Football question - how many games this year did we come out ready to play?

[Bulldogg31]

One or two maybe?

La Tech - not really
NC State - Yes?
Memphis - nope
LSU - nope
TAMU - yes
Bama - nope
Kentucky - nope
Arky - nope
Auburn - nope
Ole Miss - nope
TTU - nope

(I’m not even counting Vandy and TNST because they’re horrific.)

So basically two games this year we looked ready to play. Texas A&M and NC State.

Frankly even those are questionable. The kickoff return against NCST set a good tone but the offense sputtered for a long while.

That’s coaching, right?

 

[RiceDawg]

We had a fumble on the opening drive against Memphis and then scored 17 unanswered

 

[DAWGS1.sixpack]

I’d say LSU yes, we came on two 1st Qrt drives and moved the ball down the field, we just turned it over on those two drives unfortunately.

 

[Smoked Toag]

Wrong on Kentucky and Ole Miss. We were ready to play those games.

Those of you who know football understand that you're only going to come in emotionally high about a quarter of the games. Another quarter you'll be workmanlike. The rest you'll have to rely on talent to get you through. That's how it works, and you know this if you've played football.

 

[RiceDawg]

We were not ready to play in every game in which we did not throw a 75 yard TD on the first play

 

[Bulldogg31]

Wrong on Kentucky and Ole Miss. We were ready to play those games.

Those of you who know football understand that you're only going to come in emotionally high about a quarter of the games. Another quarter you'll be workmanlike. The rest you'll have to rely on talent to get you through. That's how it works, and you know this if you've played football.

We scored 3 points in the first 20 minutes against Memphis.

We were down 10-0 to Kentucky halfway through the second quarter.

We scored 6 points through the first 53 minutes of the Egg Bowl.

You call that being ready to play? I know it wasn’t back when I played.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

I’m with you on this. We have played like **** for the first three quarters of most of our games under leach. Not prepared. Not ready to play. Out coaches. Not warmed up, whatever you want to call it, next year better show improvement where the offense can actually score on drives In the first half. Otherwise it’s going to be a 5-7 year with some disappointing games

 

[Bulldogg31]

Case in point…

During the opening 10 minutes in each of our 12 games (not counting TNST) this year, our offense scored a TOTAL of 26 points:

2 TD’s (La Tech, Vandy)
4 FG’s (TAMU, Bama, AUB, OM)

That’s it. Not what I’d expect from what’s supposed to be a fun, wide open offense.

 

[Bulldogg31]

We had a fumble on the opening drive against Memphis and then scored 17 unanswered

Fumbling the ball isn’t a good indicator that you’re ready to play. Also, we didn’t score a TD until midway through the second quarter. And we lost.

 

[Eleven Bravo]

And you are basing your “we came out ready to play” upon what? Unless you know these players and have been there among them, how can you say for sure that we were or were not “ready to play”? A hunch?? Can you really tell whether or not a team is “ready to play” just by observation? I seriously doubt that.

 

[TimberBeast]

And you are basing your “we came out ready to play” upon what? Unless you know these players and have been there among them, how can you say for sure that we were or were not “ready to play”? A hunch?? Can you really tell whether or not a team is “ready to play” just by observation? I seriously doubt that.

How about getting our *** beat quick? Missing tackles and looking like a pee wee football team? Texas freaking tech pushed us around like we have never played football before. Did you watch the game or not?

 

[Bulldogg31]

I’d say LSU yes, we came on two 1st Qrt drives and moved the ball down the field, we just turned it over on those two drives unfortunately.

That’s not ready to play.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

And you are basing your “we came out ready to play” upon what? Unless you know these players and have been there among them, how can you say for sure that we were or were not “ready to play”? A hunch?? Can you really tell whether or not a team is “ready to play” just by observation? I seriously doubt that.

The results on the field tell you if they are ready. Game plan. Execution. Awareness. Carelessness. Getting blown off the ball. Not being on the same page. Over throwing receivers. Missing receivers. Not having right plays for coverage. Not correct subdivided, Missing tackles. Being out of alignment. A lot of it is how they are prepared and prepared mentally. Coaches and players. It’s like we don’t know what to do against an opponent and forget how to play football until near the end of the game

 

[Bulldogg31]

And you are basing your “we came out ready to play” upon what? Unless you know these players and have been there among them, how can you say for sure that we were or were not “ready to play”? A hunch?? Can you really tell whether or not a team is “ready to play” just by observation? I seriously doubt that.

Texas Tech came out “ready to play”. That’s what that looks like.

 

[Bulldogg31]

The results on the field tell you if they are ready. Game plan. Execution. Awareness. Carelessness. Getting blown off the ball. Not being on the same page. Over throwing receivers. Missing receivers. Not having right plays for coverage. Not correct subdivided, Missing tackles. Being out of alignment. A lot of it is how they are prepared and prepared mentally. Coaches and players. It’s like we don’t know what to do against an opponent and forget how to play football until near the end of the game

Dropping passes. Fumbling the ball. Mental errors on special teams. Missed assignments on the OL. False Starts. The list goes on and on. Good teams make very few of these types of errors. Great teams make hardly any.

 

[Cooterpoot]

All you have to do is look at how bad our first and third qtr. scoring was this year. We couldn't start worth a **** either half. Blame who you want. It's both coaching and players.

 

[paindonthurt]

We out gained bama in yards in the first half. A pick six made it 21 to 6 at half.

That’s not coming out flAt.

Emotional idiots.

 

[paindonthurt]

By you metrics we were talented enough to win 9 or 10 games? With mostly freshmen and sophomores?

Boy we are gonna have some fun the next 3 or 4 years!

 

[paindonthurt]

Throwing a pick isn’t “not ready to play”.

 

[paindonthurt]

So not ready to play and we go 7 and 5 with
Mostly freshmen and sophomores?

Seems like we are gonna have some fun over the next 3 or 4 years.

 

[Cooterpoot]

So not ready to play and we go 7 and 5 with
Mostly freshmen and sophomores?

Seems like we are gonna have some fun over the next 3 or 4 years.

We weren't mostly Fr and Soph. Not the starters anyway. Pretty even split with upper classmen.

 

[Bulldogg31]

We weren't mostly Fr and Soph. Not the starters anyway. Pretty even split with upper classmen.

Do interrupt him while he’s saying his emotional idiots thing.

 

[harrybollocks]

I think La Tech is one. First game weirdness perhaps. But, y'all do realize we played other college football teams, some of who are pretty good and are better. You don't lose a game just cause someone thinks you weren't ready to play.

 

[Mr. Cook]

Does it matter how you start? Or how you finish? Just curious

 

[Bulldogg31]

Does it matter how you start? Or how you finish? Just curious

Both are important, and final score is most important. My OP was really just a question and an observation I guess. I was just thinking how common the slow starts have been for the last few years so I looked it up. It’s very common to say the least.



When we hired Mike Leach I thought it would be the opposite, with fast starts on offense and then a defense trying to keep up.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Right. Everybody(media/coaches/fans) gushes over Junior/Senior laden teams when they have them. We depend substantially on underclassmen this year and can't be objective about that fact.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

It's anti-Leach people who post every time it is possible to try to find a negative.

 

[Mr. Cook]

Both are important, and final score is most important. My OP was really just a question and an observation I guess. I was just thinking how common the slow starts have been for the last few years so I looked it up. It’s very common to say the least.

When we hired Mike Leach I thought it would be the opposite, with fast starts on offense and then a defense trying to keep up.

*nod* Form the standpoint of dictating tempo and pace, I'd agree with you. A little more like Spurrier's Florida offense of the 90's or Coryell's SD Chargers offense of the 80's -- high RPM starts

ETA - After the Auburn game, I was wondering if the offensive strategy was more to wear a secondary down with 80+ plays so they'd be too gassed in the 2nd half to keep covereing a group of gazelles. Apparently it doesn't always work out that way

 

[PirateDawg]

When is the last time we went to a bowl game ranked in the top 25 for offense and defense? I'll wait for your response. That is coaching.

 

[dorndawg]

When is the last time we went to a bowl game ranked in the top 25 for offense and defense? I'll wait for your response. That is coaching.

Fun trivia question, what's the answer?

It wasn't this year. We were 63rd in the nation in points allowed per game and 32nd in yards allowed per game.

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/22

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

You are using the bama game to try to prove a point? Haha damn you are stupid. We got smoked that game too. In a game of here we didn’t score a touchdown and got blown out where most teams were scoring all over them

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

It is usually if they aren’t on the same page or it could just mean the qb is playing like ****

 

[paindonthurt]

They ran in like 10 times on the opening drive against a d line that was into the 3 deep?

 

[paindonthurt]

Our productivity was overwhelmingly freshmen and sophomores

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Fun trivia question, what's the answer?

It wasn't this year. We were 63rd in the nation in points allowed per game and 32nd in yards allowed per game.

https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/22

What is The Year of Peter Sermon, Alex?

 

[Bulldogg31]

When is the last time we went to a bowl game ranked in the top 25 for offense and defense? I'll wait for your response. That is coaching.

I don’t like to keep a man waiting. I can certainly answer that but I don’t think it helps your case.

It was 2014 - ranked 17th in Total Offense, 23rd in Total Defense.

We finished 2021 ranked 61st in Total Offense and 62nd in Total Defense.

You might be thinking of Liberty. They were 25th in Team Offense and 27th in Team Defense.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2021-team-defense.html

 

[Bulldogg31]

I think La Tech is one. First game weirdness perhaps. But, y'all do realize we played other college football teams, some of who are pretty good and are better. You don't lose a game just cause someone thinks you weren't ready to play.

So why the lack of scoring through the first 1/3 of virtually every game? Just because other teams have players too? I really don’t get why the offense is so bad in the first half unless we need the other team to get tired. There are other offenses that start much faster.

I didn’t expect Mike Leach to be sporting the 61st- ranked offense in college football, that’s for sure.