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The Syracuse Orange's 3-1 start is encouraging, and better than what we've seen in the last couple years. The focus on that improvement has been directed at both the opponents (less difficult than normal) and the quarterback play. But IS the QB play really improved over the course of Scott Shafer's tenure as head coach?
Well, yes and no. A look at the numbers first (by player and overall) over the course of the first four games from 2013 through 2015:
| 2015 | |||||||||
| Player | Comp. | Att. | % | Pass Yards | YPC | Pass TDs | INT | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
| Eric Dungey | 21 | 36 | 58.3% | 428 | 20.4 | 5 | 0 | 106 | 1 |
| Zack Mahoney | 20 | 42 | 47.6% | 173 | 8.7 | 3 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Austin Wilson | 4 | 8 | 50.0% | 49 | 12.3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Hunt | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 45 | 88 | 51.1% | 650 | 14.4 | 9 | 3 | 160 | 1 |
| 2014 | |||||||||
| Player | Comp. | Att. | % | Pass Yards | YPC | Pass TDs | INT | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
| Terrel Hunt | 66 | 113 | 58.4% | 782 | 11.8 | 1 | 2 | 299 | 6 |
| Austin Wilson | 11 | 17 | 64.7% | 89 | 8.1 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 0 |
| Riley Dixon | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 78 | 131 | 59.5% | 872 | 11.2 | 2 | 2 | 295 | 6 |
| 2013 | |||||||||
| Player | Comp. | Att. | % | Pass Yards | YPC | Pass TDs | INT | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
| Terrel Hunt | 33 | 43 | 76.7% | 468 | 14.2 | 7 | 0 | 91 | 2 |
| Drew Allen | 54 | 94 | 57.4% | 555 | 10.3 | 2 | 6 | -8 | 0 |
| Charley Loeb | 4 | 5 | 80.0% | 24 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 91 | 142 | 64.1% | 1047 | 11.5 | 9 | 6 | 83 | 2 |
***
Surprisingly, a bunch of the key metrics are actually DOWN when compared to previous seasons. Completions are just over half. Completion percentage is way down, as is yardage. But where we ARE seeing improvement -- and that's really the difference between 3-1 and 2-2 (SU's start in both 2013 and 2014, respectively). Yards per completion? A full three yards higher than last year's totals. And turnovers from the QB position? Three, which is higher than last season, but as a factor in TD-to-INT ratio, we're at 3:1 this year, versus 1:1 in 2014 (and 3:2 in 2013). I didn't bother adding rushing attempts in the ground numbers, but Hunt definitely ran a lot more in 2014 to get the team to that 295-yard total. This also doesn't even take into account the running backs, which have definitely been much more involved in Tim Lester's offense than they were under George McDonald...
The most important number of all, of course, is wins. And in that regard, Syracuse is 3-1, and that's improvement. Whether the opponents were better or worse is largely irrelevant since starting fast is the core demand on this or any other program. It gains confidence for players and keeps fans engaged. And so far, Orange fans certainly are engaged, even if it's not showing at the box office just yet.
Also of note, the Orange have lost the fifth game in each of Shafer's first two seasons. And have actually lost the fifth game in three of the last five years. The most recent victory was 2012's season-turning triumph over Pittsburgh. The other one over the last five? Over USF on the road, on October 9, 2010.