- Joined
- Oct 21, 2011
- Messages
- 16,202
Lot of repeating posts/threads these days. Think i've personally beat the "philosophy" horse actually into the ground. But, thought to show some numbers. I found stuff that didn't really surprise me, but sure as **** reminded me of how bad I feel about our state of affairs.
The style of play (offense focused):
We are 126th out of 128 teams in plays per game. We're actually DOWN a couple plays than what we did last year, as we sit at 62.2 plays/game. We run 17% more plays at home than we do away. Of course, we played Arky State and FAMU at home.
How this is relevant:
Some teams try to control the game by time of possession (TOP). They're intent on grinding it out and winning close, hard-fought games. An example is Stanford. While they're 116th our of 128 teams, they're also 3rd in total defense. By comparison, Miami is currently 38th (despite playing a lesser part of their schedule). Another example is Wisconsin, who is 100th out of 128th in plays per game, yet 8th overall in total defense.
For an ACC comparison, Pitt is 88th in plays per game, yet 11th in total defense. On the flip side of this style is Virginia, who is 25th in plays per game, but also 10th overall in total defense.
One cause for the above (defense focused):
We are 112th of 128 teams in opponent's time of possession. Everyone knows where I stand on this: we prefer death by 1000 stable, surefire cuts. Proof? We are 15th (!) out of 128 teams in opponent's yards per play.
How is this relevant: Basically, we prefer to give up a consistent 5 yards.
Getting other teams off the field:
We are 101 out of 128 teams in opponent 3rd down conversions per game. We essentially give teams 7 chances to continue their drives per game. For comparison, top 10 teams in this category give up half as much. From a percentage standpoint, we are 87th out of 128 teams.
How is this relevant: our early down strategy is broken and we are paralyzed by fear of the big play.
Is there a big surprise here?
No. Most know we're in bad shape. But, the numbers really provide clarity as to how we decide to go about our business: with unusual amounts of fear.
The style of play (offense focused):
We are 126th out of 128 teams in plays per game. We're actually DOWN a couple plays than what we did last year, as we sit at 62.2 plays/game. We run 17% more plays at home than we do away. Of course, we played Arky State and FAMU at home.
How this is relevant:
Some teams try to control the game by time of possession (TOP). They're intent on grinding it out and winning close, hard-fought games. An example is Stanford. While they're 116th our of 128 teams, they're also 3rd in total defense. By comparison, Miami is currently 38th (despite playing a lesser part of their schedule). Another example is Wisconsin, who is 100th out of 128th in plays per game, yet 8th overall in total defense.
For an ACC comparison, Pitt is 88th in plays per game, yet 11th in total defense. On the flip side of this style is Virginia, who is 25th in plays per game, but also 10th overall in total defense.
One cause for the above (defense focused):
We are 112th of 128 teams in opponent's time of possession. Everyone knows where I stand on this: we prefer death by 1000 stable, surefire cuts. Proof? We are 15th (!) out of 128 teams in opponent's yards per play.
How is this relevant: Basically, we prefer to give up a consistent 5 yards.
Getting other teams off the field:
We are 101 out of 128 teams in opponent 3rd down conversions per game. We essentially give teams 7 chances to continue their drives per game. For comparison, top 10 teams in this category give up half as much. From a percentage standpoint, we are 87th out of 128 teams.
How is this relevant: our early down strategy is broken and we are paralyzed by fear of the big play.
Is there a big surprise here?
No. Most know we're in bad shape. But, the numbers really provide clarity as to how we decide to go about our business: with unusual amounts of fear.
