Check These Numbers 2007-08 SEC West Football

[MuskogeeHogFan]

For Arkhog 9--------- your statement about all the turnovers being in the first part of the season.  Well, it was the first part of the season for the other teams too.  Your analogy is similar to " yeah, after he died, it didn't hurt any more"

Umm there actually is a difference.  We actually made a turn for the better and were a completely different team after the bama game.  You can't say that for every single team in the country cause trust me not everyone got better. 

Yeah, if you call our T/O margin increasing(from -.29 for the season to -.50 in the SEC) against SEC teams an improvement?

[TheRealDeal]

For Arkhog 9--------- your statement about all the turnovers being in the first part of the season.  Well, it was the first part of the season for the other teams too.  Your analogy is similar to " yeah, after he died, it didn't hurt any more"

Umm there actually is a difference.  We actually made a turn for the better and were a completely different team after the bama game.  You can't say that for every single team in the country cause trust me not everyone got better. 

Yeah, if you call our T/O margin increasing(from -.29 for the season to -.50 in the SEC) against SEC teams an improvement?

10 turnovers in the first four games....15 in the last 10. Definately and improvement.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

For Arkhog 9--------- your statement about all the turnovers being in the first part of the season.  Well, it was the first part of the season for the other teams too.  Your analogy is similar to " yeah, after he died, it didn't hurt any more"

Umm there actually is a difference.  We actually made a turn for the better and were a completely different team after the bama game.  You can't say that for every single team in the country cause trust me not everyone got better. 

Yeah, if you call our T/O margin increasing(from -.29 for the season to -.50 in the SEC) against SEC teams an improvement?

10 turnovers in the first four games....15 in the last 10. Definately and improvement.

-.29 for the entire season overall, but -.50 against SEC teams, is not what I would call an improvement. Of course we did really kick butt against those smaller Div I schools like Utah State, SEMO(Div I-AA) and La-Monroe.

[TheRealDeal]

-.29 for the entire season overall, but -.50 against SEC teams, is not what I would call an improvement. Of course we did really kick butt against those smaller Div I schools like Utah State, SEMO(Div I-AA) and La-Monroe.

For Arkhog 9--------- your statement about all the turnovers being in the first part of the season.  Well, it was the first part of the season for the other teams too.  Your analogy is similar to " yeah, after he died, it didn't hurt any more"

Umm there actually is a difference.  We actually made a turn for the better and were a completely different team after the bama game.  You can't say that for every single team in the country cause trust me not everyone got better. 

Yeah, if you call our T/O margin increasing(from -.29 for the season to -.50 in the SEC) against SEC teams an improvement?

10 turnovers in the first four games....15 in the last 10. Definately and improvement.

-.29 for the entire season overall, but -.50 against SEC teams, is not what I would call an improvement. Of course we did really kick butt against those smaller Div I schools like Utah State, SEMO(Div I-AA) and La-Monroe.

Actually, as I pointed out there was an improvement.  Through 2 SEC games we had a turnover margin of -3.  We ended the season -4.  So the margin decreased from -1.5 through two SEC games to -.5 for the season because it was only -.14 for the last 7 games of the SEC schedule.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

-.29 for the entire season overall, but -.50 against SEC teams, is not what I would call an improvement. Of course we did really kick butt against those smaller Div I schools like Utah State, SEMO(Div I-AA) and La-Monroe.

For Arkhog 9--------- your statement about all the turnovers being in the first part of the season.  Well, it was the first part of the season for the other teams too.  Your analogy is similar to " yeah, after he died, it didn't hurt any more"

Umm there actually is a difference.  We actually made a turn for the better and were a completely different team after the bama game.  You can't say that for every single team in the country cause trust me not everyone got better. 

Yeah, if you call our T/O margin increasing(from -.29 for the season to -.50 in the SEC) against SEC teams an improvement?

10 turnovers in the first four games....15 in the last 10. Definately and improvement.

-.29 for the entire season overall, but -.50 against SEC teams, is not what I would call an improvement. Of course we did really kick butt against those smaller Div I schools like Utah State, SEMO(Div I-AA) and La-Monroe.

Actually, as I pointed out there was an improvement.  Through 2 SEC games we had a turnover margin of -3.  We ended the season -4.  So the margin decreased from -1.5 through two SEC games to -.5 for the season because it was only -.14 for the last 7 games of the SEC schedule.

I see your point, but our T/O margin against major competition still sucked, but that is just my take.

[Silver Hog]

After the first 4 games we were the ONLY Div-1 team (out of 119) that had not recovered a turnover.

We were national champion front runners at -not- getting turnovers, at least partway through the season!

119th out of 119. 

That's special.

[TheRealDeal]

I see your point, but our T/O margin against major competition still sucked, but that is just my take.

We do need to improve on this.  I have never been able to decide how much luck/skill is involved in forcing turnovers.  I think it to be about a 50/50 game.  Hopefully we can improve on the 50% that we can control.  Generally the hogs have been good at limiting turnovers while forcing them.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I see your point, but our T/O margin against major competition still sucked, but that is just my take.

We do need to improve on this.  I have never been able to decide how much luck/skill is involved in forcing turnovers.  I think it to be about a 50/50 game.  Hopefully we can improve on the 50% that we can control.  Generally the hogs have been good at limiting turnovers while forcing them.

You accomplish this by doing two things:
1) you don't exclude your backs from contact in preseason drills so they can practice good habits of hanging onto the ball.
2) you teach your defensive unit how to strip the ball.

We haven't been very effective at either one of these.

[RazorRaider]

I see your point, but our T/O margin against major competition still sucked, but that is just my take.

We do need to improve on this.  I have never been able to decide how much luck/skill is involved in forcing turnovers.  I think it to be about a 50/50 game.  Hopefully we can improve on the 50% that we can control.  Generally the hogs have been good at limiting turnovers while forcing them.

You accomplish this by doing two things:
1) you don't exclude your backs from contact in preseason drills so they can practice good habits of hanging onto the ball.
2) you teach your defensive unit how to strip the ball.

We haven't been very effective at either one of these.

That is true. In fact that is what srping practice is supposed to be for, working on the fundamentals. IF you don't get the fundamentals down you won't be effective.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I see your point, but our T/O margin against major competition still sucked, but that is just my take.

We do need to improve on this.  I have never been able to decide how much luck/skill is involved in forcing turnovers.  I think it to be about a 50/50 game.  Hopefully we can improve on the 50% that we can control.  Generally the hogs have been good at limiting turnovers while forcing them.

You accomplish this by doing two things:
1) you don't exclude your backs from contact in preseason drills so they can practice good habits of hanging onto the ball.
2) you teach your defensive unit how to strip the ball.

We haven't been very effective at either one of these.

That is true. In fact that is what srping practice is supposed to be for, working on the fundamentals. IF you don't get the fundamentals down you won't be effective.

Hey, we can exclude and overlook those useless fundamentals, after all, we are coached by the SEC COY, right?

[WADHOG]

Run first, or "establish the run", is still the right course, but we MUST be able to stretch the field.  To do that, we have to be able to complete some passes(vertical).  The run is established before we ever take the field, but our lack of passing offense put us in some dire situations last year, especially at the end of the season.  Coming out and throwing it sixty yards down field on the first offensive play isn't going to cut it.  The teams in the SEC are going to cheat until some passes are completed, it's that simple.  Hitting Hillis out of the backfield is great, but it will not take men out of the box.  Linebackers must be pass blitzing more for our backs to get behind them.  They are not going to do that unless we can complete passes.  Passes in the flats and middle screens could be great with our backs, but we must be behind the backers.  The linebackers in the SEC will continue to play in the box and the D ends will widen their splits to take away the outside.  If we can bring any kind of passing game, the backers and ends will stunt more, and McFadden, Jones, and Hillis can eat their lunch.  I think our line will be just fine.  I think McFadden can run out of the I and off tackle against anyone, but it's high time we have a receiver/qb combination that can AT LEAST threaten with the deep ball.  I thought Casey would be OK until the performances I saw at the end of the year left me scratching my head.  I would give anything for Clint Stoerner and Anthony Lucas this year.  We would be unstoppable.  I don't know much about our young receivers, but we need more than Monk, because he can't keep the D backs nervous alone.  Play action is the ticket with this kind of backfield, but the receivers and QB must do their part.  Can you imagine what it would be like with the threat of the deep ball???(insert Mustain comments here)

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Run first, or "establish the run", is still the right course, but we MUST be able to stretch the field.  To do that, we have to be able to complete some passes(vertical).  The run is established before we ever take the field, but our lack of passing offense put us in some dire situations last year, especially at the end of the season.  Coming out and throwing it sixty yards down field on the first offensive play isn't going to cut it.  The teams in the SEC are going to cheat until some passes are completed, it's that simple.  Hitting Hillis out of the backfield is great, but it will not take men out of the box.  Linebackers must be pass blitzing more for our backs to get behind them.  They are not going to do that unless we can complete passes.  Passes in the flats and middle screens could be great with our backs, but we must be behind the backers.  The linebackers in the SEC will continue to play in the box and the D ends will widen their splits to take away the outside.  If we can bring any kind of passing game, the backers and ends will stunt more, and McFadden, Jones, and Hillis can eat their lunch.  I think our line will be just fine.  I think McFadden can run out of the I and off tackle against anyone, but it's high time we have a receiver/qb combination that can AT LEAST threaten with the deep ball.  I thought Casey would be OK until the performances I saw at the end of the year left me scratching my head.  I would give anything for Clint Stoerner and Anthony Lucas this year.  We would be unstoppable.  I don't know much about our young receivers, but we need more than Monk, because he can't keep the D backs nervous alone.  Play action is the ticket with this kind of backfield, but the receivers and QB must do their part.  Can you imagine what it would be like with the threat of the deep ball???(insert Mustain comments here)

Bingo........you get the Cupie Doll.....right on the mark. "Balance" is the key word here.