Syracuse Football: Breaking Down Offensive Play-Calling vs. Pittsburgh

Just when I thought I'd gotten over how excruciating this Pittsburgh game was the first time around, I watch it again and get angry all over again. There were some positive developments (we'll get there), but for the most part, everything was wiped away by a few questionable decisions later on in the game. We're all quick to point fingers at George McDonald (rightfully so), but it's also a team effort. According to the game announcers, McDonald and Terrel Hunt meet every Thursday to decide the first 12 plays. So successful starts, just as well as negative ones, should fall on the coach, the quarterback and the rest of the team, too, in terms of execution.

There's little point to comparing this game to the previous one against Florida State, but if that's something you'd like to do, here's a link.

First Quarter

DRIVE 1
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
13:19	1st and 10	SYR 33	Run	Smith	Dive	1 Yard Gain
12:48	2nd and 9	SYR 34	Run	Morris	Off-Tackle L	22 Yard Gain
12:31	1st and 10	PITT 44	Run	Hunt	Dive	8 Yard Gain
12:14	2nd and 2	PITT 36	Run	Smith	Dive	36 Yard Gain; TD
DRIVE 2
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
10:38	1st and 10	SYR 20	Run	McFarlane	End L	5 Yard Gain
10:08	2nd and 5	SYR 25	Run	McFarlane	Counter R	1 Yard Gain
9:41	3rd and 4	SYR 26	Pass	Wales	Middle R	11 Yard Gain
9:21	1st and 10	SYR 37	Pass	Broyld	Screen L	2 Yard Loss
8:44	2nd and 12	SYR 35	Run	Smith	End L	2 Yard Gain
8:21	3rd and 10	SYR 37	Pocket Breakdown; Run	Hunt	Dive	3 Yard Gain

Play-Call Breakdown: 7 runs, 3 passes

Due to a quick initial touchdown drive and Pitt's miserable, plodding offense, Syracuse only runs 10 plays in the first quarter. Things were going swimmingly running the ball until Sean Hickey was injured, and then that's when Aaron Donald happened. Without Hickey there, Donald got through the line almost immediately, shutting down our very effective interior run game. You know where this is eventually headed...

***

Second Quarter

DRIVE 3
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
13:18	1st and 10	SYR 15	Run	Smith	Off-Tackle L	1 Yard Gain
12:47	2nd and 9	SYR 16	Pass	Hunt	Short R	Incomplete
12:42	3rd and 9	SYR 16	Pass	Hunt	Middle L	Incomplete
DRIVE 4
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
10:13	1st and 10	SYR 6	Run	Smith	Dive	4 Yard Gain
9:53	2nd and 6	SYR 10	Run	Smith	Dive	2 Yard Gain
9:23	3rd and 4	SYR 12	Pass	Clark	Short R	6 Yard Gain
9:11	1st and 10	SYR 18	Pass	Broyld	Screen L	11 Yard Gain
8:57	1st and 10	SYR 29	Run	Hunt	Dive	4 Yard Gain
8:30	2nd and 6	SYR 34	Run	Morris	Off-Tackle L	5 Yard Gain
7:58	3rd and 1	SYR 39	Pass	Hunt	Short M	Incomplete
DRIVE 5
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
3:00	1st and 10	SYR 14	Run	McFarlane	Dive	2 Yard Gain
2:27	2nd and 8	SYR 16	Pass	Clark	Screen R	19 Yard Gain
2:17	2nd and 8	SYR 35	PENALTY (Holding)	Cornelius	N/A	10 Yard Loss
2:03	1st and 10	SYR 25	Pocket Breakdown; Run	Hunt	End R	11 Yard Gain
1:56	1st and 10	SYR 36	Run	Smith	End R	5 Yard Gain
1:34	2nd and 5	SYR 41	Pass	Broyld	Screen L	3 Yard Loss
0:54	3rd and 8	SYR 38	Pocket Breakdown; Run	Hunt	Dive	0 Yard Gain
DRIVE 6
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
0:35	1st and 10	PITT 24	Pass	Hunt	Deep L	Incomplete
0:29	2nd and 10	PITT 24	Run	Hunt	End L	0 Yard Gain
0:21	3rd and 10	PITT 24	Pass	Hunt	Deep L	Incomplete
0:14	4th and 10	PITT 24	Field Goal	Norton	N/A	FG is Good

Play-Call Breakdown: 11 passes, 8 runs

The play-calling switch is apparent here in the second quarter, and while I'd love to complain about the pass-to-run ratio (still not ideal), it's understandable given the circumstances. What makes less sense is the vendetta every ACC referee seems to have against the Orange when it comes to pass interference. It's not captured in the grid above, but we saw the first of many Hunt throws that would have been delivered accurately if not for some illegal -- yet uncalled -- contact.

***

Third Quarter

DRIVE 7
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
14:47	1st and 10	SYR 30	Run	Smith	End L	3 Yard Loss
14:27	2nd and 13	SYR 27	Pass	Cornelius	Middle L	11 Yard Gain
13:50	3rd and 2	SYR 38	Run	Smith	Dive	3 Yard Gain
13:24	1st and 10	SYR 41	Run	Morris	Dive	0 Yard Gain
12:58	2nd and 10	SYR 41	Run	Morris	Off-Tackle L	0 Yard Gain
12:17	3rd and 10	SYR 41	Pass (Sack)	Hunt	N/A	2 Yard Loss
DRIVE 8
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
8:32	1st and 10	SYR 38	Pass	Wales	Middle R	10 Yard Gain
8:12	1st and 10	SYR 48	Run	Smith	Dive	15 Yard Gain
7:48	1st and 10	PITT 37	Run (Fumbled Snap)	Hunt	N/A	11 Yard Loss
7:11	2nd and 21	PITT 48	Run	McFarlane	Off-Tackle R	6 Yard Gain
6:32	3rd and 15	PITT 42	Pass	Cornelius	Deep R	42 Yard Gain; TD
DRIVE 9
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
4:52	1st and 10	SYR 32	Pass	Cleveland	Short R	2 Yard Gain
4:24	2nd and 8	SYR 34	Run	Smith	Counter L	1 Yard Loss
3:41	3rd and 9	SYR 33	Pass	Broyld	Screen R	4 Yard Gain

Play-Call Breakdown: 8 runs, 6 passes

This is where some of questionable play-calling starts to creep in, as well as what might have been the best pass we've seen Hunt throw as a collegiate player. Immediately identifying the man coverage on Cornelius on the 42-yard score was a sign of real maturity for our quarterback, and a sign that maybe he can develop into a true passer over time. Unfortunately, the running game looked to be in shambles by this point, though. We were running Smith outside and Morris and McFarlane inside, while also stalling out near mid-field again -- especially on drive 7.

***

Fourth Quarter

DRIVE 10
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
14:53	1st and 10	SYR 7	Run	Morris	Off-Tackle L	6 Yard Gain
14:24	2nd and 4	SYR 13	Run	Smith	End R	12 Yard Gain
14:06	1st and 10	SYR 25	Pass	Clark	Screen L	5 Yard Gain
13:34	2nd and 5	SYR 30	PENALTY (False Start)	Parris	N/A	5 Yard Loss
13:19	2nd and 10	SYR 25	Run	Smith	Dive	5 Yard Gain
12:36	3rd and 5	SYR 30	Pass	Hunt	Middle R	Incomplete
DRIVE 11
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
12:18	1st and 10	SYR 49	Flea Flicker; Pass	Hunt	Deep M	Incomplete
12:12	2nd and 10	SYR 49	Run	McFarlane	Dive	6 Yard Gain
11:45	3rd and 4	PITT 45	Run	Smith	Counter L	4 Yard Gain
11:16	1st and 10	PITT 41	Run	McFarlane	Dive	2 Yard Loss
10:37	2nd and 12	PITT 43	PENALTY (Illegal Hands)	Donald	N/A	15 Yard Gain
10:29	1st and 10	PITT 28	Pass	McFarlane	Short M	0 Yard Gain
9:50	2nd and 10	PITT 28	Run	Smith	End R	1 Yard Loss
9:30	3rd and 11	PITT 29	Pass	Broyld	Screen L	5 Yard Gain
8:44	4th and 6	PITT 24	Field Goal	Norton	N/A	FG is No Good
DRIVE 12
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
7:04	1st and 10	SYR 38	Run	Smith	End R	1 Yard Gain
6:28	2nd and 9	SYR 39	Pass	Wales	Middle R	12 Yard Gain
6:07	1st and 10	PITT 49	Option; Run	Broyld	End L	1 Yard Loss
5:33	2nd and 11	50 Yard Line	Run	Morris	Dive	0 Yard Gain
4:50	3rd and 11	50 Yard Line	Pass	Hunt	Sideline R	Incomplete
DRIVE 13
Time	Down	Ball	Run/Pass	Player	Direction	Result
2:36	1st and 10	SYR 44	Run	Morris	End L	3 Yard Loss
2:10	2nd and 13	SYR 41	PENALTY (Sub. Infrac.)	N/A	N/A	5 Yard Gain
2:03	2nd and 8	SYR 46	PENALTY (Holding)	Trudo	N/A	10 Yard Loss
1:38	2nd and 18	SYR 36	Pass	Broyld	Screen R	10 Yard Gain
1:32	3rd and 8	SYR 46	Pass	Clark	Middle R	16 Yard Gain
1:17	1st and 10	PITT 38	Run	Smith	End R	2 Yard Gain
1:12	2nd and 8	PITT 36	Pass	McFarlane	Screen R	0 Yard Gain
1:08	3rd and 8	PITT 36	Pass	Hunt	Short R	Incomplete
1:03	4th and 8	PITT 36	Pass	Hunt	Middle R	Incomplete

Play-Call Breakdown: 12 runs, 12 passes

A couple things: Trudo's holding call was a killer. Clark was interfered with multiple times on the drive, and once again, nothing was called. If the running around the end wasn't aggravating enough, you look directly above us and remember what those final few plays looked like in all their horrifying ineptitude. Paul Chryst timeout and Charley Loeb's ill-advised decision to follow through with the fake aside, calling screens and end runs late in the fourth with zero timeouts makes no sense. The last play of the game -- a three-yard slant on 4th and 8 -- sends me into fits of rage.

***

Some trends/numbers to note:

• Overall play-calling breakdown: 35 runs v. 32 passes
• First half play-calling: 15 runs, 14 passes (16 first-half runs last week)
  
• First downs: 14 total (8 passing, 5 rushing, 1 penalty)
  
• First down play selection: 18 called runs, 9 called passes (22:8 last week)
  
• First down play selection on subsequent sets of downs: 9 called runs, 5 called passes (13:4 last week)
• Second down play selection: 15 called runs, 7 called passes
  
• Third down play selection: 15 called passes, 2 called runs (really?!)
  
• Third down conversion: 5-for-17 (3 passes, 2 runs)
• Five Syracuse drives began past its own 35, yet they came away with zero points on three of those
  
• Just two three-and-outs for the Orange
  
• SU had at least one play go for a loss on eight different drives (six in the second half)

We've bounced around a bunch of thoughts up above, but we'll focus on a few (some related, some not) down here. Syracuse only converts on 34.83 percent of third downs, which puts them at 100th in the country. Also, as I mentioned in the comments following the game, the Orange are the eighth-most penalized team in the country, with 7.7 per game. So yes, Scott Shafer, these do matter. Speaking of penalties, I'd list out every pass interference call that we haven't gotten over the past five games or so, but I value my sanity.

Just to hammer home just how horrendous the play-calling was on that final drive: Six consecutive plays run to the short side of the field (and a fake that also would've gone the same way had it counted). With no timeouts and 1:17 left, McDonald dialed up an end run with our best interior back from the Pitt 38. After that failed play, we then threw a two-yard screen pass. Regaining possession with 2:36 remaining, SU ran just one offensive play in their first minute with the ball. Oh, and holy shit, why are you calling for/looking for/even considering a three-yard slant on 4th and 8?

Because this is always "fun," the yardage breakdown for interior v. end runs this game: Syracuse ran the ball (includes Hunt scrambles) to the interior part of the line 24 times for 127 yards (5.3 yards per carry). On the flip side, they ran it to the outside 12 times for 30 yards (2.5 yards per carry). Most maddening part of this is that the final five runs around the end (all in the fourth quarter) yielded minus-2 yards. WHY ARE WE DOING THIS SO MUCH/AT ALL? You'd think McDonald was paid to call plays or something.

Anything else jump out at you? Feel free to dive in and bring up any other trends I didn't call out above. The comment section and this data is your oyster...

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• ACC Football Recap, Week 13: UNC, FSU Each Hang 80 on Overmatched Opponents
• SU Football: Show Up Late, Leave Early
• Syracuse vs. BC: Eagles Open As 2.5-Point Favorite
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