The Orange ran the board in offensive metrics, particularly passing
Syracuse Orange Head Coach Fran Brown brought incredible success to the program in just his first year in charge. The Orange have already secured their best record since 2018, and many fans think things could have gone even better.
Despite some hiccups along the way, the Orange finished the season with a very strong statistical profile on the offensive end. Today, we will look at these numbers to see specifically what categories the Orange were elite in compared to their NCAA peers.
The threshold used today for statistics to be referenced were categories where the Orange ranked in the top 40 in the country. All stats are based off of SportSource’s database.
Chunk Plays
One space where the Orange thrived this season was in securing chunk plays, particularly in the passing game as Kyle McCord was absolutely lethal on passes within 20 yards.
The Orange ranked 4th in the country in 10+ yard plays with 214. They also ranked 6th in the country in 20+ yard plays with 72.
These numbers were largely due to SU’s passing prowess, having little to do with the run game. The Orange led the country in 10+ yard passing plays with 175. This means that over 80% of SU’s chunk plays came from passes.
Similarly, in the 20+ yard range, the Orange ranked as third-best in the nation with 63 passing plays of 20+ yards. This means that over 85% of SU’s 20+ yard plays came through the air. The Orange also ranked as 16th-best in the nation for 30+ yard plays with 23.
While these numbers are good to see, the Orange will need to find a better balance between the run and the pass going forward as to not become too over-reliant on the pass game. Additionally, with McCord set to leave, the Orange will likely not be able to rely on the same level of passing next year.
Conversions
In terms of converting and extending possessions, the Orange were also amongst the top teams in the country this year. SU averaged 25.8 first downs per game, ranking them as the third best in the nation.
The Orange were also able to extend the possessions when it mattered most. The team had a 49.5% 3rd down conversion rate, good enough for 9th-best in the nation. On 4th down, the team converted exactly 2/3s of their chances, placing them at 17th-best in the NCAA.
Struggles
While their are plenty of stats that paint a positive picture of SU’s season, almost all of them relate to the passing offense. In most other categories, the Orange struggled or were middle of the pack.
Starting on the rushing offense, SU was very poor, checking in at 127th in the nation. While this problem could be chalked up to SU relying heavily on their elite-tier quarterback, this is a system that they will not be able to sustain with other quarterbacks going forward. The Orange will need to recruit for the offensive line to sure things up and balance out their attack this season.
One of the seasons most significant struggles for the Orange was on special teams. The Orange ranked pretty poorly in most special teams metrics. The most eye-popping of these was on field-goals where the Orange hit only 60% of their attempts. This put the side at 123rd in the nation.
Given that two of SU’s losses were within two-field goals of winning and the fact that both games included missed field goals from the Orange, this shortcoming may just have been the difference between a good season and a truly elite one. I expect the Orange to find a solution to the kicking problem in the coming offseason.
Last but not least, the defense. The Orange failed to rank inside the top-40 in basically any defensive category. While they weren’t elite in any facet, the Orange also weren’t horrible in any facet either.
We all saw that the defense has the ability to reach a higher gear, but some tweaks will need to be made to see them reach that level on a consistent basis. If the defense can even slightly approach the level of the offense this year, then the Orange could really be set for success going forward.
General Offense
Aside from everything already mentioned, there are a few other feel-good stats for Orange fans when looking at the offense this year.
As already mentioned, the Orange were an elite tier offense this year. The team averaged 456.1 yards of total offense per game this year, good enough for 11th in the nation. The team also put up 32.6 points per game, which was 32nd in the nation.
As already discussed, most of this success can be attributed to the Orange’s passing offense which checked in as the very best in college football. Kyle McCord threw for an astounding 363.1 yards a game which is mind boggling really any way you look at it.
With the control and poise that SU had on offense, they also ranked as one of the best teams in the nation for controlling possession. The Orange had the 4th-best rate of possession per game with 33:41.
Finally, one problem that the Orange overcame this season that had been problematic in recent years was minimizing the rate of fumbles. The Orange fumbled the ball 12 times this year which put them at 39th in the country. This rate improved on previous years and allowed the SU offense to have more time and chances with the ball.
Overall, the Orange certainly enjoyed an improved season from a statistical standpoint compared to recent years. Although most of this improvement came in relation to the passing offense, the Orange demonstrated that they have this higher level in their locker.
This result leaves me with two main questions.
First, can SU find a quarterback to put up McCord-esque (or even slightly worse would be totally fine) numbers to keep the passing offense as one of the best in the nation?
Second, can the team make a jump in some of the other statistical categories to match the output of the passing offense?
With the portal now open, we will see how Coach Brown builds out his team, but there is certainly room to be hopeful for Cuse fans.