Cutcliffe's Wizardry

[kptvol]

In case anyone is losing sleep over David Cutcliffe leaving Knoxville to head up the greatest football program in America, take a look at the following numbers. Our performance in the second halves of football games leads me to believe that defensive coordinators are able to figure old Cutcliffe out. We've been shut out in the second half three times this year. You can rag on the defense all you want, but if the offense can't keep them off the field in the fourth quarter, they are going to be really winded. I expect Cut's departure to result in not only improved second halves from the offense, but improved fourth quarters from the defense.

In the first section I've got the scores from each half of what I consider the major games (all the SEC games as well as Cal and Wisconsin). Below that are the other three games.

1st half - 2nd half

Cal: 21 - 10
UF: 13 - 0
UGA: 28 - 7
MSU: 17 - 16
Bam: 17 - 0
USC: 21 - 3, OT: 3
Ark: 20 - 7
UV: 10 - 17
UK: 24 - 7, OT: 21
LSU: 7 - 7
UW: 21 - 0

TOTAL: 199 - 74, about a 2.8:1 ratio.

If you include the minor games, it becomes a little closer, but still a 2:1 ratio.

SM: 17 - 20
ASU: 31 - 17
ULL: 17 - 21

OVERALL: 264 - 132

[Business]

Wow, I never seen it laid out like that. That's pretty awful.

[GAVol]

I have no idea what we were doing the second time we ran the "G-Gun". It just made no sense; especially on 3rd and 7.

[General Jack]

Is the Florida stat correct? We're missing 3 points somewhere (I'm assuming the other 7 were not included because a defensive TD?).

That is interesting regardless... and today's game was a very good example in of itself.

[VolinArizona]

In the 11 games that mattered most, we only scored more points in the 2nd half ONCE!

And in those 11, we scored 74 points, as KPT points. That's LESS THAN A TOUCHDOWN on average in the 2nd half.

That's awful. Thanks for putting this out there.

[kmvol]

Yeah, it did seem like during the year we would come out smoking and hold on for dear life. Could it be we had a very good game plan coming in but made no adjustments in the second half? Outcoached by defensive coordinators in the second half.

[VolinArizona]

I think that's exactly what it is.

[crazyguy]

we either stopped running the ball or we didn't make adjustments to a changing defense in the run game in the second half of some of those games.

[GAVol]

I think it also points to the fact that though we weren't as bad as in 2006, this team still wasn't very physical and couldn't consistently run the ball and get the tough yards we needed to keep the offense on the field. Thus we further exposed a suspect defense.

[g8terh8ter_eric]

Originally Posted by VolinArizona

I think that's exactly what it is.

They are who we thought they were!!

[VolinArizona]

If you wanna crown em, then crown their asses!

[g8terh8ter_eric]

I never really noticed until the past few years just how bad we are in the 2nd half. I think we actually play to keep from losing most of the time instead of playing to win and beat the other team.

[GAVol]

We let 'em off the hook!!

[g8terh8ter_eric]

Originally Posted by VolinArizona

If you wanna crown em, then crown their asses!

We let em' off the hook. That had to be a Top 5 meltdown of all-time.

[VolinArizona]

It's top 1 for me, but I think the Mora "playoffs" and Herm "you play to win the game" are right there with it.