Did we play Miami well?

33jacket

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We lost by double digits because of flat out poor play. We had stretches of ok play. But we imploded due to poor play.

So for me we didnt play well no. We were better than vs clemson. But this constant if this didnt happen mentality is bizarre. It did happen. Not only did it happen, but it is repeatedly happening game after game with not blocking the right person and turning people loose. Thats all mental.
 
tech_wreck47

tech_wreck47

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33jacket said:
We lost by double digits because of flat out poor play. We had stretches of ok play. But we imploded due to poor play.

So for me we didnt play well no. We were better than vs clemson. But this constant if this didnt happen mentality is bizarre. It did happen. Not only did it happen, but it is repeatedly happening game after game with not blocking the right person and turning people loose. Thats all mental.
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I get what you are saying but besides 4 plays we played well enough to win. The 4 plays im talking about are the two penalties that stalled drives that imo were unnecessary because without them we would have still got the first down, both of those were on drives that we were moving the ball at will. The other two were the fumble 6's. You take those 4 things away and it's a totally different game. It also hurt the way we had to play in the second half because we had to score quicker so we couldn't take 7 minute drives so that kinda makes it look like we didn't play as well as we actually did or possible would have if we could have stayed trying to run the clock down.
 
Vespidae

Vespidae

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tech_wreck47 said:
It also hurt the way we had to play in the second half because we had to score quicker so we couldn't take 7 minute drives
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This is an interesting comment. There was another post on the value (or lack of) on the TOP stat, so I look at the efficiency of the GT offense this season. Overall, we score 0.75 points per min of possession. In the Miami game, we scored .53 points/min of possession. Against Clemson, it was 0.25.

If we have an average game against Pitt (TOP around 30 min, more or less), we score 14-16 points. So to win with this number, you need to play field position and force a more conservative offense on the opponent. With good FP and few (if any) errors, we win.
 

takethepoints

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Vespidae said:
I think we have a chance to win if ... we make fewer mistakes and we improve field position.

I don't think TOP is meaningful for a TO offense. Should be a good game.
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I'm sorry, but I think you're wrong about TOP.

Ever since Bill Yoeman fielded the veer, one of the basic ideas in TO offenses has been to hold on to the ball and keep the opposing Ds on the field. If you do that (and play a little D yourself), by the end of the half the D on the other side will face up to their worse nightmare: on the field, tired, behind, and no end in sight as your opponents hold on to the ball and drive relentlessly down field. Their O gets frustrated too; they're behind (or not safely ahead) and know they aren't going to get too many more chances. And when they get on the field, they make mistakes, That's part of the basics of how the veer works, how Ballard's wishbone works, how the Crowder/Osborne I-bone works, and how Coach's spread option works.

I can see where you are coming from because the shotgun spread offenses so prevalent today don't work that way and include option plays. But they are generally not triple option plays; almost all the options in a shotgun spread are double options, very like the speed option we run. Also, these teams run a lot of run/pass options with their QBs (Kelly at Ole Miss is a master at this). They depend on scoring more quickly and piling up enough points early to win games. Well and good; it's a strategy that can work well, especially if you have really excellent skill players. But that isn't how our offense works.
 
Boomergump

Boomergump

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Good discussion. A couple thoughts:

I don't think we can minimize the effect on the game that the two scoop and score plays had. TOP and PTs per DR are important stats (and as good as any other) but they really don't tell the story. Ifs and buts stink, but if those plays don't happen, we were very close to beating them into submission. As it was, we still had them displaying some pretty bad body language out there, even with the lead. I firmly believe we had an 80% chance to win had this game been tied going into Q4. They had been out there a bunch and were ready to fold up the tent. Without having to throw because of the deficit, I think we could have death marched them to finish. Just my opinion from watching tape.
 
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