We just have to come out in the second half and re evaluate what we're doing with the offense.
Syracuse University football head coach Scott Shafer said those words to ESPN reporter Heather Cox at halftime of Syracuse's 31 15 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium.
Shafer was talking about only the first half but those words could apply to a larger philosophy for his offense.
It was hard to ignore the passionate outcry on social media in the comments sections on the bar stools in the stands at MetLife Stadium and elsewhere.
In a nutshell Syracuse football fans are getting mad as hell about George McDonald's offense and they aren't going to take this anymore.
Here's the irony of the situation Notre Dame put on a clinic of exactly what McDonald wants to do with his offense on Saturday night.
Notre Dame's dink and dunk display including quarterback Everett Golson's 25 straight completions shined a spotlight on McDonald's bind.
You remember the quote as well as I do.
We're going to open it up on offense and go full bore fast. Like an Oregon Texas AM style of offense.
McDonald said that to Sports Illustrated back in February.
But here's the thing You can build the same car as Texas AM Oregon and even Notre Dame but it's the engine that makes the car run smoothly.
The Irish showed the Orange what the bubble screen can do if you have the athletes to turn the corner the quarterback to time the throws and the blocking on the outside from your wide receivers to seal off the lanes to create big yardage.
The Syracuse defense before a national television audience gave the offense opportunity after opportunity by creating five turnovers despite the death by bubble screen provided by the Irish and the Syracuse offense did little with those opportunities.
The Orange was 3 for 15 on third down. Stop me if you heard this one before (like last week perhaps) but procedure penalties piled up. Terrel Hunt threw an interception on the first drive of the third quarter and the offense failed to convert on third and fourth and 1 plays on its next possession.
Riley Dixon was the Orange's leader rusher with 42 yards on one carry.
Repeat The punter was Syracuse's leading rusher with 42 yards.
McDonald has a choice to make. He can continue to make his current group of players try to fit a mold he's building for the future or he can decide what mold they fit into right now.
Louisville awaits on Friday night at the Carrier Dome and Syracuse can beat that team if the defense can continue to create turnovers.
But the offense has to get it together or McDonald may notice a bit more heat on his backside in the coming weeks.
The Sunny Sideraquo Football can be a funny sport. Despite Golson's near record setting display of efficiency the Syracuse defense truly kept the Orange in the game by creating turnovers and keeping the pressure on the Irish QB.
Kudos to Brandon Reddish (athletic interception) Durell Eskridge (pick six) Dyshawn Davis (11 tackles) and Ritchy Desir (nine tackles) for their individual performances.
raquo Despite the inefficiency overall Terrel Hunt showed he can toss the accurate deep ball at times. His opening throw to Brisly Estime for 38 yards was perfect. A 25 yard throw to Steve Ishmael and several big gains to Jarrod West were solid throws as well.
There needs to be more of them if the Syracuse offense is going to evolve but Hunt showed flashes he could do it against the Irish.
Kudos to Hunt for gutting out the game with an injured leg as well.
raquo Jarrod West was called on to step into a No. 1 receiver role with Ashton Broyld out of the game and he did that with eight catches for 108 yards.
Syracuse will need more of the same from West next week with Broyld out again.
The Dark Sideraquo If you told me before a football game that Syracuse would create five turnovers I would bet every single time they won that game.
Every time.
Instead SU's five turnovers against Notre Dame gets filed in the same numbers can be as cruel lie category as the 589 yards of offense Syracuse piled up on Maryland in Sept. 20 loss.
raquo If it weren't for the brilliant play of Riley Dixon this season the Syracuse special teams would be in full blown crisis mode.
Cole Murphy took over field goal duties for the shaky Ryan Norton and left the same amount of uncertainty in the air with a 39 yard make in the first quarter but a 37 yard doink in the fourth quarter.
Murphy also had an extra point blocked.
raquo While teammates in the secondary stepped up to help the turnover parade how many times did Julian Whigham pull a screw it I'm just going to mug this guy defense on a Irish receiver
Too many.
raquo What an embarrassing situation for the officials at the end of the first half when they blew a whistle too soon and took away a touchdown from Syracuse. Golson botched a spike and Syracuse's Julian Whigham picked up the ball and returned it for a touchdown.
Syracuse was awarded the ball after a lengthy review but they should have been awarded a defensive touchdown if common sense prevailed.
Referee must not be too quick to blow the whistle assuming the QB has control when he spikes it. I have seen this before.
Mike Pereira ( MikePereira) September 28 2014 This that and the other thingraquo Durell Eskridge's interception return for a TD in the fourth quarter was the first pick six by an Orange defender since Keon Lyn ran back an interception 31 yards for a score at Temple on Nov. 23 2012.
raquo Jarrod West became the 11th receiver in school history with 100 career receptions.raquo Attendance was 76 802 the largest crowd for a college football game at MetLife Stadium.
raquo Current New York Giants and Syracuse football alums Ryan Nassib Justin Pugh Jay Bromley and Jameel McClain accompanied SU captains Prince Tyson Gulley Cameron Lynch Sam Rodgers and Sean Hickey to midfield for the coin toss.
Former Syracuse basketball star Carmelo Anthony was spotted on the SU sideline as well.
. carmeloanthony on the sideline supporting CuseFootball vs Notre Dame MLStadium NDvsCUSE pic.twitter.com/Mlet0BQC5T
Syracuse Athletics ( Cuse) September 28 2014raquo Tweet of the night
The platinum look displayed by the Orange before a national TV audience wasn't a big hit with some.
Thank you ESPN_ReceDavis I don't mind them changing their uniforms. I hate it when I can't tell who the teams are at first glance.
Jon Solomon ( JonSolomonCBS) September 28 2014Even New York Lt. Governor Robert Duffy wasn't a fan.
OK my last official decision tonight Change the S.U. uniforms being worn tonight against Notre Dame. OMG.
Robert Duffy ( LtGovDuffyNY) September 28 2014Brent Axe baxe syracuse.com
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