Skip Holtz Specials at Tech, A History of Tech 4th Quarter Comebacks and Collapses

[Bulldog Tom]

I am a teacher and I used to coach HS and club sports. I would take $150,000 from skips salary as my own put the rest back into my assistants pay checks, and sit back and let them coach their positions. I am willing to bet in that scenario, I could attract enough good young assistants, or veteran assistants that my record as head coach would be close to Skippy's. I would still make more base than I have ever made in a given year base salary wise, and we wouldn't be any worse off as a program for sure. I can damn well promise you that when I am playing with house money (underdog) against P5's we would be swinging for the fences until the whistle blows at the end of the 4th.

Throttling down to pace ourselves hasn't turned into 1 single conference title so, might as well put the pedal to the floor and worry about rest when the season is over.

You're hired.

[Blue Dawg]

HCSH total point differential per quarter:

Edit: the original data here was incorrect. Please refer to this chart instead:

[PawDawg]

HCSH cumulative point differential by quarter:

231 522 654 -54

Amazing!

[DallasDog]

HCSH cumulative point differential by quarter:

231 522 654 -54

So we start slow and finish in reverse! Brilliant strategy by the man in charge

[PawDawg]

So we start slow and finish in reverse! Brilliant strategy by the man in charge

It tells his story. He works to get a lead and then tries to protect it.

[techman05]

No no no guys….

This tells us that our competition sucks at halftime adjustments, but when it comes to the 4th, they figure everything out and there is just no stopping them. I can see Holtz now in the coaches meeting before practice looking at this graph.

Okay guys, what I see here is that we need to score more in the first to offset us shutting down in the 4th.

[boxerdog]

That can't be right.

[PawDawg]

That can't be right.

Why?

[Gladzilla]

Based on the data presented our conference sucks, and Holtz is a loser.

[techman05]

If those numbers are accurate, and we continue to see the same effort we saw for 3 quarters last week, it gives me hope that we may be able to overcome the play calling and win some games.

[boxerdog]

Why?

You think he's outscored teams by 654 points in the 3rd quarter?

[PawDawg]

You think he's outscored teams by 654 points in the 3rd quarter?

IDK. He has been HC in over 100 games in 21 years.

2020 was -11 -18 -41 -13 for each quarter separately.

Since he said it was "cumulative" that was probably through 3 quarters combined. Still horrible.

[HogDawg]

I predicted 7-5 in the poll and might be willing to go 8-4 given the level of talent we have, but here we go again. The very best prospect is a 9-4 finish if we get back to winning bowl games again. Next year...more of the same...the following year, more of the same. Etc...

I could do better. I agree with DallasDog's approach, hire and PAY good assistants and turn them loose to coach the game. I found my most success in my professional life (career) when I hired good people and allowed them to become great thus lifting the organization. I am a believer in "Quality Management," the whole Deming, Juran, etc. approach to quality improvement, you push decision-making down to the lowest possible position and give them ownership of their portion of the process. On a football team that means assistant coaches and captains on the field.

On that radio show, Holtz outright admitted that his decision to kick a FG on 4th and 1 at the goal line against Miss St was tainted (my word) by some of his past failures in similar situations. Quite an admission, I thought. Just another good reason to have someone else calling plays, etc...

[HogDawg]

HCSH cumulative point differential by quarter:

231 522 654 -54

THAT is one scary ass graph! WOW!

So Tech starts games slowly, then plays very well in the 2nd & 3rd quarters, and then quits for the 4th.

What period of time does this data cover? For instance, does it include his entire time at LA Tech?

[Blue Dawg]

That can't be right.

You're right - I had some duplication in there somewhere.



That's a bit more favorable. Paints a different picture too.

Apologies for the confusion.