Well coached vs poorly coached.....
- Thread starter bonefish1
- Start date
I argued repeatedly that the jump for the next coach from last season to bowl eligibility was not a large one. We don't have the talent to compete at the very top of the conference right now but I always felt we had the talent for 6 wins if we were well coached and had a manageable non-conference schedule. I wasn't sure we had a manageable non-conference schedule when the season started but the Missouri game turned out differently than I expected so now that we are going into conference games at 2-1 I believe we can get the 4 more wins to be bowl eligible.
When you think about it, we were beating Illinois with Hazell so that game should be looked at as winnable. Rutgers? Winnable. We gave away the IU game in Bloomington last year. Winnable.
So then you look at games like Minnesota, Nebraska, at Iowa and at Northwestern and think if we can at least 2 of Illinois, Rutgers, and IU and then find away to split these four then we are there. If we win all three of Illinois, Rutgers, and IU then we only would have to win one of these four to get there. Had we scheduled an easier non-conference (replace Louisville with an easier game) and gone 3-0 we wouldn't have even necessarily needed anything beyond Illinois, Rutgers, and IU.
When you think about it, we were beating Illinois with Hazell so that game should be looked at as winnable. Rutgers? Winnable. We gave away the IU game in Bloomington last year. Winnable.
So then you look at games like Minnesota, Nebraska, at Iowa and at Northwestern and think if we can at least 2 of Illinois, Rutgers, and IU and then find away to split these four then we are there. If we win all three of Illinois, Rutgers, and IU then we only would have to win one of these four to get there. Had we scheduled an easier non-conference (replace Louisville with an easier game) and gone 3-0 we wouldn't have even necessarily needed anything beyond Illinois, Rutgers, and IU.
You just see Brohm's thumb print all over our two quarterbacks to date. The progress they have shown over the first three games is remarkable. The game has slowed down for both of them especially Blough. I really believe you see his confidence and understanding the offense showing up in the games now. On the field now weather scoring a TD or throwing a tight window completion he stays on a even keel very reminiscent of the great qb's in the past Herrmann,Orton and Brees. IT is exciting to see where this team can go and confidence is a huge factor in job performance in this sport. They are confident now and I look forward to seeing a great turnout on the field against Michigan.
The other 2 things I'm loving is the use of the TE and screens. We definitely have 1 (Hopkins) if not 2 NFL pass catching TEs on the roster.
I love the screens because it helps negate a strong pass rush and gets the ball in the hands of guys like Wright so he can make plays in space. Although, our OL needs to get their as$es up the field on screens and get a hat on somebody.
I love the screens because it helps negate a strong pass rush and gets the ball in the hands of guys like Wright so he can make plays in space. Although, our OL needs to get their as$es up the field on screens and get a hat on somebody.
Here is the actual data
Hope era:
Average penalties/game: 6.2
Average penalty yards/game: 105.4
Average yards/penalty: 8.4
Hazell era:
Average penalties/game: 4.9
Average penalty yards/game: 106.4
Average yards/penalty: 8.8
So less penalties/game for Hazell but slightly more yards/game and yards/penalty.
I would call it a wash.
Lot's of personal foul calls during the Hazell era. Part of that was because of the new targeting rules. Part of it was the frustration of consistently losing and getting blown out. Hope's team's were a little undisciplined. Hazell's teams just didn't know what they were doing half the time.
With Either coach, over 100 yrds in penalties a game is a lot to give up. However, I do think Hope's teams were better coached and he was in a tough situation, Hazell was just in way over his head and the teams on-field performance showed it.
Crap, I grabbed the wrong column off the spreadsheet.
The yards per game are 44 for Hazell and 58 for Hope. Those number put them in the 3rd quintile most years.
Sorry
