Why the infatuation with running so many plays?

[ESalum86]

IU ran 104 plays against UC. The Bearcats ran 70 plays. Yet in time of possession IU only had control of the clock 2 seconds longer than UC. You read that right: ran 34 more plays yet only had the ball 2 seconds longer.

Maybe take a page from the Kalen Deboer playbook when he was IU's OC. Rush up to the line and get set to prevent the D from substituting but look over the D to see where we can get the advantage. Make sure our guys are all on the same page.

We intercepted and scored to start the second half. Then we held and got the ball back near midfield. We went hurry up, started making mistakes and went backwards before having to punt. This was an excellent chance to pull back into the game and we pissed it away trying to do everything at hyperspeed.

Is there really an advantage to moving so fast?

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

IU ran 104 plays against UC. The Bearcats ran 70 plays. Yet in time of possession IU only had control of the clock 2 seconds longer than UC. You read that right: ran 34 more plays yet only had the ball 2 seconds longer.

Maybe take a page from the Kalen Deboer playbook when he was IU's OC. Rush up to the line and get set to prevent the D from substituting but look over the D to see where we can get the advantage. Make sure our guys are all on the same page.

We intercepted and scored to start the second half. Then we held and got the ball back near midfield. We went hurry up, started making mistakes and went backwards before having to punt. This was an excellent chance to pull back into the game and we pissed it away trying to do everything at hyperspeed.

Is there really an advantage to moving so fast?

Take the good with the bad.
See the first score by IU in the second half. You can see that the hurry up worked to perfection there. So much so that our guy was completely uncovered and went untouched down the sideline.

 

[daddyhoosier]

The thinking is that you can get the defense on its heels, not give them time to assess, and if you get them in disadvantageous personnel you can prevent them from subbing and exploit it potentially all the way to the end zone. I think to succeed you need very good driver-starter plays to get the ball rolling. If you fail of course the defense only gets like 2.4 minutes off and they're right back out there.

 

[jsenleo]

With 35 passes being incompletions (or interceptions) you're going to take very little time off the clock.....

Something to think about.... what if those had been 35 running plays for exactly zero yards?

Don't ya think IU needs to give a little more thought on whether or not to pass the ball that often if they're never moving it.

On the other hand, averaging a paltry 4.2 yard per pass play versus a measly 1.8 yards per running play makes it a "damn'd if they do, damn'd if they don't" situation... Nothing consistent either way, they just aren't good.

 

[YOTHN]

I think time of possession is the most meaningless stat. Don't get me wrong, having a good TOP is a result your team is good but that stat almost always directly correlates with how well you are running the ball.

For example, the top 2 NCAA teams today with the highest TOP are Minnesota and Air Force. The top two teams average rushing yards per game? Minnesota and Air Force.

So its great to have a high TOP because that means you are running the ball well and if you are doing that well, its certainly much easier to win games. The opponents has less possessions, thereby your defense is giving up less points per game...etc. But since the TOP stat is primarily driven off the rushing stat, I would prefer to just look at that stat instead.

 

[Crossblock]

I think time of possession is the most meaningless stat. Don't get me wrong, having a good TOP is a result your team is good but that stat almost always directly correlates with how well you are running the ball.

For example, the top 2 NCAA teams today with the highest TOP are Minnesota and Air Force. The top two teams average rushing yards per game? Minnesota and Air Force.

So its great to have a high TOP because that means you are running the ball well and if you are doing that well, its certainly much easier to win games. The opponents has less possessions, thereby your defense is giving up less points per game...etc. But since the TOP stat is primarily driven off the rushing stat, I would prefer to just look at that stat instead.

Here is where number of plays and time of possession is meaningless. Yes We ran 104 Plays which should have worn down the Defense. However our offense gave up at least two quick scoring opportunities with turnovers, and our Secondary gave up at least two quick long play TD passes. So You have a team that scored at least24 points quickly against a team that ran 104 plsays and lost by 21 points. It isn't the amount of time You possess the b ball, it's what You do with it when You possess it.

 

[IUNY]

I think time of possession is the most meaningless stat. Don't get me wrong, having a good TOP is a result your team is good but that stat almost always directly correlates with how well you are running the ball.

For example, the top 2 NCAA teams today with the highest TOP are Minnesota and Air Force. The top two teams average rushing yards per game? Minnesota and Air Force.

So its great to have a high TOP because that means you are running the ball well and if you are doing that well, its certainly much easier to win games. The opponents has less possessions, thereby your defense is giving up less points per game...etc. But since the TOP stat is primarily driven off the rushing stat, I would prefer to just look at that stat instead.

It's good if the QB doesn't get strip-sacked for a touchdown.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

I gave up on “tempo” in Wilson’s first game, when Ball State came back to beat us.

 

[ESalum86]

My biggest issue is we seem to cause our own team problems (pre-snap penalties, missed assignments, wrong routes, etc)more often than we cause the D problems.

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

I gave up on “tempo” in Wilson’s first game, when Ball State came back to beat us.

And the Rutgers game where his genius plan was to throw deep passes into triple coverage with a 25 point lead. But, he was an offensive guru, so all is forgiven.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

And the Rutgers game where his genius plan was to throw deep passes into triple coverage with a 25 point lead. But, he was an offensive guru, so all is forgiven.

That may have been when he said "What am I supposed to do? Tell my offense to score more slowly?"

 

[Courtsensetwo]

My biggest issue is we seem to cause our own team problems (pre-snap penalties, missed assignments, wrong routes, etc)more often than we cause the D problems.

and sailing the ball

Pace plus lots of short runs, passes and incompletions runs up the tally.

 

[Hoosiers47614]

I think the hurry-up was neutered pretty significantly a while back when running it all the time was first getting popular and so they changed the rules so that the officials hold up the play to let the defense substitute if the offense does. It is a lot harder to get the defense out of sorts with tempo when they're allowed time to respond to what you do.

 

[HoosierJimbo89]

Seems like there are a lot of negative yard plays: runs for negative 4-5 yards, passes behind the line of scrimmage for negative 4-5 yards. IU struggles to get to the line of scrimmage for runs many times. It would be nice to get that sorted out, but it probably goes back to the elephant in the room of Hiller and O-line.

 

[CC Mac]

IU ran 104 plays against UC. The Bearcats ran 70 plays. Yet in time of possession IU only had control of the clock 2 seconds longer than UC. You read that right: ran 34 more plays yet only had the ball 2 seconds longer.

Maybe take a page from the Kalen Deboer playbook when he was IU's OC. Rush up to the line and get set to prevent the D from substituting but look over the D to see where we can get the advantage. Make sure our guys are all on the same page.

We intercepted and scored to start the second half. Then we held and got the ball back near midfield. We went hurry up, started making mistakes and went backwards before having to punt. This was an excellent chance to pull back into the game and we pissed it away trying to do everything at hyperspeed.

Is there really an advantage to moving so fast?

I’ve been saying for years,when your defense sucks you want to shorten the game,not make it longer.

 

[Crossblock]

I think the hurry-up was neutered pretty significantly a while back when running it all the time was first getting popular and so they changed the rules so that the officials hold up the play to let the defense substitute if the offense does. It is a lot harder to get the defense out of sorts with tempo when they're allowed time to respond to what you do.

Remember several years ago when the 49ers beat the Packers in the NFL Championship Game by running the ball and then played Kansas City in the Super Bowl and lost but still ran the ball effectively? My point was then as it is now, Football is a copycat game. If it works, everybody thinks they can do it. In the Big 10, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota have found ways to do it. But how to you do it if you are Indiana? First you need to find 2 or 3 blocking fullbacks tom pair with tailbacks running out of the I Formation. If You can find 2 tight ends to put on the field at one time, and maybe a 3rd as an H back, you have all the pieces.

Why can this work? For the last 20 years, the emphasis has been on getting lighter quicker Players on Defense. Guys Who would have been safeties 20 years ago are now Linebackers. Take cam Jones as an example. Great Player in space. Now force Him to come down in tight formation with a 245 pound tight end blocking him for 45 plays a game, and see how less effective He is.
If You can put the right pieces in place it should work.

 

[grammy2]

It might be the first game I've seen where at the end the offense (IU) was decidedly more tired than the defense (Cincinnati).

 

[TomEric4756]

It might be the first game I've seen where at the end the offense (IU) was decidedly more tired than the defense (Cincinnati).

Defenses rotate much more than the starting OL.
OL has to be in great shape, like Oregon under Kelly, to run high tempo all game.
104 snaps is a marathon.

 

[Bligedy]

IU ran 104 plays against UC. The Bearcats ran 70 plays. Yet in time of possession IU only had control of the clock 2 seconds longer than UC. You read that right: ran 34 more plays yet only had the ball 2 seconds longer.

Maybe take a page from the Kalen Deboer playbook when he was IU's OC. Rush up to the line and get set to prevent the D from substituting but look over the D to see where we can get the advantage. Make sure our guys are all on the same page.

We intercepted and scored to start the second half. Then we held and got the ball back near midfield. We went hurry up, started making mistakes and went backwards before having to punt. This was an excellent chance to pull back into the game and we pissed it away trying to do everything at hyperspeed.

Is there really an advantage to moving so fast?

You just tire out your already struggling offensive line.

 

[Indymoon]

Doesn't the new rule allow the D time to make personnel changes in response to changes made by the Offense? I saw that during a game earlier this year where the ref and umpire held the snap until the D reacted to the personnel changes by the O. If that's the case, what's the point of hurry-up?

Also, no huddle doesn't necessarily require hurry-up offense.

 

[vesuvius13]

Doesn't the new rule allow the D time to make personnel changes in response to changes made by the Offense? I saw that during a game earlier this year where the ref and umpire held the snap until the D reacted to the personnel changes by the O. If that's the case, what's the point of hurry-up?

Also, no huddle doesn't necessarily require hurry-up offense.

The point, although I think Bell pushes it too much, is to get the defense to make mistakes with match ups like Cincinnati did with Henderson's catch for a TD. He was uncovered as Cincinnati didn't get adjusted to the formation. I like the hurry up game but think it should be mixed with slower paced game, so the defense doesn't know what is coming.

 

[Indymoon]

The point, although I think Bell pushes it too much, is to get the defense to make mistakes with match ups like Cincinnati did with Henderson's catch for a TD. He was uncovered as Cincinnati didn't get adjusted to the formation. I like the hurry up game but think it should be mixed with slower paced game, so the defense doesn't know what is coming.

IU should focus more on avoiding mistakes by our offense - several plays in the Cincy game come to mind - rather than trying to "catch our opponent off guard" given the rule change.

 

[Bligedy]

IU should focus more on avoiding mistakes by our offense - several plays in the Cincy game come to mind - rather than trying to "catch our opponent off guard" given the rule change.

Agree. I hate potentially wasting a handful of plays just to have an "AHA!!" play where you caught them off guard.

 

[vesuvius13]

IU should focus more on avoiding mistakes by our offense - several plays in the Cincy game come to mind - rather than trying to "catch our opponent off guard" given the rule change.

I don't disagree with you; I was just explaining why coach Bell says he wants to go so fast. Until they get the offense working without mistakes, I think they need to slow down.

 

[Crossblock]

That may have been when he said "What am I supposed to do? Tell my offense to score more slowly?"

That one goes right up there in the Hall of Fame of Stupid with Dusty Baker when He was managing the Chicago Cubs 15 or so Years ago, saying He didn't like having runners on base because they just clogged everything up for the Offense. OK, if your team gives up an average of 5 Runs a game, in how many games can You expect to hit 6 Solo Home runs to win it.

 

[Bligedy]

That one goes right up there in the Hall of Fame of Stupid with Dusty Baker when He was managing the Chicago Cubs 15 or so Years ago, saying He didn't like having runners on base because they just clogged everything up for the Offense. OK, if your team gives up an average of 5 Runs a game, in how many games can You expect to hit 6 Solo Home runs to win it.

He actually didn't say that. He was asked about the pitcher getting walked and he said that he didn't like when slow guys got walked in front of fast guys because they clogged up the bases for the faster runners.

 

[IUNY]

IU should focus more on avoiding mistakes by our offense - several plays in the Cincy game come to mind - rather than trying to "catch our opponent off guard" given the rule change.

For the amount of times we go three and out, we are better off using all the time in between downs.