year. So, he is football secure. He also has a history of being a bit of a m.Gibson Road Warrior Qb1. Although, he likewise has a history of being a 2nd-half of the year and 2nd-half of the season Qb1 who drops off a bit. As this kid takes his fair share of shots; and is not all that self-protective on film. He has a beard -so to speak- and his whiskers stop shots well enuf; it is just that it seems to wear on him a bit as the year wears along.
  Additionally, he is known to fight his teammates, a locker-room brawler. This included getting his damn orbital bone black-EYE’ed by an academic fraudulent Lb1 down at Miss.State!
  He is also a Qb1 in decline. Nearly everything Eye Split looked at… worse at/in: @Away, 2nd-half, 2Q, 4Q, and he has a history of Byron Scott hawt-n-cold streaks. Up-n-down yo-yo or Smothers Brothers Qb1.
  Finally, a third offensive coordinator in 3 seasons is duplication in triplicate or Radar o’Riley washing for Klinger mixed, up.
  Recall: spies said that Qb2, Justin Lamson had mounted a serious spring-game timeframe Qb1 charge up the depth chart and that he did have/has his suitors on the ‘cuse Offensive staff. And then? Well, then he kicked rocks and is the Stanford Cardinal Qb1c of sorts now.
  Qb2, (now), would be: Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. ‘los is a raw kinda Qb2, Kinda a FLA-Gator meatier/thicker version of our very own Drones. 48% collegiate passer with an even-steven 1:1 (four:four) passing ratio speaks to his rawness here. **** or 4-star guy who the 16th ranked Qb prospect per: 247Sports. (Now), seems a might oversold as an ATH playing Qb1 on the undercook. Is a Rhetoric major; so, you jus’ know he can run… smack!

• oLine: 40% of the ’22 starters have ’23 returned and one of that 60% went Pro’. So, there is a Talent and an Experience plus a Learning Curve M.I.A. in play here. As in… in the wake of the departures of All-A.c.c. left Ot1 Matthew Bergeron and two other starters there is a drop in 1’s Talent, depth, and experience alike. The 1’s are okay. And that’s that. My resourcing described this as a: “patchwork (starting) 5”. This is where the transfer portal has to play a big role with J’Onre Reed (JUCO) looking to take over at C1 and Richmond transfer Joe More moving in at one of the Ot1 spots. Left tackle Matthew Bergeron is off being an Atlanta Falcon, but Chris Bleich is a good one at right-G1. The 1’s are trying to be okay, the 2’s are south of them, some say by mo’ than a bit too. Run-shapes appear to be noticeably north of the V-shaped pass-pro’ cup here to me. Odd or left-hand oLine is pretty big, and then it downscales from house to apartments in Monopoly terms left to right after them. The G-c-G or the internal blocking wedge is better though average to me and the Ot’s are south of average at that.
• ∑ (summary): returning O production=% The offense is hoped to look a bit more like Dino Babers’ offenses have usually looked. Credit new offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who worked magic with virginia’s offense a year ago, with an up-tempo passing attack that should dovetail nicely with Babers’ history of fast-paced play. At least that was the theory; the reality has been a balanced enuff O, granted; though a C+++ O nearly everywhere you look. Maybe a lowest possible B— O if you are a family member of said O. Tho’ this is a medium-O. Not a BIG one.
  (film study): in theory… on Will’s Jiffy-Pop tin-foil dome paper… this is ‘posed to b a blend of Anae’s pro-style scheme and head coach Dino Babers’ veer-and-shoot offense. “In, theory.” In reality is is asking at least as much Veering from its Qb1 as expected; if not a bit more than expected. Rb1 newbie:
• (film-study): in brief… lotta base Spread/Gun looks that ‘cuse will mesh-point up and then left or right with the Hb in front of the Qb1/Garrett. Kind like the Hb runs a down-n-in or down-n-out for the initial R.P.O. read(s). ‘cuse seems (somehow/someway) to want to throw to set the run at times to me. They have a lotta formations/alignments, and realignments… like an Orthodontist coaching football. They will move or old-school: ‘waggle’ Garrett a bit odd or even. Kinda like a truncated Cox/Greenwood Dooley-prime look. ‘cuse does have some H-back/Te1 Wingback-looking sets and they favor that side as play-side work goes. Gar’ is still a bit of an AT&T guy or telegrapher of sorts as he locks in and stays play-side most of the time. Foreshadowing intended, as he ain’t got a whole helluva a lotta time to throw or set his feets. So, you gotta wonder if this many ½-rolls are born via a bastardized passing-V-cup? Jon Snow football if you will. ‘Cuse also packs an offset I look right beside the Qb1 to the short side. They do seem to favor Plunge looks here or Fb-leads; though they can play-action once they establish that. Orange oLine run shapes are either turn-n-shield enuff, or they seem to miss assignments and get blown up. Garrett does run and in particular Qb-draw very well. He is made for that (scripted) hesitation then “GO” look. O will go under-C for short-yardage and Off-T off the same. Not bad here, either. Gar’ has better feets than you expect, his cockeyed under C Weekend at Bernie (Kosar’s) look notwithstanding. Shrader does a lotta shoulder-shakes and pump-fakes; he will run or still pass off the same if you take the bait. You also will see some trapping Qb-lead plays here; not seen that since Vietnam give/take. Gar’ guides some of his throws— think a dart player remaining extended down at Ton-80 playing 21 back in the day. Could be a deflection or even an injury here.
• 55% run:pass 45% mix. is your secret sauce offender here.
  The ‘whispers’ say that Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae and Qb-Coach protégé Jason Beck are: “creative”, “explosive” and basically outside the (offensive)-T-box, thinkers if you will. Will that.

Orange Special Teams: (return)

Syracuse is 126th Nationally in Net Punting; and curiously enough so is P1, James Williams. 6′1″, 215 lb. r-Soph’ (though 4th cv19 year) booter here. Or they were… this year they have risen on up to a sporty 38th in Net Punting.

And the resume surely scholastically comes correct here… what with #2 (Rivals) Place-Kicker and no.4 (Kohl’s Kicking) Punter is about as VHT (very highly touted) as playing H.S. footsie gets. As this P1 can clearly double-dip as your K2 and that leaves you +1 as travel squad maths go. Anywho… Jimmy (who has been dinged-up; St.James Bless) was team Captain (as a specialist mind you) as a rising Sr. in the ATL down in Ga. Where he won about everything you municipally and AAAAAAAA (ocho-A) can win kicking/punting-wise in peach-state terms. The kicking camping vibes say Mr. Williams has legit range out into the FGA 60-yard marker. So, leg strength seems right as rain here. Did come up through something of a Kicking-Factory as his H.S. went… so, again, there has to be some legit leg-love here. Curiously, the P2 is the one with the one blocked punt this year here. As Jimmy’s punt pocket is 100% D-1 clean thus far. He can KO in a pinch and he has launched two punts north of 58-yards already. Prolly is the least experienced and possibly the most leg-talented P when he steps out onto the field each week this season. Check back in 2o24 and see if he is still P1 for Syracuse (or doing the legwork on Sundays for someone else)?

• 8oth in Punt Returns | 119th in KO returns! (Half, ouch).
• 1o5th in punt coverage | 119th and in suicide-squad!! Dangnation…
• has blocked 1 kick and allowed o kicks to be blocked.
• has blocked 1 punt and allowed o punts to be blocked. Better on blocks…

Well-seasoned Orange PK1: (Andre Szmyt) is now feelin’ a bit bearish over in Chi-town. That means that the ‘cuse is breaking in a new leg (no (bad) pun intended) this season. This after ‘dre only won the Lou Groza Award; that’s all. This brings us to PK1: Brady Denaburg; a true-Soph.

Who basically looks like the ‘legacy’ poster boy who will not spare you his… Frat’a’tudes. Amusement Park enthusiast, who does at least ride or die on American Muscle car(s). +1 from me and the Bandit and Cletus and fred the hound for that right there. Anywho… his prom date was a baseball bat. No joke. And he is said to be quite the hitter… just not sure on the switch part or not? Anywho*2… he was a Qb1 in high school (and a pretty fair to middling baseballer as well). So, trickeration is in play here. As… 3,22o yards and 30 Majors as a high school Sr. season Qb hurler does not suck. He can/does KO. And this does speak to his leaded foot, which is said to have a legit near 60-yard F.G.A. range. OFF the ground, (not teed-up) or Pro’ range mind yah. Member of the A.c.c. Honor Roll and a Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. This per a rarefied: not a dum’-jock, double major of: CPU-Science AND Mechanical Engineering is worth a Norris Hall +deux. The State title bling does not suck, either. As a college K1, Mister Benaburg is: 96% on P.A.T.’s and a reasonable debut year 7o% on F.G.A.’s. Is said to be a clutch K1 with several scholastic game-winning 3-point makes. 9th ranked K1 in ‘merica per 247Sports. He does only courted one 3-point make since 23.September. So, he may have hit a little bit of a collegiate kicking wall of sorts. Still yet, that much range is rangy indeed and this is a quality prospect if not a contender at the moment. Brandy has suffered no blocked kicks as the Henny has not had him; yet.

Unit Rankings:

1. VT D. (Been a while here, ain’t it?)
2. ‘cuse O.
3. ‘cuse D.
4. VT O.

X-factor(s):

• motive: Both need this one. VeeTee needs it no less and is @home for a national telly audience Hopefully that is the crux here. Edge=VT.
• weather:
• health/off-field: Both were a bit dingy coming into the OPEN week. VeeTee was a bit dingier. Tho’ the ‘cuse catch-corps has been shaky here. EDGE=fresh legs or: push.
• penalties: both teams are playing nearly undisciplined football of late. “Tweeter” that. Edge=yellow laundry if that is your favorite color.
• intangibles: All-important Turnover Margin is nearly awash… T.O.P. (time of possession) is a nifty looking near +4-minute Hokie hedge. Edge=VT.
• fatigue: N/A. Both are coming in off of 11 days’ rest. EDGE=push.

 

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of  Orange who could juice  @Tech=

the takeaway:

…the takeaway here is… oh how these two formerly mighty Big East breathern have All Charmin Conference gone big (y)east, fallen!

As these two trajectories have run roughshod indeed; if not in spades of late.

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‘Cuse has only once finished in the AP Top 25 poll since 2oo1; and closed ’22 on a six-game soggy-bottom schneid. This after a whopping: 5-win, then a lowly single-win then another 5-win season. Or, to put it another way; or to put it together… if you combined these two become (n)one, you might have one football team between ’em.

(pur: 2 winning seasons in 7/10ths of a decade and even when Eye combined annual wins; one time did these two fail to bust even (or: .5oo), together!)

Think about that folks… even melded they still got welded good-n-hard.

These ain’t to ships passing in the nite; these are two ships shipping h20 as Eye types.

***

#ChallangeA.c.c.epted… there are 1,440 minutes in a day and yet again VeeTee has gotta go Ric Flair as a 6o-minute man all nite, looooooong.

the optics…

…the ‘cuse just got done with: Clemson and at North Carolina and Florida State. You’d have to think that has left these Orangemen a bit black-n-blue or worn down a mite or two.

the skinny…

WWI: “The Great War”…

Trench Warfare favors…

Lo.FM (Long-field Management©)

• VeeTee is a balky 93rd best in 1st-down O | whereas ‘cuse is a nearly average 72nd best in 1st-down D.
• ‘cuse is an isomer of near average 75th best in 1st-down O | whereas VeeTee is a nearly scrappy 26th best in 1st-down D allowed!
• VeeTee is a basically sorry-looking 120th best in 3rd-down O | whereas ‘cuse is a below-average 88th best in 3rd-down D allowed.
• ‘cuse is a salty 22nd best in 3rd-down O | whereas VeeTee is a centrist 69th best in 3rd-down D allowed.

Lo.FM Analysis:
So, here we see that this is pretty close to a split vote. Nobody wants to truly cape di podium and: ‘speak’ up. Bang dat no T.O.S. and no hiding behind NO pay-wall gavel b.street! LOL!
(Did you get the colour coding? Left-to-Right?)

Anywho… tough to drop an advantageous gavel here either way… staying on schedule as vote-getting goes seems to favor VeeTee. However, keeping the gavel and not housing it away seems to favor 3rd-down ‘cuse. Edge=push. (Or, someone is gonna rise up and make that extra game-tilting play(s) or scheme(s), here). And be sure… this one is a very nearly tied one. Which you nearly never see.

TTT (Time To Throw©)

• The Hokies are a somewhat reversing 84th best in T.F.L. (tackles for a loss) allowed O | whilst the Orange is a very northward bound 14th best in T.F.L. inflicted D! WoW.
• The Orange is a middleocore 67th best in T.F.L. allowed O | whilst the Hokies are a ‘competitive’ 23rd best in T.F.L. inflicted D.
• The Hokies are a C- looking 78th best in Sacks allowed O | whilst the Orange is a very useful 25th best in Sacks inflicted D! Dang.
• The Orange is a near-sieve-like 100th best in Sacks allowed O | whilst the Hokies are a legionary 1oth best in Sacks inflicted D! “snap!”

TTT Analysis:
So, here we see that both defenses have the advantage. The Orange O is a little better at disallowing negative run-shapes and the Gobbler O is a little better at keeping their Qb1 upright and erect. The biggest checkmark is in rushing the Orangeman-Qb1. EDGE=the D‘s or maybes the Hokies by just a scosche if you just had to choose.

Performated TEXT

3-game splits:
These say… ‘cuse has cut an astounding near –15o ypg of Total O! ’bout –6o ypg rushing and the rest even worse from the throw-O. wow! The VT total O is up about +4o typ; virtually every inch of it is on the ground, too. The ‘cuse D is virtually as bad, having allowed close to –143 ypg worse of late! With nearly a centennial or –1oo ypg sucking via the airwaves as the ‘cuse passing D has been orange crushed of late. The VT D has tightened up by about 1.5 first downs or 15 ypg thriftier of late. With the run-D noticeably improving and the throw-D nearly trying to cancel culture that right on out. Mind the store here if our hind-4 is still in/out or gimpy again.

H/A,
These say… the ‘cuse O is not so roadie big; having cut close to -80 ypg in your house! Dang. This is due to the ‘cuse throwers coming up very short; with the ‘cuse rushers only off by about ½ a first-down or –5 ypg when visiting. The Gobbler’s total O is up right at +26 ypg @home. All via the V.T.C.C. Air Force. Tho’ this is a Wells misnomer as he is still skewing this (artificially) upwards a bit. That being said… the Orangemen road trip D is mo’ like Thelma and Louise or orangewimminz indeed. Dropping a nutty-looking –16o ypg to the nearly horrific when traveling. As nearly all of that (approx. –151 ypg) is due to a virtually worthless pass-D away from home. The Techmen D is ’bout +25 ypg improved @home. With an eerily similar rise in rush-D and a user-friendly near-negating fall in throw-fits on D @home. Watch this one too if Gar’ suddenly heat-check and pops throw-shapes clean.

Our handy dandy friend, the so-called: Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is merely calling for a near Major (TD) or 5-point Orange Crush from the ‘cuse. We nearly Purdue/Florida State vis-à-vis split this one here.

Triangle Theory says that… we needs one mo’ vertice.

the call…

the sportlight…

♥  ♣  ♦ ∪

Same as @hateful w.v.u. in ‘o5 when someone said that someone had to knock adam bednarik outta the game to win.

Someone has to kayo Garrett and his DS9 haberdashering style of rushing here for the Hokies to win. Someone does that and we have a shot. Someone does not and all the oddball schemes from ‘cuse will prove to be a, lot. Possibly a bit much…

Or, Arnhem hemmed down-n-in.

–oOo–

Or, at least so I thought… then I summoned the coffee -on vacation mind you- and ran the Splits…

‘cuse has something ‘rong with it.
And while Eye may not know what ‘it’ is I do know what it ain’t.
Less one pretty Talented Te1 dent; they is not in real bad health at all. Would that we all could…

So, it is something else, in italics.

‘Cuse is trending down, both H/A splits and Recent-3 splits say so.

• The 3-game splits said a whack-O looking ~+21-point Tech Triumph.
• The H/A splits said a mo reasonable looking ~13-point VicTory dance.
• βeta analysis was a virtual draw. Per: 1 spot separation on D and 2 spots separation on O. Push? Sister-kisser? Extra innings here we come?

“Aye” the level of competition did go up a mite… that did not help… and maybe Dino has one mo’ rally ’round the Flag speech left in his blowhard game? Maybe the OPEN week rinse some of this whatever ‘it’ is out?

Maybe it, don’t. Syracuse is in the midst of a 34-day stretch without playing a home game. And you gotta wonder when that takes you from Road Warriors to road weary. Or just road hard and hung up, wet?

See y’all in a game or two when I get back… Coach God Willing.

🙏>>>🏈

upset Index=39%.

#EarthEatsPandora!

#wimps!

Virginia Tech=36, Syracuse=2o

“LETS GO!“

Please support the VT F.C.A.!

“HOKIES!“

bourbonstreet**