The defense doesn't start slow, most teams first 20 plays or so are scripted. Heacock isn't going to overreact and start pulling levers based off the script. He will wait it out and pull levers when he has enough data points.
Is this years' team better than we thought?
- Thread starter mjhavlo76
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CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Just having some fun
I didn't see anything that looked off, except maybe purplecats scoring so.much.
Crazy that this isn't even a fantasy this would be considered chalk by Vegas at this point in the season (although I think the projected spread over Texas Tech here is too wide). Wow what a season so far.
Guessing the spread for the game will be ISU favored by 7-7.5 but I think we take it to them.
I picked 7-8 wins preseason, moved it to 8-9 after Iowa since I picked a loss there.
Still holding onto that in preparation for things to even out but so far the team has legit controlled how they've won in different ways; I'm running out of room for for those 3-4 losses which is a good problem to have.
Still holding onto that in preparation for things to even out but so far the team has legit controlled how they've won in different ways; I'm running out of room for for those 3-4 losses which is a good problem to have.
And imo the 'slow starts' by the offense are also overplayed. They've missed some field goals or had to settle but it's not like they've come out looking super sloppy or going 3 and out every series of the first half.
Yeah, we've moved the ball well to start every game except for the Iowa game where we were pinned on the 2 yard line.
I'm feeling good and optimistic at this point. BUT... these injuries need to stop. We are down a lot on Defense and so far still getting it done. We need some of that depth back. Injuries are always the X factor in sports.
I'm waiting on reports that some of the D is day-to-day or game time decisions. Saw Porter played Saturday, but was relatively quiet (one tackle.) Getting him back to 100% or Brezina back in the lineup would be huge. Lets get the dub against UCF and then really use the bye to get as many back to health as possible for the home stretch!
Since every team is scripting the first 15/20 plays, then why have we struggled so much of the season during the first quarter? You would think every offense would come out slinging the ball around, since they have been working on those 15/20 plays repeatedly throughout the week.
Heacock makes great halftime adjustments, but we have had a habit in the past of letting the opponent get out to a quick start, make the adjustment and then catch them in the second half. That has worked out well this year, the EIU game is a perfect example, give up 13 points early, could have been more but the defense stepped up, and then shut them down pretty much the 2nd half. But we have seen it bite us in the past, OU in the championship game, @ Baylor a couple of years ago.
What I am saying is that scripting the plays is something everyone is doing, and really should not matter. The defense has to do a better job in the first half of stopping the defense, instead of giving up points just because they opponent is still running their scripted plays. Not allowing the QB to get into a rhythm throwing the ball would help in the matter. Go after him, blitz, show him right from the first snap that he is going to be in for a long afternoon.
This has been talked about a lot, but it seems as though Heacock wants to get a look at what the other team is trying to do. After that he makes adjustments that the other team has a hard time counter-adjusting. Obviously the plan isn't to let the other team score a few touchdowns and I'm sure they are working on that because it could come back to bite us. You could flip the question around and ask why the other teams aren't figuring it out after we make our adjustment.
I was actually fairly happy with the first West Virginia drive last week. It was a long drive and they had to convert a lot of 3rd downs to score. It wasn't like the Baylor game where they made it look really easy.
Another thing worth noting this year is that in the first half of most of our games, we've had a lot of brand new guys thrown into the fire. It stands to reason that it will take a player a few minutes to get adjusted and get going.
Our defense has worked pretty well for 9 years.
1. It’s not like we giving up 20+ points in the first half. We aren’t really digging any holes other than the Iowa game. Being down 7 isn’t a hole imo.
2. Heacock is betting on the opposing OC to not be able to make the necessary in game adjustments that he knows he can. It’s hard to beat a good OC that can put together a good script and make adjustments but there aren’t a lot that make the adjustments once off script. That’s why you’ll see a lower level team even score early against a Georgia or Bama. Then get nothing.
Heacock bets on himself and that the OC can’t beat him off script and for the past 8 years has proven to be a pretty good bet.
Agreed. And I don't think Heacock is stupid enough to think that it couldn't come back to bite us in a game either. But the whole thing has worked pretty good for 9 years.
I'll also note that the defense gave up 0 against Houston in the first half. 14 against Baylor, but we scored 19. And 10 against West Virginia. It's not like we have given up 28 or something.
The other teams we are playing don't suck. They are trying to score just as much as we are trying to stop them.
True we haven't down it this year, but did in the past, the two games I mentioned. Goes back to playing all four quarters of the game, we are getting better at it, but we are not there yet.
The goal should be to play the perfect game, where everything is working, its rare but does happen, thinking the Georgia/TCU championship game a few years ago. Every game but one this season, ISU has done enough to win the game, we also caught breaks along way, good teams make their own breaks, but we have made few mistakes and getting the penalties called on the opponent, not us. So we are finally winning in the margins, instead of just talking about it.
We aren't just winning in the margins though, we are thoroughly handling teams. Outside of the Iowa game we have pretty much dominated our opponents.
We've led at half in every single game except the Iowa game. Then take a look at the 2nd half defensive statistics for how impressive those have been. If people want to nitpick the first couple of possessions of each game, whatever.
No one is nit picking here, but winning does cover up a lot of mistakes. Lets face it, we have not played a very good team yet on the schedule, they are coming up. EIU is the best team we have played, they are 4-2, Baylor 2-4, Houston 2-4 and WV is 3-3.
We have to play better to beat TT, @utah and KSU.
