Bad starts to games

Aggie702 · Post by **Aggie702** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:31 pm

Do you think the deep holes we keep digging early in games are a result of inexperience, bad coaching, or simply not being as good as our opponents? Or some combination of all three? It's odd how it keeps happening. When you're USU, sometimes you're going to be lining up against superior teams and can expect to take a beating (see bama last year), and sometimes you just have a bad game/bad luck and get down big early, even against an opponent of equivalent skill. However, when you keep getting down big early against a variety of opponents, can it be fixed or do we just suck?

This year, regardless of opponent (other than ISU), we have been down big at end of 1Q and HT. And it keeps happening.

Iowa after 1Q: 14-0 (and they were up 14-0 right away), then 17-3 at halftime
AFA after 1Q: 22-0 (and they were scoring as easy as they wanted), then 32-7 at halftime
JMU after 1Q: 17-0 (moving ball against us with no resistance), then 38-17 at halftime
Uconn after 1Q: 7-0, then up 17-7 at halftime (and we were lucky to get on the board in the first half)

Not counting Idaho St, we've been outscored 60-0 in the 1Q. Even if we include Idaho St, it's 67-7 that we've been outscored in the 1Q.

It's so hard to win when you keep giving the opponent double digit leads early in the game. We've fought back in most of the games, but it's like we need to get down 3 scores before we start trying. What, if anything, can be done about it?

Sl7vk · Post by **Sl7vk** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm

It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....

Bullnamed_gus · Post by **Bullnamed_gus** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:42 pm

Aggie702 wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:31 pm
Do you think the deep holes we keep digging early in games are a result of inexperience, bad coaching, or simply not being as good as our opponents? Or some combination of all three? It's odd how it keeps happening. When you're USU, sometimes you're going to be lining up against superior teams and can expect to take a beating (see bama last year), and sometimes you just have a bad game/bad luck and get down big early, even against an opponent of equivalent skill. However, when you keep getting down big early against a variety of opponents, can it be fixed or do we just suck?

This year, regardless of opponent (other than ISU), we have been down big at end of 1Q and HT. And it keeps happening.

Iowa after 1Q: 14-0 (and they were up 14-0 right away), then 17-3 at halftime
AFA after 1Q: 22-0 (and they were scoring as easy as they wanted), then 32-7 at halftime
JMU after 1Q: 17-0 (moving ball against us with no resistance), then 38-17 at halftime
Uconn after 1Q: 7-0, then up 17-7 at halftime (and we were lucky to get on the board in the first half)

Not counting Idaho St, we've been outscored 60-0 in the 1Q. Even if we include Idaho St, it's 67-7 that we've been outscored in the 1Q.

It's so hard to win when you keep giving the opponent double digit leads early in the game. We've fought back in most of the games, but it's like we need to get down 3 scores before we start trying. What, if anything, can be done about it?

We have had 3 years of bad starts, it has nothing to do with experience, or not being as good. Its simply on the Coaching staff.

We have the talent this year to currently be undefeated. If we dont come out against everyone but ISU like a deer in the headlights we might be 4-1/3-2, or heck, even 5-0. Talent isnt the problem.

dyedblue · Post by **dyedblue** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:43 pm

I mean yeah, putting your defense in the field for 25 minutes in the first half definitely improved the odds of winning.

El Sapo · Post by **El Sapo** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....

I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.

Hoot · Post by **Hoot** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:49 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.

So it’s essentially just Tortoise and Hare?

USU78 · Post by **USU78** » October 2nd, 2023, 12:56 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.

We just need to keep things close in the fourth quarter.

utahcountyaggie · Post by **utahcountyaggie** » October 2nd, 2023, 1:07 pm

Seems 100% on bad coaching, to me.

It's been a staple of Blake/his staff in his 3 seasons, here. There's been enough turnover and difference in personnel on the field in each of those 3 seasons, that the only common denominator is coaching.

As has been said, Blake has specifically mentioned calling a "safe" game early on and opening up later on - which certainly doesn't help.

Post by **treesap32** » October 2nd, 2023, 1:22 pm

USU78 wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:56 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.
We just need to keep things close in the fourth quarter.

hickaggie · Post by **hickaggie** » October 2nd, 2023, 3:29 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.

That is not the way football works and I would dare say that if somehow USU's guys are in a different level conditioning wise that the difference in quickness and athleticism would show early rather than after they had been steamrolled by bigger guys for the 1st half.

I don't think the staff does a very good job somewhere in the game prep whether it be film breakdown, understanding tendencies, scout team looks, or prepping position groups because it is a consistent tendency. Obviously they aren't dumb because they have made adjustments on the fly.

But no I don't buy that the "smaller" guys are wearing out the "bigger" guys.

Aggie702 · Post by **Aggie702** » October 2nd, 2023, 3:54 pm

utahcountyaggie wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 1:07 pm
Seems 100% on bad coaching, to me.

It's been a staple of Blake/his staff in his 3 seasons, here. There's been enough turnover and difference in personnel on the field in each of those 3 seasons, that the only common denominator is coaching.

As has been said, Blake has specifically mentioned calling a "safe" game early on and opening up later on - which certainly doesn't help.

Regarding the safe game early on, and opening it up later - it definitely feels like that. Against UCONN, once we started throwing down the field regularly instead of runs into the middle and quick passes to the outside, we moved the ball easily and scored. The deep threats also opened up the running game and short passes. I wish we would come out with the same aggressiveness rather than being so conservative early on.

tinplater · Post by **tinplater** » October 2nd, 2023, 6:29 pm

If it's bad coaching in the first half, then it's great coaching in the second.

mike1126 · Post by **mike1126** » October 2nd, 2023, 6:45 pm

Every team now knows that blake will play a safe game to start off with, and teams are throwing the whole playbook against us in the first quarter in hopes of getting a big lead. Look at JMU, i don't think they ran the same play in the 1st quarter.

El Sapo · Post by **El Sapo** » October 3rd, 2023, 10:19 am

hickaggie wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 3:29 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.
That is not the way football works and I would dare say that if somehow USU's guys are in a different level conditioning wise that the difference in quickness and athleticism would show early rather than after they had been steamrolled by bigger guys for the 1st half.

I don't think the staff does a very good job somewhere in the game prep whether it be film breakdown, understanding tendencies, scout team looks, or prepping position groups because it is a consistent tendency. Obviously they aren't dumb because they have made adjustments on the fly.

But no I don't buy that the "smaller" guys are wearing out the "bigger" guys.

I'm often wrong but sometimes it's not just one or the other. It's possible both things are true. Anderson coaching conservative in the first half, waiting until half time to adjust, and USU being better conditioned.

Post by **aggies22** » October 3rd, 2023, 10:25 am

USU78 wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:56 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.
We just need to keep things close in the fourth quarter.

I see what you did there........

Aggie formerly in Hawaii · Post by **Aggie formerly in Hawaii** » October 3rd, 2023, 11:16 am

USU78 wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:56 pm

El Sapo wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:48 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
October 2nd, 2023, 12:36 pm
It was weird hearing Anderson after the game kind of talk about it like the rope-a-dope in that we let our opponents wear themselves out by scoring tons of points and then bring the hammer in the second half.
So if that's the case, then it's all coaching.....
I heard Anderson say that these other teams are physically bigger than us. They're able to dominate us early, but as long as we stay focused, later on in the game our conditioning comes into play. Then we have a shot.
We just need to keep things close in the fourth quarter.

Thanks Brent.

Post by **aggies22** » October 3rd, 2023, 11:49 am

The statistics tell us that 60+% of the time we will be losing, not only at the end of the first quarter BUT at the end of the first half as well. This is just something that we should come to expect 8 out of 12 games per season.

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