Why are we conservative in the 2nd half?

[champion110]

We can be up by 35 points and I am always still nervous in the 3rd and 4th quarter. We stop playing our game and we are not a good conservative team. I understand playing some players for experience, but I think we start slowing down before the other team does every time.

[T1]

Our HC has hinted a fall off in a couple of recent statements. Maybe they were taken out of context. He often gets to talking and stuff comes out before he can shut it off.

I missed that. What did he say? We should be fine, imo. Are you talking about him trying to get the Freshmen some experience for next year?

[TN Dawg 13]

All I took his by his comments was that he gets more conservative to preserve the legs of the defense. He is a ball control/stout D type of coach. Why expect different? We complain about this type of philosophy and complain about our previous coach's all out philosophy which made our D hapless in second half.

Guess we will not be satisfied until we score 70 every game by half so our young guys can get experience. But then, they will not get experience in a true game pressure type situation and then fold when needed - guess we can complain then too.

[PawDawg]

All I took his by his comments was that he gets more conservative to preserve the legs of the defense. He is a ball control/stout D type of coach.

His clock management blows this theory away. Snapping the ball with 15 seconds left on the play clock is the norm for him.

[Rooster]

I don't understand NOT having the killer mentality in this game...If you offense can score, then freaking score!!!!!!!!!!

[Dogsince65]

us older folks remember having more wins than any program in country over 10 yrs of 70s. In Bradshaw years ( 60s) he seldom played much of second half. We had a great system for developing next group of players. Many fuss because we want to see next qb or other rbs being developed. Its a no win position for coach. Coach made comment that many fresman and redshirts will have over 200 snaps going into next yr. More experience for 2016 team and have we blown a big lead in second half with Holtz. we may have but I do not remember

[T1]

I don't understand NOT having the killer mentality in this game...If you offense can score, then freaking score!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think he means he doesn't want to score, he just calls more conservative plays to keep the other team from getting back in the game with dumb turnovers... just run plays and high percentage passes. We should still be able to score if we execute.

Do y'all remember this game? LSU was up 23-9 in the 4th quarter, Auburn couldn't move the ball on LSU, and then this happened (Hallman was fired a couple of weeks later):

[Houston Techsan]

That was worse than A&M against Alabama this year.

[TechFanno1]

I believe we are playing alot freshman out of need thus year with our rash of injuries. No problem with playing to gain experience. Don't like that we have to settle for bend not break on pass defense. Everyone got our number on that.

[MiloBumP]

We won't fall off much. Holtz is doing nothing more than positioning himself as the big savior next year, and he's doing it by telling us how bad the team is supposed to be. It's nothing more than self preservation.

If Holtz told everybody we were going to be great next year, then people would be pissed if we wound up winning only 7 or 8 games. Many people would think we had underachieved, and many would be calling for Holtz's head. But by telling us we'll be bad next season, Holtz is setting himself up to be a hero.

Dang HD...caught by my own game doctors and good accountants use the same tactic. "I don't know if I can save him, but I will do everything I can." lol

[TN Dawg 13]

His clock management blows this theory away. Snapping the ball with 15 seconds left on the play clock is the norm for him.

Why? It's not like he is literally running out the clock. You can run plays at a slower pace without milking every last second off the clock. It's not like he doesn't expect to make first downs and move the ball. He just isn't going to go out and go 3 and out with only taking 15 sec total off the clock like Dykes O did with all those 3 and outs.. I mean people beotching about our D being poor this year and the O is trying to mask this as best as possible. It's not a perfect world and this isn't a perfect fb team without any flaws or glaring issues. Whatever, go ahead and bash away.

[ChipDog]

"In some of the second halves, I have gotten more conservative. I've started running the ball. We have had a lead and want to protect our defense, eat up clock and punt it away," Holtz said. "To me, that is a formula for success. Some may say that it is conservative and it may take some points away, but the object of what we're trying to do is not outscore them in the first, second and third quarter to see if we can put up 70. It's what do we have to do to win the football game."


"We have had a lead and want to ... punt it away" -- It's hard to believe a football coach would have this thought?
"To me that is a formula for success." -- It's not everyday you hear something like this from a football coach?
"what we're trying to do is not outscore them in the first, second and third quarter" -- That may be the answer to a lot of questions from fans, alumni and supporters.


After reading this article, I started to realize the possibility that some of the things that many folks may have thought were done in the heat of a game without much thought where actually well thought out and still were done: Like turning a 1 possession game into a 2 possession game against Tulane by not kicking the PAT; and not kicking the easy FG for 3 points at WKU this season and instead going for it on 4th - to name two.

[PawDawg]

Why? It's not like he is literally running out the clock. You can run plays at a slower pace without milking every last second off the clock. It's not like he doesn't expect to make first downs and move the ball. He just isn't going to go out and go 3 and out with only taking 15 sec total off the clock like Dykes O did with all those 3 and outs.. I mean people beotching about our D being poor this year and the O is trying to mask this as best as possible. It's not a perfect world and this isn't a perfect fb team without any flaws or glaring issues. Whatever, go ahead and bash away.

GoodnessT It's called a discussion.

You said "he gets more conservative to preserve the legs of the defense. He is a ball control/stout D type of coach."

I just pointed out that if true he should run the clock down before snapping the ball. It's called using the clock.

[RGTech98]

Unfortunately we haven't mastered getting all the plays off with 15 seconds left. How many delay of game penalties have we received in the last few games? 2 or so per...

For the most part I'm good with playing as many players as we can when the coach is comfortable with the lead. Game time experience is invaluable.

I do wish though that HCSH would understand the fan entertainment value for the entire 60 minutes and not play for a punt.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

We complain and complain and complain then too.

yep