Grading the team's performance: Week 2

Hpslugga

Hpslugga

2,500+ Posts
UTEP grades

Offense

-Win-check
-35+ points-check
-100% Green Zone scoring-check
-450+ yards total offense-no check
-40% or better on 3rd downs-no check
-1 or fewer turnovers-check
-Four plays 20+ yards long-check
-60%+ pass completions-check
-No sacks allowed-no check
-Eliminate foolish penalties-check
-Win the 4th quarter-check

8/11. Practically speaking, it was as good as last week even though we didn't grade as high (10/11). We had a dry spell in the 3rd quarter that prevented us from getting 450 yards and we only gave up 1 sack. The 3rd down thing is a cause for concern (we were 1 of 6), but it was most likely a fluke that we did that poorly in that area.

Defense

-Win-check
-17 or fewer points-check
-Force 2+ turnovers-no check
-Give offense the ball twice or more inside the 50-check
-Force five 3-and-outs-no check
-No run over 20 yards-no check
-No pass over 25 yards-no check
-49% or worse completions-no check
-Goal line or 4th and short stop-no check
-Less than 200 yards passing-no check
-Less than 100 yards rushing-no check
-Less than 300 yards total offense-no check
-Score on defense-check
-Shut out-no check

4/14. Not at all pleased with this in the slightest. I hate it when one of our opponents outgains us, especially if they're teams like this one and knowing how well we played offensively. On all but 2 of their drives, UTEP made double digit yardage and at least one first down and the ones they didn't were the 1 3-and-out we did get and the fumble return TD (happened on the first play of the drive). This is a major cause for concern because while it was good that we once again prevented our opponent from finishing the vast majority of their drives with points, a better offense (Missouri, Kansas, OU, Tech) will be able to do this if we perform like this.

Special Teams

-No penalties-no check
-No blocked punts allowed-check
-No blocked PAT's/FG's allowed-check
-No fumbles-check
-No more than 10 yards per return covering punts-check
-Catch all fieldable punts-check
-Average 10+ yards per return on all fieldable punts-check
-Return 1 kickoff past our own 40-no check
-No kickoff return past their own 35-check
-PAT's 100%-check

8/10. Great improvements on the punt returns and the general coverage, but I'm still concerned about kickoff returns. It really should have been a 9/10, but we got one freaking illegal formation penalty on a punt.

Total: 20/35. Overall not nearly as good as last week, but that's entirely on the defense. The offense was solid overall and the special teams improved.
 
Given some of the back and forth arguments in other threads about the defense, it is good to see their performance graded against some objective standard. While I wouldn't bash the crap out of the defense in the manner that a few of our posters did last night, I thought they weren't particularly crisp. I thought they made plays when they needed to, but not consistently enough to be considered a strong outing. Your ranking confirms that.
 
Uncle Rio, if I remember correctly, we got TO the QB two or three times, but then missed the tackle. Same result.. I don't know which is worse, never getting there or missing the tackle when you do.
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Missing the tackle when you do. That's something that's easily fixable and it still pressures the QB into making a throw that he doesn't want to. If you're not even getting back there and he has all day to throw, he'll find an open man.
 
Mike Price is a good coach.

Vitatoe isn't a bad QB.

Yes, this was UTEP.

They attacked us exactly where they needed to (safeties) in their passing game, or at least it looked that way to me. I would like to have been there to see what all was going on downfield (you can't see that on TV before the ball gets there).

I hate to do it, but I sort of give the secondary a pass. Our front seven is what I was most excited about heading into the season, and ultimately thats what I am most disappointed in so far in light of those expectations. I need to stop reading any comments about how incredible our defense looks on this site and others for the entire month of August.
 
we need another item, even though Muck had a great TD return.

- DL recovers fumble on own side of field, runs for at least 8 yards but realizes he doesn't have enough gas, then pitches to sleek bodied teammate who takes it to the house (getting pitch still on own side of field). -- no check.
 
We had two sacks (1.5 from Rak/0.5 from Kindle), which is an improvement from FAU. We do need to work on our tackling and I'm still not satisfied with the pressure our frount 4 brings without a blitz to help them out. I wouldn't mind seeing Sam Acho or Eddie Jones bump Henry Melton from the starting lineup to give us a little more speed rush on the edge.
 
Thanks for the UTEP grades, slugga. And thanks for the revised yardage metrics, though I'm a bit disappointed to see that our offense and defense didn't live up to any of them.

Coaches like to say that teams make the biggest improvement from week 1 to week 2, but it seems our 'Horns took a step back for UTEP. Hopefully, things will come together.
 
I would weight the 3rd down conversion heavier than the other metics because is is nearly equivalent to a turnover (i.e. if you don't convert you lose the ball (though not field position)).

I am also very concerned about the 3rd down conversions. The offense that looked crisp and methodical against FAU, looked pretty erratic again UTEP. One huge difference was the short passing game was much more productive against FAU than UTEP.

In the FAU game, the backs or TE caught 15 passes (out of a total of 28 completions). Against UTEP, the backs and TE caught 4 passes out of a total of 20 completions. Even this 4 passes was inflated by Ogbonnaya's 3 catches (I say inflated because Oggie typically is not catching dump passes but is acting more like a WR).

The short passing game is not only good for moving the chains and avoiding the rush but also helps a QB reestablish his rhythm when he gets flustered (i.e. Colt in Q3).

The offense really benefitted from short fields and the D also scored a TD. The ought to get half of the O's check for scoring 35+ points.

Did anyone notice the testy little interchange between mack and Muschamp? I wonder what that was a bout?
 
What has it been--three defensive coordinators in three years? Yet, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Same old mediocre pass rush leading to the same old over reliance and excessive pressure on the DBs.
 
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