After looking at the official game stat's, and they are bad, we may have some hope to hang what is left of our head on. Most of these are fixable, which explains the Monday morning special teams practice:
1) Our defense wasn't that bad. We held them to a total of 269 yards, and most of that was in the 4th quarter due to our incompetence on offense. Tech had an average field position of their 42 for the 1st half and their 48 for the 2nd.
We on the other hand had our 19 on the 1st and the 25 for the 2nd. Again, special teams put them in great position by either terrible punts or fumbles. I feel we can fix these with better punting and better ball control i.e. Peques.
2) Special teams absolutely killed us. The interceptions were bad, but we gave up more crap with special teams than I've ever seen. Case in point: They punted right before the end of the 1st half and downed it on our 1. We got held and had to punt from our 8.. The punt went 33 yards and they ran it back to our 13. That's a net of 5 yards.
Kickoff from the 2nd half-fumble, but we get it back with an interception. We move it up the field and stall out, but punt them into a field postion of the 19, worst of the night. We hold and then Smith fumbles and gives it to them on our 9. They score to go up by 2. We then get the ball and drive it right down the field before another interception with that late hit penalty. We get another personal foul and puts them down on the 12, but we hold them to a field goal. We get it and drive again, stall out, and punt it back. They drive and we hold them, but yet again, field goals from 50 and good.(special teams again). Then our only bright spot when we stall out yet again,and hit their runner on the punt. Great field position. But, we decide not to run, but throw it with Lee. We did not hand off to Dixon once during that last drive and have to punt-the dreaded 16 yarder.
I'm not feeling wooly by any means, but our defense didn't do that bad. They had their back against the wall all night, and by late in the 4th, they ran out of gas. They were on the field for 10+ minutes in the 4th. The offense did move the ball at times. The int's didn't help, but didn't put us in terrible shape like the special teams mistakes. I feel with Peques back and hopefully Richards will be punting, we'll see a definite turnaround. Don't give up hope yet. Just think back to LSU last year.
1) Our defense wasn't that bad. We held them to a total of 269 yards, and most of that was in the 4th quarter due to our incompetence on offense. Tech had an average field position of their 42 for the 1st half and their 48 for the 2nd.
We on the other hand had our 19 on the 1st and the 25 for the 2nd. Again, special teams put them in great position by either terrible punts or fumbles. I feel we can fix these with better punting and better ball control i.e. Peques.
2) Special teams absolutely killed us. The interceptions were bad, but we gave up more crap with special teams than I've ever seen. Case in point: They punted right before the end of the 1st half and downed it on our 1. We got held and had to punt from our 8.. The punt went 33 yards and they ran it back to our 13. That's a net of 5 yards.
Kickoff from the 2nd half-fumble, but we get it back with an interception. We move it up the field and stall out, but punt them into a field postion of the 19, worst of the night. We hold and then Smith fumbles and gives it to them on our 9. They score to go up by 2. We then get the ball and drive it right down the field before another interception with that late hit penalty. We get another personal foul and puts them down on the 12, but we hold them to a field goal. We get it and drive again, stall out, and punt it back. They drive and we hold them, but yet again, field goals from 50 and good.(special teams again). Then our only bright spot when we stall out yet again,and hit their runner on the punt. Great field position. But, we decide not to run, but throw it with Lee. We did not hand off to Dixon once during that last drive and have to punt-the dreaded 16 yarder.
I'm not feeling wooly by any means, but our defense didn't do that bad. They had their back against the wall all night, and by late in the 4th, they ran out of gas. They were on the field for 10+ minutes in the 4th. The offense did move the ball at times. The int's didn't help, but didn't put us in terrible shape like the special teams mistakes. I feel with Peques back and hopefully Richards will be punting, we'll see a definite turnaround. Don't give up hope yet. Just think back to LSU last year.
