ShotgunDawg
11-02-2013, 03:59 PM
I am going to make the most logical post I can on the topic of this enigma of a football team.
Here are today's stats:
Total Yards - MSU - 385 SC - 307 - EDGE = MSU
Penalties - MSU - 6/25 SC - 4/20 - EDGE = Push, no advantage to either team
Possession - 33:46 SC - 26:14 - EDGE = MSU
Turnovers - MSU - 5 SC - 0 EDGE = SCSCSCSCSCSC
3rd down conversions - MSU - 6/13 = 46% SC - 1/11 = 9% - EDGE = MSU
I must be honest, this is the most confusing MSU football team I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. I don't have a problem with the play calling, schemes, talent, defensive scheme, tackling, special teams, or any individual player. However, this team has a excruciating way of NEVER being able to play well and not doing the fundamental things that allow good teams to play winning football.
This team possesses a panic, an immaturity, a lack of leadership, a lack of mental toughness, and a lack of communication that inevitably leads to Murphy's Law, "If something bad can happen, it will."
This team competed for 4 quarters today, they had offensive success, they had defensive success, and had no screw ups on special team, but, as they have all year long, they found a way to screw up in the most monumental ways. If we run 10 plays, we run 8 perfectly, but on the other 2 a different person screws up in the most devastating way possible.
People can complain about Mullen's recruiting, but the truth is that we beat SC in just about every statistical category imaginable, but made critical mistake after critical mistake that has little to do with lack of talent and more to do with panic and a lack of focus.
IMO, this teams needs to settle down, relax, and play the game more freely and smarter. I don't know if they need to smoke weed, have a pizza party, or go knock up a bunch of OM girls as a slump buster, but they must do something to settle down and just play football.
My analogy to this team would be this: We are like an MLB team that has a team batting average .300, has good players, generally catch the ball, BUT get picked off every time we get on first base. The problem is between the ears, not physically.
I also think this team is OVER coached at times, and we play like robots. Robots do many things well, but lack creativity and the ability to improv when things don't go right. We multiply mistakes with awful mistakes. We are like a baseball team that makes 1 error, but in an effort to make up for the error, we make 2 unnecessary throws that allow an inside the park home run when all the other team did was hit a ground ball to the short stop.
In any event, I am just as frustrated as the rest of you, but I don't think coaching is the major problem. Perhaps the coaches could communicate a little better, but the schemes are good, the effort is good, but the consistent execution and ability to minimize the effect of mistakes is awful.
This team is confusing, but I think we've all seen that IF we ever show up and play for 4 quarters, we can beat anyone.
Sorry to be Genespagish, but we aren't inept, we just have a knack for getting picked off first every time we get there.
Here are today's stats:
Total Yards - MSU - 385 SC - 307 - EDGE = MSU
Penalties - MSU - 6/25 SC - 4/20 - EDGE = Push, no advantage to either team
Possession - 33:46 SC - 26:14 - EDGE = MSU
Turnovers - MSU - 5 SC - 0 EDGE = SCSCSCSCSCSC
3rd down conversions - MSU - 6/13 = 46% SC - 1/11 = 9% - EDGE = MSU
I must be honest, this is the most confusing MSU football team I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. I don't have a problem with the play calling, schemes, talent, defensive scheme, tackling, special teams, or any individual player. However, this team has a excruciating way of NEVER being able to play well and not doing the fundamental things that allow good teams to play winning football.
This team possesses a panic, an immaturity, a lack of leadership, a lack of mental toughness, and a lack of communication that inevitably leads to Murphy's Law, "If something bad can happen, it will."
This team competed for 4 quarters today, they had offensive success, they had defensive success, and had no screw ups on special team, but, as they have all year long, they found a way to screw up in the most monumental ways. If we run 10 plays, we run 8 perfectly, but on the other 2 a different person screws up in the most devastating way possible.
People can complain about Mullen's recruiting, but the truth is that we beat SC in just about every statistical category imaginable, but made critical mistake after critical mistake that has little to do with lack of talent and more to do with panic and a lack of focus.
IMO, this teams needs to settle down, relax, and play the game more freely and smarter. I don't know if they need to smoke weed, have a pizza party, or go knock up a bunch of OM girls as a slump buster, but they must do something to settle down and just play football.
My analogy to this team would be this: We are like an MLB team that has a team batting average .300, has good players, generally catch the ball, BUT get picked off every time we get on first base. The problem is between the ears, not physically.
I also think this team is OVER coached at times, and we play like robots. Robots do many things well, but lack creativity and the ability to improv when things don't go right. We multiply mistakes with awful mistakes. We are like a baseball team that makes 1 error, but in an effort to make up for the error, we make 2 unnecessary throws that allow an inside the park home run when all the other team did was hit a ground ball to the short stop.
In any event, I am just as frustrated as the rest of you, but I don't think coaching is the major problem. Perhaps the coaches could communicate a little better, but the schemes are good, the effort is good, but the consistent execution and ability to minimize the effect of mistakes is awful.
This team is confusing, but I think we've all seen that IF we ever show up and play for 4 quarters, we can beat anyone.
Sorry to be Genespagish, but we aren't inept, we just have a knack for getting picked off first every time we get there.